MAY 2015
WHAT TECHNOLOGIES SHOULD WE LOOK OUT FOR THIS YEAR?
Last year saw some major technological advances in industry and further developments on the smart factory front. It was a year that demonstrated 3D printing’s potential as more than just a prototyping method and saw cloud computing capabilities stretched; and it’s also worth mentioning the Internet of Things (IoT). Greater convergence allowed the creation of more intelligent networks in which machines are able to communicate with each other and perform self-diagnostics with minimum human interaction. But what other technologies should we be looking out for this year? While
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wearable tech has been around for a while, the UK Home Office, for example, is interested in exploiting the capabilities of the latest wearable technologies and equipping British police officers with cutting-edge gear. Google Glass and other wearable devices should give law enforcement officers more information at their fingertips when they’re out on patrol. Exoskeletons, like the ones already being tested by the US military, will take the strain of heavy gear and give added support to joints when walking the beat. Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, meanwhile, has prototyped
a robotic exoskeleton to help shipbuilders lift heavy weights. In their current prototype stage these can help workers lift up to 30kg, but the creators believe that they can increase the weight to a potential 100kg. A subsidiary of Panasonic has also developed a similar robotic suit
designed to aid lifting and promote fluid movement. The company plans to mass-produce and sell its exoskeleton in 2015, so this year could very well see robotic support aids used more widely than just the medical sector. So, how long before wearable technology enters the modern factory? The days of sitting at a static HMI are over - with the IoT and wearable devices, workers can be fluent, mobile and always on the ball. Quantum entanglement describes the surprising interactions among subatomic particles. A recent experiment showed that light particles - or photons - that never strike an object can still produce its shadow in a demonstration of a strange quantum connection with those that do. This is because they all have to share wavelength phases with the light that hits the object, which we can then detect to see the picture. This essentially means that information could be teleported across
short distances. Using this method a new imaging technique could be developed for improved medical imaging in hard to see areas. Harmless and invisible beams of light could be passed through tissues whilst simultaneously creating an image with entangled visible light. Deep learning refers to complex algorithms that allow computers to
emulate human thinking, for example seeing something and understanding what it is. There are already applications that utilise deep learning, like the app created by Partpic which allows you to immediately scan and identify spare parts without barcodes or labels. An application would be if a motor breaks down in a factory and lacks exterior identification tags, for example. Large companies with vast data archives will probably be particularly keen
to extract value from deep learning applications. To do so, terabytes of information will have to be processed by computers at a very speedy pace to determine what’s useful and what isn’t.
OMRON APPOINTS NEW SYSTEM INTEGRATOR PARTNER
HepcoAutomation has been appointed as a key Omron system integrator partner. The partnership is designed to make automation and robotics expertise available to all end users and machine builders no matter what experience they have. Customers will have the opportunity to use Omron’s extensive
demonstration centre at Milton Keynes. Here, they will be able to bring their applications, including components if necessary, and discuss with HepcoAutomation engineers to establish the most efficient solution for their needs. The company will then provide the complete solution with all the necessary integration including installation, training and on-going customer support. HepcoMotion sales director, Christopher Rees,
said: “We are particularly excited about the tie up with Omron, our customers will have access to some innovative solutions and will be able to tap into a vast amount of experience.”
www.hepcomotion.com/en/
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