The next generation of industrial robots is efficient, endlessly adaptable and approachable for workers on the factory floor. Technologies like proximity detection, force limitation, pliable materials, hand guidance and augmented reality (AR), among others, are making cobots possible.
Overview
It used to be that robots and humans occupied distinctly different workspaces. This kept personnel safely out of reach of hazards that may be posed by robots. And it also meant that interaction was limited to programmers and software engineers behind a computer desk, or by a maintenance technician once the robots were powered down and production stopped.
Yet a new era of robotics is here, and these collaborative automatons, dubbed cobots, are in fact so adaptable to human workspaces that in many cases, workers are hand-guiding the robot through tasks while a PLC or computer logs the movements.
There are many different technologies that enable cobots. These machines must accurately detect a human presence, and once this occurs, the robot must slow movement and reduce torque so any accidental contact with an employee is brushed off, and not resulting in an OSHA report. This also requires new types of materials and procedures to always keep human coworkers safe. This could be while they stand beside the cobot and check metrics or tweak operation through an AR interface.
The most important feature is the endless adaptability of a cobot. Retraining the robot for new tasks takes minutes due to hand guidance or AR, whereas in a traditional robot it is likely a discrete tool for one application and manufacturing changes requires extensive shutdowns and expense.
These are the experts who can update you on the latest developments in cobot deployment and investments.
Speakers
Edgar Sotter is a Senior Director of New Product Technology in the CSA Group. His team looks to the technology horizon for new developments and applications that could present opportunities for CSA's Test, Inspection and Certification business. Prior to joining CSA, Edgar worked as Senior Director, Product Strategies & Client Solutions at Systems with Intelligence Inc. (SWI), a manufacturer of monitoring products for the electrical sector. Edgar has 20 years of combined academic, technical and business experience. He has a PhD in electronic engineering from Universidad Rovira I Virgili (Spain), an Executive MBA from the University of Toronto (Canada) and a Bachelor's of Science in electronic engineering from Universidad del Norte (Colombia).
Mohsen M. Sepehr is the Manager for New Product Technology at CSA Group. Mohsen holds a Ph.D degree in electrical and computer engineering - nanotechnology, with an MBA and master's in finance. He has more than 15 years of experience in smart and renewable energy, electronics/optoelectronics manufacturing, energy and energy storage, and advanced materials. His professional experience spans across technical management, budget and resource planning, innovative strategic partner and supplier development, design implementation, and optimization of manufacturing processes for new products. He is currently managing the new product technology sector at CSA Group and is responsible to develop new programs for CSA Testing, Inspection and Certification services in electrification of transportation, energy and energy storage, next generation industry services (e.g. smart manufacturing, IIOT) and the healthcare sector.
Over the past 34 years, Dean Phillips has been a leader in the technology sectors and the world of smart manufacturing. His is a continuous advisor to the smart manufacturing advisory committees with Society of Manufacturing Engineers and PMA Precision Metalforming Association. Phillips has been a speaker on IoT, AI, robotics, VR and AR. He is the creator of reality safe, a VR / AR safety training solution for manufacturing, working with Purdue. Phillips has spent the majority of his time advancing IoT, maintenance and safety to be more predictive and develop outcome based solutions. He has been on the board of directors for SME and an advisor for TTU, MTSU and TCAT. He has been a contributing lecturer on big data and it’s value and need for artificial intelligence to filter the information into actionable items. Phillips provides safety and development to cobot users and assists universities to outline expectations from manufacturers.
John Soldatos holds a Ph.d in Electrical Engineering from the National University of Athens, Greece, and is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Universities of Glasgow and York, U.K.
He has more than 25 years experience in working as an R&D consultant and innovation delivery specialist with multi-national firms, such as IBM, INTRACOM, INTRASOFT, GFT Group in Europe, while being co-founder and scientific advisor in various high-tech startups. He is an expert in IIoT and AI, and has played a leading role in the delivery of more than 70 IoT/AI projects in industrial sectors. He has contributed to more than 200 scientific publications and seven books in IoT, AI and cybersecurity topics. Soldatos has also contributed to pre-standardization activities in the area of IoT through his participation in European Innovation Clusters and SDOs like CEN/CENELEC.
Haithem Mansouri leads Rockwell Automation's global Servo Motor business as well as digital technologies including Motion Software, Simulation and Robotics. He has more than 20 years experience in the field of Motion Control and Industrial Automation. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics & Automation from the Haute Ecole Louvain en Hainaut, Belgium and a Master of Science in Applied Computer Science from the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium.