Fan Cheng The robot army behind the global tide of returning to work against the epidemic: multi
Published on:2020-04-27
On April 26, according to foreign media reports, affected by the epidemic of the new coronal pneumonia virus, the use of new robots to help factories and warehouses operate has become a new trend for many enterprises to resume work.
As of today, more than 2.92 million people have been diagnosed with the new type of coronal pneumonia worldwide, and some enterprises are facing the difficulty of returning to work. Reuters has reported that novel coronavirus pneumonia cases have occurred in more than 50 US warehouses. Samsung, apple and other factories were also exposed that workers were infected with the virus, leading to the temporary closure of some factories.
During the epidemic, the return to work of robots has become a trend. By combining the cases of paltac, fetch robotics and Tyson Foods, foreign media wired discussed the current situation and future trend of robot assisted return to work under the epidemic.
I. robot assisted epidemic prevention and resumption of work has become a new trend in production
In March this year, as the new coronavirus began to spread in Japan, the workload of workers in sugito, a warehouse handling millions of personal care products a day, increased due to the surge in demand for masks, gloves, soap and hand sanitizer.
Paltac, the company that runs the warehouse, has introduced measures such as temperature detection, wearing masks and regular disinfection to prevent the spread of the virus among workers. In the coming weeks, the company plans to adopt a more radical solution - hire more robots.
Shohei Matsumoto, deputy general manager of the companys R & D department, said: "we must consider more general automation and more use of robotics in order to maintain a certain distance between employees. In this way, people will have less access to items that may be infected."
The New Coronavirus pandemic has led to the shortage of labor. Now it is possible to change the status quo in other ways. As manufacturers and e-commerce companies struggle to adapt to telecommuting, regular disinfection, and a possible shortage of workers due to isolation, some companies may invest in robots.
Paltac is already using robots from righthand robotics in the United States to pick up objects from shipping containers and sort out orders. Matsumoto said that these robots should be able to expand the scope of use through software upgrades, so that they can recognize and grab new objects, or retrieve items from new dustbins. Many robots, including industrial robots, cant follow their commands accurately, and it takes hours to program them blindly in the industry. The flexibility of these newer robotic systems makes it possible to rapidly redeploy them.
▲ robots in paltac, Japan pick up items from shipping containers to sort out orders
(source: righthand robotics / paltac)
II. The epidemic has promoted the new upgrading of robot R & D and production
Not every factory or warehouse can use robots. Through the New Coronavirus crisis, it can be seen that the number of robots in many workplaces is insufficient, and they usually lack the ability to perceive, respond and adapt to the real world. Therefore, even in the most automated factories, human operation is still crucial.
However, the resumption of work may accelerate the adoption of more flexible cloud connected cooperative robots with basic sensing capabilities. This may lead to more automated work involving picking, packaging and handling products and components.
Melonee wise, CEO of fetch Robotics (a company that makes storage mobile robots), said that if the work needs to separate the workers in the whole factory from the manufacturing or picking work area, the company cannot place the automation equipment in the same space as the workers.
Fetch is working with a large e-commerce company in the United States to reprogram its robots to adapt to the staggered shift system with fewer workers, so as to achieve social safety distance. The company is also developing robots that can automatically disinfect the workplace.
III. robot work is expected to become the new normal of production
Enterprises can not choose robot solutions, and there are many other alternatives that can solve the interpersonal distance between epidemics, such as measuring interpersonal distance with surveillance cameras or wrist bands. However, the robot scheme is a new normal tool, which can be reused after the epidemic.
Increasing the use of automation equipment may be the most lasting way available at present. For example, it may accelerate the application of robots in key new work areas. This week, Tyson Foods was forced to close several meat processing plants because workers tested positive for the new coronavirus. Meat processing plants often lack automated procedures, but Tyson food has invested in robots since last year to solve the problem of labor shortage. At present, the company has not responded to inquiries about the current situation.
▲ automatic operation of Tyson food factory
(source: foodnavigator)
In recent years, more and more intelligent robots have entered a new field of manual work, such as removing boxes from pallets or transporting parts between production lines. lately, AI is expected to enable machines to take over tasks that require greater manual flexibility. Service companies are deploying security, hotel and delivery robots.
The increase of robot workers will adapt to broader economic and strategic trends. Mark Muro, senior policy director at the Brookings Institution, said that as the new coronavirus pandemic has reduced revenue, companies may look to automation to improve efficiency. He pointed out that in the past economic recession, enterprises demand for automation has increased.
Willy Shih, a professor of research and manufacturing at Harvard Business School, says the economic disruption caused by New Coronavirus is "the largest macroeconomic experiment in the world".
Conclusion: the fuse of the epidemic will promote the further development of the robot industry
The impact of the New Coronavirus epidemic on the resumption of business has led to an upsurge in the production of employment robots. For express delivery, food, security, hotels and other fields, enterprises will increase the use of robot production and services. For robot R & D and production companies, more types of robots suitable for various fields will also appear and continue to upgrade.
As of today, more than 2.92 million people have been diagnosed with the new type of coronal pneumonia worldwide, and some enterprises are facing the difficulty of returning to work. Reuters has reported that novel coronavirus pneumonia cases have occurred in more than 50 US warehouses. Samsung, apple and other factories were also exposed that workers were infected with the virus, leading to the temporary closure of some factories.
During the epidemic, the return to work of robots has become a trend. By combining the cases of paltac, fetch robotics and Tyson Foods, foreign media wired discussed the current situation and future trend of robot assisted return to work under the epidemic.
I. robot assisted epidemic prevention and resumption of work has become a new trend in production
In March this year, as the new coronavirus began to spread in Japan, the workload of workers in sugito, a warehouse handling millions of personal care products a day, increased due to the surge in demand for masks, gloves, soap and hand sanitizer.
Paltac, the company that runs the warehouse, has introduced measures such as temperature detection, wearing masks and regular disinfection to prevent the spread of the virus among workers. In the coming weeks, the company plans to adopt a more radical solution - hire more robots.
Shohei Matsumoto, deputy general manager of the companys R & D department, said: "we must consider more general automation and more use of robotics in order to maintain a certain distance between employees. In this way, people will have less access to items that may be infected."
The New Coronavirus pandemic has led to the shortage of labor. Now it is possible to change the status quo in other ways. As manufacturers and e-commerce companies struggle to adapt to telecommuting, regular disinfection, and a possible shortage of workers due to isolation, some companies may invest in robots.
Paltac is already using robots from righthand robotics in the United States to pick up objects from shipping containers and sort out orders. Matsumoto said that these robots should be able to expand the scope of use through software upgrades, so that they can recognize and grab new objects, or retrieve items from new dustbins. Many robots, including industrial robots, cant follow their commands accurately, and it takes hours to program them blindly in the industry. The flexibility of these newer robotic systems makes it possible to rapidly redeploy them.
▲ robots in paltac, Japan pick up items from shipping containers to sort out orders
(source: righthand robotics / paltac)
II. The epidemic has promoted the new upgrading of robot R & D and production
Not every factory or warehouse can use robots. Through the New Coronavirus crisis, it can be seen that the number of robots in many workplaces is insufficient, and they usually lack the ability to perceive, respond and adapt to the real world. Therefore, even in the most automated factories, human operation is still crucial.
However, the resumption of work may accelerate the adoption of more flexible cloud connected cooperative robots with basic sensing capabilities. This may lead to more automated work involving picking, packaging and handling products and components.
Melonee wise, CEO of fetch Robotics (a company that makes storage mobile robots), said that if the work needs to separate the workers in the whole factory from the manufacturing or picking work area, the company cannot place the automation equipment in the same space as the workers.
Fetch is working with a large e-commerce company in the United States to reprogram its robots to adapt to the staggered shift system with fewer workers, so as to achieve social safety distance. The company is also developing robots that can automatically disinfect the workplace.
III. robot work is expected to become the new normal of production
Enterprises can not choose robot solutions, and there are many other alternatives that can solve the interpersonal distance between epidemics, such as measuring interpersonal distance with surveillance cameras or wrist bands. However, the robot scheme is a new normal tool, which can be reused after the epidemic.
Increasing the use of automation equipment may be the most lasting way available at present. For example, it may accelerate the application of robots in key new work areas. This week, Tyson Foods was forced to close several meat processing plants because workers tested positive for the new coronavirus. Meat processing plants often lack automated procedures, but Tyson food has invested in robots since last year to solve the problem of labor shortage. At present, the company has not responded to inquiries about the current situation.
▲ automatic operation of Tyson food factory
(source: foodnavigator)
In recent years, more and more intelligent robots have entered a new field of manual work, such as removing boxes from pallets or transporting parts between production lines. lately, AI is expected to enable machines to take over tasks that require greater manual flexibility. Service companies are deploying security, hotel and delivery robots.
The increase of robot workers will adapt to broader economic and strategic trends. Mark Muro, senior policy director at the Brookings Institution, said that as the new coronavirus pandemic has reduced revenue, companies may look to automation to improve efficiency. He pointed out that in the past economic recession, enterprises demand for automation has increased.
Willy Shih, a professor of research and manufacturing at Harvard Business School, says the economic disruption caused by New Coronavirus is "the largest macroeconomic experiment in the world".
Conclusion: the fuse of the epidemic will promote the further development of the robot industry
The impact of the New Coronavirus epidemic on the resumption of business has led to an upsurge in the production of employment robots. For express delivery, food, security, hotels and other fields, enterprises will increase the use of robot production and services. For robot R & D and production companies, more types of robots suitable for various fields will also appear and continue to upgrade.
