• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Terms of use
  • Advertise
    • Advertising
    • Case studies
    • Design
    • Email marketing
    • Features list
    • Lead generation
    • Magazine
    • Press releases
    • Publishing
    • Sponsor an article
    • Webcasting
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • Writing
  • Subscribe to Newsletter

Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

  • Home
  • News
  • Features
  • Editorial Sections A-Z
    • Agriculture
    • Aircraft
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Automation
    • Autonomous vehicles
    • Business
    • Computing
    • Construction
    • Culture
    • Design
    • Drones
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Engineering
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Humanoids
    • Industrial robots
    • Industry
    • Infrastructure
    • Investments
    • Logistics
    • Manufacturing
    • Marine
    • Material handling
    • Materials
    • Mining
    • Promoted
    • Research
    • Robotics
    • Science
    • Sensors
    • Service robots
    • Software
    • Space
    • Technology
    • Transportation
    • Warehouse robots
    • Wearables
  • Press releases
  • Events
abb spiesshofer bocelli yumi

ABB boss talks up musical talents of company’s YuMi collaborative robot

March 9, 2018 by David Edwards

ABB boss Ulrich Spiesshofer has been praising the musical talents of the company’s YuMi collaborative robot. 

The chief executive of the industrial giant is said to have musical talents of his own and can play the clarinet, saxophone and accordion.

Robotics and Automation News has been trying to get an interview with Spiesshofer but he gave an exclusive interview to Forbes instead. 

In the interview, Spiesshofer tells Forbes: “Quite recently, our YuMi robot – that we have been showcasing since 2017 – demonstrated what artificial intelligence and robotics can do by conducting an orchestra with Andrea Bocelli singing in Pisa, Italy – a clear demonstration of where we are going in the world.”

Robotics and Automation News published an article about YuMi conducting the classical orchestra in Italy at the time.

Forbes reports that Spiesshofer considers YuMi to be a symbol of ABB’s transition from a “robot-based” business model to a “robotics-based one that’s solution- and functionality-driven”.

Meaning, probably, that ABB is not entirely about selling robots but about solutions which include robotics and automation.

One example of this might be a new painting industrial robot, which fully integrated with ABB Ability, the company’s industrial internet of things platform.

ABB claims it is the “world’s first” digital automotive robotic painting system.

Ability enables operators to monitor and control the painting robot to a very high level, which would allow them to discover efficiencies and quality improvements.

Painting, though it sounds simple, is said to be one of the more complex, time-consuming and expensive parts of the automaking process.

Until relatively recently, a lot of painting was still done by human workers, but robots have been taking over in the past decade or so, and have become highly sophisticated of late. (Read our great feature on robotic painting systems.)

The automotive sector is still the largest buyer of industrial robots, accounting for half of all sales in the North America region, for example, according to the International Federation of Robotics.

But Spiesshofer observes that the robotics market is broadening to include new industry segments.

“In 2009-10, the majority of our activity was in automotive,” Spiesshofer tells Forbes. “When the world talks about industrial robots, they talk about it in the context of automotive.

“But for me robots are ubiquitous, and we have played a major role in bringing robotic solutions into new industry segments from food and beverage to combating climate change challenges.”

Forbes notes that, before Spiesshofer took the helm at ABB, the company’s robotics unit was running at a loss of $300 million a year around 2009-10.

Now, ABB Robotics “contributes 6 per cent to the company’s corporate headline growth”, in the words of Forbes.

But Spiesshofer is reluctant to take the credit, apparently. “Our team achieved the turnaround in focus and reshaping of the robotics unit,” he tells Forbes. “I am proud of the momentum we have built, but it’s not about me.”

Spiesshofer is clearly looking to capitalise on industrial companies’ growing interest in IIoT platforms like Ability, which can use AI – perhaps in conjunction with robotics – to find efficiencies all across an operation.

And he sees “only one competitor” who has a similar level and scale of service in terms of intelligent control systems for industrial operations, and that company is Siemens, which has an IIoT platform called MindSphere.

There are other companies which have IIoT platforms, of course, but clearly Spiesshofer considers Siemens the closest competitor to ABB, especially when it comes to providing IIoT platforms for the oil and gas industry.

“We are taking the oil and gas industry from an automated into an autonomous operations sphere,” says Spiesshofer.

The oil and gas industry is an ideal market for IIoT platforms because they often have vast facilities with relatively few human operators or workers at them.

They tend to install massive sensor arrays and monitor everything automatically rather than manually.

And ABB is obviously well aware of this since it supplies a lot of power-generation equipment to companies in the sector, albeit downstream, as in further along the continuous manufacturing chain.

(Main picture shows ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer, on the right, with opera singer Andrea Bocelli and the YuMi robot.)

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket

Related stories you might also like…

Filed Under: Industry, News Tagged With: abb, abb ceo, forbes, interview, ulrich spiesshofer

Primary Sidebar

Search this website

Latest articles

  • Challenges and Solutions in Modern Dating App Development
  • Smarter Storage, Faster Shipping: Automation in the Supply Chain
  • Smart Warehouse And How Connectivity Risks Are Evolving
  • What Happens When Automation Fails? Handling Errors in Smart Systems
  • How Autonomous Trucks Are Changing Logistics: Pros And Cons
  • Skild AI developing ‘human-like robot brain’ with AI solutions from Hewlett Packard
  • Autonomous Solutions Inc moves into construction sector with SoftBank backing
  • What the Robotics Industry Needs from Colleges: A Systems-Based Look at Education’s Role in Automation
  • The Silent Signal Crisis: How AI in E-commerce is Only as Smart as the Data it Misses
  • Sunrise Robotics emerges from stealth with $8.5 million funding

Secondary Sidebar

Copyright © 2025 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT