the-9-most-disruptive-tech-trends-of-2019

What were the breakthrough technologies for 2019? The answer depends on who you ask. Several common themes have emerged such as cobots, emerging energy source, AI, and cybersecurity breaches. Let’s consider each in more detail.

1.) Robotics – collaborative robots (or cobots)

(Image source: OpenAI and Dactyl)

Remember Dum-E (short for dummy) from the first Iron Man movie? Dum-E was a cobot that helped Tony Stark created his flying robotic suit. It was a scaled down, more human, interactive version of the traditional industrial-grade manufacturing line arm robots.

Cobots are designed to collaboratively work alongside human with a gentle touch, i.e., to not smash fingers or step on the toes of their work buddies. Doing so requires that cobots be much more aware of their location in relation to the humans, via sensing and perception technologies. To achieve this goal, one company, Veo Robotics, uses a variety of 3D sensors placed around the robot’s workcell to aid in location awareness. The company’s sensors add an extra measure of safety by automatically slowing down the movement of the industrial cobots whenever a human co-worker comes close.

To help supplement actual human activity, cobots are becoming more dexterous and moving beyond merely picking components on an assembly line. Robots need greater dexterity to pick up objects that have moved even slightly beyond their programmed parameters. Cobots cannot yet grasp any object just by looking at it, but they can now learn to manipulate an object on their own. 

OpenAI, a nonprofit company, recently introduced Dactyl, a dexterous robotic arm that taught itself to flip a toy building block in its fingers. Dactyl uses neural network software to learn how to grasp and turn the block within a simulated environment before the hand tries it out for real. According to the company, they’ve been able to train neural networks to solve the Rubik’s Cube Problem using reinforcement learning and Kociemba’s algorithm for picking the solution steps.

abb-introduces-augmented-reality-for-remote-technicians
ABB Remote Insights will use augmented reality to train technicians and remotely assist them with repair, maitenance, and installation tasks. (Image source: ABB) 

ABB is introducing augmented reality functionality into its Ability suite of digital enterprise solutions. ABB’s Ability Remote Insights service will give field service technicians an AR interface that includes remote guidance, screen sharing, and document sharing to guide them through performing specific tasks. ABB says in addition to improving the performance of technicians working in remote locations in terms of speed and efficiency, the system will improve response times and extend asset lifecycles.

The AR system can also be leveraged for training purposes and to improve worker safety, the company said.

“With this technology, an ABB expert can guide remote field service personnel through a sequence to replace a part, for instance,” Michael Kerley, research & development manager for pulp and paper quality control and web imaging systems at ABB, said in a press statement. “The high-level remote support technician can see what the local user sees via the AR device and guide them through the service action.”

ABB is supplying the AR software and says its system will remain hardware agnostic. Ideally the system will be used in conjunction with an AR or mixed reality headset such as the Hololens, Google Glass Enterprise, or Vuzix AR glasses. The clear advantage here is allowing workers to have both hands free for working and to use hand gesture controls to navigate the Remote Insights interface. ABB says the system can also work on smartphones, tablets, or other wearables as well however.

Traditionally an automation company, ABB has been at the forefront of implementing AR, mixed reality, and virtual reality into its enterprise product offerings. ABB’s primary focus in bringing these technologies into the enterprise space has been in playing up the remote access and collaboration applications enabled by AR and VR.

Back in 2016, ABB demonstrated a proof of concept that used AR to remotely control and configure factory robots:


The AR hardware space also looks to be falling in line with ABB’s ambitions. Google has pivoted its Google Glass into a strictly enterprise product. And Microsoft has promised a number of new features in its upcoming Hololens 2 including lighter weight, a wider field of view, and eye tracking capability, to make it a more attractive tool for enterprise users.

There are even smaller companies entering the AR hardware landscape. Earlier this year New Jersey-based ThirdEye Gen debuted its X2 Glasses, calling them the lightest available on the market. The X2 Glasses also come equipped to handle 5G connectivity, which is sure to feature ever-more prominently in smart factories.

ABB has said it plans to implement ABB Remote Insight into multiple industries and is currently working with “several field service organizations and industry groups in developing further augmented reality applications that will provide enhanced service delivery using best-in-class tools, tailored to meet customer needs.”

Chris Wiltz is a Senior Editor at  Design News covering emerging technologies including AI, VR/AR, blockchain, and robotics.

robot-democratization:-a-machine-for-every-manufacturer

With collaborative robots proliferating, we wanted to know who’s using these robots and what tasks they’re doing. Design News caught up with Walter Vahey, executive vice-president at Teradyne, a company that helps manufacturers gear up their automation. Vahey sees a real change in the companies that are deploying robotics. For years robots were tools only for the largest manufacturers. They required expensive care and feeding in the form of integrators and programming. Now, collaborative robots require configuration rather than programming, and they can be quickly switched from task to task.

Vahey talked about robot companies such as Universal Robots (UR) which produces robot arms, and MiR, a company that produces collaborative mobile robots. He explained how they’re putting robotics in the hands of smaller manufacturers that previously could not afford advanced automation. The difference is that these robots are less expensive, they can be set up for production without programming, and they can be quickly reconfigured to change tasks.

Universal Robots, MiR, Taradyne, robotics, robots, automation, small manufacturers
Robots are now within the investment reach of small manufacturers. That’s fueling a surge in the use of collaborative robots. (Image source: Universal Robots)

We asked Vahey what’s different about collaborative robots and what he’s seeing in robot adoption among smaller manufacturers.

Design News: Tell us about the new robots and how they’re getting deployed.

Walter Vahey: Companies such as Universal Robots and MiR are pioneering the robot space. They’re bringing automation to a broad class of users and democratizing automation. For small companies, the task at hand is to figure out how to fulfill their orders. It’s particularly challenging to manufacturers. In a tight labor market, manufacturers are facing more competition, growing demand, and higher expectations in quality.

Manufacturer can plug UR or MiR robots in very quickly. Everything is easy, from the specs up front to ordering to quickly arranging and training the robot. There’s no programming, and the robots have the flexibility to do a variety of applications. Every customer is dealing with labor challenges, so now they’re deploying collaborative robots to fulfill demand with high quality.

The whole paradigm has shifted now that you have a broader range of robot applications. You can easily and quickly bring in automation, plug it in ,and get product moving in hours or days rather than months. That’s what’s driving the growth at UR and MiR.

The Issue of Change Management

Design News: Is change management a hurdle?. Does the robot cause workforce disruption?

Walter Vahey: We really haven’t seen that as an issue. The overwhelming need to improve and fulfill demand at a higher quality level helps the manufacturers deploy. It outweighs other challenges. We help with the deployment, and the manufacturers are making the change easily.

We grew up as a supplier of electronic test equipment. Since 2015, we’ve entered the industrial automation market with a focus on the emerging collaborative robot space. We see that as a way to change the equation for manufacturers, making it faster and easier to deploy automation.

Design News: What about return on investment? Robotics can be a considerable investment for a small company/

Walter Vahey: The customers today are looking for relatively short ROI, and we’re seeing it from 6 months to a year. That’s a no brainer for manufacturers. They’re ready to jump in.

We work hard to make deployment less of an issue. We have an application builder, and we use it to prepare for deployment. The new user may have a pick-and-place operation. They choose the gripper, and we guide them to partners who make it easy to deploy.

The application builder helps the customer pick the gripper. The whole object is to get the customer deployed rapidly so the automation doesn’t sit. With MiR, the robot comes in, and we find an easy application for the mobile device. We take the robot around the plant and map it. We’ve work to guide customers through an application quickly and make the robot productive as soon as possible.

There are hundreds of partners that work with UR and MiR, providing grippers and end effectors. We have a system that customers can plug into. Customer can look at grippers from a wide range of companies. We’re not working just on the robot deployment. We work to get the whole system deployed so they can quickly get the ROI.

What Tasks Are the Robots Taking On?

Design News: Who in the plant is using the robots, and what tasks are involved?

Walter Vahey: There is a range of users. To be effective at training a robot and configuring it, the people best suited for it are the ones most aware of the task. To get the robot to be effective you have to know the task. By and large, the person who has been doing that task is best suited to train the robot. That person can then train other robots. Nobody’s better suited to do it than the people who know what needs to be done.

The tasks are broad set of applications. We automate virtually any task and any material movement. It’s not quite that simple, but it’s close. With UR, we’re doing machine learning, grinding, packing, pick-and-place, repetitive tasks, welding. It’s a very broad set of applications. In materials it’s also very broad. Parts going from a warehouse to a work cell, and then from the work cell to another work cell, up to a 1000-kilo payload. We’re moving robots into warehousing and logistics space, even large pieces of metal. The robots are well suited for long runs of pallets of materials.

Rob Spiegel has covered automation and control for 19 years, 17 of them for Design News. Other topics he has covered include supply chain technology, alternative energy, and cyber security. For 10 years, he was owner and publisher of the food magazine Chile Pepper.

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manufacturing-engineer-pay:-the-top-15-cities
  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects

    Welcome to Manufacturing Day. The world of production has changed remarkably in recent years. Manufacturing plants are now clean and relatively quiet.

    When I was young and growing up in the Detroit area, manufacturing jobs were easy to come by. They paid very well, but they were hard on the body and soul. The work was repetitive, the plant factory was loud, the smell was heavy with grease, and there were physical dangers if you weren’t careful. I lost the tip of a thumb to a small stamp welder.

    Now when you’re employed in manufacturing, you’re likely to work in a clean environment with minimal ambient noise. Safety has improved as well as the opportunities for non-repetitive work. Robots do much of the heavy lifting. These are good days to work in manufacturing.

    And the pay is still decent. These slides tell the story of the country’s best cities for manufacturing engineer wages according to ZipRecruiter. The average pay nationally is $75,415.

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, Chicago

    Denver Colo.

    As of last month, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in Denver is $75,977 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $103,264 and as low as $42,313, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $65,988 to $84,626 in Denver. (Image source: Denver)

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, Kent, Washington

    Kent, Wash.

    As of last month, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in Kent, Wash. is $76,600 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $104,111 and as low as $42,660, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $66,529 to $85,320 in Kent.

    The average pay range for a Manufacturing Engineer varies little (about $18,791), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Manufacturing Engineer job market in both Kent and the surrounding area is very active. (Image source: Kent)

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, Sacramento

    Sacramento, Calif.

    As of this month, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in Sacramento is $76,620 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $104,137 and as low as $42,671, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $66,546 to $85,342 in Sacramento.

    The average pay range for a Manufacturing Engineer varies little (about $18,796), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Manufacturing Engineer job market in both Sacramento and the surrounding area is very active. (Image source: City of Sacramento)

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, San Diego

    San Diego, Calif.

    As of last month, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in San Diego is $76,990 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $104,641 and as low as $42,877, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $66,868 to $85,754 in San Diego.

    The average pay range for a Manufacturing Engineer varies little (about $18,886), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. Yet based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Manufacturing Engineer job market in both San Diego and the surrounding area is very active. (Image source: San Diego)

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, Salinas

    Salinas, Calif.

    As of last month, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in Salinas, CA is $77,057 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $104,733 and as low as $42,915, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $66,926 to $85,829 in Salinas..

    The average pay range for a Manufacturing Engineer varies little (about $18,903), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Manufacturing Engineer job market in both Salinas and the surrounding area is very active. (Image source: Salinas)

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, Worcester, Mass.

    Worcester, Mass.

    As of last month, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in Worcester is $77,168 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $104,883 and as low as $42,976, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $67,022 to $85,952 in Worcester.

    The average pay range for a Manufacturing Engineer varies little (about $18,930), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Manufacturing Engineer job market in both Worcester and the surrounding area is very active. (Image source: Worcester)

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, Chicago

    Chicago, Ill.

    As of last month, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in Chicago, IL is $77,262 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $105,011 and as low as $43,029, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $67,104 to $86,057 in Chicago.

    The average pay range for a Manufacturing Engineer varies little (about $18,953), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Manufacturing Engineer job market in both Chicago and the surrounding area is very active. (Image source: Chicago)

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, Costa Mesa, California

    Costa Mesa, Calif.

    As of last month, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in Costa Mesa is $77,854 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $105,816 and as low as $43,359, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $67,619  to $86,717 in Costa Mesa.

    The average pay range for a Manufacturing Engineer varies little (about $19,098), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Manufacturing Engineer job market in both Costa Mesa and the surrounding area is very active. (Image source: Costa Mesa)

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, Los Angeles

    Los Angeles, Calif.

    As of Sep 26, 2019, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in Los Angeles, CA is $79,698 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $108,321 and as low as $44,386, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $69,220 to $88,771 in Los Angeles.

    The average pay range for a Manufacturing Engineer varies little (about $19,551), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Manufacturing Engineer job market in both Los Angeles and the surrounding area is very active. (Image source: Los Angeles)

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, Boston

    Boston, Mass.

    As of last month, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in Boston is $81,504 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $110,777 and as low as $45,391, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $70,789 to $90,782 in Boston.

    The average pay range for a Manufacturing Engineer varies little (about $19,993), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Manufacturing Engineer job market in both Boston and the surrounding area is very active. (Image source: Boston)

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, Seattle

    Seattle, Wash.

    As of last month, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in Seattle, WA is $81,825 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $111,213 and as low as $45,570, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $71,067 to $91,139 in Seattle.

    The average pay range for a Manufacturing Engineer varies little (about $20,072), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Manufacturing Engineer job market in both Seattle and the surrounding area is very active. (Image source: Seattle)

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, San Jose, California

    New York, N.Y.

    As of last month, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in New York City is $82,544 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $112,190 and as low as $45,970, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $71,691 to $91,940 in New York.

    The average pay range for a Manufacturing Engineer varies little (about $20,249), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Manufacturing Engineer job market in both New York and the surrounding area is very active. (Image source: New York)

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, San Jose

    San Jose, Calif.

    As of last month, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in San Jose is $85,032 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $115,573 and as low as $47,356, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $73,853 to $94,712 in San Jose.

    The average pay range for a Manufacturing Engineer varies little (about $20,859), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Manufacturing Engineer job market in both San Jose and the surrounding area is very active. (Image source: San Jose)

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, Fremont, California

    Fremont, Calif.

    As of last month, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in Fremont, CA is $85,035 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $115,575 and as low as $47,358, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $73,855 to $94,715 in Fremont.

    The average pay range for a Manufacturing Engineer varies little (about $20,860), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Manufacturing Engineer job market in both Fremont and the surrounding area is very active. (Image source: Fremont)

  • Manufacturing Day, manufacturing jobs, pay, salaries, job prospects, San Francisco

    San Francisco, Calif.

    As of last month 2019, the average annual pay for a Manufacturing Engineer in San Francisco, CA is $88,358 a year. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $120,092 and as low as $49,208, the majority of Manufacturing Engineer salaries currently range between $76,741 to $98,416 in San Francisco.

    The average pay range for a Manufacturing Engineer varies little (about $21,675), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Manufacturing Engineer job market in both San Francisco and the surrounding area is very active. (Image source: San Francisco)

12-robot-companies-to-watch

Here’s a range of robot companies that offer automated solutions in a wide range of industries that include manufacturing, warehousing, and even delicate surgery.

  • FANUC, robots, robotics, Stryker, ABB, Staubli, Yaskawa, Locus Robotics, Robotiq, Diligent, PickNic, Boston Dynamics, Universal Robots, Amazon Robotics

    Why are these robot producers important? For one, these companies have so far survived in a brutally competitive environment of exploding robot technological advances. They have done so by offering valuable solutions that can be justified with a tangible return on investment. (Image source: Robotiq)

  • FANUC, robots, robotics, Stryker, ABB, Staubli, Yaskawa, Locus Robotics, Robotiq, Diligent, PickNic, Boston Dynamics, Universal Robots, Amazon Robotics

    Amazon Robotics

    Amazon Robotics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com that was created to provide smarter, faster warehouse automation. The company automates fulfilment center operations using various methods of robotic technology including autonomous mobile robots, sophisticated control software, language perception, power management, computer vision, depth sensing, machine learning, object recognition, and semantic understanding of commands. (Image source: Amazon Robotics)

  • FANUC, robots, robotics, Stryker, ABB, Staubli, Yaskawa, Locus Robotics, Robotiq, Diligent, PickNic, Boston Dynamics, Universal Robots, Amazon Robotics

    Diligent Robotics

    Diligent Robotics provides robotic technologies for healthcare providers, creating robots that operate side by side with humans. Diligent’s technologies include artificial intelligence that enables robots to collaborate with and adapt to humans in everyday environments, supporting the work of healthcare providers. (Image source: Diligent Robotics)

  • FANUC, robots, robotics, Stryker, ABB, Staubli, Yaskawa, Locus Robotics, Robotiq, Diligent, PickNic, Boston Dynamics, Universal Robots, Amazon Robotics

    PickNik Robotics

    PickNik combines robotics expertise with open source robotics frameworks. The company offers flexible support and development for robot projects. Robotic services include ROS integration to complex inverse kinematics and motion planning. (Image source PickNik Robotics)

  • FANUC, robots, robotics, Stryker, ABB, Staubli, Yaskawa, Locus Robotics, Robotiq, Diligent, PickNic, Boston Dynamics, Universal Robots, Amazon Robotics

    Boston Dynamics

    Boston Dynamics is a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology the focuses on robots that run and maneuver like animals. The company is combining the principles of dynamic control and balance with mechanical designs, electronics, and software for perception, navigation, and intelligence. (Image source: Boston Dynamics)

  • FANUC, robots, robotics, Stryker, ABB, Staubli, Yaskawa, Locus Robotics, Robotiq, Diligent, PickNic, Boston Dynamics, Universal Robots, Amazon Robotics

    Universal Robots

    Universal Robots provides collaborative robotic technolog using robot arms as manufacturing tools. The robot arms can be used by all levels of production to help increase productivity and reduce injury. The Universal Robots robot arm can automate and streamline repetitive or potentially unsafe processes. The company touts an average payback period of just six months for its robot arm installations. (image source: Universal Robots)

  • FANUC, robots, robotics, Stryker, ABB, Staubli, Yaskawa, Locus Robotics, Robotiq, Diligent, PickNic, Boston Dynamics, Universal Robots, Amazon Robotics

    Locus Robotics

    Locus offers a multi-bot pick system designed to deliver higher productivity and lower labor costs that can be scaled to meet demand. The picking system was created to improve e-commerce fulfillment productivity. The goal is to more orders faster, using less labor, and with high accuracy compared to traditional cart-based and follow-bot picking systems. (Image source: Locus Robotics)

  • FANUC, robots, robotics, Stryker, ABB, Staubli, Yaskawa, Locus Robotics, Robotiq, Diligent, PickNic, Boston Dynamics, Universal Robots, Amazon Robotics

    Amazon Robotics

    Amazon Robotics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com that was created to provide smarter, faster warehouse automation. The company automates fulfilment center operations using various methods of robotic technology including autonomous mobile robots, sophisticated control software, language perception, power management, computer vision, depth sensing, machine learning, object recognition, and semantic understanding of commands. (Image source: Amazon Robotics)

  • FANUC, robots, robotics, Stryker, ABB, Staubli, Yaskawa, Locus Robotics, Robotiq, Diligent, PickNic, Boston Dynamics, Universal Robots, Amazon Robotics

    Stryker

    The Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology from Stryker has become a solution for those suffering from painful arthritis of the knee or hip. Using a 3D virtual model of a patient’s unique anatomy, Mako helps surgeons plan and perform your joint replacement surgery. Stryker also provides the Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Total Knee replacement as a treatment option for adults living with mid- to late-stage osteoarthritis of the knee. (Image source: Stryker)

  • FANUC, robots, robotics, Stryker, ABB, Staubli, Yaskawa, Locus Robotics, Robotiq, Diligent, PickNic, Boston Dynamics, Universal Robots, Amazon Robotics

    ABB

    ABB Robotics is a leading supplier of industrial robots and robot software, equipment and complete application solutions. The company has installed more than 400,000 robots, supported by a broad service network. In the spirit of eating your own dogfood, the company uses robots to build its robots. (Image source: ABB)

  • FANUC, robots, robotics, Stryker, ABB, Staubli, Yaskawa, Locus Robotics, Robotiq, Diligent, PickNic, Boston Dynamics, Universal Robots, Amazon Robotics

    FANUC

    FANUC aims for reliability, quality, speed, and precision with its range of industrial robots. The company offers more than 100 models that are designed to be configured in a manner that avoids costly original programming. (Image source: FANUC)

  • FANUC, robots, robotics, Stryker, ABB, Staubli, Yaskawa, Locus Robotics, Robotiq, Diligent, PickNic, Boston Dynamics, Universal Robots, Amazon Robotics

    Staubli

    Staubli Robotics provides engineering and technical support to make sure its robot applications are efficient and reliable. The company produces a range of robots, including SCARA, 6 axis robots and cobots that can be configured into mobile robot systems. Staubli builds robots and robot systems for a wide range of industrial settings. (Image source: Staubli)

  • FANUC, robots, robotics, Stryker, ABB, Staubli, Yaskawa, Locus Robotics, Robotiq, Diligent, PickNic, Boston Dynamics, Universal Robots, Amazon Robotics

    Yaskawa

    Yaskawa provides high-speed industrial robots include high-payload, extended-reach, ultra-maneuverable seven-axis, and 15-axis dual-arm robots. Yaskawa robots include vision systems, peripherals, and a range of other components that can be configured into custom manufacturing solutions. Each robot arm model is designed to be compatible with one or more robot controller models, enabling users to program and control tasks of a single robot or coordinate multiple robots. (Image source: Yaskawa)

  • Yaskawa Yaskawa provides high-speed industrial robots include high-payload, extended-reach, ultra-maneuverable seven-axis, and 15-axis dual-arm robots. Yaskawa robots include vision systems, peripherals, and a range of other components that can be configu

    Robotiq

    Robotiq robot tools for collaborative robot applications. This include end effector and grippers that can lift heavy objects and delicate objects such as eggs. Robotiq works with a wide range of robots and offers a global network of connected robot experts to support local manufacturers. (image source: Robotiq)

Rob Spiegel has covered automation and control for 19 years, 17 of them for Design News . Other topics he has covered include supply chain technology, alternative energy, and cyber security. For 10 years, he was owner and publisher of the food magazine Chile Pepper.

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