How Programmable Robotic Arm Models are Changing the World
You’ve seen them in the movies countless of times— robotic arms that can do basically everything their owners or operators want them to. These days, though, programmable robotic arm models are now a reality. Many companies around the world are reaping the benefits of having fully automated and intelligent robotic arms.
Robotic arms are being used in the manufacturing world. These robots take on manufacturing jobs that are heavy, repetitive, difficult, dangerous, or tedious for human beings. In fact, robotic arms are being used for painting and soldering car parts.
However, there are also programmable robotics arm models that are being developed by many organizations in various parts of the world. These models are not only being designed for industrial use, but also being planned to be rolled out to consumers as well.
Cooking Robot
The first fully automated and intelligent cooking robot has been created by Moley Robotics. This robot can learn how to make five-star meals by watching real chefs in action. By mimicking the actions of a master chef, the Moley Robotics cooking robotic arm can cook up a variety of delicious dishes.
The robot is designed with human-like hands, with two arms and movable fingers attached to the wall. It uses its arms in preparing and cutting the ingredients, preparing the meals, and cleaning up after the meal has been served.
The company hopes to launch a prototype of this model for consumers sometime in 2018.
Companion Robot
There are also robotic arms that are designed to help people with mobility challenges. One example is “Obi,” a device that is programed to smoothly lift a spoon full of food to a person’s mouth. The device is produced by a consumer robotics firm Desin, and was recently cited by R&D magazine in its mechanical and materials category.
Obi’s robotic arm can select virtually any properly sized food from one of the four compartments. It can then deliver the food to a position where the diner can eat from the spoon. Users will be able to control the pace and selection of each bite. It is also programmed in such a way that the arm will mimic a person’s instinctive use of silverware.
Desin is offering trials of this robotic arm for a retail price of around $4,500.
Industrial Robotic Arm
Then there are robotic arms that are designed to do it all in the industrial world, like the Kick Ass Trainable Intelligent Arm or KATIA. Developed by Carbon Robotics, this is an industrial-grade robotic arm that is said to be capable of doing everything at least in the industrial front.
Yes, this robotic arm can be whatever you desire it to be. It can be a cake decorator, a 3D printer, or even a scanner.
The robotic arm is capable of handling objects as heavy as 1 kilogram, which is quite impressive for a robot arm that is priced under $1,000. It also has a 1 meter radius meaning it can be included on a small production line.
Users don’t need to be as intelligent as say, Tony Stark, in operating this robotic arm. The makers of this robotic arm have designed it to be very user friendly. The arm can be guided manually by users. They can also record the motions, and then have the arm replay or mimic the movements
The arm’s structure is also simple and interesting. There is no hand attached on the upper part of the arm. Instead, there is a modular for tools. So if users want to move objects, they simply attach a gripper. If they want the arm to help in making a movie, then they need to attach a camera to the said modular.
Conclusion
Cooking, taking care of people with mobility problems, and various jobs in the manufacturing world—these are just some of the applications of programmable robotic arm models these days.
In the near future, we will see more robotic arms employed for various uses such as performing complex medical operations, farming, and even stimulating human behaviours. The future is indeed exciting what with these programmable robotic arms slowly becoming a part of our daily lives.