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FedNor funds Sudbury robotics company

Sudbury’s Penguin Automated Systems Inc. is getting $1 million in federal funding to develop a remote-controlled assessment and removal robotic system for use in underground mines.
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Penguin ASI, headed by Dr. Greg Baiden, has received $1 million in federal funding to develop remote-controlled robotic technology for use in underground mining. File photo.
Sudbury’s Penguin Automated Systems Inc. is getting $1 million in federal funding to develop a remote-controlled assessment and removal robotic system for use in underground mines.

FedNor Minister Greg Rickford made the announcement while visiting the Northern Ontario Mining Showcase at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention in Toronto.

The innovative, remote-controlled system will be designed to enter confined spaces to safely manage rock hang-ups preventing production. The robot will be capable of non-contact measurement, information analysis, drilling and the loading of explosives for remote detonation. The system will address significant workplace safety hazards while increasing production in the mining sector worldwide.

During the development stage of the project, Penguin will hire 30 engineers and technical workers and, in the long term, the company expects to create up to 20 new manufacturing jobs in Sudbury.

“Penguin Automated Systems Inc. is proud to partner with FedNor and the Government of Canada to develop the hang-up assessment and removal robotic system,” Penguin CEO Dr. Greg Baiden said in a release. “By introducing this new system to the global marketplace, Penguin is achieving its goal of improving safety standards for workers, while enhancing productivity for our clients.”

Penguin ASI is a private sector company that specializes in the development and commercialization of new technologies for robotics and tele-operation. It also provides engineering services to the mining industry.

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