ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION NEWS
Issue 23 March 2019
T he m ont hl y m ag az i ne for t he roboti cs and autom at ion indus t r y
Top 20 autonomous delivery robots:
Ready to take over the streets
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Robotics & Automation News
Major retailers do too little too late? Abdul Montaqim, Editor
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ess than two years ago, I was working at a tech news website for which I would occasionally write about the retail industry. To my amazement, a lot of the major retailers, in the UK at least, still neglected to provide any significant information about online sales revenues in their annual reports. Sometimes they mentioned it, but I don’t remember any of them breaking it down in a way that gave journalists enough information to write a substantial article about it. And I’m talking about the big chains, the household names, the ones where everyone used to buy clothes, food, and everything else they needed back in the day. For them, as recently as a couple of years ago, it was still all about brick-and-mortar stores, even as Amazon was eating up the foundations of their businesses, generating colossal revenues entirely through their globally successful website. Meanwhile, the “death of the high street” continued to be documented in the media. Very few of the big names got their online offerings right, which is to be expected if they don’t make significant investments in their websites or digital operation. And now, just as they have started to pay more attention to the online world, a whole new set of technologies has come along in the form of delivery robots. In this issue of our magazine, we look at delivery robots as well as grocery retail. Many retail sectors are converging, and new businesses are emerging and growing. All while established retail giants appear to be lagging behind. Even in the US, Walmart has been somewhat slow to counter the competitive threat posed by online operators, but they are catching up now, with robotic warehouses, online ordering through smart speakers in people’s homes, and other initiatives. But is it too little too late? Amazon is already testing small delivery robots in Washington state, with the agreement of local authorities. Other companies are launching what could be described as “grocery shops on wheels” – which are basically like seven-seater family cars customised to carry lots of products. A lot of the regulatory environment is yet to be constructed for these driverless vehicles, small or large. But it looks like established brand name chain stores, whether in clothing or groceries, risk being left behind again. l
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Editorial
Contents Hannover Messe 2019: Sweden to set mood music at Hannover Messe 2019 Top 20 autonomous delivery robots: A listing of the companies that have developed autonomous mobile robots Market trends: Robots set to pick up the delivery of groceries News: New algorithms for industrial robot-human collaboration News: Columbia University builds robot that ‘can imagine itself’
Industrial forecasts: Kuka revises forecasts because of slowdown Metal finishing: How robots are contributing to metal finishing Technical insight: System-based guidance for robot vision Warehousing: Zalando site to use GreyOrange robots
Promoted feature: Automation: What it means for the future
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News
News
US vertical farming market to be worth $3 bn by 2024
The US vertical farming market is projected to reach values of around $3 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of more than 24% during 2018-2024, according to a new report from Research and Markets. The vertical farming technique offers speedier supply chain for seedling production and with an eight-week turnaround time of seedling ordering system. These systems will help farmers to meet the growing demand and offer promotions and special offers to consumers in the US market. The increasing focus on plug development and reduced shrink of plants will encourage companies to introduce innovative technologies in the market. The -Vertical Farming Market in US – Industry Outlook and Forecast 20192024- report says the market is driven by the movement of agriculture toward a more sustainable model. The use of layout and workflow optimisation will enable proper optimisation and the highest labour efficiency in the US market. The market research report provides in-depth market analysis and segmental analysis of the US vertical farming market by growth systems, environment, and technology. The US vertical farming market is highly fragmented, due to the presence of a various number of technology providers and produce providers. The prominent players are focusing on increasing efficient operations and good marketing to expand their businesses across countries in the world market. Smaller companies are integrating automation and other technologies to sustain the level of competition in the US market.
Collaboration
New algorithms for industrial robot-human collaboration
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cientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU have developed an innovative technology enabling people and large industrial robots to work together in an intuitive way that feels a lot like human teamwork. Currently, heavy-duty robots operate alongside their human coworkers without safety fencing, but direct interaction is a nogo. Safety precautions dictate that the robot freezes as soon as a human sets foot in a sizeable surrounding safety zone. Using the benefit of this technology, robots can recognise gestures, faces and postures to make this collaboration that much safer and more efficient. The human simply gestures, using hands and arms to instruct the robot to perform a task. The robot is able to interpret even complex movements. “We have added effective, secure and flexible interaction to legacy technology. This is the first time humans can communicate and collaborate directly with heavy-duty robots based on hand gesture in the industry,” says Dr.-Ing. Mohamad Bdiwi, head of department for robotics at Fraunhofer IWU. “Our technology brings gesture control to industrial applications. To date, it has been used mainly in gaming applications, for example, for consoles,” adds Bdiwi.
The robot does not only track hands; it also scans faces. For example, if the human glances sideways or rearward to talk to another coworker, the machine knows to ignore gestures meant for others. Human and robot can work together directly and even pass parts and tools back and forth. The robot ‘sees’ when a hand is too close to the worker's face, and waits for it to be extended out of the danger zone before handing the object over. This human-robot interaction comes courtesy of smart algorithms and 3D cameras that lend the robot the power of sight. The algorithms are ready for action. Fraunhofer IWU researchers are going to present their innovation at the Hannover Messe on April 1 -5, 2019.
Sony launches anniversary edition of aibo robot
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ony Corporation is celebrating the one year anniversary of its autonomous entertainment robot aibo (ERS-1000) by announcing the release of aibo Choco Edition, a special 2019-only colour variation that will be available in Japan from February 1, 2019. This model is now available for purchase on Sony's official retail website. Additionally, Sony will also be conducting
a promotional campaign. Customers who place their orders by Thursday, February 14, 2019 will also receive a specially coloured tail (black) free of charge. editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
Self-awareness
News
News
Columbia University builds robot that ‘can imagine itself’
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olumbia University engineers say they have created “a robot that can imagine itself”, taking the industry one step closer to self-aware machines. Robots that are self-aware have been science fiction fodder for decades, and now we may finally be getting closer. Humans are unique in being able to imagine themselves – to picture themselves in future scenarios, such as walking along the beach on a warm sunny day. Humans can also learn by revisiting past experiences and reflecting on what went right or wrong. While humans and animals acquire and adapt their self-image over their lifetime, most robots still learn using human-provided simulators and models, or by laborious, timeconsuming trial and error. Robots have not learned to simulate themselves the way humans do. Columbia Engineering researchers have made a major advance in robotics by creating a robot that learns what it is, from scratch, with zero prior knowledge of physics, geometry, or motor dynamics. Initially, the robot does not know if it is a spider, a snake, an arm – it has no clue what its shape is. After a brief period of “babbling”, and within about a day of intensive computing, their robot creates a selfsimulation.
The robot can then use that self-simulator internally to contemplate and adapt to different situations, handling new tasks as well as detecting and repairing damage in its own body. The work is published today in Science Robotics. To date, robots have operated by having a human explicitly model the robot. “But if we want robots to become independent, to adapt quickly to scenarios unforeseen by their creators, then it’s essential that they learn to simulate themselves,” says Hod Lipson, professor of mechanical engineering, and director of the Creative Machines Lab, where the research was done. For the study, Lipson and his PhD student Robert Kwiatkowski used a four-degree-offreedom articulated robotic arm.
he builders of the United Tower in Bahrain have completed the installation of 16 lifts and two escalators in the country’s sixth tallest building. With its unique twisted shape, the United Tower is conceived as a building with multiple uses – a vertical spiral city where people live, work, and relax. The particular characteristic of the United Tower is a 360degree unobstructed view of Manama. The United Tower is located in Bahrain
Bay on the north-eastern shore of Bahrain’s capital city Manama in a mixed neighbourhood of residential, commercial and retail spaces. The tower’s developers intended to create an architecturally striking sculpture incorporating retail, offices, a hotel, and several restaurants. thyssenkrupp Elevator delivered lifts and escalators capable of a maximum speed up to 3.5 m/s. It was the biggest ever order for the company in Bahrain.
ThyssenKrupp equips United Tower in Bahrain with lifts and escalators
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iRobot launches ‘cutting edge’ robotic lawnmower
iRobot, the company behind what is probably the leading robotic vacuum cleaner, has launched a robotic lawnmower. The company claims to be “reinventing lawn care” with its Terra Robot Mower. iRobot says Terra introduces “cuttingedge navigation technology” with Imprint Smart Mapping and a unique wireless beacon system, for a more intelligent robot lawn mower. iRobot, it could be argued, has already changed the way people clean the homes with the iconic Roomba robot vacuum and Braava family of robot mops. Now, the Terra robotic lawn mower offers high-performance, high-quality mowing, and easy installation. iRobot says Terra introduces a “unique wireless beacon system” for a more intelligent robot lawn mower. Terra is unique because it learns its environment using iRobot's Imprint Smart Mapping technology, says the company. It mows like people do, intelligently navigating a yard cutting efficiently in straight, back-and-forth lines. Terra remembers where it is in the yard and where it still needs to cover. If the robot's battery runs low, it will return to its base to recharge and then resume mowing until the yard is complete. Terra will offer consumers a welcome alternative to existing robotic lawn mowers by eliminating the need for costly and labor-intensive boundary wires. Combining Imprint Smart Mapping technology and a newly developed wireless communications system, including standalone beacons, users just place the wireless beacons around their yard, drive the robot once around the perimeter, and schedule Terra to mow. www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Features
Industrial Robotics
Five trends for 2019 and beyond
Industrial robotics: Micropsi Industries, a robotics software company, provides its predictions of the technologies that will affect manufacturing and industrial robots this year
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onnie Vuine, founder and CEO, Micropsi Industries, says: “Smart industrial robots aren't science fiction anymore. Equipped with more and more sensors and ever-easier to program, robots can now take on repetitive or dangerous tasks that were too hard to automate, even just two years ago. “We expect this to be one of the key trends in the coming years, in almost any possible macroeconomic scenario, and continue to disrupt the future of manufacturing.” Micropsi is mainly a software company, and closed a Series A funding round in 2018. Here are the five trends Micropsi Industries believes will make a difference in 2019. 1. Adoption of artificial intelligence in factories and manufacturing will accelerate The industry has invested in sensor and data technology over the past years, and now it is time to apply advanced analytics and AI to factories. Another development is the application of AI for selfdriving cars and other autonomous devices. AI will be applied to drones, boats or other ground-moving vehicles – in agriculture, mining, exploration, or places where autonomous vehicles can add value.
2. New companies will enter the robotics market resulting in more robots, cheaper machines, and a larger variety The number of companies developing and marketing robots will increase significantly in 2019, especially in
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Germany, China, and the US. In 2019 industrial manufacturers will have a wide choice of machines – some will be task-specific and others will be generalist robots. Key factors will continue to be reliability, safety, speed, precision and ease of use. As with the early personal computer market, robots will be used for applications the manufacturers did not imagine. There will not be a common API for robots as was the case for early PCs, at least not in 2019 or 2020. However, robots today are seen as a programmable platform, and the key to new applications is the growing third-party robotic software market that is comparable to the PC sector 20-30 years ago.
3. Demand for sensors will increase There is growing recognition that companies will be investing in a new type of infrastructure. For example, driverless cars will need more laser scanners as sensors to navigate streets and roads, particularly in snow that may cover lane markings as well as in industrial settings, offices, and homes. Some of these sensors will help use electricity more efficiently, while others will help robots navigate and get the information it needs to help humans. Cameras will support precision and control tasks. Sensors such as laser scanners can also be used as virtual cages that can shut down robots before encountering humans. And capacitive skins that are touch sensitive can be wrapped around robots and stop robotic movement around humans, should that be necessary.
4. Logistics will continue to be a hot space Many companies are developing promising products across all parts of the logistics value chain, including selfdriving trucks, intelligent warehouses and service robots. Robots used for packaging and pick-and-place robotics are pushing automation further. The combination of sensors to capture data and to help robots and selfdriving vehicles navigate a factory floor will ultimately bring down costs, while improving quality as repetitive processes are automated. Studies suggest that with more data, executives can find new ways to make workflow improvements and reduce as much of 68 percent of errors caused by humans. Automating factories has led to new jobs in German factories, and Micropsi expects that to be the case in other countries.
5. Vertical robots will be on the rise Evidence of robots building houses and designing rocket parts to robot chefs that are cooking dinner and making pizzas are on the rise. In 2019, we will be entering the age of automated kitchens and unmanned robots, all designed to improve efficiency and real-time customer experience – changing the future of industrial automation. l
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Spot welding
Features
Volvo installs fast spot-welding solution Spot welding: Speed and reliability improvements have been made to Volvo’s spot welding – a result of electric drive technology and vision systems supplied by Festo and linked to the automation platform CPX
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In recent years we have found solutions which have enabled us to cut the cycle times for electrode milling by well over half – Leif Winberg Volvo Olofström
pot welding is becoming ever faster and more reliable, as illustrated by a customer-specific solution installed at Volvo in Sweden. The ingredients of this special Swedish recipe are electric drive technology and vision systems from Festo, linked to the automation platform CPX. In the south Swedish town of Olofström lies the most important bodywork plant of the Volvo group. Five trains with 280 containers full of car body parts leave Olofström every day, heading for the Volvo assembly plants in Gothenburg and Ghent, Belgium, where they are assembled to form complete bodies. “Most of what you can see of a Volvo comes from Olofström,” explains Leif Winberg, the plant engineer in charge of resistance welding in the Volvo Olofström factory. This includes load-bearing components like the A, B and C columns, the bumper reinforcement, the front side members, the side impact beams, the cross beams and the roof arch and roof rail, together with doors and frames. All these components are produced in different versions for the various Volvo models, ranging from the compact V40 through to the S60 saloons and the large SUV with the name XC90. A key element in bodywork production is resistance welding, since correctly welded sheet metal components play a crucial role in the passive safety of a vehicle. Within the welding process, there is great potential for increased productivity in the milling of electrodes. The electrodes of welding guns become blunter as they are used to make spot welds and must therefore be milled
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after approximately 150 spot welds so that they once again enable accurate spot welding. “Electrode milling operates on the same principle as the sharpening of a blunt pencil,” explains welding expert Winberg. “In recent years we have found solutions which have enabled us to cut the cycle times for electrode milling by well over half,” continues Winberg. “There is also a gain in safety, since plant operators no longer have to enter the robot cells after milling in order to adjust the electrodes to the correct position for the spot welds,” adds Leif Lindahl, former Business Development Manager Automotive with Festo Sweden. For static welding guns, Festo developed a customised pivot arm exactly as per the specifications of Volvo and ABB which brings the electrode milling device, the socalled tip dresser, to the electrodes after 150 spot welds have been completed. The pivot arm is precisely positioned by Festo electric cylinders DNCE. Thanks to freely programmable positions, these electric cylinders are flexible in terms of motion and accelerate gently. The complete ready-to-install electrical package supplied by Festo includes stepper motor EMMS and motor controller CMMS. The motor controllers are safely integrated in a control cabinet with the automation platform CPX. The CPX communicates with the motor controllers and with the master control system for the robot installation via Profinet. Mobile tip dressers are not necessary for the welding guns on the ABB articulated robots. These robots can feed their electrodes themselves to the electrode milling device after 150 spot welds. This freedom of movement of the welding guns opens completely new horizons. In a first step, the articulated robot brings the welding gun to the tip dresser. This then mills the electrodes. In the next step, the robot swings its electrodes in front of the lens of the Festo vision system. “The system produces an image which supplies the robot system with all the data necessary in order to position the electrodes correctly to weld the next sheet metal components,” says Winberg.
Electronic evaluation unit The system includes not only the sensor system for the acquisition of image data but also a complete electronic evaluation unit and the interfaces (Ethernet/CAN) required for communication with higher-level controllers (PLCs). The vision system itself is accommodated in a housing which is no bigger than a one-litre carton of milk. The image from the vision system provides data on the alignment of the contact surface, the length and angle of the electrode and the starting point on the sheet metal. The vision system sends this data to the robot controller, which sets the robot for the next spot welds. “This has allowed us to reduce the cycle times for electrode milling from 35 seconds to just nine seconds,” says Winberg. As there are 300 welding robots installed in Olofström, this marks a further milestone in the hunt for shorter cycle times and thus higher productivity. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Features
Exhibition
Sweden to set mood music at Hannover Messe 2019 Exhibition: Sweden is looking to make the most of its partner status at Hannover Messe from April 1-5, with up to 250,000 visitors set to attend from around the globe
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annover Messe is probably the world’s largest industrial technology trade show. It’s an annual event which last year attracted almost 250,000 visitors from around 100 countries. For its 6,000 or so exhibitors – which include all the leading industrial robotics and automation companies – Hannover Messe provides a platform to reach markets in virtually every country in the world. Additionally, every year, the organisers of the event choose a “partner country”, which is given a higher profile in publicity activities and more support to access Germany’s huge industrial base. Last year, Hannover Messe’s partner country was Mexico, whose then-leader, President Enrique Peña Nieto, was at the opening ceremony and toured the event with German leader Chancellor Angela Merkel. The previous two years’ partner countries were Poland and the US. editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
This year, Hannover Messe organisers have chosen Sweden as the event’s partner country, and some representatives from the Swedish Embassy in London attended a press event to highlight the partnership and preview the event. And we were invited.
The sound of Abba Magnus Stuxberg, deputy head of mission at the Swedish Embassy, said the country would be looking to highlight the huge amount of innovation taking place in the Scandinavian country. And while the traditional industrial sector is still the largest sector of the economy, new and innovative companies are emerging in what’s called the “tech” sector, which usually refers to the computer and online world. “Music is Sweden’s third largest export,” said Stuxberg. “For example, Spotify is Swedish, so is SoundCloud.” Apple, arguably the largest manufacturing company in the world across all sectors and certainly the biggest in tech, is rumoured to be interested in buying Spotify, a massively popular music streaming service. With almost 100 million paying subscribers, Spotify is unlikely to want to sell. In fact, it’s reported to be in talks www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Exhibition to buy podcasting company Gimlet for $200 million. But as successful as Spotify is, it’s dwarfed by other Swedish companies, many of which are household names around the world. They include: l Ericsson; l Electrolux; l Ikea; l H&M; l Skanska; and l Volvo, to name a few. And industrial robotics giant ABB is, of course, Swedish in part at least. Volvo has recently been of particular interest to this website because of its ongoing development of autonomous vehicles – both for the consumer market as well as the industrial market, such as mining. And once a mobile phone giant, Ericsson, meanwhile, is one of the companies leading the development of fifthgeneration telecommunications networks, which will become critical in many increasingly prevalent technologies, such as connected cars and smart cities.
Inventing the future One of the largest countries in Europe in terms of landmass, Sweden only has a population of 20 million, which is around a quarter of Germany’s. Outside of the main cities, it’s not unusual to find towns and villages with a few hundred or a few thousand people living there. Large parts of the north of the country have no people there at all, not surprising when you consider that it’s inside the Arctic Circle. And when the nights are as long as six months, it gives you a lot of time to tinker with your new inventions in the garage. Interestingly, among the things invented in Sweden are: l zippers; l adjustable spanners; l ball bearings; l propellers; l bluetooth; l tetra packs; and l mecanum wheels. That inventiveness is going to help in a world which is constantly changing in socio-economic terms, but mostly in technological terms. Sweden’s largest export earners are industrial machinery, automobiles and forestry products, such as pulp, paper, and wood. Its imports include machinery, metals, and petroleum. Specifically, among the largest exports are: l cars – 5.4 per cent; l vehicles – 3.7 per cent; l telephones – 2.2 per cent; and l combustion engines – 1.9 per cent. In terms of total revenues, the difference between
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Features
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Sweden’s partnership with Hannover Messe comes at a pivotal time for both sides – Marco Siebert, Deutsche Messe
imports and exports is minimal: approximately $133 billion in exports and $131 billion in imports. Germany, by far, is Sweden’s largest trading partner, accounting for 10 per cent of all its trade. Norway and Denmark are second and third respectively, accounting for around 7 to 9 per cent each. The total gross domestic product of Sweden is more than $550 billion, which works out at about $50,000 per person, which is among the highest in the world.
Digital future Sweden’s partnership with Hannover Messe comes at a pivotal time for both sides, according to Marco Siebert, director of international relations of the event’s parent company, Deutsche Messe. German industrial companies, like most others around the world, have been on a huge digitalisation drive, which means that everything that can be digitised is being digitised. From creating a 3D computer model of the tiniest component, to building a virtual factory, complete with machinery which feed data into the computer through the network. Even real-world physics simulations could be included. At the moment, everything seems to be about computers – software and hardware. So much so that, as Siebert explained, Hannover Messe no longer makes a distinction between digital and physical industrial exhibits – computer technology permeates everything. Previously, there would be a dedicated hall for digital technology, said Siebert. But not anymore. “Globalisation and digitalisation are driving industrial transformation,” Siebert had noted in a previous comment. “Hannover Messe is the venue where the global business, manufacturing and political communities to gather to discuss there two crucial topics as well as other current issues and challenges facing industry. “For example, how do we ensure that algorithms enable machines to process and react to data logically but not act nefariously?” It might sound too melodramatic or hysterical to constantly point to films such as The Terminator and RoboCop – or any other similar film – by way of warning about what can happen if humans let the machines take over. But such issues are actually being taken seriously. The machines used in industry, as well as the machines produced by industry, are inherently dangerous – they’re big, powerful and will respond to any command if instructed correctly through computer code. So it’s no wonder, then, that German industry – like all others – is looking for coders who they can trust and for algorithms they can control. Otherwise, the machines will obviously take over, and no-one wants that – not even the hackers. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Features
Delivery robots
Ready to take over the streets Top 20 autonomous delivery robots:
Delivery robots: A listing, in no particular order, of the companies that have developed autonomous mobile robots which look ready for street operations
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espite some occasional antipathy towards them, autonomous delivery robots are gaining ground in urban landscapes. While some local authorities are unsure about allowing machines to roam free on city streets, most people probably accept that it’s only a matter of time before regulations accommodate the new technology. www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Delivery robots
Features
1 Universities, meanwhile, as well as other organizations such as hotels, airports and large companies with extensive grounds of their own, have the opportunity to allow relatively large numbers of these autonomous mobile robots to deliver such things as snacks and maybe books, documents, and other items to students, guests and staff. Here is a list – in no particular order – of the companies which have developed autonomous mobile robots that look ready for the streets but are already finding gainful employment in enclosed premises in the meantime. If you know of a company we haven’t included, feel free to get in touch and tell us about it. We deliberately haven’t included warehouse robots because, in this article, we’re looking at robots that could be used to make e-commerce deliveries to customers’ addresses rather than robots that work within the supply chain itself. 1. Starship Technologies Probably the autonomous mobile delivery robot maker with the highest profile, Starship Technologies has partnerships in place with companies such as Mercedes, which has integrated it into a van-plus-robot solution. Starship also recently partnered with food and facilities company Sodexo to install 25 robots at the George Mason University. The companies claim this to be the largest fleet of delivery robots on a university campus.
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2. Robby Technologies When you’re looking for partners, there probably aren’t much bigger or better ones that PepsiCo, which recently launched snack delivery robots with Robby Technologies. PepsiCo and Robby have installed a number of “Hello Goodness snackbots” at the University of the Pacific, so famished students can refuel while they study or whatever it is they do at uni.
3. Savioke Having started out specializing in the hotel industry, Savioke has been finding some success in intralogistics –
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2 in the healthcare and electronics sectors. But hotels is the sector that Savioke seems to be most interested in, probably because of the glamour and publicity gained through interaction with guests. Whether the little robot will be allowed to venture out into the big, wide world, remains to be seen.
4. Nuro Quickly finding success as a mobile grocery store, Nuro’s mobile delivery robot has partnered with Kroger to make deliveries to customers. It was one of the first to identify and target this market and recently there have been several similar grocery stores launched. 5. Eliport This company wants us to imagine cities where there are no delivery vans, but do we really want that if the alternative is a huge increase in these tiny autonomous delivery robots? They might be nice to look at, and clever in their operation, but looking at Eliport’s autonomous delivery robot, you’d need at least 100 of them to carry what can be loaded into the average medium-sized van.
6. Marble The reason why delivery robots are currently seen as less requiring of urgent and stringent regulation is that they tend to move at very low speeds – human walking pace at most. But, according to Marble, this still enables them to provide e-commerce companies the chance to offer their customers two-hour delivery times.
7. TeleRetail Another company with a massive partner – industrial giant ThyssenKrupp, which decided to use the robot to make deliveries of tools and other items to workers at various sites. But that was more like intralogistics. TeleRetail, as its name suggests, is looking at the retail market, particularly www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Features
Delivery robots in remote areas, where people’s homes are well away from their nearest shop or market.
8. Dispatch Funded by Andreessen Horowitz and Precursor Ventures, Dispatch is more of a software company, but does have its own delivery robot, called “Carry”. The company says it is developing a software platform for local delivery powered by a fleet of autonomous vehicles designed for sidewalks and pedestrian spaces.
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9. Aethon Somewhat longer-established than many companies in this article, Aethon has made a name for itself by supplying item-carrying mobile robots to the healthcare industry. Since being taken over by ST Engineering, it’s been looking at expanding into new markets, and deliveries to addresses beyond hospital complexes may be one potential area.
10. Kiwi Its service is called “DoorDash”, and the offer Kiwi makes to its customers is, “Get anything you want delivered to your doorstep in minutes” – meaning food. And it seems to use a variety of robots. So, it’s more of a software platform for delivery robots. This is a new company to us, and to everyone else, and we’re not sure where it’s supposed to get “anything” customers want. But, having already delivered more than 20,000 orders in the past two years, the company says it’s interested in “building the autonomous delivery infrastructure of tomorrow”. 11. Postmates Postmates is another food delivery company, and the delivery robot it is developing is called “Serve”. Described as looking a little like “Wall-E”, from that scifi film, its a robot that the company has unveiled is something it developed by itself.
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12. Segway Famous for those strange scooters that look like garden implements on wheels, Segway seems to have caught the robotics bug in a big way. Among the many new robotics experiments is something called “Loomo”, which is being touted as being multifunctional – delivery robot as well as hoverboard, among other things.
13. BoxBot Describing itself as “the future of last-mile logistics”, BoxBot has some very big-name investors, including Toyota. BoxBot delivery robot is somewhat larger than other robots on this list, but the company is still going through a development phase, after which it may launch a variety of different robots. www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Delivery robots
14. AnyBotics The novel thing about AnyBotics’ solution is that it doesn’t have wheels. Instead, its robot has legs like a horse or a dog. Which makes it suitable a variety of environments, including oil rigs of all places. The company has partnered with automotive systems supplier Continental to demonstrate a delivery solution which can, because of lack of wheel, can climb stairs.
15. Effidence The biggest success Effidence has enjoyed with its “EffiBot” is probably its partnership with Deutsche Post, parent company of DHL, which also uses the robot in its warehouses. Effibot is the technology behind Deutsche Post’s PostBot, which is basically a cart that does not require the human postie to lug it around.
16. Cainiao Chinese company Alibaba is thought to be the largest ecommerce company in the world, and recently took over its logistics supplier, Cainiao. Cainiao has gone on, probably with encouragement and money from Alibaba, to demonstrate a delivery robot.
17. Robomart When US grocery retailer Stop & Shop wanted a robotic solution for its operations, it turned to San Franciso-based startup Robomart.
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Features
The two companies have partnered to demonstrate a “driverless grocery vehicle” which will be operational in the Greater Boston area beginning in Spring 2019.
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18. Udelv This company may be less well known than others on this list, but some of the companies Udelv has signed “major contracts” with are household names. US retail giant Walmart and China’s equivalent of Google, Baidu, are among the companies which are backing the company’s vehicle, which looks like a regular van or truck, and is of a similar size. 19. Amazon No list about e-commerce and deliveries would seem complete without an appearance by Amazon. The company has been at the forefront of technological innovation in the logistics and supply chain sectors for many years. Recently, Amazon revealed that it is field testing its “Scout” delivery robot, with the approval and co-operation of local authorities, something that is key to wider adoption of such technology for all these companies.
20. Cleveron And rounding off our list of 20 – a nice, even number – we present Cleveron’s rather stylish “Courier” prototype. An Estonian company, Cleveron is likely to gain approval from local authorities to operate the vehicle on local roads. l
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Features
Market trends
Robots set to pick up the delivery of groceries Market trends: With investment in grocery e-commerce growing at an astonishing rate, a large number of delivery robots of all shapes and sizes are plotting to take over the world
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eing able to order your groceries online and have it delivered to your home is not new, of course. Maybe these days, an increasing proportion of shoppers use their mobile devices rather than their desktop computers, but other than that, it’s about the same as it’s always been – or for almost two decades anyway. But behind the scenes, or screens, a lot of things are changing. From the moment a customer clicks “Buy” and pays through their device, almost everything is different. From the artificial intelligence-driven digital platform, through the highly automated logistics and supply chain, right up to home delivery by a robot, a huge amount of innovation is taking place. So much innovation, in fact, that it’s difficult to keep up. “Curbside pickup”, an increasingly popular service, currently refers to the practice of shoppers ordering online and then picking up the order while driving through a designated location, rather like buying a drive-thru McDonald’s. But eventually, this too could be transformed into editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
picking up your groceries from inside a driverless delivery vehicle which parks outside your house, or a robot that delivers right to your door.
They’re coming in too fast We’ve been trying to report on all the developments on this website, noting the trials of autonomous mobile grocery vehicles and delivery robots in recent weeks. But bringing them all together in one coherent report is quite a task. Luckily for us, Commonsense Robotics has produced a report, Crossing The Grocery E-Commerce Rubicon, which looks at the whole grocery e-commerce sector from a variety of perspectives, particularly economic. Commonsense Robotics is a supply chain automation company, specializing in grocery e-commerce. It provides highly automated warehouse solutions which include those autonomous platforms which carry boxes – or “totes” as the industry jargon has it in some countries. The totes can be seen to carry fresh fruit and vegetables in the company video. Commonsense Robotics offers its solution to retailers, wholesalers and whoever has large-volume sales of groceries requiring an efficient warehouse operation to eke out as much profit from what is essentially a very lowmargin business. Groceries, despite some people’s complaints, are still cheap and grocers only make significant amounts of www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Market trends
money when they sell large volumes. It’s one of the reasons why grocers have in the past tended to be reluctant to invest in new technology. When, if ever, will they get a return on their investment? That was, and to a lesser extent, still is the main question.
No sign of a slowdown “After years of skepticism in an industry that’s been long underpenetrated by e-commerce,” notes Commonsense Robotics in its report, “grocery retailers made strides in the rollout of curbside pickup and same-day grocery delivery, signaling change for an industry that once appeared to be immune to the shift to online. “It was a dizzying year of growth and as we begin 2019, the momentum towards online grocery shows no sign of slowing down.” Commonsense collated statistics which suggest that curbside pickup saw a “massive rollout in 2018”, and gives percentages of the stores of large grocers which offer the service: l Walmart: 45 percent of stores l Kroger: 58 percent l Target: 56 percent l Ahold Delhaize: 30 percent l Albertsons: 22 percent The report adds that there is “no sign of curbside pickup slowing down any time soon”, highlighting Walmart’s decision to add another 2,140 stores to the list, which would bring its percentage up to 70 percent. And while many would probably still prefer curbside pickup, the same-day delivery option has increased by 500 percent apparently, with most of the growth seen in urban areas. In this market, same-day home delivery, the business model emerging seems to include a company like Instacart, which partners with more than 300 grocery retailers across the US. The company is said to be able to offer same-day editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
Features
grocery deliveries to 80 percent of American households, at delivery fees of under $5. Consulting firm Pentallect estimates that third-party grocery delivery is currently a $4.5 billion industry and is poised to grow to $9 billion by 2022.
Shop at will Grocery companies’ hesitancy about investing in ecommerce is long gone, and they are calculated to have invested more than $28 billion in the online portion of their business in the past 18 months. With 35 percent annual growth rates in grocery ecommerce, it’s a fast-growing, dynamic and competitive segment of the overall grocery industry. One of the nascent developments in the sector is the delivery robot that can go right up to your door, saving you that trip to the store for even a curbside pickup. According to the report, for every shopper who prefers curbside pickup, there are four who would prefer home delivery. How grocery sellers provide home deliveries cost-effectively is the big question. According to the report, retailers lose $5 to $15 on every online grocery order, mostly because the order has to be picked by a human at some point on the supply chain. And there are currently no economies of scale to be found. Furthermore, banks are predicting that grocery retailers will lose 30 percent of profits as a result of e-commerce. But despite these findings, the demand for grocery ecommerce is growing so fast that retailers have little or no choice but to try and make the most of the trend. At the moment, approximately 3 percent of all grocery orders are placed online. This figure is forecast to increase to more than 10 percent in 2023, with Commonsense predicting it will be much closer to 20 percent. Currently, grocery e-commerce is moderately estimated to be growing at around 15 percent a year. But it was 35 percent in 2018 alone. l
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Consulting firm Pentallect estimates that thirdparty grocery delivery is currently a $4.5 billion industry and is poised to grow to $9 billion by 2022
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Features
Industrial robots
Kuka revises forecasts because of slowdown Industrial robots: Company says it will redirect investment towards “smaller and simpler robot systems” as well as collaborative robots
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The investor agreement with Midea guarantees KUKA’s independence until 2023. – Peter Mohnen, Kuka
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uka has revised its financial forecasts for the fiscal year 2018 because of the “economic slowdown”, which could at least in part refer to the US-China trade dispute. The industrial robot maker says the “challenging market environment” is the result of a slowdown in the “key industries of automotive and electronics, weak growth in the important Chinese market as well as challenges in the project business”. Kuka says it has implemented an “immediate package” to strengthen future viability. And it is adjusting its forecast for the past fiscal year 2018. The company expects revenue of approximately €3.2 billion and a gross profit margin – before purchase price allocations, investments in growth and reorganization expenditure – of approximately 3.0 percent. Kuka had already reduced its original forecast in October 2018 and had assumed then that it would generate a revenue of approximately €3.3 billion and a profit margin of approximately 4.5 percent. In view of that, the Executive Board no longer regards the achievement of the targets for Vision 2020 formulated in 2015 as realistic. Those targets envisaged a revenue of between €4 billion and €4.5 billion and a target profit margin of more than 7.5 percent. Kuka will publish the 2018 financial statements, including the forecast for 2019, at its annual press conference on March 28, 2019. This development is mainly due to the following factors: the increasingly noticeable general economic slowdown since the fourth quarter of 2018. This slowdown impacts two important business segments: the electronics industry as well as the
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automotive sector, in which Kuka earns half of its revenue. There is also slower growth in China, one of the key markets for robotics. The current growth rates in China have not been so low since the financial crisis. In addition, there were unforeseeable risks from the project business. To ensure the future viability and long-term sustained profitable growth of the company, Kuka’s executive board has passed a “comprehensive immediate package” covering four key areas: l an efficiency program focusing on indirect areas such as administration, sourcing, sales and project management; l a German-Chinese task force to ramp up the Chinese joint ventures and the development of specific products for the Asian market; l the focusing of research and development investments with shorter development cycles; and l a more customer-focused and less centralized organizational structure. Kuka’s newly appointed CEO, Peter Mohnen, says: “The investor agreement with Midea guarantees KUKA’s independence until 2023. “In the long term, however, it is above all our performance that secures us. In order to boost that, we are taking prompt action. That’s in the interests of our customers and our employees worldwide. “We are sticking to our ongoing investments because they form the basis of our innovative strength, on which our customers place their trust. Between 2018 and 2020, we will invest over €500 million – more than ever before.” Savings in indirect areas, among others Kuka’s strong growth in the past years – from €900 million to €3.5 billion in revenue since 2009 – has caused a sharp increase in costs as well as some inefficiencies.
Efficiency program In order to counter that, Kuka is launching an efficiency program that aims to save a total of more than €300 million in costs by 2021. A substantial part of these savings is to be achieved as early as 2019. Drivers include administration, sales, sourcing and project management. The efficiency program will also include personnel measures. In order to leverage the full potential of the cooperation with Midea, a new position has been created at both Kuka and Midea and filled with specialists who have intercultural experience. The joint task force will coordinate the joint ventures and promote product development. The task force reports directly to the Kuka CEO. The Chinese robotics market remains a key growth driver for Kuka, despite the economic slowdown. Kuka, therefore, plans to expand the product portfolio and the production capacities in China to cater better for the specific needs of the Asian market. The focus is on smaller and simpler robot systems, such as Scara and Delta robots for the electronics market.l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
WORKING TOGETHER AS EQUALS.
Humans and robots are working more closely together. Sensors help robots make more intelligent decisions and give them the ability to sense objects, the environment, or their own position. Thanks to sensors from SICK, robots perceive more precisely – the prerequisite for close collaboration. SICK is your partner in solving We think that’s intelligent. www.sick.com/robotics
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Features
Metal finishing
How robots are contributing to the metal finishing industry
Metal finishing: Robots are far more efficient at metal finishing than humans. Here we look at some of the processes and why they are well suited to automation.
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Automated work cells enable computerise d processes to eradicate sharp edges, fins, burrs, and various other surface flaws over much shorter periods.
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he effective use of robotics is now prevalent in many types of manufacturing and industrial applications, and metal finishing is no different. Robots can perform many of the tasks conducted by humans, and they can usually complete them a lot faster and with fewer glitches. As the execution of robotics-based metal finishing processes creates the need for substantially advanced budgeting, companies usually experience a fast return on investment in the form of increased operating efficiency and lower cost.
Types of metal finishing systems ideal for robotics Robotic techniques are now commonly used in processes for example sanding, edge-breaking (deburring), grinding and polishing. Automated work cells enable computerised processes to eradicate sharp edges, fins, burrs, and various other surface flaws over much shorter periods which is far quicker than human labour. Most of these work cells can easily be incorporated at the particular point of manufacturing with various other
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processes and systems that are already in place. The majority of mass finishing systems utilise a large vibratory tumbler inside of which a finishing media whirl around which comes in contact with each other and mishmash of workpieces, helping to clean, deburr, polish or smooth the workpieces.
Types of robotic finishing systems There are specific types of robotic finishing models that are already in use. Included in this are: Lean finishing cells Most of these robotic techniques can easily be reinforced by hand tools for the particular high-precision performance of functions for example sanding, edgebreaking, buffing and belting. Some systems also include solutions, for example, outfeed / infeed conveyor straps and fine buffing of delicate components. High-pressure water edge-breaking systems These types of systems are efficient enough to generate blasts of water at up to 12,000 pounds per square inch that can efficiently eradicate various kinds of surface flaws. They are ultimately best for cases where highprecision edge-breaking becomes necessary. The standard use for high-pressure water edge breaking machines include foundry work, die casting, automotive remanufacturing, and others. Blast cabinets These systems are ultimately designed for parts featuring www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Interfaces difficult geometrical patterns and requiring compliance for demanding quality benchmarks. The medical devices, automotive and aerospace industries can make the most of blast cabinets. Benefits of blast cabinets include a higher level of regularity of surface finishes through effortlessly repeatable outcomes and the fairly small size that can save space.
Some great benefits of robotics in metal finishing With regards to robotics in finishing, you can reap some benefits in a number of ways: l High-precision edge-breaking, grinding, polishing, and so forth. l Considerable labour cost savings over time l Increased customer happiness due to faster job completion times and much fewer product imperfections l Longer working hours without exhaustion than humans l Improved safe practices through less human involvement, which can also result in lower insurance rates l Improved consistency and uniformity
Robotic grinding and polishing Polishing, de-burring, and grinding manufacturing process in the finishing industry should meet higher anticipations of the high, consistent precision result. Flexibility is important. From high to low volumes and capable of conforming to different part shapes and demanded finish, these types of systems should always be economical. The robot software advises the workpieces to process a media in pre-programmed motions such as different immersion depths, defined treatment angles, and circular motion to empower the specific finishing of some surface areas.
Wrapping up Robotic systems are progressively providing the best methods to all these challenges. De-burring, polishing and grinding processes can be incorporated with mechanised controlling for automatic feeding, transferring and grasping, load or unload, tool changing and various other related functions. Automated work cells are produced as an important part of current manufacturing systems, or can easily be self-contained, closed cells by integrating sound and dust protection, providing flexible, compact solutions. Commissioning and installation times can significantly be reduced. But on the other hand, it is a fact that human labour is drastically reduced in these industries due to the arrival of revolutionary automated and robotics systems as this may change the requirement of human labour and replace it with highly qualified individuals, who can control or conduct the computerised machinery in the finishing industry.l
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Features
Universal Robots and VersaBuilt to launch CNC machine interface
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niversal Robots (UR) and VersaBuilt will launch a new interface, URCap, to allow CNC machines to communicate directly with UR collaborative robots at the ATX West show, February 5-7, in Anaheim, California, USA. The URCap allows a UR cobot to execute any machining program stored on the CNC directly through the cobot’s own teach pendant. Initially launching for Haas CNC machines, VersaBuilt will develop UR interfaces for other popular CNC makes later this year. The URCap will soon be available through the UR+ platform, a showroom of products all certified to integrate seamlessly with UR cobots. The URCap maintains all Haas safety interlock features and works with Haas, VersaBuilt, and other thirdparty automatic door openers. VersaBuilt’s patented MultiGrip workholding system, will also soon be available through the UR+ platform. MultiGrip includes an automatic vise, machinable jaws and an end-of-arm tool for the UR robot. MultiGrip was developed to address the frustration experienced when working with traditional robot grippers and CNC vises. The unique workholding system allows the robot and the CNC to share a set of MultiGrip machinable jaws for infeed, outfeed and CNC machining, resulting in reduced engineering costs, easier robot programming, faster setup time, and enhanced processing capabilities. Regional Sales Director for Universal Robots’ Americas Division, Stuart Shepherd, emphasises the importance of better integration tools for cobots and CNCs. “CNC machine tending is one of the most popular tasks to automate with collaborative robots,” he says. “But there’s still hurdles to overcome in achieving seamless integration. VersaBuilt’s two new products are important tools in
addressing this. We’re excited to welcome them to the UR ecosystem and share their solutions with the ATX audience.” Joining VersaBuilt in the UR+ pipeline is Visumatic’s VCM-3X.2 Collaborative Screw Driving Package delivering repeatable joining operations handled directly through the UR cobot’s teach pendant. The system communicates to a screw driver control that handles a wide range of different screw driving feeds and routines. The VCM is bundled with pre-programmed fault recovery logic and Visumatic’s field-proven power bit advance, bit position sensors and fastener delivery confirmation. Visitors at UR’s ATX booth can also experience the first solution for random robotic case erecting, the XPAK ROBOX. The box erector, powered by a UR10e cobot arm, allows packagers to randomly erect any box in their suite on-demand without changeover. The collaborative design not only enables the operator to safely and intuitively interface with the machine, ROBOX also realises approximately 60% reduction in terms of the footprint required for a similar machine using more conventional robotic technology requiring fencing. The UR10e is the largest cobot in Universal Robots new flagship line of cobots, the e-Series, showcased for the first time at the ATX West show. The e-Series sets a new standard for cobots, adding built-in force/torque sensing, unrivaled safety features, and improved precision for faster integration in a wider range of futureproofed applications. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
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Technical insight
Technical insight: System-based guidance for robot vision Technical insight: In this article, SICK, one of the largest providers of sensors to industry, provides an insight into robot vision, position determination and part localization in 2D and 3D
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ICK’s Robot Vision portfolio contains a whole range of innovative solutions for 2D and 3D localization of parts in automated, robot-assisted handling processes. Different options are available to suit each task: Streaming cameras, vision sensors, snapshot cameras, or smart cameras become the robot’s eyes based on the measuring ranges, fields of view and volumes of view, resolutions, or part movements involved in the task. The system solutions are designed with easy integration and fast operational readiness in mind, at both installation and operation level. They come ready-configured with all their illumination solutions optimized for the application on board, they allow a vast range of parts to be taught in via the sensor or even from a CAD system, and they incorporate all the software tools that are required for measuring parts and communicating directly with the robot controller. During operation, the integrated system solutions for editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
part localization – which can be used in load carriers, lattice boxes, and containers, as well as on conveyor belts – offer more outstanding features: their excellent precision, repeatability and reliability, short cycle times, and high levels of availability. Whether you choose the PLR, PLB, or PLOC2D system solution, you’ll benefit from SICK vision technology that enables the robot to localize and identify defined predefined objects, as well as decide itself how to grip the respective part.
3D localization of parts in carriers The PLR robot guidance system from SICK is used for the localization of parts in load carriers – providing visual guidance for a robot while it is removing car body panels from a transport frame, for example. This stand-alone system solution comes pre-calibrated from the factory, and all the setup functions that it requires for lightning-fast installation, configuration, and commissioning are incorporated into the solution in a way that makes them easy to use. The integrated web server makes it possible to operate the PLR with any standard browser. Mounted directly on the robot arm, the PLR’s eye-safe laser sensor measures the exact position of both the load carrier and the components it contains. www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Technical insight The system compensates for any position tolerances caused by the load carrier being placed imprecisely on the robot station, the parts moving in transit, or dimensional deviations resulting from production – and does so without being disrupted by reflections from components or other environmental factors. Not only that, but it also provides the robot controller’s coordinate system with corrected, exact 3D access coordinates for removing parts.
Precise determination of component positions when reaching into containers SICK has developed the PLB robot guidance system for applications in which a robot needs to remove prepositioned, unsorted, or stacked parts from a lattice box or a container so that machines can be loaded, for instance. The complete solution, which comes pre-configured, consists of a 3D snapshot camera with high image resolution, a powerful piece of software for 3D shape comparison and localization of parts, plus all the measuring and communication tools that are required for robot integration. As a result, the PLB’s hardware and software are ready for immediate use. And the solution comes with a whole host of special features – like the option of teaching in new parts flexibly via CAD and transferring them to the robot-assisted part handling system. The software elements involved in 3D detection of metal surfaces have also been optimized. This means that reflections from sheet metal, or from turned, forged, or cast parts, do not prevent the measuring function from delivering reliable results or impair the localization accuracy. Finally, not only is the PLB able to deliver exact actual coordinates for robot guidance within a short measurement cycle time, but it is also able to avoid collisions with the tote when positioning the gripper for part removal purposes. 2D robot guidance in static and dynamic applications The PLOC2D sensor system from SICK is designed for automated 2D object localization. It includes a highperformance 2D camera with integrated illumination and the option of optics with a fixed or flexible focus, plus sensor software that features a powerful localization algorithm and integrated motion synchronization. The conveyor tracking function makes it possible to grasp even moving parts on a conveyor belt and provide the robot with the appropriate access coordinates. Every aspect of the PLOC2D robot guidance system is designed to ensure exceptionally short setup times – such as the web-based human-machine interface, the straightforward commissioning concept that does not require a separate PC, the specialist software, the expert vision skills, and the user-friendly Easy Teach process for teaching in all kinds of different parts. All the functions required for integration into a variety of robot brands and their controllers are also provided as
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Industrial robotics holds one of the keys to establishing automation concepts that are fit for the future – and all the more so if they are able to provide an environment in which humans and robots can work increasingly as colleagues in a range of different scenarios
Features standard. Through all these features, the PLOC2D – which is able to localize more than 120 parts per minute – makes it possible to work with a whole host of applications, including localization of stamped parts on a conveyor belt, gripping parts in motion, part localization in dynamic secondary packaging processes, and robotbased sorting of different parts.
Collaboration on an equal footing: SICK sensor solutions for robotics Industrial robotics holds one of the keys to establishing automation concepts that are fit for the future – and all the more so if they are able to provide an environment in which humans and robots can work increasingly as colleagues in a range of different scenarios. In these applications, it is the sensors that give robots the ability to perceive their environment accurately – and it is this that enables collaboration on an equal footing. With Robot Vision, Safe Robotics, End-of-Arm Tooling, and Position Feedback, SICK provides the right solutions for every challenge presented by robotics. The optical and image-based systems in the Robot Vision portfolio provide the robot’s eyes, allowing it to detect humans and materials. Visual robot guidance in 2D and 3D makes it possible to deliver highly flexible and productive automation solutions in production, mounting, joining, and handling processes – such as those found in automated glue bead application, weld seam inspection, and bin-picking applications. Safe Robotics from SICK provides solutions that are designed to keep humans safe. They include all the measures that turn the sensitive area close to the robot into a safe workspace. Adaptive perception of the environment takes place with the aid of intelligent, rugged, and reliable sensors and safe systems. These enable unimpaired and safe human intervention into the robot’s working range – allowing people to work closely alongside robots and keeping them safe in the process. With End-of-Arm Tooling, SICK offers sophisticated, intelligent sensors for grippers and robotics tools, designed to keep robots as sensitive as possible and enabling them to work with fingertip precision. The portfolio covers all gripper arm applications and the feed systems associated with them. In Position Feedback solutions from SICK, the motor feedback systems integrated into the drives deliver data on speed and position as well as on the status of the drive. As a result, these smart motor sensors create the sensory foundation for all robot movements. The PLOC2D sensor system from SICK is designed for automated 2D object localization. It includes a highperformance 2D camera with integrated illumination and the option of optics with a fixed or flexible focus, plus sensor software that features a powerful localization algorithm and integrated motion synchronization. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
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Warehousing employees, by taking on monotonous and non-ergonomic tasks. At the same time, we increase efficiency. “Better and faster warehouse operations allow us to process orders even faster, and our customers will benefit from shorter delivery times.” The Butler AI-powered system offers a deep and multiSKU storage system. Its stringent SLA-based order fulfilment requirements were met, as many of its order-todispatch times were halved.
GreyOrange AI-enabled Butler robots seen carrying shelf units
Zalando site to use GreyOrange robots
Faster service Dieter Berz-Voege, CEO EMEA, GreyOrange says: “We are proud to work with Zalando and see how the GreyOrange Butler speeds up the order handling and dispatch. “Artificial Intelligence works well in the online marketplace, and also at the backend to manage a very extensive product range, handle thousands of orders per minute and deliver faster order-to-dispatch cycles. “Such automation enables fulfilment centres to be future ready, to handle the variabilities of new products and the volatility of seasonal peaks.” GreyOrange says its Butler goods-to-person robotics solution optimizes supply chain processes from inventory management to order picking. It has been installed in distribution centres in Japan, India, Europe and the Americas across industries such as third-party logistics, e-commerce, electronics and retail. Some of its key customers include XPO Logistics in USA, and Nitori, Daiwa and Trusco in Japan. GreyOrange will be showcasing its products at LogiMAT, on 19-21 February 2019, at the Stuttgart Trade Fair Centre, Hall7, Stand F49. l
Technical insight: Leading European online fashion and lifestyle products e-commerce retailer Zalando has chosen GreyOrange robots for its new fulfillment center in Sweden
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obotics and warehouse automation company, GreyOrange, says its Butler system warehouse robot has been installed in the supply chain of Zalando, a leading online fashion and lifestyle products e-commerce retailer in Europe. The new 30,000 square metre fulfillment center, about the size of three football fields, is located in Brunna, near Stockholm, Sweden. It is equipped with the most advanced automation technology in Zalando’s portfolio. The GreyOrange goods-to-person Butler system is being installed to manage Zalando’s growing volume of orders as well as to complement and support manual work for employees. Jan Bartels, VP customer fulfillment and logistics, Zalando, says: “Zalando believes in pairing cutting-edge automation solutions and passionate employees. “We use automation to ease the workload of our editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
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Promoted feature
Opinion
Automation: What it means for the future of business Promoted feature
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utomation is one of the things that plays a big part in the world of business, and will become even more important in the future. As technology progresses, businesses develop better ways of doing things, and adapt to embrace the world of tech. It is pretty clear that there are a lot of things to keep in mind when it comes to integrating technology into your business. One of the most important aspects of business in 2019 has got to be the development of automation. This is something that so many people are going to benefit from, and the companies that can use this properly are really going to benefit from it as a result. This is something that you need to make sure you get right as much as you can, so check out what automation means for the future of business.
Greater efficiency It is essential that you think about what it takes to improve your efficiency as a business. You need to stake steps that allow you to be more productive and efficient wherever possible. There are so many things that play a role in this, and it’s important to get it right as much as you can. If you are running a multilayer PCB business, you need it to be as efficient as possible. The world of manufacturing needs to have as many benefits as possible, and this is one of the biggest. You have so many things you need to make sure you keep in mind when running a business, and one of the biggest is saving money. This is something you should be looking to achieve as much as you possibly can, and there are a lot of things editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
you can do to achieve this. But it is clear that automation can save businesses a lot of money because it enhances productivity, and reduces the costs of manpower in the process.
Creating new jobs There is a fear that automation and the rise of artificial intelligence is going to lead to more and more people losing their jobs in the future. These fears are not unfounded, however, it is also worth keeping in mind that automation is also going to create more jobs as well. It will be retraining for some people, but there will most certainly be a chance for people to work other jobs that are created as a result of automation, and this is important for businesses. One of the best things about automation from a business point of view is the fact that it removes the issue of human error. This is especially important when it comes to jobs such as manufacturing where it is imperative to be accurate and exact. This is something that businesses can really benefit from, so you should expect to see a much greater emphasis on this in the future. These are just a few of the great reasons why you are going to need to make sure to you integrate automation into your business as much as possible. Automation is going to improve every facet of life, and it’s not something that we can hide from. So the best approach to take is to make sure you focus on the embracing this as much as possible, and doing what you can to make the business better. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
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