17/06/2017
Ben Wolff: Most of the industrial robots that are in use today are intended to perform repetitive tasks in highly structured environments better, faster or cheaper than humans. Structured or predictable environments have historically been more conducive to automation and robotics because the number of variables are fewer and the problem set far more limited. But advancements in the areas of sensors, machine learning and computing are enabling a new category of robots that are able to perform meaningful tasks in increasingly unstructured environments. Industries that will leverage these new robots include construction, transportation, power, oil & gas, infrastructure maintenance and agriculture. For example, we have been seeing a lot of interest and opportunity in unstructured environments for industrial inspections where robots are used to test equipment and infrastructure. There is a significant market for this, especially because these types of jobs as performed by humans can be particularly dangerous and time consuming and require a high degree of accuracy. Some specific examples include inspecting ballast tanks on ships, HVAC ducts in warehouses, wind turbines, nuclear power plant facilities, and public infrastructure (subways, sewers, etc.).
http://iiot-world.com/ceo-insights/ceo-insights-were-entering-a-golden-age-as-it-relates-to-the-field-of-robotics/
As part of the CEO Insights Series, IIoT World's Managing Editor, Lucian Fogoros, interviews Ben Wolff, Chairman of Sarcos, about industrial robots.
