Daily Archives: May 4, 2021

Civil engineer Reza Akhavian received a prestigious NSF CAREER award to improve coordination between construction workers and robots.

Construction robotics is a fairly new field researchers are still exploring. Its interdisciplinary scope has fascinated Reza Akhavian, assistant professor of civil and construction engineering, who developed a project that converges the disciplines of engineering, computer science, and social science.

Akhavian received the prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award given to early career faculty this spring. It brings $691,000 in funding over five years to support his research and education program on ways to enhance worker safety and efficiency in construction job sites by improving worker-robot interactions which have not yet been studied in-depth.

"We are delighted to support Reza Akhavian's creative work in the scientifically and technologically important area of collaborative robotics in construction," said Eugene Olevsky, dean of the College of Engineering. "Research activities are growing at a rapid pace in our college. Dr. Akhavian's grant is one of three NSF CAREER Awards obtained by our faculty members this spring."

Akhavian spoke with SDSU NewsCenter about how the NSF award will support his research.

What role will robots play in a construction zone?

Construction is a traditional industry that somewhat lags behind technology, so I have been interested in improving construction processes through human-centered automation. In this research, collaborative robots learn from and assist construction workers so that workers can focus on less strenuous physical work and higher-level planning and improvisation tasks. Using a network of sensors, the robot can adapt its movements with the workers and vice versa. We create this intuition for robots so they can contribute to safe, productive work. Construction job sites are a complex environment with a lot of uncertainties involved and things are not as structured as with manufacturing, for example. In a cluttered, unstructured environment developing real time, intuitive, and unobtrusive adaptation with robots is very important.

How do you enable trust between workers and robots?

Theres a myth that robots will take jobs away from humans, so building the understanding that robots are not here to steal workers jobs but to up-skill them is very important. In my research, robots take over repetitive tasks and leave room for workers to apply creativity and decision making. Workers would essentially become supervisors who regulate robots in construction zones and improvise as needed. We want to also create a framework for trust building and calibration and towards this goal, we will do lab experiments, computer simulations and later on field experiments.

How do you train workers to adapt to this new mindset?

Technology adoption in construction requires obtaining management buy-ins, adjusting the outdated engineering workflows, and creating trust among workers. For example, AI is perceived as a black box, especially in industries with traditional workflows. Transparency about organization wide gains or individual gains from AI like safety, productivity, and job security improvement can enhance trust, which in turn can lead to scalable adoption. Robots enabled by AI may mitigate the risk to physical safety, but a worker's psychological sense of safety through trust must also be ensured. Its important that workers view robots as companions who enable transitioning their role to higher levels and safer tasks. Continuing education and training can play a critical role toward establishing these visions.

What will the computer simulation phase look like?

Computer simulation allows mimicking the real-world workflows of a construction job site in terms of how workers, equipment, and materials interact with each other before stepping in the field. In this project, it will help us develop high-quality and high-fidelity models that provide a perceptual common ground to predict the realistic technical value of worker-robot teamwork.

How will you help the student community, especially women students, through this award?

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Improving the Nexus of Mind, Machine and Motor in Construction Robotics | NewsCenter | SDSU - SDSU Newscenter

Path Robotics is the only company in the world offering turnkey, robotic welding systems capable of autonomous welding.

Path Robotics is the only company in the world offering turnkey, robotic welding systems capable of autonomous welding. Its A.I.-driven, robotic product is a market disruptor as it redefines industrial robotic welding.

The technology was designed to ensure no system programming and require "no perfect parts." Through proprietary scanning and computer vision technology, the system can see and understand nearly any part it's given with the ability to self-adjust for each unique part. It analyzes where a weld is needed and generates all the planning to execute a clean weld nearly instantly. The system was designed to operate precisely in a manufacturing environment and with highly reflective materials.

"Current industrial robotics have very little ability to understand their environment and the task at hand. Most robots merely repeat what they are told and have no ability to improve themselves. Our goal is to change this. The future of manufacturing hinges on highly capable robotics," said Andrew Lonsberry, CEO of Path Robotics.

The number of people entering the welding workforce in America continues to fall while the average age of welders continues to grow. The demand for welders is increasing at 3% per year while the supply is decreasing, creating a shortage in the American welding workforce of 400,000 skilled welders by 2024. This reality, coupled with a pandemic-driven increased demand for onshore manufacturing, is leading to a choke point for American manufacturing across industries. Path Robotics is dedicated to building intelligent robotic systems to reduce this bottleneck and fuel a new generation of American manufacturing growth.

"We are excited to partner with Addition," said Lonsberry, "They have a great vision for the future and are committed to working with companies that are striving to bring generational change."

The Columbus-based venture capital firm Drive Capital returns as an investor in Path Robotics. "We are thrilled to continue our partnership and investment in Path Robotics. Their A.I. and computer vision technology is solving a large and urgent need for manufacturers around the world," said Nick Solaro, Partner at Drive.

"The future of intelligent machines and manufacturing is being created at Path Robotics right now," said Alex Lonsberry, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer. "We are delivering on the promise of what robots can become. Realizing our mission requires a visionary team of partners. We are excited to have Addition working with us to change the world."

To learn more about Path Robotics and our revolutionary technology, visit our newly launched website http://www.path-robotics.com.

About Path RoboticsPath Robotics is developing state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision systems to make industrial robots intelligent. While working on their PhDs at Case Western Reserve University, brothers Andy and Alex Lonsberry discovered a market need for industrial welding robotics. This led to the founding of Path Robotics with Matt Klein and their father, Ken Lonsberry. Our robotic welding systems are transforming the manufacturing industry by allowing hardware to do more with less human input. Visit their website at http://www.path-robotics.com.

Media Contact:Jessica Ryan[emailprotected]614.638.0130

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Path Robotics Raises $56M to Build the Future of Manufacturing - PRNewswire

Autonomous mobile robots, along with the first commercial autonomous mobile manipulation robots, can be used to automate many DC and warehouse tasks. They also enable whole news ways of executing warehouse operations, which in turn are increasing the resiliency and flexibility of supply chain workflows.

By Greg Cronin | May 4, 2021

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The first Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) I ever saw ate my raincoat.

It was 1985, and I was part of a team that was designing and implementing a new Warehouse Management System (WMS) for Southwestern Bell. I was walking through the facility with the warehouse manager, when we came upon the first AGV I ever saw in a warehouse.

AGVs are the ancestors of todays Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). The manager remarked that the AGV I was admiring was primarily used to deliver sarcastic notes the shipping and receiving supervisors were in the habit of sending to one another. This modern marvel was not unlocking major productivity gains.

While I was inspecting this potentially transformative but sorely underutilized harbinger of things to come, it went completely haywire. Alarms started blaring, lights were flashing, and as if I was the source of its distress the AGV began rapidly moving away from me.

I happened to be wearing a long raincoat, which immediately became entangled in the front edge of the machine. I had no choice but to hustle alongside this massive, disconcerted thing as it tugged me along in its clutches. I managed to shed my coat just as the astute supervisor engaged the AGVs emergency stop button. I was safe, but the coat was a goner.

After 70 years of slow, sometimes painful, evolution, todays Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Autonomous Mobile Manipulation Robots (AMMRs) are now on the cusp of truly transforming the supply chain. Despite the long wait, the new pace of change will be dizzying.

In the Beginning . . .Ive spent more than fifty years personally observing and analyzing hundreds of DCs and warehouses around the globe. Not until 2000 did I begin to see AGVs play a significant role in distribution and fulfillment environments.

Until then conveyors and fork trucks remained the primary means of moving product in and through DCs and warehouses. AGVs were more often deployed in manufacturing where they were tasked to deliver parts to assembly work areas and finished goods to outbound distribution.

Outfitted with robotic arms,Autonomous Mobile Manipulation Robots are able to pick orders and parts, handle totes, and manage cartons.

The use of guided vehicles in distribution noticeably increased in the early 2000s. AGV-like bots were initially deployed to move product from storage areas to picking areas. These bots navigated on grids either by the means of barcodes on the floor or in fixed-rack structures, and were strictly used in controlled, non-human environments.

Over the course of the next decade, a host of new guidance and safety-detection systems came online. At the same time, computing power exponentially increased and cameras and other sensor technologies grew radically more powerful. All these factors transformed the unit economics of AMRs.

By 2010 AMRs were working safely and effectively alongside humans, and over the next few years they began being deployed to assist in piece-picking operations. Since 2015, AMRs with advanced capabilities have been unlocking a variety of new solutions in Distribution and Fulfillment Centers. These next-gen AMRs are powerful, highly adaptable, and attractive investments given their potential to drive efficiencies that substantially increase margins.

Next-Gen AMRs and the Emergence of AMMRsAMRs are now being developed with special tops allowing conveyance and the transfer of goods from AMR to conveyor and other material handling equipment. At the same time, we are beginning to see Autonomous Mobile Manipulation Robots (AMMRs) come online. Outfitted with robotic arms, AMMRs are able to pick orders and parts, handle totes, and manage cartons.

This is the type of robot that I always imagined when thinking about the warehouse robot of the future. Flexibility, dexterity, and reach make articulated robots suited for everything from eCommerce picking to machine tending.

The flexibility of AMMRs unlock new proficiencies unimaginable just a decade ago. Material-handling engineers and consultants are now rethinking how Distribution and Fulfillment centers should operate. AMMRs reduce and can even eliminate the need for fixed position and inflexible material-transport equipment, such as conveyors. AMMRs make it possible to adapt fulfillment operations to eCommerce work areas. This frees up valuable warehouse space for accommodating seasonal peak-work activities and equipment like portable put walls.

Whats Next?Rarely does a technology reach maturity at just the right time, but that is certainly the case when it comes to AMRs and AMMRs.

Volatility, geopolitical uncertainty, and the global pandemic are contributing to unprecedented levels of business and supply-chain risk. In trendy managerial-speak we are living in a VUCA world. At the same time we are witnessing widespread behavior change. The rise of E-commerce and on-demand delivery is rapidly changing consumer expectations.

AMMRs reduce and can even eliminate the need for fixed position and inflexible material-transport equipment, such as conveyors.

These trends are driving of AMR/AMMR adoption in three ways:

The resilient, flexible supply-chain operations of the future are already being built today, and they are being built around a new generation of safe, fully autonomous AMRs and AMMRs. Our robot collaborators have finally come of age . . . and just in the nick of time.

I recently bought a new raincoat, and I fully expect Ill be wearing this one for many years to come.

About the Author

Greg Cronin is a supply chain expert advisor and a member of the board of directors at IAM Robotics. Greg is a pioneer in the warehouse management industry, and over his decades-long career he has advised and led companies (like AutoStore, Honeywell Intelligrated, and Quiet Logistics, among others) to level-up their supply chain operations to meet the demands of the day.

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AMR's Optimizing (and Reinventing) Supply Chain Operations - Robotics Business Review

With Symbio, Ford sees a 15% cycle time improvement over previous method for transmission torque converter assembly

EMERYVILLE, Calif.(BUSINESS WIRE)Pioneering the next frontier of manufacturing through a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and industrial robotics, Symbio Robotics, today announced its work with Ford Motor Company to deploy an AI-controlled robot at the automakers Livonia Transmission Plant. The robot is programmed and managed with Symbios robot-agnostic platform, SymbioDCS, to assemble transmissions for the Bronco Sport, Escape and Edge, to name a few.

Assembly of transmissions is notoriously complex. Previously, operators installed heavy transmission components such as torque converters manually, a challenging process from an ergonomics and safety standpoint. In recent years, the process was automated. Now Symbio is helping Ford to control the robot with AI which more efficiently installs components into the transmission based on the large amounts of data it has collected. This new process allows the robot to predict how it should assemble components in the next transmission based off of its previous performance.

Symbios focus is on delivering technology that allows companies like Ford to adopt AI as a core competency, said Max Reynolds, Symbio CEO and co-founder. AI-enabled automation looks very different. Its not just about automation, its about providing tools that empower automation teams to deploy and maintain more general, flexible systems.

Symbio builds automation that enables human-machine collaboration. Its technology is designed to fundamentally reframe existing manufacturing pain points by utilizing the best practices of AI and human robot interaction and the programmers that are already working in these environments. Through the use of AI applied by people, the robots quickly learn and execute tasks increasing efficiency, improving quality and reducing ergonomic hazards.

As the mobility landscape continues to rapidly change there is an increasing demand for much faster product life cycles, said Harry Kekedjian, Advanced Controls and Digital Factory Manager at Ford. Using the Symbio technology, weve observed a 15% improvement in cycle time and greater than 50% reduction in adapting to new products over the previous manufacturing method.

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Founded in 2014, Symbio Robotics is dedicated to strengthening and revamping the fundamentals in industrial manufacturing through the creation of Al and Robotics technologies. Located in Emeryville, Calif., the companys core product, SymbioDCS enables automation teams to build and deploy high-quality applications in any factory, at any scale that can assemble anything.

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Symbio Robotics - The Tech Behind Ford Motor Company's AI-enabled Assembly Line - TechDecisions

A survey carried out by Air Transport IT Insights recently found that almost half of global airlines and 32% of airports are currently looking for partners to further develop their robotic involvement in the next three years. The latest developments see robots staffing airport check-in desks, carrying out security protocols, cleaning and even delivering food to passengers.

The airport security segment currently has the highest number of robots according to the Airport robots market growth, trends, Covid-19 impact, and forecasts 2021-2026 report by Mordor Intelligence. The next most common use of airport robotics is for cleaning, which has seen a rise in demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

PHL Food and Shops have introduced a new member to their team Philadelphia International Airport, Gita. Standing 26 inches tall and able to carry up to 18kg for four hours which is the equivalent of 20 miles of walking on one single charge, Gita navigates busy, pedestrian-filled locations with human-like etiquette. Gita has been tasked with delivering food orders to airport passengers while they wait in lounges for their flights.

PHL already had a contactless ordering system in place that allowed customers to order food. Now the company has partnered with app developer AtYourGate and Gitas developer Piaggio Fast Forward to have Gita complete the process with automated delivery.

Customers at the airport can confirm food delivery from any of the 19 restaurants and retailers currently part of the scheme via an app or the PHL website. Once prepared, onsite delivery specialist Claire Maddocks collects the order and escorts Gita the robot who carries the to the customer.

MarketPlace PHL marketing and customer service manager Megan OConnell explains that the robot not only helps carry large orders but also provides a contactless experience for customers. This offers the added advantage of reducing the possibility of Covid-19 transmission.

OConnell explained. There are some questions about what the point of the robot is because it does have to have a person with it. I explain to people that the point is not only does this robot help Maddocks carry the food, but the biggest part of it is also that it gives the customer a choice of whether they want to have contact or not with her. OConnell said. If they dont want to have contact with her, she can walk up with the robot, open the lid and [then] she can retreat back, the person can take their food out of the robot without ever having to interact with her.

GlobalData's TMT Themes 2021 Report tells you everything you need to know about disruptive tech themes and which companies are best placed to help you digitally transform your business.

PHL hopes the option of using Gita will increase customer confidence post-pandemic and will increase the consensus surrounding public safety and confidence in coming back to the airport.

OConnell expanded. I hope that everything were doing across the board and the aviation industry is starting to make people feel safe and have confidence in coming back to the airport. With initiatives like this, we truly are doing everything we can to make them feel comfortable. We cant wait to have everybody come back when they feel like its the right time.

Robots are also being used to ensure passenger safety by carrying out health checks, cleaning protocols and security measures.

A security robot in the form of a scooter has taken residence at Hamad International Airport in Qatar. With built-in cameras that can measure pulse rate, carry out face recognition, and sensors to detect fake credit cards and currencies, this security scooter robot is heavily equipped to ensure security measures are always upheld.

The robot can even sense a passengers mood with an algorithm that enables it to detect a high body temperature, heart rate and stress levels to detect if a passenger is nervous or agitated.

Cleaning robots are also having their day. Heathrow Airport has been using cleaning robots around the airport terminals and lounges that disinfect areas using UV light. UV light has been shown to efficiently kill harmful viruses and bacteria to provide a safe, secure environment for passengers.

Heathrow Airport process improvement director Mark Burgess heads up the Fly Safe Programme at the airport. He explained: The UV robots disinfect surfaces using UV-C light. Depending on the exposure time, a UV robot can kill up to 99.9% of pathogens by disinfecting all surfaces which could harbour bacteria and viruses. The UV-C light used by the robots is highly efficient and can disinfect 18,000 sqm within a two and a half-hour time period.Credit: Heathrow Airports Limited.

Heathrow wants the cleaning robots to offer a high level of assurance and confidence in hygiene for customers and staff.

The UV robots have proven to be an incredibly useful tool within our enhanced cleaning programme, helping to ensure we disinfect the terminals on a regular basis.

The UV robots have proven to be an incredibly useful tool within our enhanced cleaning programme, helping to ensure we disinfect the terminals on a regular basis, Burgess said. We believe the UV robots currently complement our existing cleaning method and they are an additional measure within our process which help to keep Heathrow Covid-secure. Their speed and ability to sanitise ultimately enables our cleaning technicians to carry out our intensive cleaning programme with greater efficiency and ease than previously.

With technology developing at a rapid rate, an increasingly robotic future seems assured for airports.

However, their use raises some important questions and security hurdles. Could the robot accidentally hurt passengers? Will it malfunction? Will it correctly carry out the duties autonomously? Is passenger data secure, not least when it comes to judgement calls on health and mood?

The use of robotic technology in airports is likely to increase but gradually, with certain models having to be accompanied by a staff member before turning completely autonomous.

I do think that there are going to be a lot of considerations in the future for implementing robotic strategies where necessary.

OConnell explained: The challenge with the airport is its a condensed space. I do think that there are going to be a lot of considerations in the future for implementing robotic strategies where necessary and where it makes sense. Its going to take a lot of work because there are just so many moving pieces to making sure its safe. I think theres a place for it and I think more people will start to adopt it but its going to be slow.

As technology continues to progress and develop, paired with a growing interest in the robotics market by the aviation sector, we can expect to see more robotic assistance at our airports in the years to come. With robots offering many benefits such as faster check-ins, increased security and a personalised experience for customers, robotic-led terminals could be the future of aviation.

Aviation Security Advisory and Data Handling Services

28 Aug 2020

Friction Measurement Systems and Equipment for the Airport Industry

28 Aug 2020

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The robots taking over the world's airports - Airport Technology

Geumhyung Jeong is gently tinkering with a robot. From the nose up, it has a human head; theres a wheel where the jawline should be.

The South Korean artist and choreographer, who traveled to Berlin to install her solo exhibition at Galerie Klemms for Gallery Weekend, radiates confidence as she tools with the fragile machine. Shes entirely self-taught in roboticswires and batteries are to the Seoul-based artist what paint might be to a painter.

While the most headline-generating art made from robots is often big budget works, like Jordan Wolfson, Jeong draws on her background as a choreographer to develop and deploy them in a tender, elegant way.In her enchanting performances and videos, she is often at the center of her mechanical offspring, steering them via remote control.

Questions around artificial intelligence, robotics, and the strange dance of agency that exists between people and machines have been accelerated in a year largely lived behind screens, not to mention against the background of heightened concerns about A.I. surveillance. But Jeongs creations generate a surprising empathy.

Geumyhung Jeong, video still from Under Maintenance (2021). Courtesy Galerie Klemms.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, 41-year-old Jeong studied drama and dance before becoming a full-time artist. Programming and choreography might seem like an unlikely pairing, but both involve orchestrating individual steps to produce a whole.

For Under Maintenance, her latest show at Galerie Klemms in Berlin (through June 19), Jeong has transformed the entire space into a kind of robot operating room. One robot is designed with the sole purpose of licking the floor; another, to tilt its head up and down to mimic the viewer. They are arranged around the perimeter of the room, creating a sort of panopticon with Jeong at the center, a master puppeteer presiding over the piles of tools, cables, and terminals.

Everyone would say something different about what a robot is, Jeong told Artnet News in an interview. I was quite shy at first when my work was introduced as robots. I just thought that I would like to make a remote-controlled vehicle with human-shaped parts like the head or limbs.

Geumhyung Jeong, Homemade RC Toy, installation view, Kunsthalle Basel, 2019. Photo: Philipp Hnger.

Its tempting to view Jeongs work through the lens of her future-forward nation. Just last month, South Koreas labor minister told citizens to learn to work with robots, adding that these new entries into the workforce would be important to economic recovery. But Jeong shrugs off a question about how her home country may have influenced her thinking. Automation, indeed, is a global phenomenon.

In a series of films that play on loop around the gallery space, Jeong constructs, deconstructs, and tests her cast. The room is quiet save for the percussive melody of clicks, the grind of an occasional screw, and the low whirr of a motor.

Jeongs work is the opposite of slick. Her robots disarmingly simple innards are laid bare right there on the table. In an era when machines are growing in power, hers are endearingly vulnerablealmost loveable.

Geumhyung Jeongs Under Maintenance (2021). Exhibition view. Photo: Maja Renn. Klemms, Berlin. Courtesy by the artist and Klemms, Berlin

Sometimes, a machine will struggle to make a motion and it will start shaking or shuddering, she said. That is the moment when it seems the most real to me. It looks even more alive when it is not working.

In recent performances, like at Kunsthalle Basel in 2019 or atPalazzina dei Giardini in Modena, Italy, last year, Jeong attached prosthetic arms and legs to the robots cores; they crawled slowly around a dance floor. In Basel, Jeong crawled with them, naked, directing them with a remote. Sometimes, she used her mouth to touch the knobs.

In these performances, herbody becomes yet another a tool to give these objects life.I see us as being in character together, she said.

At Klemms, she is tweaking her robots in real time, working carefully to refine their motor skills. I started taking courses to understand programming and electronic circuits, she said. I learn more from searching which materials I should buy and finding a way to put them together in order to build the machines body as I imagined. I am constantly trying to add new parts without knowing if it would work.

The bond between Jeong and her robots is something like a relationshipa practice involving care, commitment, and communication. But she is careful not to over-romanticize it, or to suggest the potential for some kind of utopian human-robot union.

There is a codependency, but in the end, machines do not need us, she said. We need them.

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Could We Love Machines? Korean Artist Geumhyung Jeongs Performative Robots Test Our Empathy - artnet News