Do Robots Need Empathy?

Research shows that human beings can empathize with robots, feeling sorry for them when they appear to be in pain (hint: they’re not). Robots can also be programmed to fake empathy for humans. But we’re probably better off with robots that know when humans might actually be in danger and stop before they cause pain…. Read more »

Let’s Celebrate the Servo Motor

The average person probably doesn’t care much about servo motors. In fact, the average person probably doesn’t know what a servo motor is despite the fact that servos benefit our lives in some way on a daily basis. Servo motors make our lives easier and more convenient. They make our lives more fun. They’re also… Read more »

When It’s Time to Upgrade Indramat Products

Your Indramat legacy products are old, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get the job done. Many plants still use Indramat drives and motors to this day because they’re long-lasting, reliable, and cost-effective. While there are ways to stretch the life of your legacy system, eventually you’ll need to upgrade. We can help you maintain… Read more »

Automation is the Solution

Automation benefits manufacturing, and manufacturing is essential to the U.S. economy. The estimated U.S. GDP for 2016 was $18.46 trillion, and manufacturing contributed $2.8 trillion, or 11.7% of the total GDP. All industry accounted for 19.4% of the total gross domestic product in 2016. Industrial automation provides volume, quality, speed, and productivity that could not… Read more »

Indramat Drivetop Software

Drivetop was written for Windows 3.1, the MS-DOS-based platform which made its debut back in 1992. We’re currently in the Windows 10 era, so as you can imagine Drivetop isn’t exactly cutting edge technology. But there were Drivetop software training sessions scheduled in Fall of 2016, so it’s clear that some people are still using… Read more »

The “eco” in Indramat Ecodrive

When you hear the prefix “eco” these days you probably think of the environment. There’s been a growing interest in ecological responsibility, emphasis on environmental stewardship, and a general trend in going green. Consumers and manufacturers are promoting eco-friendly products and packaging in response to an increasing consumer demand for transparency and sustainability. Indramat Ecodrive… Read more »

What If Robots Wondered?

We’re still waiting for that big breakthrough in artificial intelligence – the advancement that will take robots from performing parlor tricks to being truly intelligent. Currently, robots simply do as they are programmed to do. There’s no real thought or intent behind their actions. They follow the set of instructions given to them in the… Read more »

How Easy Is It to Hack a Factory Robot?

The number of factory robots being used around the world is growing rapidly, and experts expect industrial robots to continue claiming more of a role in manufacturing. The International Federation of Robotics predicts that there will be 1.3 million robots in factories around the world by the end of next year. Connectivity is growing as… Read more »

Could Mind-Controlled Robots Benefit Manufacturing?

We’re living in an exciting time for robotics. Robots are being used in ways they’ve never been used before, and they’re better than they’ve ever been. It seems like every day there’s an impressive new development in robotics, artificial intelligence, or both. Things that once existed only in imaginations are slowly entering reality. For example, mind-controlled… Read more »

Will Industrial Robots Ever Enter the Uncanney Valley?

Have you ever seen a robot that almost looked human? Maybe it was so lifelike that from a distance you would be convinced that it was an actual person. After some time, however, you’d find it unsettling how the robot doesn’t quite move right, or sometimes not at all. The permanent half-smile and dull, lifeless… Read more »