THP550 SCARA competes with delta-style robots

TM Robotics (www.tmrobotics.co.uk) has introduced Toshiba Machine’s THP550 SCARA robot in Europe. Coming from a new range of machines, the THP550 will be the first SCARA robot to compete with flexipicker-style devices offered in the market.

Designed with fast Ethernet connectivity, the THP550 can be used to synchronize robots in a production line. This allows two or more SCARAs to work together, utilizing one single vision system, and provide a net capital expenditure saving than when using a single more expensive device.

Complementing the THP550 is another device with Ethernet connectivity that helps simplify set up — the TS3000 series controllers. With functionality based on “one line = one camera” philosophy, the devices effectively reduce expenses by sharing the vision from one camera across various robots. This enables the system to quickly sort huge quantities of goods and benefit from easy programming through its dedicated commands. The synchronized automation also yields lesser damaged products.

“While SCARA robots have ease of integration, relatively low costs and versatility on their side, they have always been slower than the very fastest robot technologies. We can now compensate for that by offering a set up that provides all the speed advantages of a delta-style with the simplicity, adaptability and flexibility of a SCARA,” said Nigel Smith, Managing Director of TM Robotics.

The THP550 comes with a payload capacity of up to two kg, arm length of 550 mm and 0.29 seconds cycle time. It also offers a composite speed of up to 6.21 m/sec as well as a repeatability of ±0.015 mm on the X and Y axes. This means that it can meet the speed requirement of even the most demanding applications while providing great precision on repetitive pick and place tasks.

Catholic students use controller and servo motors to build ‘BEST’ robot

Seven students from the Sacred Heart School have received an award for their “Talon One” – a robot built within two months from raw materials. “Talon One” was entered at the 5th annual Connecticut BEST (Boosting Engineering Science and Technology) Robotics Competition in Central Connecticut State University in New Britain.

“It was fun,” Matthew Koniecko, who is in the eight-grade and the design and engineering leader of the team. “Difficult in some way, but it’s mostly fun.” The team first made cardboard prototypes to test the design, throwing away many ideas that did not work, he said. The last design features plywood wheels, a swiveling grasping claw and an extendable arm made of PVC pipes.

It is the first time that the school has participated in a robotics competition, and its young team competed against older and more experienced students from Montville, Waterbury, Stony Brook, Long Island and other areas. The students competing were all in sixth grade through 12. The team from Sacred Heart comprised of two eighth-graders, one seventh-grader and four sixth-graders.

Christine Wasielewski, a Sacred Heart teacher of enhancement and religion who coached the team, was overwhelmed. “We had to basically cut everything out ourselves. The students looked at the brain component, with the BEST joystick and the controller and the little servo motors, and they said, ‘Oh, we could do this,’” she said.

“We were very, very good at the cone competition, and that was our strategy,” said Mrs. Wasielewski. Mrs. Katherine Muller, the school’s principal, claimed that the team was very happy just to have a working robot when the competition started.

Mitsubishi’s Outlander Sport test-drive a success with remote robotic control

Mitsubishi Motors (www.mitsubishi-motors.com) has recently launched a campaign that centers on virtual test drive. Rather than releasing the usual gaming console where one can drive a Mitsubishi vehicle, the carmaker is letting drivers around the US drive a real Mitsubishi Outlander Sport on a closed track by controlling the car remotely via computer.

The program, which will run on November 1 to 10, is the world’s first online test drive, according to Mitsubishi. Developed with the company’s Web designer Simon Cave and robotics expert James Brighton, the program is concurrent with print, TV, digital and direct-mail campaign beginning in mid-October to January.

The test drive operates with point-of-view cameras integrated in the car, servo motors and electronic receivers to control the car’s dynamics, as well as GPS mapping. Participants can sign up for the test-drive starting October 15 at OutlanderSport.com, where they can obtain a code that can be used to line up for the test drive on November 1.

“Since April this year we have gotten back on TV, but we are also working on social media programs because we have a very passionate consumer base,” said Gregory Adams, vice president for marketing at Mitsubishi’s North American operations.

“We want to drive everyone there,” he said, adding that the initial raft of print ads and TV commercials will attract more people to sign up for the event. Mitsubishi will let at least 700 people a day for the test during the 10-day period.

Adams said the initial ads supporting the test-drive event “will run for three weeks to drive awareness and maintain water cooler buzz. It’s very important to our objective of putting Mitsubishi back in the light we belong in. Once the online test is complete, everything switches to more product-focused advertising.”

Kokoro introduces Actroid F with servo motors

Tokyo–based entertainment company Kokoro (www.kokoro-dreams.co.jp) is proud to announce the release of an uncannily life-like fembot that calls itself “Actroid F”, which is almost an exact replica of a human female model introduced in April, the Geminoid F.

Kokoro has collaborated with Hiroshi Ishiguro of Osaka University to create feminine and creepy androids. Actroid F model has joined the ranks of other Kokoro Actroid robots.

The air servo-powered female robots can be rented for several events including trade shows. Actroid F can move its head, mouth, eyes and back, as well as act as a telepresence robot. Face-tracking software and cameras follow a remote operator to control head movements and facial expressions in a master-slave relationship through an Internet link. Actroid F also features minimal servo motors to save cost and does not have the ability to walk.

Kokoro reportedly announced its plans to sell 50 units of the fembots to hospitals and museums for about $110,000 apiece, aiming to use them as receptionist, guide or patient attendant. According to the company, patients have reacted favorably after a hospital trial.

ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories (www.irc.atr.jp), backed by the government, academia and companies, also collaborated in the development of Actroid F, one of the several robot projects the country has funded as it attempts to create next-generation machines to meet social needs.

Maxon, NI Partner in Robotics Field

Maxon Precision Motors (Fall River, Mass.) is partnering with National Instruments (Austin, Tex.) in an initiative to highlight mutual areas of interest in the field of robotics. An informal relationship between the two companies was initiated as early as 2006, with the inclusion of NI LabVIEW virtual intstruments in Maxon’s EPOS family of digital position and speed controllers. Most recently, they collaborated on the design and development of ViNI , an all inclusive robotics platform created by engineers at National Instruments. ViNI is driven exclusively by Maxon motors, gearheads and encoders and NI CompactRIO embedded controls.

Both Maxon and National Instruments recognize that advancements in each respective area of expertise are complementary and look to provide designers with state-of-the-art hardware and software solutions for developing new robotic products and applications. Maxon will continue to focus its R&D efforts on electric motors, sensors and motion controllers while National Instruments will leverage its LabVIEW platform, NI LabVIEW, NI SoftMotion Module, and CompactRIO.

Other notable robotic applications driven by Maxon motion control products include the Mars Rover by Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Da Vinci surgical robot by Intuitive Surgical and DARwin the humanoid robot (pictured) developed at RoMeLa, the Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory at Virginia Tech University.

EPSON Introduces Compact 6 Axis Robots

Carson, CA – EPSON Robots introduces the new EPSON C3 Compact 6 Axis Robots. Leading the industry with best in class cycle time, precision and motion range, EPSON C3 robots provide superior performance for even the most demanding and complex applications.

“Unique to the EPSON C3 is our new SlimLine design which provides exceptionally advanced flexibility” stated Michael Ferrara, Director of EPSON Robots. “The enhanced new slim body and compact wrist design allows for greater motion range and less mechanical restrictions. The robot can easily reach into confined and restricted work spaces from many angles with smooth motion not achievable with similar sized competitive models.”

With the ability to maximize part throughput for even the most demanding cycle time requirements, C3 robots are up to 43% faster than similar sized competitor models and lead the industry with best in class cycle rates. The tight integration of powerful motors and amplifiers along with ultra high resolution feedback and superior controls provide unmatched motion performance including higher acceleration and deceleration rates as well as advanced linear interpolated motion.

Designed for maximum performance, C3 robots use ultra high quality components to achieve high rigidity in a light weight arm. All these industry leading characteristics make EPSON C3 robots the most flexible and unique compact 6 axis robots available in the market today.

Our low cost, high performance Micro PowerDrive RC180 Controller comes standard with EPSON C3 robots and provides the ultimate experience in ease of use, compact size, and reliability. In addition to all of these great features, the RC180 controller also provides our industry leading EPSON RC+ Controls software and lots of fully integrated options such as: Vision Guidance, .Net support, Profibus, DeviceNet, EtherNet/IP and much more.

EPSON C3 robots are ideal for small parts assembly, dispensing, lab automation, medical device assembly, machine tending, material handling, packaging, electronics and many other applications.

EPSON Robots
www.robots.epson.com/c3-series.htm

Stäubli Robotics Announces Next Generation SCARA Robot Series

Stäubli Robotics, manufacturers of innovative and technologically advanced industrial and cleanroom robots, announces the new TS series of high-speed SCARA robots. This next generation robotic line features 100% Stäubli design and engineering, and are among the fastest commercially available SCARA robots in the industry. Stäubli’s high performance benchmarks of speed, rigidity and precision are exemplified by this series which includes the TS40, TS60 and TS80 with a range of 400mm, 600mm, and 800mm reach and a payload of up to 8kg.

All TS series robots feature four-degrees of freedom, a hardened plastic external housing and electric servo-driven motors for reliability. These robots use the CS8C controller which features a compact lightweight design and is the most technologically advanced controller ideally suited for applications that require complex process control. The CS8C utilizes the VAL3 programming language which is perfectly adapted to robotics and features numerous possibilities to communicate with the outside world including several different Fieldbus options, Ethernet, ModBus, and an offline programming software package (SRS) for ease of integration and use.

The TS series is highly adaptable and well suited for a wide variety of high speed and precise applications including pick and place, material handling, packaging, assembly, loading, testing, and dispensing. These new robots increase productivity and throughput without giving up valuable floor space making them ideal for food, pharmaceutical/medical device, automotive, electronics, and many other industrial market segments.

For more information, visit www.staubli.us.