Bots & Business

ABB will acquire ASTI Mobile Robotics Group (ASTI), a global autonomous mobile robot (AMR) manufacturer. The acquisition, a key part of ABB’s external growth strategy, was signed on July 19 and is expected to close in mid-summer 2021. Both parties agreed not to disclose any details regarding the purchase price.

Democratization of IT and citizen developers are a hot topic, especially in RPA and low code. Although the trend is not new, we now see a rapid take up, in a ‘perfect combination of people, process and technology’. This leads to a situation which in the end is beneficially for both the business and IT.

Insurance can profit hugely from automation like RPA. But to do so, a few conditions must be met. It is important to align automation initiatives with business strategy and goals, while at the same time keeping projects within reasonable limits. And, most importantly, execution has to follow the same principles as change programs. People are at the centre of enabling and unlocking the benefits of this technology. They need to embrace the ‘what’ and ‘why’ to make automation programs go beyond task automation to enterprise-wide automation.

Business is becoming increasingly dynamic and complex. Technologies and working methods are currently available to support the decision-making process and deal with the new challenges. In particular, process and data mining is a highly effective tool for CFOs.

Although automation and robotisation are emerging in Human Resources (HR), the conversation that took place during CIOnet’s webinar on the future of work was mostly about people. ‘Automation in HR is about harnessing talent without losing  the people-focused dimension,’ one of the panellists said. But what that will look like differs from company to company. ‘That is also what makes our profession so interesting.’

More and more companies are using chatbots in customer services. Due to advances in artificial intelligence and natural language processing, chatbots are often indistinguishable from humans when it comes to communication. But should companies let their customers know that they are communicating with machines and not with humans?

Fluke Process Instruments, provider of infrared imaging and thermal profiling solutions for industrial applications, has partnered with Boston Dynamics to bring Fluke Process Instruments’ new SV600 Fixed Acoustic Imager capabilities to Boston Dynamics’ agile mobile robot Spot.

Universal Robot, manufacturer of collaborative robots, goes on tour this summer, showcasing its new solution for flexible machine loading at live events hosted by partners across the U.S. To further address demand, Universal Robots is adding four new ActiNav Solutions Providers to assist manufacturers in ActiNav deployments.

Ils se distinguent par leur faculté de monter sur les étagères et de préparer les commandes de façon autonome. Les robots Skypod d’Exotec sont conçus et fabriqués à Lille. Il soutiennent la logistique de grandes enseignes comme Carrefour, Cdiscount, Decathlon en Europe, au Canada, aux USA et au Japon.

Sarcos Robotics announced it has successfully demonstrated its SenSuit controller garment. As part of the next-generation technologies designed for enhanced teleoperation of the Guardian XT highly dexterous mobile robotic system, this leveraged Sarcos’ proprietary motion caption controller to enable enhanced teleoperation of the robot’s dexterous arms. Capable of lifting and manipulating up to 200 lb. (90 kg), the Guardian XT robot is aimed at accomplishing precision tasks and performing work in unstructured environments.