For example, Rethink Robotics Baxter and Unbounded Robotics’ new UBR-1 were probably the highlights of RoboBusiness 2013. With heavy hardware like this to
sell ... let's just say they aren't pitching to the “maker”
crowd. Baxter (at $22,000) is a new low cost two-armed
robot. Most traditional one-armed industrial robots cost
over $100,000 and for safety need to be enclosed in a
cage. Baxter, on the other hand, is "compliant" — meaning
that it can work among people. Plus, it's easier to train.
UBR-1 (pronounced “uber one”) is basically a
replacement for Willow Garage's famous PR2 — a two-armed research robot which cost over $200,000 and
introduced the world to ROS (Robot Operating System).
UBR-1 continues the ROS revolution at only $35,000 with
only one arm, however.
Cruising through the aisles, one would occasionally
encounter a "Beam" — the new telepresence robot from
Suitable Technology which could be rented for $50 an hour
— good way to attend the expo on a budget! In talking
with the ‘telepresent’ lady who was physically in Los
Angeles, CA, it was almost like she was standing next to
me. She said the experience was the same for her. It was
literally almost like being there.
At $16,000 each, the Beam isn't a hobby class robot,
but if you consider the cost and hassle of business travel
and how one could be at a conference hundreds of miles
away virtually, saving time, money, and energy, it wouldn’t
take long before the $16,000 was recouped and the
savings added to the bottom line. (This business robot thing
might just work after all.)
Other high-end toys included the $75,000 Velodyne
LiDAR (Laser Radar). This is the sensor that makes the self-driving Google car possible. Velodyne also offers a less
expensive LiDAR with only 32 lasers instead of the 64, so
again things are moving in the right direction: less
expensive.
I'm always on the lookout for mobile robots. We've had
robots in factories for decades now but when we talk
about robots of the 21st century we're referring to mobile
robots. Two demos which caught my eye were the Adept
Lynx and Budgee. Now this was an interesting
juxtaposition!
The Lynx is a serious industrial robot which had been
programmed to roam up and down the expo halls
autonomously looking for the end of the conveyer belt
(apparently, it had the conveyer belt attached). While the
price of Lynx isn't published, from what I've read it's
somewhere between $30,000 and $100,000, depending on
the configuration. Serious industrial applications include
clean rooms, labs, hospitals, warehouses, and plants.
SERVO 01.2014 53
RoboBusiness 2013
A View from the Expo
By Camp Peavy
Robotics is going corporate. I spoke
at one of the original RoboNexus
events some years ago ... an event
designed to blend hobby and
business robotics. Unfortunately,
there is still a wide gap.
