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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Labor Day is a special day to honor the accomplishments of our American workforce. Take the day off and enjoy it!
Creating art is clearly a human thing, right? It takes inspiration, forethought and planning, detailed execution, and emotion to make a great piece of art. But what if an ordinary welding robot, with the help of some humans and computers, could turn art into an algorithm and pick up a brush? That’s just what some… Read more »
At this year’s Hannover Messe, the leading trade fair for industrial technology, Rexroth was awarded the Hermes Award for Innovation because of their work with PLC and IT through the Open Core Engineering program. The idea behind Open Core Engineering is that flexibility of language and platform while still meeting standards can drive innovation fast… Read more »
