Editor-in-Chief Marco van der Hoeven shares his first impressions of Automation Experience, the trade show at the Brabanthallen in Den Bosch that was previously known as Vision, Robotics & Motion. The name change reflects the current state of the industry. The focus is no longer on separate technologies, but on integrating vision, robotics, motion and AI into autonomous machines.
The familiar technologies are, of course, still present on the exhibition floor. SCARA robots, delta robots and conventional robotic arms continue to form the backbone of industrial automation. Cobots, once the newcomers, have now become firmly established. Innovation, however, is increasingly taking place in machines that can perceive their surroundings and respond to them with greater autonomy: humanoid robots.
Until recently, these robots were mainly seen performing dances and staged demonstrations. Now, the first potential business cases are gradually emerging from pilot projects. Rocking Robots is attending the event together with Smart Robotics Solutions, which has brought a broad range of humanoid robots to the show.
These robots are currently being tested in manufacturing environments, logistics applications and warehouses. Their eventual form factor has not yet been determined. One of the main questions within the industry is which design will prove most practical. Will companies adopt the conventional humanoid configuration, with two arms and a human-like body, or will another solution gain ground: a mobile, bucket-shaped base carrying an upper body and arms?
The choice of form factor will help determine how quickly and how widely these robots can be deployed in practice.
