Published on June 19th, 2019 | by Bibhuranjan

What the future holds for Industrial Robots?

Industrial robots have been major factors of production in many factories and industries. As more and more innovation and studies take place in the field of robotics and automation, it seems that industrial robots will remain a permanent fixture of the factory.

However, industrial robots of the future will be slightly different from the current and traditional robots. They will still carry on with the dangerous and boring tasks in the factory. Their appeal in cutting down production time will remain and substantial improvements in this aspect will be made. This can easily be deduced from all other industries that have been disrupted by technology changes and advancements.

The following are some reasons the future of the industrial robot arm is bright.

Human-robot integration

Expanding research and technology is currently making it possible for robots to be integrated with humans onto the factory floor. Factory workers will not be part human, part robot. However, they will have the ability to work as one with robots.

As it is now, research and development is almost complete on an aspect of robotics that enables human workers to wear robotic arms as they work with them.

An industrial robot arm is strapped like a backpack onto the body of the human worker. The long robotic arm extends further in front of the human worker. This makes it easier and safer for the human worker to lift heavy objects around the factory.

In addition, it makes it possible for a human worker to complete a task in the same way at all times.

Easier interaction between human and robot workers

Collaborative robots are the latest form of robotics in the factories. They are cheaper to acquire compared to traditional robots and offer a myriad of benefits to manufacturers of all sizes.

Collaborative robots are now the basis of improvement in robotics with technology. New technology will ensure that human workers can easily interact with their robot colleagues. This will help enhance the efficiency of robots and clear the bottlenecks of collaboration.

With robots that can understand voice commands, facial expressions and even engage in conversation, collaboration will get much easier.

Wearable robots

In addition to strapping a robotic arm onto your back, robotic arms of the future will be easily wearable. Prominent industrial robotic researchers have developed a robot glove that can be worn. This robot glove has an extra finger for each hand, making it possible for human workers using the glove to work with one hand where two are required.

An exoskeleton industrial robot has also been developed to enhance safety for human workers who stand for long in the factory line or whose work requires lots of heavy lifting.

As research and technology advances, we will see more of wearable robots in the factory.

Smaller

As real estate costs grow and eat into the profits of the manufacturing companies, the space used by manufacturers is getting smaller and smaller. As a result, the large and bulky traditional robotic arms that needed their own space are no longer a viable option.

With this in mind, manufacturers of the industrial robot arm are making it smaller. It therefore will have a smaller footprint, and will not require much space or caging to work. This will help factory owners reduce the amount of space they require despite having robots for automation.

Integration with the internet

Industrial robot arms of the future will definitely be internet connected. This will lead to a profound effect on the operations of the robot. As the Internet of things develops, robot manufacturers are coming up with innovative ways to make the robot better through internet connection.

It will be much easier to teach the robot how to work. Hard coding instructions will no longer be necessary as the robots could easily access the instructions online. It will also be easier to create and collect data on the robot operations and also to monitor it in case of any problems.

Tags: AI, industry, manufacturing, robots

About the Author

Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.