Future of Automation

[workForFood]

What are the current problems and limiting factors in robotics and automation? Where is the technology likely to be in 5-10 years? I mean this in the broad sense of anything from industrial robotic arms to driverless cars to embedded control systems.

 

[glass99]

Retail 3D printed stuff is an information management challenge as much as a manufacturing challenge. If I think about the amount of intellectual energy that goes into any of my custom projects, its totally impossible for a $10-$10,000 consumer purchase. The custom manufacturing involved needs to be constrained to only a few variables, like the width of a shelf or the type of key. Still, this is potentially a huge leap forward for consumers stuck with fixed design products.

 

[IRstuff]

The only thing that hasn't been made fool-proof on key duplicators is the positioning of the blank longitudinally. I've had 3 keys cut on the same machine, by the same person, at the same time, and one of the three will not work without some additionally grinding, another will be really tight, and only work in the one lock that's pretty loosey-goosey to begin with, and the last is the only one that works from the get-go. Since both the master and blank have to be placed correctly longitudinally, there are two opportunities to make errors. What's still missing is having the machine check the position and adjust accordingly. But, the key blanks are so cheap that it's probably not economic to make the fix.

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[urgross]

Hopefully, the future will include fembots. I'm still waiting for my flying car.

 

[JohnRBaker]

Believe it of not, in some countries they still have gas station attendants that pump the gas for you.

Here's some advice for the next time you happen to be in Oregon; don't ever try to pump your own gas as you'll be in for a big surprise ;-)

It's against the law!

John R. Baker, P.E.
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Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Digital Factory
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[JohnRBaker]

That key machine sort of reminds me of a simple CNC machine. You put in a blank, and a pattern, and it grinds the blank to match the pattern.

Tracer mills have been around a lot longer than CNC and often does not even involve electrical/electronic controls. For years, Bridgeport sold multi-head, hydraulically controlled tracer mills like this one:

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Digital Factory
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[cranky108]

And how much is gas in Oregon?

Fembots? Are you talking about the $6 million man type? Or something out of westworld?

There maybe something about the $10 limit and vending machines. But with credit card readers on new vending machines that might go away. After all what is the cost at one of those pizza vending machines?

A gas pump is a type of vending machine, and they have charged me $25 for gas before. Much better than facing the guy behind the counter (want a slerpy with that).

What ever happened with walking floor truck trailers?

 

[JohnRBaker]

Speaking of automation and Oregon, they have 100% vote-by-mail elections in Oregon.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Digital Factory
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[KENAT]

Yep, machines set up with 'followers' date back hundreds of years for manufacture of stocks for muskets if I recall correct.y.

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[SNORGY]

Canada's one of them thar hick countries where folks still pump gas for ya.

Course, they have to thaw it first.

 

[JohnRBaker]

Most Canadians were SOUTH of where I lived at one time (and it's NOT Alaska but it is in the US).

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Digital Factory
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[cranky108]

Saw a video the other day of a farmer harvesting lettuce with device that looks like a rotary lawn mower. The three types of lettuce were planted in three consecutive rows, and were mowed to a specific size. One person to harvest, and not the many required with head lettuce.

Bottom line is we will see some product changes to assist automation efforts. So we are likely to see higher prices for products that can't be automated.

 

[urgross]

Cranky,

I was talking Austin Powers type fembots. Women of high caliber.

 

[tygerdawg]

I'm still waiting for the 'revolution' of 3D printing. I don't know if it will be a revolution, but is a really neat technology. Very entertaining to watch all the activity. At my university employment gig, I had a sales guy drop in recently and pitch a system that would make hard plastic small (80 mm x 120 mm, say) semi-precision mold inserts suitable for 300 shots (he says). Now that was an interesting proposal: use a printer to make multiple copies of mold inserts so one can mold many copies. Without the machine shop, machine tools, & machine time to produce hardened tool steel inserts. Hmmmmm......

But again, I conducted an Advisory Board survey asking members to rate their interest in course we would teach. Additive Manufacturing ranked dead last.

Glass's comment about low-precision made me think of an old 80's Gary Larson Far Side comic about "cow tools". It was a real head-scratcher when this cartoon first came out. A precursor, perhaps?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/2347642183_91247aa0c8_o.jpg

3D printing may be just what is needed to jump start the space exploration program.

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering

http://www.bluetechnik.com

 

[looslib]

In NJ it is also against the law to pump your own gas. The unions are strong in NJ!



"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

 

[jgailla]

I'm pretty sure gas station attendants aren't unionized in New Jersey. It looks like a relic from 70 years ago that was never changed due to bureaucratic inertia.
Fluff article:

http://njmonthly.com/articles/jersey-living/fill-er-up/

 

[ApexM0Eng]

I have tried 3D printing for some plastic prototypes of certain tools before making final decisions on designs. When using sites such as 3D hubs, I found that many of the companies
that are selling the use of their 3D printers are marketing them as just that: Great ways to prototype your ideas.

The guy I talked to at the company said that the majority of their business came from people who had designed some sort of devise, or had had commissioned them to design a circuit board, and then needed
a casing to form the final product. They seemed to be happy using their 3D printer for that purpose only. Not really expanding the horizons of 3D printing but using whatever existing technology was out
to cater to people who want to quickly see their vision of a product, and iterate there forward.

From what I observed, I can visualize that this and similar applications are where 3D printing will take root for a good while. So it is already successful, the ease of access is great for the end user, but I don't see it growing away from such a market without a large leap in cost efficiency.

 

[cranky108]

One problem with technology is the amount of time it takes to come to market. So when should we expect to see Johnie cabs?

Strange how you can't pump your own gas in some places, but the proposal for electric car home charging might change that. Or not, where you might have to have an attendant come to your house and plug it in for you, and unplug it the next morning. Would they need to be from the union?

Can't help think 'press one for billing questions', as this automation is rarely useful.

 

[JohnRBaker]

I suspect that the reason you're not allowed to pump your own gas in Oregon and New Jersey is for more practical reasons than simply service station attendants being members of a union. I suspect that it has to do more with safety, the enforcement of state laws (proper containers) and an attempt to reduce 'drive-offs'. Besides, in states where the norm is self-serve, stations are still obligated to pump gas for handicapped drivers (without an extra charge) who display a handicapped license plate or windshield placard.

BTW, the no-self-serve laws in Oregon and New Jersey have been on the books for more than 60 years.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Digital Factory
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[JNieman]

@JohnRBaker, you can /say/ it's for safety, and the politicians may TRY to PERSUADE people it's for safety, but everyone I've ever talked to in the states with such laws are under no such illusions.

_________________________________________
NX8.0, Solidworks 2014, AutoCAD, Enovia V5

 

[cranky108]

The fact is the laws haven't changed because the people haven't demanded it.

There is a news story about NASA proposing (or someone else, I am not sure) combining 3D printing(sort of) with a spider type of space craft to be able to build spacecraft webbing in space. I thought it an interesting twist. There was not much information on the material being spun.

There is also a story about the indy 500 going electric. I wonder if they are also going to add slots, and electric pickups to the track. Then add driverless cars and we can all watch what a 8 year old can do now.