Page 39 - Food & Drink Magazine March 2021

ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION
expertise. Its goal is to drive greater collaboration domestically and promote Australia as a key location for research, development and commercialisation.
So, where does cloud robotics come into play and how will it serve Australia and
New Zealand? Universal Robots Asia-Pacific regional director James McKew says cloud robotics is an emerging field which makes use of cloud- based technologies such as cloud computing, cloud storage and other technologies to remotely use, service and program robots.
“The workplace of the future is now. With the need for social distancing and staff safety of the utmost concern, productivity is at stake and this is where cobots and in particular ‘connected cobots’ come in. In ever- changing and disruptive times, they’re set to become your biggest competitive advantage,” McKew says.
A CONNECTED WORLD AND COBOTS
Universal Robots has partnered with its OEM, Hirebotics, to make cloud tools freely available for all its cobots. Hirebotics has cloud connected their cobots for many years and recently released some of their capabilities for free to the Universal Robots ecosystem.
McKew says that there are numerous benefits across three primary categories in connecting cobots to the cloud.
LEFT & RIGHT: Cobots exist in a connected world. They can operate independently or safely alongside humans.
BELOW LEFT & ABOVE: Cobots can be used to fulfil dull, boring and even dangerous tasks.
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two questions: ‘what happened’ and ‘what is going to happen’? The former makes use of machine data to better understand historical production data, cycle time variations, and downtime. The latter makes use of sophisticated software that leverages machine learning to gain a deeper understanding of a particular application,” says McKew.
These insights help to build predictive models based on trends.
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environment itself. “Over time, changes need to be made to a cobot program to accommodate new part numbers or changes in the environment. Rather than relying on manual backups, manufacturers can now back a cobot up on the cloud,” continues McKew. “This provides peace-of- mind and new capabilities. Furthermore, cloud backups can be completed in real-time”.
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If you’re struggling with an application or are running into issues, you can easily share analytics, logs, the I/O status and
ANALYTICS: “Simply put,
analytics are used to answer
BACKUPS: Cobots are just as
dynamic as the production
other data with your distributor, integrator or support contact,” McKew says. He adds that the biggest saving here is time. Rather than waiting for someone to come out, support can be carried out remotely. “While some traditional industrial robots still require pricy add-ons or modules to help analyse data, cobots are equipped with an ethernet port on their controller”.
TROUBLESHOOTING
The benefits of cloud connecting robots are clear, but what holds companies back? Cost, complexity, and security fears are key customer concerns.
“However, there are solutions to avoid both cost and
complexity. Our cloud software runs natively on a cobot’s controller and there is no need for external hardware. Your cobot can be registered by simply scanning a QR code using a mobile app and this platform comes at no added cost,” McKew says.
Security is always of concern when making use of a cloud connected device and it is recommended using a firewall to allow only trusted traffic.
The benefits of cloud connecting robots on ‘local shores’ are clear. Companies that exploit these capabilities will have a competitive advantage over companies that don’t, particularly in the current stay-at-homeenvironment. ✷
SUPPORT: “A cloud-connected
cobot is easy to support.
“ Robots and collaborative robots (cobots) are getting a lot of attention these days as the answer to social distancing and ongoing productivity in the workplace.”
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | March 2021 | Food&Drink business | 39