Robotics
How the robotics boom is changing people’s lives
Industrial robots are the crucial part of digitalisation of the manufacturing industry around the world. The new World Robotics Report by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) shows that a record of 381.000 units have been shipped globally, up 30%. Sales value increased by 21% to a new peak of $16.2bn. At the same time total number of professional service robots sold rose by 85%.
Successful maiden flight for drone mounted Satellite Simulator
Well known for its innovative approach to satellite communications off-air testing, Atlantic Microwave has announced the maiden flight of its DSS Satellite Simulator product on board an eight rotor drone. Not only is this a first ever airborne Satellite Simulator but it is the first time in history that an unmanned aerial vehicle has been deployed in such a task.
The robot musicians
An overheard conversation on a commuter train led to an exciting new venture for the Manchester based Hallé orchestra. Hallé’s Education Director, Steve Pickett, had listened in to Peter Green’s engineering discussion and rightly concluded that this was the person to bring his ideas to reality.
Correcting human data entry errors on forms
The availability of Rulex Robotic Data Correction (RDC), a turn-key AI-based solution for the automatic correction of forms-oriented business data has been announced by AI pioneer Rulex. Already in global production use by a Fortune 50 manufacturing company for correcting SAP ERP Master Data errors, the solution has been proven to quickly deliver massive business value in labour savings and operational risk reduction.
Industrial robots use the cloud to access Artificial Intelligence
Through its new cloud-based solution for pro-active maintenance based on the AI platform within IBM Watson Mitsubishi enables smart analysis of operational data to predict and highlight future maintenance requirements. The theory is that sometimes service schedule requirements for robots are inadvertently missed which, despite the extended duty-cycles and the general reliability of modern robots, is not a healthy situation for continuous pla...
Industry 4.0 products and solutions on show at PPMA 2018
For the first time at the Process and Packaging Machining Association Show, Comau (Stand F110) will showcase new products and walk visitors through real life factories of the future by creating a 360° virtual tour of the digital production and collaborative robotic applications the industrial automation solutions provider has deployed across Europe.
Clear generation divide as millennials avoid human interaction
Employees plan to delegate tasks that they are not that confident with robots completing, and this has sparked research to show that millennials plan to use robots to avoid human interaction at work, commissioned by ABBYY. The research, of 1,200 employees in the UK, found that 17% of 18-34 year olds hate speaking to customers, yet only 4% of over 55s felt the same. What’s more, 1 in 10 (10%) of 18-34 year olds would delegate speak...
Why you can’t afford to ignore robot batteries
One of the key reasons for using an industrial robot to automate a process is to improve product quality, through increased reliability and accuracy. But for robots to be truly reliable and safe, engineers should ensure they have the correct power solutions. Here, Michele Windsor, Global Marketing Manager at Ultralife Corporation, explains the impact poor design and integration of batteries can have on industrial robots.
Service robots at a low price
With the introduction of a new low-cost robotic concept from igus, simple tasks can now be automated easily with a relatively quick ROI. Under the name ReBeL, the new wave-driven joint differs fundamentally from the previous robolink models: Instead of stepper motors, brushless DC (BLDC) motors are used.
EEF launches new training in Robotics and Automation
A new training course to re-train and up-skill employees covering the knowledge and practical skills involved with robotic and automation engineering has been launched by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation. This will make EEF one of the very few providers able to offer the training which will lead to the EAL Level 3 Certificate in Robotics and Automation.