How Does the Accident in Germany Affect Industrial Robot Safety?
by Patrick Davison, Director of Standards Development, Robotic Industries Association: Last week, an unfortunate fatality involving an industrial robot and a worker occurred at a Volkswagen plant in Baunatal, Germany. The Robotic Industries Association (RIA) and its member companies express its deepest sympathies to the victim’s family, friends, and colleagues.
According to news sources, the worker was part of a contracting crew responsible for setting up the robot, and was working inside the safeguarded space when the incident occurred. A second member of the contracting crew was standing outside of the safeguarded space and was not harmed.
The international media response to the incident was aggressive, swift, and expounded on topics that were not relevant to the incident. AWashington Post article referenced the dangers of Artificial Intelligence and posed the question, “Should the world kill killer robots before it’s too late?” In another story, a Financial Times journalist with a name similar to a popular character in The Terminator franchise started a social media frenzy with a tweet. A video from Ireland expounds on random tweets regarding the incident with backdrop footage of the Honda ASIMO robot and manual automotive operations. Also, according to this article on an automotive news and gossip site, a Times of India article posted a photo of a gun-wielding toy robot beside the story. Cont'd...
Widespread backing for UK robotics network
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has announced the launch of a new robotics network that aims to foster academic and industry collaboration.
The UK Robotics and Autonomous Systems Network (UK-RAS Network) will have a strong academic foundation, with a number of universities acting as founding members. According to the EPSRC, the network has already received strong support from major industrial partners, as well as from professional bodies such as Royal Academy of Engineering, IET, and The Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
Globally, the market for service and industrial robots is estimated to reach $59.5 billion by 2020. A primary aim of the network will be to bring the UK’s academic capabilities under national coordination, fuelling innovation in the robotics sector and taking advantage of the growth in the industry. Cont'd...
Vision Guided Robotics Advances
The recent developments in algorithms and sensor technologies make it possible to efficiently implement vision guided robotics tasks for manufacturers.
The Line Between Hype And Reality For Robotic Process Automation
RPA can bring about a "virtual integration" of multiple systems while executing repetitive work more accurately and reliably than humans can.
CLEARPATH ROBOTICS ANNOUNCES MOBILITY SOLUTION FOR RETHINK ROBOTICS' BAXTER ROBOT
Clearpath Robotics announced the newest member of its robot fleet: an omnidirectional development platform called Ridgeback. The mobile robot is designed to carry heavy payloads and easily integrate with a variety of manipulators and sensors. Ridgeback was unveiled as a mobile base for Rethink Robotics' Baxter research platform at ICRA 2015 in Seattle, Washington.
"Many of our customers have approached us looking for a way to use Baxter for mobile manipulation research - these customers inspired the concept of Ridgeback. The platform is designed so that Baxter can plug into Ridgeback and go," said Julian Ware, General Manager for Research Products at Clearpath Robotics. "Ridgeback includes all the ROS, visualization and simulation support needed to start doing interesting research right out of the box."
Ridgeback's rugged drivetrain and chassis is designed to move manipulators and other heavy payloads with ease. Omnidirectional wheels provide precision control for forward, lateral or twisting movements in constrained environments. Following suit of other Clearpath robots, Ridgeback is ROS-ready and designed for rapid integration of sensors and payloads; specific consideration has been made for the integration of the Baxter research platform.
The Membrane Potentiometer
A Competitive Alternative to Traditional Linear and Rotary Position Sensors.
Case Study: Validated High Speed Capping
SMACs LAR Series linear-rotary actuators provide the ideal technology for improving capping quality while cost-effectively providing 100% real time on- and off-torquing validation.
QinetiQ North America Introduces DriveRobotics
From QinetiQ North America:
By transforming manned industrial vehicles into unmanned robots, DriveRobotics™ add-on applique kit lets building demolition and roadside construction companies convert to unmanned operations whenever operators face hazardous situations. This commercial robotic system, which can also be installed in new vehicles and existing fleets, eliminates need for spotter. Remote-control capabilities enable or facilitate machine use in demanding applications... ( full press release )
Automate 2015: New Era of Industrial Robots
Automate 2015 was a perfect platform where the full spectrum of automation solutions and emerging technologies from across the board came together - inspiring greater and more creative collaborations and paving the way to greater global industrial success.
Automate 2015: Leap Frogging - Who is Responsible for Innovation in Robotics?
I believe that highly specialized companies developing core components are responsible for progress in the field of robotics.
Automate 2015: A Comparison of Novel Companies
Sometimes it is not specific hardware that a consumer may need, but a service of integrating automation tactics from a team of industry experts.
Robotic End of Press Palletizing Solution
The main objective was to install a flexible robotic palletizing solution that can handle heavy stacks up to 130 lbs at the end of the printing line, and handle the highest throughput of 8 stacks per minute on one particular product.
Gear Generator
About Gear Generator:
Gear Generator is a tool for creating involute spur gearsand download them in SVG format. In addition it let you compose full gear layouts with connetcted gears to design multiple gears system with control of the input/output ratio and rotation speed. Gears can be animated with various speed to demonstrate working mechanism... ( link )
Robots at ProMat to Feature Indian AGVs for the First Time
Hi-Tech Robotic Systemz is making its North American debut at ProMat 2015 (booth #5521) in Chicago, IL, with a focus on automating e-commerce fulfillment centers.
Company Overcomes Manpower Problems with New Automated Stacking System
With the robotic board handling system, the company increased production an average of 20-30 percent and as high as 60 percent on some products.
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