Visitors to Hannover Messe 2020 can experience firsthand a real setup of the factory of the future to increase flexibility and productivity. Innovative robots, cobots, AI solution and technologies support humans to cooperate with machines in a cost-efficient, harmonious and seamless manner supported by OMRON’s “innovative-Automation”-concept. A concept that fuses intelligent, integrated and interactive solutions.
See the practical use of collaborative production that unlocks human potential. We will introduce several application examples that combine AI, IoT, and robotic technologies to tackle various hurdles challenging the manufacturing industry such as high-mix low-volume production and digitization.
Cell-line Control System, a brand-new production line where humans and machines work in harmony
Realize multiproduct production in small quantities with flexibility and productivity, with human and machine collaboration. The line demonstrates how manufacturing process efficiencies can be achieved by combining the strengths of humans with mobile and collaborative robots working safely together, for example in assembly, machine tending and inspection tasks.
Using AI to replicate the expertise and know-how of skilled technicians, we present advanced technology to detect abnormalities during production. In each step of the production process, sensors and automated visual tools support the manufacturing line for quality improvement and worker’s training. Any mistakes or skipped processes are detected in real time. This greatly improves the skills of new employees, while ensuring product quality.
The Cell-line Control System is one of the most innovative control and information systems to support efficient and high-quality production where high-mix and variable-volume manufacturing is required. Robotics, AI and 3D vision technology are all integrated in this new production line approach.
6th Generation Table Tennis Tutor Robot “FORPHEUS”
OMRON’s table tennis robot FORPHEUS returns to Hannover to underline “harmony between human and machine” where machines can learn from and teach humans to develop their skills with OMRON’s core technology “Sensing & Control + Think.”
The latest 6th generation of FORPHEUS is equipped with cutting-edge AI, robotics, sensing and control technology to enable advanced table tennis skills capable of rallying even with professional players. This smart AI-based tutor robot now understands its opponents better than ever before, including their emotions and motivation, to give optimal returns and advice to coach and improve the player’s skills.
FORPHEUS demonstrates human-machine collaboration by combining vision with robotics and AI at the machine level. It can play an interactive game and identify table tennis balls in a 3D space in an identical way to a person’s eyes, combined with its ability to evaluate of the players to best develop their skills. The AI controller predicts the opponent’s play and correspondingly moves its high-speed robotic arm in response.
High-speed flexible 3D bin picking
This application shows how to easily automate strenuous loading tasks on existing lines to reduce worker’s backpains and other injury risks, while improving productivity by up to 20 percent. OMRON’s TM collaborative robot provides a unique solution to easily automate applications such as picking and packing that, traditionally performed by humans, have been challenging to automate. Thanks to a compact and high-speed 3D vision camera mounted directly onto the collaborative robot arm, and by moving the camera to eliminate any blind spots, automation of bulk-parts picking can be realized. This includes pick and place of various items onto a tray or container, at the same speed and accuracy as humans.
AI sensory inspection
We will also present its unique defect detection AI technology that recognizes defects by reproducing “human sensibility” and “expert experience” in order to automate appearance inspection at the manufacturing site. By providing stable detection of deficiencies that up to now have been difficult to detect with machines, it enables further automation of appearance inspections that currently rely on human vision. This AI functionality will be added to the existing OMRON image processing system “FH Series” and will be released in the spring of 2020.