From time to time we get into discussions on accuracy in motion systems. These discussions usually end up in two general camps; higher accuracy based on the notion of zero backlash mechanisms or higher accuracy feedback devices to measure error and eliminate it electronically. These are interesting conversations because both trails are full of assumptions […]
SEDASYS robotic anesthesiologist approved by FDA
The FDA recently approved SEDASYS, a new robotic device which can automate the sedation of healthy patients having colonoscopies. Ethicon Endo-Surgery, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, created SEDASYS, a computer-assisted device that administers the prescription drug propofol into the bloodstream via intravenous IV infusion. The device can detect signs associated with oversedation and can automatically modify…
235 Robotic Start-ups Reviewed – from the whimsical to the amazing
235 robotic start-up companies reviewed in this reprint from article by The Robot Report published in World Robotics Service Robots 2013 by the IFR (Intl. Fed. of Robotics). From futuristic to practical, from robotic hubs and clusters to far-off places around the globe, from the whimsical to the amazing – everywhere that programmers program and…
3D Robotics gets $30 million to mainstream aerial robotics
3D Robotics, the open source unmanned aerial vehicle company headed by Chris Anderson, just got a $30 million infusion of venture funding to enable the company to “mainstream aerial robotics and surveying” by making advanced UAV technology affordable and easy to use. With a large and enthusiastic user base, 3D Robotics has begun manufacturing the…
There are mobile robots and then there’s KUKA’s MOBILE robot
At the recent Hannover Messe trade fair, KUKA displayed their concept mobile robot showing how it could work a huge turbine blade. The device consisted of a KUKA omnimove mobile platform, a KR Quantec shelf-mounted robot arm, a KR C4 controller, and an autonomous nav system. KUKA calls it E-mobility for extra large (XXL) workpieces;…
MAKO Surgical sells to Stryker for $1.65 billion
Stryker Corporation (NYSE:SYK) to acquire MAKO Surgical Corp (NASDAQ:MAKO) for $1.65 billion – an action which brought MAKO's stock from $16 to $29 in one fell swoop. Stryker is a medical technology company providing a wide array of medical devices and equipment. The combination of Stryker's established industry presence can provide wider distribution for MAKO's…
A glimpse at our robotic future: 235 start-ups reviewed
[This article first appeared on pages 191-198 in “World Robotics Service Robots 2013” published by the IFR (International Federation of Robotics) Statistical Department. Copies of that book and its companion “World Industrial Robotics 2013” both of which can be purchased here. It is reprinted with permission from the publisher.] By Frank Tobe, Editor, The Robot Report…
Play and Progress
Psychologists are fascinated by the subject of play. Play is one of those complex behaviors that is difficult to define and understand. Is it a complex activity in human beings that can take many forms. An interesting aspect to contemplate is the change in play over the last 50 years. How did we get from […]
Bionic Man documentary to air October 20 at 9 pm in US
A real-life million-dollar bionic man with artificial organs, synthetic blood and robotic limbs has been created to (1) showcase what's possible with modern science and (2) hint at the future of prosthetics. The resulting bionic man has been exhibited at the London Science Museum and in Washington, DC at the Smithsonian. On October 20, at…
From the mouths of babes (or in this case, iCubs)
At a recent demo of iCub at the Italian Institute of Culture in Los Angeles, IIT Professor and director of the iCub project, Giorgio Metta discussed not only iCub's progress, but the state of the art in robotics as well. Metta recently did a TEDxMilano Talk on the subject (Italian only). One standout slide from…
150 robotics-related exhibitors in Las Vegas for PackExpo
26,000 attendees are expected for this year's PackExpo being held in Las Vegas, September 23-25. Over 150 robotics-related companies are exhibiting including Rockwell Automation, Adept, ABB, Yaskawa Motoman, Fanuc and start-ups Universal Robots and Rethink Robotics. Material handling was one of the areas that did well in 2012 according to the IFR in their new…
It’s time to think about robotic Christmas gifts
Canadian EZ-Robot is the first to the gate with 2013 Christmas gifts: 3 modular robot kits and a software interface using simple “drag and drop” methods to make teaching the robot behaviors and commands simple and intuitive. Prices start at $219 and the JD humanoid-looking robot goes for $469. Cute video shows all three new…
IFR Reports show bright future for robotics industry
Two new Intl. Federation of Robotics (IFR) world robotics statistical reports covering 2012 with projections to 2016 were released today by the IFR and can be purchased separately or combined at prices beginning at $350. The World Robotics Industrial Robotics 2013 report projects a high and continuing demand for industrial robots for many years to…
“Man on the Moon” – thoughts about engineering projects
Sometimes the hardest part of project engineering and new product development is to put down in words what the requirements are. Specifications alone will not necessarily convey functionality or design intent. Small features or issues that are overlooked in the planning phase can become major issues of cost and time in the course of the […]
Five interesting uses for robots
Five little known uses for robots: (1) explosives handling by explosives manufacturers and also by armed forces that must dispose or handle them; (2) using lasers on robotic arms to strip paint from air force plans; (3) having a robot scale the heights of a dam or nuclear chimney to inspect and analyze the concrete;…
Little known uses for robots
By Frank Tobe, editor/publisher, The Robot Report Explosives Handling Source: Dreamstime Stock Photos. A Chinese firm specializing in explosives manufacturing has decided to upgrade over 100 installations with parallel handling robots from Adept Technology. In a similar vein, iRobot just won a $30 million contract from the U.S. Army for robotic systems to be used…
Medical Robotic Systems Market to Reach $13.6 billion by 2018
The global medical robotic systems market was worth $5.48 billion in 2011 and is expected to reach $13.6 billion in 2018, growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 12.6% from 2012. Surgical robots are expected to enjoy the largest revenue share. The global market for medical robotic systems is driven by factors such as…
Interest in industrial robots seen at Taipei Intl. Industrial Automation Exhibition and Robot Show
The trade show, held the last week of August in Taipei, had a record 550 exhibitors. “It is the age of intelligence and automation,” said Eric Chuo, chairman of TAIROA (Taiwan Automation Intelligence and Robotics Association). Chuo is also CEO of Hiwin Technologies, a components manufacturer. He said “robotics will account for 15% of Hiwin's…
Adept Technologies: Ready to be acquired?
Adept Technologies (NASDAQ:ADEP) has been in the financial news for months. First because of poor financial showings; then because of a management shakeup; and recently because the “turnaround plan” has worked well enough that shareholders are bidding the stock up to new highs. In 2010 Adept Technologies acquired MobileRobots and began a process of professionalizing their…
Progress report on Hoaloha Robotics’ assistive-care robot
Tandy Trower, the founder of Microsoft's Robotics Studio software and initiative, and now founder and CEO of Seattle-based Hoaloha Robotics, wrote about his progress to date. His blog post is an important evaluation of the complexities of the process but is also illuminating of what we need and he proposes for the future regarding personal…
Adept’s restructuring is paying off: earnings better and stock higher
It was just last February that Rob Cain replaced John Dulchinos as CEO of Adept Technology. Cain had worked with Adept for a few months as advisor and representative of Hale Capital Partners and crafted a restructuring plan approved by the company and it’s financial partners. It appears that things are working according to plan.…
The Future of Additive Manufacturing
The buzz of additive manufacturing continues to make headlines. Additive manufacturing permits the fabrication of complex plastic and metal parts by starting with powdered materials. There are no cutting tools involved, very little waste and production time is in hours, not weeks, regardless of the complexity of the part. There are many variants of the […]