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Day: 18 May 2022

Farsound Aviation profits from e-Customs solution

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, has helped Farsound Aviation, a prominent service provider for the world’s aerospace industry, to improve its profitability by automating compliance with UK/EU customs regulations with the Descartes e-Customs filing solution. The use of Descartes e-Customs resulted in annual cost savings of thousands of pounds.

“Before using Descartes e-Customs, our business was shedding a large amount of costs associated with import duties due to inefficient filing practices,” said Ian Burley, Operations Director at Farsound Aviation. “Our investment in Descartes’ solution was easily justified based on the duty savings alone and we have enhanced our overall compliance by automating inbound and outbound declaration processes from within one advanced solution.”

Farsound Aviation provides parts distribution, logistics and supply chain management services to customers in the aerospace repair industry, all over the world. Farsound imports the majority of its materials from the US, Europe and the Far East, which are then distributed to the company’s global customer base. The import and export customs and excise filing process was a significant burden for the Farsound Aviation team before the deployment of Descartes e-Customs helped them to gain control of the customs filing process and minimise their spend.

Descartes e-Customs is a secure, web-based solution that can help filers submit the data to HMRC and other government agencies from within a concise, easy-to-use interface. From template-driven declarations, client-specific data and the ability to duplicate previous declarations, Descartes e-Customs can adapt to the multiple ways that companies operate.

“We’re pleased to help Farsound Aviation improve control of its customs processes,” said Pol Sweeney, VP Sales and Business Manager UK for Descartes. “The integration with Descartes e-Customs has allowed Farsound Aviation to manage inbound and outbound declarations with one easy-to-use application, which has led to significant cost savings.”

Farsound Aviation profits from e-Customs solution

Posted on by David Priestman

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, has helped Farsound Aviation, a prominent service provider for the world’s aerospace industry, to improve its profitability by automating compliance with UK/EU customs regulations with the Descartes e-Customs filing solution. The use of Descartes e-Customs resulted in annual cost savings of thousands of pounds.

“Before using Descartes e-Customs, our business was shedding a large amount of costs associated with import duties due to inefficient filing practices,” said Ian Burley, Operations Director at Farsound Aviation. “Our investment in Descartes’ solution was easily justified based on the duty savings alone and we have enhanced our overall compliance by automating inbound and outbound declaration processes from within one advanced solution.”

Farsound Aviation provides parts distribution, logistics and supply chain management services to customers in the aerospace repair industry, all over the world. Farsound imports the majority of its materials from the US, Europe and the Far East, which are then distributed to the company’s global customer base. The import and export customs and excise filing process was a significant burden for the Farsound Aviation team before the deployment of Descartes e-Customs helped them to gain control of the customs filing process and minimise their spend.

Descartes e-Customs is a secure, web-based solution that can help filers submit the data to HMRC and other government agencies from within a concise, easy-to-use interface. From template-driven declarations, client-specific data and the ability to duplicate previous declarations, Descartes e-Customs can adapt to the multiple ways that companies operate.

“We’re pleased to help Farsound Aviation improve control of its customs processes,” said Pol Sweeney, VP Sales and Business Manager UK for Descartes. “The integration with Descartes e-Customs has allowed Farsound Aviation to manage inbound and outbound declarations with one easy-to-use application, which has led to significant cost savings.”

AMR choice: the difference is quality

Posted on by David Priestman

Frazer Watson, UK – Ireland Country Manager at AMR designer and manufacturer iFollow, examines the quality differentiator when it comes to choosing an Autonomous Mobile Robot solution.

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are rapidly building a reputation for being a smart, flexible and productive intralogistics transport solution. At a time of increasingly scarce labour, AMRs can be deployed to work in cooperation with staff, enabling manufacturing, warehouse, fulfilment and distribution centre operations to redeploy personnel resources from simple transport duties to where they can be most productive – such as picking orders into roll cages or onto pallets being carried by the robots.

These facilities are often demanding environments for materials handling equipment. The surfaces on which AMRs travel are not always the smoothest and they are often full of static obstructions such as racking, shelving, conveyors as well as mobile ones like forklift trucks. Mobile robots can rack up significant mileages through a typical year in these environments, working long shifts carrying loads up to the unit’s capacity.

The combination of these factors is why, like any item of materials handling equipment, quality build and robustness are vital characteristics for an AMR – not only to ensure a longer lifespan for the unit, but also to minimise downtime due to repairs.

There and numerous predictions for AMR market growth through the coming decade and while there are many lower cost units that will have limited uses, market growth will be boosted as the limitations that preclude many units from broader applications are being overcome by higher quality mobile robots, such as those from iFollow.

Increased payload capabilities up to 1.3 tonnes will give mobile robots the potential to carry out tasks such as moving barrels or pallets of paint cans. This is just one example of how improving AMR capabilities will broaden their possible deployment. The ability to work between different temperatures, which can risk strain on internal components, is another. Moving between temperature zones from as cold as -25°C to as warm as +40°C, in constrained environments, presents more of a challenge for mobile robot technology than many may realise. In iFollow mobile robots, for example, the temperatures of the key electronic components are regulated by a servo system completely developed by our teams. Thus, the absence of condensation is ensured, even when moving from a very cold environment to a temperate space.

As the number of mobile robot brands and models available on the market increases customer choice, the quality of the design and build is set to be a crucial differentiator. While many mobile robots look similar on the outside there remains a great deal of difference when it comes to quality. And this should be a prime consideration when choosing the right model for applications in which the AMR is to be deployed. The long-term success of an operation will depend on the AMR having the reliability and capability to maximise uptime and maintain flow through a warehouse or production facility.

Check that the AMR has all the required registration and certification. Buying a fleet of a couple of hundred mobile robots, for example, without certification is a huge risk. Has the machine been through a quality process? Is it CE certified? Does it meet the latest standards that are in force for the region where it is being used? What about support – can parts be supplied locally for quick response?

A supplier that both designs and manufactures its own AMRs, as well as providing the supporting software, can better respond to customer problems with solutions adapted to their particular needs. It will be able to tune the mobile robot solution to the application – for example adapting the lifting platform to the needs of the application. This ability often allows a supplier to adapt a single type of robot to fulfil a customer’s entire needs.

iFollow operates in the food, industrial, pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetic, logistics and mass distribution sectors, which all operate busy, fast moving facilities. The company made the strategic choice to design and manufacture its own autonomous mobile robots – which are all guaranteed – and fully develops its own navigation and fleet management algorithms. Mobile robots are a relatively new technology that is rapidly gaining momentum as a means to gain competitive edge – from grocery retail logistics to industrial manufacturing. Seeking out premium machines that are designed for use in intense, constrained environments and repeated use over time will ultimately deliver greater value for the end user.

AMR choice: the difference is quality

Posted on by David Priestman

Frazer Watson, UK – Ireland Country Manager at AMR designer and manufacturer iFollow, examines the quality differentiator when it comes to choosing an Autonomous Mobile Robot solution.

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are rapidly building a reputation for being a smart, flexible and productive intralogistics transport solution. At a time of increasingly scarce labour, AMRs can be deployed to work in cooperation with staff, enabling manufacturing, warehouse, fulfilment and distribution centre operations to redeploy personnel resources from simple transport duties to where they can be most productive – such as picking orders into roll cages or onto pallets being carried by the robots.

These facilities are often demanding environments for materials handling equipment. The surfaces on which AMRs travel are not always the smoothest and they are often full of static obstructions such as racking, shelving, conveyors as well as mobile ones like forklift trucks. Mobile robots can rack up significant mileages through a typical year in these environments, working long shifts carrying loads up to the unit’s capacity.

The combination of these factors is why, like any item of materials handling equipment, quality build and robustness are vital characteristics for an AMR – not only to ensure a longer lifespan for the unit, but also to minimise downtime due to repairs.

There and numerous predictions for AMR market growth through the coming decade and while there are many lower cost units that will have limited uses, market growth will be boosted as the limitations that preclude many units from broader applications are being overcome by higher quality mobile robots, such as those from iFollow.

Increased payload capabilities up to 1.3 tonnes will give mobile robots the potential to carry out tasks such as moving barrels or pallets of paint cans. This is just one example of how improving AMR capabilities will broaden their possible deployment. The ability to work between different temperatures, which can risk strain on internal components, is another. Moving between temperature zones from as cold as -25°C to as warm as +40°C, in constrained environments, presents more of a challenge for mobile robot technology than many may realise. In iFollow mobile robots, for example, the temperatures of the key electronic components are regulated by a servo system completely developed by our teams. Thus, the absence of condensation is ensured, even when moving from a very cold environment to a temperate space.

As the number of mobile robot brands and models available on the market increases customer choice, the quality of the design and build is set to be a crucial differentiator. While many mobile robots look similar on the outside there remains a great deal of difference when it comes to quality. And this should be a prime consideration when choosing the right model for applications in which the AMR is to be deployed. The long-term success of an operation will depend on the AMR having the reliability and capability to maximise uptime and maintain flow through a warehouse or production facility.

Check that the AMR has all the required registration and certification. Buying a fleet of a couple of hundred mobile robots, for example, without certification is a huge risk. Has the machine been through a quality process? Is it CE certified? Does it meet the latest standards that are in force for the region where it is being used? What about support – can parts be supplied locally for quick response?

A supplier that both designs and manufactures its own AMRs, as well as providing the supporting software, can better respond to customer problems with solutions adapted to their particular needs. It will be able to tune the mobile robot solution to the application – for example adapting the lifting platform to the needs of the application. This ability often allows a supplier to adapt a single type of robot to fulfil a customer’s entire needs.

iFollow operates in the food, industrial, pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetic, logistics and mass distribution sectors, which all operate busy, fast moving facilities. The company made the strategic choice to design and manufacture its own autonomous mobile robots – which are all guaranteed – and fully develops its own navigation and fleet management algorithms. Mobile robots are a relatively new technology that is rapidly gaining momentum as a means to gain competitive edge – from grocery retail logistics to industrial manufacturing. Seeking out premium machines that are designed for use in intense, constrained environments and repeated use over time will ultimately deliver greater value for the end user.

GateHouse forms data tracking partnership with Sony

Posted on by Keith McKinley

GateHouse Maritime, a leading provider of ocean supply chain visibility and predictability services, has agreed with Sony Network Communications Europe for its cargo tracking solution, Visilion, to utilise its new data platform, OceanIO to extend the range of tracking for oceangoing cargo. OceanIO by GateHouse Maritime is designed to be easily integrated with existing applications and is scalable with more services to come.

Martin Dommerby Kristiansen, CEO at GateHouse Maritime, said: “We’re delighted to have made this agreement with Sony Network Communications Europe to support their world-class tracking solution, Visilion, with data on oceangoing cargo. Utilising OceanIO, Sony improves visibility of goods in transit from port to port. IoT technology and data analytics are key to the digital transformation of logistics.”

Based on re-usable smart trackers with sensors and a cloud service, Sony’s cargo tracking solution, Visilion, continuously gathers and uploads data which can be viewed on an intuitive web interface. It provides notifications about arrival and departure, positioning, temperature, shock, tilt and humidity detection, providing assurance to goods owners and freight forwarders of the whereabouts of goods in real time, whether they have been handled correctly or suffered route deviations, and if they will be delivered on time. OceanIO is easily connected to existing applications and Transport Management Systems through APIs.

Erik Lund, Head of the Tracking Division, Visilion at Sony Network Communications Europe, said: “GateHouse Maritime’s OceanIO platform combines extensive and comprehensive data sources to provide a robust and scalable foundation to extend the range and functionality of ocean visibility for the Visilion tracking solution. Working with GateHouse Maritime, we will continue the journey to provide customers with unparalleled visibility of their goods for all modes of transport.”

Sustainability benefits

Sony’s cargo tracking solution, Visilion, brings connectivity to the supply chain and paves the way for more environmentally sensitive decision making about choices of transport. With the incorporation of data services from the OceanIO platform, the capabilities of the Visilion solution have been extended. Using the OceanIO platform, Visilion can help its customers to improve efficiency in the supply chain with more detailed real-time visibility on sea.

Recently introduced by GateHouse Maritime, OceanIO daily receives up to 150 million new data points from diverse sources which includes nearly 300,000 oceangoing vessels as they report information regarding their geographical position, heading, speed and depth; together with inputs from 160 satellites and 2,500 terrestrial stations, 110 container freight carriers, 4,000 container ports and terminals, and meteorological activity reports.

Uniquely, OceanIO integrates GateHouse historical and trend data to allow for a more powerful and predictive end service. Using machine learning, predictive services can be developed for greater granularity and accuracy, allowing service providers to better report the progress of freight and meet customer’s expectations in an age when the supply chain has become greatly degraded and disrupted.

 

 

GateHouse forms data tracking partnership with Sony

Posted on by David Priestman

GateHouse Maritime, a leading provider of ocean supply chain visibility and predictability services, has agreed with Sony Network Communications Europe for its cargo tracking solution, Visilion, to utilise its new data platform, OceanIO to extend the range of tracking for oceangoing cargo. OceanIO by GateHouse Maritime is designed to be easily integrated with existing applications and is scalable with more services to come.

Martin Dommerby Kristiansen, CEO at GateHouse Maritime, said: “We’re delighted to have made this agreement with Sony Network Communications Europe to support their world-class tracking solution, Visilion, with data on oceangoing cargo. Utilising OceanIO, Sony improves visibility of goods in transit from port to port. IoT technology and data analytics are key to the digital transformation of logistics.”

Based on re-usable smart trackers with sensors and a cloud service, Sony’s cargo tracking solution, Visilion, continuously gathers and uploads data which can be viewed on an intuitive web interface. It provides notifications about arrival and departure, positioning, temperature, shock, tilt and humidity detection, providing assurance to goods owners and freight forwarders of the whereabouts of goods in real time, whether they have been handled correctly or suffered route deviations, and if they will be delivered on time. OceanIO is easily connected to existing applications and Transport Management Systems through APIs.

Erik Lund, Head of the Tracking Division, Visilion at Sony Network Communications Europe, said: “GateHouse Maritime’s OceanIO platform combines extensive and comprehensive data sources to provide a robust and scalable foundation to extend the range and functionality of ocean visibility for the Visilion tracking solution. Working with GateHouse Maritime, we will continue the journey to provide customers with unparalleled visibility of their goods for all modes of transport.”

Sustainability benefits

Sony’s cargo tracking solution, Visilion, brings connectivity to the supply chain and paves the way for more environmentally sensitive decision making about choices of transport. With the incorporation of data services from the OceanIO platform, the capabilities of the Visilion solution have been extended. Using the OceanIO platform, Visilion can help its customers to improve efficiency in the supply chain with more detailed real-time visibility on sea.

Recently introduced by GateHouse Maritime, OceanIO daily receives up to 150 million new data points from diverse sources which includes nearly 300,000 oceangoing vessels as they report information regarding their geographical position, heading, speed and depth; together with inputs from 160 satellites and 2,500 terrestrial stations, 110 container freight carriers, 4,000 container ports and terminals, and meteorological activity reports.

Uniquely, OceanIO integrates GateHouse historical and trend data to allow for a more powerful and predictive end service. Using machine learning, predictive services can be developed for greater granularity and accuracy, allowing service providers to better report the progress of freight and meet customer’s expectations in an age when the supply chain has become greatly degraded and disrupted.

 

 

IFOY FINALIST FOCUS: robobrain.NEUROS

Posted on by David Priestman

Continuing our product-by-product examination of each of the IFOY Award nominated finalists ahead of the winners announcement at BMW World on 30th June, we look at robobrain.NEUROS, the AI-based robotics operating system from robominds.

IFOY category: Robot

robobrain.NEUROS: running intelligent robotics. The latest coup of the Munich robot company robominds is the neural robot operating system for intelligent robotics and a platform for the next generation of automation.

NEUROS – optimised for robobrain, the industrial PC and as a platform for all robots, grippers and other kinematics – creates an automation environment that is user-centric and easy-to-use: for application scenarios of any industry and company size.

Description

robobrain.NEUROS (= Neural Robotic Operating System) is the industrialised operating system for intelligent robotics. The innovative basic principle is that every feature of the robotic components becomes a skill on the industrialised OS – easily obtainable via the robominds Skill Store, adaptable to individual needs or self-developable thanks to the robominds Skill SDK.

In many ways, robobrain.NEUROS helps its users to improve their economic efficiency and saving in resources. Parameterising and configuring instead of programming: the profitability of this simplified adaptation of own processes and hardware is plain to see. Because the process is at the centre and provides the intelligence itself, it remains flexible and scalable to further installations. This ensures investments and allows responses to changed products and production processes.

Those who want to automate their process, either can reach for the existing skill or optimise it to their own requirements. Alternatively, one can develop a skill entirely on its own – thanks to the numerous integrated assistants and wizards based on a framework that already has many functions. When the new or adapted skills are trained, the patented robominds-process impresses once again with its resource savings: Thanks to the unique physics simulation environment, the most complex AI models can be trained within a few hours – without humans or machines having to be involved in the physical learning process.

CLICK HERE to watch a video of robobrain.NEUROS

IFOY TEST REPORT

The Munich-based robotics company robominds, founded in 2016, has reached the IFOY AWARD final with its neural robot operating system “robobrain.NEUROS”. Different skills can be uploaded to the software platform, for example a palletising application for intralogistics.

One platform, many applications, independent of components – this is how robominds comes to Dortmund. Optimised for the industrial PC robobrain and as a platform for all robots, grippers and other kinematics, NEUROS (Neural Robotic Operating System) creates an automation environment that is user-centric and easy to operate – for scenarios of any industry and company size. On the industrialised operating system, every function of the robotic components becomes a skill. The modular principle applies to both the software and the hardware. One skill, for example, is order picking. Several applications can be shown in the test setup: Palletising, box recognition, etc.

One does not see oneself as a system integrator, but as a problem solver. So the focus is not on the gripper itself, but always on the application. The skills, in turn, are easy to obtain: via the robominds Skill Store, individually adaptable or to develop yourself thanks to the robominds Skill Software Development Kit (SDK). There are vision skills (such as item picking or bin picking), control skills for the simple programming of robots or the fleet management of several robot cells, or driver skills for various robots, grippers, cameras, etc.

In times of shorter product life cycles and production quantities up to batch size 1, flexible processes place ever new demands on production and material flow for all companies. That’s why the processes are always coming to the fore – the process is actually the core of modern production. And this is where robobrain.NEUROS comes into the game: Valuable process knowledge becomes more easily accessible through the robot operating system. At the same time, data security, data integrity and trusted AI are maintained through adherence to European standards, which is essential in the digital world and especially in the production environment.

The transformation towards adaptive processes affects just about all processes in the production of a material or goods flow. In robotics in particular, the potential for flexible applications is being exploited, which are thus becoming increasingly diversified and finding their way into different environments and applications. Especially the new fields of robotics, for example logistics or medicine, are growing the fastest – and so is the market potential for NEUROS. robobrain.NEUROS is already being used by corporations in various industries, especially in the automotive industry, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, and intralogistics.

Flexible systems independent of hardware: This means that standard components can be used and the process adapted over their lifetime. This means that applications can not only be implemented cost-efficiently, but also that investments can be safeguarded for the future. The same advantages also apply to the areas of commissioning and operational capability – uncomplicated, fast and far-reaching thanks to artificial intelligence (AI).

IFOY Test Verdict:

The robobrain.NEUROS neural robot operating system can serve as a platform for the next generation of automation in logistics. It can be used to (create) an automation environment that is easy to use, economical and can save resources.

IFOY INNOVATION CHECK

Market relevance: The manufacturer-neutral neural robot operating system for intelligent robotics NEUROS aims to provide flexible robot processes for material flow and manufacturing as an answer to ever shorter product cycles and small series production. In this context, NEUROS addresses not only a wide variety of logistical processes in the areas of warehousing, pharmaceuticals and food, but also in production intralogistics through to assembly skills. The very high market relevance results from the breadth of applications and supported robot systems and the self-image as a technology supplier for system integrators.

Customer benefit: The user benefits from the process knowledge encapsulated in reusable robot skills, which are purchased instead of developed for individual automation systems in the Skill Store, as well as parameterised and configured instead of programmed. This enables new processes to be set up quickly and existing hardware to be used flexibly for a wide range of tasks in the long term. Due to its manufacturer-independent applicability, the Skill-Store also offers developers an ecosystem for marketing new capabilities.

Novelty: Open robot operating systems with a skill library have been realised in part before (e.g. ROS), but not consistently with the technical quality standards as with NEUROS. The profound support of AI methods should be emphasised as an innovation. Thanks to a physics simulation, new robot skills can be developed and trained in a few hours without real data. At the same time, the operation always remains clear and controllable. Another special feature is the quality assurance of software contributions from external developers and the assurance of Trusted AI according to European standards.

Functionality / type of implementation: The test robots reliably demonstrated a wide variety of logistical tasks such as model-free product separation, palletising of packages or sorting of test tubes. The special focus on stability, function and safety of the overall system is also reflected in the use of the specially developed AI industrial PC robobrain. In addition, NEUROS implements the specifics of AI-based solutions in an expedient, market-oriented and application-oriented manner, including simulation-based training methods, useful software tools, generic basic functions and the inclusion of hardware design. The system is modular and open to new technologies.

Verdict: The market relevance of a manufacturer-neutral and reliable robotics operating system with native support for AI-based processes can be classified as very high. Reusable robot skills, the possibility of using data and experience across manufacturer boundaries, and Trusted AI from Germany offer customers innovative added value. Even if not all ideas are entirely new, their high-quality implementation in NEUROS represents a new quality.

market relevance ++
customer benefit ++
novelty +
functionality / type of implementation ++
[++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / – – not available]

For an overview of all the finalists, visit www.ifoy.org

CLICK HERE to find out more about robobrain.NEUROS.

 

 

IFOY FINALIST FOCUS: robobrain.NEUROS

Posted on by David Priestman

Continuing our product-by-product examination of each of the IFOY Award nominated finalists ahead of the winners announcement at BMW World on 30th June, we look at robobrain.NEUROS, the AI-based robotics operating system from robominds.

IFOY category: Robot

robobrain.NEUROS: running intelligent robotics. The latest coup of the Munich robot company robominds is the neural robot operating system for intelligent robotics and a platform for the next generation of automation.

NEUROS – optimised for robobrain, the industrial PC and as a platform for all robots, grippers and other kinematics – creates an automation environment that is user-centric and easy-to-use: for application scenarios of any industry and company size.

Description

robobrain.NEUROS (= Neural Robotic Operating System) is the industrialised operating system for intelligent robotics. The innovative basic principle is that every feature of the robotic components becomes a skill on the industrialised OS – easily obtainable via the robominds Skill Store, adaptable to individual needs or self-developable thanks to the robominds Skill SDK.

In many ways, robobrain.NEUROS helps its users to improve their economic efficiency and saving in resources. Parameterising and configuring instead of programming: the profitability of this simplified adaptation of own processes and hardware is plain to see. Because the process is at the centre and provides the intelligence itself, it remains flexible and scalable to further installations. This ensures investments and allows responses to changed products and production processes.

Those who want to automate their process, either can reach for the existing skill or optimise it to their own requirements. Alternatively, one can develop a skill entirely on its own – thanks to the numerous integrated assistants and wizards based on a framework that already has many functions. When the new or adapted skills are trained, the patented robominds-process impresses once again with its resource savings: Thanks to the unique physics simulation environment, the most complex AI models can be trained within a few hours – without humans or machines having to be involved in the physical learning process.

CLICK HERE to watch a video of robobrain.NEUROS

IFOY TEST REPORT

The Munich-based robotics company robominds, founded in 2016, has reached the IFOY AWARD final with its neural robot operating system “robobrain.NEUROS”. Different skills can be uploaded to the software platform, for example a palletising application for intralogistics.

One platform, many applications, independent of components – this is how robominds comes to Dortmund. Optimised for the industrial PC robobrain and as a platform for all robots, grippers and other kinematics, NEUROS (Neural Robotic Operating System) creates an automation environment that is user-centric and easy to operate – for scenarios of any industry and company size. On the industrialised operating system, every function of the robotic components becomes a skill. The modular principle applies to both the software and the hardware. One skill, for example, is order picking. Several applications can be shown in the test setup: Palletising, box recognition, etc.

One does not see oneself as a system integrator, but as a problem solver. So the focus is not on the gripper itself, but always on the application. The skills, in turn, are easy to obtain: via the robominds Skill Store, individually adaptable or to develop yourself thanks to the robominds Skill Software Development Kit (SDK). There are vision skills (such as item picking or bin picking), control skills for the simple programming of robots or the fleet management of several robot cells, or driver skills for various robots, grippers, cameras, etc.

In times of shorter product life cycles and production quantities up to batch size 1, flexible processes place ever new demands on production and material flow for all companies. That’s why the processes are always coming to the fore – the process is actually the core of modern production. And this is where robobrain.NEUROS comes into the game: Valuable process knowledge becomes more easily accessible through the robot operating system. At the same time, data security, data integrity and trusted AI are maintained through adherence to European standards, which is essential in the digital world and especially in the production environment.

The transformation towards adaptive processes affects just about all processes in the production of a material or goods flow. In robotics in particular, the potential for flexible applications is being exploited, which are thus becoming increasingly diversified and finding their way into different environments and applications. Especially the new fields of robotics, for example logistics or medicine, are growing the fastest – and so is the market potential for NEUROS. robobrain.NEUROS is already being used by corporations in various industries, especially in the automotive industry, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, and intralogistics.

Flexible systems independent of hardware: This means that standard components can be used and the process adapted over their lifetime. This means that applications can not only be implemented cost-efficiently, but also that investments can be safeguarded for the future. The same advantages also apply to the areas of commissioning and operational capability – uncomplicated, fast and far-reaching thanks to artificial intelligence (AI).

IFOY Test Verdict:

The robobrain.NEUROS neural robot operating system can serve as a platform for the next generation of automation in logistics. It can be used to (create) an automation environment that is easy to use, economical and can save resources.

IFOY INNOVATION CHECK

Market relevance: The manufacturer-neutral neural robot operating system for intelligent robotics NEUROS aims to provide flexible robot processes for material flow and manufacturing as an answer to ever shorter product cycles and small series production. In this context, NEUROS addresses not only a wide variety of logistical processes in the areas of warehousing, pharmaceuticals and food, but also in production intralogistics through to assembly skills. The very high market relevance results from the breadth of applications and supported robot systems and the self-image as a technology supplier for system integrators.

Customer benefit: The user benefits from the process knowledge encapsulated in reusable robot skills, which are purchased instead of developed for individual automation systems in the Skill Store, as well as parameterised and configured instead of programmed. This enables new processes to be set up quickly and existing hardware to be used flexibly for a wide range of tasks in the long term. Due to its manufacturer-independent applicability, the Skill-Store also offers developers an ecosystem for marketing new capabilities.

Novelty: Open robot operating systems with a skill library have been realised in part before (e.g. ROS), but not consistently with the technical quality standards as with NEUROS. The profound support of AI methods should be emphasised as an innovation. Thanks to a physics simulation, new robot skills can be developed and trained in a few hours without real data. At the same time, the operation always remains clear and controllable. Another special feature is the quality assurance of software contributions from external developers and the assurance of Trusted AI according to European standards.

Functionality / type of implementation: The test robots reliably demonstrated a wide variety of logistical tasks such as model-free product separation, palletising of packages or sorting of test tubes. The special focus on stability, function and safety of the overall system is also reflected in the use of the specially developed AI industrial PC robobrain. In addition, NEUROS implements the specifics of AI-based solutions in an expedient, market-oriented and application-oriented manner, including simulation-based training methods, useful software tools, generic basic functions and the inclusion of hardware design. The system is modular and open to new technologies.

Verdict: The market relevance of a manufacturer-neutral and reliable robotics operating system with native support for AI-based processes can be classified as very high. Reusable robot skills, the possibility of using data and experience across manufacturer boundaries, and Trusted AI from Germany offer customers innovative added value. Even if not all ideas are entirely new, their high-quality implementation in NEUROS represents a new quality.

market relevance ++
customer benefit ++
novelty +
functionality / type of implementation ++
[++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / – – not available]

For an overview of all the finalists, visit www.ifoy.org

CLICK HERE to find out more about robobrain.NEUROS.

 

 

Dematic brings interactive stand to LogiMAT

Posted on by David Priestman

Dematic is putting customers and their requirements front and centre at its trade show appearance in Stuttgart, transforming its stand into a unique customer experience at the upcoming LogiMAT, May 31 to June 2. For an interactive trade show experience, the company will unveil 15 showcases where innovation can be experienced live with the help of 3D configurations, 360° tours and augmented reality. This approach allows specific and fully automated warehouse solutions to be visualised, tested and remotely controlled on site.

Under a new slogan, #bringiton, Dematic plans to encourage stand visitors and customers to use new material flow solutions to benefit from opportunities that achieve a competitive advantage. Dematic aims to address current challenges customers in intralogistics are facing, thereby demonstrating how it is a premier partner to deliver the most suitable solutions. The two-story Dematic booth is located in Hall 1 at Booth B37.

“Customer experience is Dematic’s top priority at LogiMAT. In an ongoing dialogue with customers, we want to understand their requirements from the entire intralogistics value chain so that we can help strengthen their competitiveness over the long term with innovative solutions customised to their exact needs,” explains Bernard Biolchini, Executive Vice President (EVP) EMEA at Dematic. The company has identified key challenges the industry is currently facing, such as overcoming staff shortages and space constraints, achieving reliable delivery times despite shortages in raw materials, planning reliability for project costs, changing consumer behaviour and further digitalisation initiatives.

The Dematic executive added: “Over the last two years, many operating parameters have changed and they require new thinking and a deep understanding of our customers’ needs.  At LogiMAT we want to captivate our visitors with new approaches and present them in an extraordinary way.”

Biolchini also mentioned that customers will also have an opportunity to meet many of the executives from the EMEA region, which underwent a new alignment in early 2022 to better meet local customer needs with Dematic’s global experience.

Visitors to the Dematic stand can obtain information and exchange ideas as they normally do, but they can also demo new products on-site.  Notes Dr. Jens Hardenacke, the managing director at Dematic Central Europe: “Our guests will not only be able to see our solutions on product displays, but they can also experience them ‘live’ in innovative ways.”

Thus, visitors have an opportunity to first illustrate their individual automation project in a 3D view and then to operate it live. They can use virtual reality goggles for remote machine maintenance as one example of how the concept translates.

“I am looking forward to showing in a more interactive way how Dematic can support customers from start to finish in terms of their automation journey with our broad set of advanced applications that feature both the best technology options on the market and demonstrate our ability to meet the specific needs of various industries we serve,” explains Hardenacke.

In addition to ground-breaking e-commerce solutions, mixed case fulfilment, pallet storage and mobile automation, Dematic also plans to unveil its new visual remote inspection service for intralogistics equipment at the show. It can significantly reduce the time and effort required for maintenance but without compromising quality. Regular safety checks and visual inspections can be accomplished with the help of drones. Dematic will be conducting live drone flights at its German headquarters in Heusenstamm – near Frankfurt – at LogiMAT. Dematic also plans to demonstrate the use of a digital twin for predictive maintenance.

“With a digital twin, we can also perform a software health check with interactive dashboards, digital showcases and VR applications, which helps reduce time and costs for the customer during maintenance,” says Hardenacke.

 

Dematic brings interactive stand to LogiMAT

Posted on by David Priestman

Dematic is putting customers and their requirements front and centre at its trade show appearance in Stuttgart, transforming its stand into a unique customer experience at the upcoming LogiMAT, May 31 to June 2. For an interactive trade show experience, the company will unveil 15 showcases where innovation can be experienced live with the help of 3D configurations, 360° tours and augmented reality. This approach allows specific and fully automated warehouse solutions to be visualised, tested and remotely controlled on site.

Under a new slogan, #bringiton, Dematic plans to encourage stand visitors and customers to use new material flow solutions to benefit from opportunities that achieve a competitive advantage. Dematic aims to address current challenges customers in intralogistics are facing, thereby demonstrating how it is a premier partner to deliver the most suitable solutions. The two-story Dematic booth is located in Hall 1 at Booth B37.

“Customer experience is Dematic’s top priority at LogiMAT. In an ongoing dialogue with customers, we want to understand their requirements from the entire intralogistics value chain so that we can help strengthen their competitiveness over the long term with innovative solutions customised to their exact needs,” explains Bernard Biolchini, Executive Vice President (EVP) EMEA at Dematic. The company has identified key challenges the industry is currently facing, such as overcoming staff shortages and space constraints, achieving reliable delivery times despite shortages in raw materials, planning reliability for project costs, changing consumer behaviour and further digitalisation initiatives.

The Dematic executive added: “Over the last two years, many operating parameters have changed and they require new thinking and a deep understanding of our customers’ needs.  At LogiMAT we want to captivate our visitors with new approaches and present them in an extraordinary way.”

Biolchini also mentioned that customers will also have an opportunity to meet many of the executives from the EMEA region, which underwent a new alignment in early 2022 to better meet local customer needs with Dematic’s global experience.

Visitors to the Dematic stand can obtain information and exchange ideas as they normally do, but they can also demo new products on-site.  Notes Dr. Jens Hardenacke, the managing director at Dematic Central Europe: “Our guests will not only be able to see our solutions on product displays, but they can also experience them ‘live’ in innovative ways.”

Thus, visitors have an opportunity to first illustrate their individual automation project in a 3D view and then to operate it live. They can use virtual reality goggles for remote machine maintenance as one example of how the concept translates.

“I am looking forward to showing in a more interactive way how Dematic can support customers from start to finish in terms of their automation journey with our broad set of advanced applications that feature both the best technology options on the market and demonstrate our ability to meet the specific needs of various industries we serve,” explains Hardenacke.

In addition to ground-breaking e-commerce solutions, mixed case fulfilment, pallet storage and mobile automation, Dematic also plans to unveil its new visual remote inspection service for intralogistics equipment at the show. It can significantly reduce the time and effort required for maintenance but without compromising quality. Regular safety checks and visual inspections can be accomplished with the help of drones. Dematic will be conducting live drone flights at its German headquarters in Heusenstamm – near Frankfurt – at LogiMAT. Dematic also plans to demonstrate the use of a digital twin for predictive maintenance.

“With a digital twin, we can also perform a software health check with interactive dashboards, digital showcases and VR applications, which helps reduce time and costs for the customer during maintenance,” says Hardenacke.

 

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