Nowadays, the creation of workspaces in which humans and robots can work together, not only safely but in a more efficient and optimized way, is possible thanks to the called Connected Industry based on sharing all the information to get a better answer.
Inside the Industry 4.0, the use of mobile robots and mobile manipulators achieves the flexible and autonomous industrial automation necessary to create Smart Factories, where the greatest advantage is the exchange of information, which it is possible by the integration of the latest intelligent technologies in robotics, Internet, Artificial Intelligence or Big Data, and as a consequence, more efficient and optimal industrial processes will be created, with better use of resources, which means greater productivity in general.
Industrial applications of mobile robotics
The collaborative mobile robots can work in large industrial applications. Thanks to R&D processes such as those developed by Robotnik, collaborative mobile robotics can take charge of the execution of repetitive processes, using the TIC and smart technologies to adapt the robots’ movements and improve these tasks.
At this moment, mobile robots and mobile manipulators can make general industrial applications as part feeding, metrology, quality control, operations on large parts or packaging, polishing, screwing or drilling, where the repeatability and uniformity of actions are key to saving costs and streamlining processes.
How can collaborative mobile robotics create smart factories?
This is possible thanks to the different features:
Intelligent Automation
A mobile robot can generate and process information, so it can not only perform tasks without human intervention but can also self-manage and make decisions.
In this way, it not only executes repetitive or hazards processes, but can also decide its path, or adapt its movements at any time thanks to the data that it collects in real-time.
Connectivity
It makes machine-to-machine (M2M) communication possible, by creating decentralized systems and the possibility for robots to interact with humans through integrated interfaces.
Flexibility
Mobile robots with intelligent navigation have great adaptability since they are capable of modifying their way of working according to the demands or changes in the work environment, adapting their speed or creating alternative routes, for example.
Within this ability to adapt to the market needs, Robotnik has gone one step further with the creation of mobile manipulators that provide mobility and autonomy to the collaborative arms, with a simple plug and play integration.
Robotnik’s at Industry 4.0.
Robotnik is leading in mobile robots and mobile manipulators, answering to the needs of the industrial customers. The goal is to obtain the maximum efficiency in their work processes. How is it possible? these are the keys:
Robotnik has been able to develop its own Fleet Management System (FMS), which performs the complete and centralized management of the robot fleet, allowing the operator to manage the different mobile robotics systems from several kinds of devices through standard communication protocols.
In this way, the access to the robots can be done from any location (office, warehouse, home…) and through any device (PDA, mobile phone, tablet, laptop…).
Integration of the latest intelligent technologies: voice control, people tracking, or autonomous coupling to other machines.
Advanced user interface (HMI) to allow users to generate maps and routes in a simple and interactive way(waypoints), to define localization (waypoints).
Furthermore, collaborative mobile robots have a lot of advantages in the industrial market:
- Easy setup and installation
- Appropriate to share the workspace with people
- Automation of repetitive or unsafe processes
- Flexible routes vs fixed routes of traditional AGVs
This continuous research and development process is allowing robotics to begin to assume new tasks in different sectors.
