From Gargantua to MARS — the Pathway to Smart Automation
By: Alexander Zak , Director, R&D Advanced Manufacturing & Advanced Robotics
In the 1930s, Canadian-Australian civil engineer Bill Taylor created the first robotic pick-and-place machine called Gargantua. This early proto-bot was a large, gangly machine that relied on hole-punched paper tape, similar to the punch cards used in early computers, for its programming. Its purpose was to pick up and stack blocks.
Gargantua was a proof of concept that didn’t see commercial use, but it previewed and influenced the automation in manufacturing that would come a few decades later. In fact, for more than forty years, robots have helped improve worker safety, streamline production, and enhance quality.
Robots are consistent, reliable, and flexible, but are not very smart. They perform exactly the tasks they’re programmed to execute, which is great when it comes to welding, cutting and other repetitive tasks. However, when it comes to picking out a typical automotive fastener from an unsorted bin of hundreds or thousands of these components, they get less like The Jetsons and more like The Flintstones.
That’s because robots have traditionally relied on precise motion programming, meaning they could only grasp objects positioned at specific heights and angles. They couldn’t adapt to the randomness of a bin full of unsorted bolts, but that’s changing thanks to developments in smart automation.
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Magna is actively involved in the ongoing revolution in robotics with MARS — Magna Advanced Robotics Software — which uses 3D camera technology and AI-based learning algorithms to help robots “learn” to quickly identify and pick up unsorted items. The camera locates each item, and the sophisticated software performs the precise calculations for the robotic arm to reach into the bin and grasp it regardless of its orientation or distance from the arm.
It may sound relatively simple, but it’s a technology that can transform materials handling. The technology is comparatively easy to implement, even in existing facilities, and can also elevate the workforce by replacing the tediousness of manual bin-picking with new, more important skill sets related to the system’s programming and monitoring. It can also create related opportunities such as quality assurance.
A number of smart bin-picking systems have been introduced in the industry over the past decade but, with the assistance of a strategic partner, Magna has developed its own software to create a unique, end-to-end solution that offers exceptional control. More than forty smart robotic cells are already in use across the company and more are on the way. Each new cell can help reduce launch time of a product by up to 40 percent, while also making that launch more efficient.
Robots have come a long way since Gargantua stacked blocks, with smart automation solutions such as MARS taking automation to unprecedented levels of capability and adaptability. They are the future of materials handling and tech-forward jobs — and Magna is helping lead the way.
Share your thoughts in the comments below on how you see smart automation transforming your operations.
Experienced Maintenance Manager Specializing in Procurement, and Fleet Management
2moSmart automation can really revolutionize operations, especially in maintenance and fleet management. It can streamline processes, reduce downtime, and enhance efficiency. It's definitely a game-changer!
Sales Manager BMW USA @Magna International
2moLove this
Global Key Account Manager bei Fronius International GmbH
2moThanks for sharing the article. The developments are groundbreaking, especially with AI, and will take everyday manufacturing to another level. Interesting developments have also emerged in the field of welding technology in recent years. One of these is the use of the welding wire as a sensor that supports the robot with path corrections. The result is a significant reduction in rework and an increase in quality. It will be interesting to see what else the networking of individual production technologies and the exchange of information in conjunction with AI will produce in the near future.
Product Development - Cost Engineering Supervisor at Ford Motor Company
2moAs a cost engineer, we have been expecting this tech to take off. When you can have less quality defects, less scrap, less inventory on the floor, less operators, lower # of firefighting techs, and better productivity, we expected better part costs. We are not seeing this from the supply base. It would be interesting to see how Magna can reduce prices which drives the higher vehicle costs to us the consumer. 🤑
Creativeindustry.se
2moGreat news! Would like to propose that a robot on rails to do pick and place work on 4 semi-automatic RDR lines and 1 stand alone cell would do wonders, and cut losses in dropped units by staff that find it difficult to manualy manage units and move around catch nets.