Friday, January 18, 2013

Baxter the humanoid robot may be future of manufacturing

A $22,000 humanoid robot named Baxter may help boost U.S. manufacturing, according to Rethink Robotics. Company founder Rodney Brooks, a former MIT artificial-intelligence scientist, wants Baxter to execute simple manufacturing jobs that have previously been difficult to automate.

Brooks says that smarter, cheaper and more adaptable robotics can help the manufacturing industry improve efficiency, increase productivity, and lessen offshoring.

The company founder also thinks the technology will create better jobs for people, by transferring workers from performing repetitive tasks to training and supervising robots.

Baxter is built in with 75 percent American parts. The robot, with two arms, a vision system, and a suite of integrated sensors, knows how to perform a range of basic manufacturing tasks such as loading and unloading, counting, reorienting, and light assembly.

"Today, personal computers have put the power of the mainframe into the hands of the office worker, providing a productivity tool that few people today could imagine living without," Brooks said. "In our view, the evolution of industrial robots will have a similar impact on the workforce, inspiring a new manufacturing revolution in America by putting the power of safe, cost effective automation in the hands of today's factory workers. The possibilities are endless—and extremely exciting."

For more of the Ecouterre.com story: ecouterre.com

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