The technology behind the robot
The robot revolution is in full swing. These smart, self-learning machines can already be found in factories, warehouses and even shopping streets. But what are some of the technologies supporting this march? And what comes next?
Hupico has witnessed huge advances in this field over the past decade. The production environment of tomorrow must be automated and digitized.
But what are the technologies that will make this revolution possible? Mechanics, artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) all play an important role in shaping our future. The trick is to bring all these facets together in a final installation.
Robotics is more than half a century old
Sixty years after the first, industrial robot from General Motors, a lot has happened.
Since then, robotics has transformed manufacturing processes by making tasks more precise and efficient. Tasks that require a lot of physical, repetitive movements are now carried out by machines.
What lies behind the scenes?
One of the keys to this rise is the evolution of sensing technologies. With modern motion and vision systems, robots can achieve a higher level of autonomy by performing tasks faster and more accurately.
Today, more and more systems use 3D vision; two or more cameras that provide X, Y and Z axis information. This allows the machine to work in more detail.
In addition, there are many other technologies that can be used:
- Capacitive sensors: Capacitive sensor technology, already used in touchscreen devices, helps robots sense different surfaces;
- Proximity sensors: Keep a good view of the surroundings;
- Technologies built into autonomous mobile robots (AMRs),...
AI and Robotics
Artificial intelligence (AI) is perhaps the most exciting field in robotics. Some modern robots have the ability to learn things for themselves. Robots learn to recognize a certain action and check whether it produces a desired result (for example, navigating past an obstacle). The robot stores this information and tries the successful action again the next time it encounters the same situation.
IoT and robotics
Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics technology are often - wrongly - regarded as separate fields. However, the niches are more in tune with each other than most people think.
The IoT and robotics communities have been putting their heads together for some time to create The Internet of Robotic Things (IoRT). This is a groundbreaking concept in which intelligent devices can monitor events around them and aggregate their sensor data.
Affordable for SMEs
The production capacity of robots has been driven up exponentially in recent years. As a result of economies of scale, the cost price of robotics has dropped drastically. As a result, robots are not only suitable for large production companies.
Do you have questions about the implementation of robotics? Contact us today without any obligation. Together, we will look at the best possibilities.