AMNYTT Nr 3 - 2013 | Page 32

ARC Rapport 32 / 107 AMNYTT #2 ARC Insights, Page 2 “moiros.” Kuka presented the “moiros” as a concept vehicle targeted for aerospace and wind power production environments. Kuka’s vision of mobile technology is more applicable to agile and flexible manufacturing environments. With a robotic arm mounted on the mobile platform, the work pi ece can remain stationary while the robotic arm is relocated using an autonomous vehicle. The concept presents a new way to envision discrete manufacturing processKuka Mobile Platform “moiros” Using Autonomous Navigation es, as production lines for large structures may now involve transporting the robot to the work in process. These innovations are part of the visionary concepts of Industry 4.0, in which autonomy and distributed computing technologies are now all interconnected. Mobile technology is clearly beginning to move beyond the early adopter phase after incubating in research labs over the last ten years. The combination of declining prices for sensors, cameras, and control systems; and increased reliability means that manufacturers can now economically justify mobile technology in many applications. The warehousing and logistics industry has been undergoing a quiet transformation as the wire-guided AGV utilized for the last 40 years is now being replaced by AGVs with autonomous navigation systems. Egemin and E&K Automation have been actively promoting the use of laser-guided AGV and fork lift trucks, adopting technology widely used in the mobile robotics market. Due to concerns over worker safety, the industry is moving slowly toward unmanned vehicles in the warehouse. Historically, the regulatory environment for human safeguarding tends to err on the side of over-caution when considering the adoption of new technologies. The industrial market experienced this when the safety PLC and safe motion were introduced in the market. Regardless, the AGV/forklift suppliers claim that self-guided vehicles can provide tremendous gains in worker productivity. Bluebotics and MetraLabs, two relatively small startups in the mobile robotics space, pursued two different strategies. Bluebotics does not intend to An Egemin AGV in Action offer mobile platforms, but plans to grow its busi- ©2013 • ARC • 3 Allied Drive • Dedham, MA 02026 USA • 781-471-1000 • ARCweb.com 2013