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Kion and Siemens together in a parallel universe
Kion will be the first company in Europe to use Siemens' new simulation software " Digital Twin Composer " , thereby also seeking a degree of independence from the US market, where NVIDIA has so far been the dominant solution for merging the digital and real worlds in smart warehouses.
Columbus's "egg"
Now Linde MH also offers an expanded series with an integrated lithium-ion battery: The major advantage, according to the manufacturer, is the increased space in the driver's cab, which is up to 35 percent above the industry average, and the fact that the footwell has grown significantly with the elimination of the traditional battery compartment.
“Best of Intralogistics” in the test camp
As part of the Test Camp Intralogistics and the International Forklift of the Year (IFOY) competition, the preliminary certificates for 2026 were presented today in Dortmund by Jan Drömer, Chairman of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Section, to the 17 nominees who will now go into the final round.
SVTL meets in a historic setting
The general assembly of the Swiss Association for Temperature-Controlled Logistics will take place on May 8th Lenzburg Castle and , in addition to the usual agenda items, personnel management, modern advertising for skilled workers on social media and the question of whether humanoid robots will one day be helpful .
MAGA in the approach path
German technology remains highly regarded when it comes to rapid material handling, the elimination of weaknesses, and service quality. Following successful projects in Oklahoma and Texas, the steel trader " Steel and Pipe Supply " (SPS) in Kansas City once again relied on Kasto saws and storage systems.
Rent warehouse equipment instead of buying it
Bito is launching an offensive with an economical alternative for companies that want to re-equip, expand, or temporarily supplement their warehouse and production areas, but don't want to tie up their capital long-term: renting instead of buying is the motto. The advantages – especially in " dynamic times " – are obvious.
«Kanpai» with sake on the pharmaceutical chain
Logistics provider Yusen is presenting an expanded global platform for the healthcare sector at LogiPharma in Vienna, where companies such as Novartis, Bayer, Takeda, and hospital supplier UCB are currently participating. The platform focuses on the professional delivery of specialized healthcare solutions.
Streamlined logistics
Coop's own rail connection for urban logistics in Zurich, streamlined logistics vehicles and the outsourcing of all operating room logistics in a cooperation between the Seeschau Clinic and the Swiss Post are the projects that are entering the final sprint for this year's Swiss Logistics Award from GS1.
Vacuum technology makes mobility possible
Compressed air has traditionally been used primarily for fixed installations. Schmalz's vacuum grippers also mainly operate with lines that often have to run across halls and facilities. However, mobile robotics increasingly requires flexible solutions – a need that Schmalz now intends to address more effectively.
A foray into drive technology
Safelog, the specialists for software for controlling intralogistics processes, have entered into a cooperation with the drive experts from SEW Eurodrive at LogiMAT in order to jointly develop a high-performance software for controlling mobile and stationary processes in intralogistics.
«Express» service for China's Mars AGV
«Express» service for China's Mars AGV
The lander: Still room for a pallet? Photo: CNSA
In the past, the "superpowers" invested heavily in eavesdropping on each other. Today, at least in the case of the Chinese Mars rover "Zhurong," it seems they are helping each other transmit data from driverless systems maneuvering on distant planets. Back on Earth, then "as usual."
Landers and rovers on Mars collect data that scientists fundamental questions about the geology, atmosphere, surface environment, water history , and potential for life on the Red Planet. To bring this knowledge back to Earth, they first transmit the data to spacecraft in orbit around Mars. These orbiters then use their much larger, more powerful transmitters to relay the data across space to Earth.
“Normally, an orbiter like ESA’s Mars Express first sends a hail signal as a ‘hello’ to a rover,” says James Godfrey, Mars Express Spacecraft Operations Manager. “The rover then sends a reply back to establish stable communication and begin exchanging information. But that depends on whether the rover’s radio system is compatible with the orbiter’s.”
Radio relay link to earth
Because Mars Express sends its "hello" signal on communication frequencies different from those received by the Chinese Mars rover Zhurong, two-way communication is not possible. However, Zhurong can send a signal in the other direction using a frequency that Mars Express can receive.
The relay radio on Mars Express has a mode that enables this one-way communication – communication “in the blind”, where the sender cannot be sure that his signal will be received – but until now this technique had not been tested.
In November, the teams from ESA's Mars Express and Zhurong, the rover of the Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA), conducted a series of experimental communication tests. Mars Express used this "blind" mode to listen for signals from the Zhurong rover. The trials culminated in a successful test on November 20th. "Mars Express successfully received the signals transmitted by the rover, and our colleagues in the Zhurong team confirmed that all the data arrived on Earth in very good quality," said Gerhard Billig of ESA.
One more channel available. Image: ESA
“We look forward to conducting further tests in the future to continue experimenting and to further improve this method of communication between space missions.” The data transmitted by Mars Express reached Earth at the ESA’s ESOC space operations center in Darmstadt, Germany, via space communication antennas. From there, the data was relayed to the Zhurong team at the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center, who confirmed the success of the test.
Photo: Rover photographs lander. Image: CNSA
www.cnsa.gov.cn
