China is the most attractive market in the world for robotics suppliers, with a relatively low robot density, lots of manufacturing, and fewer regulations than in other countries. At the same time, there are plenty of things to discourage business, from worries about trade disputes and intellectual property to the recent Chinese slowdown. How should…
The robot eye with an all-round field of view
Robots can move – but not see – in all directions. The patented laser sensor SensePRO developed by the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Additive Manufacturing Technologies IAPT provides a solution to this problem. Where am I? Like humans, robots also need to answer that question, while they tirelessly glue, weld or apply seals to workpieces.…
Universal Logic Announces New Neocortex DIY Software
Universal Logic has announced a new version of its signature Neocortex artificial intelligence product designed for do-it-yourself engineers. Neocortex DIY software allows engineers to configure and deploy AI-based robot cells for variable picking in both manufacturing and consumer products supply chains. Based on the Neocortex platform, Neocortex DIY extends perception, directs grasping, and guides robots,…
FANUC’s new SCARA robots offer speed, precision, ultra-compact design
FANUC Corp. will introduce the new SR-3iA and SR-6iA SCARA robots at the International Robot Exhibition (iREX) 2017 in Tokyo. FANUC’s new SCARA robots feature high-speed, precise operation for pick and place, assembly, testing/inspection and packaging processes in a wide range of industries including consumer electronics, auto component, plastics, food and beverage, lab automation, appliances and…
Canada college introduces Fanuc robots into lab
Canada’s Hamilton Mohawk College introduced six industrial robots into its robotics lab, becoming the first Canadian school to host robots in a classroom without protective barriers. The $3 million robotics lab is equipped with robots costing $25,000 apiece and more from Japanese company Fanuc. It allows students to practice working with the collaborative machines. “They…
Automate and ProMat 2013: Crowds chose collaborative cage-free robots
Industrial Robots; Robot Arms; Cameras, Scanners and Vision Systems; Collaborative Cage-free Robots; Mobile Robots; Robot Operating Systems; Warehousing and Materials Handling; New Technologies, and Jobs By Frank Tobe, Editor and Publisher, The Robot Report There are fewer manufacturers of industrial robots than one might imagine: only a little more than 200 worldwide. Of these, less…
2012 Robo-Stox Wrap-up
If an enterprising firm set up a mutual fund reflecting the worldwide robotics industry, they might choose to separate their picks into three segments, which might look something like this: Industrial Robot Manufacturers Service Robot Makers of security, defense and space robots Service Robot Makers of robots for all other purposes Although I am neither…
Robotics is a Highly Fragmented Industry With Few Common Standards or Platforms
by Frank Tobe, Publisher, The Robot Report with Manoj Sahi, roboticist and educator, India Imagine being present at the birth of a new industry. It is an industry based on groundbreaking new technologies, wherein a handful of well-established corporations sell highly specialized devices for business use, and a fast-growing number of start-up companies produce innovative…
China’s Mammoth Intro to Robotics
by Frank Tobe and Manoj Sahi According to Xinhua, the official press agency of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn will deploy 1 million robots over the next three years to improve efficiency and reduce labor for tasks better suited to a robot. The robots will be used…