Pisa, 07th Apr – Amazon could choose Italy for the realization of a robot for automated management of its Big Warehouse .
Amazon Picking Challenge is a worldwide competition held by the giant of the e-commerce to choose a robot can handle the automation of warehouses and in which Italian two projects could triumph .
Drone Amazon PrimeAir in testing automation deliveries
With this initiative, on the warehouse logistics , Amazon shows the will to proceed along the path of automation more futuristic, that sees the giant global distribution already engaged in the testing of deliveries via drones .
In the running are 32 major research laboratories in the world, who will present at the end of May in Seattle, the special robot that will cater automation of gigantic warehouses of the e-commerce giant, from picking the right shelf item to be shipped, until ‘ packing and preparation for shipment. The purpose of Amazon is to stimulate universities and research centers in the world to come up with solutions advanced, automated, to take off the shelf items ordered by customers online – from books to cereal boxes – and store them in packages ready for shipment.
Among the 32 research laboratories in competition, we also find two projects developed by Italian team and exactly what the Polytechnic of Turin and that of ‘ University of Pisa .
The project Polytechnic of Turin made in collaboration with Comau , consists of a robotic arm capable of move in six directions and has two “hands”, even a completely new in the world of robotics.
This solution, explains one of the researchers of the Polytechnic, Manuel Del Verme , employs a robot Comau (the Racer 999 ) to achieve an “arm” with six degrees of freedom, namely that moves in six dimensions “ with millimeter precision and a large movement speed “.
The gripping systems, namely the” hands “, are two, one of which, the researcher points out,” completely innovative, not There is nothing of this type of business at the time “. The “brain” of the robot is a software that uses “ a system of vision and depth ” that joined a webcam makes sure that the arm “ knows exactly what to grab and where . “
“ We are happy to get to Seattle, the qualification was very complex and the final is already proof that he has done a great job – says Manuel Del Verme, who adds:” In a time when I was beginning to believe that there was a good chance to stay in Italy, the facts show that there are companies willing to invest . “
The second project” made in Italy “was created by the Research Center” E. Piaggio “University of Pisa and IIT (Italian Institute of Technology) based in Genova and here concerns a novel robotic hand , able to move in a manner similar to a human hand and connected to a single motor capable of moving all the phalanges allowing to adapt to different objects.
“ Our strength – explains the researcher of the University Tuscan Manolo Garabini – is the hand used in our robot has all the degrees of freedom of a human hand, about 20, and a single motor that moves all phalanges. This allows it to adapt to the shape and texture of objects very different “, thanks to the” bearing “that function like muscles and movements that can be run smoother.
Researchers Pisa looking beyond: after the final round of competition of Amazon in Seattle, Los Angeles will be close to the DARPA Robotic Challenge , which will show humanoid robots that will have to deal with more tasks, including driving cars , imagining scenarios in which a dangerous tomorrow to replace the rescue or recovery that now threaten human lives.
“ We have the lucky to be in environments where there are facilities to compete at the highest level in the field of robotic – says researcher Tuscan – and we are not the only ones, there are several laboratories in Italy following projects of the highest level . “
The competition Amazon Picking Challenge was born with the idea of stimulating research robotics and the three winners will receive cash prizes symbolic ($ 20,000 to the first) while all the software for the automation of the warehouse will become “ open source ” and then open and complete the scientific community.
At this point you just have to wait for May to find out if within the US giant Amazon, will also have a small part of our, always important “ Italian “.
Francesco Meneguzzo
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