We’re living in a rousing age in robotics. The attention, research, and resources being put into robots and automation is greater than it’s ever been before, and the results are really impressive. Modern robots are capable of doing some pretty cool things, but how practical are they?
Boston Dynamics is one of the most famous and exciting robotics companies around right now. They regularly release videos of their robots doing neat and interesting things.
The Atlas robot can do back flips now, and the 45-second video of Spot Mini opening a door reached more than 2.5 million views within 24 hours.
The robots engineered by Boston Dynamics can sprint nearly 30 mph, scale walls, leap onto the rooftops of buildings, and do the dishes.
Are there practical uses for these robots?
There’s no denying that the robots from Boston Dynamics, and robots like them, are impressive and entertaining. There are even practical applications for many of these robots.
They can make life easier for consumers, assist with search and rescue, aid military personnel, and help workers in the similar way that cobots already help workers. Atlas and Handle could immediately be useful in warehouses or industrial settings.
Industrial robots, however, wouldn’t benefit from the ability to do back flips or jump on top of buildings. That doesn’t mean these neat robots wouldn’t benefit industrial robots, though.
How can these robots help manufacturing?
Any advancements in robotics can benefit industrial robots. No, industrial robots of the future won’t tidy up the break room or do back flips for fun, but improvements in sensors and actuators can translate into better factory robots.
One of the great things about robotics is that all types of robots benefit from advancements in individual fields. These breakthroughs can open avenues for better technologies that would improve factory machines.
Indramat made some of the best motion control systems ever produced. Many of their drives, servos, and controls are still in use today despite being legacy systems. Robotics technologies are constantly improving, but your legacy robots still get the job done just fine. Call 479-422-0390 for any support or assistance with Indramat motion control systems.