Hans Kimblad talks about 3D printing metal or MAM, metal adaptive manufacturing.
Host: Per Sjöborg, Robots in Depth #32 supported by http://www.aptomica.com
Hans describes how the different technologies that are used for MAM work. He then talks through the opportunities and challenges and what one needs to consider when designing for the Höganäs powder sintering MAM process.
He also shares some details about the metal powder they use.
You can find out more on https://www.hoganas.com/3dprinting/
Sven Schmidt-Rohr talks about how he always wanted to be a robotics entrepreneur and how ArtiMinds makes programming robots easier. Host: Per Sjöborg, Robots in Depth #31 supported by http://www.aptomica.com
Like so many, Sven got interested in robotics early. He found robots exciting as they could make his programs come to life and work outside the computer. They could do so much more than just display graphics on the computer screen.
Sven also decided to become a robot entrepreneur early and worked on becoming a robotics entrepreneur from high school and through university where he met his co-founders of ArtiMinds.
Sven talks about how ArtiMinds grew out of the work he did at university and how it focuses on making it easier, faster and more intuitive to program complex robot manipulation tasks.
ArtiMinds software platform makes it easier and more intuitive to create your robotics program by dragging and dropping building blocks representing different steps needed to perform a task.
This allows you to automate tasks requiring flexibility and force control for example in industrial assembly and laboratory automation.
We also hear how ArtiMinds software makes it easier to handle assembly of flexible material and inexact parts. For instance, it can help you develop applications involving cabling and wire assembly which is usually considered to be a very difficult task for robots.
This interview was recorded in 2016.
As of 2018/05 ArtiMinds has grown to greater than 50 employees.
Spring Berman talks about her extensive experience from research in the field of swarm robotics. Host: Per Sjöborg, Robots in Depth #30 supported by http://www.aptomica.com
One of the underlying ideas of the area is designing robot controls similar to the ones used in nature by different types of swarms of animals, systems that work without having a leader. We get to hear how many robots can be used together to handle tasks that would not be possible using one or a small number of robots.
We also get introduced to the opportunities of mixing artificial animals with real ones.
Spring describes some of the challenges within swarm robotics, which can be as diverse as mathematical modelling and regulatory issues. She also comments on the next frontier of research and the different research areas that are relevant to advance this area.
Dirk Thomas talks about his work with ROS at the OSR Foundation. Host: Per Sjöborg, Robots in Depth #29 supported by http://www.aptomica.com
We hear about how programmers and roboticists can benefit from being part of and contributing to the open source community.
Dirk discusses the development of ROS and how it is being used both in academia and in commercial projects. He also shares his thoughts on the future development of ROS and how it can support advancements in robotics overall.
Andrew Graham talks about snake arm robots that can get into impossible locations and do things no other system can.
Andrew tells the story about starting OC Robotics as a way to ground his robotics development efforts in a customer need. He felt that making something useful gave a great direction to his projects.
We also hear about some of the unique properties of snake arm robots:
– They can fit in any space that the tip of the robot can get through
– They can operate in very tight locations as they are flexible all along and therefore do not sweep large areas to move
– They are easy to seal up so that they don’t interact with the environment they operate in
– They are set up in two parts where the part exposed to the environment and to risk is the cheaper part
Andrew then shares some interesting insights from the many projects he has worked on, from fish processing and suit making to bomb disposal and servicing of nuclear power plants.
Walter Wohlkinger from Blue Danube Robotics talks about their Airskin, a safety sensor covering robots and machines. Host: Per Sjöborg, Robots in Depth #27 supported by http://www.aptomica.com
Safety is critical in robotics and especially so in co-robotics where people work closely with robots. Walter tells us how his product, the Airskin, offers a way to add security to systems by adding a sensor to the robot.
We get to hear how the Airskin can be used to control robots by sensing the pressure on different parts of the robot. This is interesting in a co-robot context as it allows for intuitive control of robots. Walter also talks about how the Airskin works by detecting air pressure differences inside the pad and handles puncture detection with a micro pump.
Walter then shares the evolution of trying different production methods before settling on 3D-printing.
This interview was recorded in 2016.
The Airskin pads are now mass-manufactured and available as kits for a number of popular robots. Blue Danube Robotics are also working on a software that will make it possible for customers to design Airskin pads themselves.
Find out more on www.bluedanuberobotics.com and
https://www.universal-robots.com/plus/product/airskin-safe-collision-sensor-for-ur10-38859/
Anouk Wipprecht is a Dutch FashionTech Designer who incorporates technology and robotics into fashion. She thinks that “Fashion lacks Microcontrollers”.
Anouk creates instinctual and behavioral wearables; essentially clothes that can sense, process and react.
She creates dresses that move, including motors and special effects. They don´t follow the normal fashion cycle of becoming irrelevant after six months, since they can be updated and improved.
Anouk is unusual as a Fashion Designer as she doesn’t do catwalks; since her designs are made to interact with – not just being viewed.
She is a big supporter of open source and is contributing an open source unicorn horn + cam design for children with ADHD amongst other things that she publishes on Instructables.com or Hackster.io.
Paul Ekas talks about his EZGripper and how he designed it to be low cost, lightweight, robust and to offer reliable gripping of small and large objects. Host: Per Sjöborg, Robots in Depth #25 supported by http://www.aptomica.com
The EZGripper is a tendon based gripper using Dyneema tendons and aluminum oxide
eyelets to make it durable and able to handle rough environments.
The EZGripper is under-actuated, the fingers stay straight when picking up small objects and wrap around large objects. You can control position and torque allowing you to grip soft or hard objects and to do so gently or firmly.
You can find Paul and the EZGripper on https://sakerobotics.com
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Linda Thayer talks about how to how to apply for, maintain and use patents.
Host: Per Sjöborg, Robots in Depth #24 supported by http://www.aptomica.com
Linda tells us about the benefits of getting in touch with a patent attorney early in the innovation process. She then walks us through the process of applying for a patent, key dates and important steps.
We also get to hear about defending your patent and international patents.
You can find Linda on www.finnegan.com/en/professionals/linda-j-thayer.html
Frank Tobe shares his experience from covering robotics in The Robot Report and creating the index Robo-Stox Host: Per Sjöborg, Robots in Depth #23 supported by http://www.aptomica.com
Frank talks about how and why he shifted to robotics and how looking for an investment opportunity in robotics lead him to start Robo-Stox (since renamed to ROBO Global), a robotics focused index company.
Both companies have given Frank a unique perspective on the robotics scene as a whole, over a significant period of time, and we are pleased that he wanted to share some of his insights from that with us.
