Automation

RMIT researchers have developed technology that is able to detect emotions in human speech, enabling more natural conversations with robots. Current voice-activated technology used in virtual assistants is limited by its ability to decipher human emotions, causing it to provide irrelevant responses or miss the point of some conversations entirely. But a team of researchers … Continue reading New technology to help robots detect emotion in human speech →

Scientists have developed a 3D-printed robotic hand which can play simple musical phrases on the piano by just moving its wrist. The robot hand, developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, was made by 3D-printing soft and rigid materials together to replicate of all the bones and ligaments — but not the muscles or … Continue reading Researchers develop 3D-printed piano-playing robot →

A mechanical engineering student from the University of Sydney has programmed a robot that can produce a traditional Chinese ink painting, a style known as guóhuà. The robot is fitted with two paintbrushes and a pot of ink, and has been programmed to paint small chickens – the traditional elementary subject of apprentice artists – … Continue reading University of Sydney student creates painting robot →

Meet Product Sales Manager Darryl Blackeby – an expert in the vision and identification product range of ifm (such as sensor cameras). Darryl is inspired by how customers use ifm sensors and is always interested in finding new applications for sensors that can help businesses improve and increase their efficiency. 

A MIT CSAIL system suggests that robots could one day be able to “see” well enough to be in people’s homes and offices. Humans have long been masters of dexterity, a skill that can largely be credited to the help of our eyes. Robots, meanwhile, are still catching up. Certainly there’s been some progress: for … Continue reading Robots can pick up any object after inspecting it →

Beckhoff is well-known in the world of automation for PC-based control systems, EtherCAT and other sophisticated technologies. Talking with Christian Vilsbeck, editor-in-chief of automation magazine A&D, Hans Beckhoff reveals why he wasn’t taken seriously at first, why not every component has to be intelligent, and why digitization without a human touch will fail. Your passion … Continue reading Trust reduces complexity of digitisation →

The Australian wine industry is turning to artificial intelligence to streamline its manufacturing. South Australian tech firm Ailytic has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) program to significantly increase production efficiency by optimising machine use. It uses an AI technique called ‘prescriptive analytics’ to account for all the variables that go into mass-producing wines such as … Continue reading Artificial intelligence boosts wine’s bottom line →

BlackBerry has launched the QNX Hypervisor 2.0, a real-time Type 1 Hypervisor based on QNX SDP 7.0, BlackBerry’s most advanced and secure 64-bit embedded operating system, enables developers to partition and isolate safety-critical environments from non-safety critical environments, ensuring that no critical systems are put at risk. BlackBerry’s QNX Hypervisor 2.0 creates virtual software containers, … Continue reading Safe and secure connected car with QNX Hypervisor 2.0 →

Traditionally, opening a patient’s thoracic wall requires fast movement and consistent torque to minimise trauma.

B&R has expanded its range of automation-ready Panel PCs with a new series of widescreen formats ranging from 7″ WVGA to 24″ Full HD.

NI has announced today the release of a new family of PXI arbitrary waveform generators with up to two channels and 80 MHz of analog bandwidth in a single slot, and a new 100 MHz, 8-channel oscilloscope that builds on NI’s expertise in high-density and software-designed instruments in PXI.

The new Hioki FT6380 and Hioki FT6381 are precision earth resistance measurement clamp-on testers.

Emerson Automation Solutions launched the Roxar Salinity Measurement System for the sensitive, accurate and real-time measurement of saline water in gas production well streams at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston this week.

The new circuit breakers offer the most reliable protection with a design based on the roto-active breaking technology

Beckhoff Automation has generated global sales of 679 million euros ($AUD 989 million) in 2016, an increase of 9.5 per cent over the previous year.

Clarke & Severn Electronics has developed an online Cable Assembly Builder to simplify the task of designing and building custom cables, cutting out the need for getting quotes and therefore saving time.

During a major air show in New Zealand, in order to help ease the traffic flow by providing spectators with live traffic updates, Beca deployed a network of BlipTrack sensors, produced by Denmark-based BLIP Systems.

Process and plant engineers who can’t find room for the recommended straight pipe run required by liquid flow meters in their municipal water treatment plant retrofit projects will find the Vortab Elbow Flow Conditioner available from AMS, eliminates the problem by removing swirl and asymmetric velocity profiles caused by pumps, valves and other equipment placed too close to the meter.

Bertin Technologies has announced that its Second Sight MS standoff detector of chemical threats has just been chosen by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to equip its troops.

Research and Markets has released a new report on the position sensor market, which it says is expected to reach AUS$7.93 billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 6.27 per cent between 2017 and 2022.