Emerging Opportunities in Automation

A factory worker who has no formal computer tech education preps a robot for its next assignment, thanks to software that makes the equipment easy to operate. An unmanned helicopter delivers supplies to troops on the front lines and in an auto plant, one piece of equipment on the assembly line installs windshields, doors, and seats.

New developments in automation will make equipment safer and allow companies of all sizes to imagine ways of becoming more competitive and profitable.

Inside the Robots

Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and resulting software systems give employees the opportunity to direct the use of automation and provide assistance in daily tasks. It's no longer necessary to have highly paid programmers on hand to operate the equipment. Ease of operation reduces costs and makes automation more practical than ever for small-to-medium sized businesses.

Researchers are turning to ancient systems to develop new technological breakthroughs. Ostriches and other birds that live primarily on the ground appear top heavy and clumsy. Yet, they're excellent runners and they can easily adjust their speeds and directions to run around obstacles.

In the write-up Birds have a thing or two to reach running robots, University of Oregon researchers are finding ways to take the best natural systems and apply those to future robotic movements.

Use of Automation

Say good-bye to auto assembly lines where a car rolls along a conveyor and doors are attached at one station and seats are put in at another. Automaker Tesla at its plant in Fremont, California uses equipment that puts in doors, seats, and seals the car at one station. Automation provides flexible solutions with equipment that can adapt to different size parts in production.

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Tesla's assembly-line innovation cuts costs and will allow the company to provide electric cars that are more affordable than current models.
A small business can imitate Tesla's approach by using equipment that adapts to multiple functions.

Corporations that invest heavily in research and development pave the way for smaller companies to use automation. Lockheed Martin is researching ways to eliminate convoys to ferry supplies to troops on the front lines using unmanned helicopters. These super-drones are another way to use automation in replacing jobs that expose people to dangerous situations.

Adapting

Warehouses are a new frontier for automation. It's not practical to develop equipment for every possible shape and size package that might be shipped. Companies that automate have an edge over those who don't because customers are expecting fast and reliable delivery.

Material-handling robots were first developed to handle radioactive waste in the 1940s and now they're being refined with enhanced sensors and vision systems to see multiple SKUs and pick up the right packages. Read Material Handling Robots in the Mix and discover the benefits of these breakthroughs.

Automation and Jobs

Foxconn made news a few years ago with its plan to have one million robots working electronics assembly in China. Foxconn executives have made strategic decisions for "re-shoring" in the United States along with tech giants Apple and Lenovo. Companies in a variety of industries are investing in automated equipment in greater numbers than ever as noted in Robotics in 2014: Market Diversity, Cobots, and Global Investment.

Look for automated equipment to become easier to operate, more flexible in its uses, and become a necessary investment for companies in a variety of industries.