Augmentus uses artificial intelligence and computer vision algorithms to make processes more intuitive.
Robots are extremely good at tedious, repetitive and time-consuming tasks, so they are good for production. However, training industrial robots requires a lot of programming skills and knowledge.
Augmentus, a Singapore-based startup founded by IEEE members Daryl Lim, Yong Shin Leong and Chong Voon Foo, wants to make automation a reality with its intuitive robotics programming platform. simpler.
The platform's software has a graphical interface that allows non-technical users to program industrial robots in minutes, said Lin, the company's chief operating officer. It also has an integrated artificial intelligence model, with which customers can train software to recognize objects such as car parts. The model uses computer vision algorithms, such as those used by objects in digital images and facial recognition technology.
In December 2020, Augmentus was named one of the four IEEE star startups at Sling-shot 2020, one of the largest startup competitions in the Asia Pacific region. The award recognizes emerging companies driven by engineering innovation that aligns with IEEE's core mission. Winners become honorary members of IEEE for one year and receive guidance and support from the IEEE network.
Most of Augmentus' customers are advanced industrial manufacturing companies that produce automotive or mechanical parts. These companies use robots for quality inspection, part painting or polishing, or inventory handling.
By making industrial robots easier to program, the software can help companies improve efficiency and reduce costs, helping to retain local manufacturing jobs, Lin said.
"We want to lower the time, skills and cost barriers required for companies to adopt robotic automation," Lim said.
Improve efficiency
Industrial robots are expensive beasts to tame. It often takes thousands of lines of code to teach robotic arms to do seemingly simple tasks, such as sorting objects or moving them from a bin to a conveyor belt, Lin said. The tedious coding process was repeated each time the arm had to be reprogrammed for a different task.
In addition, different manufacturers tend to use different programming languages to build robots, and there is a shortage of programmers with the necessary coding skills.
These all mean higher fees.
"Nearly 70 percent of the cost of industrial robots is related to software and programming," Lin said.
Augmentus' software doesn't require users to create any code, and factory technicians can program robots or robotic parts using iPads and an Apple Pencil stylus.
Technicians can select robots and devices from a software menu, then use the iPad's camera to scan the area where the robot is working, then use a stylus to draw dots on the screen to outline the path the robot arm needs to take to complete a task. The software runs in the cloud and automatically generates code to create the optimal path for the robot. Users can use virtual simulation to test and validate the code before deploying the robot to the factory. Also, you can edit the relevant code as needed.
Lin said the company's technology enables companies to develop and deploy bots 10 times faster and at 1/10 the cost compared to traditional coding approaches.
Currently mainly manufacturing companies use the software to paint and inspect parts, but the team is updating it to apply it to more scenarios such as welding and sanding.
overcome difficulties
Lim was the CEO of Edge Neo in Singapore when the three engineers met. He started the company in 2015 after graduating with a BA in Banking and Finance from Singapore Polytechnic. The company is able to provide cryptographic algorithms for blockchain technology to clients in Southeast Asia.
Liang Yongxin and Fu Chongwen both work at the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research, where they develop robotics solutions for multinational companies and spend a lot of time programming and integrating robots.
In December 2019, the 3 engineers founded Augmentus.
new opportunities
Starting a business at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic presented them with some challenges, Lin said, and it was difficult for them to provide potential customers with hands-on demonstrations and hands-on experience with the company's products. So the startup held virtual demos, including product videos and Zoom information sessions.
However, the pandemic has also brought several clients from different industries to the startup. Some large medical companies are interested in automated processes such as pipetting, which require the use of thin tubes to move small amounts of precise volumes of liquid. In addition, there is growing demand from large agricultural companies and small urban farmers who want to automate processes such as crop harvesting and packaging.
"The agricultural problem in developed countries has always been a shortage of manpower and labor," Lin said.
But will automation and artificial intelligence take away jobs? That's true to a certain extent, but at the current pace of development, the scenario of robots replacing humans in most occupations is still out of reach, Lin said. And AI can also create jobs, he said.
While conventional wisdom holds that the new AI economy will create jobs that require high-tech skills, Augmentus' technology could create the conditions for unskilled workers who can program robots, Lin said.
He said that would help countries retain manufacturing jobs rather than outsource them to regions with lower labor costs.
"Robot manufacturing paves the way for redistributing jobs and increasing employee productivity," he said.
IEEE Awards
Winning the Startup Award was "well deserved, but it's a testament to the work we've done so far," says Lin.
IEEE is a very good channel to meet like-minded companies, he said.
"As part of a unique ecosystem of entrepreneurs and engineers, IEEE provides valuable global networking opportunities," he said.
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