Most Read: Air Taxi Company Approved for Test Flights in Brazil; Semi-Humanoid Robot Revealed

Here are the most-read stories on IoT World Today this week.

Air Taxi Company Approved for Test Flights in Brazil

Chinese flying taxi company EHang Holdings has been given approval for flight tests of its EH216-S pilotless electric aerial vehicle (EAV) in Brazil.

EHang received the Experimental Flight Authorization Certificate (CAVE) from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), allowing EHang to test and demonstrate its intelligent flight technology and cluster management system.

EHang and Gohobby, its local partner operator, plan to conduct test flight campaigns in Brazil with ANAC and Brazil’s Airspace Control Department (DECEA). 

The exercises are intended to advance development concepts involving unmanned aircraft traffic management systems for efficient urban air mobility (UAM) deployments across Brazil using the EHang eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle.

Find out more

Semi-Humanoid Robot Unveiled by Service Robot Maker

Pudu Robotics has unveiled a semi-humanoid robot that represents a significant advancement in its mission to develop cutting-edge solutions to address operational challenges businesses face worldwide.

The Pudu D7 is the company’s first general embodied intelligent semi-humanoid robot.

Unveiled Thursday, Pudu said it anticipates full commercialization of the humanoid next year. 

Related:Air Taxi Company Approved for Test Flights in Brazil

Felix Zhang, founder and CEO of Pudu Robotic, said the Pudu D7 highlights the company’s commitment to continuous technological and product innovation. 

Watch the Pudu 07 in action

Flying Car Company Signs Manufacturing Deal

Flying car company Alef Aeronautics has signed a deal with Pucara Aero and MYC to manufacture parts for the Alef Model A flying car.

Pucara Aero is a subsidiary of a group that makes parts for Boeing and Airbus and MYC designs, manufactures and assembles parts and components for Airbus and other European aeronautical companies.

The joint venture companies manufacture different parts for civil and military airplanes, helicopters and drones.

For the Alef flying car, Pucara plans to manufacture aviation grade parts suitable for certification with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), according to the company.

Continue reading

Agricultural Tech Manufacturer Invests $12M in Advanced Robotics

Agricultural technology provider Reinke Manufacturing has invested $12 million in advanced robotic technologies to modernize and automate its manufacturing facilities. 

The new system features advanced automation capabilities, including vision systems to orient raw material parts based on their unique physical makeup, as well as the capability to inspect finished products. 

Related:Semi-Humanoid Robot Unveiled by Service Robot Maker

The company said the robotic advancements will streamline production processes at its manufacturing facilities, significantly reducing production time for many of the parts used in its precision center pivot irrigation systems. 

Reinke Manufacturing is the world's largest privately held manufacturer of center pivot and lateral move irrigation systems. It develops products and technology designed to increase agriculture production while providing labor savings and environmental efficiencies.

Discover how the investment will be used

AI-Driven Innovations Unveiled for Manufacturing, Robotics

Vention, the Montreal-based industrial automation developer, unveiled AI-powered enhancements to hardware and software components of its cloud-based Manufacturing Automation Platform (MAP) at its annual product-launch event, Demo Day 2024.

On the hardware front, the third generation of its MachineMotion controller for factory robotics applications, MacineMotion AI, was introduced. The new device, designed to control automated-manufacturing applications, such as robots, conveyors and computer-vision systems, “bridges the gap between traditional programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and modern robot programming environments,” the company said in an announcement. 

The new AI-powered unit is available for pre-order and will be delivered in early 2025. It runs on the Nvidia Jetson platform for edge AI and robotics and is designed to simplify the development and deployment of factory robots for manufacturers of all sizes, Vention said. 

Watch Demo Day 2024 highlights