The German screwdriving technology specialist Deprag has joined forces with the Berlin robotics software developer Micropsi Industries to develop what they claim is the first automated screwdriving system that can handle changes in the environment. They say that such automation has not been possible, or economically feasible, using previous technologies.
British researchers have been working on a £1.7m project to accelerate automation in the aerospace industry by using a novel robotic system to embed wiring into complex aircraft components. The venture, called Project LiveWire, has been led by Bristol-based Q5D Technologies, working in collaboration with the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). The two-year collaborative project, funded by Innovate UK as part of the ATI (Aerospace Technology Institute) programme, also involved other companies including OnePLM, M-Solv and Safran.
ABB Robotics has launched an AI-based system that detects and picks items in unstructured environments in warehouses and fulfilment centres with an efficiency claimed to be better than 99.5%. The robotic item picker can handle up to 1,400 unsorted items per hour, each weighing up to 3kg.
The Italian motor manufacturer Siboni has developed a range of servomotors that use wireless IO-Link links to controllers instead of conventional cable connections. The high-speed, low-latency communications technology is said to offer practical and cost benefits, especially in applications such as packaging machinery and robots where high-speed rotary movements make conventional connections difficult to install and maintain.
A Californian industrial software developer has announced a generative AI (artificial intelligence) tool designed to help manufacturers to train and test predictive maintenance models at the industrial edge. EoT (Embassy of Things) says that its patent-pending Twin Talk GPT system will help users to improve their operational efficiency and decision-making.
ABB Robotics says it has transformed its AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) by adding a technology that allows them to make intelligent navigation decisions in challenging environments. Using AI-enabled 3D vision to perform location and mapping functions, the Visual Slam (simultaneous localisation and mapping) technology will speed up production, making it more flexible and efficient, while cutting commissioning times by up to 20%, reducing the need for calibration and avoiding infrastructure changes.
Omron has launched a new generation of automation controllers that it claims offer the world’s highest precision data collection and large-capacity transfer capabilities, leading to rapid improvements in processes that cause defective products, as well as cutting wastage. The NX502-1x00 CPUs also boast a control technology for large-scale and high-speed safety that Omron says will cut lead times when making changes on production lines.
The German automation manufacturer Beckhoff has announced at the Hannover Messe that it has developed an AI-supported chatbot add-on for its TwinCat XAE engineering environment that will help users to automate tasks such as creating and optimising PLC function block coding, and generating documentation. It can also complete missing code from function blocks, or restructure code for better readability.
Siemens is presenting a virtual PLC (programmable logic controller) for the first time at the 2023 Hannover Messe. The Simatic S7-1500V is designed to meet special requirements such as the virtual hosting of PLC computing. In future, Siemens plans to offer virtual PLCs alongside its traditional hardware controllers.
Pepperl+Fuchs has combined two technologies – Lidar and Mems (microelectromechanical systems) – to come up with a system that measures distances in 3D from a few centimetres to several hundred metres, with millimetre accuracy. The R3000 Lidar/Mems sensor, which makes its debut at this month’s Hannover Messe, can capture complex, dynamic scenes in real time, with potential applications ranging from automated guided vehicles to service robots and beyond.
An Israeli semiconductor specialist has developed an AI-based vibration-monitoring chip that processes vibration data on-board, greatly reducing the amount of data that needs to be transmitted to the cloud, thus cutting power consumption and supporting energy-harvesting designs. Polyn Technology says that by reducing the amount of data transmitted by a factor of around 1,000, its VibroSense chip will cut costs and improve ROIs.
Microsoft and Nvidia are collaborating to offer “hundreds of millions” of Microsoft enterprise users access to the industrial metaverse and to AI supercomputing resources via the cloud.
A Dorset automation specialist has developed a robot arm that can perform sealing, inspection and other operations inside aircraft wings and other confined spaces. Loop Technology worked on the four-year project – funded by a grant from the UK’s ATI (Aerospace Technology Institute) – in partnership with Belfast-based Spirit AeroSystems, which led the project.
The Chinese-American robotics developer Flexiv has announced a “revolutionary” robotic gripper that can lift almost anything that fits in its grasp, including oddly shaped items or those with uneven surface textures. Flexiv says that the Grav gripper, which uses an adhesive material modelled on geckos’ feet, represents the next generation of robotic grippers.
German researchers claim to have developed a way to control industrial machines reliably using voice commands, even in noisy factories. The researchers, from the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology (IDMT) in Oldenburg, say that using intuitive voice commands will allow shopfloor personnel to keep both hands free and to work more efficiently.
