Technology News Tracker: Rise of the Robots

Creation and use of robots is growing in many industries traditionally served by heavy-duty equipment.

These fully-autonomous robots are often employed to take over or assist with tasks.

Some of the most commonly known robots are those used for lawn mowing, such as Husqvarna’s lawn mowing robot which acts and looks similar to a Roomba.

In 2017, Fendt announced its development of the Xaver robot system for the agricultural market.

Xaver uses 6-12 small autonomous robots operating in swarms to plan, monitor and accurately document precise planting of corn.

Satellite navigation and data management in the cloud allows operations to be conducted around the clock, with permanent access to all data.

Left Hand Robotics first introduced its snow clearing robot in 2017.

The machine uses radar and lidar sensors, as well as GPS to follow a predetermined path.

In 2019, the company announced the addition of large area mowing capabilities, enabling the same machine to be used all 12 months of the year.

Read more: A Machine for All Seasons: Autonomous Robot Provides Snow and Lawn Care Abilities

Trimble, Hilti and Boston Dynamics are collaborating on an autonomous robot for the construction industry which delivers improved efficiency on repeatable tasks and enable up-to-date as-built data analysis.

Using autonomous robots can help overcome some of the labor shortages many industries are currently facing.

Using robots can also improve safety, efficiency and data capture, especially in hazardous environments.

Read more about the growing use of mobile robots in various heavy equipment industries in the article Mobile Robot Use Cases Grow as Technology Advances.