The deployment of divers to make underwater video recordings is difficult and expensive. It calls for professionals who are trained in two disciplines: diving and video camera operation. There are even some video inspection tasks – such as recording pictures of the inside of an undersea pipe – which are impossible for divers because the location is inaccessible to a person, or too dangerous.Now a Russian manufacturer, <a href="https://gnomrov.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Underwater Robotics</a>, has developed a Remotely Operated underwater Vehicle (ROV) which can carry out video photography missions under the control of an operator who remains safe and dry on the surface of the water. Underwater Robotics’ GNOM-PRO, the world’s smallest and lightest ROV designed for video recording missions, enables users to perform underwater visual inspections without the need for a diver. It also provides a safe way to view small or hazardous locations underwater.Offering outstanding underwater dynamic characteristics, its motion is controlled simply with a joystick. And the key to its stability and ease of use is a <a href="https://www.xsens.com/inertial-sensor-modules" rel="noopener" target="_blank">3D motion sensor</a> from Xsens.Complete motion-tracking module speeds development of ROVXsens’ MTi-3 is a complete AHRS (Attitude and Heading Reference System) including gyroscopes, accelerometers and magnetometer in a 12.1 x 12.1 mm module. It includes Xsens’ industry-leading sensor fusion algorithm, which maintains high accuracy over the sensor’s lifetime, and performs sensor auto-calibration. The use of an integrated Xsens module enabled Underwater Robotics to develop the motion control system in the GNOM-PRO quickly. The module’s calculated measurements of roll, pitch and heading are also easy to integrate into the GNOM-PRO’s control software.When choosing the motion sensor for the GNOM-PRO, Underwater Robotics also carefully considered its size and weight. An important feature of the ROV is that it can be carried by hand: the complete system including the ROV and its maximum 400m-long tether fits in two portable cases. The ROV itself measures 520 x 440 m x 347 mm and weighs 25 kg: this means that it can easily be transported to the site of a mission, and launched and operated from almost any type of boat. Its compact size also means that it can be used in constricted spaces such as pipelines in which a conventional ROV will not fit.The MTi-3 sensor’s small size and its light weight, less than 1g, were therefore highly attractive. But Underwater Robotics’ choice of the MTi-3 was as much about the sensor’s dynamic characteristics. The GNOM-PRO is intended for use in monitoring and maintenance of marine and underwater installations such as oil production platforms and hydroelectric generation plants, for the inspection of ships’ hulls, and for monitoring functions in hazardous locations such as nuclear power plants. Its use as a video camera platform calls for high dynamic stability to ensure that video images are not impaired by blur, shake or other image artefacts.Maintaining stability in waterThe GNOM-PRO’s small size and light weight, however, mean that it is more strongly affected by the motion of waves and currents than a larger vehicle is. The MTi-3’s high performance, including roll and pitch accuracy of ±0.5° under static conditions (±0.8° under dynamic conditions), enables the operator to maintain stable orientation. The GNOM-PRO also has an Auto-Heading Mode to enable the operator to set its direction of travel via an automatic setting controlled by the heading output from the MTi-3. In addition, the MTi-3 sensor’s measurements of velocity, roll, pitch and yaw enable accurate dead reckoning from a known starting position, to establish the geolocation of the ROV.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1618320084977-1618320084977.png" alt="352" width="814" srcset="https://www.xsens.com/hs-fs/hubfs/352.jpg?width=407&amp;name=352.jpg 407w, https://www.xsens.com/hs-fs/hubfs/352.jpg?width=814&amp;name=352.jpg 814w, https://www.xsens.com/hs-fs/hubfs/352.jpg?width=1221&amp;name=352.jpg 1221w, https://www.xsens.com/hs-fs/hubfs/352.jpg?width=1628&amp;name=352.jpg 1628w, https://www.xsens.com/hs-fs/hubfs/352.jpg?width=2035&amp;name=352.jpg 2035w, https://www.xsens.com/hs-fs/hubfs/352.jpg?width=2442&amp;name=352.jpg 2442w" sizes="(max-width: 814px) 100vw, 814px" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Underwater Robotics decided to embed the MTi-3 in the GNOM-PRO ROV after exhaustive evaluation of the motion sensor market.&nbsp;‘On every parameter which we considered important, our evaluation pointed us towards the MTi motion tracker. It is a full-function motion tracker including sensor fusion software, but Xsens fits all the functionality into a small and light package, which is very important for a portable product such as the GNOM-PRO. But the small size does not compromise performance – the accuracy of the MTi-3’s measurements are very good, and in conjunction with the depth measurements provided by a separate pressure sensor, allows the user to tag each frame of video with an exact geolocation.The performance of the GNOM-PRO ROV with the MTi-3 sensor has brought us great success – the product is now in use around the world in countries including France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the US and India as well as Russia. That is why I am sure that we made the right decision to use the MTi-3.’Boris Rozman, CEO of Underwater RoboticsLearn more about the Xsens MTi-3 AHRS&nbsp;The MTi-3 stands out for its small form factor (12.1mm x 12.1mm), easy integration, low cost and robustness – as well as its strapdown integration algorithm.Want to know more? Go to the <a href="https://www.xsens.com/mti-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MTi-3 page</a>.

with Xsens MTi

ROV With Xsens MTi-3 Sensor Inside Performs Geotagged Visual Inspections Underwater

Remote temperature monitoring systems provide critical insights for IoT applications across many industries, including real estate, manufacturing, and healthcare. Early adopters are already seeing measurable ROI from automatic temperature monitoring in terms of increased productivity, decreased costs, and lower risk.Temperature sensors are the “eyes and ears” of remote temperature monitoring systems. They continuously, automatically collect and aggregate temperature data for analysis and real-time decision making.Just as temperature monitoring systems have advanced in recent years, so have the temperature sensors that power them. Today’s most advanced sensors are more affordable and easier to install than ever before. With simple and scalable wireless temperature sensors, you have the freedom to experiment with new temperature monitoring applications without a massive up-front investment.<h2>How do you choose a temperature sensor solution?</h2>Working with IoT applications like remote temperature monitoring systems requires some planning and experimentation. Below are critical questions to consider as you plan your temperature sensor project. They’re designed to help you use temperature data as part of your daily operations and gain a rapid return on your investment more rapidly.Temperature sensors aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Understanding your environment is key to a temperature sensor implementation that meets your goals. Your answers to these questions will determine:<ul><li>How many sensors are appropriate for your implementation?</li><li>How densely should sensors be installed?</li><li>What specific setup for temperature sensors is required (such as angle of placement or other installation techniques to match requirements for thermal mass)?</li><li>How will temperature data from sensors be integrated with analytics and monitoring systems?</li></ul><h3>1. Where is the specific location you want to measure?</h3>Understanding what you want to measure and the conditions that impact temperature will help you understand how many data points — and thus, how many temperature sensors — you’ll need to accomplish your goals. For example:<ul><li>Will sensors be near windows? The temperature on a window sill will be different than the temperature in the middle of a room. For&nbsp;<a href="https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/4832865/Ambient-Temperature.pdf" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">ambient temperature monitoring</a>, you may need reference sensors to compare different locations.</li><li>Will temperature sensors be placed on&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/4832865/pdf/pm.pdf" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">metal, on heated pipes, or on other equipment</a>? In an equipment room, for example, a sensor can pick up the heat signature of an asset next to the asset you are trying to measure – instead of your target.</li><li>Will sensors be near people? For example,&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/4832865/pdf/space-occupancy.pdf" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">temperature sensors under a desk</a> will be different when a person is present vs. when the workstation is unoccupied.</li><li>Will the cellular connection need to be underground? If so, remote temperature sensors may need special attention for network access. Sensing solutions can be attached to Ethernet, if available, or to a 4G cellular network for wireless temperature sensing.</li></ul><h3>2. How often will you want to check temperatures?</h3>Depending on your project, you may want to record frequent, minute temperature fluctuations, or you may want to see an average result over an extended period of time.Keep in mind, assets with lower thermal mass don’t hold heat, so their temperatures fluctuate more frequently than assets that have higher mass. In contrast, assets with higher thermal mass provide a slower response to changes and therefore provide smoother data results. This can be important to consider for fault finding on larger objects or where quick response is required.This difference can impact temperature measurements of locations such as&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/4832865/pdf/cold-storage2.pdf" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">walk-in freezers or cold cabinets</a> and drive how frequently you must check them.<h3>3. What are your acceptance criteria?</h3>Do you have compliance or other reporting requirements that mandate specific margins of error for temperature sensitivity? If so, what level of temperature sensitivity do you need to make decisions and stay within compliance?Are you looking to measure absolute temperature? Or, is it more important for you to measure relative temperature to understand changes and comparisons? Do you need a reference temperature sensor for the relative comparison?<h3>4. How will you act on the findings?</h3>Before beginning any temperature monitoring project, work with your team to determine what you’re trying to achieve. How are you going to use the data you collect and analyze?Temperature sensors can provide backup data to confirm suspicions you already have. For example, you may suspect that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.disruptive-technologies.com/blog/your-building-can-talk.-are-you-listening" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">energy is being wasted</a> due to poor temperature control. Or, your<a href="https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/4832865/Ambient-Temperature.pdf" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">&nbsp;building tenants may be complaining</a> about temperature inconsistency and you need the data to confirm the problem.Even more exciting is the potential for temperature sensors to tell you things you never would have known. For example, when temperatures on equipment unexpectedly spike, the change can indicate a malfunction or an impending problem. If that happens, what will you do next? Ask yourself:• What teams and systems need to be alerted when temperatures change? • What actions will be triggered when temperatures change? • How quickly will you need to respond to those changes?<h2>Give yourself the freedom to experiment&nbsp;</h2>The questions above are designed to get you off to a strong start with your temperature monitoring project, but you should also make sure you leave some room to experiment. IoT is a nascent industry, with new applications and technologies released all the time. You may find that temperature data you collect through temperature sensors give you the capacity to launch new projects you didn’t originally anticipate.Small and lightweight, Disruptive’s mini-sensors allow you to place temperature sensors in high density and test new locations and configurations. You can easily move sensors to compare data so you can continue to adapt your solution.Disruptive Technologies and&nbsp;our partners&nbsp;are here to help you design a temperature sensor solution that fits your unique environment so you can meet your goals – and allows you the freedom to test and learn.For inspiration, see how temperature sensors are being used in a <a href="https://www.disruptive-technologies.com/use-cases" rel=" noopener" target="_blank">wide range of applications and use cases</a>. ***written in collaboration with my colleague and DT Founder, Erik Fossum Færevaag.&nbsp;

Temperature sensors are the “eyes and ears” of remote temperature monitoring systems. 

Remote temperature monitoring systems provide critical insights for IoT applications across many industries, including real estate, manufacturing, and healthcare. Early adopters are already seeing measurable ROI from automatic temperature monitoring in terms of increased productivity and more.

How to Select the Best Temperature Sensors for Your Smart Project

What is No Code robotic programming? Kel Guerin, PhD roboticist and CTO and Co-founder of READY Robotics, will explain what No Code programming is, what makes it different from traditional robot programming, and how it can make robots and automation more accessible to all manufacturers. &nbsp;Learn more about No Code programming: Download the whitepaper to learn more about No Code programming and how it is democratizing automation.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ready-robotics.com/resources/whitepapers/the-no-code-revolution" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ready-robotics.com/resources/whitepapers/the-no-code-revolution</a>

What is No Code robotic programming? Kel Guerin, PhD roboticist and CTO and Co-founder of READY Robotics, will explain what No Code programming is.

What Does Robotic No-Code Programming Look Like

Problem:The project objective was to design a prototype of an efficient mobile manipulator robot to automate the internal logistics of preparing gas cylinders baskets. The procedure is currently performed manually.The aim of the project was to increase safety and eliminate injuries such as muscle and skeletal damage caused by the manual handling of heavy bottles. Automation of the process should also improve traceability, stock knowledge, and the digitalization of operations within the filling centers of Air Liquide.The deployed <a href="https://www.photoneo.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">3D vision system</a> – PhoXi 3D Scanner – is used to make a 3D point cloud reconstruction of the bottles and localize them so that the system can calculate the center of each bottle and send a command to the robot arm to pick them on the basis of exact coordinates.&nbsp;&nbsp;Solution:<a href="https://www.photoneo.com/phoxi-3d-scanner/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PhoXi 3D Scanner M</a>An autonomous, automatic manipulator prepares customer orders into baskets. It collects the bottles, storing them on a platform and then placing them into baskets to be loaded on trucks and delivered to the customers. The autonomous mobile manipulator integrates a platform with an autonomous navigation, a robotic arm with a gripper capable of picking and placing the bottles safely, and a 3D vision system that identifies and locates the bottles inside the basket in order to guide the robotic arm to the correct position to pick them. The system also identifies free space in the baskets to fill it with additional bottles to maintain stability.&nbsp;Discussion:The customer decided for the PhoXi 3D Scanner M based on its high accuracy and a scanning volume that fits the application requirements. The solution has not yet been adopted – it is the first prototype that needs improvements for industrialization.

A prototype of an efficient mobile manipulator robot to automate the internal logistics of preparing gas cylinders baskets. The procedure is currently performed manually.

Automated handling of gas cylinders

Picking of metallic objects belongs to one of the most commonly solved problems within the automation. 
This solution enables the automation of parts picking and their precise placing to a predefined location within the desired cycle time.

Pick and place of flat metal objects

Historically, robot programming has been the sole domain of manufacturing engineers, highly trained workers, and integrators with specialized skills. But, with only 1 robotics engineer for every 11 factories, there simply are not enough trained workers to design, install and maintain robotic automation. This shortage of workers capable of programming robots and automation makes them expensive, drives up the overall cost of automation, and limits the adoption of robotic automation. Since the training requirements to learn how to program a robot are very high, it’s unlikely that as an industry we’ll be able to train enough workers to implement the level of automation necessary to solve the overall labor gap. A radical change in how robots are programmed is needed.Let’s explore the reasons why programming robots is hard, and why READY is so focused on making industrial robots easy for anyone to program.1. Every robot has its own programming languageAutomation Engineers develop tasks in the robot brands native programming language. Each robot arm manufacturer’s programming language is unique. For example, FANUC has Karel, Universal Robots has URScript, Yaskawa Motoman has INFORM, ABB has RAPID, and Kuka uses KRL. Automation Engineers need to learn a new programming language every time they want to program, modify, or troubleshoot a different brand of arm. <img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1607113556702-Robot-Languages.png" style="width: 759px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> 2. Programming Interfaces are antiquatedTeach Pendants are necessary for controlling the robot arm, safety of the cell, and other peripheral devices. The programming environment on the teach pendants lacks many of the conveniences of modern technology. Conveniences such as multi-touch screens, graphical cues, drag and drop, and even cut and paste are commonly missing features. Because the interface is so different, the person responsible for programming must adapt to a suboptimal interface. This lack of familiarity with the programming environment is a significant barrier for developers to learn automation.3. Robot training courses require prerequisitesClasses from robot manufacturers, trade school and private training providers require prerequisites to take a more useful robot programming class. These prerequisite classes often take weeks to complete. This means a lot of time off work to complete hours of prerequisite training. All this time invested will only teach you how to develop simple application programs. <img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1607113622246-shutterstock_289448903-1024x683.jpg" style="width: 719px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> 4. Training is expensive and time consumingAccording to the manufacturer’s class we looked at, it takes 72 hours of training to develop a simple application in their programming language. This is not even a fraction of the knowledge you need to develop an automation system. It can cost thousands of dollars to attend these training sessions. To handle advanced integrations like cameras, barcode readers or force sensors, you could have thousands in additional classroom costs. Multiply those costs by a factor of 2-5 if you want to have redundant programming resources on your factory floor!5. There’s so much more than the robot arm.Industrial robot arms do not work in isolation. They must have their own movements which must be coordinated with the items attached to the arm such as the end of arm tooling, sensors, and safety equipment. But there are other components in the workcell that need to work in tandem with the arm. There needs to be communication between the other peripherals such as force sensors and vision systems, machine tools, parts presentation, and other equipment in the cell. This adds to the level of complexity for automating any task. For a deeper dive into the difficulties of programming robots, download our white paper:<a href="https://www.ready-robotics.com/resources/whitepapers/5-reasons-programming-robots-is-so-hard" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ready-robotics.com/resources/whitepapers/5-reasons-programming-robots-is-so-hard</a>

The robot programming barrier is limiting the spread of automation, but this doesn't need to be the case.

The robot programming barrier keeps automation out of reach for many manufacturers. Let’s explore the key factors that make robot programming so difficult, so we can make automation accessible to the entire manufacturing sector.

5 Reasons Programming Robots is Hard

<h2>Manual singulation &mdash; a thing of the past?</h2>The parcel flows experience wild fluctuations throughout the year, typically peaking around Black Friday and the Christmas period. Global parcel volumes have generally been growing at a rate of up to 25% per year.The&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;outbreak has also tested on-time order fulfillment. The accelerated reliance on e-commerce has increased demand for capacity. This, in turn, leads to more operational costs related not only to the need to hire more employees but also to the recruitment process itself. Periods that would normally be considered the best and most profitable from a sales point of view thus become the worst.In addition to throughput requirements and spikes in demand, worker health and satisfaction are challenges for manual singulation and sorting. Employees can face boredom from repetitive tasks, as well as injury from handling irregular heavy items. This can lead to workers&rsquo; compensation expenses and decreased productivity.&nbsp;<h2>Vision and robotics to the rescue</h2>The above challenges can be overcome by automating the singulation and sorting process, which can make costs more predictable and provide scalability for peaks in demand.The most advanced automation today combines 3D machine vision, AI algorithms, and compatibility with major robot brands. It is also possible to measure the quality and success of a particular&nbsp;pick-and-place&nbsp;system. Let&rsquo;s turn to concrete examples. How can a company benefit from implementing an automated system if it needs to singulate and sort large, unstructured loads of parcels?For instance, <a href="https://www.photoneo.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Photoneo</a> integrates 3D machine vision developed in house with algorithms that enable robots to pick more than 2,250 parcels per hour. The vision system provides accurate 3D data and enables precise localization that leads to a gripping accuracy of +/-3 mm.The company said its system is based on a pre-trained neural network that can recognize parcels out of the box, without any training, for a picking success rate of 95%.The remaining 5% is the result of the parcels&rsquo; mechanical properties and the material. For example, if an object has a wrinkled surface or is made of fabric, it may fall off the gripper and need to be picked again. Such objects are always successfully picked on the second attempt, according to Photoneo. It claimed it can achieve a cycle time of fewer than 1.5 seconds, and it is compatible with a range of robot brands.<h2>Single-scan versus multi-pick mode</h2>The performance speed is dependent on the chosen scanning mode. A single-scan mode makes a scan, processes the data, localizes an object, and sends a command to the robot to pick it. This process is repeated for every object. The processing delay is generally not more than 0.5 seconds.Another option is a multi-pick mode, in which case the scanner/camera makes a scan, the system recognizes all pickable objects, and the robot picks them one after another without any interruption. The number of scans can be adjusted to the particular application. Because there is no processing delay in the multi-pick mode, the performance is faster, and the cycle time is limited only by the speed of the robot.Recommended reading:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/end-to-end-solution-for-3d-scanning-and-assembly-of-aircraft-wings" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">End-to-end solution for 3D scanning and assembly of aircraft wings</a><h2>Vision and intelligence</h2>The quality of 3D data determines the success of an automated singulation and sorting solution. One could have the most intelligent system, but without good 3D data to work with and lean on, its output would be useless. A good 3D&nbsp;camera&nbsp;needs to provide high resolution and accuracy, large scanning volume, and depth of field, as well as a high scanning speed.Other important factors are the ability to suppress ambient light and &ldquo;plug-and-play&rdquo; performance. If the deployed 3D camera offers all these features, the system gets enough data for AI to process them and successfully localize each object.The most modern approach to&nbsp;AI-powered segmentation and localization of parcels is to use convolutional neural networks, which have made great progress in the past several years. These neural networks can recognize parcels, envelopes, and even bags of any shape, texture, and material, as well as their dimensions, position, and orientation.The best solutions are based on algorithms that were trained on huge databases of objects and can therefore easily and quickly generalize and recognize new types of objects which they have never seen before. Wrinkles, deformations, and other irregularities should pose no obstacle to fast recognition.After successful detection and localization, the robot gets a command to pick a particular object and then places it to a predefined location, such as onto a conveyor belt.&nbsp;<h2>Major challenges for singulation</h2>Developers of robotic singulation systems&nbsp;face&nbsp;numerous challenges. A major problem for 3D vision is posed by surfaces that are shiny or reflecting, contain various patterns and pictures, or are black. Varieties in texture also cause difficulties. Parcels are usually piled up in an unstructured way, overlapping one another, which makes it hard to localize them.One of the biggest challenges resides in the nature of bags &ndash; their shape is deformed, full of folds and wrinkles, which makes it extremely difficult for a robot gripper to pick them. These are the reasons why it is so essential to combine <a href="https://www.photoneo.com/phoxi-3d-scanner/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">high-quality 3D vision</a> with advanced and sophisticated AI algorithms &ndash; only this powerful combo can reliably tackle all the above challenges.&nbsp;<h2><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjAzMTA3NTUwODg3LVNpbmd1bGF0aW9uLWFuZC1zb3J0aW5nLW9mLXBhcmNlbHMtNzY4eDU3Ni5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> Extending the range of applications</h2>The utilization of an AI-powered <a href="https://www.photoneo.com/automated-warehouse/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">automation solution</a> does not end at simple singulation and sorting of parcels. If a 3D camera can scan moving scenes in high quality and at high speed, it is possible to measure packages on the fly and sort them on the basis of their size or other criteria.For instance, Photoneo <a href="https://www.photoneo.com/motioncam-3d/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MotionCam-3D</a>, which is able to capture objects moving up to 40 m/s, can reach a measurement precision of 1 cm and provides a depth map resolution of ~2 Mpx and 15 Million 3D points/sec.Systems combining AI and 3D machine vision can also be used for unfolding or unwrapping wrinkled envelopes and parcels &mdash; and virtually make geometric transformations &mdash; to improve the readability of OCR for further processing. What some of these systems also enable is the sorting of parcels on the basis of barcodes.The possible applications and capabilities of these systems develop and extend with the advances in AI and machine vision, but also with market demands that dictate the direction of this development.Robotic singulation can increase safety, productivity, and reliability, as well as significantly cuts costs. Automation has become a crucial tool to optimize processes in logistics. Warehouses and distribution centers have struggled with retaining workers during experienced enormous increases in the flow of parcels around the holidays and now from e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic. The deployment of vision-guided, intelligent robots for singulation, and sorting of huge, unstructured flows of parcels is the way to respond to these challenges. This article was originally published in <a href="https://www.therobotreport.com/singulation-sorting-parcels-beneft-ai-powered-robots/" target="_blank">The Robot Report</a>.

Manual singulation of huge piles of parcels and envelopes, followed by sorting and placing them on a conveyor belt, gets challenging, especially during peaks. Automation of this process can increase productivity, save costs and time, and reduce injuries.

How singulation and sorting of parcels can benefit from AI-powered robots

Recently I got the chance to speak with Dmitri Julius and Alexander Le Roux from Icon. If you haven’t heard, Icon is a startup that raise $35 Million A round led by Moderne Ventures to continue their progress developing the equipment and methodology for 3D printing buildings at scale. Maybe you've seen this Wevolver <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/is.the.building.of.the.future.3dprinted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">article</a> discussing 3D printed construction.&nbsp;Our initial scheduling got rained out. &nbsp;According to the head of communications at Icon, Brooke Baguess (who was instrumental in organizing our interview) filming after the rain is somewhat of an unintentional tradition for Icon. Also unintentionally, the day we had to reschedule for was 9/11. Coincidentally, Dmitri Julius had served in the US Marine Corps for 8 years earning the rank of sergeant starting in Feb 2003 only a year after the attack on the twin towers. I felt compelled to thank him and the rest of the troops/first responders for their service.&nbsp;Dmitri still has the chance to interact with the US Marine Corps in his role as Vice President of Operations at Icon. In California, a project was completed to 3D print a ‘Vehicle Hide Structure’ that could serve to conceal a cargo or weaponized vehicle. Icon has an ongoing relationship with the military that should prove mutually beneficial for years to come.&nbsp;Mobile Loaves and Fishes is the non-profit organization that Icon 3D printed these homes in Austin, TX. They’ve built a growing community of tiny homes that features an ICON made building as the welcome center. Homelessness is a rising issue in Austin, America, and around the world. ICON is poised to combat that with their technology. Dmitri mentioned that as Mobile Loaves and Fishes expands, ICON has stepped up to the plate and hopes to print many more homes for them in the future.&nbsp;I asked Dmitri how his role at ICON changed pre and post funding. Dmitri expressed that at their startup no task is ‘beneath’ them and the team is willing to get their hands dirty on the job site when it’s needed.Icon is on a bit of a hiring spree post funding and as they begin to fill those positions and the company expands the real changes will start to manifest. A big fundraise is huge for a startup but the effects are not fully realized until the money gets spent.&nbsp;Next I spoke with Alexander Le Roux, a Co-Founder of Icon and also the CTO. Alex started his first 3D printed construction company in college called Vesta printers. He achieved a rudimentary design that demonstrated the ability to print concrete vertically high enough for a wall of a home.&nbsp;After college he met Jason Ballard and Evan Loomis. Together the three of them founded Icon to take the technology to the next level.&nbsp;Icon has developed a signature formula to print with that they call Lavacrete. It has a strength of 6000psi and as you can see in the building behind me (not even the latest version) it prints very smoothly. We constantly use the term ‘print’ to describe the automated pouring of concrete without any formwork, I can’t help but consider that in the mature stage of this presently niche industry companies may emulate the business model of paper printing companies and sell the printer at a loss to profit long term on the ink.&nbsp;Alex and I talked a bit about the future of this technology. He mentioned how people tend to overestimate what can be done in a day but underestimate what can be done in 10 years. I wanted to know about projects on the horizon for Icon especially now that they have the funding to pursue bigger things and Alex said he can’t talk about it but I could tell he is very excited for what’s to come. If you have a project in mind that you’d like to do with Icon, Alex says to go to their website <a href="http://www.iconbuild.com/" target="_blank">www.iconbuild.com</a> and use their contact form. They won’t accept just any project but if it is a good fit they may be willing to work with you.After our discussions I checked out one of the homes they built, I could only go in the living room at the time but it was very nice. It certainly had a tiny home vibe, the room actually featured a full kitchen as well. The space is well utilized and it doesn’t feel cheap like it would if it had been built with cinderblocks.&nbsp;

Interview with Alex Le Roux and Dmitri Julius 

Interview and 3D Printed House Tour

Meet the team at ICON 3D Printing Homes for the Homeless and Military Defense Structures

The customer was developing a new product to comply with and exceed the requirements of the newly released&nbsp;<a href="https://shop.bsigroup.com/ProductDetail/?pid=000000000030291772" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="BS EN 378-1:2016">BS EN 378-1:2016</a> standard (Refrigerating systems and heat pumps-Safety and environmental requirements). In particular, the new standard specified that when refrigerant levels in a room exceed 0.44kg/m3, the HVAC system should automatically isolate and pump back any remaining refrigerant gas from the indoor units to the outdoor unit. In the unlikely event of a refrigerant leak in a small room, the concentration level could be enough to be harmful to the occupant. The project was a significant new development for our customer and if successful would be a world-leading development in HVAC systems.<h1>Design and Functions</h1>The system needed to work with the companies already developed HVAC units and utilise the existing inbuilt inputs and outputs for feedback and signalling. The already established inputs and outputs consisted of some digital inputs and outputs along with some analogue signalling. The outputs offered to monitor both external leak detection and internal leak detection with additional temperature sensing and feedback and signalling of the isolation valves and external alarm signals.The control panel continuously monitors and evaluates the system, if the predetermined parameters are exceeded, then the system would then alarm and isolate and pump the refrigerant gas from the system. One of the unique features of the new system would be that specific isolation of a section of refrigerant pipework could be isolated rather than isolating the complete system which is common in the industry and significant technical advantage.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1602060838466-siemens-logo-part.png" alt="Siemens LOGO!" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><h1>Siemens LOGO! 8</h1>Utilising the new range of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rowse-automation.co.uk/shop/automation/plc/logo" target="_blank" title="Siemens LOGO!">Siemens LOGO!</a> 8 programmable logic relays Rowse developed a system that could fulfil the requirements of both the customer and the new standard. By using the LOGO! the customer could take advantage of the intuitive programming capability, this was especially important as the end users of the equipment and maintenance engineers working on the installed equipment would have little or no experience working with PLC's or programmable devices. The LOGO! could also be password protected to protect the intellectual copyright of the program and to stop unauthorised access and modification to the program which could potentially have harmful consequences.To complement the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rowse.co.uk/manufacturers/view/siemens" target="_blank">Siemens</a> LOGO! the new range of Siemens Sirius Act Pushbuttons was utilised to offer local control and signalling of the system, this consisted of visual signalling devices, and audible sounder and pushbutton and selector switches.By using the LOGO! and Sirius Act control products supplied by Rowse the customer could produce a small, cost-effective unit that was a market leading product. Not only did the new control panel offer significant technical benefits over existing systems, it could also be retrofitted to older systems of HVAC saving customers time and money.One of the reasons the LOGO! was chosen was the ability to upload new programs into the device without having any programming experience; it is as simple inserting a pre-written SD memory card into the card reader on the front of the LOGO! device, this allows the company to send out any future software updates to its customers in a cost-effective manner. The LOGO! Soft Comfort software was used to write the software program; we were able to simulate various program editions and optimise and configure the hardware requirements using drag and drop functions.By introducing the new technology, the companies service engineers would also require product training on the Siemens LOGO! also, the LOGO! Software. Rowse arranged training at our in-house training facility by qualified Siemens engineers; the training would provide the service engineers with the required product knowledge to support the new control panel in the field and offer their customers remote support.Since the launch of the product into the EMEA market, the Refrigerant Control System has received many accolades and plaudits and even received an award at the National ACR &amp; Heat Pump Awards.<h1>Siemens LOGO! Flexibility</h1>Going forward we are already discussing new product developments and enhanced features to add to the product; we are currently looking into utilising the inbuilt web server for remote monitoring and control; this would allow the service engineering department to offer remote diagnostics of systems. With the latest LOGO! software, the web server can be configured for control by mobile devices such as phones or iPad's. Another option is integrating the control panel into a buildings KNX building bus system as an intelligent controller via the LOGO! CMK 2000 KNX Module.<a href="https://www.rowse.co.uk/manufacturers/view/siemens" target="_blank" title="Siemens Stockist">Siemens</a> LOGO! CMK 2000 transforms the typical binary or analogue PLC signals into KNX telegrams for communication with other KNX actuators. It also can read KNX telegrams and set the corresponding signal levels for the LOGO! The flexibility of the LOGO! allows it to be a master or slave of the synchronisation.<hr>This article was originally posted on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rowse.co.uk/blog/post/siemens-logo-case-study" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.rowse.co.uk/blog/post/siemens-logo-case-study</a>

When a HVAC manufacturer needed help with their design of a refrigerant leak detection control panel Rowse were the company they asked for assistance. Having extensive knowledge of control and automation products we were ideally positioned to offer assistance on the project.

Siemens LOGO! Case Study

Stable performance in tough industrial conditionsThe growing need for smart automation has caused that 3D vision, as an integral part of vision-guided robotics, has continuously been expanding into new markets. Gradually, the 3D vision has entered application areas such as robot guidance, bin picking, advanced object handling, depalletization, path correction, assembly, quality control, inspection, or shape evaluation.&nbsp;These automation solutions often need to be implemented in challenging industrial environments that expose 3D vision systems to dust, humidity, water, ambient light, or high, low, and even varying temperatures. These factors pose demanding requirements on both hardware and the performance of <a href="https://www.photoneo.com/phoxi-3d-scanner/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">3D vision systems</a>. &nbsp;The best 3D scanning devices need to be thoroughly optimized and provide micrometer accuracy and high resolution – yet they also need to withstand harsh industrial environments to keep their highest-quality performance in tough conditions. There are several aspects that affect the durability of modern 3D vision systems and help maintain their stable and accurate performance in challenging circumstances. What do they reside in?<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-6bF3csDJ0A?&amp;wmode=opaque" style="width: 806px; height: 413px;"></iframe> Thermal stabilizationTo extend the range of possible applications and ensure that a 3D scanner will provide stable and reliable performance not only in high or low temperatures but also under changing thermal conditions – which generally poses a big challenge to 3D vision systems – it needs to feature an advanced thermal calibration model. This feature will allow you to deploy your scanner in applications that require exposure of the device to truly demanding thermal conditions and its performance will remain unaffected.&nbsp;Power over EthernetIt is often the case that 3D scanning devices feature two different connectors – custom connectors providing power, and Ethernet or USB connectors enabling data communication. This setup is more expensive, more complicated with regard to installation, and it may also pose more limitations, for example on the cable length.PoE – Power over Ethernet, is an elegant technical solution that provides both data and power over a single cable. It offers many benefits that make it a preferred choice for adoption in industrial settings. PoE is reliable, stable, and rugged. It is cost-effective in terms of both installation and maintenance, and also safe as it ensures over-current, under-current as well as fault protection. PoE provides great flexibility as it is standards-based, guaranteeing interoperability between different suppliers. &nbsp;Another advantage of PoE is that it enables users to use cables longer than 30 m. &nbsp;Though PoE is the preferred option, we decided to support two standards to meet the needs of all customers – so users can power their devices also by 24 V. This alternative is also reliable and safe, operating with limiting circuits to protect against short circuits. Another advantage is that 24 V has higher ride-through capabilities, which helps the devices better survive voltage sags. In case of an accident, there is no risk of personal injury.&nbsp;IP65: Dust-tight &amp; water-resistantHigh mechanical quality not only ensures that the device can reliably work in challenging conditions without suffering any damage but it also minimizes the risk of unnecessary service and related repair costs. The universal IP rating system provides buyers and users a very exact account of how safe it is to use a device in specific environments and applications. The IP rating consists of two digits. The first digit indicates how much solid intrusion the product can handle, and the second digit indicates the degree of tolerance to water.Industrial-grade 3D scanners should aim for a minimum of IP65. Scanners with this rating are completely dust-tight and protected against low-pressure, 6.3 mm jets of water coming from any direction and at any angle. You can thus use the scanners in dusty or humid halls, not needing to worry about solid particles and liquids getting into the housing and damaging the device. Still though, while such environments will not harm the device, they are generally not optimal if you need to achieve high quality and low noise scans as they significantly affect the optical conditions of the acquisition. M12 connectorsM12 connectors have become the preferred choice for industrial applications for several reasons. Connectors with screw-on locks provide reliable and safe connection, and their circular design ensures unbeatable ruggedness that protects the device from dust, moisture, and other contaminants, but also against the potential effects of impact, vibration, or temperature changes. A big plus is also their compact size with respect to the increasing need in industrial applications for the miniaturization of components and the ever-growing demands for power and data transmission. <img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNjAxOTEwNzEyNzU4LVBob3RvbmVvX00xMi1jb25uZWN0b3JzLTQwMHgyNjYgKDEpLnBuZyIsICJlZGl0cyI6IHsicmVzaXplIjogeyJ3aWR0aCI6IDk1MCwgImZpdCI6ICJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 180px;">&nbsp;Fast GPUTime is a critical factor in 3D scanning, therefore we made significant improvements in this respect too. Utilizing the power of NVIDIA Jetson TX2, the new generation of <a href="https://www.photoneo.com/phoxi-3d-scanner/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PhoXi 3D Scanner</a> enables users to save 40% of the computation time, which makes 200 ms of the overall scanning time. This can shorten the cycle time or, in case of a longer acquisition, it provides data of greater quality and in a shorter time than before. Another advantage of using a GPU is that the computation runs on the device, which saves PC resources, leaving space for more user applications.<img class="fr-fic fr-dib" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiAid2V2b2x2ZXItcHJvamVjdC1pbWFnZXMiLCAia2V5IjogImZyb2FsYS8xNjAxOTEwNDIwOTExLVBob3RvbmVvX0dQVS00MDB4MjI1LmpwZyIsICJlZGl0cyI6IHsicmVzaXplIjogeyJ3aWR0aCI6IDk1MCwgImZpdCI6ICJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 201px;">&nbsp;Powerful firmwareBecause software and firmware are inextricable components of any 3D vision system, it was important to make upgrades in these areas as well. Alongside general improvements, the firmware now offers more user settings for better control of the whole scanning process. It also comes with upgraded algorithms for ambient light suppression, thanks to which the 3D scanners deliver superior performance even in bright ambient light settings – a factor that generally poses major challenges to 3D vision systems.&nbsp;Another big upgrade relates to reflection filtering – the new, intelligent algorithms remove artifacts that occur in areas of complex scene geometries where the reflection of projected patterns causes noise and incorrect measurements. This happens with any type of scanning device that uses its own illumination method. Thanks to the new reflection filter, the 3D scanners significantly eliminate wrong measurements.

How will they help customers in their industrial applications? Photoneo’s Marcel Svec, Director of 3D Sensing, and Svorad Stolc, Head of R&D, have answered this and other questions.

6 features that enable industrial-grade 3D scanners tackle challenges of your projects in demanding settings

Thanks to advances in technologies such as 3D machine vision, robotics is entering all spheres of industrial processes. The COVID-19 outbreak has boosted awareness of the pressing need to apply automation for fast and accurate order fulfillment and efficient supply chains. One specific aspect of logistics processes can achieve higher levels of productivity with the implementation of smart automation &mdash; depalletization.<h3>What is depalletization?</h3>Depalletization is the process of unloading pallets laden with boxes one by one. In contrast to the classic delayerization, in which the robot gripper picks the whole pallet, &ldquo;hoping&rdquo; it grabbed all the boxes it contains, <a href="https://www.photoneo.com/depalletization/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">robotic depalletization</a> uses artificial intelligence. The system recognizes individual boxes and the robot places them one by one on a conveyor belt or other predefined place.Depalletization presents a higher level of unloading pallets and offers several advantages over delayerization. It requires a smaller placement area &mdash; the size of the largest box in contrast to the whole pallet. And thanks to a lighter payload, a smaller robot arm and gripper can be used, which leads to considerable cost savings.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vYLGsphsG5E?&wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 788px; height: 445px;" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> <h3>3D vision and AI the secrets to success</h3>The best depalletization systems can make the process of unloading pallets full of various boxes safe, fast, effective, reliable, and in the end also cost-efficient. This can only be achieved by combining the 3D machine vision with smart robots enabled by advanced machine learning algorithms.The scanning volume of the deployed 3D scanner needs to be large enough to scan the whole pallet from sufficient distance. Taking into consideration the minimum space required for robotic manipulation, the scanner generally needs to be mounted approximately 3 meters above the pallet. Choosing the right 3D scanner is, therefore, the first prerequisite for successful depalletization.The second step is training AI with this image data. Machine learning algorithms can constantly learn and recognize new types of boxes, including those of different sizes or irregular shapes caused by damage, for instance. This makes the solutions so universal that the unloading of mixed pallets poses a little challenge. The boxes do not need to be stacked in patterns but can be placed randomly, even tilted at an angle, and the robot is still able to pick them.Smart systems are also able to recognize boxes that are often so tightly packed that it is difficult to recognize the gap between them, which can be as thin as 0,5 millimeters. Weaker solutions might not be able to differentiate the line separating two boxes from a line contouring the opening of one particular box.In other cases, it may be challenging to recognize boxes with problematic surfaces, including varying textures, shiny or reflecting material, protruding tapes, patterns, or pictures that &ldquo;mislead&rdquo; the 3D vision. Cartons with black covering can also cause problems.The most advanced way to segment the individual boxes on the basis of texture and 3D data is to use a convolutional neural network (CNN). The system can then decide which box to pick &mdash; boxes placed on the very top of the pallet come first &mdash; and how to grab it to maximize the suction power of the deployed gripper.To manipulate safely in the space between the top boxes and the scanner, the depalletization system needs to take into account the possible size of the box. This is also important for safe placement of the box on a conveyor belt. That can either be ensured by calculating the height of the box from the scan data or by using an optical gate set to a few centimeters above the conveyor belt.When the box touches the optical beam, the gripper drops it. This way, all boxes get dropped off in the same height above the conveyor belt. This is a big advantage of depalletization over delayerization, in which boxes of different heights in one layer pose a significant problem.<h3>The robot can do the whole job</h3>Photoneo&rsquo;s systems, which include 3D vision developed in house, provide an example of such robotic depalletization. The company&rsquo;s system scans an entire pallet loaded with boxes and transfers the scan to a 3D-texture data set.This scan is then processed by Photoneo&rsquo;s machine learning algorithm trained on more than 5,000 types of boxes. AI immediately recognizes each box and sends a command to the robot. Using a specially developed universal gripper, the robot performs the picking action with an accuracy of +-3 mm. This way, it is able to unload 1,000 boxes in our hour, with 99.7% pick-rate accuracy.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjAwNjc0NTUyMjMxLVBob3RvbmVvX2RlcGFsbGV0aXphdGlvbi03Njh4NTc5LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=">Depalletization systems must account for variability. Source: PhotoneoIf despite all calculations, the gripper fails to pick a box due to a crinkled surface or some other obstacle, the gripper sends feedback and informs the user about the problem so that corrective action can be performed. The cycle time is typically less than 10 seconds, depending on the robot type, the surface of the boxes, and their contents, as some need to be manipulated with greater sensitivity than others.The environment, robot, and mechanical properties define and limit the cycle time. For example, it would be impossible to accelerate and decelerate a heavy box above a certain physical limit. In case customers need to speed up the cycle time and boost the robot performance, they can opt for a multi-zone gripper that is able to pick several boxes of the same height at a time. The gripper then drops the boxes one after another.Recommended reading:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/automation-of-a-welding-process" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Automation of a welding process</a>The secret behind perfect singulation is to know the size limits of the placement area so as not to take more boxes than can safely be dropped off, and also to precisely recognize the box type to avoid grabbing boxes with different heights. <a href="https://www.photoneo.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Photoneo</a>&lsquo;s product is compatible with major robot brands and works &ldquo;out of the box&rdquo; without any training. If it comes across new types of boxes, the system is able to retrain itself, which shortens the time needed for deployment and integration.<h3>Adapting depalletization to a human-centric environment</h3>A successful depalletization solution must take into account all the factors discussed above. Even though the robots may seem rather simple, the machine learning algorithms need to be robust enough to handle all the possible challenges of depalletizing different objects. Developers and integrators have to think about every detail of the application and test their solutions before users can measure return on investment (ROI).In addition, it is often necessary to adapt the robot to a human-centric environment. Although automation is evolving quickly, many customers are only gradually adapting their distribution centers and warehouses to take full advantage of robotics and AI.One of the major challenges related to manual unloading of pallets resides in the size and weight of the boxes as well as the height from which they need to be taken. Manual operations often lead to serious injuries, so the best depalletization systems help associates avoid risky or repetitive motions.For instance, the <a href="https://www.photoneo.com/depalletization/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Photoneo Depalletizer</a> can pick boxes of up to 50 kg without human intervention. One of the greatest advantages is that the robot can work non-stop, without ever getting tired.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjAwNjc0NzE5ODE3LVBob3RvbmVvLWRlcGFsbGV0aXplciBJSS4tNzY4eDU2NC5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19">Depalletizer using 3D vision, AI, and a robotic arm. Source: Photoneo <h3>AI = unlimited potential?</h3>AI-driven solutions are undoubtedly the way to the future because users do not need to design, debug, or test anything. Smart systems can relieve integrators of the burdens of difficult 3D-related calculations and tasks.What they should have, however, is some basic mechanical knowledge, including how the different types of grippers work, which ones are suitable for picking a particular part, and how to distribute all mechanical components deployed in an application to prevent failures of the robotic manipulation or scanning.Integrators should also know the potential capacities of a particular system to be able to match it with the specific needs of a customer. It is important to bear in mind that AI is still only a part of the solution and should not be overestimated. Integrators will always need certain specific knowledge to successfully deploy a smart <a href="https://www.photoneo.com/automated-warehouse/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">automation solution</a>.If all these conditions are met, the deployment of depalletization robots can help logistics companies obtain a fast ROI, improve their supply chain processes, and increase their productivity. They can also save time, reduce costs, and protect worker health, freeing employees for tasks that require creativity and critical thinking.The most pressing challenge facing both employees and employers today is how to keep working. Because no one can predict with any confidence when the global economy will recover from COVID-19 shutdowns, now is the right time to automate and streamline production processes. This article was originally published in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.therobotreport.com/how-depalletization-benefits-computer-vision-machine-learning/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Robot Report</a>.

Thanks to advances in technologies such as 3D machine vision, robotics is entering all spheres of industrial processes. The COVID-19 outbreak has boosted awareness of the pressing need to apply automation for fast and accurate order fulfillment and efficient supply chains.

How depalletization can benefit from computer vision, robotics, and machine learning

Derk Wilten, owner and managing director of <a href="http://www.synchronlab.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Synchron Lab Automation</a>, explains how cooperation with Festo began: “We only used to focus on the concept of a solution and then had it built by a partner. That's because originally we’re a software company. When Niels Kruize joined the company, he told us he firmly believed we should be building turnkey solutions ourselves. Niels Kruize is responsible for business development at Synchron Lab Automation. He used to work in England where he collaborated closely with Festo. On the basis of his positive experience, he suggested launching our first in-house designed product with engineering know-how and components from Festo.”<h2>A partner who believes in the project</h2>Niels Kruize elaborates: “Festo is a leading company with a global network of component suppliers, as well as global service and support. They helped us with the design engineering and shared their knowledge with us. It has been very valuable that they’re active in different markets.” Synchron supplies customers all over the world, so they are very pleased to have a partner who can deliver parts in Germany as quickly as in Singapore. Derk Wilton was quickly convinced: "Festo uses the same work methods as we do. It's very reassuring to work with a partner who believes in the project."<h2><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1600191704843-washing_stations_674x400+%281%29.jpg"><figure><figcaption>Identifying, transporting, washing and extracting: Festo components fulfil decisive functions in all phases of the process.</figcaption></figure></h2><h2>Intensive, continuous support</h2>Right from the start, the developers at Synchron received intensive support from Festo. Key Account Manager Bert Baas from Festo explains: “Our automation experts provided support throughout the entire development of the extraction machine. For example, they suggested using the new CPX-E unit to provide genuine added value. They used the unit in this project before it was even available on the market.”<h2>Intensive, continuous support</h2>Right from the start, the developers at Synchron received intensive support from Festo. Key Account Manager Bert Baas from Festo explains: “Our automation experts provided support throughout the entire development of the extraction machine. For example, they suggested using the new CPX-E unit to provide genuine added value. They used the unit in this project before it was even available on the market.”<h3>Laboratory automation inspired by Industry 4.0</h3>Derk Wilten: “We don’t have 24/7 production in our industry, which can be traced back to the components and the way solutions are engineered. However, Festo is focused on Industry 4.0, optimum availability, service and preventive maintenance.” The extraction machine now runs continuously for eight hours, but it can also be operated non-stop for 24 hours. Its capacity is already eight times greater than other options currently available on the market.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1600191615765-washing_stations_detail_647x400_white.jpg"><figure><figcaption>For adding liquid in the microtiter plates in several washing stations, the pipetting head is moved down by an EGSC electric slide.</figcaption></figure> Niels Kruize jumps in: “In fact, we’ve actually created a very small factory. Recently, one of our customers made a priceless statement. He said, “This is so beautiful and at the same time so simple, I just don’t understand why it hasn’t been invented before.” Festo’s Bert Baas adds: “It’s a perfect example of a combination of industrial and laboratory automation.” The machine’s hardware is subdivided into functions, each of which is designed as simply and efficiently as possible. The small factory is equipped with serial instead of parallel drives. Plates are continuously moved and positioned throughout the pipetting, rinsing and washing stations.<h2>How the DNA extraction machine works</h2>The process running on the machine is used in the agricultural industry for plant breeding. The DNA is extracted from shredded plant material. Components from Festo carry out important functions in all extraction phases. The process begins with a holder which accommodates up to 400 microwell plates – 200 for input and 200 for output.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1600191792193-pipetting_head_674x400_white+%281%29.jpg"><figure><figcaption>The pipetting head for DNA extraction is positioned by EGC electric axes combined with an EGSL electric slide.</figcaption></figure>Identification and transport:&nbsp;The bar code reader SBSI scans all the microwell plates at the start of a run. Electric axes EGC, in combination with a semi-rotary drive DRRD and a gripper DHPS, pick up the microwell plates and place them on carriers which move through the various stations on a transport system.Rinsing: Metal micro-spheres are added to separate the DNA from the other material. The DNA attaches itself to the micro-spheres, while the rest of the material floats up in the microwell plates. Liquid is added to and extracted from the microwell plates at several washing stations. The pipetting head is lowered by an electric slide EGSC during this process. After rinsing, clean DNA remains in the microwell plate and is fed to the final processing step, namely DNA extraction, via the transport system.Extraction: Handling the pipetting head for extracting the DNA is the responsibility of electric axes EGC in combination with an electric slide EGSL. Each plate has 96 samples and takes twenty minutes from start to finish, and a new plate is started every 2.5 minutes.The machine has a serial and modular design with almost no switching delays. The CPX-E and valve terminals VTUG with IO-Link® are used to control the system. The CPX-E has been developed as a remote I/O system or PLC with EtherCAT master controller and motion controller. Combined with electric drives and control systems from Festo, this really is an innovation.

The Dutch company Synchron Lab Automation developed an automated DNA extraction system with very high throughput rates by working very closely together with Festo. As a result, customers in the seed industry can collect DNA from up to 40,000 samples per day.

Collaboration in laboratory automation

We have therefore reviewed a selection of the common problems encountered with light curtain applications, and list below the top ten most frequent issues.<h2>1. Too close to the safety hazard</h2>The basic requirement for a safety light curtain circuit is that it must halt the hazardous process before anyone can reach it. The best method of checking whether a light curtain is effective is to monitor the stop times via a video feed. On many systems, we find that the hazard does not halt quickly enough to prevent a safety threat. In order to remedy this situation, we typically recommend several solutions. These include simply moving the light curtain to a safer distance, and/or implementing minor changes to the drives and controls.<h2>2. Inconsistent halting of the safety hazard</h2>This example of the top ten most common issues with light curtains is most frequently found in pneumatic systems. Calculating the right stop distance for a light curtain can be difficult, if the worst case scenario stop time can't be pinned down. Pneumatic systems are subject to problems with trapped air, but issues can also arise from a totally vented cylinder; for example, causing a quick initial movement.<h2>3. Guard gaps</h2>A safety light curtain won’t be able to protect your workers if the guards surrounding the unit have openings that allow them to reach under or around it. Any potential gap in protection may tempt people to do things that they shouldn’t be doing!<h2>4. Bottom beam too high</h2>Those few occasions when we find machines with a light curtain that allows people to crawl under it are quite shocking. If a light curtain is more than a metre off the floor, then it tempts workers to duck underneath it, which obviously defeats the purpose. People are always subject to temptation, and where safety is important temptation should not be offered. In order to avoid this problem in the top ten most common light curtain issues, the bottom beam should be no more than 12” (300mm) off the floor, unless it is otherwise guarded.<h2>5. Top beam too low</h2>Another common issue is that light curtain designers sometimes set a light beam that’s too low, allowing people to reach over it. The light curtain needs to be high enough to cover the whole height of the hazard, and for this reason it’s best to refer to ISO 13855 which governs the required distances. Table 1 and Figure 8 of this Standard give the reach-over distances that need to be included in the calculation of light curtain distances, based on the height of the safety hazard and the required top beam height.<h2>6. Not all hazardous movements are controlled</h2>Some designs are inadequately controlled, with a strong focus on the main hazard which then neglects protection for the other hazards associated with the unit. For example, we once examined a leak tester with a safety control for the main hydraulics, but no safety containment for its small individual pneumatic items. While these pneumatics might not have caused as severe an injury as that from a hydraulic platen, they were nonetheless listed on the risk assessment as severe injury items, and should have had the designer's attention.<h2>7. Wiring up to a non-safety controller</h2>At Rowse, it’s not just the physical installation of a light curtain that we examine, but also the circuit design. It's surprising how often we come across a design that uses all the right components for a safety system, only to wire the whole unit through a non-safety controller. Many modern light curtains, however, are designed with a self-contained safety circuit, so the unit can be wired directly to the relevant relays and/or application, provided the built-in EDM circuit is used.<h2>8. Inappropriate muting circuits</h2>Muting describes the temporary automatic suspension of a safety light curtain to allow the passage of discrete items. It must turn on automatically when specifically situated sensors detect that item, and automatically turn off when the item has passed. The muting sensors therefore need to be situated both in front of, and behind the light curtain, so that they will effectively detect the coming and going of that item (and only that item). The muting circuit for the light curtain must also be appropriately configured for the discrete item's transition speed, so that the curtain doesn't remain in a deactivated state. If it's muted for too long, the curtain will allow access to the safety hazard and obviate its purpose. It sounds easy, but configuring a muting circuit appropriately can be tricky.<h2>9. Using the wrong type of light curtain</h2>Older light curtains such as those found on legacy equipment or refurbished machines, are of a Type 2 design, and one of the top ten most common light curtain issues we have found is that people have installed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rowse-automation.co.uk/abb-2tla022306r0100-orion3.html" target="_blank" title="Type 2 Light Curtain">Type 2</a> on a more modern machine when they should have installed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rowse-automation.co.uk/help-advice/type-2-or-type-4-light-curtains/" target="_blank" title="Type 4 Light Curtain">Type 4</a>. Almost all today's safety light curtain applications are of a Type 4 design, but Type 2 applications do still exist, such as secondary presence detection required to prevent an inadvertent reset.<h2>10. Hazards that eject flying materials</h2>Some industrial machinery is prone to throwing out flying debris. CNC machines, grinders and other machine tools are likely to eject swarf, broken bits of tools, or sometimes even the whole workpiece. We have occasionally been asked about using a safety light curtain in these situations so as to reduce cycle time, but a light curtain is simply not appropriate in these instances. Any inspection of a facility with machine tools will show damage from materials ejected at high velocity, on viewing windows, doors and interior surfaces of the machines. Installation of a light curtain in these conditions would certainly not be sufficient to contain the problem.

As an authorised distributor of ABB products and safety items, we at Rowse have seen and installed many systems that use light curtains. While these are now quite widely used, there still seem to be several misconceptions about how light curtains are supposed to function.

Top 10 Most Common Light Curtain Issues

While some actuators and lifting devices can be purely electrical, using a screw system, it's far more likely that you'll be using some form of fluid power. This means you have a choice between hydraulics and pneumatics.Pneumatics provides fluid power by means of pressurised air or gases. Hydraulics provides fluid power by means of pressurised liquids, such as oil or water. In choosing one of the two, cost-effectiveness, materials to be moved, availability of resources and space are all factors to be considered. Heavy lifting equipment, for example, takes up a lot of space and requires a great deal more power than the small-scale demands of robotic laboratory or food-processing equipment. Each type of power has its advantages and disadvantages, according to circumstances.<h2>1. Strength</h2>Hydraulics is the best option for strength, because the liquid medium used for its operation has a high mass density and is largely incompressible. This means that hydraulics can develop much higher levels of pressure, and can use that pressure to transmit the power that will drive your application. Industrial applications using hydraulic power may command anything from 1,000-5,000 pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure, while some specialised applications such as mining equipment or heavy lifting cranes can develop 10,000 psi or more.The fluids used in pneumatics have low mass density and are easily compressible. In some circumstances, gas or air can be compressed up to several hundred psi, but most mechanical applications are based on an operational pressure of only 80-100 psi. This means that pneumatic systems are largely incapable of the much larger force offered by hydraulics, and are unsuited to the moving or lifting of heavy loads. Compressed air is also subject to unexpected pressure drops or fluctuations which can cause operations to become jerky or unstable.<h2>2. Hygiene</h2>Pneumatic systems win out over hydraulics in the field of hygiene, as the only thing that can leak out of your system is air. Within the system itself, the compressed air will be cleaned of oil, water or metal particles, and any other contaminants, by the filtration unit. Pneumatic systems are generally favoured by environmentally-conscious companies or those contemplating greener manufacturing practices.You'll also be likely to choose pneumatics if you're installing systems in a clean room, a pharmaceutical laboratory, or the food and beverage industry. In these environments there must be absolutely no risk of contamination, so hydraulic systems are generally off-limits as they may be susceptible to leakage.Whether you choose water or oil in a hydraulic system, either of these may potentially leak out via faulty seals, valves or worn hoses. This will contaminate your clean environment despite any safeguards you may put in place. The presence of liquids may also invite corrosion of the hardware, with a further risk of introducing contaminants. Storage tanks are also required for the fluids, and residues must be disposed of at the end of the operational process.<h2>3. Speed</h2>Speed is one of the pneumatic system's biggest advantages. Compressed air has a high flow rate, which enables the quick release of energy and high-speed motion of moving parts such as actuators. Pneumatic actuators can achieve high cycle speeds and increased duty cycling, which deliver greater productivity. The advantage of rapid cylinder movement is further enhanced by the availability of equipment in very small sizes, ideal for use in applications where miniaturisation is a priority.Air has a much lower mass density, and can flow much more quickly and easily through pipework. Another advantage of the pneumatic system is that valves and cylinders can quickly alter their state or change direction by dumping their compressed air. This can be voided straight to the atmosphere and requires no further disposal.Water and hydraulic oil have a much greater resistance than air, with the viscosity of oil making it much slower. Although it will ultimately develop a greater degree of force and maintain constant pressure, it does not have the same rapidity as air movement, and may take longer to get your system running. In the event of a leakage or emergency, hydraulic fluid may not be vented rapidly to the environment, but must be re-routed back to its tank or reservoir.<h2>4. Energy</h2>Comparing hydraulics to pneumatics with regard to energy consumption, there are several factors to consider. Both systems usually require an input of electrical power to drive them, and a pneumatic system needs the continuous running of a compressor to provide the compressed air. The air supply cannot be recycled and requires constant replenishment, so energy consumption in this respect may be high. Any&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rowse.co.uk/blog/post/how-to-find-leaks-in-pneumatic-systems" target="_blank" title="How to Find Leaks In Pneumatic Systems">air leakage</a> will also waste energy in the system.You also have to take into account the fact that pneumatic systems lose energy through heat produced by the compression process – though there are several measures that can be taken to make your system more energy-efficient. Fortunately, air is still free of charge, so there is no need to expend energy in obtaining, replenishing or disposing of waste products.Hydraulic fluids can use the same oil or water over and over again after the initial start-up. Provided you have a good filtration system and keep it properly maintained, a hydraulic system can be very energy-efficient in the long run. However, electrical power is still generally required to drive the pump, and much of the energy consumed by the pump is wasted. This is because the fluid medium is in constant circulation to maintain system pressure, even though only short periods of actuation may be required to drive the application. The more viscous the fluid medium, the more energy will also be required to move it. However, significant improvements are being achieved, with technological advancements involving different types of pump and the potential of modulating drives.<h2>5. Safety</h2>Considering hydraulics and pneumatics in the industrial environment, pneumatics is undoubtedly the safer option. A leakage of compressed air is not going to cause contamination, since air is not poisonous or corrosive, although other gases used in stand-alone or portable equipment may be hazardous. Compressed air does not generally pose a risk of fire and it won't explode, but the forcible escape of air through mechanical failure may cause physical injury.Hydraulic fluids, on the other hand, are always at risk of potentially dangerous leaks. Even water can cause damage if it's hot enough to scald. Other fluid media such as oil, ethylene glycol, plasma and fluid synthetics may be corrosive and/or poisonous. The fluid media may be combustible and require extra safety precautions, and used oil or fluids must eventually be drained and safely disposed of. In general, hydraulic systems incorporate fewer mechanical parts, but these may be subject to corrosion and potential component failures.<h2>6. Complexity</h2>Hydraulic systems typically have fewer moving parts and may be easily controlled with push buttons and simple levers. On the other hand, hydraulics rely on complex engineering that requires a system of valves and hoses, as well as a pump powered by an external energy source and a tank for storage of the liquid medium. It is possible to install a centralised power unit in a manufacturing plant in order to control several different hydraulic applications. Newer technology is introducing much better systems of managing speed, pressure and power.Pneumatic system designs are also typically very simple, and operate at a much lower pressure, so their component parts may be made from cheaper and less complex materials. Since the fluid medium is not corrosive or combustible, precautions do not need to be built in against these safety hazards. Technological advances have increased the variety of uses for pneumatic systems, with miniaturisation and new materials helping to reduce weight as well as bulk.<h2>7. Maintenance</h2>Pneumatic systems are cleaner and easier to maintain than hydraulic ones, since the fluid medium is air. A regular schedule of inspection and preventive maintenance is usually all that's required to keep a pneumatic system running, e.g. checking the seals and making sure there is no leakage of air. The air does need to be cleaned of contaminants, and one of the most important maintenance procedures is the cleaning and regular replacement of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rowse.co.uk/blog/post/when-to-replace-pneumatic-filters" target="_blank" title="When To Replace Pneumatic Filters">filter-regulator-lubricator unit</a>.With hydraulic systems, the main issue is corrosion. Unless you’re able to install pipes made of non-corrosive material, such as galvanised steel, regular monitoring will be required to assess how the pipes are being affected by the fluid medium. Water may cause oxidation, and oils or other media may leave deposits that will cause corrosion. Regular checks and replacements will be required for critical components such as seals, hoses and valves.<h2>Context is Everything</h2>The flexibility of air flow, and its precision in use, make pneumatics an obvious choice for such applications as medical tools, dental drills and small-scale robotics. Pneumatics are best employed in specialised environments where hygiene or green practices are paramount, but they are generally impractical for large-scale or heavy lifting duties. Hydraulics are ideal for such high-force applications, and are often found in construction or mining environments. They provide constant torque and force, in spite of any variations in speed, and maintain positional rigidity. At the end of the day, while technological advances continue to improve energy efficiency and performance on both sides, the hydraulic vs. pneumatics question ultimately boils down to context.

Any type of modern construction or manufacturing application is probably going to incorporate one or all of three different kinds of power: electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic.

Hydraulics Vs Pneumatics

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