It’s assumed that one day factory line robots will eventually take over all aspects of manufacturing, freeing humans from the monotony of repetitive tasks. But integrating a robot into an assembly line is incredibly expensive and complicated. Rethink Robotics hopes to eliminate those roadblocks with Baxter.
Baxter is still the price of a small car at $US22,000, but when you consider that your typical factory line automaton can run well north of $US100,000, it means that many small-time guys now have the opportunity to automate part of their businesses. And let’s not forget that Baxter actually comes with two usable arms — not just one — that are both articulated with compliant joints so that it’s safe for use alongside humans.
But price and safety aren’t the most revolutionary aspects of Baxter. In a typical factory environment, programming a robot arm to perform a specific task requires a team of software developers and engineers, which adds considerably to the bottom line. Baxter can be trained to perform a task by simply manually moving its arms through the required motions. As a result, it might not be precise enough for extremely accurate tasks, such as soldering circuit boards, but it potentially means that anyone can teach the robot to perform a specific task.
That feature alone has the potential to revolutionise a small business. And while Baxter has only just been revealed, it will actually start shipping in just a few weeks. So it’s not just some pie-in-the-sky concept that may never see the light of day.
And the wave of moving production back to the customer location begins.... Thanks China your cheap labor was useful until now
I wouldn't be surprised if these things were to be built in China though.
That's not a real factory line robot - its eyes should be bloodshot.
Could you buy one to make another, who make 2, who make 4, who make 8, who make 16, etc? Surely , with readily available and affordable technologies lik ardrino/rasberry pi, 3D printing and one of these, we should be able to create a self replicating production line.