Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.69
…have to react, using vision not just for visual inspection, but also to perceive their environment and change behavior accordingly. “ “We describe actions in a way that's understandable for almost anyone,” he said. “Each skill you build in order to create a bigger program is easily reusable in other programs or even sellable.” RiACT's technology could also address interoperability. “Combining functionality is difficult with so many robot brands, whose capabilities differ quite a lot,” Grossmann said. “Our approach is to abstract that. We have a small translation layer in between the hardware and our operating system that allows you…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.69
…limited ability to track shipments. Drones could enhance the inspection and review process, tracking cargo in real time as goods are loaded and unloaded. As an added bonus, drones can do this work too. Rail freight: Like ocean freight, railroads provide a low-cost transportation solution, but are limited to fixed pickup and dropoff locations. Drones could complement rail. As a train traverses the country, drones could simultaneously remove packages and deliver them without stopping, thereby making these trips quicker and more efficient. Truck freight: Trucks offer superior flexibility due to their ability to pick up and drop off freight at…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.56
…For example, German startup Energy Robotics focuses on the inspection of assets or plants. Ryden: In some sense, more specialization. As the software improves, robots can be put to use for more demanding and difficult challenges. These applications will need specific features, such as unique end effectors on robot arms. Tom Ryden spoke at MassRobotics' recent partner appreciation event in Boston. Teele: We hope to see both, since both are needed. More generalization, with easy re-programming, is especially needed for smaller operations and contract manufacturers who normally can't devote a robotic system to only one task. But specialization is also…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.55
…If not, it’s kicked off the conveyor to an inspection station, where the package is opened and the contents are verified. Once a package has been validated, it's sorted and conveyed into a trailer. That’s Not the End of the Amazon Story This is where that ecosystem comes back into play. Orders ready for delivery go to a sorting center to be routed by zip code. They’re either picked up at the sorting center by a third party parcel service like USPS or transported to an Amazon Logistics delivery station for last-mile delivery. “The number one factor for Amazon will…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.48
…robotic arms that assist in maintenance, repair, assembly, and inspection. These are also used in loading/offloading of objects within the space shuttle. Three of the most widely known space manipulators are: Canadarm1—14.7 m (48.8 ft.) long arms Canadarm2—17.5 m (57.7 ft.) long arms Special-Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) or Dextre—3.3 m (11 ft.) long arms Why is robotics the only way into space? Future space missions will be longer A typical one-way trip to the International Space Station (ISS) takes about two days, a trip to the moon is a minimum of three days, and a trip to the closest planet…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.27
…areas. Robots will be used for bomb retrieval, roadside inspections and transporting equipment over treacherous terrains, such as ice or forested areas (Morrissey 2018). These applications will keep humans safe and help them complete their missions. Another developing national security innovation is the use of drone boats to detect submarines operated by drug smugglers. Until now, drug enforcement agents have used sonar arrays, or long cables covered with underwater microphones dragged behind a boat, to search for these submarines. These devices are limited in the amount of area that they can cover. However, this new approach would give greater coverage…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.24
…product comes in for upgrade, SRC does a visual inspection and adds the data to the virtual twin. Kasper says another Aras customer connects a visual interface of a robotic arm that “connects the original digital thread to the component level” of the robot. “They can diagnose and create a service bulletin from the manufacturing data, telling the customer how to fix the problem.” Then, the manufacturer’s quality control department can see where all the affected digital twins are, across all customer accounts—and generate a recall report or provide data for an engineering change request. “It connects the workflow and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.24
…material handling, pick-and-place, palletizing, machine tending, injection molding, and inspection applications. It is compatible with the company’s YRC1000 and YRC1000micro controllers. Yaskawa Motoman's Pallet Builder interface is a free, easy-to-use software for the company's Smart Pendant. Source: Yaskawa Motoman In addition to programs created by technology partners, Yaskawa offers its own installation packages for the Smart Pendant, including Pallet Builder. Andrzejewski said Pallet Builder is a free, easy-to-use application for configuring palletizing cells. It’s suitable for single case palletizing with support for up to eight total stations. Through Pallet Builder, users teach robots how to arrange boxes on a pallet,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.13
…to a packing area where the recently harvested plants are cooled, packed, labeled and inspected. 6. If they pass inspection, the vegetables and herbs are boxed, palletized and briefly staged in the warehousing area for delivery to grocery stores in dedicated trucks. Delivery is typically within 2 days of harvesting. Source: Daniel Guidera for Peerless Media .
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.12
…a drone company, but as a hardware-enabled data-capture company,” Eleryan said. He also showed a video of a hybrid inspection system in development that can land and move around on wheels. Renovate Robotics has devised a system for autonomously placing roof tiles, shingles, or solar panels. With anchor points, it uses a series of cables and winches, plus machine vision and path planning, to place roofing, explained Andy Stulc, founder and CEO of the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based company. Renovate's robot can handle up to 85% of roofing areas, freeing human workers for more value-added tasks, as well as saving time and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.60
…correct placement. “We can use a second camera for inspection, before we release that order downstream,” said Nieves. “We function as our own closed-loop quality control in these applications.” Software steps up Robotics vendors not only have software layers to help with fleet operations and path optimization, they also increasingly have dashboards and analytics that can be useful for managers. That makes asking about software functionality as important as hardware issues like payload capacity. Vince Martinelli, head of product and marketing at RightHand Robotics, said technology has matured to a point where vendors and users are putting more emphasis on…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.37
…Otherwise, it goes to a workstation for a manual inspection. Putaway/Storage Bins are prioritized based on velocity. The 500 fastest-moving SKUs that represent about 60% of the daily workload are stored in standard shelving. Think of these as A+ movers. A and B and C movers are stored in a mini-load ASRS with 10 cranes and 115,000 storage locations. The fastest-moving A movers are in an area of the mini-load serviced by two cranes stacked on top of one another. The area is also condensed so the cranes don’t have to travel long distances to execute a task. That allows…