Photo credit: The Robot Report

AUTOMATICA 2016, held in June in Munich at the massive Messe tradefair facility, is a gigantic show focused on automation, mechatronics, robotics and emerging technologies as they relate to the industrial and manufacturing sectors.

The AUTOMATICA experience

To give you an idea of how enormous the Messe is and the trade show was, it has two subway stops dedicated to it: one on the east side and the other on the west. They have automated walkways to get from one side to the other because it’s so big and the distances are immense. AUTOMATICA took up the east half and a European Solar trade show took up the west.

Photo credit: The Robot Report

AUTOMATICA used 6 exhibition halls; each about 120,000 sq ft; so the show took over 720,000 sq ft of space. There were 839 exhibitors from 47 countries which was attended by 45,000 visitors, a 30% increase from 2014 (it’s a biennial show), one-third of which came from foreign countries. In between each of the halls are outdoor grassy areas with food stalls, park benches and tables. It’s a terrific venue.

Show themes

Managing Director Falk Senger described the themes of this year’s show, two of which are examined below:

“AUTOMATICA showed the future of production with deep insights into the possibilities of digitalization, human-robot collaboration and professional service robotics.”

Digitalization:

In the not-too-distant future, billions of intelligent devices and machines – connected through network communications – will generate massive amounts of data. Turning that data into value is the key promise of digitalization.

As the price of sensors has come down, the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), and the consequent availability of streaming data from sensors of almost every type, the process, whatever it is called, has become an important driver of AI. Some high-value crops in agriculture such as grapes, are already beginning to be remotely monitored, vine by vine, though the use of these sensors.

FANUC, the world’s largest maker of industrial robots, plans to start connecting 400,000 of their installed CNC and robot systems by the end of this year. The goal is to collect data about their operations and, through the use of deep learning, improve performance and reduce downtime. Fanuc is also testing reinforcement learning as a way to train industrial robots in new tasks such as learning to grasp unfamiliar objects. A robot tries picking up objects while capturing video footage of the process. Each time it succeeds or fails, it remembers how the object looked, knowledge that is used to refine a deep learning model, or a large neural network, that controls its action. After 8+ hours it gets to 90+% accuracy which is very close to having had a human program it. Fanuc and other researchers are testing reinforcement learning as a way to simplify and speed up the programming of robots that do factory work. Google recently published details of its own research on using reinforcement learning to teach robots how to grasp objects.

When many robots work in parallel, the training time required is reduced accordingly. Similarly, Kuka is building a deep-learning AI network for their industrial robots, and ABB, in it’s power division, is working with Microsoft Cloud Services to enable ABB chargers to stream data for analysis as a precursor of a more extensive cloud analytics service for ABB’s full range of products.

“Moving away from having to program robots by hand by endowing robots to learn autonomously is a key element for the future of robotics,” says Jens Kober, an expert on robot learning at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. “Having robots share the information they have learned will be crucial.”

The most visible deep learning efforts are in Silicon Valley which has seen widespread investment of money and talent in start-ups in AI research by almost every university, think tank, car company, telecom giants, Baidu, Alibaba and, most recently, Toyota’s $1 billion investment in establishing the SV Toyota Research Institute headed by Gil Pratt (of DARPA’s Robotics Challenge fame). Apple, IBM, Google and Facebook have led investment in more advanced uses, but practical deep learning systems such as Aethon’s, FANUC’s and Kuka’s are also becoming prevalent in the industrial sector.

The black box concept, i.e., the storing of streamed sensor data for analysis and learning, is already a valuable tool in air safety and may soon become a mainstay in autonomously driven transportation, mobile robots and robotics in general. That data, and super-fast computer processing, are enabling deep learning engines to find and build patterns that can make the devices safer, more productive, more cost effective – and be programmed quicker. But these very same characteristics, and those created by the new era of IoT, create security and standardization problems. There is no standard architecture for streaming data from different devices – each manufacturer has their own – and the very act of streaming opens up networks to security breaches. Consequently there is a lot that needs to happen before we’ll see any widespread benefits from digitalization.

Human-robot collaboration:

This topic is broader than just the emerging collaborative robots market spearheaded by Universal Robots and Rethink Robotics. In the US and EU the SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) movement has represented a large untapped marketplace for robotics – a marketplace to enhance worker productivity rather than replace labor.

Human-robotic collaboration also includes the movement toward the Internet of Things (IoT) described above. The telecom industry has  already set up what they call the Robolliance Program to help standardize the various methods of machine to machine, autonomous methods of connecting people, places and things, but, as of today, they haven’t developed a solution. Apple just announced that iOS 10 will have a HomeKit protocol that puts control of all compatible devices in one place. But Kuka has their own protocol as does ABB, Fanuc and Yaskawa. There is no standard and each major player is offering their own as that standard. This will have to change before any true benefits can be achieved.

Every robot manufacturer at the show was showcasing their safety features enabling their robots to work safely alongside humans. But a lot was semantics and not very practical. Hence the need to differentiate the term “human-robot collaboration” from “collaborative robot” also known as “co-bot” or “cobot”, the domain of the products produced by Universal Robots and Rethink Robotics.

A driver of this interest in human-robot collaboration is what the auto companies have recently concluded: customized products and shorter delivery times are better served by humans than robots because these changes require more flexibility than existing robots can provide. Human productivity can be augmented by robotics and that’s why this topic was one of the themes as AUTOMATICA: humans and robots working together to increase productivity and increase flexibility by each doing what they can do best. Humans can see, select and grasp; robots can handle, move, process, lift and repetively process. The car companies have already come to this conclusion and are hiring workers and replacing old-style inflexible robots with either humans or humans augmented with co-bots.

Bottom Line:

Henrik Schunk, Managing Partner of Schunk, the well-known German gripper and arm maker, said:

We currently see two central trends in assembly and handling technology: First, the trend towards digitalization in the course of Industry 4.0 and consequently towards the mechanization of assembly and handling systems. And second, the trend towards human-robot collaboration, which will allow new automation scenarios.

Image: Messe München International

Industry 4.0 – the fourth industrial revolution – was the main theme at the largest robot and automation fair in the world, Germany’s AUTOMATICA, which took place in Munich throughout the last week of June. But what exactly is Industry 4.0 and how do developers and manufacturers big and small believe it will revolutionise production?

The signs and banners were everywhere throughout the gigantic conference arena: “The heart of Industry 4.0”, “Welcome to the 4th industrial revolution” and “Hello Industry 4.0, we go digital!”, trumpeted by leading German robotics supplier, KUKA. SMErobotics, the European Robotics initiative for strengthening the competitiveness of SMEs in manufacturing was also showcasing results from their 4.5-year project.

Industry 4.0, the next phase in the digitisation of the manufacturing sector, is predicted to drive up manufacturing’s share of GDP in Europe by 20 percent over the next five years. Consultants McKinsey say it is “driven by four disruptions: the astonishing rise in data volumes, computational power and connectivity, especially new low-power wide-area networks; the emergence of analytics and business-intelligence capabilities; new forms of human-machine interaction such as touch interfaces and augmented-reality systems; and improvements in transferring digital instructions to the physical world, such as advanced robotics and 3D printing.”

The coming changes are set to result in a host of new opportunities, say Industry 4.0  enthusiasts such as KUKA, which enticed the public onto its exhibition space with the showstopping Paulii Brothers – a pair of LBR robots perfecting, jointly, the fine art of pouring a German wheat beer. But the company’s massive orange-hued demonstration area also featured a smaller exhibit, a screen showing every one of the dozens of networked KUKA robots at AUTOMATICA, with the possibility of pulling down data on rate of operation, speed and more.

“KUKA is not just about robots,” Wolfgang Meisen, the company’s Head of Communications, pointed out. “It’s also an application provider and systems provider, with full automation assistance. The robot is one of the key elements.

Industry 4.0 is about more flexible production, processes and interconnection – machines, systems, software and devices working together. The robot is the junction between the digitalisation of the software and the mechanics.”

Experts believe that within two years the first wave of factories using smart technology will be fully operational, with widespread adoption throughout the world in the next decade. So the big manufacturers were out in force at AUTOMATICA, gearing up for what they see as the a major push for their products.

With an appearance by German goalie Jens Lehmann on its stand, clamping and gripping systems manufacturer Schunk, was clearly hoping for an additional push. But when in comes to Industry 4.0, the company believes the goal is “connectivity.” General Manager, Tomas Berg demonstrated this by comparing parallel exhibits. On the left, a scissor equipped pneumatic gripper and, on the right, a sensor studded version with all the corresponding connectivity on offer, such as putting output data on screen to inspect rate and speed and to highlight any broken links in the production line.

The key attraction, said Mr Berg, is the ability to deliver more productivity through the flexibility of being easily able to change production lines. Thus removing the need for multiple lines of production.

Industry 5.0 already?

Flexibility is also at the core of the approach taken by leading collaborative robot (cobot) manufacturer Universal Robots. Not satisfied with the promise of Industry 4.0, it wants to take things further, according to Regional Sales Director Per Kloster Pollster:

“We see a big future when we can start analysing all that information and that will increase the development of products and optimisation of production. We are talking the fifth industrial revolution already. When that happens, the automation business will change a lot because the next big thing will be flexibility.”

Collaborative robots, he maintains, make it so much easier to quickly and simply push though the development of products and deliver that flexibility. Universal’s strategy continues to rest on the enabling power of collaborative robotics which, they stress, offer the lowest return on investment, with no need for extra software or safety glass; the robot is used with ultimate simplicity, as a tool.

Image: Messe München International

Some were disappointed that Universal, arguably the stars of Automatica two years ago, were not launching any new products. Their range still consists of the UR robot in three different sizes, with a focus on selling out of the box. Instead, the Danish company is expanding the service it offers customers and developers with the free-to-use Universal Robots Academy, an e-learning facility, as well as Universal Robots Plus. Mr. Pollster described this as a robotics version of the App store, opening up the company’s products to developers.

Universal’s success is indicative of a trend toward smaller and lighter robots for pick-and-place applications, small-part assembly, machine tending, material handling and logistics.

And where two years ago the Messe Munchen arena was packed with caged robots, their liberated successors were out in force in 2016, inspecting parts and lifting cars but also making coffee and pouring beer.

In fact, the biggest launch at the fair was by Italian manufacturer Comau, which was showcasing the world’s first high payload collaborative robot, capable of lifting 110 kilograms.

The success of the collaborative formula is demonstrated by figures from the German automotive industry, unveiled at AUTOMATICA: the number of robots rose by 17% between 2010 and 2015, while the number of employees increased by 13%. Evidence that man can co-exist very effectively with machine, providing employment for both.

The belief at AUTOMATICA is that the potential of collaborative robots is so huge that we’re now just scratching the surface. Key to enabling the delivery of real time contextual knowledge to the enterprise, they pave the way toward hybrid factories with humans, robots and cobots – the future of manufacturing and Industry 4.0.

Acceptability and standardisation

British startup the Shadow Robot Company is also gearing up for Industry 4.0. “As the flexibility of manufacturing processes increases, the need for more general purpose automation also increases,” said the company CEO Rich Walker. “At present, humans step in to provide this flexibility. But highly flexible grippers derived from dexterous hands will allow Industry 4.0 systems to handle far broader ranges of parts and components than more traditional fixed automation.”

But if people think robots will replace them, persuading them to accept robotic solutions is one of the challenges for Industry 4.0, believes Maxime Banon, Business Analyst with Spanish startup PAL Robotics.

Several of the company’s award winning robots were in attendance at AUTOMATICA, including TIAGo, a flexible, configurable robot to assist people in repetitive, dangerous or annoying tasks, including light industry.

But just as challenging to achieve as acceptability is standardisation, says KUKA’s Wolfgang Meison. “If we want interconnection, that means solving the challenge of connecting systems that may be programmed in different languages, with different software platforms and communication standards. We need interface solutions and that means a broad alliance to establish new standards for real-time communications. We’re still not there yet and it’s why Industry 4.0 can’t be solved by a single provider. We need a model that we can push forward together.”

Altogether, German manufacturers have pledged €40bn a year to help support new smart factory initiatives, and €200m of state funds has been earmarked for specific areas like human-to-machine interaction and cyber physical production systems within Industry 4.0.

With manufacturing contributing 22 percent to Germany economy, their interest in Industry 4.0 is understandable. But worldwide, the phrase is a relatively unfamiliar one. Six in 10 UK manufacturing managers have never even heard of Industry 4.0 according to a recent poll.

Mike Fair, Application Sales Manager at Rethink Robotics, says that in the US, more commonly used buzzwords include agile, efficient systems and the Industrial Internet of Things. The company was one of the first to market collaborative technology and their current model, Sawyer, is still the only widely available robot that makes use of an expressive interface. The robot has eyes which look to where it is working and which frown to indicate that parts can’t be found. In his presentation at AUTOMATICA’s Forum, the company’s  Director of Sales for Manufacturing Solutions, Chris Harbert, said that research had shown that this was significant for people. “It gave comfort,” he said. “Emotion is important.”

Nestled in among the believers in Industry 4.0, there is also a caveat, that a slogan such as Industry 4.0 is not enough. In the words of Comau CEO Mauro Fenzi: “It’s a good framework for the industry to use in automating factories, but now we need to fill the empty box with good ideas to benefit customers.”

A step change is needed before robotics reaches its full potential, says Andrew Graham Technical Director of British startup OC Robotics. He issued a warning call to anyone believing that Industry 4.0 would herald the turning point in the robotics and automation marketplace: “The huge market is the consumer one. Perception and cognition are particular challenges, together with the interpretation of all that data. We need to get to the point where we don’t need technologists to work with the robots; the point where my Mum can get more out of it.”

Additional videos and materials are available on the AUTOMATICA website.

Read the previous article in the series here.

The ten-part series on European Robotics will be published every two weeks on the SPARC website and Robohub. Funding for the series was provided by RockEU – a Coordination and Support Action funded under FP7 by the European Commission, Grant Agreement Number 611247.

See all the latest robotics news on Robohub, or sign up for our weekly newsletter.

AGV in warehouse. Source: Wikipedia Commons

By Paula de Villavicencio

Technology has been in development for the last decade and has now come to fruition in the form of self-driving vehicles. These vehicles are driving into industrial centers and beginning to replace traditional AGVs, and it’s no wonder why. The first AGV was introduced in the early 1950s and more than 50 years later it has marginally advanced from following radio transmissions from the ceiling to following magnetic tape on the floor. Its slow advancement isn’t the only limitation; AGVS are fixed, reactive, captured and adoptive machines, and they leave a lot to be desired in today’s complex manufacturing environment.

1. Fixed not flexible
Like trains on their tracks, AGVs are fixed to a certain pathway and are unable to move off of it. These are not flexible machines, and while repeatable point-to-point navigation tasks are possible, many companies have fork trucks and manually driven tug vehicles working alongside the AGVs. Dynamic pathways are a necessary evolution in Industry 4.0, especially for innovating manufacturers with complex production systems.

2. Reactive not proactive
Yet, unlike trains, AGVs cannot move onto a new track direction to avoid collision or change their direction. In fact, if an AGV breaks down while on a preprogrammed pathway, all AGVs following the same pathway cannot move around it, and are unable to deliver or pick up their loads. This loss in movement can cost a company a great deal of money in a short amount of time.

3. Captured not collaborative
These machines are also unable to collaborate amongst each other to share the work in the most efficient way possible. Those AGVs that are preprogrammed to a specific pathway cannot move to a different path rapidly or easily to perform a different job. They are held captive in their preprogrammed task regardless of efficiency or changing manufacturing needs.

4. Adoptive not adaptive
Since the preprogrammed pathways have to be simple and unobstructed for the AGVs, many facilities pre-plan their layouts with the machines in mind. Transport aisles are designed for isolated AGV paths, and work areas are laid out to accommodate the vehicles’ planned route. When it comes to AGVs, manufacturers have to adapt to the machines, instead of the AGVs incorporating into an already existing facility. In some cases, factories and warehouses resort to manual transport methods instead of adopting AGV technology and all the prerequisite planning that it requires.

By advancing material transport for Industry 4.0 capabilities, we will see more technologies take the factory floor. Self-driving vehicles can offer flexibility, proactive planning, collaboration, and adaptive behaviours.

Source: Smart & Digital Factory Application Lab van Sirris in Kortrijk

We often see robotic or automated cells purposed to do a single motion or a very specific application. However, with all the new technology available in the market, it is interesting to see how each separate technology can be integrated into a single versatile cell. This is what Sirris did and it is quite impressive.  

Sirris is a collective center for the technology industry in Belgium and has more than 8 sites throughout the country. Their goal is to help companies keep up with the evolution of technology, particularly with regards to automation. In fact, with a huge team of engineers, technicians and scientists, Sirris is using its laboratories, innovation centers and show rooms to develop, test and demonstrate the different applications they help develop for specific customers.

Lately they have been promoting their new (8th) location by showcasing an example of what an Industry 4.0 robotic cell might look like. This cell uses a bunch of new technology and it’s very impressive. The proposed cell highlights some of the concerns manufacturers have been having over the past 2-3 years about where automation was going next. I think we have our answer here! See the video below to learn more.

The cell

The automation process is divided into three major cells. Let’s find out what they are meant for:

• Ordered Picking: Using smart glasses and a smart watch, the user can pick (and place) the required parts in a bin. Using these devices allows the operator to verify if the right number of parts are preloaded in the tray, that the assembly line has the right number of parts during the assembly process and to do this verification of inventory in real time.
• Transition No. 1: As the tray is set on a mobile robot or AGV (automated guided vehicle), the operator simply signals that the tray has been loaded and that the robot can move to the next step in the process. Through different guiding sensors, the mobile robot can make its way to the next cell (imagine the other cell could be on the other side of the plant) and be ready for the next step.
• Assembly Cell: As the trays are filed with parts, the operator and the collaborative robots are building the assembly together. In fact, since the robot is really good at pick and place and the human is very good at manipulation, they split tasks to make the job easier and faster. Once the part is assembled, the robot places the tray on the mobile robot. It can then go to the quality testing station. Notice that the robot used is a KUKA LBR iiwa with a Robotiq 2-Finger 140 Adaptive Gripper. You also see a Universal Robots UR3 used to screw different components together.
• Transition No. 2: Once again, the final step is getting to the last quality check. Notice that sensors are used to navigate within the room and that mechanical devices are installed on both the mobile robot and the table to make the mobile robot’s position repeatable.
• Quality Check: With the help of different types of technology (software and vision systems), the company can do the final quality check. This will confirm that the product meets the requirements established by the company.

For more pictures of the showroom, follow this link.

According to Sirris:

In this way, the new lab makes the cooperation and interaction between human operator and robots more tangible and feasible to the manufacturing industry. The focus on flexible automation of assembling makes specific technology applications available to machine building and mechatronics companies. After all,  to many companies automation and robotics in particular still seem way out of reach, too futuristic for their production. Until they see the possibilities “in real life”.

In fact with few examples of real life applications of complex automation, customers and even integrators sometimes have difficulty figuring out how they can automate certain processes. With technology reaching new levels at a fast rate, it is cool to see the final results of an automation cell, which might be complex for the integrator, but is totally transparent and easy to use for the end user.

This is truly an example of Industry 4.0 happening now.