Archiv der Kategorie: Development

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4ocean and Poralu Marine Debut First of Its Kind Robot for Beach Cleanups

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BOCA RATON, FL (August 18, 2021) — 4ocean, a purpose-driven B Corp with a mission to end the ocean plastic crisis, is pleased to announce their partnership with Poralu Marine, a global leader in marine- grade technologies, on the launch of the BeBot in the United States, an impressive beach cleaning robot designed to recover coastal plastic debris.

The electric-powered BeBot can clean up to 3,000 sqm of beach per hour, 20-30x more effective than collecting trash by hand. The machine is agile and easy to maneuver, a clear differentiator from existing options, and it specifically excels at removing small pieces of plastic and other trash that are notoriously difficult to clean by hand, using small 1 cm x 1 cm sifting grids to separate these items from the sand.

Traditional machines are typically very large, powered by gas, and often repurposed from other agricultural purposes, making them poorly suited for more delicate beach cleanup work. In contrast, the BeBot’s smaller footprint and more shallow cleaning depth of 10 cm, effectively removes common beach trash while avoiding disruptions to any nearby habitats or animals, providing a more effective and sustainable approach to cleanups.

„We are always searching for innovative technology to improve our cleanup capabilities and are thrilled to partner with Poralu Marine on introducing such an impactful piece of technology,“ said Alex Schulze, 4ocean’s co-founder and CEO. „With the launch of the BeBot, we are able to work smarter and sustainably while recovering plastic that has already seen the ocean and preventing new plastic from ever getting there in the first place.“

Meant to be used daily, the BeBot is remote operated and can be controlled by an operator up to approximately 950 feet away. The robot makes minimal noise while cleaning and requires a much smaller footprint for storage, making it the ideal cleaning method for beaches in populated areas. This design approach was intentionally created with cleaning trash in mind, which is a first of its kind. 4ocean is on track to remove 20 million pounds of trash by year’s end and the BeBot will be essential in helping the brand reach this important milestone.

Claire Touvier, member of the Environmental Solutions team from Poralu Marine noted „It is a real honor to present BeBot. We are very proud to be able to launch this new robot in the US with the help of 4ocean. This cutting edge technology was developed in Italy by a team of experts dedicated to robotics. While traditional machines equipped with wheels were degrading the shoreline, BeBot has groundbreaking and unpreceedented environmental assets. With a unique track system distributing equal and minimum pressure on the sand, BeBot reduces erosion. This innovative design also helps the preservation of biodiversity as it prevents the compression of turtles‘ eggs and any vegetal ecosystem in the sand.“

This impressive beach cleaning robot represents important innovation in the ocean reclamation space, thinking creatively about the more effective, efficient and eco-friendly way to remove the small plastics that currently litter our beaches. 4ocean and Poralu Marine are thrilled collaborating as leaders in this space, preventing further pollution of our oceans.

To learn more about the BeBot and all of 4ocean’s ocean cleanup initiatives, please visit 4ocean.com.

About 4ocean

4ocean is a purpose-driven business with a mission to help end the ocean plastic crisis by cleaning the ocean and coastlines while stopping the inflow of plastic. With the goal of creating an economy around cleaning the ocean, 4ocean has built a sustainable business model that allows the company to fund cleanups, utilize the latest technology and make a monthly $50,000 donation to marine conservation organizations. Ocean cleanups are funded entirely through product purchases, removing one pound of trash for every item sold, for a total of over 15 million pounds to date. 4ocean prioritizes engaging coastal communities, which creates jobs and adds revenue to local economies while changing the demand from catching fish to catching plastic. The solution to ending ocean plastic pollution lies in stopping it on land before it enters the ocean, which is why 4ocean is educating consumers about ways to reduce their single-use plastic consumption.

About Poralu Marine

Developing unique leisure marina solutions and equipment is the core activity of Poralu Marine, which has designed, built and installed more than 8,000 projects worldwide making it the global industry leader in the design and construction of aluminium structures. From this expertise in durable installations, Poralu Marine is constantly innovating with the launch of footbridges, environmentally friendly anchoring solutions, and floating waste collectors (Seabin), to name just a few. The activities of the group’s brands – Poralu Marine, Nautiscaphe, Poralu Bridge, Rotax, WPS, EDDS – are a testimony to the constant renewal of our product range which is particularly respectful of the natural environment and of those who fight to preserve it.

In 2021, Poralu Marine strengthened its leadership in the matter of environmental protection by launching „The Searial Cleaners“ the first ever range of littoral waste collectors.

Luwu Intelligence Technology Announces Launch of XGO-Mini: An Advanced Quadruped Robot With AI Modules

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BEIJING, Aug. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Luwu, a STEM education technology company, has announced the launch of XGO-Mini, a 12 DOF, omnidirectional quadruped robot that can interact with its surroundings using voice, image recognition, and tracking. This programmable, open-source robot is the perfect way to learn about robotics for new and advanced users. XGO-Mini is available now on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/xgorobot/xgo-mini-an-advanced-quadruped-robot-with-ai-modules.

At first glance, XGO-Mini appears to be an incredible full-motion robotic dog. But it’s so much more than that. This desktop-sized AI quadruped robot with 12 degrees of freedom can achieve omnidirectional movement, six-dimensional posture and a variety of motions. As a quadruped robot, XGO-Mini can mimic the natural motion of a dog walking and is capable of movement on uneven terrain and extremely rough surfaces. It can even adapt to avoid obstacles by adjusting its height. With its unique bionic system, XGO Mini can perform any dynamic movement. Equipped with a 9-axis IMU, its joint position sensor and electric current sensor are able to reflect to its own posture and joint rotation angle and torque, which are used for algorithms verification and exploitation. The robot can be programmed for a variety of education, research, algorithm verification, and entertainment possibilities.

„As a technology company centered on robotics and STEM education, we understand the importance of robotics and AI education for youngsters. These technologies will be a key to the future. XGO Mini, a bionic quadruped robot dog for youth AI education, is the perfect platform for developing robotics and programming skills in a fun way. With 12 DOF, omnidirectional movement, and advanced-level AI, it is capable of virtually any movement or task and gives users unlimited programming possibilities that help users to explore, learn, and have fun,“ said Luwu Intelligence Technology Product Manager Pengfei Liu.

XGO-Mini is an incredibly versatile robot that can perform a variety of useful tasks and can be a very helpful assistant in daily life. It features fully functional AI modules that can facilitate both entry- and advanced-level AI applications. The Al modules feature visual recognition, voice recognition, and gesture recognition, giving XGO-Mini the ability to hear, recognize and reply to users like a real dog. It also can track multiple colors and recognize QR codes.

As an open-source robot with the Robot Operating System (ROS) and compatible with Python AI system, anyone can create their own functions for XGO-Mini. It can also be programmed by using common coding languages like Python and C++ that make it perfect for STEM education.

XGO-Mini Advanced Quadruped Robot with AI Modules is an incredible robotics platform for entertainment, STEM education, and exploring creativity. XGO-Mini is available now on Kickstarter with special pricing for early supporters. Learn more here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/xgorobot/xgo-mini-an-advanced-quadruped-robot-with-ai-modules.

SoftGripping expands its product line

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SoftGripping, the internal robotic SoftGripper department of the logistic company Wegard GmbH has reached its market capitalization goal of 8 million Euro in the year 2020 and is now moving from the initial intent of establishing SoftGripping leadership in the cobot area towards the high-speed automation market. The internal project’s CTO and co-founder Alexey Stepanyuk is eager to tackle new areas with the industrial and hygienic line. “We focus on the needs of our customers and every development is custom to the application on hand” he emphasized in an interview, “our engineers know that solutions in food automation are as custom as the plants growing on the fields. There is a new evolutionary stage coming and we can’t wait to highlight it, although today’s robotics technology is far from perfect.” Let’s wait and see what the future brings!

Information about hygienic line grippers: https://soft-gripping.com/hygienic-softgripper/
Information about industrial line grippers: https://soft-gripping.com/industrial-softgripper/

MYBOTSHOP nimmt mit leistungsstarkem Kettenfahrzeug Fahrt auf

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Autonomes Fahren ist schon lange keine Zukunftstechnologie mehr. Doch nicht nur im PKW auf der Straße soll alsbald auf den Fahrer verzichtet werden. So hat auch MYBOTSHOP, der deutsche Vertriebspartner für Robotik, Sensorik und Automatisierungstechnologie, ein neues Gefährt im Programm. Mit dem weiterentwickelten MBS ROVO 2 führt das Unternehmen aus Nordrhein-Westfalen ein Kettenfahrzeug auf dem Robotermarkt ein, das den meisten Umwelteinflüssen standhält und die Kosteneffizienz in Unternehmen steigern soll.

Neben der Basis-Version im bald erhältlichen MYBOTSHOP-grün, gibt es das Kettenfahrzeug auch als voll konfigurierbare und auf Kundenwünsche zugeschnittene Premium-Version. Dabei profitiert der Endkunde von der jahrelangen Erfahrung und Spezialisierung im Bereich der Anwendungsentwicklung und Forschung, die hausintern bei MYBOTSHOP umgesetzt wird. Das bedeutet, dass Zusatzelemente komplett konfigurierbar und bei MYBOTSHOP auf Anfrage erhältlich sind. Somit bekommt der Endkunde dann ein komplett mit Software aufgespieltes und in Haus getestetes Produkt ausgeliefert. Und auch während der Nutzung steht MYBOTSHOP mit seinem Support und zur Wartung beratend zur Seite. Für die ROS-basierte Programmierung wird eine vollständige Dokumentation als Support auf der Website zur Verfügung gestellt.

Das geländegängige und wassergeschützte Fahrzeug (IP 65) überwindet souverän verschiedene Untergründe wie Schlamm, Schnee und Eis, Kies, Schotter und Sand. Ermöglicht wird dies durch den niedrigen Anpressdruck, der auf der Kettenlänge basiert. Die Akkulaufzeit liegt derzeit bei ca. 8 h (abhängig von Geschwindigkeit und Belastung) und die maximale Geschwindigkeit des Fahrzeugs bei knapp 20 km/h. Optional kann ein Modul für die Schnellladefunktion erworben werden. Mit einer Traglast von bis zu 500 kg bietet sich das Fahrzeug besonders als Transportplattform an. Die Zugkraft liegt bei knapp 2 t und via optionaler Anhängerkupplung lassen sich Anhänger und Fahrzeuge problemlos ziehen.

Mittels der externen Spannungsversorgung lassen sich Zusatzverbraucher wie Roboterarme, Kameras, 3D-LiDAR und weitere Komponenten anschließen. Gerade der Ouster 3D-LiDAR bietet sich für das Mapping an, das beim autonomen Fahren unausweichlich ist. Die via Ouster 3D-LiDAR detailgetreue erstellte 3D-Punktwolke basiert auf bis zu 128 Lagen bei einer Winkelauflösung von nur 0,18° und erfüllt dabei alle relevanten Datenschutz-Vorschriften.
Ein Roboterarm, wie der 6-achsige Universal Robots UR-3, ermöglicht unter anderem als Allrounder-Arm die mobile Manipulation.
Empfehlenswert ist die Nutzung eines HOKUYO UAM-05LP – einem sogenannten Safety LiDAR. Dies bedeutet, dass er durch seine TÜV-Süd-Zertifizierung, bzw. seinem redundanten Aufbau, unter anderem in Roboter-Mensch Applikationen eingesetzt werden darf. Dabei arbeitet das System nach dem so genannten ToF-Prinzip (Time of Flight) wobei die Zeit des emittierten Lichts gemessen wird. Infolge dessen sind maximale Messzeiten von 60 ms möglich.
Die verwendete Stereolabs ZED ist eine performante 3D-Kamera für einen breiten Anwendungsbereich. So verfügt diese Kamera über zwei 4 MP Kameras, wodurch 2 K-Aufnahmen (4416 x 1242 px) mit einer Framerate von bis zu 100 Hz ermöglicht werden.

Mit dem MBS ROVO 2 kann MYBOTSHOP ein Produkt anbieten, das durch geringen Wartungsaufwand und eine lange Lebensdauer überzeugt – Preis und Leistung stimmen hier überein. Aufgrund jahrelanger Erfahrung, erprobter Technik, permanenter Weiterentwicklung und Verwendung qualitativ hochwertiger Komponenten im Fahrzeug rentieren sich die Anschaffungskosten in Höhe von 40.000 EUR (UVP). MYBOTSHOP Firmengründer Daniel Kottlarz schöpft aus der autonomen Zukunft und künstlichen Intelligenz das Potenzial, Arbeitsschritte und Prozessabläufe zu vereinfachen und die Kosten-Nutzen-Effizienz zu steigern. Ebenso können Mitarbeiter im gefährlichen Arbeitsumgebungen reduziert und deren Sicherheit unterstützt werden.

https://www.mybotshop.de/

Better gripping with intelligent picking robots

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Researchers from Germany and Canada work on new AI methods for picking robots.

 ISLANDIA, NY, July 7, 2021 — Production, warehouse, shipping – where goods are produced, stored, sorted or packed, picking also takes place. This means that several individual goods are removed from storage units such as boxes or cartons and reassembled. With the FLAIROP (Federated Learning for Robot Picking) project Festo and researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), together with partners from Canada, want to make picking robots smarter using distributed AI methods. To do this, they are investigating how to use training data from multiple stations, from multiple plants, or even companies without requiring participants to hand over sensitive company data. 

“We are investigating how the most versatile training data possible from multiple locations can be used to develop more robust and efficient solutions using artificial intelligence algorithms than with data from just one robot,“ says Jonathan Auberle from the Institute of Material Handling and Logistics (IFL) at KIT. In the process, items are further processed by autonomous robots at several picking stations by means of gripping and transferring. At the various stations, the robots are trained with very different articles. At the end, they should be able to grasp articles from other stations that they have not yet learned about. „Through the approach of federated learning, we balance data diversity and data security in an industrial environment,“ says the expert.

Powerful algorithms for industry and logistics 4.0

Until now, federated learning has been used predominantly in the medical sector for image analysis, where the protection of patient data is a particularly high priority. Consequently, there is no exchange of training data such as images or grasp points for training the artificial neural network. Only pieces of stored knowledge – the local weights of the neural network that tell how strongly one neuron is connected to another – are transferred to a central server. There, the weights from all stations are collected and optimized using various criteria. Then the improved version is played back to the local stations and the process repeats. The goal is to develop new, more powerful algorithms for the robust use of artificial intelligence for industry and Logistics 4.0 while complying with data protection guidelines.

“In the FLAIROP research project, we are developing new ways for robots to learn from each other without sharing sensitive data and company secrets. This brings two major benefits: we protect our customers‘ data, and we gain speed because the robots can take over many tasks more quickly. In this way, the collaborative robots can, for example, support production workers with repetitive, heavy, and tiring tasks”, explains Jan Seyler, Head of Advanced Develop. Analytics and Control at Festo SE & Co. KG During the project, a total of four autonomous picking stations will be set up for training the robots: Two at the KIT Institute for Material Handling and Logistics (IFL) and two at the Festo SE company based in Esslingen am Neckar.

Start-up DarwinAI and University of Waterloo from Canada are further partners

“DarwinAI is thrilled to provide our Explainable (XAI) platform to the FLAIROP project and pleased to work with such esteemed Canadian and German academic organizations and our industry partner, Festo. We hope that our XAI technology will enable high-value human-in-the-loop processes for this exciting project, which represents an important facet of our offering alongside our novel approach to Federated Learning.  Having our roots in academic research, we are enthusiastic about this collaboration and the industrial benefits of our new approach for a range of manufacturing customers”, says Sheldon Fernandez, CEO, DarwinAI.

“The University of Waterloo is ecstatic to be working with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and a global industrial automation leader like Festo to bring the next generation of trustworthy artificial intelligence to manufacturing.  By harnessing DarwinAI’s Explainable AI (XAI) and Federated Learning, we can enable AI solutions to help support factory workers in their daily production tasks to maximize efficiency, productivity, and safety”, says Dr. Alexander Wong, Co-director of the Vision and Image Processing Research Group, University of Waterloo, and Chief Scientist at DarwinAI.

About FLAIROP

The FLAIROP (Federated Learning for Robot Picking) project is a partnership between Canadian and German organizations. The Canadian project partners focus on object recognition through Deep Learning, Explainable AI, and optimization, while the German partners contribute their expertise in robotics, autonomous grasping through Deep Learning, and data security.

  • KIT-IFL: consortium leadership, development grasp determination, development automatic learning data generation.
  • KIT-AIFB: Development of Federated Learning Framework
  • Festo SE & Co. KG: development of picking stations, piloting in real warehouse logistics
  • University of Waterloo (Canada): Development object recognition
  • Darwin AI (Canada): Local and Global Network Optimization, Automated Generation of Network Structures

Visit www.festo.com/us for more information on Festo products and services.

About Festo

Festo is a leading manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical systems, components, and controls for process and industrial automation. For more than 40 years, Festo Corporation has continuously elevated the state of manufacturing with innovations and optimized motion control solutions that deliver higher performing, more profitable automated manufacturing and processing equipment.

Connect with Festo: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube

Start-Up Auxivo AG Launches Educational Robotic Exoskeleton Kit on Kickstarter

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The Swiss exoskeleton company Auxivo AG, a spin-off of ETH Zurich and a specialist in industrial exoskeletons has launched a Kickstarter campaign for a new educational exoskeleton kit called “EduExo Pro”.

The EduExo Pro aims to make exoskeleton technology available to students, makers, and hobbyists and make it easier for educators to integrate wearable exoskeleton technology into the classroom. The kit contains all the parts needed to assemble an arm exoskeleton. An accompanying handbook provides theoretical knowledge and guides the user step-by-step through the assembly and programming of the exoskeleton. On Kickstarter, the EduExo Pro is offered for CHF 890. For those who decide quickly, there is a limited number available for 790 CHF. Later, the retail price will be 1090 CHF.

What are exoskeletons?

Exoskeletons are wearable robotic systems that have become increasingly popular in medical and industrial applications in recent years. There they support specific movements and work to reduce the physical workload and prevent injuries. As the technology is still relatively young, there is hardly any possibility to access and learn about such systems outside of professional applications. Auxivo AG would like to close this gap by offering an educational kit to democratize the development of future exoskeletons.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/auxivo/eduexo-pro-a-robotic-exoskeleton-kit-for-stem-education

LDROBOT Announces Launch of LD-AIR LiDAR – Ultra-Small & High-Precision TOF Sensor For Robotic Applications

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LDROBOT a high-tech enterprise focusing on the research and development of advanced robotics, has announced the launch of LD-AIR LiDAR a ready-to-use compliant laser sensor with 360° sensing capabilities. This affordable LiDAR component makes any robot smarter and is available now on Kickstarter.

The ability to recognize objects and the environment is a key feature of many robots. LiDAR enables robots to scan their surroundings, make highly accurate maps, and navigate freely. Using advanced technology, LD-AIR LiDAR is a high-accuracy TOF sensor with 360° scanning range which is able to sense the surrounding environment by taking up to 4500 laser ranging samples per second to actualize obstacle detection and autonomously map any area.

LD-AIR LiDAR was created to serve business and research purposes that require robot navigation and obstacle avoidance. For robot developers, this essential component makes robots more useful and intelligent at an affordable price.  

 “In today’s advanced robots, LiDAR sensors are being widely used. The ability to quickly scan an area and create highly accurate maps is essential for applications such as archeology, geography and autonomous cars. And lately, consumer robots are using this technology in creative ways that make smart home applications and service robots smarter. Unfortunately, the cost of highly accurate LiDAR sensors is very high which puts this useful technology out of reach for many. Our goal at LDROBOT Group, was to make LiDAR accessible to everyone by creating a compact and affordable LiDAR with powerful features that is small enough to fit in virtually any device. Now, robotics innovators, makers, and hobbyists can harness the power of LiDAR to make more powerful, useful and convenient robots.”

As an affordable yet full-featured LiDAR solution, LD-AIR LiDAR can be readily applied to the design of working services robots for tasks such as route setting and automatic responsive behaviors. It is a Ready-To-Use compliant laser sensor that is small and versatile enough to fit in any appliance. With an aim toward improving consumer service robots LD-AIR LiDAR has important safety features built-in. It is Certified LD FDA Class 1 Laser Safety Standard, and uses a low power infrared laser light as its light source, effectiveness and eye safety for humans and pets. 

LD-AIR LiDAR – Ultra-Small & High-Precision TOF Sensor is available now on Kickstarter with special pricing for early supporters. Learn more here: [Link]

Introducing the VEX V5 Workcell

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VEX Robotics is revolutionizing workforce development education with VEX V5 Workcell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFkX1KaMA1Y

https://www.vexrobotics.com/v5/products/workcell

Jabil Optics Introduces Powerful Omnidirectional Sensor

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Low-cost, wide field-of-view, 3D time-of-flight sensor introduced to ever-expanding robotics market

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jabil Inc. (NYSE: JBL) today announced that its renowned optical design center in Jena, Germany is currently developing a novel omnidirectional sensor for robotic and industrial platforms. By combining a custom optical assembly with an innovative active illumination approach, a new 3D time-of-flight (ToF) depth sensor with an industry-leading 360° x 60° field of view is being developed. The ground-breaking, solid-state design is one of several sensing systems Jabil’s optical business unit (Jabil Optics) is designing to support lower-cost autonomous mobile robotics and collaborative robotics platforms.

In contrast to conventional ToF cameras, the immersive field of view of Jabil’s omnidirectional sensor allows for seamless detection and tracking of objects in a robot’s path, aimed at improving both obstacle avoidance and worker safety. Additionally, Jabil’s inventive use of scene information to dynamically control illumination significantly reduces sensor noise while improving both data quality and power management.

“A mission of Analog Devices is to enable the autonomous mobile robot revolution by providing high performance and highly differentiated signal chains that bridge the gap between the analog and digital worlds,” said Donnacha O’Riordan, director of Analog Devices, Inc (ADI). “The Jabil omnidirectional sensor is one of the most innovative implementations of the ADI depth-sensing technology we have encountered. Jabil’s wide field-of-view, depth-sensing approach is opening up new possibilities for human interaction with robots.”

Market-Driven Innovation

The Jabil Optics team is optimizing the performance of the omnidirectional sensor to address the needs of the rapidly changing robotics industry. “Our design goal is to provide customers with optimal sensor performance in the smallest, lowest cost and lowest power solution possible,” said Ian Blasch, senior director of business development, Jabil Optics. “Factors such as data formats, on-sensor processing and connectivity are moving targets in the quickly evolving robotics industry. Our beta-testing program for the omnidirectional sensor will allow us to continue to collect targeted feedback from customers and partners in the robotics ecosystem.”

For nearly two decades, Jabil Optics has been recognized by leading technology companies as the premier service provider for advanced optical design, industrialization and manufacturing. With more than 170 employees across four locations, Jabil Optics’ designers, engineers and researchers specialize in solving complex optical problems for its customers in 3D sensing, augmented and virtual reality, action camera, automotive, industrial and healthcare markets. Additionally, Jabil Optics customers leverage expertise in product design, process development, testing, in-house active alignment (from Kasalis, a technology division of Jabil), supply chain management and manufacturing expertise.

The Jabil omnidirectional sensor beta development kit is available. To request the kit, click here.

About Jabil:

Jabil (NYSE: JBL) is a manufacturing solutions provider with over 260,000 employees across 100 locations in 30 countries. The world’s leading brands rely on Jabil’s unmatched breadth and depth of end-market experience, technical and design capabilities, manufacturing know-how, supply chain insights and global product management expertise. Driven by a common purpose, Jabil and its people are committed to making a positive impact on their local community and the environment. Visit www.jabil.com to learn more.

Wandelbots – No-Code Robotics – – Short Interview

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Sebastian from Robots-Blog was able to do a short interview with Annelie Harz from Wandelbots. Learn in the interview what Wandelbots is and why programming might soon become obsolete.

Robots-Blog: Who are you and what is your job at Wandelbots?

Annelie: My name is Annelie and I work as a marketing manager at Wandelbots.

Robots Blog: Which robot from science, movies or TV is your favorite?

Annelie: Wall-E, actually. A little robot that does good things and is just adorable.

Robots Blog: What is Wandelbots and where does the name come from?

Annelie: The name describes the CHANGE (german: „Wandel“) of RoBOTics. Because that is exactly what we do. We enable everyone to handle robots, which today is only reserved for a small circle of experts. Our long-term company vision is: „Every robot in every company and every home runs on Wandelbots“. And that promises big change on a wide variety of levels – starting for us with industry.

Robots Blog: Who is your product aimed at and what do I need for it?

Annelie: Our product is currently aimed at customers from industry. Here, our software – Wandelbots Teaching – can help with programming various applications such as welding or gluing without having to write a line of code. It is designed to be so simple and intuitive that really anyone can work with it to teach a robot a desired result. This works through the interaction of an app and an input device, the TracePen. This takes the form of a large pen with which users can draw a desired path for the robot on the component. But we also work together with educational institutions. They are the ones who train the next generation of robot experts. And in the long term, we are convinced – and this is already part of our vision – that robots will also find their way into private life as little helpers.

Robots-Blog: What feature is particularly worth mentioning?/What can’t anyone else do?

Annelie: Our product works robot manufacturer independent. In robotics, each manufacturer has developed its own proprietary programming language over the years. This makes communication between humans and machines very difficult. We, on the other hand, want to create a tool that allows any human to work with any robot – completely independent of programming language and manufacturer. Robotics should be fun for the user of our product. Thanks to the high usability and the operation of our app via iPad, this is already possible today. And over the next time, application-specific editions will be added to our platform – currently, for example, we are working on an app version for robot welding.

Robots Blog: Do I still need to learn programming at all?

Annelie: No. As I just explained, with this so-called no-code technology, you don’t need to learn programming anymore. It is simple, intuitive and user-friendly, even for laymen. Of course, you always need to have some basic understanding of robotics, especially for safety reasons. You should never underestimate the dangers posed by robots, which is why our product always works according to the respective manufacturer-specific safety specifications.

Robots Blog: What robots are supported? I have a Rotrics DexArm and an igus Robolink DP-5; can I use those as well?

Annelie: Of course, shortly after entering the market, we first want to make robotics in the industry, for example the automotive sector, more flexible and easier. To do this, we are gradually integrating the largest robot brands into our platform. We will certainly also integrate smaller robot brands that cover one or more niches. Or – even better – thanks to our Robot Integration Software Development Kit, robot manufacturers will soon be able to do it themselves.

Robots Blog: How much does your product cost?

Annelie: Our product is offered via a licensing model as a subscription, as is common in the Software as a Service business, or also classically for purchase. The current prices for the different editions can be found on our website (and you will certainly find more exciting content there)