In with the old, in with the new: The next generation of manufacturing robots

Industrial robots have delivered reliable gains for decades, while humanoids are now touted as the next big thing in manufacturing. These are general-purpose robots packed with advanced sensors and software so they can walk, talk, and use hand tools to carry out manual labour. Impressive technology – but is it cost-effective? Task-specific industrial robots—pickers, welders, palletisers— excel speed and efficiency, provided work is repeatable and predictable; when variance is introduced, efficiency dwindles. By contrast, Humanoids inherit many of the inefficiencies of the manual worker – they aren’t built for speed – but they promise the technology needed to intelligently perceive and adapt to shifting requirements. This session identifies how to capture the best of both worlds. Instead of waiting for “jack-of-all-trades” humanoids to do any task, we can equip industrial robots with intelligent control so they keep their speed while adapting seamlessly to new jobs, short runs, and design tweaks. I’ll show how IMR partners with industry to de-risk, de-mystify, and deliver solutions in this space.