MODEX 2020 Robot Roundup

MODEX 2020! What a blur!

Well that was what I was expecting from my first big American trade show. But there was something even bigger happening at the time, Coronavirus. In reality MODEX 2020 will be remembered, by all, as the most uneventful and empty tradeshow ever.

The ridiculously low footfall meant I had hours and hours to go check out all the booths!

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DIGIT - Agility Robotics

DIGIT is the second robot from Agility Robotics. Digit addresses the mobility limitations of traditional robots, so that machines can work in environments designed for humans. Digit features 2-DOF feet for improved balance and has numerous sensors allowing it to navigate in unstructured environments. The 2 arms can be used for basic manipulation tasks like picking up boxes. The arms are fairly limited as they only have 4 degrees of freedom whereas most industrial robots will have 6.

Agility Robots and Ford Motor Company are currently working in partnership to develop a delivery system that combines Ford's autonomous vehicle technology and Agility Robotics Digit. This will allow longer road journeys to be done using a high capacity vehicle and the unloading and short trip to the customer to be handled by Digit, which can easily navigate sidewalks, stairs and slopes.

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Skypod System - Exotec

The Skypod System is a retail order picking solution like no other. The Skypod robot is fully autonomous and uses laser scanning navigation to move bins anywhere within a facility. What makes this picking solution stand out is it's ability to move in 3 dimensions by attaching to the special racks before climbing up them.

When an order is placed online it is sent straight to the robot which will drive to the rack, attach itself to it, scale the rack and then retrieve the item. Skypod will then deliver the goods straight to the packer at waist height using a specially designed ramp.

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LOCUS

LOCUS has reinvented the humble cart from the ground up with an innovative autonomous robotic solution. LOCUS frees workers from cumbersome carts which dramatically reduces the amount of time spent walking around a warehouse when picking an order.

LOCUS acts a fast and smart autonomous cart with multiple bins. Before picking even begins an algorithm is used to optimize the orders that should be picked for each robot to maximize productivity. With the route set the robot drives to each pick location where an associate will carrying out the pick task. The bot displays the pick information on a large display. The associate then finds the item scans it and places it in the correct bin. The bot then drives to the next pick where a different associates will carry out the next pick.

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FANUC Cobots

Collaborative Robots (Cobots) allow humans to work side-by-side with robots without safety fences. Cobots can carry out strenuous tasks whilst there human counterparts can dedicate their time to lighter more dexterous tasks.

Due to the advanced safety features built into Cobots they can be integrated straight into existing production environments to work with humans. I'll let them introduce themselves.

CR-4iA

"Hi, I am the smallest of the collaborative robot range, with six axis in my arm, and my maximum payload is 4kg. Similar to my fellow collaborative robots, I handle lightweight tasks that are tedious, highly manual. My compact nature enables me to perform smaller jobs in areas with limited space requirements. It is possible for me to be wall- or invert-mounted, offering me a wider range of motion without interfering with the operator’s workspace."

CR-35iA

I'm the world's strongest collaborative robot. I can lift 35 kg. This combined with my reach and safety certification make me ideally suited to a whole range of manual processes that you humans have traditionally had to do alone. But thanks to me, that's all about to change. From now on I'm here to do the heavy lifting and positioning for you in a range of industries. That way you'll be free to do the more skilled work. But don't worry, my built-in anti-trap protection and soft rubber skin will keep you safe. I'm also happy working with you or alongside you. Either way, you can guide me, teach me or simply push me away if you need some space. As a team we're faster, safer and more effective.

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FANUC Robots

R-2000iC

The R-2000 series is the most successful FANUC robot in the world. Their are over 14 variations of this particular series making it a highly versatile robot for operation in almost any industry. Payload capacities vary from 100 to 270kg and the slim wrist and arm make it suitable for many applications. It is commonly used in material handling solutions and spot welding. There's even a variation specially designed to operate in washing environments with an IP67 protection as standard.

LR Mate 200iD

This compact 6 axis robot has been designed with the approximate size and reach of a human arm. It also comes with IP67 as standard and is a breeze to program making it ideal for smaller automation projects.

The below example was combined with an advanced vision system allowing it to pick up oddly shaped, camouflaged boxes.