Sensor Readings magazine issue 10

SENSOR READINGS

The monthly magazine for the robotics and automation industry

Issue 10 February 2018

Electric future The way cars and vehicles are manufacturing will change

Top industrial robot makers 30 industrial robot makers to watch in 2018

Hype vs reality After the hype of 2017, the real business in 2018

IEEE predictions for 2018 The world’s leading engineers’ association looks ahead

Opportunity knocks China’s massive car market

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Editorial

Beginning, middle and a definite end Abdul Montaqim Editor

Contents Hype vs reality After the hype of 2017, the real business in 2018 4

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ere, at Robotics and Automation News, we feel fortunate to be writing about an industry and subjects that are not only interesting but important to the way people live and work now and will do so in the future.

It’s tempting to dwell on the profound philosophical implications of powerful artificial intelligence systems which could be used – and are being used – as the brains of weapons systems, which is an issue many thinkers have warned about.

But Robotics and Automation News tends to only cover the commercial side of the technology – manufacturing of cars and logistics and so on.

It may be that we become more interested in defence technologies, but a different approach would probably be required.

For now, enjoying the way commercially available robotics and automation technology is developing is enough for us.

This magazine is a way to add value to our subscribers and to try and summarise the main developments in the robotics and automation sector.

A website is a sort of endless product, updated every day, and it’s not easy to know whare it begins and where it ends from the point of view of the reader.

A magazine has a definite beginning at the front page and a certain end at the back page. It’s a self-contained document.

We are planning limited print runs for later on this year, in particular for our special reports into industrial robots, a taster for which is in this current issue.

We hope you enjoy the magazine and want you to know this is early days. With your support we will take not only the magazine further, but also the website as well.

We are looking at the leading market intelligence publishing companies in the world and constantly learning from them. l

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Tech for 2018 Global engineers’ association IEEE’s view 13 Top industrial robot makers 30 industrial robot makers to watch in 2018 6

Plus…

Our future electric 16 Opportunity knocks 17 Marketplace 18

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Managing Editor Anna Schmidt

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Hype gives way to reality

Sensor Readings

Perhaps believe the hype Market overview After the hype of 2017, the real business could be done in 2018

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here’s always been a lot of hype surrounding robotics and automation, and it’s been the subject of many a classic work of science fiction. What’s fascinating about sci-fi is that often what is fiction today ends up being fact of life tomorrow.

Whatever the hype, however, this year is likely to be an extremely important year for the robotics and automation industry.

The large, industrial robotic arms which have carried the manufacturing industry through many decades of productivity growth are seeing some important changes.

One is the price of industrial robots is coming down.

This is probably not going to be a permanent trend because integrating new technologies will keep the prices high.

Which brings us on to the other important trend – industrial robotic arms are becoming far more sophisticated.

Not only are they being connected to industrial internet of things networks, which enables them to be monitored and managed, they are also integrating more componentry.

Traditionally, an industrial robotic arm was always connected to a special type of computer, referred to as a programmable logic controller, or PLC. While it’s probably not accurate to say PLCs will be phased out completely – they will always find some useful purpose somewhere, it will be interesting to see how much computing is integrated into the robotic arm itself.

Newer, smaller, collaborative robots don’t always need a PLC and can connect directly to a conventional computer or even a smartphone.

How much you can do through a conventional smartphone or PC compared with a specialist PLC may be the area of competition between these two technologies.Large industrial robots are usually made by large industrial companies – it’s not a sector a small startup can easily enter.

This does not, however, mean there will be no competition in this sector going forward.

All the large industrial robot manufacturers look like they want to compete and for good reason – there are more potential buyers than ever for their products.

Although it’s the world’s largest buyer of industrial robots, China is still seen as a new market.

Established leaders in the industrial robot market are all entering China with their offerings, and it will be exciting time for people in this fast-moving sector.

What will make it even more interesting is the growth of collaborative robotics for industrial settings.

Almost all the leaders have now joined the startups to offer collaborative robot models, and much of the

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Hype gives way to reality

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established manufacturing industry has put cobots to a variety of practical uses.

Having started out a couple of years ago with just a few collaborative robot manufacturers, now we see many different – established and entirely new – companies in the market.

The general feeling seems to be that cobots will lead industrial robotic arms out of factories and into the small and medium enterprise market, which will mean massive sales.

It may even lead into people’s homes – or the consumer market – although the humanoids are probably more likely to be popular there.

The main barrier for humanoids is their price – they can be quite expensive. It’s probably too early to think of the home market for robots. Other than the voice-assistance “robots”, which don’t have any moving parts, the only other ones likely to find a place in the home are those with wheels and no arms.

Two-armed humanoids are being developed for industry, but it will be several years before they become standard in the manufacturing sector, and then another few years before they become cheap enough for home use – if they ever do.

The logistics robotics sector could potentially use many more robotic arms in the next few years, but even now, with just mobile, robotic platforms on wheels, it’s quite a dynamic market.

In fact, the logistics sector could be said to be a nexus for the two key robotics technologies being developed today: autonomous mobile vehicles for transporting items; and robotic arms for material handling, possibly precise picking and packing.

One perhaps surprising sector to have seen sudden interest towards the end of last year is exoskeletons.

Initially seen as a way to help paraplegics regain the use of their legs and other limbs, exoskeletons are now being seen in the manufacturing sector and the logistics sector.

We’ve categorised exoskeletons under “wearables”, which could actually see more growth, since many of the large tech companies are interested in this sector because of the market for smartwatches and what is believed to be a potentially large market for smart or tech-laden clothes.

Another thing worth mentioning is the potential changes we might see in the human-machine interface market, as smartphones, tablets and computers increasingly integrate HMI functions.

Other than industrial robots, autonomous ground vehicles and wearables, this year we hope to be covering large-scale autonomous vehicles more, such as driverless trains and pilotless planes – in the commercial sector of course.

These things are probably a few years away, but one or two examples are emerging now.

They seem to have much in common with robotic spacecraft, which is another area we will keep watching. n

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World’s leading industrial robot makers

Market insight 30 industrial robot manufacturers to watch in 2018

2018 looks all set to be a bumper year for sales of industrial robot arms across all categories – from the large, heavyweight class right down to the small desktop variety.

With established robot makers expanding their range, and with new startups launching innovative new models, the market is more dynamic than ever.

Oversupply may be a problem going forward, especially as Chinese robot manufacturers step up their production, but even including the new companies entering the market, the number of industry-standard robot makers worldwide is relatively small.

For the time being, the market looks like it’s simply transitioning from being one that was largely closed, with significant barriers to entry, to one that is opening up to include new suppliers and new technologies.

Hopefully, the market will not see a straightforward race to the bottom, with price being the only differentiating factor.

This is unlikely, given the fact that technologies such as the industrial internet of things will probably require robot builders to make their machines more responsive and sophisticated.

What’s more likely – and what’s already happening – is that whereas before there was a limited number of robots to choose from, most of which were very expensive, now there are more robots and the price range goes from very high to relatively low.

Both software and hardware innovations are likely this year, with some companies having already launched

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ground-breaking initiatives last year.

Software innovations include smartphone apps which enable – albeit limited – monitoring and managing of robots, and more sophisticated IIoT applications, such as those in robotic painting, which could probably be extended to welding and other activities – the staple diet of industrial robots.

In terms of hardware, there is the possibility of integrating more computing capabilities inside the robotic arm itself, and using more efficient actuators and other components.

Robotics and Automation News will try and keep you up to date with all the developments, and below is a list of some of the industrial robot arm manufacturers we will be watching.

We have tried to limit the list to “industrial” robots, although some of the smaller robotic arms are not necessarily suitable for heavy industry, just perhaps light industry and various enterprise applications.

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World’s leading industrial robot makers

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offers information technology services, which collectively represent the key competitive differentiator for big industrial companies going forward.

Interestingly, Yaskawa is the company which coined the phrase “mechatronics”.

ABB Parent company: ABB Group Number of robots installed worldwide: 300,000 ABB is the only European company among the top 10 robot makers, and has wide-ranging interests across many industries.

Most importantly, in terms of the company’s bottom line, ABB is a supplier of power generation equipment.

However, in terms of factory automation, perhaps the most important thing about ABB is its IIoT solution, Ability.

Ability is ABB’s network for connecting its robots and other equipment to enable precise monitoring and control, and is probably one of the most complete solutions of its type.

The company has also launched new types of robots, including the eye-catching two-armed YuMi robot.

Kawasaki Parent company: Kawasaki Heavy Industries Number of robots installed worldwide: 110,000

Fanuc Parent company: Fanuc Corporation Number of robots installed worldwide: 400,000 Fanuc is a specialist factory automation company and is believed to be the largest industrial robot manufacturer in the world, in terms of the number of robot arms installed in factories worldwide.

Having benefited hugely from its historic relationship with General Motors in the US, the company is now making inroads into China, currently the world’s largest buyer of industrial robots.

In fact, so successful has the company been in China that it is finding it difficult to keep up with orders, and is expanding its manufacturing facilities in the country.

The company recently marked the production of its 500,000th industrial robot, and has been expanding its product range to include new types of robots.

Yaskawa Motoman Parent company: Yaskawa Electric Corporation Number of robots installed worldwide: 360,000 Yaskawa Motoman is also a specialist factory automation company, specialising in industrial robots.

It has a huge business in motion control systems such as servo motors, the technology which industrial robots are said to have grown out of.

Like most large robot companies, Yaskawa also now

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Kawasaki is probably best known for being a builder of motor bikes, but it is also one of the biggest manufacturers of robotics equipment in the world.

The company has seen tremendous success with its new collaborative robot, the duAro, of which it has sold 2,000 units in China.

Kawasaki says it is planning to expand its robot production to include more collaborative models.

Nachi-Fujikoshi Parent company: Nachi-Fujikoshi Corporation Number of robots installed worldwide: 100,000 Like many of these large industrial robot makers, NachiFujikoshi has historic roots going back around a century.

Nachi specialises in industrial robots and machining tools and machine components.

It recently launched a new type of robot for the electronics manufacturing industry, which is probably growing faster than the automotive trade as a buyer of industrial robots.

Denso Robotics Parent company: Denso Corporation Number of robots installed worldwide: 95,000 Denso is probably slightly better known as a supplier of car parts. The company was spin-off from Toyota Motor Company.

At the time, Toyota was looking for ways to make its production process more efficient to compete with the US auto giants.

Denso is now not only a huge car parts company, it is also a leading supplier of industrial robots.

Its combination of skills probably places Denso in a strong position going forward as electric vehicles become more popular.

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World’s leading industrial robot makers

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Kuka Parent company: Midea Group Number of robots installed worldwide: 80,000 While it may have been controversial from some people’s point of view, Midea’s acquisition of Kuka places the robot maker in the ideal position to make the most of the growing market for robots in China and Asia.

Even if it sells a relatively limited number to outside companies, the demand from Midea will probably see Kuka grow significantly this year.

Midea is said to be the world’s largest manufacturer of household appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers.

Kuka is probably one of the most innovative companies in the industrial robotics market, and it’s launching new designs for robots for a variety of applications.

Mitsubishi Robotics Parent company: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Number of robots installed worldwide: 70,000 Mitsubishi is a huge, sprawling conglomerate and is separated into two distinct companies. The one which owns the robotics division is Mitsubishi Electric.

This division technically has little or nothing to do with the motors division – Mitsubishi is, of course, a well-known automotive brand.

Although factory automation is a relatively small part of Mitsubishi Electric, the robotics division is one of the largest manufacturers of industrial robots in the world.

The company is the latest to announce that it will be launching a collaborative robot model.

Epson Robots Parent company: Seiko Epson Corporation Number of robots installed worldwide: 55,000 Seiko is, of course, the historic and famous watchmaker.

It started building robots to enable it to make its watches more accurately and more efficiently.

Seiko Epson only subsequently decided to market its robots to outside companies, and is now one of the largest suppliers in the world.

Seiko lists robots in its “precision products” category, and is looking to grow the division going forward, with plans to launch collaborative robots in the future.

Stäubli Parent company: Stäubli Holding Number of robots installed worldwide: 45,000 Stäubli has been around since the 1890s in some form or another, starting out in the textiles business.

The company has acquired two historic brands – Jacquard looms and Unimation, the first industrial robot company – over the course of its lifetime, and is now one of the largest suppliers of automation equipment in the world.

Stäubli has launched a new collaborative robot and is investing more into its software business.

Foxconn Parent company: Hon Hai Precision Number of robots installed worldwide: 40,000 The figure of 40,000 is probably overly conservative and will probably be wildly inaccurate by the end of this year because Foxconn has made it clear that it is determined to automate the entire world – or at least

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its own production plants. Some of its factories have very few humans in them, and as robots become more suited to electronics manufacturing, Foxconn is likely to establish even more fully automated facilities.

Foxconn, as many readers will know, is a contract manufacturer whose biggest client is Apple, the largest company in the known universe.

Foxconn is probably unlikely to sell its robots to outside companies any time soon as it’s struggling to keep up with Apple iPhone orders.

Comau Parent company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Number of robots installed worldwide: 30,000 Comau is part of one of the world’s largest automotive groups, but it does not rely on its parent company for everything.

The company has launched a range of innovative products, perhaps most notably the largest collaborative robot on the market.

Collaborative robots are generally thought of as small, but Comau believes there is a gap in the market for a cobot with a significantly larger payload.

The company has also been making progress in the software side of the business and in the development of IIoT technologies.

Omron Adept Parent company: Omron Corporation Number of robots installed worldwide: 25,000 Omron acquired Adept some time ago and has developed many different types of automation technologies in recent years.

Its table-tennis-playing robot is probably not typical of its output since most of the machines it supplies are for the automotive and medical industries.

The company also has a large business in sensors and other components.

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World’s leading industrial robot makers

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Universal Robots Parent company: Teradyne Number of robots installed worldwide: 20,000 Universal Robots is widely believed to be the world’s first manufacturer of what are now called “collaborative robots”.

The company’s innovative machines offered many new things, mainly the opportunity to use smaller, less expensive robots, and use them in a variety of settings without the need for cages to separate them from human workers.

Some of the technical features which allow a robot to be classed as “collaborative” are stipulated by organisations such as the ISO, and it would be interesting to find out if any robots are being marketed as being “collaborative” when they do not have the necessary certificate.

Universal’s fantastic success is probably partly due to the fact that its robot was the first cobot. But perhaps more crucially, the machine is an excellent design which is being emulated by other robot makers.

Rethink Robotics Parent company: Rethink Robotics Number of robots installed worldwide: ~ One of the early collaborative robot makers, Rethink Robotics has been generating a lot of interest lately.

With many new technologies, like collaborative robots, one of the main challenges is explaining how it can be used.

This is something the main cobot makers are putting more time and effort in – and it looks to be paying off.

Small manufacturers from a variety of sectors are seeing their productivity increase and their final product reach a higher standard.

Siasun Parent company: Shanghai Siasun Robot & Automation Number of robots installed worldwide: ~ Probably the largest robot maker to have emerged from China, and certainly the most well known.

Siasun became the first Chinese robot maker to join the US Robotic Industries Association.

The company has big plans. Not only has it launched heavy-duty industrial robots, it also wants a slice of the home-made pie – and it thinks offering elderly people a home-help robot is the way to go.

HRG Parent company: Hit Robot Group Number of robots installed worldwide: ~ HRG – full name Hit Robot Group – is probably of a similar size to Siasun, but we’ll have to confirm that going forward.

For now, what we do know about this company is that it has produced some interesting robots with some fascinating applications, such as the ones used in jade production lines.

HRG itself claims to be the leading robot company in China, so the competition with Siasun is likely to be interesting to watch over the next few years.

Doosan Robotics Parent company: Doosan Corporation Number of robots installed worldwide: ~ Doosan is a large, South Korean conglomerate with interests in almost every industry on Earth, in particular, power plants and construction.

Why the company has decided to launch a collaborative robot is anyone’s guess – the company itself says it became interested in the technology because collaborative robots are not required to be caged off and can be used by humans almost like any other power tool.

Doosan says it has identified markets for the cobot, and is firmly committed to the venture.

Techman Robot Parent company: Quanta Storage Number of robots installed worldwide: ~ An interesting design and confident marketing approach, Techman is particularly interested in the Japanese market.

The company is actively looking for partners in Japan, but it’s also made appearances at Hannover Messe, in Germany, so it’s not limiting itself.

Techman is looking to ship more than 2,000 units this year.

Hanwha Techwin Parent company: Hanwha Group Number of robots installed worldwide: ~ Hanwha is said to be one of the largest conglomerates in South Korea – or one of the so-called “chaebol” companies.

Robot making is probably, therefore, a very tiny part of its operation, and like Doosan, the company is probably just giving free rein to its inquisitiveness about the technology.

Hanwha says its collaborative robot is the first of its kind in South Korea and the company plans to use it in its own operations.

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World’s leading industrial robot makers

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Hyundai Robotics Parent company: Hyundai Number of robots installed worldwide: ~

Toshiba Robotics Parent company: Toshiba Corporation Number of robots installed worldwide: ~

Probably the best-known of the South Korean chaebols, Hyundai is more famous for its cars than its shipbuilding.

But in the shipbuilding sector, Hyundai is huge. And the robotics division seems to have a lot of potential in the shipbuilding sector.

The company has now separated its robotics division and says it wants Hyundai Robotics to challenge the Japanese robot makers for a top-five position.

Toshiba, a massively large Japanese conglomerate, used to be one of the world’s best-known companies before MP3 music players emerged.

The company is still one of the leading electrical and electronics companies in the world.

Bosch Parent company: Bosch Number of robots installed worldwide: ~ Bosch could be described as the Midea of Germany and Europe, since it is a massive supplier of household appliances.

The company has a presence in a vast array of markets, and building robots is just a small and relatively new part of its operation.

The industrial robotic arm it has demonstrated is probably mostly going into the hundreds of Bosch factories worldwide.

But its collaborative quality will probably make it an attractive purchase for outside companies if Bosch were to market it to others.

ST Robotics Parent company: ST Robotics Number of robots installed worldwide: ~ An interesting company with a large following, ST Robotics has demonstrated what it says are “superfast collaborative robots”.

Collaborative robots are thought to be safer because they move more slowly, so it would be interesting to see if speed becomes a differentiating factor in this market.

Delta Electronics Parent company: Delta Electronics Number of robots installed worldwide: ~ Probably the only Taiwanese company in this list, apart from Foxconn, Delta Electronics is particularly active in the industrial automation market.

It produces a range of SCARA and articulated robots.

Kawada Parent company: Kawada Group Number of robots installed worldwide: ~

Kinova Robotics Parent company: Kinova Robotics Number of robots installed worldwide: ~

Kawada is a Japanese company that usually concerns itself with massive construction projects, such as bridges.

However, its two-armed, collaborative humanoid industrial robot is probably one of the most innovative machines on the market.

Already being put to use in a number of factories, the so-called “NextAge” robot is being presented as the next generation of robot worker.

Capable of a variety of complex tasks, NextAge is helping Kawada find new partners in a variety of sectors.

An interesting startup company which has produced a robotic arm light enough and slender enough to fit onto vehicles such as wheelchairs and mobile logistics platforms.

Having recently raised funding of $25 million, the company is in the process of further developing its applications and finding new markets.

TAL Parent company: Tata Number of robots installed worldwide: ~ TAL is the robotics division of the Indian industrial giant Tata. The unit has demonstrated a machine it calls “Brabo”.

The Brabo is said to be the first Indian-made industrial robot and is aimed at the automotive trade.

Tata, the parent company, is one of the world’s largest automotive companies.

Franka Parent company: Franka Number of robots installed worldwide: ~ Another interesting startup with a collaborative robot that is said to be able to build copies of itself.

Interestingly enough, Franka is backed by Kuka and Foxconn among others.

The possibility of automating parts of the production process that larger robots were previously unable to do is probably what motivates these investors.

Mecademic Parent company: Mecademic Number of robots installed worldwide: ~ The robot produced by Mecademic is so small that it could be described as a miniature version of an industrial robot.

If you’re planning to make tiny things, like watches, for example, this is probably the machine for you. n

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Python powered RoboDK is a robot development kit that allows you to program any robot from any brand through Python. Python is easy to learn yet powerful and flexible. Robot offline programming has no limits with RoboDK’s Python API. Extended library The RoboDK Library has many robots, external axes and tools from different brands. We are constantly adding new robots to RoboDK. The library can be directly accessed from our desktop app.

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Technology predictions for 2018

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The year ahead in tech Market predictions Top 10 technology trends for 2018: IEEE Computer Society predicts the future of tech

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ech experts at the IEEE Computer Society (IEEECS) annually predict the “Future of Tech” and have revealed what they believe will be the biggest trends in technology for 2018.

The forecast by the world’s premier organization of computing professionals is among its most anticipated announcements.

Jean-Luc Gaudiot, IEEE Computer Society president, says: “The Computer Society’s predictions, based on a deep-dive analysis by a team of leading technology experts, identify top-trending technologies that hold extensive disruptive potential for 2018.

“The vast computing community depends on the Computer Society as the provider for relevant technology news and information, and our predictions directly align with our commitment to keeping our community wellinformed and prepared for the changing technological landscape of the future.”

Dejan Milojicic, Hewlett Packard Enterprise distinguished technologist and IEEE Computer Society past president, says: “The following year we will witness some of the most intriguing dilemmas in the future of technology.

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“Will deep learning and AI indeed expand deployment domains or remain within the realms of neural networks?

“Will cryptocurrency technologies keep their extraordinary evolution or experience a bubble burst? Will new computing and memory technologies finally disrupt the extended life of Moore’s law? We’ve made our bets on our 2018 predictions.”

The top 10 technology trends predicted by the IEEE-CS to reach adoption in 2018 are: 1. Deep learning Machine learning and more specifically deep learning are already on the cusp of revolution.

They are widely adopted in data centers – Amazon making graphical processing units available for deep learning, Google running deep learning on tensor processing units, Microsoft using field programmable gate arrays – and deep learning is being explored at the edge of the network to reduce the amount of data propagated back to data centers.

Applications such as image, video, and audio recognition are already being deployed for a variety of verticals.

Deep learning heavily depends on accelerators (see #9 below) and is used for a variety of assistive functions (#s 6, 7, and 10).

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Technology predictions for 2018

2. Digital currencies Bitcoin, Ethereum, and newcomers Litecoin, Dash, and Ripple have become commonly traded currencies.

They will continue to become a more widely adopted means of trading.

This will trigger improved cybersecurity (see #10) because the stakes will be ever higher as their values rise.

In addition, digital currencies will continue to enable and be enabled by other technologies, such as storage (see #3), cloud computing (see B in the list of already adopted technologies), the Internet of Things (IoT), edge computing, and more.

3. Blockchain The use of Bitcoin and the revitalization of peer-topeer computing have been essential for the adoption of blockchain technology in a broader sense.

The IEEE predicts increased expansion of companies delivering blockchain products and even IT heavyweights entering the market and consolidating the products.

4. Industrial IoT Empowered by DL at the edge, industrial IoT continues to be the most widely adopted use case for edge computing. It is driven by real needs and requirements.

We anticipate that it will continue to be adopted with a broader set of technical offerings enabled by DL, as well as other uses of IoT (see C and E).

5. Robotics Even though robotics research has been performed for many decades, robotics adoption has not flourished.

However, the past few years have seen increased market availability of consumer robots, as well as more sophisticated military and industrial robots.

We predict that this will trigger wider adoption of robotics in the medical space for caregiving and other healthcare uses. Combined with DL (#1) and AI (#10), robotics will further advance in 2018. Robotics will also motivate further evolution of ethics (see #8).

6. Assisted transportation While the promise of fully autonomous vehicles has slowed down due to numerous obstacles, a limited use of automated assistance has continued to grow, such as parking assistance, video recognition, and alerts for leaving the lane or identifying sudden obstacles.

We anticipate that vehicle assistance will develop further as automation and ML/DL are deployed in the automotive industry.

7. Assisted reality and virtual reality Gaming and AR/VR gadgets have grown in adoption in the past year. We anticipate that this trend will grow with modern user interfaces such as 3D projections and movement detection.

This will allow for associating individuals with metadata that can be viewed subject to privacy configurations, which will continue to drive international policies for cybersecurity and privacy (see #10).

8. Ethics, laws, policies for privacy, security, and liability With the increasing advancement of DL (#1), robotics (#5), technological assistance (#s 6 and 7), and applications of

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Robotic tools ‘We anticipate that vehicle assistance will develop further as automation and ML/DL are deployed in the automotive industry’ IEEE

AI (#10), technology has moved beyond society’s ability to control it easily. Mandatory guidance has already been deeply analyzed and rolled out in various aspects of design (see the IEEE standards association document), and it is further being applied to autonomous and intelligent systems and in cybersecurity.

But adoption of ethical considerations will speed up in many vertical industries and horizontal technologies.

9. Accelerators and 3D With the end of power scaling and Moore’s law and the shift to 3D, accelerators are emerging as a way to continue improving hardware performance and energy efficiency and to reduce costs.

There are a number of existing technologies (FPGAs and ASICs) and new ones (such as memristor-based DPE) that hold a lot of promise for accelerating application domains (such as matrix multiplication for the use of deep learning algorithms).

We predict wider diversity and broader applicability of accelerators, leading to more widespread use in 2018.

10. Cybersecurity and AI Cybersecurity is becoming essential to everyday life and business, yet it is increasingly hard to manage.

Exploits have become extremely sophisticated and it is hard for IT to keep up.

Pure automation no longer suffices and AI is required to enhance data analytics and automated scripts.

It is expected that humans will still be in the loop of taking actions; hence, the relationship to ethics (#8).

But AI itself is not immune to cyberattacks.

The IEEE-CS says AI/deep learning techniques need to be made more robust in the presence of adversarial traffic in any application area.

Existing technologies The IEEE-CS says it did not include the following technologies in its top 10 list because it assumes that they have already experienced broad adoption: Data science l “Cloudification” l Smart cities l Sustainability l IoT/edge computing IEEE-CS technical contributors include: l Erik DeBenedictis, Sandia National Laboratories; lF red Douglis, systems researcher and member of IEEE-CS Board of Governors; l David Ebert, professor, Purdue University; l Paolo Faraboschi, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Fellow; l Eitan Frachtenberg, data scientist; l Phil Laplante, professor, Penn State University; and l Dejan Milojicic, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Distinguished Technologist and IEEE Computer Society past president.

At the end of 2018, the IEEE-CS will review its predictions and determine how closely they match up to technology’s reality. In December 2018, the IEEE-CS will grade its latest predictions.

Its previous predictions – which include sensors everywhere, driverless cars and so on – were fairly accurate. n

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Consultant’s perspective

Sensor Readings

Our future electric Technology insight The way cars and vehicles are manufacturing will change as a result of electric mobility

A

rthur D. Little, which claims to be the world’s first consultancy company, predicts how future mobility solutions will affect automotive manufacturing. In a new report, The Future of Automotive Mobility, the company says – somewhat surprisingly – that the future vehicle technology will depend less on consumer preferences than government regulations.

The company draws its conclusions on a global survey of 6,500 participants, including customers, industry players and regulators. Its research examines how the megatrends of electric mobility, car sharing and autonomous driving are likely to impact on the global automotive ecosystem and future original equipment manufacturing sales.

The report notes that the future of mobility will no longer depend primarily on the preferences of customers, but will increasingly be driven by regulation as cities seek to resolve traffic-generated problems such as congestion and poor air quality.

Electric mobility, car sharing and autonomous driving solutions all have an important role to play in meeting these challenges. However, the effect on traditional OEMs’ production volume may not be as severe as some experts have predicted, claims ADL. For example, a key component of autonomous

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driving will be “mobility-on-demand” solutions, in which customers use “robot taxis.” Based on real mobility data from almost 100 mega-cities, ADL simulated the effect of robot taxis upon mobility behavior and car sales.

The findings revealed that even with total market coverage, their effect was not as bad as the predicted worst case scenario.

Klaus Schmitz, partner in ADL’s automotive division, explains: “In a moderate scenario, in which 11 metropolitan regions implement the new form of urban mobility by 2030, global vehicle sales will rise to 121 million vehicles a year, a 39 per cent increase compared to today.

“In a progressive scenario of 52 pioneer cities, sales will amount to 119 million vehicles, a 34 per cent increase.”

The report details how new roles are being created in the automotive-supplier pyramid, with the shift to the electric drive train and the increasing importance of software being additional factors to consider.

However, a major challenge for manufacturers is the loss of direct access to the mobility customer, says ADL. Wolf-Dieter Hoppe, author of the study and associate director at ADL, says: “Millions of individual customers will be replaced by a few very large, multinational fleet operators.

“These could take over the dominant role of OEMs in the ecosystem, as they would have direct customer access as well as considerable volume power. In particular, this would be a problem for today’s premium manufacturers.” n

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Consultant’s perspective

17

Opportunity knocks Market predictions China’s fast-growing automotive market presents opportunities for all

C

hina’s auto market is creating “explosive growth opportunity” for companies prepared to adapt their approach, according to a new report by Gao Feng.

The report, Rising Opportunities in China’s Automotive Independent Aftermarket, was produced by Bill Russo, Jason Zhang, Jackie Tang and Peter Hu. The authors say China’s automotive market has “entered a new phase” which brings “enormous opportunities”.

The study specifically examines the complexity of China’s independent aftermarket, including the distribution channel and service shops.

It also highlights the key success factors, market dynamics and emerging marketing channels in the independent aftermarket, and assess the implications of these developments for key players along the value chain.

Edward Tse, CEO of Gao Feng, says: “China’s auto aftermarket is an explosive growth opportunity for organizations that are prepared to adapt their approach to the China context.”

He adds that, as the China market enters a more mature stage with slower new car sales growth, “key players must act now to find opportunities to profitably grow their participation in this business”.

Unlocking this potential will require an expanded set of capabilities, says the report, often developed in collaboration with new partners offering a combination of products and services to a maturing market.

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In this environment, automakers, suppliers, parts distributors and service shops are all seeking ways to offer a clear and differentiated value proposition in order to succeed in the aftermarket, and they must act quickly to compete with new entrants who are seeking to disrupt the traditional service model, says Gao Feng.

Tse also points out that the Chinese vehicle market is not only the largest in the world (sales of 28 million units in 2016) but it also offers the highest number of brands (130).

More and more new players – most of them local producers – are entering the field.

Globally China is establishing itself not only as the leading market for new-energy vehicles, but also for connectivity, autonomous driving and totally new mobility concepts.

For example, ride-hailing, luxury mobility on demand or intelligent voice recognition, and so on.

Backed by billions from influential investors and armed with global talent, over a dozen Chinese startups want to make dinosaurs of incumbent auto makers.

As they start production, their determination is raising the pressure to innovate at traditional auto makers. One of these players is Nio, founded by Bitauto chief executive William Li. After raising last month more than $1 billion from investors led by Tencent Holdings, Nio is preparing for its next phase.

In addition to Tesla, the company will be competing against homegrown rivals such as BYD as well as industry giants Volkswagen and General Motors.

The company recently launched its first production car – the ES8 sport-utility vehicle – in a huge event in Beijing, covered by the global media. n

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Marketplace

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Marketplace Associations: Robotics and Automation

British Automation & Robot Association bara.org.uk The aim of the BARA is to promote the use of, and assist in the development of Industrial Robots and Automation in British industry.

In 2009 BARA joined forces with the PPMA (Processing & Packaging Machinery Association) to become a special interest focus group.

Robotics Society of Japan rsj.or.jp The Robotics Society of Japan promotes progress in academic fields and provides specialists with a venue for announcing their research and exchanging technical information.

International Federation of Robotics ifr.org The purpose of IFR shall be to promote and strengthen the robotics industry worldwide, to protect its business interests, to cause public awareness about robotics technologies and to deal with other matters of relevance to its members.

euRobotics AISBL eu-robotics.net euRobotics AISBL is a Brussels based international non-profit association for all stakeholders in European robotics. euRobotics builds upon the success of the European Robotics Technology Platform and the academic network of EURON, and will continue the cooperation abetween members of these two community driven organisations.

IEEE Robotics and Automation Society ieee-ras.org Our Mission is to foster the development and facilitate the exchange of scientific and technological knowledge in Robotics and Automation that benefits members, the profession and humanity. Our Vision is to be the most recognized and respected global organization in Robotics and Automation.

Robotic Industries Association robotics.org The Robotic Industries Association (RIA) drives innovation, growth, and safety in manufacturing and service industries through education, promotion, and advancement of robotics, related automation technologies, and companies delivering integrated solutions.

China Robot Industry Alliance cria.mei.net.cn CRIA is a non-profit organization composed of enterprises, manufacturers, universities, research institutes, regional or local robotic associations, related organizations as well as organizations in the fields of R&D, manufacturing, application and services of the robot industry.

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Actuation PHD PHD is a leading manufacturer of industrial automation actuators, designed to help companies across all industries optimize their manufacturing processes. phdinc.com

Wittenstein

From machine tools or woodworking and packaging machines through robotics and handling equipment to food processing, pharmaceutical and medical technology or intralogistics, Wittenstein actuators keep you one step ahead of the competition. wittenstein-us.com

Ham-Let More than half a century of excellence servicing the high purity and process industries with designing, developing, producing and marketing of fluid system components. ham-let.com

Rethink Robotics Our patented SEA technology uses springs to advance the robot’s motion control solution from one of rigid positioning to one of force control. rethinkrobotics.com

ATC The Actuator Technology Company operates independently and is located close to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

We are acclaimed and appreciated for offering vital design support during FEED and detailed design stage (EPC). atc-actuators.com

The Valve and Actuator Co We realise there is an urgent need to provide experienced technical support with competitive pricing.

We carry an extensive stock of electric and pneumatic actuators and general valves. valveandactuatorcompany.co.uk

Parker Parker actuators come in a wide range of construction types, ranging from compact light duty aluminum air actuators, motorized electric actuators, to heavy duty hydraulic designs. parker.com

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Marketplace

Marketplace: technology Computing & Software

RoboDK Offline programming has never been easier thanks to RoboDK. You don’t need to learn brand-specific languages anymore. RoboDK handles the robot controller syntax and outputs the right program for your robot. robodk.com

Dassault Systemes Robotics Programmer provides a 3D environment where robot programmers can create, program, simulate and validate an entire robot workcell.

3ds.com

Aldebaran by Softbank Aldebaran enables both novices and experts to use its robots with ease. To do this, an SDK has been developed to support creation in the best way possible: 3D simulator, simple and intuitive programming software, C++ libraries, Python, .Net. aldebaran.com

Arduino Arduino is an open-source computer hardware and software company, project and user community that designs and manufactures kits for building digital devices and interactive objects that can sense and control the physical world. arduino.cc

Raspberry Pi The Raspberry Pi is a series of credit cardsized single-board computers developed in the UK by the Raspberry Pi Foundation with the intention of promoting the teaching of basic computer science in schools. raspberrypi.org

KUKA.WorkVisual Programming. Configuration.

Loading. Testing. Diagnosis.

Modifying. Archiving. KUKA. WorkVisual groups all the steps of a project together in a homogenous offline development, online diagnosis and maintenance environment. kuka-robotics.com

ABB RobotStudio RobotStudio provides the tools to increase the profitability of your robot system by letting you perform tasks such as training, programming, and optimization without disturbing production. abb.com

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Integration & Process

Cognex No matter what the machine vision application, Cognex offers a complete family of vision products—from standalone vision systems to 3D vision software— that provide unparalleled accuracy and repeatability. cognex.com

Rockwell Automation Preferred integration starts with using plug-and-play technology, which means robots connect through Ethernet/IP with software and service interfaces that simplify design, operation and maintenance efforts to improve machine and overall line OEE. rockwellautomation.com

Evana Automation Evana specializes in designing and implementing robotics automation solutions that fit your specific manufacturing needs. Let our robotics engineering and robotics manufacturing experts develop a custom robotics automation solution that meets your requirements. evanaautomation.com

FANUC Authorized Integrators An Authorized FANUC Integrator is ready to analyze your system requirements and provide a robotic solution that will improve quality, throughput, and productivity to give you the return on investment you are looking for. fanucamerica.com

Adept Adept has cultivated and maintained key partnerships with industry-leading integrators, OEMs, and machine builders across the globe and throughout numerous application segments. adept.com

NewBotic Corporation NewBotic is a robotic systems integrator, best known for its specialized engineering services that designs advanced transformative manufacturing and warehousing processes for a wide variety of industries. newbotic.com

Genesis Systems Genesis Systems Group designs, builds and implements robotic arc welding systems, assembly automation systems and robotic tooling, material handling solutions, non-destructive inspection cells and robotic waterjet cutting systems like nobody else. genesis-systems.com

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Microcontrollers & Microchips

Freescale Freescale Semiconductor enables secure, embedded processing solutions for the Internet of Tomorrow. Freescale’s solutions drive a more innovative and connected world, simplifying our lives and making us safer. freescale.com

Atmel Atmel Corporation is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of microcontrollers, capacitive touch solutions, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and radio frequency components. atmel.com

Silicon Labs Silicon Labs is a team of hardware and software innovators dedicated to solving our customer’s toughest embedded design challenges. silabs.com

Marketplace

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Sensors Ranesas Renesas Electronics Corporation, the world’s number one supplier of microcontrollers, is a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions including microcontrollers, SoC solutions and a broad range of analog and power devices. renesas.com

Alphasense Alphasense has established a reputation as a reliable source for a wide range of gas sensor technologies. We supply high-quality Oxygen,CO2, toxic and flammable Gas sensors to many of the world’s leading industrial OEMs. alphasense.com

STMicroelectronics A world leader in providing the semiconductor solutions that make a positive contribution to people’s lives, both today and in the future. st.com

4D Technology 4D Technology designs and manufactures laser interferometers, surface roughness profilers and interferometry accessories.

4dtechnology.com

Sensiron

Infineon We provide semiconductor and system solutions, focusing on three central needs of our modern society: Energy Efficiency, Mobility and Security. infineon.com

Sano Sano is a biometric sensor and software company with a patented, breakthrough sensor that will help people understand what’s happening inside their bodies through continuously monitoring important markers in their bodies’ chemistry. sano.co

Hansford Sensors

Texas Instruments TI’s microcontroller platform offers innovative devices with integrated on-chip architectures, unique intellectual property, system expertise in key markets, and a comprehensive ecosystem of software, tools and support. ti.com

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Synaptics Synaptics is a world leader in capacitive touch sensing technology. This patented technology is at the heart of our industry-standard TouchPad products and other solutions. synaptics.com

Sensirion is a leading sensor manufacturer, providing relative humidity sensors and flow sensor solutions with unique performance. sensirion.com

At Hansford Sensors, we design, develop and manufacture a wide range of high performance industrial accelerometers, vibration transmitters (loop powered sensors) and ancillary equipment. hansfordsensors.com

EMX EMX is one of the world’s leading innovators of specialty sensors in the factory and process automation markets. Our sensors are used in automotive, packaging, labeling, metal stamping, paper and wood processing, plastics, electronics and pharmaceutical manufacturing. emxinc.com

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Marketplace

Marketplace: companies 3D Robotics 3DR helps people see their world from above. As North America’s largest personal drone company, 3DR is a pioneer in making advanced, easy-to-use drone technology.

3dr.com

Yaskawa Yaskawa Motoman offers a wide range of industrial robotic arm models for high-speed precision assembly and small part handling including high-performance sixaxis robots; flexible seven-axis manipulators; dual-arm robots with 15 axes; and more. motoman.com

Universal Robots Universal Robots is a result of many years of intensive research in robotics. The product portfolio includes the collaborative UR3, UR5 and UR10 robot arms named after their payloads in kilos. universal-robots.com

Vecna Vecna’s robotic logistics solutions are a family of autonomous mobile robots, built to operate within human-centric environments. vecna.com

Kawasaki For over 40 years, Kawasaki has been improving technology to meet the high demand of assembly applications. Kawasaki’s innovative hardware and software can help you solve your complex assembly challenges. kawasaki.com

DENSO Robotics Cutting edge technology, class leading products and groundbreaking systems are only part of what you can expect when you choose DENSO Robotics. densorobotics.com

Epson With over 45,000 robots installed in factories throughout the world, many of the top manufacturing companies rely on Epson Robots every day to reduce production costs, improve product quality, increase yields and help increase their bottom line. epson.com

TEUN TEUN is a comprehensive concept, based on a smart unmanned machine, the PIQR. The concept has been developed to offer a solution for the frequently complex labor-intensive and expensive way of unloading containers. teun.com

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SynTouch SynTouch LLC developed and makes the only sensor technology in the world that endows robots with the ability to replicate - and sometimes exceed - the human sense of touch. syntouchllc.com

Kawada ”Serving society through technology,” has been Kawada’s mission since its inception in 1922. Our mission has been accomplished through technological innovations in a vast range of operations, including projects involving transportation, energy, and information, all basic necessities of society. global.kawada.jp

Honda Robotics SCHUNK SCHUNK is one of the largest manufacturer for automation components, toolholders and workholding equipment. schunk.com

Honda has further advanced intelligence technologies enabling its advanced humanoid robot ASIMO to act autonomously and perform uninterrupted service to office guests. honda.com

iRobot

Robotiq Our goal is to enable all manufacturers to take full advantage of robotics. We work with robot manufacturers, system integrators and end-users to automate applications that require fexibility. robotiq.com

Honeybee Robotics Since 1983, Honeybee has completed over 300 projects for NASA, the US Department of Defense, academia, industry and artists. honeybeerobotics.com

iRobot’s home robots are revolutionizing the way people clean – inside and out. More than 10 million home robots have been sold worldwide. www.irobot.com

Future Robot We, Future Robot, aim to create an exemplary service robot market.

We deal with Coupon Advertising Robot, Mobile Infotainment Service, Robot Event Service, and many more.

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Energid Energid Technologies develops advanced software and robotic systems for the aerospace, agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, defense, and medical industries. energid.com

Ekso Bionics Ekso Bionics helps survivors of stroke, spinal cord injury and other forms of lower extremity weakness to walk again. intl.eksobionics.com

Dyson Dyson recently invested in a joint robotics lab with Imperial College London to investigate vision systems and engineer a generation of household robots. dyson.co.uk

Clearpath Robotics We build the world’s best unmanned vehicles for research and development. Our products will save time, money and headaches on your next project. clearpathrobotics.com

Marketplace

Brain Corporation Brain Corporation develops software, hardware, and cloud services for consumer robotics.

Our goal is to make intelligent and useful machines a part of everyday life with the world’s first trainingbased operating system for robots – BrainOS. braincorporation.com

Stäubli Stäubli is a mechatronics solutions provider with three dedicated divisions: textile, connectors and robotics, serving customers who want to increase their productivity in many industrial sectors. staubli.com

Bosch Robotics We are working on Personal Robotics and the enabling technologies. Our interdisciplinary team conducts research on topics such as mobile manipulation, navigation, perception and semantic analysis of 3D data. bosch.us

DMG Mori Ellison DMG Mori Ellison Technologies is a provider of advanced machining solutions to North American metal-cutting manufacturers and their global affiliates. ellisontechnologies.com

ASI Autonomous Solutions is a world leader in vendor independent vehicle automation systems. From our HQ in Utah, we serve clients in the mining, agriculture, automotive, government, and manufacturing industries with remote control, teleoperation, and fully automated solutions. asirobots.com

DAIHEN The DAIHEN Group makes it our mission to provide products and services indispensable to primary industries around the world, including first and foremost the power industry or so-called “lifeline” of society. daihen.co.jp

Aethon Aethon is best known for its TUG autonomous mobile delivery robot which transports medications, meals and materials through hospitals. aethon.com

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Axium Axium designs, manufactures and installs a complete range of automated solutions for robotic material handling (palletizing, depalletizing, case packing, and peripheral equipments) and transformation of plastic products. axiumsolutions.com

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Aurotek Aurotek delivers high valueadded services and solutions, and helping customers achieve greater value through its introduction of advanced and quality components, acquirement of new technology concepts. robot.com.tw

Apex Automation and Robotics Apex Automation and Robotics is an Australian company specialising in the design and manufacture of custom-built automation machines and robotic systems. apexautomation.com.au

Adept Adept systems provide unmatched performance and economic value throughout the production lifecycle, enabling customers to achieve precision, quality and productivity in their assembly, handling and packaging processes. adept.com

Reis Experts know REIS as creative pacemaker for process-oriented system solutions. Since 1957 our way has been going dynamically up.

The fundamentals: Inventive genius, competence, innovative power, and reliability. reisrobotics.de

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