Robotics & Automation News – April 19

ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION NEWS

Issue 24 April 2019

T he m ont hl y m ag az i ne for t he roboti cs and autom at ion indus t r y

Components with a competitive edge

Andretti Autosport applies Stratasys 3D printing to components development

RE.WORK The leading global events company in AI and deep learning.

We create and organise globally renowned summits, workshops and dinners, bringing together the brightest mind in AI from both industry and academia. At each RE-WORK event we combine the latest technological innovation with real world applications and practical case studies. Learn from global pioneers and industry experts, and network with CEOs, CTOs, data scientists, engineers and researchers disrupting their industries with AI. We also provide an analysis of current trends and innovations, through podcasts, white papers and video interviews. We also have an extensive ondemand video library of presentations from world-leading experts in AI.

Voted #1 Best Artifical Intelligence Conference for Business Leaders in 2018

➤➤➤ Upcoming events

Robotics & Automation News

Journey to the heart of automation Abdul Montaqim, Editor

W

hen we started Robotics and Automation News, our most avid readers were from the industrial robotic arm sector. They are still probably the most enthusiastic, but the market has changed so much in the three years we have been publishing.

Right now, probably our fastest-growing audience segment comprises professionals from the logistics sector, specifically supply chain – the warehouse part of the process. Here, innovations abound, with robotic platforms which can move entire shelves around to driverless forklifts.

It’s a very dynamic sector, with deals being made all over the world. Warehouse robot makers who talk to us say that a lot of the demand is from e-commerce companies which are increasingly coming under press to compete on two fronts – one is to make the most of slim profit margins by roboticising their warehouses, and the other is to deliver the ordered item to the customer faster than ever.

Nowadays, online shoppers are offered delivery within an hour or two, which seems quite an amazing turnaround for those of us who still remember mail order catalogues from back in the day when there was six-week wait for an order to be delivered.

The only way to speed up the supply chain to that extent without hiring lots of extra staff and, thereby, increasing costs astronomically is through robotics and automation.

So it’s no wonder that this is an area of growing interest to our newer readers.

Add to that the autonomous cars, trucks and other road vehicles that can deliver to customers’ doors, then we’re looking at an ecosystem that will provide us with a lot of interesting stories going forward.

And if the robotic arm people feel left out, there’s no need to. A lot of the new machines – whether it’s a mobile platform in a warehouse or a road vehicle – are integrating robot arms into their solutions.

It’s a fascinating time to be covering robotics and automation, and we hope that you will stay with us on this journey. l

editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Editorial

Contents Opinion: Malene Grouleff considers what role we want robots to play in our world Human-robot collaboration The ARIZ project is working on a flexible and versatile production assistant in humanmachine cooperation

3D printing: Andretti Autosport is using Stratasys 3D printing to develop components

News: Hyundai Robotics prioritises research and development News: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi van production expands

Warehousing: Geek showcases warehousing robotic solutions

Guided vehicles: An interview with Kivnon’s commercial director Material handling solutions: Ground and Soft Robotics partners Platforms: Qualcomm aims to ‘transform robotics’

Sensor Readings magazine

Editorial & Production

Managing Editor Anna Schmidt Editor Abdul Montaqim

Art Editor Mark Allinson

Email annaschmidt@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Email abdulmontaqim@roboticsandautomationnews.com Email markallinson@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Marketing & Advertising

Advertising Manager Maria Santiago Email mariasantiago@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Advertising Executive Sam Francis

Email samfrancis@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Marketing Director David Edwards Email davidedwards@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Monsoon Media, London, United Kingdom Subscriptions: £10 per year (digital only) Single issue: £1 (digital version)

www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

News

News

Nidec to acquire 70 percent stake in Desch Group

Nidec Corporation has agreed to acquire a 70 percent ownership of a privately owned German company, Desch Antriebstechnik and its group companies in Germany and China, from its owners.

The transaction will be made through Nidec-Shimpo, a Germany-based affiliate of Nidec’s subsidiary, Nidec-Shimpo Corporation.

Desch was founded in 1906 and manufactures and sells large precision gearboxes. It has approximately 400 employees and last year had revenues of around $100 million. Nidec is headquartered in Japan and has annual revenues in excess of $11 billion.

Nidec’s business is in the manufacture, sales and services associated with reduction gearboxes and pressing machinery business through its subsidiary, Nidec-Shimpo Corporation. It has around 2,300 employees.

Nidec-Shimpo has a consolidated strong presence in the gearbox market with its linear precision planetary reducers (input and output shafts are aligned) and right-angle precision reducers (input and output shafts are arranged at an angle of 90 degrees) manufactured by the German company MS-Graessner acquired by Nidec-Shimpo last August.

Doosan in push on collaborative robotics

Doosan is planning to make a stronger push into collaborative robotics.

Doosan Robotics CEO, Lee Byung-Seo, says: “Collaboration is the key, not the 1: 1 replacement with the worker.”

Interest in cooperative robots is spreading. However, apart from the growing interest, the speed at which cooperative robots are introduced into manufacturing sites is slowing. editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Research

Hyundai Robotics prioritises research and development

H

yundai Robotics is prioritising its activities in research and development and says such activities are central to its future plans.

The company held one of its annual technology R&D briefings recently at its Bundang, South Korea office.

The event was attended by COO Seo Yoo Seong and more than 100 executives and employees.

Participants shared the latest outcomes of their R&D efforts and discussed future technological advancements.

Seo said: “By developing core technologies, we need to ensure that R&D plays a leading role in preparing ourselves for the future.”

He asked the executives and employees to “set ambitious R&D goals aligned with the direction of the company’s business and turn

them into sustainable outcomes”.

Hyundai Robotics plans to expand the R&D Briefing event in the future, for example, by inviting its customers, so that the event serves as a publicity channel for the firm’s technologies.

Hyundai Robotics is one of the largest industrial robot manufacturers in the world.

It’s parent company, Hyundai, is one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the world.

SoftWear Automation launches ‘Sewbots as a service’ rentals

S

oftWear Automation, a company which builds machines for the textiles industry, is launching something it calls “Sewbots as a service”.

“Sewbots” – short for sewing robots – is the name the company uses for its automated sewing machines, and whereas previously it was looking to sell units, now it will also hire them out.

If SoftWear’s technology takes off, it will have dramatic implications for the textiles industry.

From 1994 to 2005, the United States lost more than 900,000 textile and apparel jobs to offshoring.

Fast-forward to 2018. The pendulum is swinging back and textiles are returning as lean, highly automated, environmentally conscious production facilities.

Within the last six years, there have been significant announcements by foreign-owned textile companies investing in the United

States, with site selection choices clustered in the Southeast including the first Chinese owned Cut Make Trim factory in Arkansas, according to a report.

Despite this industry reversal, the seamstresses are not returning. While the knowledge can be shared to upskill workers, people don’t have the desire to work in a traditional textile factory.

To solve this and accelerate the growth of US-based textile manufacturing, SoftWear Automation is announcing SEWBOTS-as-aService, a rental lease service to allow manufacturers, brands, and retailers to source and manufacture here in the US at a lower cost than outsourcing and with greater predictability and quality.

While we understand the benefits of “Made in America”, the focus of this program is to offer US textile manufacturing more control, greater margin, faster turn times and less inventory. www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

Vehicles

News

News

Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi van production expands

T

he Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance has added new production capacity in its manufacturing facilities in Maubeuge and Sandouville, France.

Maubeuge serves as Renault’s small van center of excellence and Sandouville is the production center for the Renault Trafic van.

By the end of the strategic plan, Alliance 2022, the Alliance aims to double annual synergies to €10 billion.

To help achieve this target, Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors will accelerate collaboration on common platforms and common production facilities.

Carlos Ghosn, Alliance chairman and CEO, announced the new investments in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron. They toured the plant and met with employees and also visited the plant’s advanced training center.

Ghosn said: “Groupe Renault’s global van expertise is driving synergies across the Alliance to benefit all our customers. The Maubeuge and Sandouville plants provided the most attractive solution thanks to their competitiveness and ability to leverage Alliance common platforms.

“This year, Groupe Renault has announced a total investment in France of €1.4 billion to support two pillars of growth: pure electric

and light commercial vehicles.”

The Maubeuge plant, which ranks among the most efficient plants in France, will serve as the manufacturing hub for the nextgeneration Renault Kangoo family, which includes electric versions.

Groupe Renault is investing €450 million for Kangoo production over five years. In 2019, 200 workers will be hired in order to support the van expansion. The Nissan NV250, a new small van based on the current Renault Kangoo platform, will also be produced at Maubeuge, beginning in mid-2019.

Furthermore, the Alliance and Daimler are reaffirming their partnership. Renault currently produces the Mercedes Citan van at the Maubeuge plant.

Mitsubishi Motors will also benefit from Renault’s van expertise, sourcing a vehicle on the same platform as the Renault Trafic.

India emerges as one of the fastest growing economies

I

ndia is emerging as one of the fastest growing economies in the new millennium and the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) segment is expected to play a significant role in this growth.

Universal Robots is aiming to penetrate the sector with new and affordable automation solutions with a collaboration with Bharat Fritz Werner (BFW), India’s largest machine tool manufacturer, and integrate collaborative robots in manufacturing processes.

editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

The partnership aims to disrupt the MSME segment with top-notch automation solutions and for CNC machines. This collaboration will assist Universal Robots in redefining production processes through introduction of its robotic arms.

Advanced user-friendly and light industrial robotic arms will dramatically impact productivity, quality and working conditions in the MSME segment as it will automate and streamline repetitive industrial processes along with increased productivity and efficiency.

Yanu raises $1 million for its robotic bartender

Startup company Yanu has raised $1 million in funding for its artificial intelligence-powered robotic bartender.

This is the company’s second seed investment round.

Yanu says the robot bartender will appeal to anyone who has ever waited at the bar more than a few minutes for a drink.

People have probably fantasized about the idea of a robot whizzing around, whipping up cocktails, and cashing out customers within seconds, according to the company.

Alan Adojaan, CEO, Yanu, says: “After 15 years of opening bars and nightclubs, I realized just how much it cost to serve a high volume of patrons, and just how many scheduling conflicts came along with it.

“Between bartenders calling in sick and alternating schedules, it was a fulltime job just keeping a bar stocked and staffed. We built Yanu to serve 100 drinks per hour, keep costs low, and offer up personality with each drink.

“Yanu also uses cloud-based AI chatbot technology and takes up less space than any other robotic bartender.

“Created to freely communicate with humans, Yanu is maintainable and relocatable – not to mention stunning to look at.”

TechMan Robot seeks regional sales manager TechMan Robot is planning to expand its operations in Europe and is looking for a regional sales manager.The company says the new appointment will join a rapidly expanding team in a growing market.

TM is looking for someone with experience in the European region. The European regional sales manager will be the primary technical sales expert for the product portfolio.

www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

Opinion

Ethics

Robots are what we make them Opinion: Malene Grouleff of Grouleff Communications considers what role we want robots to play in our world

A

t a Belgian factory, the following sign stands next to a gigantic industrial robot: “This machine has no brain. Use your own.”

People are people. Robots are just robots.

When we say that we have a mission to raise awareness of new robot inventions, we encounter a wide range of different ideas about what robots actually are and what they are capable of. Until just a few years ago, robots were mostly found in the realm of science fiction or on the assembly lines of the automobile industry.

Since then, technology and innovations have taken quantum leaps, and we are increasingly surrounded by robots, algorithms, and automated solutions in our everyday lives. Driverless vehicles and drones, automated editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers and window washers, parking robots, chatbots, and much, much more.

These developments require consideration and reflection on our part – a nuanced ethical debate about the role we want robots to play in our world, now and in the future.

Useful tools We can choose to view technologies as useful tools that help perform necessary and arduous tasks while sparing our well-being – a kind of slave that takes care of chores that are unhealthy for the human body and spirit.

But we can also examine how the ever-expanding capabilities of new technologies can be utilised to address some of the biggest challenges faced by society.

Take labour shortages, for example. Within the past six months, four out of ten Danish companies have been unable to fill posted vacancies. That’s the highest this figure has been in ten years. www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

Ethics that send private information about the frequency of use?

Aimee van Wynsberghe points out that the robots did not just decide to report this information. Somebody designed them to do so.

At Grouleff Communications, we’re delighted when robots take over dangerous, dirty, boring and unappealing jobs – palletising or metal polishing, for example. We’re delighted when Inkeri Karjalainen is photographed standing next to the robot Inkeri II, who helps her dip designer mugs in glaze at a factory in northern Finland, now that her arms are worn down after performing this task for many years.

And we’re delighted when flexible mobile robots from Mobile Industrial Robots can be seen rolling through the corridors of Denmark’s nursing homes and hospitals so that staff do not have to spend time transporting goods, waste and medicine – giving them more time to attend to patients and residents.

Or when highly sensitive “robot hands” from the Danish company OnRobot pack organic herbs at nurseries on the Danish island of Funen, sparing employees from the back strain of bending and lifting, and when a new robot from Flow Robotics takes over “hand-pipetting”, a task that has worn down the hands and wrists of many lab technicians over the years.

Growing companies such as Trelleborg Sealing Solutions in Elsinore are encouraging their personnel to identify tasks that robots and cobots (collaborating robots) can take over, and now more than 50 cobot arms from the Danish company Universal Robots are working side by side with employees.

One of the reasons that things are going so well for this company is that the robots are now handling the monotonous duties, freeing up time for employees to perform more demanding and creative tasks at the workplace.

We must consider how we want to use robots in our society. Therefore, it was a pleasure to hear a recent talk at Aarhus Art Building by Aimee van Wynsberghe, chair of the organisation Responsible Robots. The aim of Responsible Robots is to ensure a future with responsible use of robots and artificial intelligence, both in terms of manufacture and use.

In the view of Aimee van Wynsberghe, it is up to the people behind the robots to drive technological development in an ethically proper direction. She suggests that we consider and discuss the consequences of new technologies in advance – in terms of ethics, security, privacy, and so on – rather than waiting to think about it until after the robots are up and running.

For example, how do we feel about robot vacuum cleaners that send information to Google about areas of your home with space for a certain type of furniture, so that you can be deluged with ads? Or what about sex toys editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

“

Opinion

Growing companies such as Trelleborg Sealing Solutions in Elsinore are encouraging their personnel to identify tasks that robots and cobots can take over

Marking football pitches We’re also delighted when small green robots from Intelligent Marking mark football pitches in 20 Danish municipalities, giving local football club volunteers more time to spend with the children.

Or when exoskeletons give sick and disabled people new capabilities and opportunities. And when the robot Robert helps with the rehabilitation of bed-bound patients, preventing the complications that can arise from being confined to a lying position for extended periods.

We think that it is ideal to use robots and automation: l to make our working environments healthier; l to promote local production of goods; l to improve our productivity (and the value we generate) by collaborating with robots; l to reduce/compensate for human error; l to give people superpowers; l to solve bottleneck problems in the labour market; l to produce food for a growing global population; l to take measures to prevent climate change; l to provide greater self-reliance and freedom to disabled persons; and l to gain more free time. l

Malene Grouleff

About the author: Malene Grouleff is the founder of Grouleff Communications. She was a journalist with Danish Broadcasting Corporation and IDG. She also served as an associate professor at the DMJX. www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

Features

Warehousing

Geek showcases warehousing robotic solutions at LogiMAT

Warehousing: Geek Sorting Robot S20 is an innovative and productive tool to increase parcel sortation efficiency in a distribution center.

G

eek Plus Robotics released what it says is the “world’s first interweaving robot sorting system” with the latest version of its Geek Picking System at LogiMAT 2019, the international trade fair for intralogistics solutions, held in Stuttgart, Germany, from February 19 to 21.

Geek Plus says it is now a leading artificial intelligencedriven robotic solution and service provider – and China’s top supplier of warehousing and logistics robotics.

Geek Sorting System Now it has brought its award-winning solutions “Geek Sorting System” to Stuttgart for LogiMAT. Its wide range of automated and intelligent devices is capable of handling the material – pallets, boxes, and single pieces – from goods receipt, unloading, put-away, to picking, packing and order shipment.

editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Geek Sorting Robot S20 is an innovative and productive tool to increase parcel sortation efficiency in a distribution center.

High flexibility Unlike traditional cross-belt sorter, this sorting system is designed to be highly flexible and easy-to-use, warehouse reconstruction or two-layer steel platform structure is no longer necessary, so time and cost are saved.

The P800 picking robot is equipped with QR code navigation and multiple-sensors, it can follow ground markings and pinpoint the right rack accurately.

Managed by a powerful Geek Picking System that integrates with strong algorithms, big data analysis, and a series of optimization strategies, hundreds of units are able to operate simultaneously.

With the deployment of Geek Picking System, fast improvement on warehouse operation efficiency and order fulfillment accuracy have been proved by many testimonials.

Founded in 2015, Geek Plus has successfully delivered over 7,000 warehousing and sorting robots worldwide in more than 100 clients from different industries – www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

Autonomous vehicles

Features

Kivnon launches autonomous guided vehicle for logistics work

K

ivnon has launched a new autonomous guided vehicle for logistics and supply chain operations. The company plans to showcase it at the LogiMAT event, in Germany, next week.

Unlike an “automated” guided vehicle, which often requires tracks or markings on the ground to guide it through an environment, an “autonomous” collects data about its environment and uses artificial intelligence in order to navigate without requiring tracks or markings on the ground.

The company describes the vehicles as “an omnidirectional AGV superfine” that is designed for all types of surroundings and which can lift and carry up to 1.000 kg with “free navigation”.

e-commerce, retailing, third-party logistics, manufacturing, and others.

Many well-known enterprises have benefited from the implementation of Geek Plus Robotics robots with significant productivity improvement and labor cost saving.

Partnerships Yong Zheng, CEO of Geek Plus Robotics, says: “Even though it was the first time that Geek Plus Robotics has exhibited at LogiMAT, we’ve already started partnerships with some outstanding customers and have accomplished several projects in the UK, Poland, Spain and other countries.

“We took the opportunity to showcase our cutting-edge robotic logistics solution and expect to help more European companies to achieve robotic automation so as to reduce warehousing operation cost.

“Moreover, I’m glad to say that our German branch is prepared to open soon. Then, we will be able to offer more efficient support and service for our European partners.”l

New AGV Kivnon, a Spanish automated guided vehicle manufacturer whose customers include all the large automotive companies, says it has developed the new and “completely different AGV” to fit into the Industry 4.0 revolution.

This automated guided vehicle, named K41 Slim, combines a 1.000 kg lifting capacity with an omnidirectional movement.

This enables it reduces operations working always with a 360º perimeter security, says Kivnon.

Additionally, Kivnon says the K41 Slim is “even more efficient and endowed with more autonomy due to the lithium batteries it has equipped”.

Height is also one of its advantages, since it is lower than 210 mm, which makes it an extremely flexible AGV and ready to operate in “all kinds of environments and trollies”.

“Regarding the circulation of the AGV, Kivnon has also known how to differentiate itself implementing a free navigation, that is, without any elements on the surface,” says Kivnon.

This technique, based on SLAM technology and named mapping, allows the K41 Slim to build a map of the place where it is located and, at the same time, use that map to determine its own location in an unknown scenery and environment in real time.

K41 Slim is in line with the “friendly innovation” concept that Kivnon has always implemented to all their products, introducing movement and simplicity in processes so complex such as the industrial ones.

“All these features in one AGV make the K41 Slim a unique product on the market,” says Kivnon. “In this way, Kivnon continues with its commitment to innovation to offer solutions that set trends in the Industry 4.0.”

Kivnon says this new autonomous vehicle is “just the beginning of a new family”.

The K41 Slim will be exhibited for the first time from the 19th to the 21st of February at LogiMAT, Stuttgart, one of the leading trade shows in the world for the logistics field.

“

Even though it’s the first time that Geek Plus Robotics is exhibiting at LogiMAT, we’ve already started partnerships with some outstanding customers Yong Zheng, Geek Plus Robotics

editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

Human-robot collaboration in Industry 4.0 Features

Human-machine cooperation

Human-machine cooperation: The ARIZ project has set itself the goal of establishing a flexible and versatile production assistant in safe human-machine cooperation

I

“

The major challenges for assembly with robots are customized products with plenty of options in small batch sizes Michael Voß, ARIZ

n the ARIZ research project, Festo is working with partners to develop economical areas of application.

The role of the human being in tomorrow’s production is often discussed. What new tasks will arise?

Machines and robots with extensive safety systems and suitable sensor technology enable humans and robots to move in the same work area and work together without safety barriers.

In order to increase economic efficiency, the ARIZ project has set itself the goal of establishing a flexible and versatile production assistant in safe human-machine cooperation.

This enables the demonstrator to be used at changing production workstations. It is intended to relieve the workload of employees by assisting and performing monotonous, ergonomically one-sided tasks.

A further project objective is to derive special qualification requirements for the employees who work with robots at these production workstations. Therefore, Festo Didactic is developing an appropriate learning system that optimally prepares employees for their tasks in the production of the future.

Robots as workers on the move Until now, robots have usually only taken over one single programmed workflow. In this project, the partners are developing a demonstrator for highly versatile production: this robot should not be permanently installed in one location; rather, it should be mobile and flexible in use.

It is connected to the higher-level IT system in order to be able to retrieve information and to simplify configuration for the operators.

Festo has successfully tested this application in the start-up stage – an area in which new technologies are tested before they are transferred to industrial production.

editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

In this area, an APAS robot from Bosch helps in the quality inspection of printed circuit boards.

“We are currently further developing the concept of the ‘mobile robot worker’ in order to transfer the APAS robots to industrial production and electronic assembly. There, the robot will provide flexible support at various assembly workstations,” reports Michael Voß, ARIZ research engineer and project manager at Festo.

The challenge of increasing versatility “The major challenges for assembly with robots are customized products with plenty of options in small batch sizes,” explains Michael Voß. “Only when the application is economical will automation make sense. For example, as few as possible different screw types and sizes should be used, so that the robot does not have to constantly change the screwdriver.” www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

Title

With gripping tasks as well, standardisation is one key to success; however, there is also demand for universal solutions such as the DHEF – the adaptive shape gripper from Festo.

This gripper uses the principle of the chameleon’s tongue to grip a wide variety of objects securely. With its elastic silicone cap, it can even pick up and deposit several objects in a single gripping process – without the need for manual modification.

Project partners Together with Festo Automation, Festo Didactic is also involved in the ARIZ project. RWTH Aachen University is researching the effects of human-robot cooperation in terms of occupational science, for example concerning acceptance. robomotion GmbH develops assembly stations based on the concept of the mobile robot worker. editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Features

The Consortium: l Festo AG & Co. KG l Festo Didactic SE l Human-Computer Interaction Center of the RWTH Aachen University (HCIC) l Institut for Enterprise Cybernetics e.V. der RWTH Aachen University (IfU) l Chair of Information Management in Mechanical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University (IMA) l Center for Learning and Knowledge Management at RWTH Aachen University (ZLW) l robomotion GmbH The ARIZ project is funded under the number 01FG14003A by the German BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) as part of the programme “Innovations for tomorrow’s production, services and work”. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

On the road to automation Features

Automated guided vehicles

– an exclusive interview with Kivnon’s commercial director Automated guided vehicles: Rob Keij, commercial director at Kivnon, takes Robotics and Automation News on a journey through the company’s AGV business.

“

There are so many things you can do with an AGV that people can get lost.

So it’s very good to go to a factory, to look around, to help a customer identify opportunities where savings can be made with an AGV Rob Keij, Kivnon

Automated guided vehicles could completely change the industrial technology ecosystem, ushering in the era of cyber-physical operations and reducing the reliance on traditional fixed infrastructure, like monorails and conveyors Kivnon is probably the world’s leading manufacturer of automated guided vehicles.

Its AGVs are particularly popular in the automotive sector, utilised by a large number of leading automakers – including Volkswagen, Renault, Nissan, Daimler, Seat and others.

Kivnon AGVs are also to be found in industrial companies from other sectors, being used to transport material from one place to another in their facilities.

But the company is currently developing automation solutions that go beyond material handling, and get right into the heart of the assembly process.

Since launch 10 years ago, the Spanish company has sold way more than 1,000 units from its standard range of five AGVs, and many of the solutions it supplies are custom-built for specific clients.

The things the company learned on the relatively small pilot projects it started with are now the basis of much larger deals.

Whereas before, it may have received an order for one or two AGVs, now it can be asked to produce batches of a couple of hundred.

In this exclusive interview, Rob Keij, commercial director at Kivnon, takes Robotics and

editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Automation News on a journey through the company’s AGV business.

Beyond job descriptions You might not imagine systems engineering or systems design to be part of a commercial director’s job, but with relatively new technology like AGVs, providing solutions often involves many different departments and people.

Keij says: “The way we operate – and I can only speak for myself but I suppose there are more people like me within the other AGV suppliers – but we are operating at this moment in a way that we want to be the consultants for the client companies.

“We want to help the companies, to give them solutions that work. And this, in our case, is very much appreciated because, you’re right, many customers sometimes don’t know yet what kind of solutions to apply because there are so many.

“There are so many things you can do with an AGV that people can get lost. So it’s very good to go to a factory, to look around, to help a customer identify opportunities where savings can be made with an AGV.” AGV technology has been in existence for around 20 years, but with advances in computing and decreases in the prices of critical components such as sensors and microprocessors, the technology is now ready for a much wider market.

It also helps that it’s become fashionable to talk about things like Industry 4.0 and cyber-physical systems, which essentially refer to the increasing levels of machine-tomachine connectivity in industrial operations, which, in turn, are connected to computer systems, and how humans are working in harmony with intelligent machines.

It’s often called the convergence of OT and IT, meaning the bringing together of operations technologies – such as machines – with information technology, most www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

Automated guided vehicles

importantly, the software, which often lives in powerful computers on-site or in the cloud.

These newly available and relatively affordable technologies have provided companies like Kivnon with opportunities to develop new types of products that they may not have been able to before.

For example, Kivnon claims to be the first company in the world to launch an AGV with artificial intelligencepowered vision and voice.

AI see what you did there Kivnon was established by two business partners who had already been running an industrial automation integration company for 30 years.

They were asked to develop an AGV by Johnson Controls back when the US building automation giant was producing equipment for original equipment manufacturers.

AGVs were not the type of solutions the Spanish company offered back then, but they agreed to develop something for Johnson Controls and the result was good enough to provide a foundation for a successful new business – Kivnon.

Kivnon now employs about 100 people, and has its own research and development department which produced its complete range of five AGVs between the years 2009 and 2012.

“By now, we have a lot of experience with AGVs in the market,” says Keij. “I think if you look at Spain, we have really developed advanced solutions for factories here if you compare AGVs and factories in different parts of the world.

“I travel a lot and I see that Germany is catching up. editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Features

A Kivnon AGV at work in a factory

“

I think if you look at Spain, we have really developed advanced solutions for factories here if you compare AGVs and factories in different parts of the world Rob Keij, Kivnon

“But we have factories here, like the one you saw on video about AGVs at Seat, which are really impressive.

Seat are quite advanced with technology.

“I think Spain is ahead still, but I think Germany and others are catching up.”

It’s not surprising that automakers are good customers for AGV companies. The close working relationship between AGV builders and carmakers could benefit both sides as more and more vehicles of various sizes integrate new sensing technologies and AI. However, Kivnon’s most advanced vehicle – the AGV that uses voice and vision – was not actually the result of a collaboration. It was something the company thought would help prepare it for the future.

“It’s not exactly the development that the market has been asking for,” says Keij. “But what we think is that it’s good to have an experience with AI technology to show that Kivnon is one step ahead … in a market in which that might be there in the future.”

And logically speaking, it seems AI AGVs would seem to be a cost-effective alternative to expensive conveyors and monorail systems. In fact, AI AGVs could change whole swathes of industry, and Keij is particularly enthusiastic about the technology.

Cyber-physical systems in action Imagine a factory or warehouse where there are AGVs that respond to gestures and voice commands. Meaning, a human worker can wave their hand or speak to the AGV to bring it or send it to a particular place within the facility.

Providing the technology works well, talking to an AGV would be very similar to talking to a human co-worker. www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

“

Features

What I see more and more – because I talk to a lot of customers every day, every week – is that AGVs are being used in assembly applications Rob Keij, Kivnon

Automated guided vehicles

“The fact that you can talk to the AGV means that there will be a more human connection,” says Keij, “and I think there will be more innovation when you have this sort of interaction between humans and the machines in your factory; and things will be quicker.”

This scenario would seem to be a good example of a cyber-physical system, one where a human works collaboratively with an intelligent machine.

But Kivnon’s R&D department has gone much further than that by placing robotic arms on top of the AGVs and by programming them to perform assembly tasks on a moving line.

Keij provides an example of an application the company tested using its AGV with a robotic arm from ABB. “This is really new – I’ve never seen this type of movement,” says Keij.

He describes an automotive assembly line where a car body is placed on top of an AGV, and a robot moving in synchronised motion alongside it, and fitting a car door in place – all while in motion.

Complex enough to make you think carefully about what just happened. Basically, it would mean replacing rails and conveyors with AGVs and a constantly moving assembly line.

A similar sort of system – let’s call it a “synchronised motion assembly line” – could be used in any equivalent manufacturing environment, whether it’s for placing a door or seat into a car body, or some part of a washing machine, or any other complex, engineered product.

“This is where I think we are going,” says Keij. “More and more, I’m talking to robotics guys who are thinking about robot applications in combination with AGVs. “All this development of AGVs, in general, I think is growing very fast because we are now in the development stage of Industry 4.0.

“Everybody knows about this, the cyber-physical systems, everybody wants the fourth industrial revolution that we are now in, where we want to connect everything to everything, and we would prefer to connect everything wirelessly.

“So I think with our type of product, we are in the heart of this because we are in the heart of logistics, assembly and robotics. We have solutions which are wireless and can work autonomously.”

A flexible future It’s not always possible to persuade companies to provide numbers about anything, whether it’s unit sales or revenues or anything like that, often because the companies Robotics and Automation News talks to are privately held, as Kivnon is.

Being a news website, we would, of course, argue that publicising interesting data would benefit the whole industry, which is why we produced a list of the top industrial robot manufacturers, one of the most popular articles on this website. editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

We will try and produce a similar list of the top AGV manufacturers and Keij gives us a great start by guestimating how many units Kivnon has sold so far.

“It must be more than a thousand,” says Keij. “I need to calculate it correctly when I have the details, but definitely more than a thousand AGVs.” And he divides the AGV market into three distinct segments, although two of them could be said to be very new, or experimental: l in logistics, moving material around; l in assembly, moving products while robots on rails work on them; and l in logistics or assembly, with robots integrated with AGVs. “We have the traditional way of using an AGV that everyone knows, which is moving material from A to B,” says Keij. “This is the logistics application for an AGV. “But what I see more and more – because I talk to a lot of customers every day, every week – is that AGVs are being used in assembly applications.”

The other two applications depend on the ingenuity of those who build the solutions, but everything seems to be leading to increasing productivity by making facilities operate faster and with AGVs instead of fixed rails and other structures.

“You can use the AGV instead of traditional technology, like conveyors and monorails, and this is saving a tremendous amount of money in maintenance of fixed structures in factories.

“And it’s creating flexibility, which is the most www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

Automated guided vehicles

important point for the customers because, with assembly lines, they need the flexibility to be able to adapt to new products, which they have to do very often.

“The manufacturers have the flexibility to filter out one individual product from an assembly line if there is a quality issue with that item, and you can continue with the rest.

“With a monorail, you have to stop the whole monorail so everything stops in the factory and you lose expensive production minutes.”

From narrow requirements to wider markets One of the many research and development projects Kivnon has been working on involves placing an ABB robot – the two-armed YuMi collaborative robot – on top of an AGV (main picture).

In fact, the company is working on a number of different projects which have “a million types of modifications” that are possible, according to Keij.

Depending on how a robot is programmed and the types of end effectors are integrated into it, a combined AGV-robot can be put to work in material handling or assembly, and the many different tasks within those segments.

For Kivnon, making decisions about exactly what solution is required is usually a process that involves Keij, the company’s R&D department, as well as the customers.

For example, AGVs are often integrated into a facility by placing magnetic tags on the floor to create a given route for the AGV. But with AI AGVs which can go editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Features

anywhere in any direction, using Kivnon’s new mapping technology, the choices are many.

It’s great to have lots of choices, but deciding on what to implement can be a difficult part of the planning stage of developing a solution.

What might help in the decision-making process is that AGVs are said to cost far less than fixed systems.

Keij says one of Kivnon’s customers calculated that they saved 80 per cent on the overall operational costs by using AGVs instead of fixed structures and lift trucks. The calculations take into account the power consumption and maintenance costs of the two very different solutions.

While systems design is usually the art and practice of delivering exactly what a specific customer requires, very often, a company like Kivnon is able to apply what it has learned from developing one particular solution towards developing new products for the wider market.

Keij says: “We are always listening to our customers to see what’s going on, what is the idea they have, because they are also very talented people and know their market, where they want to go, and what is the future.

“And, of course, we try to adapt to this with our research and development department because we have our own research and development in which we make developments in-house.

“We always do this based on the market, not only specific requests, but we try to listen to the market and we try to develop the things that we think we will be using in the future.” l

Kivnon’s range of AGVs

“

You can use the AGV instead of traditional technology, like conveyors and monorails, and this is saving a tremendous amount of money in maintenance of fixed structures in factories Rob Keij, Kivnon

www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

Features

Material handling solutions

Ground and Soft Robotics partner on material handling

L

ogistics automation company Ground Inc concluded a sales partnership agreement with Soft Robotics to provide the first of its “SuperPick” solution in Japan.

Soft Robotics is a startup company originating in the United States, founded mainly in 2013 by researchers at Harvard University.

The company’s “SuperPick” is to apply atypical individuals with high precision and speed like a human hand by applying technologies such as proprietary latest vision technology, algorithms, patented materials, and so on.

Material handling solutions: Ground Inc’s SuperPick provides high precision and speed like a human hand by applying technologies such as proprietary latest vision technology, algorithms, patented materials

editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Best feature Ground says the best feature of the solution is that you can grasp various things like weights, materials and shapes appropriately, like human beings, by using the material of the part picking up the object called “hand” and the vision system developed independently It is in the point where it can do.

Compared to conventional robots that require preliminary inputs of enormous amounts of data to pick up objects, “SuperPick” is designed to allow people to unconsciously grasp various objects, such as the center of gravity and materials of objects, it can judge and adjust the size automatically, and grab it with appropriate grip strength. l

www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

WORKING TOGETHER AS EQUALS.

Humans and robots are working more closely together. Sensors help robots make more intelligent decisions and give them the ability to sense objects, the environment, or their own position. Thanks to sensors from SICK, robots perceive more precisely – the prerequisite for close collaboration. SICK is your partner in solving

We think that’s intelligent. www.sick.com/robotics

Features

Platforms

Qualcomm aims to ‘transform robotics’

Platforms: Qualcomm’s “highly optimized” hardware, software and tools are designed to help manufacturers and developers create the next generation of advanced industrial robotics products editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Q

ualcomm Technologies has launched its Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform – the chipmaker’s first integrated, comprehensive offering designed specifically for robotics.

Building on Qualcomm Technologies’ success in robotics and drone products available today, this purposewww.roboticsandautomationnews.com

Platforms

“

With the Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform, we aim to bring our cuttingedge AI, edge compute and connectivity technologies into the hands of many more robotics innovators Dev Singh, Qualcomm Technologies

built platform features a “highly optimized” set of hardware, software and tools designed to help manufacturers and developers create the next generation of advanced consumer, enterprise and industrial robotics products.

Based on the Qualcomm SDA/SDM845 system-on-chip (main picture), the platform integrates key capabilities such as: l high-performance heterogeneous computing; l 4G/LTE connectivity including CBRS support for private LTE networks; l a Qualcomm AI Engine for on-device machine learning and computer vision; l hi-fidelity sensor processing for perception; l odometry for localization, mapping, and navigation, vault-like security; and editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Features l Wi-Fi connectivity.

The Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform also plans to introduce 5G connectivity support later this year to further enable low-latency and high-throughput industrial robotics applications.

Dev Singh, director of business development and head of autonomous robotics, drones and intelligent machines at Qualcomm Technologies, says: “Our technologies are at the heart of a wide array of robotics products available today, from companion robots including Anki Vector, Elli Q and Sony Aibo, to multimedia robots like Cerevo Tripon and Keecker, to labor-saving machines such as robotic vacuum cleaners from iRobot, Ecovacs and Panasonic.

Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform “With the Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform, we aim to bring our cutting-edge AI, edge compute and connectivity technologies into the hands of many more robotics innovators to help spur the fast development and commercialization of a new generation of useful and intelligent robots in agriculture, consumer, delivery, inspection, service, smart manufacturing/Industry 4.0, warehousing and logistics, and other applications.”

The Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform is designed to allow for flexible design options for development and commercialization, from development board offerings for prototyping, to off-the-shelf system-on-module solutions for faster commercialization, to the flexibility for chip-onboard designs for cost optimization at scale.

The platform currently supports Linux and Robot Operating System (ROS), while also including support for the Qualcomm Neural Processing software development kit (SDK) for advanced on-device AI, the Qualcomm Computer Vision Suite, the Qualcomm Hexagon DSP SDK, and Amazon’s AWS RoboMaker, with plans for Ubuntu Linux support.

The platform’s hardware development kit contains the new purpose-built robotics-focused DragonBoard 845c development board, based on the Qualcomm SDA/SDM845 SoC and compliant with the 96Boards open hardware specification to support a broad range of mezzanine-board expansions.

Optional elements for the kit include: l a connectivity board; l an image camera for hi-res photo, 4K video capture and AI-assisted detection and recognition of people and objects; l a tracking camera for path planning and obstacle avoidance using visual simultaneous localization and mapping (vSLAM); l a stereo camera for navigation; and l a time-of-flight camera for people, gesture and object detection in low light conditions.

Key Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform technical features Heterogeneous computing architecture: For superior performance and power-efficiency, the Qualcomm www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

“

Features

Our collaboration is designed to give robotics developers a complete cloud-to-theedge solution, accelerating development, providing intelligence out of the box, Roger Barga, Amazon Web Services

Title SDA845/SDM845 SoC powering the platform is built on 10-nanometer (nm) LPP FinFET process technology.

The SoC integrates an Octa Core Qualcomm Kryo CPU with performance up to 2.8GHz, a Qualcomm Adreno 630 Visual Processing Subsystem (including GPU, VPU and DPU), and a Qualcomm Hexagon 685 DSP with Hexagon Vector Extensions (HVX), delivering sophisticated, ondevice AI processing and mobile-optimized computer vision (CV) capabilities for perception, navigation and manipulation.

Qualcomm AI engine: Deep learning performance across the Qualcomm AI engine (CPU, GPU, and DSP) delivers up to three tera-operations-per-second (TOPS) performance, with the DSP itself delivering 1.2 TOPS at one watt with hardware acceleration.

Includes the Qualcomm Neural Processing SDK, which encompasses analysis, optimization, and debugging tools designed to allow developers and manufacturers to port trained deep learning networks on the various heterogeneous compute blocks offered by the platform.

Camera and video: Dual 14-bit Qualcomm Spectra 280 ISP supporting up to 32 MP single camera; support for up to 4K HDR video capture at 60 frames per second (fps).

Security: The Qualcomm Secure Processing Unit (SPU) offers a high level of security and robustness, while also providing high performance while maintaining power efficiency.

The SPU includes the following key components: secure boot, cryptographic accelerators, Qualcomm Trusted Execution Environment (QTEE), and camera security. To address advanced AI, ML, and biometrics, Qualcomm SDA/SDM845 supports porting of virtualization software.

Robust sensor and microphone support: The platform includes support for sensors like a 6-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) consisting of a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer; capacitive barometric pressure sensor; multi-mode digital microphones; and additional ports for supplementary sensors from TDKInvenSense.

Connectivity: Supports integrated 4G/LTE and CBRS, with 5G support planned to be enabled late this year; Wi-Fi integrated 802.11ac 2x2 with MU-MIMO; Tri-band Wi-Fi: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz with Dual Band Simultaneous (DBS); and Qualcomm TrueWireless Bluetooth 5.0.

An ecosystem in the making Roger Barga, general manager of AWS Robotics and Automation Services, Amazon Web Services, says: “We are delighted to be working with Qualcomm Technologies to help developers easily build intelligent robotics functions using AWS cloud services and then deploy their application onto a commercial grade, scalable hardware platform.

“Our collaboration is designed to give robotics developers a complete cloud-to-the-edge solution, accelerating development, providing intelligence out of editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

the box, and easing robotic lifecycle management.”

Dr Jean Baptiste Passot, VP of platform and artificial intelligence, Brain Corp, says: "As the creators of BrainOS, the leading solution for the development, deployment and management of mobile robots, we're excited to see Qualcomm Technologies get involved in the space in a major way.

“We've expanded BrainOS to be optimized with the Qualcomm SDM845 and look forward to exploring the potential of the Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform for our future products."

Yazhuo Wang, general manager of innovation product department, JD.com IoT business group, says: “JD.com believes that the combination of industry and technology can create infinite possibilities for digitalization.

“We look forward to the new generation of Qualcomm Technologies’ Robotics Platform, which will help us develop more efficient and intelligent service robots www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

Human-machine cooperation

through advanced technologies such as deep learning algorithms.”

Fu Sheng, chairman and CEO, Cheetah Mobile, and founder, OrionStar, says: “OrionStar is excited to see Qualcomm Technologies launch the Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform with cutting-edge AI, edge computing and connectivity technologies, which enables robots to benefit from the latest innovations in mobile technology.

“Based on previous successful cooperation with Qualcomm Technologies on our service robotics, OrionStar looks forward to continuing to work with Qualcomm Technologies to provide consumers with a new wave of innovative, smart and power-efficient useful robots.”

Nicolas Sauvage, senior director, ecosystem at TDKInvenSense, says: “Contributing high-performance sensors to the next wave of robotics innovations on the Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform is a collaboration editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Features

made in heaven.

“Working together, Qualcomm Technologies and TDKInvenSense have helped reduce the barrier-to-entry for both consumer and industrial makers, while maximizing their opportunities to innovate with a wide range of sensor solutions.”

Commercial products based on the Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform are expected to be available in 2019.

Both Naver and LG are evaluating the Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform, and plan to showcase select robotics products based on the platform early next year.

Additional early users are expected to be Anki, BrainCorp, JD, Misty Robotics, OrionStar, Robotis, and others.

A development kit based on the Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform is available for purchase now from Thundercomm. l

Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform

www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

Features

3D printing

Gaining a competitive edge with 3D printing 3D printing: Andretti Autosport has applied Stratasys 3D printing to components development

A

ndretti Autosport is partnering with Stratasys to apply 3D printing systems into its development of new components for its racing cars.

The multi-year collaboration agreement between Andretti and Stratasys builds on decades of experience in additive manufacturing technology.

Stratasys says its 3D printing machines enable leaders across professional racing to gain a competitive edge. editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

The new collaboration agreement with Andretti Autosport – a top performer in IndyCar, Indy Lights, Rallycross and Formula E – aims to leverage advanced fused deposit modelling (FDM) technology and materials to accelerate design and development of the team’s diverse racing platforms.

Right partner Rob Edwards, Andretti Autosport COO, says: “We have been looking for the right partner to add 3D capability to our design and development activities for a while now.”

The team at Andretti leverage the Stratasys Fortus

www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

3D printing

“

We have been looking for the right partner to add 3D capability to our design and development activities for a while now Rob Edwards, Andretti Autosport

Main picture: Andretti’s No. 28 car hits the track. The company currently leverages a Stratasys F370 and Fortus 450mc 3D Printer.

Photo Credit: IndyCar

editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

Features 450mc 3D Printer to speed design and development.

Pictured from the team (l-r): Eric Bretzman, technical director; Michael Andretti, CEO; Aaron Marney, senior development engineer “We couldn’t be more thrilled to establish a relationship with the industry leader, Stratasys. Since the machines were commissioned, they have been operating at capacity and we look forward to seeing the benefits of our expanded capability on the race-track in 2019.”

High-performance sports Andretti joins Stratasys customers competing across a wide range of high-performance sports – from professional auto racing and motor cross to the winter games – capitalizing on 3D printing to accelerate design iterations, workflows and final part production.

Leveraging the technology to become significantly more competitive on the track, Andretti will advance both design and production cycles using both the Stratasys F370 and Fortus 450mc 3D Printers.

Pat Carey, senior vice president at Stratasys, says: “We are excited to join the Andretti Autosport family and look forward to working together in the coming years.

“We see that Stratasys High Performance FDM solutions are being increasingly adopted by the world’s top motorsports teams and manufacturers. We believe that our highly reliable engineering grade printers and wide choice of high-performance materials are the perfect fit for the extreme challenges our motorsport customers face.”

Moving forward, the team – led by Michael Andretti – will continue to make significant strides in converting parts via in-house 3D printing.

IndyCar Series season Andretti kicks into high gear with the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season – beginning on the streets of St Petersburg, Florida, March 10 and continues through September with 17 rounds of competition.

Led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport boasts a wide racing portfolio rooted in tradition and designed for success.

Under the banners of Andretti Autosport, Andretti Rallycross and Andretti Formula E, the Indianapolis-based team fields multiple entries across the IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, the FIA Formula E Championship, the GT4 America Series and Americas Rallycross.

Additionally, the team competes as Walkinshaw Andretti United in the Australian Supercars category through a partnership with Walkinshaw Racing and United Autosports.

The global racing enterprise boasts four IndyCar Series championships, three Indy Lights titles, one Pro Mazda championship and one USF2000 championship, and has captured victory five times at the famed Indianapolis 500Mile Race. Additionally, the team holds two X Games Gold Medals and four U.S. rallycross championships. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com

Robotics & Automation News The monthly magazine for the robotics and automation industry

Out every month

Available on Issuu.com and in all good app stores soon

editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com

www.roboticsandautomationnews.com