Manufacturing is changing. Manpower took a backseat to machinery long ago, but the capabilities of industrial robots are becoming increasingly advanced. Industrial machines are faster, more precise, more efficient, and more affordable than human workers. But until recently, these machines were one-trick ponies. Punch in the instructions and sit back as production lines mass-produced identical,… Read more »

Apple pickers probably thought their jobs were forever safe from automation. Apples are resilient fruits, but they’re a little too delicate for the powerful grasp of a robot. Then there’s the fact that each apple will vary slightly from the next, and apples don’t grow in the same spots on every tree. Even though these… Read more »

“Legacy” is such an elegant sounding word. It conjures images of treasures and trinkets, antique heirlooms, and maybe some fancy paintings. When talking about a person’s legacy, you typically think of his or her works, or children, or maybe even wealth. What you don’t typically think of are parts to a motion control system that… Read more »

For some people, servo motors are undeniably and unquestionably cool. However, not everyone is immediately captured by the allure of industrial machines and motion control systems. But they just need a little help to understand just how neat servo motors truly are. Knowing some of the cool uses for servo motors is a great place… Read more »

Offshoring has been an issue for a long time. The United States has been sending jobs overseas for decades. But now there is talk of bringing those jobs back to the United States. Reshoring is the idea that American manufacturers will bring production back to the U.S. At first glance, this is an exciting idea…. Read more »

There’s nothing more upsetting than the current state of shopping carts in the world. It’s bad enough that we have to leave our homes, drive to the grocery store, and select our own groceries – which we don’t actually have to do any more – but then we have to push, and pull, and struggle… Read more »

Surgeons have been using robots since the 1980s. Of course, early robots were nothing more than tools or instruments. They were used in the same way that a scalpel is used. Today’s surgical robots, however, are very sophisticated. They are still tools used by human doctors, but they are far more capable than the robots… Read more »

The first week of August is National Simplify Your Life Week. For some, National Simplify Your Life Week is reminder to eliminate unnecessary stress and focus on what’s important in life. For others, however, this is just another thing to add to an already impossibly long list of things to do. Regardless of which camp… Read more »

Although the term “cyborg” wasn’t coined until the 1960’s, the idea of cybernetic organisms has been around for much longer. In 1839, Edgar Allen Poe wrote “The Man That Was Used Up”. The story describes general John A.B.C. Smith as a man who is assembled from individual parts. So as you can see, beings that… Read more »

If you ever start to feel inadequate next to a robot, just remember one simple thing. You can pick up a spoon, a bowl full of water, and a 10-pound weight. Robots are truly amazing, and they can do some incredible things that humans could never dream of doing. However, they are severely lacking in… Read more »