The phrase “industrial robots” naturally brings to mind the robot arms, dancing or otherwise, that we so often see in factories.
Autonomous robots may bring up the Roomba, Pepper the service robot, or DaVinci surgical robotics.
But autonomous robots like Sawyer and Baxter, designed as collaborative robots that work with people, rather than in safety cages, are on the horizon. As Industry 4.0 becomes if not the norm, at least the clear future, and open source communication among industrial robots becomes a practical possibility, opportunities for innovation are increasingly available.
Autonomous robots are not as precise or fast as industrial robots, and not as smart as people. On the other hand, they have the smaller footprint and the agility that manufacturers — responding to consumer demand and market realities — demand.
They can replace some human workers and some industrial robots, and they can do so at a cost and with levels of safety and energy savings that are very appealing to companies looking to reshore their manufacturing with modern factories.
It’s not about replacing either industrial robots or people; it’s about collaboration.
And Rexroth is certainly there. That’s why you need Rexroth specialists like us. We work with legacy motion control technology from Rexroth — all the way back to Indramat and up to Indradrive. We’re ready for the future, too. If you use Rexroth motion control, put our phone number in your phone today.