Robotic Systems News

August 25th, 2006 - Volume 1 Issue 7

No longer confined to the realms of scientific research, AI is beginning to appear in real world products. The French company Poseidon Technologies, for example, employs artificial intelligence to manage underwater surveillance systems designed for lifeguard duty in swimming pools. Now, as Robotics Online reports, the latest data on how the brain functions is leading to the emergence of a more sophisticated form of AI known as cognitive computing. As a result, already intelligent systems are becoming more intelligent, and scientists are taking on more ambitious projects. Read about the advanced tasks researchers are investigating...

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DENSO offers a wide range of compact four-, five- and six-axis robots for payloads of up to 20 kg, with reaches from 350 to 1,300 mm and repeatability to within ±0.015 mm. Standard, cleanroom, and dust- and mistproof (IP65) models are available. Easy-to-use programming software, controllers, and teaching pendants are also offered.

What is most startling about FlexPicker is the speed at which it operates. It readily handles 150 picks per minute, corresponding to a cycle time of 0.4 seconds. What is more, the system is accurate in that it only selects perfect objects. If, for example, a cookie, a piece of chocolate, or a pill is defect the robot will ignore it. Learn more about ABB.

A factory in Japan that was already lean and efficient has replaced conveyor systems with robots in an attempt to maintain cost-effective production. Japan, a lean production leader, faces rising competition from low-cost rivals in Korea and China. To keep ahead, this manufacturer of cordless phones, fax machines, and security cameras is using the robots in clusters so that, if one breaks down, another can take over its role. Cycle times have fallen dramatically as a result.

Assembly Magazine explains how one U.S. manufacturer, in responding to the challenge of finding qualified personnel, has seen a surprising result. To take over the labor-intensive job of loading and unloading lathes, the company employs a number of robots. Not only do the robots reduce the labor requirement, they also decrease the number of lathes required, cutting the amount of occupied floor space. Because the extra space can accommodate new manufacturing cells, more jobs are available.

To improve working conditions and worker productivity, Toyota has installed vision-guided robots at its West Virginia engine plant. The task of the robots is to precisely pick up and set down engines and engine components. A robot without vision would not be able to handle the dimensional variation of the pallets and carriers used in the plant so workers were previously performing the operation using hoists, as this article explains...

Designed for checking a large number of features in a short period of time, this robotic vision cell incorporates a five- or six-axis robot arm to take parts off the production line, perform an inspection routine and then replace the parts back in the line or reject them. Acting as an inline inspection station, the robot can inspect as many as 150 features per part in as little as five seconds, says the manufacturer.

Firestone offers a wide range of standard configurations and sizes of AirPickers® and AirGrippers™ to meet most industrial applications. Each picker or gripper can work with a wide range of diameters and workpiece weights. Special AirPickers® and AirGrippers™ can be, and in many cases already have been, developed to meet specific needs of a particular customer.

McClellan's pick and place systems typically consist of linear motor technology for very high-speed, servo-driven ball screw, and rodless slide mechanisms for SCARA robots. These robots have custom end-of-arm tooling for flexibility to multiple pick and place positions, and pneumatic pick and place systems for medium speed, accurate low-cost solutions.

Lessons can be learned from DaimlerChrysler's Belvidere assembly plant, recently heralded as one of the most flexible and automated in the group. Production problems at the plant have been blamed on defective robot programming and the resulting downtime needed for correction. According to this report in the Rockford Register Star, the welding robots deal with a high number of vehicle configurations, and production started before all the bugs that could occur for all the configurations were eliminated.

To upgrade its existing paint shop, including the installation of new robots, this manufacturer of off-road equipment adopted robot modeling and off-line programming software. The idea? Get production back on-stream with a minimum of delay. The company is also using paint simulation tools to obtain the required film thickness for the specific spray guns. Further information...

Lightweight but powerful, artificial muscles are perfect candidates for mobile robots, and are already used in robot manipulators. Machine Design explains how artificial muscles work, focusing particularly on the McKibben design and two related research projects. In one humanoid project, they are being used in the construction of a torso with two anthropomorphic arms and five-fingered hands. In another, they are integrated into a remote-controlled pneumatically-driven fish.

For parts that are difficult to handle, this three-finger gripper works quite well. Two of the fingers can swap position to provide different gripper scenarios. A tactile sensing system can be included as an option so that an optimal grip is always achieved, and the correct gripping force applied. A gripping force almost as strong as that of a human is possible.

Today, sensors and actuators in the field frequently are connected to a passive I/O box or one with fieldbus capability. ERNI has developed such a modular system with an M12 female connector, that is fully flexible in application and has SMT connections that are so robust that bulk packaging and feeding are possible.

Positech designs, manufactures, tests, and integrates end effectors to match specific, unique applications — ensuring you a tool that fits your application.
• Magnets: Custom shapes, sizes, and capacities
• Mechanical: Custom outer/inner diameters, poke, hook, fork
• Vacuum: Custom shapes, sizes, and capacities

DiceEngineering.com offers thousands of quality engineering jobs at top technology and engineering companies. Find jobs in your area of expertise. Search now.

To learn more about the potential of robotics in your own particular industry, look to these complimentary guides on CD. International robot maker Kuka currently offers guides on five specific areas: diecasting and spray, foundry, palletizing and packaging, plastics, and integrator toolkit. Each guide includes robot documentation and design data tailored to the respective industry.

Personal robots are making it onto the curriculum for computer science courses at two Philadelphia colleges in an attempt to attract more students by offering a more hands-on and practical approach. Backed by Microsoft, the initiative includes establishing an Institute for Personal Robots in Education. It will be based at the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. The other college involved is Bryn Mawr. Get all the details...

A linux-powered household robot, developed in France, will be on the market early next year. Claiming to offer 23 degrees of freedom, three more than its Japanese rivals, the NAO robot will be offered with PC software so that it can be controlled remotely via Wi-Fi. NAO features include programmable emotional expressions, voice recognition, voice synthesis, and gripping hands. The humanoid stands 55 cm (1.80 ft) tall.

When a robber fled a New Mexico bank leaving a package behind, it was a robot that was called in to determine whether the package was suspicious or not. Normally used by the Air Force for reconnaissance duties, the Remotech Robot utilized visual recording equipment and hand-powered tools, and found that the package did not contain an explosive device. If it had found explosives, Remotech would have been capable of destroying them safely.

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