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The Spanish SEAT uses 125 intelligent robots in its plant in Martorell (Barcelona), which coexist daily with the 7,000 workers of the factory, and which facilitate and optimize the work of the operators while reducing production time by 25%.

These 125 vehicles automatically guided (AGV) transport 23,800 pieces per day and make a total of 2,800 trips to the day, which travel more than 1,600 kilometers (436,000 kilometers per year), the manufacturer explained today in a note.

The free navigation vehicles work through a barcode that certifies the piece they have to load and ask for passage through a sensor that allows opening the doors of the warehouse.

This type of autonomous robots are responsible for the transport of engines, gearboxes, shock absorbers or mirrors and can carry up to 1,500 kilos of weight.

In addition, in their journey, they are able to stop at a red light or break when a worker crosses his path thanks to his 360-degree perimeter vision.

To coordinate with the operators and guarantee their safety, they are notified of their presence with laser scanner lights.

Circulation using magnetic pathways
They circulate thanks to magnetic tracks, hidden under the ground, which marks the 40 cyclic routes, which last between 1 and 7 minutes.

During this time, the robots circulate automatically reducing the speed in the curves to not lose stability with the load and are able to keep the safety distance.

The operator can set up, and if necessary, modify remotely the route of all AGV from the control room.

A central server gathers the information of the software that is inside each robot, which allows to evaluate the possible faults and solve them instantaneously.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday she wants “everyone to pay her taxes,” after an international investigation revealed several names of politicians and celebrities who have assets in tax havens, including Queen Elizabeth II.

The conservative leader said his government works “to improve transparency” in tax havens – many of which are overseas territories of the United Kingdom – to meet, for example, the true owners of the façade societies.

May assured that the British Treasury is raising more taxes than ever thanks to the greater resources earmarked and committed to continue fighting tax evasion, because “everyone pay taxes due.”

Queen Elizabeth II is among the 127 political and celebrity leaders who have been linked to companies in tax havens in an international journalistic investigation called “Paradise Papers”, which was broadcast simultaneously by several media outlets, including the British “The Guardian” and “BBC”.

The investigation, coordinated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), revealed that the sovereign has a “private revenue that comes mainly from Lancaster,” the duo that invested $ 7.5 million in Dover Street VI Cayman Fund LP in 2005 “.

In addition to this fund based in the Cayman Islands, the BBC has stated that the duchy also invested £ 5 million ($ 6.5 million) in the Jubilee Absolute Return Fund Ltd. in Bermuda, another British overseas territory which is considered a fiscal paradise.

PRISON officers have thwarted a sophisticated attempt to smuggle drugs on a remote controlled helicopter into one of Ireland’s largest prisons.

The drone – known as a quadcopter and valued by authorities at around €2,000 – crash landed into an exercise yard within Wheatfield Prison in west Dublin.

A package containing suspected drugs was attached by a rope to the four-bladed device as it hovered over the yard while up to 20 inmates gathered around it in the botched bid to bring in contraband.

But the drone got caught on anti-helicopter wires – in place to prevent any airborne escape attempts – and crash-landed into the complex yesterday morning around 11am.

‘This isn’t a toy,’ said a prison source.

‘It was a high spec drone with a high spec camera through which the operators could monitor the route it was taking.

‘They wouldn’t have intended to land it in the prison, just hover over it until the inmates got their hands on the contraband.’

A digital memory card onboard the mini-helicopter recorded the exact route the device took and also shows the smugglers carried out a trial run before the failed attempt.

‘They definitely had done their homework on this,’ said one source.

A number of prison staff noticed the commotion as the device crash landed and intercepted the operation.

It is understood the group of inmates huddled around one prisoner – the suspected ringleader who is serving an eight year sentence for robbery – as he hid the package by pushing it inside himself.

He has been put in solitary confinement under 24 hour watch until the contraband is retrieved.

The drone was seized and has been handed over to the Garda who are carrying out their own investigation.

Prison authorities have also launched an inquiry that is expected to lead to disciplinary action against the suspected ringleader and his accomplices.

The Irish Prison Service would not discuss the details but confirmed an incident had occurred.

‘It shows you the lengths people will go to get contraband into prisons but this has backfired on them,’ a source said.

‘They have lost a very expensive quadcopter, will lose the suspected drugs and face disciplinary procedures as well as possible charges from the Garda investigation.’

An Garda confirmed it is examining the drone for evidence as part of an investigation into the smuggling attempt.

‘Gardai were handed a device from prison service staff and the matter is under investigation,’ a spokeswoman said.

BLEAK, beautiful and soul-baring – these are the works that have made it to the final stage of a major portrait competition – and they’re really something special.

Hennessy and the National Gallery of Ireland yesterday revealed the 12-artist-long shortlist for this year’s Hennessy Portrait Prize. The finalists, decided upon by an esteemed panel of judges, were selected from more than 400 entries, from artists living here and abroad.

The capital was well-represented in their choices. Cian McLoughlin from Dublin made the cut with Tronie, a piece in oil on canvas. His follow Dub Hugh O’Connor’s photograph Beckah, Dublin Airport was shortlisted too, as was Geraldine O’Neill’s Is feidir le cat Schrödinger an dá thrá a fhreastal, Mandy O’Neill’s Cait and Una Sealy’s Hibiscus Blue (Portrait of Douglas).

Bray woman Helen O’Sullivan-Tyrrell has been shortlisted with The Convalescent, and Saoirse Wall, who lives and works between Dublin and Mayo entered Gesture 2, a HD video. Co Donegal artist John Beattie entered another HD video, with An Artist, the Studio and All the Rest.

Northern Irish artist Comhghall Casey, from Omagh, Co Armagh, entered a self-portrait, and self-taught Belfast artist Gavan McCullough entered the competition with his piece This.

Londoner Nick Miller, the only English artist shortlisted, made the list with Last Sitting, Portrait of Barrie Cooke and Canadian artist Erin Quinn, living in Dublin, entered her piece Adam (from her series Breaking Point).

The short-listed works will be exhibited in the National Gallery from November 8 until February 8 next year. The winner will be announced on November 11 and will receive a prize of €15,000. The winning artist will also be awarded a commission worth €5,000 to produce a portrait for inclusion in the National Portrait Collection.
Speaking on behalf of the judging panel, Dr Declan Long said: ‘As judges we have been very pleased to be able to present such a tremendously diverse shortlist.
‘There are paintings, photographs and videos addressing a vibrant mixture of subjects, in a great range of styles, created by both established artists and artists at the very beginning of their career.

‘As such, we hope that this selection gives a strong sense of the many and varied possibilities for portraiture today.’