Having machinery that can let you know when it’s about to need a new valve is very useful. A printer that reorders ink before it runs out is handy. But do we really need smart pants? What’s smart about the pants? Brazilian university researchers created a pair of pants with fiber optic cables. Sensors in… Read more »
As automation technologies improve, we find that we are able to automate more and more aspects of our daily life. Most people under 30 haven’t heard of a travel agent, we can check ourselves out at the grocery store, and we don’t even know how much our utilities cost each month because they’re auto-drafted. Oxford… Read more »
Needing an Indramat repair may be your worst nightmare. Seeing a mysterious Indramat error code, hearing the unsettling absence of the sound of your factory machinery, and knowing that each second your system is down is costing you money will rattle even the most hardened plant owner. But don’t worry. Indramat repair is easy… sort… Read more »
We were sorry to report that child labor has become a problem in the United States, but things are getting worse before they get better. We hope they will get better, and one good sign is the fact that the Department of Labor has establish4ed a task force on child labor to nip the problem… Read more »
The status indicator on Indramat drives is one of the great features of Indramat motion control systems. When something goes wrong, you don’t have to waste time guessing and checking at random to diagnose the problem. The error code is clearly displayed, allowing you to take remedial steps and clear the error quickly. Of course… Read more »
Robots aren’t just for manufacturing and space travel anymore. We see them in a surprising range of jobs: Robot waiters Robot therapists Robot nurses Robot fry cooks Robot manicurists But what about robot rabbis? Research on robot rabbis You might think that a robot rabbi is an obviously bad idea and not something anyone would… Read more »
When you think of a game you most likely think of kid-friendly classics like hide-and-seek, go fish, or maybe even a fun family board game. “The knife game”, however, is far from Parcheesi. Precision is the name of the game. Also known as stabscotch and five finger fillet, the knife game is intense and dangerous…. Read more »
IEEE Spectrum had an interesting conversation with robotics experts on robots falling down. There were some interesting speculations on why people respond strongly to videos showing robots falling down. We think the robotics experts might have been looking at it the wrong way, though. It’s unusual? Both of the experts suggested that people are interesting… Read more »
With actors and screenwriters on strike, the conversation about robots taking over human jobs is heating up again. One of the complaints from the Hollywood workers is that their jobs are threatened by artificial intelligence. AI is already used to populate crowd scenes, whether it be armies of orcs or cheering crowds in a stadium…. Read more »
The Economist lists four reasons governments worldwide are eager to increase manufacturing in their economies: Manufacturing provides stable middle-class jobs. Manufacturing drives innovation and growth. Manufacturing can support environmental responsibility. Tensions between America and China make individual countries think they need to produce their own goods. Spoiler alert: they go on to question all of… Read more »
