How AI is Revolutionising Robotics

In the world of robotics, AI is having a transformative impact on machine vision and robotic detection and perception capabilities. By enabling robots to perceive and interpret their surroundings with human-like accuracy, AI vision enhances tasks such as bin picking, assembly, quality inspection and autonomous navigation. There are now a range of technologies available on the market that can improve the accuracy and efficiency of automation.

GuideNOW Robot Guidance from Inbolt

GuideNOW from Inbolt is an innovative robot guidance system that uses 3D vision and part localisation AI to update the robot’s trajectory in real time. As a result, the robot can maintain productivity on a moving assembly line. The system performs reliably in all lighting conditions and removes the need for jigs and fixed tooling, which reduces the costs of automation. The accuracy GuideNOW provides improves product quality, as it prevents collisions taking place or processes being executed in the wrong place.

An example application is the use of GuideNOW in the automotive industry to tighten an engine on a moving assembly line. The technology is able to track the position and orientation of the engine in real-time by comparing the CAD model to the 3D data sent by the camera mounted on the robot.  GuideNOW then adapts the robot’s trajectory to the position of the engine, accurate to 1 mm.

Watch: GuideNOW Engine Tightening Application

Cambrian Vision

Cambrian Vision is AI vision technology for Universal Robots. It was developed for cost effective, robust robotic bin picking, pick and place, machine feeding, assembly and a range of other collaborative robot applications. 

For a bin picking application, the mounted camera takes a set of images. The images are then routed through the AI model, which returns the pickable parts with their 3D position. Then, the robot gripper is moved to the predicted pick point, with collision checking, and picks the part.

Impressively, Cambrian Vision can detect parts with sub-millimetre levels of accuracy, with prediction times of approximately 0.2 seconds. The system can work in natural, artificial and strobe lighting conditions.

Watch: Cambrian AI Robot Vision

 MiR1200 Pallet Jack

Launched in 2024, the MiR1200 Pallet Jack is an autonomous forklift that utilises AI in its pallet-detection process. With advanced AI pallet detection, powered by NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin, the MiR1200 Pallet Jack uses 3D vision to identify, pick up and deliver pallets with unprecedented precision.

The MiR1200 Pallet Jack can dynamically modify its route to avoid obstacles such as loose objects on the floor or overhead obstacles. It processes camera and LIDAR data in real time by accelerating the full stack on the GPU and several other processors built into the NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin module. Its ability to navigate effortlessly in tight spaces with minimal changes to the existing infrastructure makes it the perfect fit for optimising logistics efficiency and ensuring timely delivery of pallets.

Watch: Pallet Jack AI Pallet Detection

 Summary

AI is enhancing automation for manufacturing and logistics applications, enabling robots to more accurately detect objects - from small parts to pallets. This is improving efficiency, and therefore reducing costs, across a range of industries including automotive, electronics, pharmaceutical and cosmetics manufacturing, warehouse logistics and more.