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Industrial robots Serfdom in the technological age
Industrial robots Here's a nice radio programme about industrial robotics. These robots are really the unsung heroes of the modern age, working tirelessly to bring us the consumer world that we all take for granted. I've worked in the industrial automation field for some years writing control software for machines of different sorts. Like most technology over time things have gotten smaller, cheaper, more accurate and more reliable. Many of the glass factories which I've worked in I would say are about 99% automated, with humans only carrying out maintenance on the machines. Although industrial robots often aren't very glamourous nor particularly intelligent there has been an increasing trend towards adaptation. For example on some servo drives the PID parameters may be found automatically using a feature known as "adaptive auto-tune". Also some drives are able to adapt their operation to mechanical the wear of the motors and mechanics over time (something which is talked about a bit in the programme). I'd agree with what they say about some of these machines being quite graceful in the way that they move. The quickest and most energetically efficient types of move which put the least stress on the mechanics tend to be sinusoidal in shape. - Bob http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/connect.shtml | motters 136 posts. Wednesday 14 August, 17:45 Reply