Current Events Report: The Baxter

Current Events Report: The Baxter

Robots are programmed machines used different industries to perform a lot of different tasks that used to be handmade. The first industrial robot was created by Unimate. In 1961, GM introduced the first robot in a factory. These first types of robots had several limitations such as the lack of computer control, the absence of sensors and the incapacity of doing different motions. Today’s manufacturing robots haven’t changed that much. They are unsafe to operate safely with people around, they are design to be precise and repeatable, not adaptable, flexible, or ease to use, they can only operate in a very structured environment, their application is limited and their integration cost is 3 to 5 times its capital costs. The American company Rethink Robotics has invented a new and affordable Robot called Baxter that is capable to work with people and perform a wide range of simple manufacturing operations such as material handling, line loading and unloading, test & sort, machine tending, packing & unpacking, light assembly and finishing operations. The robot has two mechanical hands that have different functions. It is equipped with several sensors sensitive to human presence and collisions. The software can be updated to change its skills and it has the capability of learning to perform new tasks.

What is new about this technology? What makes this new robot different? The most important thing is the low price of the product; there are over 300,000 small companies in the US which do not have robots because the costs of adopting the technology are too high. Furthermore, they require specialized workers capable to understand and handle the maintenance of the technology. At the same time, the current devices are unsafe for people to be around, they are design to work in controlled environments.

The company pretend to change the robotic industry, providing low-cost robots ready to operate quickly without requiring expertise skill and can work together with people to increase its productivity.

The globalization process and economic crises have sent manufacturing overseas for many industries. US companies have been highly affected by this trend and they outsource its production to stay competitive and profitable. However, there are still some good reasons to produce national such as to have a quick response to the supply chains, to keep the innovation close to manufacturing, to protect intellectual property, to maintain productivity and to avoid higher transportation costs.

The introduction of Baxter would help small companies to compete against low-wage offshore labour, increase productivity.

A good example of the kind of company that would take advantage of such technology is Vanguard. The company use injection molding technology to manufacture different plastic products.