Monthly Archives: September 2013

Are You in a Relationship with Your Rexroth Servo?

A recent New York Times article shines some interesting light on  human relationships with robots. Since we love Rexroth servos, we can understand developing relationships with robots. But it happens more often than you might think — and not just to engineers. We’re inclined to assign motivations and thought processes to autonomous objects, even something… Read more »

Half of U.S. Jobs Threatened by Robots?

nurse

Not long ago we were surprised to hear a group of emergency room nurses expressing fear that their jobs would be taken away by robots. “Surely not?” “Oh, yeah,” one responded. “Here’s most of what we do.” She held out her hands as though they carried a tray and lifted the tray into position for… Read more »

Collaborative Robotics

With the recent changes in the standards for robotic safety, United States manufacturing now has clear guidance towards collaborative robotics, like that being used in Volkswagen’s plant in Salzgitter, Germany. Earlier this week we shared a story from 60 Minutes that’s been much talked about on the internet — being both criticized and lauded. Regardless of whether… Read more »

Picking out the Apples – Robots in Produce

One of the biggest problems for produce growers is that robots can’t yet identify the difference between a leaf and an apple. Unlike parts in a factory where they are all identical, fruits grow in different sizes, shapes, and colors and this inconsistency baffles robots. They simply can’t pick out which apple on a tree… Read more »

60 Minutes on Job Growth and Robotics

Two weeks ago, two MIT researchers spoke with 60 Minutes about where we’re going in terms of job growth and what that will change in the global economy. Since the Great Recession, these two researchers say, the economy has started to recover and corporations are making more money but there aren’t as many jobs as… Read more »

Kinetic Rain: A Servo Sculpture

In Singapore’s Changi Airport there is a sculpture in Terminal 1 made of bronze drops. Above the terminal, these drops fly in patterns, shapes and movements, all controlled by a set of servo motors and servo drives. Made by ART + COM, the system was designed to represent movement and flying, and also to recreate… Read more »

A Banner Year For Robotics

Did you know that America is second only to Japan in the use of robotics? Last year was a record year for robotics, as robotic companies sold 22,598 robots, trumping the 19,337 robots sold in 2011. In fact, 2012’s 17% growth was a record, according to the Robotics Industries Association. We expect that this year there will… Read more »

Walmart Moves Towards American Made

American manufacturing is getting a boost. A recent two-day summit in Orlando brought an announcement from Walmart that they’ll be investing $50 million over the next decade in moving towards American-made products. But what does that really mean? In terms of business, Walmart does an astronomical amount of purchasing globally. The $50 million over the… Read more »

Happy Labor Day

Labor Day is a special day to honor the accomplishments of our American workforce. Take the day off and enjoy it!