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The Robot Report

Show daily: Hottest and most useful robotic technologies at Automate 2017

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The Automate 2017 Show in Chicago is quite large this year, with record foot traffic and exhibitors. We’ve seen a lot of new technologies here in the form of motion control, power transmission, linear designs … and robotics for automation.

One bit of news from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) was of the first-ever U.S.-China robotics forum at the show. The forum assembled A3’s Robotic Industries Association (RIA) and its counterpart in Asia — the China Robot Industry Alliance (CRIA).

According to the World Robotics Report 2016 from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), China has expanded its lead as the largest robotics market in the world … purchasing 27% of the total supply in 2015.

Here are other robotics highlights from our pass around McCormick Place.

Related: TM Robotics launches new Toshiba Machine 6-Axis TVM Series from Automate 2017

We also got to visit the lovely Mette McCall, who connected us with Douglas Peterson for a tour of some of the booth. Read more about the offerings on display here at Automate 2017 from Universal Robots at the post: Universal Robots showing rapidly expanding ecosystem of application solutions at Automate 2017. If the below embedded video shows as a blank space, watch it on Facebook.

In fact, UR robots are on display in more than a dozen Automate and ProMat booths.

Edit: 4.18.2017 — Late yesterday, Universal Robots published this video summarizing all the robotic applications described after the jump. Check it out.

Accutech – Booth S-5018 • UR5 with a robotic picking solution integrated with an automated bagging system demonstrating end-of-line processing and packaging of picked orders in a tote. The system automatically takes items from tote, scans, packs, labels, verifies, and seals for fast and accurate order fulfillment.

ArtiMinds Robotics – Booth 363 • UR3 robot with Robotiq gripper 2FG and OptoForce Force/Torque sensor. With live programming of assembly applications, every visitor gets the chance to program the UR robot within a couple of minutes, demonstrating how the ArtiMinds software interface addresses process variances in real- time based on readings from the force-torque sensors, adapting the robot’s motion like a human.

ATI Industrial Automation – Booth N-1621 • UR5 robot with ATI’s new low-cost, Multi-Axis Force/Torque Sensor, Axia80. Attendees can move a work piece and force the cobot to adjust its path while maintaining constant force. The Axia80 measures the full six components of force and torque (Fx, Fy, Fz, Tx, Ty, Tz) using a monolithic instrumented transducer with silicon strain gauges for excellent noise immunity. The use of silicon gauges also allows the F/T transducer high stiffness and increased overload protection, between five and 20 times over the sensing range. The Axia80 has Ethernet communication with fully integrated software interface for all Universal Robots models. All electronics are built into the transducer body keeping cost down and footprint small, while excelling in accuracy, resolution, and robustness. The Axia80 will be available as a package including all interface plates and cables necessary to quickly connect the transducer to a Universal Robot.

Creaform – Booth 765 • 3D Infotech will utilize a UR3 robot with Creaform’s HandySCAN 700 3D laser scanner to demonstrate how their UR+ enabled Streamline automation software makes it easy for anyone to automate high accuracy 3D scanning and inspection. Customers that already own Creaform’s scanning products now have an easy upgrade path towards automation with Streamline’s ability to interface directly with any collaborative robot from Universal Robots.

CRG Technologies – Booth 2504 • UR5 robot in packaging application, performing a variety of stacking, transfer and loading tasks.

Dorner Mfg. Corp. – Booth 1059 • UR5 robot integrated with Dorner’s Precision Move Pallet Systems conveyor demonstrating an assembly automation and product testing application.

Essential Robot Products, Inc. – Booth 2659 • UR5 robot with OptoForce Force/Torque sensor demonstrating an adaptable path force-control application. Using a padded roller, the UR5 robot will adjust the path of the robot to apply consistent force along an un-even path with rising and falling slopes. The interactive application will allow visitors to put their hands in the path of the roller to demonstrate the robot’s “sense of touch,” using the F/T sensor to adjust the robot travel safely to go over their hand.

Eurosort – Booth S-2026 • UR5 robot demonstrating live robotic induction to a EuroSort Bomb Bay Sorter.

Intelligrated – Booth N-1616 • UR10 in a robotic goods-to-picker application.

LMI Technologies Inc. – Booth 2262 • 3D Infotech will showcase a UR3 robot with LMI Technologies’ all-new Gocator 3210 snapshot sensor. High-quality data is acquired using 3D Infotech’s UR+ enabled Streamline software interface, demonstrating how UR robots make it safe and easy to automate inspection for many applications including automotive, aerospace, castings & forgings, and consumer electronics.

Microscan – Booth 656 • UR5 robot with Microscan’s latest MicroHAWK machine vision smart camera platform, demonstrating flexible in-line inspection. The robotic demo features the world’s smallest Ethernet smart camera and is set up in collaboration with Olympus Controls.

OptoForce/OnRobot – Booth 469 • Two UR3 robots and one UR10 robot with OptoForce 6 Axis Force Torque Sensor and OnRobot RG2 gripper. Demos show how the On Robot gripper takes advantage of the internal architecture of the UR robots by simply connecting to the robot’s I/O port. OptoForce equips industrial robots with the sense of touch so that more tasks can be automated. The application shows adjustable force, speed and widths of gripper with feedback and drop detection provided on the gripped part. UR+ enabled OptoForce Force Torque sensor uses optics instead of strain gages, and provides all six variables for X, Y, Z force and torque easily incorporated into the application program. The work cell will also demonstrate how UR software provides a hand guide with any or all of the six axes enabled to make programming waypoints and path recording easier than ever.

RightHand Robotics, Inc. –  Booth S-1891 • UR5s and UR10s robots as part of a piece-picking solution that can handle a large range of items reliably and at high rates for the e-commerce supply chain industry.

Robotic Vision Technologies – Booth 761 • RVT will debut its brand new collaborativeVisionFactory 3D VGR software driving a UR5 robot with an OnRobot RG2 gripper. Demonstrations will highlight the powerful combination of vision and the UR for a variety of applications such as collaborative assembly, pick and place, and gluing.

ROBOTIQ – Booth 1053 • Three UR5 robot applications all equipped with UR+ enabled Robotiq Grippers, Wrist Camera and Force Torque Sensor. A UR5 robot in a machine tending simulation utilizes vision- based part location, an automated vise, and force-based placement of the part. The work cell demonstrates how to improve cycle times in CNC machine tending using two grippers on the same UR arm. Other applications show UR5s utilizing the Path URCap in dispensing and deburring simulations, showcasing how to program a complex path by hand-guiding the robot instead of teaching hundreds of waypoints. Visitors are encouraged to try the applications themselves.

SCHUNK Inc. – Booth N1421 • UR5 robot with electric SCHUNK gripper CoAct EGP. The work cell demonstrates how a UR 5 can be used for loading and unloading a lathe without the need for fences. The gripper and robot are used to load parts and open and close the machine door.

Soft Robotics – Booth 2244 • UR3 robot with Soft Robotics gripper built with UR+ ready Soft Robotics Development Kit. This demonstrates the collaborative pick-and-place of a wide range of objects of varying size, shape and weight, with a single end-of-arm tool and no additional programming.

Tend – Booth 2802 • Tend will be displaying a UR5 robot with an attached Chameleon3 USB3 vision camera. Using the in.control software platform that Tend is launching at the show, the UR5 will simulate a machine- tending task by reading a touchscreen display and responding according to the text prompt on the screen.

ZIMMER GROUP US Inc. – Booth 2228 • UR10 robot with a ZIMMER GROUP long-stroke collaborative gripper. The display demonstrates the ease-of-use and programmability in implementing a UR cobot combined with ZIMMER GROUP’S line of UR+ ready grippers and UR specific attachment kits.

New from Yaskawa Motoman: Robotics options for flexible operations

Our contact Jennifer Katchmar shared this blog with us before Automate 2017: Plug Into Robotics at Automate  that details the main new products Yaskawa Motoman has at its booth.

  • Technology: Industrial robots, vision technology for picking, and collaborative robots
  • Manufacturer: Yaskawa Motoman
  • Automate 2017 Booth: N1662


One robot on display is the GP8 for low-payload handling tasks at high speed. The robot just needs one cable connection between the manipulator and controller, which makes for easy setup and reduced maintenance expenses. The GP8 has an IP67 rating and an easy-to-clean surface for use in sanitary or harsh environments.

Main attractions at ABB Automate 2017 booth

Collaboration and digitalization are the two main categories of technology ABB is showcasing at McCormick Place this week.

IRB 1200 with SafeMove2: Officially introduced at Automate, the SafeMove2 equipped model of the IRB 1200 becomes the smallest ABB robot to feature the safety monitoring software.  At the booth the small footprint, large work envelope IRB 1200 is working alongside two humans and YuMi in a contactor block assembly operation. The IRB 1200 is inserting the block onto a DIN Rail, with SafeMove2 allowing it to work safely in close proximity to humans.

YuMi: ABB’s dual-arm collaborative robot is designed to work very closely with humans in a wide variety of small parts assembly and handling applications. In the demo one YuMi arm is inserting a relay into the contactor block, and once a human has inserted the wires into the block, the other YuMi arm screw drives the terminals to securely fasten the wires into the block and relays. In this way the human and YuMi are truly collaborating on the various steps of the assembly process. A second human is prepping the parts to keep the operation moving.

IRB 8700 with SafeMove2: Demonstrating that the power of SafeMove2 is highly scalable, even ABB’s biggest robot is available with the safety certified robot monitoring software. The IRB 8700 has a reach of 3.5 meters and a payload of up to 800 kg (1000 kg with the wrist down).  In the demo the IRB 8700 is carrying four 70” video screens and a 50” projector with interactive displays with information on a wide range of ABB robotic technology. Automate marks the IRB 8700’s debut in the Americas.

  • Technology: Industry robots, software, and more
  • Manufacturer: ABB
  • Automate 2017 Booth: 1635

ABB Ability:  Brings together ABB’s full corporate portfolio of digital products and services, connecting customers to the power of the Industrial Internet of Things by turning data insights into the direct action that “closes the loop” and generates customer value in the physical world.

Connected Services:  An advanced IIOT platform that monitors and analyzes intelligence directly from robots, helping to reduce 25 percent of incidents, and speeding response times and issue resolution by up to 60 percent. With over 6,000 robots connected in almost 10 years, ABB is the clear connected leader in the robotics industry

RobotStudio: ABB’s software tool for programming, configuration and virtual commissioning, designed to maximize the productivity and greatly simplify the user interface of ABB robotic systems across all applications. We have animations of this and will share ore details shortly.


Seventh-axis offerings (and more) from Güdel showing at two booths

Drop by Güdel’s booths at Automate (#359 & #1455) to see how its TrackMotion systems, gantry robots, and precision linear components are helping machine builders, OEMs, and systems integrators solve the most demanding automation application problems. Güdel has something for everyone at this year’s Automate and ProMat conferences, including technical presentations, live demonstrations, and information about our Total Loyalty Concept (TLC) Service Program.

  • Technology: Seventh-axis tracks and robotics
  • Manufacturer: Güdel
  • Automate 2017 Booths: 359 and 1455

Güdel is accepting requests for private meetings as well as drop-ins.  On a related note, let me know if you’re one of the attendees for the talk by Güdel’s own Joe Campbell — When Your Articulated Robot Comes up Short — Tuesday, April 4 from 9:00 to 10:00 AM.

Though we’re only getting to Promat’s displays of AGVs today, we did get to visit with Delta Products’ team to hear about a new option for wireless charging … expect more on this from us shortly:

Rethink also at show in full force

We also saw Rethink Robotics at Automate 2017 showing several of its flagship robotic technologies, including Intera 5 — a software platform that lets manufacturers coordinate whole work cells from a single robot and collaborative robots performing real-world manufacturing tasks. Again, more on this in coming days.

  • Technology: Collaborative robots
  • Manufacturer: Rethink Robotics
  • Automate 2017 Booth: 1450

About The Author

Lisa Eitel

Lisa Eitel has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and 17 years of experience as a technical writer. Her areas of focus include motors, drives, motion control, power transmission, robotics, linear motion, and sensing and feedback technologies.

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