Happy National Computer Security Day! Manufacturers are especially vulnerable to cyber crime, says a new report, because “they have an abundance of data and relatively weak security.” Does that sound like you? How about this: manufacturers tend to have lots of different equipment from different companies and different time depths. This makes it hard to… Read more »
Google has stepped back from robotics, but Amazon is stepping up. Using the popular open-source software Robot Operating System (ROS), Amazon’s testing platform speeds up simulations with their own machine learning and analytics. Simulations with the AWS RoboMaker can start out with environments like retail stores, racetracks, and warehouses. You can build your robot in… Read more »
New ideas in manufacturing come from many sources. Often they are inspired by animals. The jumping of the kangaroo, the flexibility of the octopus, and many more special capabilities of animals have led researchers in new directions as they think of new ways to use industrial automation to improve manufacturing. Usually, the locomotion of the… Read more »
Automation itself is good news for manufacturers. Gone are the days when you or your team would have to do everything by hand, struggling to get consistent results. With less waste, greater productivity, and safer working conditions, automation deserves a shout out over your turkey dinner. U.S. factory production has risen for five months in… Read more »
Google’s Alphabet has given up on rescue robots after five years of effort. They bought a bunch of robotics firms to begin this effort, and have sold off Boston Robotics and will be “winding down” Schaft. These two DARPUR-winning teams were among Alphabet’s acquisitions, along with companies that had strengths in specific robot abilities like… Read more »
For some years, robot specialists have been looking to animals to get ideas for robots. It makes sense. Not only do animals cover an impressive array of solutions for mobility and manipulative, but all of their solutions have been proven to work. They may work better in an ocean or a veldt than in a… Read more »
Automation is ubiquitous in manufacturing. Many of the increases and innovations in automation in manufacturing result from new capacities. Once a robot can palletize cases of baby wipes, it’s only a matter of time before the robot begins palletizing those baby wipes. That’s not true in all industries. Robots, for example, aren’t very good at… Read more »
Traditional industrial robots are designed to work on their own, a safe distance from human workers. They may be in a cage, behind a guard rail, or even in a separate room from the people working in the same facility. Collaborative robots are able to work alongside humans safely, working together to accomplish a specific… Read more »
November 8th is National STEM Day or National STEAM Day — you pick! What’s the difference? STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering Math STEAM stands for Science Technology Engineering Art Math These are two approaches to replacing the old teaching scheme of Reading, Writing, and ‘Rithmetic with 21st century skills. Nea1rly all the fastest-growing careers… Read more »
Never mind Mac vs. PC. What does your equipment run? When you decide between Mac and Windows, there are a lot of issues to consider. You have to think about price, of course, but you also need to think about things like vulnerability to viruses, elegance of design, available software, intuitive graphic user interface, and… Read more »
