Fanuc showcases its robotic technologies at CES for the first time
Fanuc, the world’s leading supplier of robotics, CNCs, Robomachines and industrial internet-of-things solutions, has been showcasing its technologies at the Consumer Electronics Show for the first time.
After nearly 40 years of providing robots and automation for manufacturing, Fanuc says it is experiencing “rapid growth in consumer-oriented and service markets including e-commerce and warehousing, food preparation, agriculture and entertainment”.
At CES, Fanuc offered visitors the opportunity to interact with its robots in a wide range of demonstrations and contests including a selfie station, a voice-activated gift selection, hand-guided robot programming, and speed and dexterity challenges.
Fanuc collaborative robots
- A CR-15iA cobot will invite visitors to take selfies and share on social media.
- A CR-15iA cobot equipped with a 3DV/400 vision camera will be voice activated. Visitors will speak into a mic and request one of two gifts. The cobot will then pick the selected gift and hand it to the person.
- A CR-4iA cobot will let visitors create paths using a hand guidance tool. The demonstration shows how easy it is to program a Fanuc cobot – even for people with no experience with robots. This is a key advantage for manufacturers looking for a quick and simple solution for part handling.
Fanuc’s collaborative robots offer the same high level of performance that all Fanuc robots are known for including world-renowned technology and proven reliability.
A built-in sensor allows the cobots to work safely alongside people without the need for expensive guarding. Fanuc’s cobots can handle products weighing 4-35kg.
Are you faster than a robot?
Additional demonstrations challenged attendees to perform tasks faster than a robot:
- Fanuc’s M-1iA/0.5A delta robot uses a color 2D iRvision camera to pick and sort pills of different colors at very high speeds. Visitors performed the same task and try to beat the robot.
- A Fanuc LR Mate 200iD six-axis robot offered visitors a chance to test their speed and dexterity versus a robot by passing a handheld ring along a zigzagged route.
In another demonstration, a Fanuc SR-3iA SCARA robot using iRVision will check presence and pick odd-form electronic components from a tray and place them on a circuit board.
Next, the robot disassembles the circuit board by picking the various components and placing them back into the tray.
The Fanuc SCARA’s speed and performance coupled with integrated iRVision makes it ideal for electronic assembly and other high-precision applications.