Forward View


A new era of robotics and collaboration between


humans and robots will become a reality, says Lim Say Leong.


Robotics market to grow at 12% annually over next two years


T he International


Federation of Robotics states that demand for industrial robots will continue at an


average annual growth rate of 12% between 2015 and 2017.


In Asia/Australia, robot sales are expected to increase by around an average of 16% per year. The automotive and electronics industries will continue to see increasing investment in robots.


Robotics made simple Small parts assembly is leading the charge in human-robot collaboration, where humans and machines are starting to work right next to each other, with no need for cages and other protective equipment or barriers.


Automation will become simpler and more user-friendly, such


as modular plug-and-produce components that will enable people without extensive experience in robotics to programme and integrate a robot in the process.


At ABB we believe very strongly in a ‘what you see is what you get’ (WYSIWYG) programming interface, so it is possible – perhaps even expected – that visual apps as well as programming by teaching (rather than coding) will greatly enhance the ease of programming for the next generation. The tools that allow robots to interact with the world around them are also in development, such as advanced sensing and advanced gripping.


In order to allow robots to do all the jobs that they are well suited for, they will need to develop more ‘human-like’ abilities to find, identify and manipulate objects.


F 6 www.engineerlive.com


or manufacturers, robots not only


bring productivity, but also huge reductions in energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.


Lim Say Leong, Assistant Vice President, Marketing, ABB


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