Page 30 - Toucpad robotics C11

VR/AR IoT

3D Printing Cloud Computing

Robotics Big Data
Smart Factory

Automation Cyber Resistant ERP/SCM
Connectivity and
Networks

Design Smart Products Digital Production Digital Services

Data Protection and Information Security

Collaborative Robots (Cobots)
Concept: Unlike traditional industrial robots, which are often caged for safety, cobots are designed to work
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safely alongside human employees, sharing the workspace without physical barriers. They use advanced sensors
(like force-torque sensors and vision systems) and AI to detect human presence and movements, ensuring safety by
slowing down or stopping if a human gets too close.
AI/ML Application: Machine Learning algorithms enable cobots to learn tasks by demonstration (e.g., a human guiding
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the robot’s arm once, and the cobot learns the motion) and adapt to variations in the workpiece or environment.
They use AI for real-time risk assessment.
Impact: Increased flexibility in production lines, improved productivity through human-robot synergy, reduced injury
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risk for monotonous or strenuous tasks, and enablement of high-mix, low-volume production.
Example: In an electronics assembly plant, a cobot might hold a circuit board in place while a human worker manually
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inserts tiny components, or vice-versa. The cobot’s AI ensures it doesn’t collide with the human’s hand, making the
process faster and safer.
Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) for Logistics

Concept: AMRs are intelligent robots that navigate dynamic
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environments without requiring fixed tracks or magnetic
strips. They use sophisticated mapping, localization, and path
planning algorithms, often powered by AI, to move goods,
materials, or components autonomously within factories or
warehouses.
AI/ML Application: AI-powered Simultaneous Localisation
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and Mapping (SLAM) algorithms allow AMRs to build maps of
their surroundings while simultaneously figuring out their own location within that map. Machine Learning helps them
learn optimal routes, predict traffic patterns, and navigate complex, changing environments efficiently.
Impact: Revolutionised internal logistics, significantly reducing material handling costs, improving efficiency,
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increasing throughput, and enabling 24/7 operation in warehouses.

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Touchpad Robotics - XI