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SENSOR READINGS Issue 4

7 August 2015

The weekly magazine for the robotics and automation industry

More than a drop in the ocean Interview with the chief roboticist at Autonomous Marine Systems

Alps launches tiny sensorCompany claims it’s the

world’s smallest force sensor

Robots took my job Will widespread robotics cause mass unemployment?

Case studiesInvata automates Lindt chocolate

warehouse

Budgee prepares for launch Interview with Wendy Roberts, CEO of Five Elements Robotics

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32 Sensor ReadingsSensor Readings Editorial

The world probably isn’t quite ready for robotics. Politicians have not really seriously tackled important issues,

such unemployment caused by robots, and the dangers of allowing artificially intelligent killer robots to take to the battlefield. They mention them in passing, mostly to get media exposure, but no serious legislative framework to deal with the issues raised by robotics and automation has been put in place. To be fair to them, it’s difficult to know what can be done.

Heavy industry has seen the gradual erosion of human employment caused by robots for decades, particularly in manufacturing. But now, with robots entering logistics and other sectors in a big way, even more people will be made jobless. But many are claiming that rather than jobs being lost, they will be changed and much innovation will take place.

Meanwhile, in many other sectors of business, there is potential for losing millions of jobs. In the leisure and hospitality sector, for example, robots like Five Elements’ luggage-carrying robot Budgee and Savioke’s item-carrying robot Dash could displace hotel porters and all manner of job roles that in the past could only be done by humans.

The main reason robots have not already made millions more unemployed is because they cost a lot of money. It can cost several million to equip a factory with robotic systems, and even small robots such as Budgee cost $1,600 per unit. It may seem value for money when compared to a human employee, but generally speaking, businesses prefer not to have to spend upfront, instead they want to spread the costs over time.

However, the components that go into making robots, and the software that goes into operating them, are getting cheaper. It’s unlikely to be more than five years before the widespread use of robotics is having a big impact on economies and societies. Robots are ready to move closer to humans. But are humans ready for robots? l

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Managing Editor Anna Schmidt Email [email protected]

Editor Abdul Montaqim Email [email protected]

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Robots are ready for their close-ups

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Contents

That’s a job for a robot About 80 per cent of jobs could be automated, according to experts 6

Interview: Eamon CarrigChief roboticist at AMS talks about the company’s plans with Datamarans10

Kawasaki launches duAro The company’s new two-armed robot mimics human movement 4

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SENSOR READINGS First issue

17 July 2015

The weekly news magazine for robotics

and automation industry

China’s robot revolution The world’s most populous nation now buys the most robots

From strength to strength Japan unveils the

‘world’s strongest robot’

Germany makes progress Robotics sector grows 11 per cent in first quarter of 2015

Off sideWe talk to the people behind RoboDK, the new offline

progamming tool

Rockwell CEO calls for youth ‘Manufacturing needs to teach and reach younger students’

Schäfer to automate Dräger plant 4Aethon wins contract with LeeSar for medication tray 5Will robots bring mass unemployment? 6Collecting data from the world’s oceans 10Five Elements prepares Budgee for launch 14Automations case studies 16Marketplace 18



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4 News Sensor Readings NewsSensor Readings

In Brief

LeeSar has selected Aethon’s MedEx TraySafe product to streamline its medication tray and kit processing for improving safety and compliance of preconfigured trays used in crash carts. LeeSar provides supply chain and operational services to multiple hospitals in the region.

Ken Greco, LeeSar’s vice president of pharmacy services, said: “We needed a solution that would meet all of our operational and safety requirements, but could also scale in a cost effective way. Replenishing and managing trays is a labor-intensive process and is also demanding from a safety standpoint.

“As we look to add new hospitals, we needed to increase our efficiency while still ensuring safety. We looked at other solutions, but TraySafe was the only solution that could meet all our requirements for efficiency, safety, compliance and affordability.”

Intuitive Surgical has awarded simulator grants to five top US medical centers to advance the field of training for robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery.

The University of Rochester Medical Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, University of Nevada School of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Miami, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center will each receive a da Vinci Surgical System Surgeon Console and Skills Simulator for one year to pursue novel research initiatives.

TraySafe is a next-generation kit and tray management solution, says Aethon. Instead of using expensive and proprietary RFID tags, it uses industry standard 2D labels and ultra-high resolution imaging to detect all the contents in a tray in seconds.

TraySafe can detect missing or expired items, but can also detect if items are misplaced in the tray – making the process faster and far safer.

Aldo Zini, CEO of Aethon, said: “We are delighted to be working with LeeSar. They are known to be experts in hospital operations, efficiency and safety. Aethon has a long history of delivering software and hardware products to manage hospital pharmacy logistics. TraySafe is an extension of that expertise, and working with LeeSar is an ideal partnership for Aethon and our TraySafe product.”

The 2015 call for grant proposals encouraged applicants to focus on specific key areas of interest for da Vinci surgeon training, highlighting Intuitive Surgical’s identification of training needs and the company’s plan to support research to address those needs, including how skills learned in a virtual-reality environment translate to improved inter-operative skills.

“This was an extremely competitive process, with many top institutions choosing to participate,” said Myriam Curet, MD, senior vice president, chief medical officer at Intuitive Surgical.

News

Aethon wins contract with LeeSar for medication tray

Intuitive awards five da Vinci grants

Aethon says its TraySafe can detect missing or expired items, and detect misplaced items

NewsIn Brief

Murata develops angular sensor Murata has developed what it believes is the world’s first surface mount MEMS angular acceleration sensor. Murata combined its technology for designing inertial sensors, such as acceleration and gyro sensors with its MEMS (micro electro-mechanical sensor) process technology to develop the surface-mount-type MEMS angular acceleration sensor. The unit is also believed to be the world’s smallest SMD-type angular acceleration sensor, the accelerometer has dimensions of just 5.2 x 2.5mm typ. x 0.8mm max. It incorporates a detection frequency band of more than 1kHz and an angular acceleration equivalent noise effective value of less than 1rad/s²ms.

Alps launches ‘smallest’ sensorAlps Electric has launched the HSFPAR Series Force Sensor, which the company says is ideal for force sensing in input devices and posture control in industrial equipment and robots, using MEMS technology to achieve the industry’s smallest size. Mass production is already under way. Demand for high-precision pen-shaped input devices (stylus pens) has been growing recently with the rising popularity of digital drawing and painting. Stylus pens, or styli, contain force sensors that are used to trace the trajectory of the pen tip, as well as to reproduce different thicknesses in the artwork corresponding to the pressure applied.

Crouzet to showcase IoT solutionCrouzet Automation will demonstrate its new em4 nano-PLC with remote capabilities and Millenium 3 Smart Logic Controller, both designed to control, measure, monitor and log data for a variety of water and waste treatment applications, at WEFTEC 2015, to be held in Chicago, US, from September 28-30, 2015.

Kawasaki Robotics has launched its duAro dual-arm SCARA robot, designed to “coexist with humans in the workplace”, according to the company. The new robot is aimed primarily at manufacturing of products with short life cycles.

Industrial robots have been developed and intended mainly for mass production involving long product life cycles. However, in fields where new models are introduced frequently at intervals of a few months, automation is considered difficult despite demand for robotization, in terms of both preparation period and cost-effectiveness.

Kawasaki says its duAro robot is applicable to such fields. The company says the duAro robot’s area of motion is the same as that of a person, with motions similar to those of human arms and independent movements for each arm, made possible because of its dual-arm configuration.

Dräger has tasked intralogistics specialist SSI Schäfer with constructing a logistics centre in Lübeck, Germany. The new facility will house Dräger’s manufacturing and logistics operations.

Dräger operates a number of manufacturing plants around the globe, including two in Lübeck. The company has recently decided to consolidate production and logistics at its Revalstrasse site.

The new facility is designed to accelerate production processes, cut costs by eliminat-ing the need to transfer materials between the two Lübeck plants, and reduce inventory size.

Kawasaki says: “Through our consistent pursuit of ease of use, we integrated two articulated arms that move simply in the horizontal direction, and we introduced direct teaching functionality into the robot’s configuration, resulting in a robot that’s both easy to teach and practical. With the integration of the body and controller into the wheeled base, the robot is quite easy to install and relocate.”

The robot has two arms that reach horizontally from the body and that move together as a pair. This configuration can easily perform operations similar to those of a person using both arms within a one-person space. Equipped with a collision detection function and a safety function that slows down its motion when near a person, the robot can be reliably operated in tandem with the operations of workers adjacent to the machine.a

Holger Völkel, who heads Dräger’s manufac-turing logistics team in Lübeck, says: “As part of our ongoing ‘factory of the future’ project, we aim to ensure that our manufacturing and logistics processes are truly interconnected.

“In concrete terms, our goal is to supply our production staff with the materials they need within two hours of them submitting their requirements.”

Dräger has commissioned SSI Schae-fer to turn this vision into reality. Völkel says: “We were very impressed by SSI Schaefer’s end-to-end service offering.”

Kawasaki launches duAro two-armed robot

Schäfer to automate Dräger plant

5

Record robot sales in America The North American robotics market has seen its best half-year, with a record 14,232 robots sold in the first six months of 2015. The figures were published by Robotics Industries Association, the trade body, which said the total amount sold came to about $840 million. The sales show an increase of 1 per cent in number of units sold, and an increase of 7 per cent in total revenue, when compared with the same period in 2014. “We’re encouraged by the continued strength in the North American robotics market,” said Jeff Burnstein, president of RIA.

Yaskawa teams up with MideaChina home appliance maker Midea is teaming up with Yaskawa Electric, one of the world’s leading maker of robots. In a report in Forbes magazine, Midea is said to be planning to expand into the robot industry and will upgrade its own manufacturing and industrial automation processes. Midea, which is part-owned by billionaire He Xianjian, will pool resources with Yaskawa to invest some $65 million into the two joint venture companies.

Robot helps with the dishes Researchers have developed a robot that can help clean the dishes. Although dishwashers have been around for many decades, the idea of having robots do the dishes is enduring. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison taught a Kinova Mico robot arm by moving more slowly than normal. A Kinect sensor tracked the speed and position of the movements. In the test, however, the robot was only required to hand over the dirty dishes for the human to clean. Whether this limited technology is worth paying for, or even developing, is open to question.




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76 Sensor ReadingsSensor Readings FeaturesFeatures

Opinion is divided as to whether or not the widespread adoption of robots will lead to worldwide mass unemployment and economic

devastation. Estimates vary as to how many jobs robots have already taken, but some of the forecasts are actually quite worrying for the working man and woman of the future, if not now.

Some people say that robots will probably be take lower-skilled jobs. Taxi drivers are clearly vulnerable as a result of Uber, even before the cab-hailing app maker launches its own brand of autonomous cars. Uber has this week been valued at $50 billion in its latest funding round, and is all set to expand into India and China, after having become dominant in Europe and the US.

Others go further in their vision of robots as job stealers: they say the robots won’t stop at lower-skilled jobs – they’ll come after your job too; or more to the point, my job. For even people in jobs that could be considered “creative”, such as writers, there is a real worry, what with well-known news agencies now using robots to do their sports reports for them.

For example, Associated Press is using the Wordsmith artificially intelligent writing software to produce more than 4,000 business articles per quarter, a 14-fold increase over the output achieved by the agency’s human writers previously.

And the even the genuinely creative jobs, such as music making? A young Ray Kurzweil proved in the 1960s that computers can compose music (see video above).

However, whether artificially intelligent robots or computers can make films and take on more complex and involving tasks like that is open to question. Or is it? Maybe we’re grasping at straws here. It’s long been known that Hollywood and all the creative industries use formulas of some description or another. If it’s a formula, there’s arguably nothing better than a computer and artificial intelligence to help you apply it.

No. The best we can hope for is to work with the machines. We probably can’t beat them. We can only join them. At the moment, there’s too few of them to worry about. But that won’t be the situation for long.

It’s an issue that is concerning many technologists

That’s a job for a robot

“ There is no problem with imagining a transformation in the labor market that substitutes technology for workers for 80 per cent of current jobs”

Stuart Elliot, OECD consultant

Robotics trends About 80 per cent of jobs could be automated right now, according to some experts, and increasing numbers of robots are finding their way into jobs that used to be done by humans

and others, including Google’s former CEO, Eric Schmidt. Speaking last year at Davos, the annual meeting of business leaders and politicians from leading economies of the world, Schmidt said: “The race is between computers and people and the people need to win. I am clearly on that side. In this fight, it is very important that we find the things that humans are really good at.”

What he thinks humans can do to resist the onslaught from the unholy trinity of computers, AI and robots Schmidt didn’t clearly articulate.

Schmidt is one of those who are convinced that it’s not just the low-skilled jobs the robots have their visual sensors trained on. “There is quite a bit of research that middle class jobs that are relatively highly skilled are being automated out,” he said.

In fact, his observation was consistent with something called Moravec’s paradox, a discovery made by artificial intelligence and robotics researchers, which suggests that computers are actually quite good at doing what humans consider high-skilled jobs – it’s the low-skilled jobs where they’re not so clever.

Strictly speaking, Schmidt was talking about computers and artificial intelligence. But they are of course inextricably linked to robotics. Talking about robotics without being concerned with the developments in computing in AI would be somewhat incomplete.

According to the International Federation of Robotics, the total number of robots in the world in 2013 was about 1.6 million at most. Since then, industrial robots have been selling at a rate of around 200,000 a year. Which means that the total number could be around 2 million now.

Of course, 2 million robots is not even a drop in the ocean when compared to the number of humans there are on the planet. One average-sized city has more humans than 2 million. But in the not-too-distant future, it’s quite realistic to suggest that there will be an exponential growth in the robot population.

In terms of numbers, perhaps the largest growth will be in domestic robots, or home robots. They could be bought for purely entertainment purposes as a toy, or as an appliance which has a useful function in the smart home of the future, and become as indispensable as a washing machine or a dishwasher.

But while some domestic robots may replace the role of caregivers to the elderly, the number of jobs potentially lost by millions of people buying robots for their homes is perhaps not as significant as millions of businesses buying robots to replace their workers.

And as robots become cheaper to build and cheaper to buy, the economic imperative will inevitably mean that millions more robots will find their way to gainful employment. Gainful for their employers, but not so much for the people who lose their jobs because of them.

In China, at least one factory has been reported to have an almost all-robot workforce. The Changying Precision Technology Company is located in Dongguan City, Guangdong province, China. It produces parts for mobile phones. It used to have 650 employees. Now, as a result of the company installing robots, only 60

employees remain, and that number will be further reduced to 20.

The owners say they have more than doubled production as a result of the robots. Not only that, the number of defective products manufactured has gone from 25 per cent to 5 per cent. So, human error margin = 25 per cent, robot error margin = 5 per cent.

Another factory in the same China town, the Shenzhen Evenwin Precision Technology, has also embarked on a plan to build an all-robot factory. And it is by no means the only one.

Paradoxically, given its 1.6 billion population, China is facing a shortage of labour. Because of its “one-child policy”, started in 1978, the country now has fewer working-age men and women than it needs in some areas. Or at least that is what is claimed. Another reason for China’s move to robotics could be the country’s determination to remain as the workshop of the world, the global leader in manufacturing, no matter what the cost in jobs.

Whatever the reasons, few would argue that the robot population is increasing fast, and will go up even faster over the next few years. Despite all the reports about record sales of industrial robots, relatively few factories use them as much as they could, partly because they cost a lot to buy.

Robots pay back their owners faster than ever before, or the “return on investment” (ROI) is more favourable than it used to be, but they are still out of reach for many smaller factories.

Despite capturing the headlines of late as the world’s biggest buyer of industrial robots, China is not even in the top 10 countries when it comes to robot density. According to the IFR, the 10 countries with the highest number of industrial robots for every 10,000 people employed in manufacturing are:

l South Korea, 347l Japan, 339l Germany, 261l Italy, 159l Sweden, 157l Denmark, 145l United States, 135l Spain, 131l Finland, 130l Taiwan, 129In terms of the percentage of workers who will be

replaced by robots, it’s believed that as much as 80 per cent of workers could be replaced by robots right now, if employers were of a mind to make such a revolutionary transformation not just to their businesses, but to the world.

“In principle, there is no problem with imagining a transformation in the labor market that substitutes technology for workers for 80 per cent of current jobs and then expands employment in the remaining 20 per cent to absorb the entire labor force,” writes Stuart W. Elliott, in an article called “Anticipating a Luddite Revival”.

Elliot is an analyst for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and his article appeared in Issues in Science and Technology last year.

But although theoretically it could be done, it’s unlikely to happen for many years. Not just because of the threat of modern-day Luddites, as Elliot suggests, but because a serious amount of investment would be required to make it happen, and companies are unlikely to do that.

The utilisation of robotics and automation in industry will increase, but most likely at a slow rate over the next decade or two. Meanwhile, the economy will change to

Main picture: Robots are increasingly replacing humans in the manufacturing industry. The Changying Precision factory in China has replaced 90 per cent of its workers with robots. The owners say they aim to reduce the number of human workers even further




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8 News Sensor Readings

one in which entirely new jobs are created in industries that never existed before, or business sectors which were previously relatively small.

No obvious solution comes to mind, but space does seem to offer one growth area. As more people, organisations and businesses become interested in space tourism and space exploration, it’s likely to be a significant employer in the coming years.

And despite there being so many mega-cities in the world, even more cities will be created and more people will live in them. The world’s urban population is thought to have outnumbered that of the countryside in or around 2008. Of the world’s total 7 billion, around 3.5 billion now live in cities. China’s urban population is though to have exceeded its rural population in 2013.

All these people need places to live. Billions live in slums. That’s likely to change. It’s probably inevitable.

Until now, construction, even of a small home with all the modern facilities, has been too expensive for the vast majority of the world’s population. But with construction robots, the overall cost of construction is likely to come down. At which point the benefit of having robots around filters down to the working man and woman at the bottom of the pay scale, or no-pay scale, instead of simply translating into more profits for construction companies remains to be seen.

Two scenarios could emerge: one where mega-construction companies monopolise the technology, or smaller teams of builders invest in robots and take on more ambitious projects. Either way, building will be cheaper.

The first robotic bricklayers are just now being released into the market, and it seems obvious that there is a demand for them. Whether they will create more jobs than they eliminate is difficult to answer at this stage.

It probably depends on whether the rate of growth in new buildings increases or stays the same. The property market in some countries is propped up by artificial scarcity created by ancient or restrictive planning and building restrictions.

Though they sound radical, these are realistic scenarios. But what is even more realistic is the concept put forward by industry conglomerates in Europe and in America.

In Europe, it’s called Industrie 4.0, and in the US, Industry 4.0, and it refers to a number of transformative developments in manufacturing and other sectors, brought about largely by robotics and automation. Far from worrying about job losses, proponents of Industrie 4.0 believe it will create jobs and increase revenue.

Then there are the “futurists”, such as Thomas Fry, who lists 24 future industries that “will lead to an era of super employment”. l

The Brookings Institution doesn’t

think robotics and automation technology is the threat to the economy that some people do.

In a recent blog, Brookings pointed to research that apparently shows there us robotics and automation are actually a driver of economic growth.

However, Brrokings did seem to accept that the research showed that there may be a correlation between the installation of robotics and automation systems with the loss of jobs.

Mark Muro, senior fellow and policy director, Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, said: “Between 1993 and 2007 (the timeframe studied by Graetz and Micheals) the United States increased the number of robots per hour worked by 237 percent. During the same period the US economy shed 2.2 million manufacturing jobs. Assuming the two trends are linked doesn’t seem farfetched.”

In another article, written by Mathieu Bélanger-Barrette, of Robotique. robots are viewed as potentially “the biggest job creators in world history”.

Bélanger-Barrette suggests the introduction of robotics and automation to the industrial production process is equivalent to the introduction of the wheel in the ancient world.

“Robots are not there to steal jobs, but to help workers,” says Bélanger-Barrette, who points to research that suggests that robots have increased productivity without costing jobs.

“There doesn’t seem to be any correlation between robotization density and unemployment and we can still say that robots are increasing GDP,” says Bélanger-Barrette.

Japan, where robots have always found more favour and been treated with less suspicion, is seeing increasing number of business sectors employing robots.

Already a widespread feature of the industrial and manfuacturing landscape, robots are now being seen in department stores and hotels, if not directly serving customers, then at least interacting with them in some way.

Museams have also employed robots in customer relations.

Strictly speaking, those are androids, but they are taking human jobs in situations where customers expect there to be a human, so it’s understandable that they are made to look as human as possible. l

Robots replacing humans one by one

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“ There is quite a bit of research that middle class jobs that are relatively highly skilled are being automated out”

Eric Schmidt (left), former CEO, Google

Below: Aki Nakata poses with a humanoid robot named Kodomoroid at a museum in Tokyo





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1110 Sensor ReadingsSensor Readings FeaturesFeatures

The total surface of Planet Earth spans some 510 million square kilometres, and the ocean accounts for more than 70 per cent. If there’s one man who would

be familiar with these kind of numbers it’s Eamon Carrig, co-founder and chief roboticist at Autonomous Marine Systems (AMS), a US robotics startup which could scarcely have more compelling origins.

AMS was started by three aerospace engineers – Carrig, T.J. Edwards, and Walter Holemans, although Holemans has since left the company.

“We had all been working together on spacecraft mechanisms – TJ and Walt mostly mechanical, me mostly electrical and software – since 2006,” says Carrig in an exclusive interview with RoboticsandAutomationNews.com.

“Specifically we worked on satellite separation systems, which are the last systems that have to work to get a satellite on orbit. In my career as a sep system engineer, we produced about 15 systems for flight. I would

have bet my life on every single system we delivered.”AMS has built small robotic vessels it calls

“Datamarans” which act as data collectors for meteorology and oceanography. In the simplest form, think of them as self-guided buoys that happen to look like futuristic sailboats. The company is offering custom surveys of the world’s oceans for the defense, energy, shipping, fishing, and research sectors. Although accurately summarized on its website as a “marine data service”, the description doesn’t quite sum up the epic scale of the task AMS has taken on and the potential benefits to a variety of sectors.

The company says it is building the world’s first global water-borne, intelligent sensor network and data distribution channel. Such a system, had it been available in the past, may have helped find aeroplanes that crashed at sea but were never found, such as Malaysia Airlines’ flight MH370, which is believed to have crashed in the Indian ocean last year, with 239 people lost.

Despite months of intense searching, using satellite technology as well as civilian and naval vessels, and ships and planes from a multitude of countries, nothing has been found of MH370. Recent discoveries of plane wreckage on the coast of Reunion Island, in the Indian Ocean, have not yet been conclusively proved to be from MH370. With a persistent network permanently installed on the ocean, it

Many drops in the ocean

“ Our grand vision is centered around using networks of heterogeneous robots to collect big ocean data”

Eamon Carrig (left), chief roboticist, AMS

Marine robots Interview with Eamon Carrig, chief roboticist at Autonomous Marine Systems, which aims to provide continuous data about the world’s oceans

seems unlikely that such a long search would have been necessary, and it’s equally unlikely that it would have ended in failure to find the plane.

Carrig tells the story of how AMS came about. “We decided to try to this wacky idea of building an infinite duration surface vessel after learning about the needs in the scientific community for co-local simultaneous measurements of partial pressure of CO2 above and below the surface.

“These measurements are critical to our efforts to understand carbon transport and climate change. There is no good remote sensing solution – you have to be there. This project is our best effort to get sensors out to the middle of the ocean as cost-effectively as possible. We see the oceans as the most important area on which to concentrate our stewardship efforts in the coming century.”

In the not-too-distant past, some might have dismissed it as an impossible dream, or at least slightly eccentric, and may have been reluctant to back it with money. But with robotics and communications technology advancing and proliferating as they have, combined with Carrig and his team’s skills, the “wacky idea” became an ambitious but realistic goal.

“In the very beginning AMS was self-financed,” explains Carrig. “As the project took on more steam, we did a kickstarter campaign, and completed an F&F round. Last year we were selected for and completed the #1 ranked energy accelerator Surge in Houston. We were able to raise a seed round coming out of that program that allowed us to service our first commercial pilot programs. We are currently raising a series A and building out our manufacturing capabilities.”

F&F refers to friends and family, and Series A funding is simply a formal term to mean a startup company’s first significant phase of venture capital financing.

Although AMS is by no means the only company in the marine robotics market, in Carrig’s judgment, the market is yet to see a technically capable system offered at the right cost.

“There are several technologies at various levels of maturity being deployed and evaluated in marine robotics,” says Carrig. “However, no commercially available systems meet the needs of industry – and indeed humanity – in terms of price and performance.

“Notable development success was achieved as far back as 2009, when a Rutgers University undersea glider crossed the Atlantic. There has been mixed success with surface vessels, but the transatlantic voyage, which we have chosen to focus on as a benchmark, remains an open problem.

“Our approach has been to focus on the network, as opposed to the individual boats from the beginning. After all, it is the utility that matters, not the glory. To this end we have chosen to pour our efforts into squeezing as much performance as possible out of low-cost materials.

“But it is not just the cost of goods sold – what we spend on materials to make a boat – that matters, one must also consider the logistical costs of operating such a system over its entire lifetime.”

The Datamaran uses a combination of systems for power, including a rigid sail to harness the wind, and onboard solar panels to charge the battery to operate the electronics. AMS is planning to use a number of

communications networks to connect the Datamarans: the Iridium satellite constellation, GSM (cell phone), Wi-Fi, and RF (like an RC airplane).

The company says each Datamaran acts as a node in the network. Using peer-to-peer communication, and redundant host systems on land, swarms of Datamarans can self-organize for maximum efficiency in carrying out their mission. This capability allows for ocean surveillance of unprecedented richness and responsiveness to changing conditions, says AMS.

AMS has concentrated on developing a system that makes the most of the burgeoning

components market in robotics without packing too much into it; and the

company has developed the system in a way that allows for future expansion and augmentation.

The small vessel it has developed that will serve as the data points is claimed by the company to be the world’s first self-righting catamaran, which

has been named a “Datamaran”. The vessel offers savings and

performance unmatched by any other vehicle in its sector, says AMS.“Many of the claims in our first patent,

granted several months ago, focus some clever tricks to get the most performance out of

a system composed of low-cost materials and scalable construction methods.

“A craft is not credibly commandable if it cannot overcome surface currents, yet we believe that the returns on speed drop off sharply soon thereafter. We don’t want to make the best boat; quixotically, we want to make the least boat that satisfies the need.

“Keeping the individual node costs as low as possible allows us to deploy the technology as widely as possible. Distributed networks are the only way to address this global requirement.”

What may actually have been an impossible dream in the past is now possible largely because of the advent of the Internet and networking technology, which, like components, is coming increasingly within reach of many companies’ budgets whereas in the past it may have been the preserve of the few.

“It has never yet been been plausible to effectively measure millions of data points across massive geographical areas simultaneously, which is critical to understand the dynamic properties that control the global environment. Everything [in the past] has been single point in time, single point in space measurements.

“With our network, we're introducing a whole new paradigm shift in how we’re exploring and studying the oceans; we’re after drastic increases in data density in terms of time, space, and precision. We’re on the leading edge of the movement from expeditionary ocean exploration to permanent longitudinal ocean monitoring.”

AMS is undeniably a visionary company which not only imagines a global ocean monitoring system, but also has the means to make it a reality. A perfect storm of technological factors and entrepreneurial ideas is being harnessed and will result in the world’s first real-time encyclopaedic knowledge base about Earth’s watery nature.

However, even the most noble of ideas have to face financial facts. Without being able to demonstrate a viable business model, it’s unlikely that AMS would have got off the ground, so to speak. And while Carrig may be intensely interested in the scientific and engineering aspect of the

Main picture and circle inset: the AMS Datamaran is a solar-powered small vessel which acts as a metocean data-collection device and a node in a network of AMS Datamarans on the ocean, connected by satellite and other networking systems




[email protected]


12 Sensor ReadingsFeatures

company, he indicates that the company has identified clear gaps in the market and has strong backers who will help AMS to bridge those gaps.

“Our initial customers are from the US – primarily the energy and defense sectors,” says Carrig. “Our first missions are concerned with data collection and exfiltration. Metocean data collection in particular is a global problem – the amount of data currently being collected is sparse, and the tools being used are inadequate.

“The nice thing about these mission sets from a business development perspective is that the needs look the same all over the world. We will earn our stripes so to speak by delivering the highest quality product to marquee customers in the US, and expand from there.

“Currently there are only about 650 [conventional/traditional, non-robotic] metocean buoys deployed in the entire world. The bottleneck here is largely due to the exorbitant costs of deployment and recovery. In many cases the buoy itself is a mere rounding error compared to the logistical costs of getting it on station.

“Nearly all of these buoys are moored near North America and Europe. As industries move to frontier markets, the data from buoys like these is critical to the development and operations of their billions dollar assets. As a senior scientist from a super major recently told us, ‘What I need is a self-deploying buoy’. We are pleased to oblige.”

AMS is all set with its fleet of Datamarans to achieve its objective of networking the world’s oceans, but as enormous as that enterprise sounds, it is actually just the beginning for the company.

“Our grand vision is centered around using networks of heterogeneous robots to collect big ocean data. We hope to reach a critical density of proprietary data, and reap the added value of an integrated longitudinal data set. Nothing like this has ever been achieved.

“By making each node in our network – surface, air, and under water – as flexible as possible, we are able to rapidly integrate advanced sensors and flex to customer needs.

“We anticipate a panoply of specially outfitted Datamarans working in concert to cover the spectrum of sensing needs. Any such network needs to employ a multitude of physical channels, data protocols, and command and control structures.

“Fortunately we have a leg-up on building these tools from our experiences in the spacecraft industry, and prior work in bandwidth constrained environments. Surface vessels are critical to any such network because they are uniquely able to access to ample environmental energy and both satellite and acoustic comms.

“We do our best to be data driven, and are focused on addressing the largest unmet needs first. That said, we have lots of wacky ideas, both derivative and tangential, floating around (pun intended).

“The best part of a technology like this is that it opens up possibilities that no one has thought of, or if they have, have done so only in theory without a direct, plausible, pathway to achievement.

“Our power-positive, persistent, affordable platform is a necessary condition to building the next generation of ocean observation tools, and rising to the global challenge of ocean stewardship.

“In general, I think very few working roboticists truly understand the implications Moore’s Law (myself included!). We’re seeing startups rise with truly impressive technologies only to be overtaken by even more impressive technologies that come around five years later. This is true across the board.

“At AMS we’re trying to get to the time-and-computation-independent heart of the problem – the algebra if you

will. It’s tough to build a strong stable business around something that may ultimately become a commodity, which is why the Datamaran is only the beginning.

“The world needs cheap reliable boats, but more to the point, the world needs low-cost tools to garner ocean intelligence. We will not rest until that goal is achieved.”

Naturally, on a project of such magnitude, there are many complex issues to resolve, and many of the most difficult dilemmas have been presented by Earth itself.

“We've certainly had our share of challenges,” says Carrig. “The largest come from the ocean itself – it is not an exaggeration to say that the environment in which our boats are operating is the most hostile on the planet – violent storms, caustic ions, even pirates. In many ways, ocean transects make spaceflight look like a breeze.

“We have this enormous technical challenge on top of the typical issues faced by any early stage high-tech startup.

“One thing I'm very grateful for is that we learned relatively early on to seek help. We are not too proud to leverage the wonderful cosmos of investors, inventors, and professionals working in ocean science.”

Carrig elaborates on the support AMS has received, in particular from Greentown Labs (GTL). “I can't resist the temptation here to shout out Greentown Labs in Somerville, MA, our home for the last seven months or so. Greentown is an amazing community of people working on big ideas that are instantiated in real things. Being accepted there, and getting to move to the heart of the robotics ecosystem, has been invaluable.”

“GTL affords startups real lab space in addition to business enrichment services. This heady combination is very special and cannot be found anywhere else. And, of course, Surge, we would be nowhere without la familia. The sage counsel, and access to capital and customers truly accelerated our growth.”

Looking back to the beginning, Carrig says he and his colleagues are indebted to the NSF I-Corps DC, a US government programme to nurture innovative startups. “The mentors there opened our eyes; from babes to businessmen in a few short weeks (feels like a lifetime ago). We could never have imagined that our participation in these programs would have had such a profound effect on our company, our lives, and our ability to engage the problems on which we are so lucky, and thrilled, to work.”

AMS recently received a $1.7 million innovation grant from the Virginia research and development program. The money will enable AMS to “scale and refine” its Datamarans. The company says it will keep its manufacturing operations in the US. l

“ The best part of a technology like this is that it opens up possi-bilities that no one has thought of, or if they have, have done so only in theory without a direct, plausible, pathway to achieve-ment”

Eamon Carrig, AMS

Surge, a startup consultancy which has advised and supported AMS since the early days of the business



http://www.redtreerobotics.com/





14 Sensor ReadingsInterviews

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Five Element Robotics is all set to launch its Budgee robot later this month, and the company is aiming for bumper sales within the first year. The US company was founded

by Wendy Roberts, the CEO, who financed the venture herself. She may or may not open the books to outside investors but so far, it’s a business she runs with colleagues Jim Pari, Nick Lynch and Norm Lunde.

In an interview with Sensor Readings, Roberts says Budgee the “follow-me” robot is ready for service. “It is expected to ship the end of August. We expect to sell around 50,000 when at full manufacturing capacity. The robots are made here in the US, in New Jersey,” she says.

At about 3 feet tall, on three wheels, and featuring what could be called a pouch in which bags and other items can be placed, Budgee is basically an intelligent trolley, albeit more aesthetically pleasing and more functional.

The company’s “follow-me” tag is meant to describe what the robot does – it follows the user around. “The person [user]

carries a transceiver which is about the size of a key chain and the robot follows that using sonar technology,” says Roberts.

“The robot keeps a certain distance between the transceiver and itself, which is configurable. There is a virtual ‘egg’ around the robot, meaning that if you are within the ‘egg’ it will follow you. If you are outside of the ‘egg’ it will not.

“The reason is to prevent the robot charging after someone if they are far away and turn on the transceiver. The robot does have collision avoidance sensors and cliff sensors so it won’t go over a cliff, stairs, curb or other cliff-like situations.”

Roberts says Five Elements wants to be part of the robotics revolution. Specifically, it’s dedicated to revolutionising the human robot relationship with its follow-me technology, which the company has trademarked.

As well as producing the Budgee robot, Five Elements also supplies computer services and customised software for the robotics market, particularly the collaborative robotics sector, with an emphasis on personal robots.

The company has initially aimed at the elderly and disabled, many of whom require assistance carrying stuff around in shops and in the home. Five Elements sees robots becoming part of everyday life, and envisions robots being part of the family unit, and “integral to our society and the collective mindset”.

Roberts says: “So far the interest in Budgee has come from consumers and businesses. Consumers are generally either disabled or elderly or have an occupation that requires them to carry a lot of things. And lawyers, (who often have to carry around a lot of documents) have expressed interest.

“Businesses that have expressed interest are shopping malls, many in US and internationally; airlines – Alaska Airline for helping people carry their luggage in the terminal; postal delivery service – in Germany, for the postal carriers who carry the letter by hand; libraries, for when librarians are restocking the bookshelves; and retail stores, for shoppers to use as carts.”

Roberts may have expected orders mainly to come from customers in the US, and although there has been significant interest locally, she says orders have come from around the world. “Interesting that orders have come from all over the world – the word is out regarding Budgee,” she says.

As a result of the strong interest from abroad, Five Elements has signed distribution deals with companies from Italy, China, Denmark, and Israel.

The company was founded in 2012. “It is self funded by me – no crowed funding or venture capital yet,” says Roberts, whose background includes the founding of Future Skies, which develops software for the US Department of Defense.

In the time Five Elements has been developing the Budgee robot, the costs of materials and technology that goes into making robots have been decreasing, which has enabled the company to offer Budgee at a lower price than it had originally anticipated when it first started.

Initially, its manufacturer’s suggested retail price was $4,000. As a result of innovations and cheaper components, this has now been reduced for its August launch. “We are currently accepting pre-orders for Budgee,” says Roberts, adding: “The Budgee costs $1,399 which is very reasonable for a robot that performs a much-needed function.”

Increasing functionality will be added to Budgee, says Roberts. Already it can be equipped with a scanner and checkout capability, which means it can take on more of the chore of shopping than just carry the bags.

Budgee can either be a personal helper robot, bought by individual customers, or could make its way into businesses. Shopping malls and hotels have shown an interest in the robot, and it’s unlikely to be long now before we see Budgee and its like in many more public places, carrying out their duties with robotic reliability. l

Five Elements sets Budgee for launch Helper robots Interview with Wendy Roberts, CEO of Five Elements Robotics

Budgee the ‘follow-me’ helper robot is seen here in an airport scenario. Below (inset) CEO Wendy Roberts with Budgee

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“ We are currently accepting pre-orders … Budgee costs $1,399 which is very reasonable for a robot that performs a much-needed function”

Wendy Roberts, CEO, Five Elements Robotics



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1716 Sensor ReadingsSensor Readings

clients without bringing the distribution center to its knees.

Lindt needed to expand its ability to meet wholesaler/retailer compliance labeling requirements, as the company’s existing manual approach had become very costly and back charges for non-compliance had gotten out of control.

The company wanted to find ways to minimize labor and production costs associated with its distribution operation.

Lindt wanted to dramatically enhance its distribution center productivity standards, which had fallen below established industry best practices at that point.

That’s when the FastTrak team from Invata was tasked with designing and integrating a waveless picking system incorporating the latest in warehouse automation technology that could act as the backbone for the new facility.

Waveless picking solution In creating a new waveless picking system for Lindt, the FastTrak team not only automated the movement of materials within the distribution center, they also automated the flow of data, eliminating what had been a costly

and cumbersome manual data collection process.

The distribution center design features the following material handling systems:l a dynamic pick line for cases and totes, incorporating Pick-to-Light modules for quantity and lot verification;l a print and apply labeling system, incorporating 4 printer applicators run by round robin algorithm;l a sliding shoe sortation system with 11 sorter lanes, 1 exceptions processing lane, and 1 recirculation lane;l an extensive network of conveyors, including 12 different types of conveyor; andl a paperless pallet building system, using digital display boards to director palletizing activities.

The distribution center design capabilities include:l waveless picking/selectionl production lot control identification, control, and tracking;l wholesaler/retailer compliance labeling;l real-time control of the material handling equipment;l system wide information flow; l high visibility of operations and data; andl the warehouse management system and warehouse control system functionality needed to fill gaps left by Lindt’s ERP.

The system works in the following manner: When manufacturing is complete, pallets of manufactured product are moved to the warehouse via a pallet conveyor. Pallets are then moved into an extensive storage and retrieval area where they are handled in a first expired first out (FEFO) sequence. All items are inventoried by lot number for traceability through the distribution center, onto outbound pallets, and ultimately to the wholesale customer.

The order fulfillment process is initiated by the JD Edwards host software which organizes orders and associated replenishments for the dynamic pick line. Invata’s FastTrak warehouse software then manages the entire waveless picking process as well as the mixed item pallet-building process used to ready items for shipment. There are 54 pick locations and 11 loading lanes. Invata’s FastTrak Warehouse

Control System software (WCS) manages the use of available equipment and labor resources to ensure everything comes together in an optimal manner, minimizing labor demand, and ensuring accuracy in order fulfillment.

Pick-to-light displays are utilized for a pick-to-belt process, wherein operators pick cases from pallet bays, loading them onto a conveyor. To begin the order selection process, the pick-to-light display first indicates the lot number that is supposed to be in a given location. The operator checks for a match. If that number is correct, the operator presses a button and the pick quantity is then displayed and order selection begins.

To eliminate potential operator errors in losing track of the carton count when picking larger quantities, the PTL display is restricted to indicating a maximum quantity of 10 items. When the operator reaches a 10 count, the PTL display button must be pushed to get the next pick quantity. This enables pickers to fill multiple orders simultaneously, while maintaining strict quality control.

Cases on route to palletizing are automatically conveyed through a series of alignment conveyors and merges, and then through the print/apply labeling system where labels are selectively applied to those cases going to clients requiring compliance labeling. This eliminates the manual approach to compliance labeling that Lindt previously used.

Invata’s FastTrak warehouse software uses the bar codes on the cases to identify the item and lot number of each approaching parcel and then allocates the inventory to orders, records the lot, and print/applies the correctly formatted compliance label.

Once cases arrive on the outbound sliding shoe sorter, shoes are assigned to each case and sortation lanes are allocated for the order/pallet building process. The lane allocation is a dynamic process, which doesn’t require fixed waves. This waveless picking system enables Lindt to optimize the use of their system, while accommodating variability in pallet quantity and individual productivity.

The shoes on the sorter slide gently across the conveyor, positively diverting each case into the post sort lane.

At the end of the post sort lanes, a “reader board” indicates the order number that is active on that lane as well as the quantity of cases to be expected for that order.

Next to the expected quantity, the reader board displays an arrived quantity as well. This allows the operators palletizing the orders to easily see when an order is complete and to track down any items that may have ended up in the exceptions processing lane.

Once an order/pallet is complete, it is wrapped, labeled, and staged for loading.

In keeping with Invata’s longstanding tradition of providing top tier support for its distribution center design and warehouse automation systems, Lindt now has a waveless picking and warehouse automation system that is fully supportable on a remote basis: Through a combination of pcAnywhere, MS-SQL database tools, and PLC programming software accessed via a high-speed VPN connection, Invata is able to remotely troubleshoot issues working with client personnel on-site on a 24/7/365 basis.

The system also allows Invata to remotely install software updates, analyze logs and trace files, analyze and backup databases, troubleshoot and reconfigure peripheral devices, and examine the programmable logic controller as well as connected devices.

Waveless picking system resultsThanks to FastTrak’s distribution center design and warehouse automation expertise, Lindt achieved its goals of building a new distribution center that enabled it to keep pace with expect growth, keep compliant with both government regulations and client labeling demands, and make the most of their JD Edwards business software without having to buy a dedicated WMS system. The distribution center has enabled a five-fold increase in Lindt’s business.

By automating their warehouse with innovative technology directed by Invata’s FastTrak warehouse software, Lindt successfully completed a major system expansion that is helping to minimize costs while making the company a leader in delivering quality via industry best practices. l

Case studies

A waveless picking and warehouse automation project for 165 year-old

premium quality chocolate producer Lindt & Sprüngli put Invata Intralogistics’s Fasttrak warehouse software and control systems at the heart of the company’s new distribution center in Stratham, New Hampshire.

The waveless picking and warehouse automation system included a Pick-to-Light system, extensive conveyor systems, a sortation system with a sliding shoe sorter (aka slat sorter), and Invata’s own FastTrak Warehouse Software which included Warehouse Control System (WCS) and Warehouse Management System (WMS) functionality. Invata’s Fasttrak Middleware enabled a seamless integration with Lindt’s JD Edwards

business system for inventory allocation against orders and lot tracking. And Invata’s FastTrak Visualization software acts as a central monitoring system enabling complete visibility of the overall system and the individual component performance.

At a rated speed of over 100 parcels per minute, the FastTrak-directed waveless picking and warehouse automation system enabled a five-fold increase in Lindt’s business, while reducing processing costs and labor requirements across the board.

SituationWith six production sites in Europe, two in the U.S., and distribution and sales on four continents, Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG has been long recognized as a leader in

the market for premium quality chocolate. Offering a large selection of products in more than 100 countries around the world, Lindt & Sprüngli is also known as one of the most innovative and creative companies making premium chocolate.

By 2007, Lindt’s success in the US had brought it to the point that its old distribution center was bursting at the seams. The facilities production capabilities were not keeping pace with the rest of the industry, and the company was also having problems meeting wholesaler/retailer compliance labeling demands.

OpportunityIn order for Lindt to continue growing in the US, the company mandated in 2007 that a new

distribution center be built adjacent to their manufacturing facility in Stratham, New Hampshire. In laying out the specs for a new distribution center, Lindt focused on several key cost considerations:

Lindt was committed to utilizing its JD Edwards enterprise software, but needed some way to fill the gaps in its business system when it came to the Warehouse Management System (WMS) and Warehouse Control System (WCS) functionality needed to optimize a warehouse automation system utilizing material handling subsystems, conveyor systems, and sortation systems.

The company needed to find a way to comply with looming governmental regulations for tracking the identity of production lots to wholesale

Invata waveless picking system sweetens bottom line for LindtAutomation solutions provider Invata Intralogistics installs its warehouse control and management system at Lindt facility

Case studies




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1918 Sensor ReadingsSensor Readings Marketplace

Wittenstein From machine tools or woodworking and packaging machines through robotics and handling equipment to food processing, pharmaceutical and medical technology or intralogistics, Wittenstein actuators keep you one step ahead of the competition.wittenstein-us.com

British Automation & Robot Association bara.org.uk

The aim of the BARA is to promote the use of, and assist in the development of Industrial Robots and Automation in British industry. In 2009 BARA joined forces with the PPMA (Processing & Packaging Machinery Association) to become a special interest focus group.

PHD PHD is a leading manufacturer of industrial automation actuators, designed to help companies across all industries optimize their manufacturing processes. phdinc.com

Robotics Society of Japan rsj.or.jp

The Robotics Society of Japan promotes progress in academic fields and provides specialists with a venue for announcing their research and exchanging technical information.

International Federation of Robotics ifr.org

The purpose of IFR shall be to promote and strengthen the robotics industry worldwide, to protect its business interests, to cause public awareness about robotics technologies and to deal with other matters of relevance to its members.

ATC The Actuator Technology Company operates independently and is located close to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. We are acclaimed and appreciated for offering vital design support during FEED and detailed design stage (EPC). atc-actuators.com

euRobotics AISBL eu-robotics.net

euRobotics AISBL is a Brussels based international non-profit association for all stakeholders in European robotics. euRobotics builds upon the success of the European Robotics Technology Platform and the academic network of EURON, and will continue the cooperation abetween members of these two community driven organisations.

IEEE Robotics and Automation Society ieee-ras.org

Our Mission is to foster the development and facilitate the exchange of scientific and technological knowledge in Robotics and Automation that benefits members, the profession and humanity. Our Vision is to be the most recognized and respected global organization in Robotics and Automation.

Ham-Let More than half a century of excellence servicing the high purity and process industries with designing, developing, producing and marketing of fluid system components.ham-let.com

The Valve and Actuator Co We realise there is an urgent need to provide experienced technical support with competitive pricing. We carry an extensive stock of electric and pneumatic actuators and general valves. valveandactuatorcompany.co.uk

Robotic Industries Association robotics.org

The Robotic Industries Association (RIA) drives innovation, growth, and safety in manufacturing and service industries through education, promotion, and advancement of robotics, related automation technologies, and companies delivering integrated solutions.

China Robot Industry Alliance cria.mei.net.cn

CRIA is a non-profit organization composed of enterprises, manufacturers, universities, research institutes, regional or local robotic associations, related organizations as well as organizations in the fields of R&D, manufacturing, application and services of the robot industry.

Rethink Robotics

Our patented SEA technology uses springs to advance the robot’s motion control solution from one of rigid positioning to one of force control. rethinkrobotics.com

Parker Parker actuators come in a wide range of construction types, ranging from compact light duty aluminum air actuators, motorized electric actuators, to heavy duty hydraulic designs.parker.com

Marketplace Associations: Robotics and Automation

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4D Technology

4D Technology designs and manufactures laser interferometers, surface roughness profilers and interferometry accessories. 4dtechnology.com

Ranesas

Renesas Electronics Corporation, the world’s number one supplier of microcontrollers, is a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions including microcontrollers, SoC solutions and a broad range of analog and power devices. renesas.com

Alphasense Alphasense has established a reputation as a reliable source for a wide range of gas sensor technologies. We supply high-quality Oxygen,CO2, toxic and flammable Gas sensors to many of the world’s leading industrial OEMs.alphasense.com

Freescale

Freescale Semiconductor enables secure, embedded processing solutions for the Internet of Tomorrow. Freescale’s solutions drive a more innovative and connected world, simplifying our lives and making us safer. freescale.com

STMicroelectronics

A world leader in providing the semiconductor solutions that make a positive contribution to people’s lives, both today and in the future. st.com

Sensiron Sensirion is a leading sensor manufacturer, providing relative humidity sensors and flow sensor solutions with unique performance. sensirion.com

Atmel

Atmel Corporation is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of microcontrollers, capacitive touch solutions, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and radio frequency components. atmel.com

Infineon

We provide semiconductor and system solutions, focusing on three central needs of our modern society: Energy Efficiency, Mobility and Security.infineon.com

Sano

Sano is a biometric sensor and software company with a patented, breakthrough sensor that will help people understand what’s happening inside their bodies through continuously monitoring important markers in their bodies’ chemistry.sano.co

Hansford Sensors At Hansford Sensors, we design, develop and manufacture a wide range of high performance industrial accelerometers, vibration transmitters (loop powered sensors) and ancillary equipment. hansfordsensors.com

Silicon Labs

Silicon Labs is a team of hardware and software innovators dedicated to solving our customer’s toughest embedded design challenges. silabs.com

Texas Instruments

TI’s microcontroller platform offers innovative devices with integrated on-chip architectures, unique intellectual property, system expertise in key markets, and a comprehensive ecosystem of software, tools and support.ti.com

Synaptics

Synaptics is a world leader in capacitive touch sensing technology. This patented technology is at the heart of our industry-standard TouchPad products and other solutions. synaptics.com

EMX

EMX is one of the world’s leading innovators of specialty sensors in the factory and process automation markets. Our sensors are used in automotive, packaging, labeling, metal stamping, paper and wood processing, plastics, electronics and pharmaceutical manufacturing.emxinc.com

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Cognex

No matter what the machine vision application, Cognex offers a complete family of vision products—from standalone vision systems to 3D vision software—that provide unparalleled accuracy and repeatability.cognex.com

Arduino

Arduino is an open-source computer hardware and software company, project and user community that designs and manufactures kits for building digital devices and interactive objects that can sense and control the physical world.arduino.cc

Rockwell Automation

Preferred integration starts with using plug-and-play technology, which means robots connect through Ethernet/IP with software and service interfaces that simplify design, operation and maintenance efforts to improve machine and overall line OEE.rockwellautomation.com

Adept

Adept has cultivated and maintained key partnerships with industry-leading integrators, OEMs, and machine builders across the globe and throughout numerous application segments. adept.com

Raspberry Pi

The Raspberry Pi is a series of credit card-sized single-board computers developed in the UK by the Raspberry Pi Foundation with the intention of promoting the teaching of basic computer science in schools. raspberrypi.org

Evana Automation

Evana specializes in designing and implementing robotics automation solutions that fit your specific manufacturing needs. Let our robotics engineering and robotics manufacturing experts develop a custom robotics automation solution that meets your requirements.evanaautomation.com

NewBotic Corporation

NewBotic is a robotic systems integrator, best known for its specialized engineering services that designs advanced transformative manufacturing and warehousing processes for a wide variety of industries. newbotic.com

Dassault Systemes

Robotics Programmer provides a 3D environment where robot programmers can create, program, simulate and validate an entire robot workcell.3ds.com

KUKA.WorkVisual

Programming. Configuration. Loading. Testing. Diagnosis. Modifying. Archiving. KUKA.WorkVisual groups all the steps of a project together in a homogenous offline development, online diagnosis and maintenance environment. kuka-robotics.com

Genesis Systems

Genesis Systems Group designs, builds and implements robotic arc welding systems, assembly automation systems and robotic tooling, material handling solutions, non-destructive inspection cells and robotic waterjet cutting systems like nobody else.genesis-systems.com

Aldebaran by Softbank

Aldebaran enables both novices and experts to use its robots with ease. To do this, an SDK has been developed to support creation in the best way possible: 3D simulator, simple and intuitive programming software, C++ libraries, Python, .Net.aldebaran.com

ABB RobotStudio

RobotStudio provides the tools to increase the profitability of your robot system by letting you perform tasks such as training, programming, and optimization without disturbing production. abb.com

Marketplace: technology Integration & Process

RoboDK

Offline programming has never been easier thanks to RoboDK. You don’t need to learn brand-specific languages anymore. RoboDK handles the robot controller syntax and outputs the right program for your robot.robodk.com

FANUC Authorized Integrators

An Authorized FANUC Integrator is ready to analyze your system requirements and provide a robotic solution that will improve quality, throughput, and productivity to give you the return on investment you are looking for.fanucamerica.com




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DMG Mori Ellison

DMG Mori Ellison Technologies is a provider of advanced machining solutions to North American metal-cutting manufacturers and their global affiliates. ellisontechnologies.com

Brain Corporation

Brain Corporation develops software, hardware, and cloud services for consumer robotics.Our goal is to make intelligent and useful machines a part of everyday life with the world’s first training-based operating system for robots – BrainOS. braincorporation.com

Energid

Energid Technologies develops advanced software and robotic systems for the aerospace, agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, defense, and medical industries. energid.com

Aurotek

Aurotek delivers high value-added services and solutions, and helping customers achieve greater value through its introduction of advanced and quality components, acquirement of new technology concepts. robot.com.tw

Stäubli Stäubli is a mechatronics solutions provider with three dedicated divisions: textile, connectors and robotics, serving customers who want to increase their productivity in many industrial sectors. staubli.com

Ekso Bionics

Ekso Bionics helps survivors of stroke, spinal cord injury and other forms of lower extremity weakness to walk again. intl.eksobionics.com

Bosch Robotics

We are working on Personal Robotics and the enabling technologies. Our interdisciplinary team conducts research on topics such as mobile manipulation, navigation, perception and semantic analysis of 3D data.bosch.us

Apex Automation and Robotics

Apex Automation and Robotics is an Australian company specialising in the design and manufacture of custom-built automation machines and robotic systems. apexautomation.com.au

Dyson

Dyson recently invested in a joint robotics lab with Imperial College London to investigate vision systems and engineer a generation of household robots. dyson.co.uk

ASI

Autonomous Solutions is a world leader in vendor independent vehicle automation systems. From our HQ in Utah, we serve clients in the mining, agriculture, automotive, government, and manufacturing industries with remote control, teleoperation, and fully automated solutions.asirobots.com

DAIHEN

The DAIHEN Group makes it our mission to provide products and services indispensable to primary industries around the world, including first and foremost the power industry or so-called “lifeline” of society. daihen.co.jp

Adept

Adept systems provide unmatched performance and economic value throughout the production lifecycle, enabling customers to achieve precision, quality and productivity in their assembly, handling and packaging processes. adept.com

Clearpath Robotics

We build the world’s best unmanned vehicles for research and development. Our products will save time, money and headaches on your next project.clearpathrobotics.com

Aethon

Aethon is best known for its TUG autonomous mobile delivery robot which transports medications, meals and materials through hospitals. aethon.com

Axium

Axium designs, manufactures and installs a complete range of automated solutions for robotic material handling (palletizing, depalletizing, case packing, and peripheral equipments) and transformation of plastic products.axiumsolutions.com

Reis Experts know REIS as creative pacemaker for process-oriented system solutions. Since 1957 our way has been going dynamically up. The fundamentals: Inventive genius, competence, innovative power, and reliability. reisrobotics.de

Marketplace

Kawasaki

For over 40 years, Kawasaki has been improving technology to meet the high demand of assembly applications. Kawasaki’s innovative hardware and software can help you solve your complex assembly challenges.kawasaki.com

3D Robotics

3DR helps people see their world from above. As North America’s largest personal drone company, 3DR is a pioneer in making advanced, easy-to-use drone technology. 3dr.com

SynTouch

SynTouch LLC developed and makes the only sensor technology in the world that endows robots with the ability to replicate - and sometimes exceed - the human sense of touch.syntouchllc.com

Kawada

”Serving society through technology,” has been Kawada’s mission since its inception in 1922. Our mission has been accomplished through technological innovations in a vast range of operations, including projects involving transportation, energy, and information, all basic necessities of society. global.kawada.jp

Yaskawa

Yaskawa Motoman offers a wide range of industrial robotic arm models for high-speed precision assembly and small part handling including high-performance six-axis robots; flexible seven-axis manipulators; dual-arm robots with 15 axes; and more. motoman.com

DENSO Robotics

Cutting edge technology, class leading products and groundbreaking systems are only part of what you can expect when you choose DENSO Robotics.densorobotics.com

Honda Robotics Honda has further advanced intelligence technologies enabling its advanced humanoid robot ASIMO to act autonomously and perform uninterrupted service to office guests. honda.com

Universal Robots

Universal Robots is a result of many years of intensive research in robotics. The product portfolio includes the collaborative UR3, UR5 and UR10 robot arms named after their payloads in kilos. universal-robots.com

Epson

With over 45,000 robots installed in factories throughout the world, many of the top manufacturing companies rely on Epson Robots every day to reduce production costs, improve product quality, increase yields and help increase their bottom line.epson.com

Robotiq

Our goal is to enable all manufacturers to take full advantage of robotics. We work with robot manufacturers, system integrators and end-users to automate applications that require fexibility. robotiq.com

iRobot iRobot’s home robots are revolutionizing the way people clean – inside and out. More than 10 million home robots have been sold worldwide.www.irobot.com

Vecna

Vecna’s robotic logistics solutions are a family of autonomous mobile robots, built to operate within human-centric environments.vecna.com

TEUN

TEUN is a comprehensive concept, based on a smart unmanned machine, the PIQR. The concept has been developed to offer a solution for the frequently complex labor-intensive and expensive way of unloading containers. teun.com

Honeybee Robotics

Since 1983, Honeybee has completed over 300 projects for NASA, the US Department of Defense, academia, industry and artists. honeybeerobotics.com

Future Robot

We, Future Robot, aim to create an exemplary service robot market. We deal with Coupon Advertising Robot, Mobile Infotainment Service, Robot Event Service, and many more.

Marketplace: companies

SCHUNK

SCHUNK is one of the largest manufacturer for automation components, toolholders and workholding equipment. schunk.com




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24 Sensor Readings

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