Issue:April 13 2022 What Future Holds Top 10 Industrial Automa on Trends In 2021 Businesses Automa on and Its Future Automa ng 0
Moving into the Future with Excellence!Automation
Bhushan Bhad Managing Editor hebusinessspacehastraversedthrougharollerTcoasterride.Fromagrariansocietytotheindustrial ecosystemandfurtherescalatingintothedigital revolution,scientificinnovationshaverevampedthe businesscommunitylikeneverbefore.
Thisdevelopmenthasnotbeenanovernightsuccessbuta resilienteffortwhileputtingconsistentstepstowards technologicalinnovation,creativeITsolutions,anda farsightedvisionthatstepsintothefuture.
Sproutingfromanagewherehammeringakneelwasa difficulttask,technologicalinnovationandITmarvelshave transformedthemanufacturingspace.Today,anindustry requirestopossesssoftwaresystemsandmechanical componentsratherthanaccommodatingavastworkforceto evenmoveabulkylogofwood.
Onceconsideredasthesciencefiction:Terminator,The Transformer,Automata,andmuchmore,cinemaportrayed anideathatfocusesontheroboticsofhumaninteraction. Butfromfictiontoindustry,thejourneyhadbeenofmany upsanddowns.
editor
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Asatechnologist,entrepreneur,orbusinessdisruptor,there aremanyfunctionalities,challenges,andthroughput investedinbringingupasinglemechanic componenttoitslivefunction. Astechnologyistakingitstollanddeveloping themanufacturingspace,ArtificialIntelligence andMachineLearninghavenotbeenleft behind.Todayautomatinganindustryworkflow isanintegratedprocessthatcombinestechnology, software,mechanics,andITsystems.Butthese innovativeeffortsandcreativesolutionsarerarely discussedandacknowledgedamongthecommon massesandbusinesscommunity Understandingtheseignoredcornersandconnectingthe dotsoftheautomationindustryisournewedition,“10 MostDisruptiveAutomationCompaniestoWatch-Volume II.”Scoutingacrosstheglobe,wehaveresearchedand curatedtopdisruptorsthathavepioneeredtheautomation industryandisexemplifyingthebusinesscommunitywith theiruniquetechnologyleadershiphacks. Whileyoustartyourjourneyandstallaroundthese inspiringstories,makesuretoleanonthecoverstoryand realizetheinnovativehandandscientificexpertiserequired toestablishabusinessintheautomationspace. Asyouflipthroughthepages,readtheinsightfularticles craftedbyourin-houseeditorialteam. Ihopeyouhaveahappyread! - Bhushan Bhad Good Editorials chiefly telling the People what they think, not what you think.
08 At the Forefront of Transforming the EnergyIndustry
18 26 32 40 Fizyr B. V. Automa ng Human Tasks by VisionHigh-QualityDevelopingComputerSo ware Articles 22 36 Automa on and Its Future Top 10 Industrial Automa on Trends In 2021 Automa ng BusinessesWhat Future Holds A Future Roadmap to Program Dynamic Industrial Robots in Minutes Augmentus A Leading Robo cs and Solu onAutoma onProvider Axyn Robo que doks.innova on Gmbh Bringing Digi za on into Warehouse Management
sales@insightssuccess.com April, 2022 Circulation Manager Tanaji Fartade Research Analyst Eric Smith Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar Anish MillerSenior Editor Kelly, DavidBusiness DevelopmentManagingExecutivesEditor Sherin RodricksBusiness Development Manager Bhushan Bhad Art & Design Head Art & DesignVisualiserAssistant David King Co designer Rohil MrunalineeShinganapurkarDeshmukh Marketing Manager Joseph D'souza Technical Consultants Prachi, Rajeshwari Technical Head Jacob Smile Assistant Technical Head SME SMO Executive Gemson Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Renuka Kulkarni Copyright © 2022 Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd., All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Insights Success. Reprint rights remain solely with Insights Success. Follow us on : www.facebook.com/insightssuccess/ www.twitter.com/insightssuccess Corporate Ofce Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States Phone - (614)-859-2600 Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.com We are also available on : RNI No.: MAHENG/2018/75953 Sales Executives Mark, Alice Amar Sawant Assisting Editors Trishika, Shrutika Paul Belin
EiratechRoboticsisanend-to-endsolutionsproviderarmed withaportfolioofautonomoussolutionstotacklecomplex supply-chainchallenges.
Energid'srobotcontrolsoftware,Actin®,isbuilttomeetthe requirementsofindustrial,commercial,collaborative,and consumerroboticsystems.
FRANKANJEAUX CEOandFounder FizyrB.V. fizyr.com EasyEnergy
InHomePersonalServicesbringsauniqueapproachto caregiving—onethattakesthe“senior”outof“senior care”—andallowsustoseeamazingpeoplewhoarebeautiful ineverywaynomatterwhatage RevealGroupspecializesindeployingandscalingIntelligent ProcessAutomationprograms.Wearerevolutionizing OperationalManagementwithinnovativesoftware.
SLControlsLtd slcontrols.com
Daryl FounderHerbertManuelCo-FounderLimKriegCOOtenHaveCEOMarkGaalswykandCEOAlexeyTabolkinCEO
easyenergysystems.comSystemsAugmentusaugmentus.techdoks.Innovationdoks-innovation.comAXYNRoboticsaxyn.fr
NeilTardella CEOandCo-founder Savneet BusinessIanCEOSinghCrouchImprovementExpertandCEO
Augmentusisarobotprogrammingsoftwareplatformthatallows anyonetoprogramindustrialrobotsinminuteswithoutneeding codeandCAD.
PaR RevealparSystems.comGroup
Energidrevealgroup.comTechnologiesenergid.comEiratechRoboticseiratech.com
SLControlshelpsitscustomersoptimisetheirmanufacturing processes,improvingOEEandproductivity,delivering efficiencysavings,andsimplifyingcompliance.
AxynRobotiqueisaFrenchcompanythatdesignsand manufacturestelepresencerobots. doks.innovationoptimizesinventoryprocessesinintralogistics withmoderntechnology,forexampledrones,andsoftwarethat processesvisualdata. Fizyrofferthebestpickandplacesolutiontoeverysystem integratorworldwide. EasyEnergySystems(EES)ispassionateaboutproviding dynamicsolutionstotheworld'senergyproblems.
KeithCEOMoran
Featuring BriefCompanyName
Mostdistributionofbiomass,waste foodproducts,deadtreescausing forestfires,landfills,wasteseaweed, palmfronds,andvariousotherwaste productsarewidelydistributedacross aregion.Insteadofplacingonelarge centralized‘megaplant’systeminone location–andthentransportingthe wastetothemegaplant;thesmaller scaleEasyEnergySystems,Inc. distributedmodularplantscanbe deployedmuchclosertothewaste. Thismaybeaclearinginaforestfor cleaningupthedeadtreescausing forestfires,besideslargeindustrial manufacturecreatingfoodorpaper waste,adjoiningamunicipallandfill, cornstalksnearanagcooperative,or nexttoanoceanshoreforconverting seaweedintovaluableproducts.
Automation Companies to Watch
Easy Energy Systems, Inc has an exci ng modular technology for North American Ag Coops: Converts the “food – white portion” of a kernel of corn to food or medical grade glucose. Converts the “nonfood – yellow portion” of a kernel of corn along with the corn stalk itself into biofuels, bio electricity and other value add products.This holds potential to bring to the rural communities of each state an extra $3 Billion dollars per year! Disruptive
10 Most
Thedebateonclimatechange hascontinuedforovera centurynow Thediscovery thwasfirstdonebyscientistsinthe19 centurywheniceagesandother naturalchangesweresuspectedinthe environment.TheeffectofCFCs emittedbyhumanactivitiesstarted deterioratingtheenvironmenttoa pointwheretheUNfinallyhadtoputa footdownandcallforthefirst conferenceontheenvironmentin Stockholmin1972. Sincethen,manygoalshavebeenset bytheseyearlyenvironmental conferencesheldbytheUNtoreverse theworseningclimatesituation.Inthis efforttosavemotherearth,many individuals,andorganizations, leveragingthepowersofscience, startedcomingupwithwaysinwhich economicgrowthandsustainability couldgohand-in-hand. Onesuchcompany,attheforefrontof providingdynamicsolutionstothe world’senergyproblemsisEasy EnergySystems Inthefollowinginterview,Mark Gaalswyk,theFounderandCEO elaboratesontheinceptionstoryofthe companyandhowithasbeen disruptingtheenergyindustryby providingcutting-edgeenergy solutions. PleasebriefouraudienceaboutEES, itsMEPS®,andhowitiscurrently positionedasaleadingplayerinthe bioenergyspace. EasyEnergySystems,Inc.has developedandpatentedafactory-built modulartechnologythatcanberapidly deployedworldwidetohelpsolvethe problemofclimatechangeforthe world.Itwilldosobyenablingthe rapidcommercializationof cutting-edgetechnologiesfor convertingmanygreenhousecausing wastesintobioenergyandother value-addedproducts. Unlikemosttechnologies,theselfcontainedautomaticmodularprocesses arecombineddifferentlyfordifferent wastefeedstockstocreatevalue-added greenenergyandbiomaterialsfromall ofthevariousotherwisewaste by-products.Thisenablesthefinancial modelsofmostoftheEasyEnergy wastefeedstocksystemstoprovidefor acompletesystempaybackwithinfive yearsorless–withoutgovernment subsidies.(AlthoughIamsureour customerswilltakethemifoffered) ShedsomelightonEES’sofferings andhowarethesemakinganimpact ontheindustryandyourclients?
Themajoradvantageofthismethodis thatyoudonotemitmoregreenhouse gasesandenergytransportingthe wastethanthevalue-addedofthe waste.Theutilizationofthepatented modulartechnologiesofEasyEnergy Systems,Inc.allowsforeach individualprocessmoduletobe removedandupgradedinthefutureto anevenmoremodernandefficient process–shouldnewtechnologiesbe Thisdeveloped.wouldbesimilartohowweall removedour300baudmodemsfrom ourcomputersandinstalled1200baud orethernetasthecomputerindustry evolved.Thissolvestheotherwise largeproblemofobsolescenceinthe emergingfieldofbio‘green’ technologiesfortheend-usersystems canbeeasilyupdatedtothelatest technology–likea‘Lego’simply removingonemoduleandinsertinga differentupdatedprocessintoitsplace. Thissolvestheproblemofotherwise ‘obsolete’inefficientsystemslittering thelandscape–whichhashinderedthe Bioenergyarena. Mark,pleasebriefusaboutyourself, yourjourneyintheindustry,and howyouhavecontributedtothe company'ssuccess. Iama‘farmboy’fromsouthernMN, withtrainingin physics,mathematics, andcomputersciencefromStOlaf College.WhenIreturnedtothefamily farmtohelpmybrotherscropfarmon ourfamily's4,500-acrefarmandraise hogs-Iwasbecomingabit‘bored’in theWintermonths.Thus,Istartedmy company(nowknownasEasy Automation,Inc.)in1986toperform programminganddesignservicesfor Myothers.earlyendeavorsincluded performingcontractworkdeveloping innovativeagtechnologies,including systemstoperfectlyaerategrain,the veryfirstfieldsoilmappingand variableratefertilizersystems,and technologiestoautomaticallyvalidate systemsfortestingcablesonmilitary missilesandaircraft. Insteadofcontinuingtojustdo contractdevelopmentworkforothers andthenwatchingthemdeveloplargescalebusinessesfrommy inventions–Idecidedtofocusmy effortsinwardontechnologiesthatI couldbuildandsellmyself. AsIneededafeedmillonmyown farm,Idecidedtodevelopandbuild myown.Ireallydidnotlikeallofthe manualbookkeepingassociatedwith suchamill,Imadeitcaptureandstore allneededinformationautomatically sothatallofmyreportscouldbe generatedwiththetouchofabutton. Theearlyyearswerenoteasy.I remembermanynightsofsittingouton thefloorofthefeedroom,weeping becausethingswerenotgoingas planned.Notsurewhatitwas,butI keptongoingthroughthistiringtime. WhileInowhaveapproximately20 patentstoday,myearlypatentswere relatedtoallowingafeedmillto automaticallymixtheperfect combinationofingredientsaccording toapredefinedperfectmodel. Thisremovedthe‘guesswork’from feedinggroupsofanimals.Itwoulddo We are a company that gives everything we have to deliver the best customer service we possibly can.
$11.2 million dollar Modular demonstra on plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa
Ioperations.tellpeoplethecompanytodayisnot whatitisbecauseIwasnecessarily ‘smart’–inactuality,Imadethousands ofmistakesonmyjourney.Itiswhatit istodaybecausedespitemakingabout everymistakeIcouldpossiblymakein startingandgrowingacompany,Itried mybesttolearnfromthosemistakes. Alongtheway,Ihavemetsomegreat businessmentors. Myveryfirstboardmemberwasthe firstengineereverhiredbyMedtronic. Irememberhimtellingmeinthose earlyyears,“Don’teverletyourself growsoquicklyorbecomesolarge thatyoudonothavetimetobeout withyourcustomers.”Thus,Ihave takenthattoheartandspendmuchof mytimeoutwithcustomersand learningfirst-handwhatproblemsthey haveandhowImighthelpthemsolve them. Ialsotaketoheartthewisewords statedbyabusinessassociatewhohad builtupaverylargesuccessful company.Iwasinvitedtopresentat theannualmeetingforhisemployees onourtechnology.BeforeIspoke,he stated–Staff,weasacompanydon’t sellanything.Ourjobistolistentothe problemsofourcustomersandfocus onhelpingthemsolveallthosewecan possiblyhelpthemwith(evenifnot necessarilyrelatedtotheproductswe sell).Ifwedothat,ourcustomer’s responsewillbetothenbuyfromus becausewebroughtsolutionstotheir Anotherproblems.strongvaluewehavetriedto pushisintegrityandempathyforour customers.Whenacustomerisdown, theydon’twanttocallinandgeta voicemail–orbetoldwecan’tgetat itforaweek.Theywantitsolvednow Thus,weareacompanythatgives everythingwehavetodeliverthebest customerservicewepossibly can–even365daysperyearand24 hoursperdayafter-hourssupport. Thesevariousvaluesmakeupwhatwe seetobeour‘companyculture’.Asthe CEO,Ibelievemyjobistobe visionary,helpsolvedifficultproblems, butevenmoreessentially,besurethe valuesofwhoweareasacompanyare upheldthroughouteverythingwedo.
sobypreciselyweighingandmixinga differentsetofingredientsintoafeed formulationforeachweekofan animal'slife.Thiswasdonesothat groupsofanimalscouldbefed perfectlytocreateanidealmeat-type undermaximizedprofitability.This patented‘AutomaticPhaseFeeding Technology’enabledthecompanyto growveryquickly,anditreceivedthe INC500awardasoneofthe fastest-growingcompaniesintheUSA. Today,EasyAutomation,Inchasover 3,000feedmillcustomersfeedinga majorityofthenation'sswineand manyofthenation'schickensanddairy operations.Thecompany,inrecent years,hasbranchedintodoingvery large-scalefertilizerplantsthatarealso needingextremeaccuracyand automaticinformationstorage.Easy Automation,Inc.,aWelcome, MN-basedcompany,isstill100% ownedtodaybymyselfandmyfamily withmytwosons,BradyandChris, runningmostofthedaytoday
Lastly,inthegrowthofEasy Automation,Inc.–Ialsowasfortunate tohavesomeverytalentedsonswho literallyworkedbesidemeasyoung boys.Theyhavegrownupandtaken overwhatIandtheirmotherstarted andbuiltitevenfurtherintowhatitis today. Beinganexperiencedleader,share withusyouropiniononwhatimpact hastheadoptionofmodern technologiessuchasAIhadonthe Modular Systems to convert waste trees to liquid sugars and biofuels: Can place Modules in a remote clearing with NO Natural Gas or electricity utilities needed…clean up and convert all dead trees in a remote area…then pick up and move modules.
Ihavebeenusinga‘form’ofartificial intelligenceinmanyofthevarious productsIhavecreatedinthepast. Backthen,theterm‘Artificial Intelligence’wasnotevenaphrase usedinthebusinesslikeitistoday Instead,myphilosophywastonotjust haveoursystems‘automate’aprocess butalsohaveitcontinuouslycapture andstoreeverypieceofactual operatinginformationitcould–allthe timewhilethetechnologywas Thisoperating.informationwouldthenbeusedto allowtheautomationsystemto automatically‘tune’andimproveitself. Thiswouldbewhattodayiscalled ‘MachineLearning’.Iwasfortunate enoughtobeabletopatentmanyof theseconceptsastheyappliedto perfectlymakingandmixinganimal feedandnowfertilizer Ibelievethissameconceptwillalso provecriticalinmakingbio-energy technologydeploymentsuccessful.The reasonisthatoftentimesnew technologieswork‘perfectly’inthe lab,yetwhentheyaredeployedinto therealworld,theyendupbeing multi-million-dollardisasters.A commonreasonforthisisthatthe deployeddidnotautomaticallydetect ‘variations’intheincomingwaste streams,outsidetemperatures,PH,etc., astheychanged. Ihavemadethefocusofmybioenergy company‘EasyEnergySystems,Inc.’ togatheralltheinformationon feedstockandoperatingvariationthat wecanandthenautomaticallyalso ‘tune’andimproveitself–justlikeI didbackwhenIdesignedtheearly feedmillautomationsystems. Whilealteringand‘tuning’its operatingparametersbasedon changingconditionsorfeedstocksis halftheequation–continuously capturingandstoringhistorical operatingparametersandvaluesfrom alloperationsinadatabase,the capabilityisthentheretogobackand lookatallofthedataandhavethe systemautomaticallyimproveits operationbasedonthecaptured historicaldata. MyvisionisforEasyEnergySystems, Inc.todeploythousandsofits factory-builtmodularsystemsat customersitesworldwide,andhaveall ofthemcontinuouslycollectoperating data,andthenutilizethecollectionof thisvarieddataofdifferentfeedstocks anddifferentoperatingconditions worldwidebacktoacentralnetwork databasetocontinuallydevelopand improveidealsystem‘settings’for variousfeedstocksandconditionsfor allofthecustomersasagroup. Itismybeliefthatthisiscriticalfor thesystemtoperformcorrectly,and thelackofthiscapabilityiswhymany otherbioenergytechnologiesfail shortlyafterdeploymentinthe‘real’ world. We can convert the green waste into a valuable soil amendment that can increase crop yields by up to 40%.
New Modular Technology to Convert Green/Food Waste to a Valuable Soil Microbe: This microbe, applied at 4 gallons per acre, “pulls” nitrogen and moisture from the air and releases phosphorus tied up in the ground. Research shows it can increase yields ofTomatoes, Hemp, Flowers, Cannabis by up to 40 percent! This greatly reduces need for commercial fertilizers and irrigation…Look at the difference…
bioenergyspaceandwhatmore couldbeexpectedinthefuture?
It also can be used to inject Oxygen Nano Bubbles into water consumed by animals. We are finding animals can gain additional oxygen in their blood streams than was possible via only the lungs
This modular system places billions of oxygen nano bubbles in the water This can instantly clean up wastewater with NO expensive membranes. Notice how it can clean up entire mine tailing ponds in minutes! It can similarly clean up large ag manure lagoons to quickly create clean water for irrigation.The reason this works is that just like distillation (which uses heat to reduce surface tension and cause product separation) the physics of nano bubbles is that the smaller and smaller you create a bubble, you also reduce surface tension but with much less energy than using heat energy. Membranes are really just fancy ‘oil filters’that then plug up and are expensive to replace. Nano bubbles are the economical solution!
Atest was done on 1 million chickens and death loss was reduced by 95 percent and growth increased by 20 percent. Similar results found with a test at a fish farm.This all makes sense as oxygen in air millions of years ago was at 35 percent level. Today, the earth has a 21 percent oxygen saturation – only 21 percent! We all DIE at 19.5 percent.Thus, is it little wonder that our lungs (designed by God) for 35 percent oxygen level, with the smallest disease, cannot get our bodies enough oxygen into the blood stream. It appears that nano bubbles injected into the water that animals drink helps solve this. We are now doing research tests on Pigs.
HowdoyouenvisionscalingEES’s operationsandofferingsin2021? ItrulybelieveEasyEnergySystems Inc.hasthepatentedmodular technologyneededtocuretheproblem ofclimatechangeintheworld.Where needed,wehavelicensedcutting-edge technologiesfromothers.Ithinkof EasyEnergySystemsInc.asifitwas thecompany‘Lego’. Mypatentsarearounditsuseofmany differentprocessmodules,allworking togetherinunison–muchlikeaband conductorleadsabandofmany differentmusicians.Whilewe ourselveshavepatentsonvarious cuttingedge‘LegoBlockColors’,we needthetechnologiesand enhancementsofothers(justlikeother New Modular Nano Bubble Technology
Takingintoconsiderationthe currentpandemic,whatinitial challengesdidyouface,andhowdid youdriveyourcompanytosustain operationswhileensuringthesafety ofyouremployeesatthesametime? Weimmediatelytoldallemployees whocould,tostayandworkfrom home.Althoughweneededtoupdate our‘remote’capabilitysystems,this workedbetterthanIhadexpectedfor theelectrical,mechanical,software engineeringdepartments.Italso workedwellforourmanypeople performingphoneservice. Wethendividedourmanufacturing areaintowidespreadsectionsof‘work cells’tokeeppeopleasfarapartas possible.Sofar,wehave,forthemost part,avoidedworkplaceCOVID-19 infections.
Whatwouldbeyouradviceto buddingentrepreneurswhoaspireto ventureintothebioenergysolutions market? Be‘mentally’readyforeveryoneyou knowtocallyoua‘fool’.Infact,itis interestingthatinthecaseofmyvery mostprofitableandindustry-changing inventionsandtechnologies,the so-called‘experts’toldme,“Don’tyou knowyoucan’tdothat?Itwillnever Mywork.”problemnowisthatsinceIhave beenaroundthisdevelopment‘merry goround’somanytimes–whenInow hear‘youfool’–Iactuallythinkto myself...Great,thisisgoingtobevery profitableandworld-changing! Relatedtothis,nevergiveup.When discouraged,dustyourselfoffandkeep movingforward,eventhoughitcanbe incredibly‘lonely’attimes.
Ÿ Numerous USAg EngineeringAwards for various developed technologies.
Ÿ One of 4 ‘Top Small Business Leaders in the Nation’ as awarded by the US Congress
instrumentsinaband,totrulymake the‘music’ofsolvingclimatechange). Asanexample,wecanturnadeadtree thatwouldhaveotherwiseburnedin theforest–intoliquidsugar Wehave patentedtechnologiesthatcanconvert soliddrywastebyproductsintoreadily useableliquids-withouttheadditionof water.Wecanconvertthegreenwasteintoa valuablesoilamendmentthatcan increasecropyieldsbyupto40%.We arenowtestingatechnologytoconvert seaweedintoavaluablefeed amendmenttoremove82%ofthe greenhousegasesofcows.Wehave recentlylicensedtherighttousea nanobubbletechnologytobeableto instantlycleanupdirtywaterand/or enhanceanimalgrowth. Wehavelicensedanothertechnology thatcansequesters50,000tonsof carbonperyear.Anothertechnology canconvertcornintoavaluable productworthupto$10perbushelof corn.Lastly,wehavelicenseda technologythatcanconvertbiomass intoacoaladditivethatwillallow existingcoal-firedpowerplantstokeep operatingandstillmeettheParis Whileaccords.thelastfiveyearshavebeena toughpoliticalandinvestorclimatefor greenenergycompaniessuchasus,we arenowfeelingarenewedinvigoration forourproducts. Inpreparationforthemassive onslaughtofopportunitiesweare feeling,Iamintheprocessof completingareversemergersowecan becomeafullpubliclytradedcompany forthosewhoareinterestedinhelping usonourjourneycanparticipate financially.Withthis,wethenexpectto bringin400peopletorampupthe manufacturingactivitiesofour factory-builtmodularsystems. Over the years, Easy Energy Systems has received various awards, including: Ÿ Technology Leader of theYearAward for the State Of MN Ÿ Inc 500 award as one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the USA
Ÿ Asked to testify on our technology at the White House Ÿ Asked to testify on our technology at the US Congress Ÿ The software I designed was what stopped the mad cow disease a number of years ago in only 24 hours. Ÿ Recipient of the ‘Fire StarterAward’as one of the ‘Top 12 Most World-Changing Ideas on the Planet’, as selected by 4,000 scientists. (Interestingly, a company called "Tesla" received the award just one Exhibiting True Excellence
A photo of Mark Gaalswyk, Founder and CEO explaining the EES modular technology:
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Forrobotstofunctionautonomouslyorevenperform smallertasks,thousandsorevenmorecomplicatedcode linesneedtobedeveloped.Insuchcircumstances,itis morelikelythatpeopleopinionatethatrobotics-based automationisacomplicatedroadtowalkon.Thoughthisis thecase,roboticautomationcantransformeveryindustry andtakeproductionscalestothenextlevel. Severalbigandsmallcorporationshavealreadystarted employingrobotstoautomatetheirdailyoperations.The difficultyariseswhenthereisaneedtoupgraderobots' softwaretomeettheupdatedhardwarerequirements.The re-codingofsuchupgradescouldtakedaysormonthsto complete.Duringwhichtheworkcouldgetstrangledor sloweddown.SolvingthesechallengesistheAugmentus Pte TheLtd.ideaofAugmentuscametoDarylLimYouQuan (Co-founder)andhisco-foundercolleaguesfromtheir personalexperiencesandpainpoints.BeforeAugmentus, theyledteamstodeveloproboticssolutionsformultinationalcompanies.Theyhadtoinvestincalculablehours inprogrammingandintegratingdifferentrobotsand equipmentdeployedforcommercialprojects.Itencouraged themtobuildanintuitive,graphicalroboticsplatformthat simplifiesandunifiesthedevelopmentandoperationof industrialrobots. OptimizingIndustrialRobotsinMinutes AugmentusisanAI-roboticssoftwarecompany.Itoffers thefirstfullyautonomousdigitaltwincreationandrobot motionplanningsystem.Theplatform'ssimplicityenables evennon-technicaluserstoprogramindustrialrobotsin minutesinsteadofmonths. Theplatform'sintuitivegraphicalinterfaceandproprietary technologyeliminatestheneedforcodingandCADfilesin robotteaching.Userscan3Dscantheirworkcells,plot robotwaypoints,orselectfromalibraryoftemplates.And, Augmentus'ssoftwarepromisestogeneratethemost optimizedrobotpathswhilecheckingforsingularity, reachability,andcollisionavoidance.
Robotizationofmanufacturingoperationsisthenext steptowardsindustrialrevolution.Robotscan operateheavyorcomplextasks,smallchores,and riskyoperationsaccordingtoyourcommandswiththepress ofabutton.Theprospectsofthisideawouldinterestmany, butthenrealitywillhit,andonemayask,"Is this really possible using today's technology?”
Overtheyears,thecompanyhasformedpartnershipswith theworld'sleadingrobotmanufacturersandautomation providerstoempowermanufacturerstorecoupROIfaster byloweringthetime,cost,andskillbarriersinindustrial automation.Itsclientshavealreadyexperienceda70%cost reductionanda10xincreaseindeploymenttimesacrossa widevarietyofindustrialapplications.
SolvingtheChallengesofIndustrialRobotics Programmingrobotstoperformspecifictasksrequires massiveamountsofcodeandprogrammerswithvery specific,in-demandskillsets.Withtheseveredifficultyand heavyfragmentationpresentinconventionalrobot programming,differentrobotmanufacturersrequiretheuse theirrespectiveproprietarylanguagesandrequirehigh codingexpertise. Astheexistingautomationprocessesrequiresystem integratorstodevelopcustomsolutionsduetothe fragmentedmodules,thereis75%ofthelifetimecostsof eachrobotbeingsoftwareandprogrammingrelated.This problemisfurtherexacerbatedinhigh-mixworkflows wherethecomponentpartorprocesschangesfrequently, requiringrepeatedrobotreprogrammingandteaching.
Inordertosolvethisperennialproblem,theuseofAIand smartautomationiscrucialandintelligenceinautomation solutionsisneededtodynamicallyadjusttorapidchanges inproductionprocessesandparttopartvariation."We use such technologies in our platform where the system is able to quickly adapt to changes in parts and processes through 3D scanning while our proprietary technologies around auto-calibration and auto-path generation instantaneously
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Daryl Lim You Quan Co-founder
Thefutureofautomationwillbemorefocusedonflexibility andcollaboration.Therehasbeenanincreasingtrend towardssoftautomation,withmoreSMEsandMNCs havinghigh-mixworkflowsthatrequireautomation.Such changesinprocesseshavealwaysbeenashortcomingof conventionalautomationthatismoresuitedtolow-mix, high-volumeoperations.WhenweaskedDarylaboutthe Augmentus is an AI-robotics platform used by the world's leading robotics and manufacturingadvancedcompanies.
TheFutureofTheAutomationIndustry
generates robot programming without the need for technical expertise,"saysDaryl. ConqueringTheCOVID-19Challenge COVID-19presentedseveralkeychallengesforthe Augmentusteam.Darylexpresses,"As a robotics company, we needed to do site demos and integrations. Safe distancing restrictions have increased our lead times. To ensure the safety of our employees, we have converted 80% of our demos and integrations to virtual, drastically reducing the risk of contagion."
automationindustry'spost-pandemicfuture,heanswered, "With advances in technologies around AI and robotics, a new paradigm shift in automation is likely to ensue in the coming years, enabling the mass adoption of robotics and automation globally.” ShowingtheWaytoBuddingEntrepreneurs Workingintheroboticsindustryforyears,Darylhas personallyconqueredsomanychallengesthatoccurred whilemakingrobots.Whenaskedaboutwhatadvicehe wouldliketogivetoaspirantsintheroboticsindustry,he puts,"The most important thing for budding entrepreneurs is to deeply understand and empathize with their target audience. This will allow your team to identify a niche and build a go-to-market strategy around that niche.”
Daryl is a radical opportunist who is always on the lookout for thought-provoking talks and prac cal skills that will help him broaden his cogni ve awareness. By pu ng himself at the vanguard of the fourth industrial revolu on, he hopes to create a sustainable future that is interes ng and mo va ng for the next genera on.
Awards and Achievements Winner of IEEE STARS Award 2021 Winner of IMDA Techblazer Award 2021. Winner of Corporate Innova on Challenges Such As: Fujitsu Accelerator Programme Hyundai & Kia's Accelerate the Future Challenge The A*STAR Advanced Manufacturing startup challenge. İ OÑ Ğ Þ PÞ ǾÒŒPÒŃ I ÑMŇÑǾ | April 2022 www.insightssuccess.com20
"There are many problems around the world, and with limited resources and time, it is important to be focused and have a clear direction,"concludesDaryl PlansofExpansionfor2022andBeyond Augmentushaswide-rangingplansforscalingits operationsindifferentpartsoftheworld,commentingon theprogressofexpandingitsreachincomingyears.Daryl said,"We have scaled beyond Singapore and have begun deploying in countries such as Germany, Denmark, Japan, and the USA.”
"We are doubling down on global expansions in 2022 with remote teams to support the increasing demand for easy and rapid automation,"headded. Daryl Lim You Quan is the Co-founder of Augmentus, and together with his co-founders, Yong Shin, and Voon Foo, he has built the company to become one of the leading players in the robo cs so ware space.
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CloudComputing Theyear2021hasemergedasoneofthemostsignificant yearsforcloudcomputingplatforms.Arecentstudy conductedbytheInfosysKnowledgeInstituteof1000hightechandmanufacturingcompaniesobservedthatthecore shifthastakenplaceinmanufacturingstrategyduringthe past Businessesyearhaverapidlystartedadoptingcloudcomputing technologyasakeystrategyforthewayforward.Itis projectedbyexpertsthatthefutureofcloudnetworksand embeddedsystemswillbeinterlinkedinthecomingyears. Therewillbeasignificantincreaseinefficiency,mobility, businessproductivity,andcapabilitybecauseofcloud computing. ArtificialIntelligence(AI) Makingthemostoutofdataisthegoalofeverycompany thesedays.Artificialintelligence(AI)technologycan improvehumanunderstandingofunstructureddatainbetter ways.AIishelpingmanufacturersrecognizethetrendsin industrialdata. Thisdatacanbeusedfurtherbyprofessionalstomakedatadrivenmanufacturingdecisions.AIishelpingcompanies withbetterinventorymanagement,supplychainvisibility, assettracking,accuracy,etc.
Whatdoyouthinktheworldwilllooklikein10 years?Imaginewhatchangeswouldcomein people'slives?Andhowwillthesechanges transformtheworld?
Toanswerthesequestions,onewillhavetolookathow thingshavechangedinthepasttenyears.Anyonecan easilytellthatsomanytransformationshavetakenplace acrosstheglobe.Today'schangesarebroughtaboutbythe techindustryandbusinessesworkingtogether.Ithas resultedinarevolutionaryshiftinthewaytheworldworks. Itcanbesaidthattechnologywillplayamajorroleinthe futuretoo.Dependingonthetechnologicalinnovations, businesseswillrewritethewaythingsworkintheworldin thecomingdecade.Thelastdecadewasmoreabout businessesgettingtheirhandsonvarioustechnology solutionsforenhancingtheiroperations.Thisdecade, startingfromtheyear2020,ismoreaboutmerging technologicaladvancementwithmachinestobring automationintotheindustrialarena. Manycorporationshavebeenpushingforautomationin theireverydayoperationssincethestartoftheCOVID-19 pandemic.Thereasonsforthisdrivearenumerous. Increasedcompetition,meetingsupplydemands,speeding upoperations,reducinghumanerrors,safety,etc.,aresome ofthemainreasonsforenterprisestooptforautomation. Basedonthetypeofbusiness,theautomationtrendsare shapingupandhhemostprominentautomationtrendsare listedbelow.
MachineLearning(ML) Machinelearning,orML,isasubsetofAI.Itisan algorithmicframeworkthatlearnsautomaticallyfrom experience.BusinessesarelookingtoincorporateMLinto theirmanufacturingprocesssothathigh-scaleproduction canbeachievedwithspeed.Also,MLwouldprovetobe
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Theinclusionofrobotsinvarioussizesandshapescanhelp manufacturerstospeedupproduction.Theycanalsowork betterwherehumanworkersdonothaveaccessduetothe risksinvolved. Withtime,robotsarebecomingmorehelpfulinraisingthe standardsofproduction.Robotsareenablingcompaniesto automatethekeyareasofmanufacturing.Moreover,they arebuiltinsuchawaythattheycanbeusedforcollaborativeworkwiththehumanworkforce.
Also,thesetechnologiesgivecorporationstheabilityto pre-planeveryprocessindetail.Onecanwalkthrough everyminutefactorusingAR/VR/MRtechnologiessothat everythinggoessmoothlyatthetimeoftheactual manufacturingprocess.AR,VR,andMRwillplaya significantroleinhelpingindustriesontheirautomation journeyinthecomingyears.
Dronescanhelpindustriesmovetheirmaterialsorproducts fromonelocationtoanotherinminutes. Also,dronesarecurrentlybeingcommerciallyusedfor deliveringproductstocustomers'doorsteps.Andwithtime, theycanbecomemoreusefulforindustriestoautomate theiroperationsefficiently
UsageofDrones Manufacturingfactoriesaregenerallyspreadoverlarger areasandbuildings.Thegroundrobotscannotbeusedto shiftthematerialastherearesomanychancesofinterference.Totacklethisissue,dronescanbemoreeffective.
Effectivemanagementofthesupplychainisoneofthe mostimportantaspectsforbusinesses.Duringthelasttwo years,manybusinessesintroduceddifferenttechnologiesto theirsupplychainmanagement.Itenabledthemto automatemanyprocesseswhilesavingcostsaswellas deliveringgoodstothepeopleaspertheirdeadlines. Withthehelpofadvancedtechnology,processeslike procurement,inventorymanagement,assemblingproducts, logistics,transportation,andsalesareallbeingautomated.
SupplyChainTechnology
TheBottomLine Allinall,itcanbesaidthatvariousadvancedautomation toolshavestartedtoemergesincethebeginningofthis decade.However,theautomationtrendsmentionedabove arejustenteringindustriesonabroadscale,andtheyhavea longwaytogo.
3DPrinting
TheInternetofThings(IoT)isonemoretechnologythat hascaughttheinterestofindustrialistsacrossthemanufacturingindustries.Ithelpsmanufacturersconnectand monitordifferentcomponentsoftheiroperations.The combinedpowerishelpingindustriesgeneratevaluable datainsightsthatcanbeusedtoupgrade,optimize,and enhanceeveryareaoftheirproductionprocess.
ThepopularityofAugmentedReality(AR),VirtualReality (VR),andMixedReality(MR)technologyarerisingin differentindustries.Theysupportprofessionalstoaccess thecomplexmanufacturingprocessmorecloselyby providingavirtualormixedrealityenvironment.
3Dprinting,oradditivemanufacturing,cannowbuildparts andproductslayeruponlayerwiththehelpofcomputer aideddesign(CAD)software.Alongwiththis,3Dprinting isalsohelpinginproducingprototypes,models,lost-waxcastings,orspecificdelicatecomponentsofthefinal finished Additiveproducts.printingis
RoboticPicking Workingtogether,robotsandhumanscangetthingssafely doneinmuchfasterandmoreefficientways.Traditional productpickingandshiftingfromoneplacetoanother placewastesalotoftime.Withthehelpofautomatedsmart robots,thisissuecanbesolved.Asrobotsarebeingbuiltto becapableofhandlingcompanies'logisticsoperations,they cansmartlypicktheproductsandassemblethematthe desiredlocations.
oneofthemostpopulartrendsinthe manufacturingindustryasitcansignificantlysavetimeand money
TheUseofAR,VR,andMRTechnology
moreefficientinreducinghumanerrorsinthemanufacturingprocess.
TheInternetofThings(IoT)
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Co-workingWithRobots
Itwillbeinterestingtoseehowthesetechnologytools collaboratewiththehumanworkforceinthecomingyears tobringefficiencytoindustrialoperations.Intheend,all thesetechnologiesweredevelopedbyhumans,andtheyare expectedtoempowerpeopletoachievenewmilestones. - Vishal Golekar
Technologyhasemergedasablessing,makingour lifeeasierandsimple,androboticsisoneofthe significantexamples.Evenduringthepandemic, roboticsandautomationhasprovidedexcellentresultsin everyfieldwhetheritishealthcare,education,orlogistics.
OneprominentEuropeanleaderintheroboticsspaceis AxynRobotique,promotingtheconceptof'Roboticsfor InHuman'.thefollowinginterview,FrankAnjeauxtheFounder andCEOshedslightonthecompany'sjourney,thecurrent industryscenario,andhisvisionforthecompany'sfuture. PleasebriefouraudienceaboutAxynRobotique,its USPs,andhowitiscurrentlypositionedasaleading providerofautomationsolutions. AxynRobotiqueisaFrench-basedstart-upcreatedaround theprojectofproposinginnovativeroboticsolutionstothe many ThewholeDNAofthecompanyiswrittenaround theobjectiveofcreatingrealusagevalueratherthan sophisticatedbutpurposelesstechnicalobjects. Wehavethereforedesignedourproductsonlyafterin-depth consultationwithrealplayersinvariousfieldssuchas Education,Health,orIndustry4.0sectors.Axynistoday oneoftheprominentEuropeanleadersintelepresence robots.Weintendtoreachverysoonasimilarpositionin theintelligentlogisticrobotsoffering. Tellusmoreabouttheproductsandservicesthrough whichyouhaveascertainedyourstrongholdwithinthe automationspace. TodayweoffertotheEuropeanmarkettwomaintypesof roboticsolutions:
1-TheUbboRangeoftelepresencerobots(UbboMaker, UbboExpert,andEdmo)and 2-TheLoboRangeofautonomouslogisticdevices
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Axyn 5 R E R W $ / H D G L Q J 5R E R W L F V D Q $X W R P D W L R Q 6 R O XU R Y L G H
Alltheseproductsareentirelydesignedandmanufactured atAxyn'spremisesnearAix-en-ProvenceintheSouthof France.Theyallhaveincommontheirhighversatility.Asa matteroffact,wetakethebenefitsofourfullymodular robotbasetocustom-buildaversionforeachspecific Thisapplication.ishowwehavedevelopedEdmotomeetspecific needsaroundtheeducationsectorinconjunctionwiththe FrenchMinistryofEducation.AversionofUbboExpert wasdevelopedtomeettheneedofthefast-growing Industry4.0hasbeenelaboratedwithCapgeminior anotheronewasproposedtomeetthespecificneedin seniorhousesandvariousplayersofthesilver Thereeconomyareasofdateover800robotsinactionin thosevariousfields.Oneofourstrongholdsonthe automationmarkettodayisthecapacityofAxyn tomergebothourstrongpointssuchas telepresenceandautonomousrobotintoone
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Frank Anjeaux Founder and CEO
Artificialintelligencecoupledwithmechatronicdevices suchasrobotsallowsandwillincreasinglyallowthe performanceofautomatictasks.Thisautomationwilllead toconsiderablereductionsinlaborcosts. Butthistransitionmustbemadeinathoughtfulwayby focusingontasksthathaveasignificantROIandthosethat havenorealaddedvalue,suchasrepetitive,daunting, and/ordangeroustasks.Itisindeednecessarytoconsider thehumanside.
Wehaveimplementedallregulatorysafetymeasures(and beyond)anddidnotexperienceasignificantimpactonour productionflow.Someofourcomponentsandpartshave suffereddelaysindeliveriesbutnottotheextentof significantlyimpactingtheproductioncycle. Itmustbepointedoutthatwehavereceivedlargeandvery helpfulsupportfrombothpublicandprivatesector partners/vendorsthathavegreatlyhelpedAxyninthose difficultperiods. Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheautomationsolutions niche? Thecrucialpointisnottoneglecttheindustrialization phase.Withtoday'stoolssuchas3Dprinters,easily programmableandinexpensiveelectronicboards,ithas becomeveryeasytogofromanideatoaworking Thisprototype.hasallowedmanyinnovativesolutionstoemerging andhashelpedthecreationofmanystartups.Thiseaseof implementationhasneverthelesshadanegativeeffecton someentrepreneurswhobelievethat,iftheirsystemworks, itisthenenoughtosellit.
singlecombinedsolutionthatoffersauniqueabilityto createunprecedentedusagevalueinseveraldifferent applications. Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononwhy theadoptionoftechnologiessuchasAIandmachine learningisnecessaryfortheautomationservices industryandhowyouhaveleveragedthesetechnologies todeliveryourproducts/services/solutions?
ConsideringtheCOVID-19pandemic,whatchallenges didyouface,andhowareyoucurrentlydrivingyour companytosustainoperationswhileensuringthesafety ofyouremployees? COVID-19isatthesametimeanopportunityanda challengeforus.Itisanopportunityinthewaythatithas stressedtheneedforefficientlong-distancecommunication mediaactivelyhelpingtomaintainsocialandprofessional linksandinteractionwithoutphysicalpresence. Ourtelepresencerobotsarecurrentlyhelpingmanypatients toconnectwiththeirdistantfamiliesandmanydistant workerstointeractwiththeirdistantcompaniesand colleagues.Asfarasinternalorganizationisconcerned, althoughweremainarelativelysmall-scalecompany COVIDhasbeenachallenge.
TheadoptionofAIandmachinelearningtechnologiesis notanecessity,atleasttoday.Severalmanufacturing processesandindustriesfundamentallydonotneed artificialintelligence.Itisthereforeessentialforthesuccess ofthistransitionnottogooverboardinwantingtoswitchto all On"AI".theotherhand,itspacedandcarefulintroductioncan revolutionizetheindustrialworldasitistoday.The importantfactorsonwhichitisnecessarytoimpactarethe arduousnessofhumanworkandthecostoflabor AIwith roboticscangoalongwaytoimprovingthis. Today,thelowcostoflaborhasallowedcountrieslike Chinatodeveloptremendously,becominginafewdecades' majorworldeconomicplayers.Thishasnotbeenwithout causingsignificantecologicalproblems,aconsiderable reductionintheindustrialactivityinEuropeandNorth America,andthereforeeconomicdependencevis-à-vis thesesamecountries.
However,industrialization,whichistheintermediatestage betweenthetwophases(creationandmarketintroduction),
Theuseofartificialintelligenceandautomationshouldnot havetheobjectiveofreplacingmanbutofrelievinghimin hisdailylife.Otherwise,theuseofAIcouldcausemore problemsthanitsolves,suchasunemployment. Iftheseconsiderationsareconsidered,artificialintelligence willrevolutionizetheglobalindustry.Forexample,itwill bepossibleforasmallcompanytoacquireamulti-tasking industrialsystemcapableofcarryingoutin-situwhattoday requiresseveralprocessescarriedoutbyseveral manufacturersandhencefurtherreducecosts. Itwillthusbepossibletoproduceindustrialproductsas easilyasprototypes.Thenumberofpartstobe manufacturedcanthenbelessimpactingontheirunitprice.
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isessentialforthesuccessoftheproject.Itoptimizesthe producttoallowprofitablemanufacturingingreateror lesserquantities. Thiscangeneratetoolingandmanufacturingcoststhatmust beconsideredintheROI.Besidesthat,thereisthe normativeaspectthatshouldnotbeoverlooked,especially inautomation.Thesafetyofpeople,thematerialsused,the actualusagesarefactorstobeconsideredforthesuccessof theproject. Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourcompany'soperations andofferingsin2022? Theyear2022willbeascalechangerforAxyn.TheLobo rangeofautonomousrobotswillenteritsfirstfull productionyearwithaserialversiontobereleasedinthe Severalmarket.largeprojectsthatwerematuringin2020and2021 withprestigiouspartnerssuchasOrange(FrenchTelecom operator),Capgemini,SchneiderElectric,andseveral otherswillreachtheirfullpotentialinthiscomingyear Thiswillleadtoasignificantincreaseinbothvolumesof productionandobliviouslyturn-over IntheHealthsector: ThedirecttestimonyofDr.PascalMeyer,Anesthetist PhysicianatForcillesHospital(Cognacq-JayFoundation): "WeusedtheUbborobotinthepost-intensivecare rehabilitationunitduringconfinementwhenfamilyvisits wereprohibited.Ourpatientsarepeoplewitha tracheostomy.Mosthaveaphysicaldisabilitythatdoesnot allowthemtoholdasmartphone.Wehaveallowedmany peopletoseetheirlovedonesandhaveexpandedthe possibilitiesofvisitation.Avideoconferencewasmadeover 3500kilometers.Thisvisitwouldneverhavehappened withouttherobot.Ithasmanyadvantages:
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"WeusetheUbborobotforformalorinformalinteraction betweendistantusersandfactoryteammembersona regularbasisinmanydifferentlocationswithinthefactory Itcanbeinternalusers,distantcustomers.Theycanenjoya trulyimmersiveinteractionwiththepersonnelon-site."
-First:Ease Forfamilyandcaregivers,itiseasytouse.Thefamily opensanaccountontheAXYNwebsite.Theprocedureis verysimple.Theroleofcaregiversislimitedtoturningon therobotandbringingittothepatient'sroom. Videoconferencingdoesnotgenerateanadditional workloadthatwouldaffectotheractivities.
Intheindustrysector: FeedbackfromVirginieRigaudeau,HubManagerat SchneiderElectric(France):
"Wereallyhavethefeelingthatthedistantuseriswithus. Arealniceandsimplesolutionforanactualinteraction betweenthelocalteamanddistantusers.”
Second:Thepracticalaspectofcommunication. Indeed,theheadoftherobotisplacedatasuitableheight forabedriddenpersonorinanarmchair.Sothatthesick persondoesnothavetomaketheeffortofturninghishead todirecthissight.Therobot'sheadismobile,controlledby thepilot,inourcase,thefamily.Itismuchmorepractical thanfixedheadsolutionsthatrequirehumaninterventionto controlthescreen."
Therewerethedayswhenindustrializationwasa synonymoftextileindustryonly,andtheartisans weretheindustrialworkers.Buttheindustrial revolutioninventedpowerlooms,andthejuggernautof automationbeganitsjourney.Back-to-backindustrial revolutionstransformedthemedievalworldintothe modernage.Thefirstthreeofthem,i.e.,thesteamengine, ageofscience,andmassproduction,acceleratedtheworldsavinghumanefforts,costs,andmoney
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y à ° h 9 ë
However,thejuggernautofautomationkepttraveling,and today,ithasreachedthestation,wheretheglobeisdigital–thefourthindustrialrevolution.Humaneffortswerefirst replacedbyanimals,animalsreplacedbymachines,andto controlthesemachines,robotsarrived.Today,theserobots aredeployedineverysector,especiallytoperformrepetitivetasks.Theserobotscanmoveinsixdegreesoffreedom andoperateinX,Y,andZplanes. Inthisfast-pacedworld,timeismoney,andtheserobots helptosavetimebyperformingrepetitivetasks.However, theyfollowthepathwhichisinscribedbythesoftware programs.Lookingatthegrowingmarket,manycompanies startedtoprovidesoftwaretoautomateroboticmovements. Fizyrisonesuchcompanythatoffersastandardized softwareproduct,basedonartificialintelligence,that allowsrobotstocopewithhighvariationofobjectsin automatedpickingandplacingapplications. Inourquestfor‘The10MostDisruptiveAutomation CompaniestoWatch’,Mr.HerbertTenHave,CEOof Fizyr,sharedhisendeavorwithus.Heelaboratedonthe company'sworkcultureandthefutureaspects.Following arethedetailsoftheinterview: PleasebriefouraudienceaboutFizyr,itsUSPs,andhow itiscurrentlypositionedasaleadingproviderof automationsolutions. Fizyrdesigns,builds,andinstallsastandardizedcomputer visionsoftwarethatdetectsunknownobjectsvaryingin shape,size,colour,materialorstacking.Itsrobustalgorithmsprovideover100applicablegraspposeseach second,includingclassificationtohandleobjectsdifferently,whileperformingqualitycontrols.Justasthecamera andgripperaretheeyesandarmsofarobot,thevision softwareisthebrainthatanalyzestheimageanddirectsthe robottomoveaccordingly Fizyristrustedasastrategic partnerbygloballeadingintegrators,thankstoitsfully scalableandprovensoftware-onlyproduct,forwhichwe providefullinsightandcontroltoinstall,manage,update andsupport.Weempowersystemintegratorstobuild cutting-edgesolutionsfortheindustry’sendusers,in multiplehigh-demandindustries,suchase-commerce, micro-fulfilment,parcelhandlingandmore. Tellusmoreabouttheproductsandservicesthrough whichyouhaveascertainedyourstrongholdwithinthe automationspace.
Fizyr’sneuralnetworkistrainedtoclassifyanobject, strategizethepressurerequiredtopickit,andproposethe bestpossiblegraspposestosingulateitfrombulk.Oneof theinitialprojectsmanagedbyFizyrin2017involved enablingrobotstowork24/7andfoldupto720towelsper hourwithLaundryRobotics.Fizyr’scomputervision algorithmswereabletoproposeover100graspposeseach secondonunknownobjects.
Althoughthecompanypurelyfocusesonsoftware,Fizyr alsolicensesthedesignstomodify,3Dprint,andassemble itsproprietarygripper Thisgrippercanhandlechallenging situations,ensuringeaseinintegrationwithanyrobotina pickingcell.
Herbertisaninnovativebusinessleaderwith morethanthreedecadesofexperienceinbuilding high-techproductsandservices. Thankstohisexpertiseandknowledgeofthe industry,hegearedthebrilliantDelftRobotics teamtowardssuccess,thus,leadingtoanunprecedentedimpactontheautomationindustry.He proactivelyengagedthecompanyinrecognizing industryproblemsandsolvingthemwhilestaying committedtobuildingthebestvisionsoftware productandprovidecutting-edgeroboticpicking solutionsforthelogisticsindustry. AbouttheLeader HerbertTen Have CEO
ConsideringtheCOVID-19pandemic,whatchallenges didyouface,andhowareyoucurrentlydrivingFizyrto Fizyr’sCEO,HerbertTenHave,joinedFizyr (previouslycalledDelftRobotics)inJanuary 2017.DelftRoboticsstartedasaroboticsintegrator.WithinamonthofHerbert’sarrival,the companywontheprestigiousAmazonPicking Challenge.Thisledtothecompanypivoting towardsadeep-learningcomputervisionsoftware-onlyproductandre-brandingtoFizyr.
Theitemsandparcelstendtohaveahugevariationinterms ofsizes,materials,colors,andplacement,whichtraditional logisticssystemscannotaccountfor.Ine-commerce,there aremillionsofSKUs(StockKeepingUnits),thousandsof whichcannotbeprogrammed.Therefore,theadoptionof technologiessuchasAIanddeeplearninghasthepotential tochangethefaceoftheindustry
Fizyr’ssoftwareisalsohardwareagnostic,givingclients thefreedomtochoosethebestcamera,robot,andgripper fortheirautomatedpickingcell.Webelieveinthevalueof Fizyr’sindependencyandwantourclientstobeabletouse openstandardsandchoosetheirhardwaretoassemblethe bestpossiblepickingcells.
Insucharapidlygrowingmarket,logisticscompanies expectrobotstoperformtheirtasksaspredictedandagreed.
ApplyingFizyr’sproductisastrategicchoiceforwhichwe providefullinsightandcontroltoinstall,manage,update andsupport.Welicenseastandardizedproductforautomatedpicking,placing,andstackingtosystemintegrators andendusers.Ourcomputer-visionsoftwareistrainedwith auniquedatasetwithmillionsofimagesofchallenging logisticsenvironments,proposingthebestpossiblegrasp poses.Appliedinproductionallovertheworld,itempowerstheroboticautomationofleadingsystemintegratorsand endusers,inonlineretail,warehousingandparcelservices.
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Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononwhy theadoptionoftechnologiessuchasAIandmachine learningisnecessaryfortheautomationservices industryandhowyouhaveleveragedthesetechnologies todeliveryourproducts/services/solutions?
Fizyrremainsdedicatedtotraining,upskilling,andhelping employeesthriveinthefast-movingindustryofAIand logistics.Thecompanyaimstofocusonpredictableand scalableprocessestoresolvechallengingsituationsand contributetotheindustry.
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Thefastgrowthofe-commerceandparcelhandlinghas exacerbatedthehumanlaborshortage,whichisexpectedto keeprising.Asaresponse,anincreasingnumberof companieshavestartedtoadoptroboticautomationand implementsolutionsforautomatingpickingandplacing applicationsbothine-fulfilmentandparcelhandling.We believewehavesolvedoneofthebiggestchallengesin logisticsandwehopetoempowerasmanyintegratorsand endusersworldwideaspossible,inanefforttorelievethe pressuresoftheindustry.Theproductandmarketareready, soweplantoscaleexponentiallyintheupcomingyears, reflectingsucharapidgrowth.
sustainoperationswhileensuringthesafetyofyour employees? Oneofthemajorchallengesfacedbythecompanywasthe terminationofaprojectbyanItaly-basedclientduetothe direconsequencesatthestartofthepandemic.Consequently,otherclientshesitatedtocontinueprojectoperationsastheyrequiredhardwarecomponents,suchas cameras,grippers,robots,etc.,toconductresearchand development.Thefirstfewmonthswereuncertain,and later,severalclientssawtheopportunityforgrowthininecommerce,micro-fulfilmentandparcelhandling. ThoseclientsmotivatedFizyrtoscaleupitsprocesseseven fasterandofferroboticsolutionstothedynamicindustry. Meanwhile,theFizyrteamwasworkingfromhomeand wouldonlyworkfromtheofficeifabsolutelynecessary At thattime,thehugeofficespaceinthepandemicwas reservedforspecificpurposes.Withtherestrictionseasing downintheNetherlandsandthehighvaccinationrate, peoplearemovingbacktotheofficeonaflexiblebasis. Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheautomationsolutions niche? Herberthighlightstheimportanceofvalidatingassumptions,pushingtheproducttothemarket,andcreatingvalue fortheclientsinthequickestwaypossible.Thequickerthe entrepreneursidentifyopportunities,thebettertheygetto approachtheclientsinanearlyphaseandacquirethe marketbeforefacinganyconsequenceslater.Understandingtherequirementsoftheclientsfromthebeginningcan stimulatecompanygrowth,improvepartnerships,andhelp buildrelationswithpotentialclients. HowdoyouenvisionscalingFizyr’soperationsand offeringsin2021?
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neofthefamousbuzzwordsofthecenturyis Automation.Machinesaredoingmoreandmore tasksasworkgrows.Workersbecomemore estrangedfromoneanotherandalienatedfromtheirlaborwhetheritisfactoryrobotsassemblingvehiclesor algorithmsthatdetectailmentsandfindyouthecutestcat picturesontheInternet.
WhileAutomationhasadvancedatbreakneckspeedin recentyears,itdoesnotappeartobeslowingdown.Aswe automatemorecorporateactivities,weareapproachingan intriguinglong-termparadox:despiteacenturyof developingmachinestodoourworkforus,thenumberof individualswithjobshascontinuallyincreasedoverthepast 125years.Andthatisbeneficialforbusinessaswellasthe humanworkers.
RPA(RoboticProcessAutomation)enablesbusinessesto disrupttheirsectorsbysurpassingthecompetitionand investingininnovation.Organizationsshouldinsteadfocus theiremphasisonharnessingtheirin-househuman expertisetodevelopanswers.Thatwillenablethemtorise tomarketleadershipbyoutsourcingthetedious,repetitive, butnecessaryadmin-typechorestobots.
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BusinessBenefitsFromWorkAutomation
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Itiseasytounderstandhowthiscouldputworkersatrisk; ththe20 centuryislitteredwithexamplesofhumanslosing theiremploymenttofaster,moreefficientrobots.Whatis lessevidentisthepotentialthisgivesforthelefttouse technologytotheadvantageoftheworld.
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Humansstillhavetheupperhandwhenitcomestohuman contact,or"softskills,"astheyarenowknown.Active listening,speaking,criticalthinking,reading comprehension,andmonitoringarethetopfivemostindemandjobabilitiesinCanadafrom2019to2022, accordingtoarecentanalysisfromtheRoyalBankof Canada(RBC)titled"HumansWanted."
- Rahul Thakar
IndystopianfilmslikeTerminator,pessimisticpredictions aboutwhatthefutureoflaborautomationcouldmeanfor humanitycometofruition.Beyondthat,thereisawidely heldbutincorrectbeliefthatwidespreadAutomationwill supplanthumanworkers. However,suchpredictionsareunlikelytocometrue. BecauseAutomation'sfuturedependsonitsabilitytoblend withhowhumanswork,Automationwillincreasinglybe usedtoassistpeopleinworkingsmarterratherthanharder Itwillautomatetheboring,repetitive,andtiresometasks thathumanstodayperform,allowingworkerstofocuson higher-leveltasksinvolvingcreativity,interpretation,and empathy. HumansAreStillRequiredInTheWorkforce
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Thisformofdisruptionisbeneficialtotheeconomyasa whole.Itwillproducenewtypesoflabourthatwehaveyet toenvisionreplacingtheoldjobsthathavebeendisplaced bytechnologicaldevelopment.Automationsavingswillbe investedinmoreresearchanddevelopmenttogeneratenew goodsandservices,resultinginmorejobopportunities Theoverall.introductionofATMsisagoodexampleofthis. Automatictellermachines(ATMs)werefirstlaunched45 yearsagowiththeintentionofreplacinghumanbank tellers.But,asweallknow,itdidnothappen.Instead, ATMsmadeitlessexpensiveforbankstoopennew branches,whichtheydid,andthecountofbanktellersin theUShasincreasedfrom2000to2010.
WhatDoestheFutureHoldforAutomation?
Humansarestillmorereliableandefficientthantechnology whenitcomestothesecriticallaborskills.Maintainingand strengtheningyourabilitiesinthesefundamentalareaswill serveyouwellevenifyouchangeindustrieshalfway throughyourcareer. Employeeretrainingor"reskilling"isnotonlymorecosteffectiveforemployersbutalsopromotesemployees'longtermpersonaldevelopment.Lookingaheadafewyears, educationwillbecomeevenmoreimportantthantoday.As technologyadvances,theexistinglabourmustcontinually reinventthemselves,"reskilling"onthejobtolearnnew Ysystems.oungergenerationsmustlearnlegacysystemsaswellas toadapttoevolvingtechnologiesastheoldergeneration departs.Job-hoppingisbecomingincreasinglypopular,so anyprogrammethatpromotesemployeetraining,personal growth,andeducationwillprovideemployeeswithanother reasontostay FinalThoughts TheleftwillhavetograpplewiththerealityofAutomation, whichissomethingthattheentireglobeisgrapplingwith.
Workersaroundtheworldarefacingafewtroublesin adapting,butthereisabrightsidetoworkingalongwith AutomationAutomation.isn'tonitsway;it'salreadyhere.Thereisa futureinwhicheveryonebenefitsfromthefruitsof mechanizedlabor.Tobringaboutthisbetterworld,theleft mustprovideavisionofthefuturethatwedesire. Weneedtoplanforthatfuture.Ourlegislatorsmustensure thateveryonesharesequallyinthereward.Abetterworldis possible,anditisonlyaroundthecorner,butwemustall actifwewanttoenjoyit.
SummarySky: Outsidedroneandsoftwaresystemforinventory managementofblockstorageoroverviewoflargestorage areas(empties).Withthehelpofdroneimagesandartificial intelligencedifferenttypesofcratescanberecognizedand counted.
SummaryCeiling: Opticalinventorysystemforblockstorageinindoor warehouses.Multiplebattery-poweredcameramodulesare The 10 Most Disrup ve
Automa on Companies to Watch Volume I 01 | MM 2022 www.insightssuccess.com
Evidently,thedigitaltransformationhasopenedthe doorstonumerousopportunitiesandpossibilities forvarioussectors,andthelogisticindustryhasnot beendevoidofthesedigitalchanges.Today,the inefficienciesintheprocesseshavebeenreduced,more packagesarebeingdelivered,productionhasbecomecosteffective,andwhatnot. Allthesechangescomedowntowhereallthegoodsare stored.Andthus,drivingdigitizationinthewarehouse becomesofutmostimportance.Ifthequestionarises,how canitbeimplemented,doks.innovationhasgotallthe doks.innovationanswers.isbreakingnewgroundsinwarehouse managementwithinventivenessandpioneeringspirit. WeatInsightsSuccesscaughtupwithMikeBecker,thecofounderandSeniorSoftwareDeveloper,andChristian Sproedt,theStrategicSalesManager,tolearnmoreabout doks.innovation.. Below are the highlights of the interview: Pleasebriefouraudienceaboutyourcompany,itsUSPs, andhowitiscurrentlypositionedasaleadingprovider ofautomationsolutions. doks.innovationGmbHwasFoundedin2017locatedinthe centralEU(Kassel,Germany).Indoks,about30employees areworkingintwocentralproductlines(Inventoryand WSummary).ebuildandprovideautonomoussolutionsfor intralogistics.Yearningtodigitizetheworldoflogistics,it aspirestocontributetothegrowingIndustry4.0.Theworld oflogisticsisconstantlyfacingnewchallenges.Our productsarestrivedtosolvethesechallengesand revolutionizetheworldoflogistics.Theproductsaimto drivethesupplychainefficientlywithautonomous technologies,decreaseexpenses,andincreasesafetyin warehouses. Tellusmoreabouttheproductsandservicesthrough whichyouhaveascertainedyourstrongholdwithinthe automationspace. Indoks,therearetwoproductlines-inventoryand summary InventoryXL: Autonomousinventorymanagementsystemwithina warehouse(palletrack)consistingofan AMR(autonomousmobilerobot)andadrone.Thedrone andtheAMRrelatetoapowerlinetoprovidefivehours operationtimeofthesystem.Theonlyelementwhichneeds tobeputasfixedinfrastructureisthechargingstation.
SummaryGate: Thegatecreatesallnecessarydocumentationanddamage detectionofanobjectmovingthroughthegate.Itprovides allthesolutionstoInboundandOutboundcontrol,asensor systemforautomateddamagedetection,loadingscans, incominggoodsinspections,conveyorsystemsplausibility, andcompletenesscheck.
: H W D N H \ R X U O R J L V W L F V W R W K H Q H [ W O H Y H O D Q G S U H S D U H \ R X U F R P S D Q \ I R U W K H F K D O O H Q J H V R I D G L J L W L V H G I X W X U H $ I S J T U J B O 4 Q S P F E U 4 B M F T Mike of(FounderBecker,HeadSoftware) | April 2022 www.insightssuccess.com41
MikeBecker:IamtheCo-Founderofdokswith8yearsof experienceinthedroneindustriesmainlyinvolvedin SoftwareandHardware.Iamleadingthesoftwareteamto createthebestsolutionforautonomousinventory managementonthemarket.
Centralforusisthatwecanofferaproductthatdoesnot needdailyserviceorsupportbutcanoperatethewholeyear withonlyayearlycheck-up.
Ontheotherhand,itisagreatopportunitytoshowand provethatautomatedandautonomoussolutionshavea hugebenefit–asnoonemustattend.Overall,wewouldsay theautonomousconceptsbecomemoreacceptedduringthe pandemicphase.
| April 2022 www.insightssuccess.com42
Covidwasandischallengingastheoptionfortestingat warehousesandpresentingourproductsaremainly reduced.Therefore,thedevelopmentofnewfeatureswas sloweddownasthetestingtimewasreduced.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheautomationsolutions niche? Findaprocesstoautomateandjusttryit.Thereisalways roomtoimproveprocesses. Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourcompany'soperations andofferingsin2022? Currently,focusonnearbycustomerswithafocuson CentralEUandtheUKtohaveahighlevelofsupportand endof2022addScandinaviaandthefirstoversearegions.
ConsideringtheCOVID-19pandemic,whatchallenges didyouface,andhowareyoucurrentlydrivingyour companytosustainoperationswhileensuringthesafety ofyouremployees?
Inventorymanagementbyflexibledroneisstartingto gatherseriousweightasaworkableconceptandwillscale upwitheachpositivecommentofcustomersusingitona regularbasis.Ofcourse,therewillbealsoanewfeature, whichisindevelopment.Forexample,weplantodetect rackdamageswiththesystemsanddoboxcounting.
attachedundertheceilingtocreateatopviewofthe warehouse.Withthehelpofimagesandartificial intelligencedifferenttypesofcratescanberecognizedand counted. Briefusaboutthefeaturedperson(s),theirjourneyin theindustry,andhowtheyhavecontributedtowards thecompany'ssuccess.
ChristianSproedt:IamChristianSproedt,havebeeninthe logisticsindustryfor10years.MasterofTechnical Logisticsandholdpositionsinprojectplanningand purchasing,lastpositionisheadofcontractlogisticsat consultingcompany.
Iamtotallyconvincedthatlogisticsmustbemoreopento newtechnologiesandautonomoussolutions.Logistics serviceprovidersnotdoingthiswillvanishfromthe market. Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononwhy theadoptionoftechnologiessuchasAIandmachine learningisnecessaryfortheautomationservices industryandhowyouhaveleveragedthesetechnologies todeliveryourproducts/services/solutions? Itisgettingtougherandtoughertogetstafftodomany jobs,especiallyinthelogisticsindustry.WithAIand machinelearningmanytaskscanbeautomatedandthestaff canfocusonmorevaluabletasks.Especiallythe stocktakingprocessisanon-valuabletask,whichmustbe done.Automizethesetasksleavethestaffmoreroomtoadd valuetothecompany
