Four Automation Technology Trends

As technology for AI, vision systems, autonomous vehicles and more progresses, automation systems can use these tools to take on more complex tasks. Here are four recent technology trends, and how they apply to automation:

1. AI. AI is having a moment in all industries, and automation is no different. Earlier this year, Teradyne Robotics, parent company of cobot company Universal Robots, announced a partnership with Nvidia. UR has worked with the chipmaker to incorporate Nvidia’s CuMotion package into cobot path planning, which can speed the process by as much as 80%. The cobot maker is also collaborating with Nvidia to incorporate AI tools into its PolyScope X operating software.
2. Vision systems. With the addition of 3D vision systems, robots can perform more complex tasks, such as bin picking, material handling and inspection, particularly when parts vary in shape or orientation. MetalQuest automated a bin-picking task with help from a 3D vision system, while Comau has developed a system that uses 2D cameras to create 3D images. AI can advance machine vision even further — Siemens’ Robot Pick AI enables a robot to pick and place unknown objects without training.
3. Easy-to-program robots. Robotic systems for machine-tending are becoming even easier to implement, with users needing to provide only a few pieces of information in many cases. Robots are also becoming even easier to program in applications beyond machine tending. At Athena Manufacturing, welders are responsible for programming welding cobots, and FANUC has released a cobot designed for painting applications.
4. Autonomous robots. Technology has progressed from robots fixed in one place to cobots that can be moved from machine to machine. Now, robots are going fully mobile. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are becoming commonplace in warehouses and beginning to make their way into manufacturing facilities for tasks such as material handling. Boston Dynamics, well-known for its autonomous dog-like inspection robot Spot, has also launched an autonomous robot for warehouses called Stretch.