Intelligent robots transforming industry across the world

 

 

Nicole Clement - Chief Marketing Officer, Andrew Lloyd - E-Mobility Segment Leader, Giovanni Di Stefano - Head of Innovation and Process Technologies, Comau

 

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In recent decades, robots have become increasingly central to the evolution of a range of industries and industrial processes, chief among which is manufacturing. Advanced robotics is now found in factories all over the world, driving faster and more accurate production of goods.

 

Soon, they will move out of the factory, for example, for solar panel installation, where robots can really help to increase productivity levels, as well as the assembly of solar blades. Their importance is such that they have been integral to what is commonly referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0., where humans are at the centre of the production process and efficiently and safely collaborate with robots and other industrial machines.  

 

But just as any revolution only marks the start of a new era, so too are the robots that brought us to this point only the start of a new phase in the development of intelligent technology. They may have already had a transformative impact on numerous industries, but as demands for more intelligent industrial processes grow, robots themselves are undergoing their own evolution.

 

The thinkers of tomorrow

 

Robots have traditionally been ‘doers’: they perform tasks set by humans, according to strict directions given to them. Their go-to function is repetition. What they will need to develop is the capacity to think independently of their human overseers. In short, robots will need to become ‘thinkers’ – they will need to interpret dynamic data and respond accordingly. In doing so, they will be better able to work alongside human operators in a symbiotic relationship where each focuses on complementary value-added activities.

 

This is necessary for several reasons. Market conditions have evolved as industrial processes in general have grown more sophisticated, and this has changed the nature of competition. In manufacturing, competition over time-to-market for goods has increased dramatically as new technologies have been introduced to the factory floor. This in turn has increased the need to manage and minimise unpredictability in manufacturing processes – to eliminate as much as possible any delays and supply shortages and to perform functions at higher speeds and with heightened accuracy.

 

Introducing to any operation a robot that can think as well as do – in other words, a robot that is equipped with intelligent automation functions – satisfies the dual need for efficiency and reliability. It enables better resource use and increased productivity while simultaneously minimising the likelihood of error, improving quality as a result.

 

Transforming industry, robot by robot

 

Comau has been a global leader in the field of industrial automation for close to half a century. Thanks to its continuous commitment to innovation, research and advanced training, it offers its customers expertise and new technologies in the most progressive sectors, including digital transformation and electrification.

 

The company, which is headquartered in Turin, Italy, understood early on that manufacturing would be transformed were robots to become more than just doers, and it set about developing advanced Industry 4.0-enabled robots that could draw on the latest developments in AI and IoT to enhance their performance. AI streamlines deployment and removes the costs for time spent programming and testing, while IoT features put the robot ‘in touch’ with everything in its environment and predicts where maintenance is needed in advance of obstructions or equipment breakdown. Lasers and AI vision systems can also ‘see’ potential problems up ahead and thereby reduce downtime.

 

The innovations it has introduced are transformative, and their application is far-reaching. Comau’s robots and technologies are present in every industry across the globe as one among only a small handful of companies that have such a wide-ranging offering.

 

Its robots meet two pressing needs of industry in the modern day: variability and customisation. These features are central to the ‘thinking’ robot. Rather than stopping when they encounter an error – say, an engine part in the wrong place on a factory line – the robots are now equipped to look for errors or imperfections themselves and respond immediately, thereby allowing them to continue with their task without delay. And just as they can use the powers of IoT to sense what is around them and predict the actions of nearby machines, so too are those nearby machines now able to do the same of robots. The whole ‘smart’ factory environment is in a state of symbiosis, and this has a profound effect on efficiency and safety.

 

Comau has also made sure that the use of these robots, together with a variety of other cutting-edge technologies, is more democratic than it has been historically. The company’s aim all along has been to provide not just for the giants of industry but also for small- and medium-sized manufacturers, regardless of what they produce. Its solutions, in the form of hardware, software, vision systems, AGVs and more, are all developed in-house and are designed to respond to the unique needs of each customer. It works side by side with the customer throughout the entire process of acquiring, installing and testing its robots.

 

Freedom to think

 

The transition from industrial to intelligent robotics is already transforming industrial processes and is set to do so well into the future. Designed into the robots of today is a sense of freedom and autonomy – they now have a level of intelligence that means they can make their own decisions, free of human interference. This in turn frees up human labour to focus on the jobs robots cannot do.

 

Comau sees the future as one of endless enhancement of robots’ capabilities. They will be faster and lighter; they will be completely mobile and able to go everywhere; they will play a central role in sustainability; and they will work better alongside people. In short, their impact on industry, as well as the work-life quality, will be game-changing.

 

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For more information please visit www.comau.com