Steve Crowe

The VDMA Robotics + Automation Association (VDMA R+A) is voicing concerns about Germany’s robotics industry. The German trade association, which falls under the VDMA umbrella that has 420-plus member companies, said the country’s robotics and automation industry “has lost competitiveness.” The VDMA R+A forecast that Germany‘s robotics and automation industry will drop 9% in total turnover in 2025 to €13.8 billion ($14.4 billion U.S.). “Total turnover” is the term Germany uses to describe the amount

The Intel RealSense D421 Depth Module. | Credit: Intel We were a little surprised in mid-September 2024 with the launch of the entry-level Intel RealSense Depth Module D421. With the recent financial turmoil and changes at the company, there was uncertainty whether Intel would continue to invest in the product line. Well, today The Robot Report learned more about the plans for the line of depth cameras. Intel is spinning out RealSense as an independent

Hexagon, a global leader in precision technologies, has agreed to acquire Septentrio NV, a developer of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technologies. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2025. Sweden-based Hexagon said the acquisition will ensure greater accessibility to high-accuracy and high-performance positioning technology with low SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) characteristics. It added that the deal will accelerate the adoption of

New Symbotic CTO James Kuffner. Credit: Toyota James Kuffner, a pioneer in robotics, has been named chief technology officer at Symbotic Inc., a leading developer of warehouse robots. Kuffner is replacing former CTO George Dramalis, who retired on Jan. 1, 2025. Kuffner will be responsible for advancing the company’s technologies and long-term growth. “James has more than 30 years of leadership experience in robotics,” stated Rick Cohen, chairman and CEO of Symbotic. “He has helped

Listen to this article The UR20 cobot with its increased payload at the 2024 China International Industry Fair. | Credit: Universal Robots Universal Robots A/S is looking to significantly expand its presence in China, the world’s largest market for industrial robots. The world’s leading developer of collaborative robot arms is opening a production facility there and introducing two robots that will be available exclusively to the Chinese market. To meet increasing Chinese demand, Universal Robots

Listen to this article [embedded content] The Robot Report invites you to submit a session abstract to be considered for presentation at the Robotics Summit & Expo, which will be held April 30-May 1, 2025 in Boston at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. The Robotics Summit is the leading event focused on the technical issues involved with developing commercial robots. We are seeking sessions that should be technical and educational to help attendees overcome

Listen to this article Dietmar Ley, CEO of Basler AG, was named the new chairman of VDMA Robotics + Automation. Dr. Dietmar Ley, CEO of Basler AG in Ahrensburg, Germany, has been elected as the new chairman of the VDMA Robotics + Automation Association. He succeeds Frank Konrad, CEO of Hahn Automation Group GmbH, whose three-year term of office as chairman recently came to an end. Ley has been the CEO of Basler AG since

Listen to this article One of the robotics industry’s household brands continues to struggle. iRobot, maker of the popular Roomba robot vacuum, is laying off another 105 employees as part of its restructuring plans. The number of employees being let go represents 16% of iRobot’s global workforce as of September 28, 2024. Since the start of 2024, iRobot has reduced its global workforce by nearly 50%. There are several reasons iRobot, which has sold more

Listen to this article [embedded content] The Robot Report is seeking nominations for its 2025 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards. The RBR50 has recognized the most innovative and influential organizations in robotics for the past dozen years. Here are the winners from 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021. Each year, a team of experts selects the most interesting and important robotics innovations from around the world. The deadline for submissions is Friday, December 20, 2024. Submit your

Listen to this article [embedded content] Researchers at Duke University have developed a system called SonicSense that gives robots a sense of touch by “listening” to vibrations. The researchers said this allows the robots to identify materials, understand shapes and recognize objects. SonicSense is a four-fingered robotic hand that has a contact microphone embedded in each fingertip. These sensors detect and record vibrations generated when the robot taps, grasps or shakes an object. And because