Software and AI Enable Automation Success

While the hardware for collaborative robots, industrial automation, and mobile robots may not yet be commoditized, suppliers increasingly say that software and data are major differentiators.

There is also a lot of hype around artificial intelligence, so it’s important to understand what robots are actually capable of doing right now. The ways in which robots navigate dynamic environments, identify and pick objects, and gather and analyze data are key to how they augment humans and ultimately provide a return on investment.

In this Special Focus Issue, we look at AI and industrial automation, advances in machine vision for e-commerce fulfillment, and sensor fusion for more flexible autonomy. We also look at software for ease of use and accelerating robotics adoption, as well as making AI more explainable and accountable.

In addition, we examine the ever-evolving software stack for robots and autonomous vehicles and how they connect to manufacturing, warehouse, and enterprise management systems. Here are some topics covered in this free download:

• Fleet management offerings for mobile robots
• AI and machine learning for picking systems
• Improvements in robotic perception and dexterity
• Efforts around interoperability among robots from multiple vendors
• Concerns about AI regulations and the robotics industry
• New tools for developers and end users