From leisure robots such as drones to critical operational robots in the medical field, robotics is changing our daily lives. Stewart Goulding, managing Director of Electro Mechanical Systems Ltd, a supplier of precision drive Systems, explores some of the current trends in the industry.
Robots are everywhere -- from robotic wearables, hands and arms to companion robots, medical devices, and even biomorphic drones that mimic the behavior of bees. Major developments in the industry include collaborative robots, drones and medical robots.
Collaborative robots in the workplace
Collaboration robots, or collaborative robots, have taken the market by surprise since their introduction in the mid-2010s. Cobots offer a variety of opportunities for production lines, in particular the ability for humans and robots to complement each other while safely collaborating with each other. The new trend for these types of robots is to make them easier to use and now have more cost-effective options that enable greater distribution and use.
But that's not the only way robots can work with assembly line workers. An exoskeleton is a mechanical device that helps workers move at a constant speed, provides support for lifting heavy objects, and provides a portable seat that helps protect the worker's body from stress.
These applications can both increase the strength of the production line and reduce the stress on humans, and as collaborative robots, exoskeletons, and future forms become more common, the benefits they will bring to workers, processes, and companies will become more apparent.
In fact, collaborative robots can reduce human production costs by up to 50 percent. The current skills gap is costing UK organisations billions of dollars and being able to integrate collaborative robots and other robotics applications has the potential to have a positive impact on the economy.
Medical robot
In recent years, emphasis has been placed on revolutionizing non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures. As a result, plenty of new surgical robots are ready to go. For example, i-Snake? And Micro-IGes are sophisticated robotic alternatives to traditional surgery.
Thanks to more accurate diagnostic methods, the number of noninvasive and minimally invasive procedures has soared. This increases the physical and organizational stress on the surgeon who performs these procedures. As a result, robotic alternatives offer advantages for public health services.
So these robots must be as accurate and reliable as possible to ensure they can help relieve pressure on the healthcare system. Endoscopy, for example, is a minimally invasive procedure that allows a doctor to look inside a patient, a procedure the robot was developed to support.
Endoscope robots must be compact and consistently accurate. So when EndoControl, a French company, developed its new endoscopic ViKY system, it chose a range of FAULHABER brushless DC motors, which helped achieve the required accuracy and consistency.
These motors are equipped with free speed reducers that allow for a wide range of speed and torque adjustments from approximately 3:1 to 1,500:1. Precise motion of 700 mNm can be achieved in the ViKY system using the FAULHABER drive system.
These types of developments are critical to ensuring that medical facilities can cope with the increasing number of surgeries while reducing fatigue, keeping surgeons healthy and avoiding burnout.
Agricultural robot
No wonder there are more agricultural robot applications, including biomorphic drones that mimic the behavior of bees. Robots and drones could have a big impact on the efficiency of farming. From drones that monitor and analyse crops to autonomous tractors that can sow, fertilize and harvest, the development of agricultural robots means it is now often possible to devote humans to more complex tasks.
These applications require precise actuation to improve system efficiency. Drone cameras need smooth tilting and shifting motion to ensure accurate and usable images are helpful to you. FAULHABER iron-free dc motors are used in a wide range of mobile camera applications, including defense reconnaissance and film or television filming, because they allow precise free movement of the teeth to capture important information.
So cameras for agricultural drones and other agricultural surveillance systems are a natural extension of this electric motor. While drones may be considered leisure toys, their ability to autonomously cover and observe large areas of land in a short amount of time, while consuming less fuel, is a huge benefit in reducing operating costs.
In fact, some rural farms in China are already using heavy industrial drones to water crops in hard-to-reach areas. The method proved to be more fuel-efficient than transporting workers, and computer-controlled sprayers wasted fewer resources.
So whether it's across production lines, in the surgical operating room or in the vast agricultural field, robotics applications can provide innovative and reliable methods of working for all involved. More information is available in the vibration chain.
