Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Educational Assets
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Robots in Your Future

By Steve Meyer | June 24, 2012

Sometimes a unique insight leads to actions that will impact the big picture.  To get America Working Again, we need to find new ways to compete with low cost producers around the world.  Emerging technology is leading us to new methods of producing goods at dramatically lower cost.

At the recent Maker Faire gathering, Rodney Brooks of Rethink Robotics gave an outstanding presentation on the history, current state and future of robotics.  He knows the topic like no one else, he was personally involved in many of the breakthroughs in the technology at Stanford and MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab.

Mr. Brooks is also the co-founder of IRobot, the company that makes the Roomba home vacuum cleaning robot.  And the Roomba is selling quite well, even as clone products and comparable applications like robotic lawn mowers become more popular.

The premise is two-fold.  The rate of increase in performance of robotics is following Moore’s Law, it’s doubling every couple of years.  The performance can be described in various dimensions, but it boils down to greater capability at lower cost.  The performance behavior follows the computer industry exactly.

The second aspect, which springs from the first, is the economic impact on manufacturing.  If robots continue to decline in cost, how does that impact manufacturing?  It lowers the cost.  Lower manufacturing costs will make American manufacturers more competitive worldwide.

Robots are doing a number of applications better than human beings.  Robot welders can turn our more welds, more consistently.  Medical robots perform orthopedic surgeries with greater accuracy under direct operation by doctors.  Sewing robots are emerging in a few applications with extraordinary capability and easily outperforms low cost laborers at higher quality.

Control sophistication is now allowing the robot to interact directly with a human being.  Force sensing and high reliability controls make this practical and safe.

Will the Robot Revolution take hold in the US?  I certainly hope so.  This is another industry that was invented in America with the first industrial robots from Unimation.  It has also become another in a long list of industries that are no longer “Made in America”.  All the robots used in the US come from Europe or Asia.

It’s time to take back the leadership position in this strategic industry.  This is a huge opportunity that will position the US as the economic force we have been in the past.

 

 

Mechatronic Tips

You Might Also Like


Filed Under: Mechatronic Tips

 

LEARNING CENTER

Design World Learning Center
“dw
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Design Engineering Professionals.
Motor University

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Widening the scope for machine tool designers with FORTiS™ enclosed encoder
  • Sustainability, Innovation and Safety, Central to Our Approach
  • Why off-highway is the sweet spot for AC electrification technology
  • Looking to 2025: Past Success Guides Future Achievements
  • North American Companies Seek Stronger Ties with Italian OEMs
  • Adapt and Evolve
View More >>
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Design World
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Control Engineering
  • Consulting-Specifying Engineer
  • Plant Engineering
  • Engineering White Papers
  • Leap Awards

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Educational Assets
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. We share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners who may combine it with other information you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use this website.