Robots aren’t sticking to the car plants anymore. Robotics are growing more sophisticated and more versatile every day. Today, nearly any industry can benefit from some type of automation, and the number of industries taking advantage of that fact is growing. You probably wouldn’t be surprised to find out that there are robots that make… Read more »

Many companies announce a new automated system and then tack onto their announcement something like, “This new system will increase productivity, add jobs, and give our workers safer, more creative working conditions.” Often, nobody believes them. UPS is working on full automation at some of their facilities. They’re not being mealy-mouthed about it, either. They… Read more »

Robots have a number of advantages over human workers when it comes to manufacturing. Industrial robots work faster than people work. They can carry more weight, too. Unlike human workers industrial machines aren’t prone to errors. They don’t need breaks, they don’t get paid overtime, they don’t get hurt, and they don’t take holidays or… Read more »

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s report paints a grim picture: despite commitments from major corporations, the use of reusable packaging remains stubbornly low. In fact, just 2% of the packaging used by companies that pledged to reduce their reliance on plastic is reusable. While single-use plastics dominate the market, there’s a compelling case for prioritizing reusable… Read more »

With industrial robots, we tend to focus on their arms. Service robots? We think about their mobility, so the focus is likely to be on their wheels or legs. But researchers are beginning to pay more attention to robot faces. What do robot faces look like? Often, robots that have faces look a lot like… Read more »

Robots have taken on plenty of jobs that humans can also do, and robots have certainly gone to space. So should robots take on the jobs of astronauts? Britain’s Astronomer Royal thinks so. “I’m sceptical about the idea of a human space flight being worthwhile,” he said on a government podcast. Martin Rees, the current… Read more »

Much research has been done on how humans interact with robots. We’ve seen humans attack robots, grow fond of them and dress them up, and worry about upsetting them. We’ve also seen robot dogs interact with live dogs, and they seem to react to them much as they would to a live dog, at least… Read more »

What a day! You’ve had an error code on your Indramat component, reached for your trusty Indramat Manual, and figured out how to correct the problem. In fact, you have actually corrected the problem! Unfortunately, fixing the problem has not caused your machinery to leap back into life and end the downtime at your facility…. Read more »

China has the highest manufacturing output in the world, and has done for at least a decade. That hasn’t stopped them from increasing output. In fact, Chinese manufacturers pumped out a 7% increase in supply so far this year. U.S. production, in contrast, is down by 7% since 2007. According to the Washington Post, China… Read more »

Robots are taking over plenty of human jobs, with varying results. In some cases, they’re becoming commonplace because they do as good a job as humans without those pesky demands for money, coffee breaks, and benefits. In others, they are still years away from the marketplace because they just aren’t that good at the job…. Read more »