1. JULY 2016
6-7
Industrial robot
sales soar
20-21
How vision sensor technology
has been a game changer
4-5
China’s five-year plan
to transform robotics
industry
26-27
What next? Food delivery
drone for golfers
30-31
[ IN THE SPOTLIGHT ]
with Omron robotics expert Chris Probst

2. 2 JULY 2016
T
he world is on the
threshold of a new
industrial revolution.
The robots are here and their
presence is changing our lives
forever.
Welcome to Robotics Today,
Australia’s first e-magazine and
website devoted to news and
innovations in the robotics and
artificial intelligence industries.
Robotics Today brings you the
latest in the world of automated
technology and advanced
manufacturing.
We will also bring you interviews
with the talented people behind
the innovative businesses that
make up this thriving sector.
In coming editions we will
feature new advancements in
global robotics and automation,
including latest products and
technology to assist you to
improve efficiency and save costs.
With the latest automation
technology you not only maximize
your productivity, you can ensure
the safety of staff.
In the past century the field of
robotics has advanced beyond
science fiction into real, moving,
thinking and acting robotics.
And while much attention has
focused on how robots will “steal”
many human jobs, the positives
far outweigh the negatives.
Researchers have a clear vision
of humans eventually working
cooperatively with cyber
assistants.
In this way, artificial intelligence
(A.I.) and robots will improve
the workplace in terms of safety,
efficiency and productivity.
Robots will be “employed” to
do work that is too dangerous,
boring, onerous, or just plain
horrible. These robots can
now be found in auto, medical,
manufacturing and space
industries. In fact, there are over
a million of these type of robots
working for us today.
The future is HERE.
Advanced manufacturing provides
the path forward to revitalizing
Australian industry.
Our nation's long-term ability to
innovate and compete in global
markets will provide a significant
boost to our economy.
Robots have created new
jobs for those who were once
on production lines with
programming. They have pulled
employees from repetitive,
monotonous jobs and put them
in better, more challenging
ones. Robots are user-friendly,
intelligent, and affordable.
A new generation of lightweight,
assistive robots will provide small
to medium enterprises (SMEs)
with new options to improve their
competitiveness and meet the
challenges of high costs and a
shortage of skilled workers.
Robots won't just change our lives
in the future, they'll expand them.
We look forward to you joining us
on this fascinating journey.
Tim Michael
Editor
FROM THE EDITOR
Director and National
Sales Manager
Julie Fletcher
julie@roboticstoday.com.au
Editor
Tim Michael
editor@roboticstoday.com.au
Production
Angelica Sanchez
IT Manager
Rob Fearn
Advertising enquiries:
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Editorial submissions:
editor@roboticstoday.com.au
Published by:
Think Positive Pty Ltd
PO Box 221 Waverley
NSW 2024 Australia
www.roboticstoday.com.au
@roboticstodayau
Think Positive Pty Ltd cannot
be held liable for any person(s),
company or business acting
upon or using the information
provided in this e-magazine in
any way. Information and content
in Robotics Today e-Magazine
is provided to the best of our
knowledge. We advise that
you should seek independent
professional advice to verify that
all information is accurate and
correct.
Our team
How robots
will change
our lives

3. 3JULY 2016
CONTENTS
4-5
NEWS
China’s five-year robotics plan
6-7
SPECIAL FEATURE
Industrial robot sales soar
8
LATEST NEWS
Should your next employee be a
robot?
10
WHAT’S NEW IN ROBOTICS
This robot can make your dinner
14-15
WHAT’S NEW IN AUTOMATION
The smart factory dilemma:
Man and machine
16-17
SPECIAL FEATURE
Meet Larry – the robot that ‘eats’
Big Data
20-21
WHAT’S NEW IN SENSORS
How vision sensor technology has
been a game changer
22-23
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
Bringing LEGO simplicity to
advanced manufacturing
26
INNOVATION
Delivery drone tees off a Japanese
golf course
30-31
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Q&A with Omron Robotics expert
Chris Probst
35
WHAT’S ON
Local & international events
C
hinese appliance firm
Midea has begun a
cash offer for at least
a 30 percent stake of German
industrial robotics supplier
Kuka, one of the world’s leading
manufacturers of industrial
robots.
Midea, best known for selling
washing machines and air
conditioners, has offered
US$130 a share for Kuka, in the
voluntary takeover offer.
The deal would make Midea
Kuka's biggest shareholder.
This has raised concerns in
Europe about the transfer of
high-end technology to China.
The ruling Chinese Communist
party has been encouraging
the country's manufacturers
to use more robots to make
production more efficient as
labour costs rise.
The world's second-largest
economy is already the leading
market for industrial robots,
accounting for a quarter of
global sales, according to the
International Federation of
Robotics.
Kuka, based in the German
city of Augsburg, describes
itself as one of the world’s
leading manufacturers of
industrial robots and also
offers automated systems for
manufacturing.
European media reported that
officials in Brussels and Berlin
oppose a Chinese takeover bid
of Kuka.
However, German Chancellor
Angela Merkel during a recent
visit to China denied the
allegations.
Ms Merkel told reporters in
Beijing: "We are looking into a
solution which can satisfy both
sides."
Midea reported a global
turnover last year of more than
US$22 billion.
Analysts said the investment
could give Midea, a firm based
in the southern province of
Guangdong, technological
know-how in an area with
growth potential in China.
"As a traditional producer
of durable consumer goods,
Midea’s domestic market is
almost saturated," Huang
Fusheng, an analyst at China
Securities, told AFP recently.
The company "needs to expand
industries and transform, so
this (investment) is a necessity,"
he added.
China takeover bid for
German robotics firm Kuka

4. 4 JULY 2016
NEWS
C
hina has revealed an
ambitious plan to pump
more money into its
robotics industry, in a bid to
bring the industry up to par with
overseas competitors.
However, industry experts
say the new government plan
makes no mention of artificial
intelligence – the direction of
next-generation robots.
The five-year planning proposal
was unveiled last month jointly
by the ministries of finance
and industry and the National
Development and Reform
Commission.
The plan vows to make significant
progress by 2020 in the
production capacity, creativity
and competitiveness of the
industry.
Breakthroughs are expected
in core components of
robots including sensors and
servomotors, the report says.
It has called for building
competitive advantage in 10
types of industrial robots.
This includes for example,
precision welding, surgical
applications, vacuum cleaning
– all performing an array of
services – and even programming
themselves.
The proposal lists several other
strategies to boost the domestic
robotics industry, including more
subsidies and tax breaks, and
allowing more investment and
financing channels.
“Local governments at the
provincial and city level across
the country will soon launch
their own supporting policies
on subsidies to echo the central
authorities and prop up the
industry in their jurisdictions,”
said Zhang Fasheng, a sales
manager at Shenzhen-based
Xrobot Tech.
“Subsidies, rent and tax
deductions are critical for
domestic robot makers,” Zhang
said. “Especially at this moment
of uncertainty in China’s
economy.”
Early last year, authorities in
Guangdong set aside 943 billion
yuan (A$188.6 billion) to replace
human labour with robots by
2018, as the central authorities
look to robotics to overcome
labour shortages and spur
innovation as growth in China’s
economy slows.
China’s five-year plan
to transform its
robotics industry

5. 5JULY 2016
NEWS
Meanwhile, the government of
Zhejiang province said it would
invest 800 billion yuan (A$160
billion) to push its 36,000
manufacturers to replace human
labour with robots in five years.
Luo Jun, CEO of the International
Robotics and Intelligent
Equipment Industry Alliance, a
government think tank, agreed
that a comprehensive national
strategy was necessary to boost
the robotics industry in the next
five years.
But the government proposal
was still short-sighted by
focusing on investment in
existing technology, Luo said.
“In the proposal, developing
and investing in traditional ‘core
components’ for industrial robots
remains China’s focus in the
coming five years,” he said.
“But these are expected to
become outdated and replaced
by newer tech for next-
generation robots.”
Such an approach was obsolete
compared to developments
overseas, Luo added.
“When we look at Google,
Microsoft and Facebook, artificial
intelligence is the direction of
next-generation robots,” he said.
“I found no mention or thoughts
about artificial intelligence in the
proposal for our robotics sector.”
China’s industrial robot sales
totalled 57,000 units in 2014,
rising 55 per cent year on year
and accounting for a quarter of
the world’s total.
Source: South China Morning Post

6. 6 JULY 2016
SPECIAL FEATURE
T
he number of industrial
robots sold worldwide last
year exceeded 240,000
units for the first time.
This was an 8 percent increase
over the previous year – driven
largely by demand from the
automotive industry – and China.
The World Robotics Federation
said articulated robots – robots
with rotary joints – were the most
in demand.
China cemented its position as
the leading market with a rise of
16% to 66,000 units, although
this was only half the growth
of 30% that the federation had
predicted.
The figure includes sales by local
Chinese suppliers as well as
international manufacturers such
as Kuka, Fanuc, and ABB.
In Europe, sales rose 9% to nearly
50,000, powered by eastern
Europe, while sales in north
America rose 11% to 34,000, the
federation said.
So-called cobots, which
collaborate and work side by side
with humans, are also gaining in
popularity and are almost ready
for routine use in industry.
“In the age of Industry 4.0, the
automotive industry is taking
a leading role when it comes
to flexible and state-of-the-art
automation solutions and the
direct collaboration between
humans and robots,” said Stefan
Lampa, President and CEO of
KUKA Robots.
The International Federation
of Robotics (IFR) had predicted
double-digit growth in industrial
robot sales between 2015 and
2018.
Global robot installations were
estimated to increase at least by
about 15% to 264,000 units in
2015.
IFR says industrial robots will
play an increasingly important
role in global manufacturing.
And simplification of the use
of robots will open up huge
potentials in all industries
including small and medium-sized
companies.
IFR says there is an increasing
demand, particularly from
manufacturers of electronics
products such as smart phones
and tablets for easy to use robots
with limited applications and
short life cycle.
Such robots can perform simple
assembly tasks that do not
require high precision.
Major growth is expected in Asia,
particularly China and Taiwan,
Korea, India and most of the
other Southeast Asian markets.
China will remain the main driver
of the growth and will expand its
dominance. The continuing need
to increase automation has been
recognized by Chinese industries
and the government.
Tim Michael
· · ·
Robots improve the quality
of work by taking over
dangerous, tedious and
dirty jobs that are not
possible or safe for humans
to perform, says IFR.
Industrial robot
sales soar in 2015

7. 7JULY 2016
SPECIAL FEATURE
Installations of robots will accelerate despite
decelerating growth rates of the GDP. It is estimated
that more than one third of the global supply in
2018 will be installed in the Republic of China.
Continued growth in North America as well as
recovering sales in Brazil are expected. Sales to
Eastern European countries will gain momentum.
Sales in Western European countries will continue
to grow.
The main customer, the automotive industry, is
continuing to invest heavily in robot installations.
The robot supply may slow down in certain markets.
However, the automotive industry will continue to
be the innovator for new technology.
The growing global demand for electronics
products, new products, and new production
technologies are boosting investments in retooling
of existing production processes and expanding
production capacities of the electrical/electronics
industry particularly in Asia.
A significant number of rather low-priced robots
will continue to be sold to the electronics industry in
the coming years. A further increase of robot orders
from other industries is also likely, particularly from
the rubber and plastics industry, the metal and
machinery industry, the pharmaceutical industry
and the food and beverage industry.
Between 2015 and 2018, IFR estimates about 1.3
million new industrial robots will be installed in
factories around the world.
In terms of units, IFR estimated that the worldwide
stock of operational industrial robots would
increase from about 1,480,800 units at the end of
2014 to 2,327,000 units at the end of 2018.
This represents an average annual growth rate of
12% between 2015 and 2018.
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Industry 4.0

8. 8 JULY 2016
accustomed to letting them wait that long.
How times have changed. We now live in
The Age of Absolutely No Patience, an age
where e-commerce makes supply and demand
e-complicated.
NO TOILET BREAkS OR SICkIES
Supply chains from manufacturer to warehouse
to customer now have to play “hot potato” with
every online item as a two day delivery time can
be enough to lose the sale.
“How fast can I have it?” is now almost more
important than quality and price as a new
generation with no interest in the quaint concept
of waiting demand faster and faster delivery.
Which brings us back to the robot in our
interview. With his 24/7 dedication to the cause
he can go a long way to meeting this demand. He
can churn out product at pre-programmed rates
uncompromised by toilet breaks or sickies.
He can work with carbon copy precision. And with
a decent maintenance regime he can continue
to do this long after his human counterpart has
claimed the pension.
THE DOWNSIDE OF NO DOWNTIME
People. That’s the only downside, because robots
have the rather sad tendency to empty staff
cafeterias and social clubs. Such is the cold hard
reality of automation in the virtual shopping
world. Robots replace unskilled workers.
On the upside some semi-skilled workers will
find themselves in demand to oversee the
robots. But the future isn’t overly rosy for
humans in manufacturing.
Should your next employee be a robot? Survival
says yes.
Source: Industry Search
S
uch is the employment status of a robot
and it does sound good on paper, doesn’t it?
When you compare the job interview of a
robot with a needy “Me, Me, Me!” human, it’s a no
brainer. Literally. Robots are, unquestionably the
way of the future for manufacturing. That’s if you
want to compete, of course.
Today the entire nature of supply and demand
bears no resemblance to the dark ages of a
decade ago. Back then a product was bought in
something called a ‘shop’ and shops often ran out
of products, so they were ‘placed on order.’
Customers were accustomed to waiting weeks
for delivery of their product. Factories were
Should your next
employee be a
ROBOT?
‘Right, so the job is basically 24 hours a
day, seven days a week with no breaks, no
holidays, no perks, no salary, no super, and no
rights. Happy? Great, you can start today!’
ROBONEWS

9. 9JULY 2016
ROBONEWS
A
utomation is changing
the face of manufacturing
globally – and Australia is
no exception.
Flexible automation has become a
priority in plants around the world
as companies seek new and cost-
effective ways of responding to
dynamic customer requirements.
And in more plants throughout
the world, staff are now working
side-by-side with collaborative
robots, commonly known as
“cobots.”
Melbourne based automation
specialists Impact Robotics has
introduced the latest generation
of cobots in Australia and New
Zealand.
Impact is the exclusive ANZ
distributor of the revolutionary
Sawyer and Baxter robots –
developed by Rethink Robotics in
the US – a world leader in robotics
technology.
The company has already
delivered and installed Baxter
cobots into some of Australia’s
leading warehousing companies.
And earlier this year they
launched the Sawyer cobots
following months of global
anticipation from buyers
domestically and internationally.
Both robots were on show at
National Manufacturing Week in
Sydney earlier this year.
Unlike traditional manufacturing
robots, cobots are designed to
work side-by-side and interact
with humans with a reduced need
for protective infrastructure.
Baxter and Sawyer were built
from the ground up to work safely
next to people in production
environments, without caging.
This means Sawyer and Baxter
can much more easily be moved
and repurposed to whatever
section of the facility they’re
needed at any time.
A further benefit is that the
robots can be quickly set-up and
trained by staff who don’t have
coding knowledge or a computer
programming background.
Impact Robotics General
Manager, David Birnbaum, said:
“These cobots are designed
to drive cost efficiencies and
improve productivity and safety.
Sawyer and Baxter offer a cost
effective technology solution for
repetitive or dangerous process
tasks, freeing up valuable human
resources for more value added
and complex tasks.”
Suitable applications include case
packing, kitting and line loading
and unloading.
The technology has the potential
to assist Australian manufactures
remain competitive on global
markets, Mr Birnbaum says.
“Sawyer and Baxter could
increase Australian manufacturing
‘on-shoring’ – at the moment
some manufacturing processes
are sent off-shore where labour is
cheaper,” he said.
“There’s no reason why Australian
manufacturers couldn’t achieve
greater productivity and
profitability using this technology.”
Impact Robotics also sell, service
and support the MiR Mobile
Robot, a mobile warehousing and
transport solution. MiR learns the
layout of its surroundings – even
in multi-story buildings – to take
goods to designated points within
the building.
Mr Birnbaum says additional
robots will be added to Impact
Robotics’ product line-up later
this year.
Impact Robotics unveils new
generation robots in Australia
‘Sawyer and Baxter
offer a cost effective
technology solution’

10. 10 JULY 2016
T
he disembodied robot
arms look like they’re
conducting an orchestra
as they glide back and forth
over the stove top, waving their
articulated fingers. But the robot
isn’t making music, it’s making
dinner.
Mounted above a small counter,
stove and sink, the two arms
are part of a robotic kitchen,
developed by UK-based Moley
Robotics, that prepares meals
from digital recipes. Users
select the meal they want from
an online database, enter the
number of people that are eating
and then set out pre-prepped
ingredients. They tell the robot
when to start, and, sure enough,
it makes shrimp risotto, say,
or eggplant parmigiana. The
unit has an attached fridge and
cabinet, which the robot can
access, and a built-in dishwasher,
so it can clean up after itself.
Computer scientist Mark
Oleynik dreamed up Moley’s
robotic kitchen in 2014, when
he was sick of eating out and
wanted good food at home. He’d
worked in public health. Before
Moley, he founded a company
called Medstarnet, which helped
hospitals get medical devices.
Ultimately, Oleynik’s goal is to
make eating fresh, healthy food
effortless. He decided handing
over the work of getting food on
the table to a robot was a way to
do that.
Oleynik worked with the
London-based Shadow Robot
Company, which also makes
robotic hands for NASA’s
Robonaut program, to develop
the cooking robot. The hands
are made of 20 motors, 24 joints
and 129 sensors. According to
Rich Walker, Shadow Robot’s
managing director, they replicate
the fine movements of human
hands. They’re deft enough that
they can deal with a whisk or a
blender, although they’re not
yet programmed for chopping.
Moley Robotics worked with
Shadow Robot and a team from
Stanford to develop an algorithm
for the robot to follow, so it
knows when to add ingredients
and how to incorporate them.
The robot has learned 50 recipes
by mimicking human chefs who,
for the sake Moley’s recipe
database, wore motion sensors
on their hands as they cooked.
In addition to the touch screen
on the unit, Moley Robotics
is developing an app, so that
owners of the kitchen can select
a meal from the iTunes-like
recipe library, even when they
are away from home.
Moley debuted the chefbot at
Hannover Messe, an industrial
trade show in Germany in April.
In May, it won the “Best of the
Best” award at the Consumer
Electronics Show Asia.
The robotic kitchens could be
available in 2018 for about
$35,000. A pretty penny, though
Oleynik argues the cost is on par
with an average kitchen remodel.
Source: The Smithsonian
WHAT’S NEW IN ROBOTICS
This robot will
make you dinner
Moley Robotics is developing a robotic kitchen that can
prepare a meal from start to finish – cleanup included …
Moley Robotics is developing an app, so that owners of the
kitchen can select a meal from the iTunes-like recipe library,
even when they are away from home.

11. 11JULY 2016
WHAT’S NEW IN ROBOTICS
T
he new igus Triflex RSE
system is a cost-effective
retraction system for
robotic arm applications,
automatically guiding energy
supply systems and supply hoses.
The extremely lightweight
Triflex RSE system automatically
retracts cables and hoses, and
prevents looping of the cable
carrier. This allows power, media
and data to be supplied safely to
the end of the robotic arm.
The RSE system, from Treotham
Automation, is based around the
maintenance free igus DryLin
linear bearings. The cable carrier
is guided through the moving
carriage, allowing for a retraction
stroke of up to 23.6 inches. A
durable elastic cord automatically
retracts any slack, preventing
loop formation within the system.
The Triflex RSE system features
integrated adjustable attachment
plates, allowing the system to
be mounted close to the robot,
making it a space saving and
affordable solution.
Triflex RSE was designed for use
with the Triflex R line of cable
carriers from igus, which are
available in a variety of styles and
diameters.
A large range of mounting options
are also available, allowing the
system to be fitted to a variety of
robot models.
Treotham Automation
Ph: 02 9907 1788
www.treotham.com.au
Safe retraction system for industrial
robots fromTreotham
Cost-effective … new igus Triflex
RSE system
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12. 12 JULY 2016
A
company specializing in making
lightweight x-ray machines for hospitals
is using the same technology to design
bomb-detecting robots for counter-terrorist and
security forces.
Adelaide company Micro-X has won a contract
with the Department of Defence to demonstrate
the technology for stand-off imaging of
Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
Micro-X has moved its headquarters from
Victoria to South Australia in preparation for
the production of its core product, mobile x-ray
machines for the medical industry.
It also has a contract with the Department of
Defence to demonstrate a mobile x-ray unit
prototype to be used in portable army hospitals
and by “shock trauma platoons” on the edge of
battle zones.
Managing Director Peter Rowland said Micro-X
had successfully produced an 80kg mobile x-ray
machine – just a fraction of the size and weight
of the 500-600kg machines traditionally used in
hospitals.
He said Micro-X had the rights to apply
technology from a company in the United States
that was commercializing the carbon nanotubes as
the electron emitter within the x-ray tube.
“In one of these 600kg monsters, the x-ray tube
itself weighs about 26kg and if you think about
holding that over a bed safely you need a vertical
and horizontal support arm that’s quite strong and
a cart that’s quite strong,” Mr Rowland said.
“By comparison, our tube is one kilogram and is
about the size of a large grapefruit. Our task has
been to reduce the size of the overall cart in the
same ratio.”
The first units for the medical industry are
expected to be in production for sale towards the
end of the year, while the demonstration for the
WHAT’S NEW IN ROBOTICS
SA company
develops new
bomb-detecting
robots
By Andrew Spence
Ground breaking technology … Micro-X
Production Manager Adam Williams
works on one of the company’s
lightweight x-ray machines

13. 13JULY 2016
Department of Defence will be
mid-year.
The variant models would have
a slightly higher-powered tube
and a greater ground clearance
to help cope with more rugged
terrain.
The IED detector unit is
scheduled for demonstration
early next year.
“We’re trying to accelerate it if
we can but it’s a work in progress
... but the potential market for it is
extensive,” Mr Rowland said.
“At the moment, when they
come across an IED in a military
environment such as Afghanistan
or in a civilian environment like a
suspicious bag in an airport they
x-ray it because they’ve got to
find out what it is, how dangerous
it is, where it came from and how
they are going to make it safe so
x-ray is their friend.
“The problem is with what they
are using is that to get the x-ray
you have to take the unit up to
the device and put an imaging
plate behind it. Sometimes
you can’t get the plate behind
it without disturbing it and
sometimes there’s a guy watching
with a pair of binoculars and
a mobile phone and he’s just
waiting for the person to lean
over the top before he detonates
it … so they’re desperate to
find what’s called stand-off
technologies where they don’t
have to put someone in harm’s
way and they can still find out
what’s inside the package.”
Rowland said the technology
Micro-X used in its lightweight
x-ray machines was ideally suited
for backscatter imaging.
“It’s kind of just like what
Superman used to do where you
can just look at something and
you can see inside it – you don’t
need to get the imaging plate
behind.
“We’ve concepted something for
them that is small, you could put
it on a little trolley or robot and
you just drive it up and it shows
you what’s inside without the
need for anyone to go anywhere
near it and that got them
seriously excited.”
WHAT’S NEW IN ROBOTICS
“While the backscatter
technology exists, because
it uses a conventional x-ray
tube and not a carbon
nanotube source the thing
is giant so the idea that
we’ve got something that
would fit on a one metre
long robot and go up and
interrogate a small parcel is
groundbreaking for them.”

14. 14 JULY 2016
WHAT’S NEW IN AUTOMATION
I
T analyst firm Gartner forecasts that smart
machines will outgrow employees at fast growing
companies by 2018.
It almost goes without saying that this growth in
smart machines and robotics has been driven by the
onset of the fourth industrial revolution or Industry
4.0, which refers to the concept of a man-less
working environment.
However as more companies head towards a full
realisation of Industry 4.0, increasingly the question
of whether humans need to be entirely substituted
for robots across the factory floor is becoming an
important consideration.
Certainly with the introduction
of new technologies such as
collaborative robots, many industry
leaders are now exploring how
humans and robots can work better
together to enhance innovation and
productivity rather than maintaining an arguably
narrow view that automation must replace humans.
The idea is that man AND machine is better than
having only one of the two.
To AuTomATe or noT To AuTomATe?
ConSIderATIonS for AddIng roboTS To
your buSIneSS
Automatisation of tasks can benefit all industries
and business sizes. There are many opportunities
to reduce costs, improve business performance,
optimise production, increase quality and drive
revenue through automation.
According to the International Federation of Robotics
(IFR), around 1.3 million industrial robots will be
entering service in factories around the world.
However, when exploring whether or not to
automate some typically human processes with
robots, organisations should consider a wide range of
factors, such as whether robots can fill a skills gap or
enhance safety for human employees by taking over
dangerous tasks for example.
For example, a recent report by Deloitte on the skills
gap in manufacturing in the US suggested that the
next decade will see 3.4 million jobs
with only 1.4 million qualified workers
to fill them.
Robots are ideally suited for many
of these positions and today’s
collaborative robots or “cobots” can
The smart factory
dilemma:
Man and machine
Shermine Gotfredsen
‘Around 1.3
million industrial
robots will
be soon be in
factories around
the world’

15. 15JULY 2016
work side-by-side with human
workers by taking over routine,
repetitive and dangerous jobs so
human workers can move into
higher-value positions.
In fact, according to analyst
research firm, Forrester by 2019,
25 percent of all job tasks will
be offloaded to software robots,
physical robots, or customer self-
service automation.
The benefITS of CoboTS
Due to their flexible nature and
ability to work with
people, cobots are
innovating all types of
tasks and industries.
From the environment
and the medical
industry to food,
fashion and television,
cobots are able to
complement humans’
working environments and act as a
work tool for them.
The result is that man and machine
respectively do what they can do
best. The weaknesses of one are
compensated for by the strengths
of the other.
For instance, when lightweight
robots assume repetitive or
ergonomically unfavourable tasks,
illnesses linked to the job decrease
and the workplace becomes safer.
For example, Tegra Medical, an
American producer of medical
devices decided to automate their
processes using cobots. Three
collaborative robots are employed
in the production of medical
devices.
These cobots work right next
to humans without additional
safety guarding and have resulted
in a doubling of production
throughput.
Tegra have implemented the
collaborative UR10 robot with a
reach of 1300mm, which enables
Tegra to produce three different
products in a single machining
cycle.
Moreover, resources of eleven
employees were set free and can
now be used for tasks with higher
value creation.
CoboTS AS job CreATorS?
Robotics in the workplace has long
been portrayed as an employment
alternative by replacing staff on
the factory floor.
Yet the belief that robots are
“stealing” jobs relies on the
misapprehension that that all
industrial robots can be viewed
in the same way and perform the
same function. In reality, industrial
robots vary greatly.
Lightweight cobots differ
enormously from traditional
industrial robots that must be kept
behind safety shields in order to
avoid contact with humans. In fact,
cobots were developed with the
intention of allowing the skills of
man and machine to be combined.
Remarkably, cobots are now
playing the role of job creator. In
the food industry alone, robots are
expected to create 70,000-90,000
jobs worldwide between 2017
and 2020.
Cobots compared to other
industrial robots can increase
employment opportunities within
businesses as they can increase
productivity and encourage
upgraded skillsets. Rather
than replacing their human
counterparts these devices work
alongside people in manufacturing
and processing tasks.
For example, at the Clinical
Biochemical Department at the
Copenhagen University Hospital
in Gentofte, Denmark, Universal
Robots cobots work alongside
health care professionals to
handle blood samples, which
has enabled the lab to uphold a
target of delivering more than 90
percent of results within an hour
despite a 20 percent increase in
samples arriving for analysis.
While the vision of the “smart
factory” is soon expected to
become fully realised, whereby
humans work with robots to
communicate and cooperate via
Internet of Things and Internet of
Services – how it can be achieved
and how long this will take needs
to be evaluated carefully based on
individual business needs and in
particular staff requirements.
This will ultimately ensure that
enhanced performance can be
achieved across the organisation,
while workers can become more
productive.
Shermine Gotfredsen is General
Manager, Universal Robots Asia-Pacific.
WHAT’S NEW IN AUTOMATION
‘Remarkably,
cobots are now
playing the role
of job creator’

16. 16 JULY 2016
SPECIAL FEATURE
A
robot with an algorithm-based persona is
being used to help companies make data-
driven decisions in real time.
South Australian company Complexica has
developed Larry, the Digital Analyst, which is
basically a set of algorithms tuned to complex
problems to quickly generate answers that would
otherwise take people a very long time to work
out.
Big Data software algorithms are taking decision-
making to a new level, delivering solutions and
efficiencies like never before. The global Artificial
Intelligence market is forecast to exceed US$5
billion by 2020.
Father and son team Matthew Michalewicz and Dr
Zbigniew "Mike" Michalewicz, a former professor
at the University of Adelaide’s School of Computer
Science and Artificial Intelligence pioneer, started
the company in 2014 with software architect
Constantin Chiriac.
It has quickly signed up 20 companies across a
range of industries and aims to scale up to 100
clients within two years.
Customers include PFD Food Services, Liquor
Marketing Group, Leader Computers and
Coventry Group.
“The problem we identified is that companies want
to make data-driven decisions and the way they do
that is they hire data scientists, data analysts and
it is a very expensive process. So the solution is to
create a software robot that automates analytical
tasks,” Complexica Managing Director Matthew
Michalewicz said.
“Now we have the freedom to go beyond the initial
customers with something that is actually proven
and functioning in the marketplace.
“With every deployment we make the product
more scalable, we make it more robust in terms of
what it can do and how quickly it does it.”
Larry is applied to an application layer that is
problem specific – a problem could be promotions
or pricing, segmented customers or cross-
selling and up-selling. End users interact with an
application, they push a button, which then goes to
Larry to come up with an answer.
In one example, Larry helped formulate a 52-week
promotions plan for a national company with
25,000 different products sold in 1400 stores
Meet Larry:
the robotic Digital
Analyst that eats
Big Data
Andrew Spence

17. 17JULY 2016
SPECIAL FEATURE
across Australia based on the
question of what product should
be on promotion at what time
of year and at what price to
maximise profits. The plan took
into account promotional lift,
cannibalization in the category
and complementary sales.
“It (usually) takes about 30-man
days to come up with one plan
because you are dealing with
25,000 items over 1400 stores
for 52 weeks – it’s like a really
big Sudoku,” Mr Michalewicz
said.
“But in 60 seconds Larry was
able to consider about 10 million
combinations of different prices,
products, frequency, predict
how much more you will sell
with all of these combinations
and convert them into weekly
averages per state and per store.
“The number of combinations
and the number of possible
outcomes is not infinite but
it is close and no matter
how big your set of people
is it’s impossible for you to
consider everything whereas a
machine and all the computing
power that sits in the cloud
can consider things that an
organization will never have
time to consider.”
Michalewicz said Larry was best
suited to large companies that
experienced repetitive sales of
everyday items such as food,
hardware and liquor.
“Businesses that have
complexity are going to get much
greater benefits from Larry than
businesses that don’t. We define
complexity by three core things:
how big a business is;
how many products
you sell; and how many
customers do you have.”
Mr Michalewicz said
giving the product a
persona like “Larry”
made it easier for
customers to use and relate
to the product.
“You can kind of envision
that he’s a hard working guy, he
doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t drink,
he has his nose down to make
sure the work gets done but he’s
easy to relate to – you ask Larry
to help and he’s there to give you
the answers and insights to help
you succeed.”
Michalewicz escaped to New
Zealand from communist Poland
with his parents in the 1980s
before moving to the United
States and then making his way
to South Australia 12 years ago.
Complexica is the third company
co-founded by the father and
son team following the success
of NuTech Solutions and SolveIT
Software, both of which were
sold off to large multinationals.
The company employs 26 people
in Adelaide, the South Australian
capital, and is planning to open
offices in other major Australian
cities before expanding overseas
in two to five years.
Mr Michalewicz said there is
greater demand than he first
thought for data analytics, with
enormous tailwinds behind it.
“Data scientists are being bid
up in the marketplace, analytics
companies are being bought,
insight teams are being created,”
he said.
“So many people are interested
in creating analytical
environments in their
organization and it’s certainly
more attractive to have a robot
drive your analytics process
than to have 20 people you need
to hire.”
Andrew Spence is a senior writer
with The Lead, South Australia.
‘In 60 seconds Larry was
able to consider about
10 million combinations’

18. 18 JULY 2016
WHAT’S NEW IN SENSORS
b
estech now offers the new optoNCDT 1320 and
1420 laser triangulation sensors – a winner of the
prestigious Red Dot Award 2016 in the Industrial
Design category.
These sensors stand out from the rest due to their unique
design concept based on compact size, intelligent signal
processing and precision.
The optoNCDT 1320 triangulation sensor, manufactured by
Micro-Epsilon, offers maximum precision in a minimum of
space.
Low weight combined with compact size, the optoNCDT
1320 can be easily integrated into restricted installation
spaces and is ideally suitable for dynamic applications.
The optoNCDT laser sensors are based on the triangulation
measuring principle. These sensors measure displacement,
distance and position on a non-contact basis.
The controller for the sensors is integrated in the housing,
which simplifies the installation many times over.
The measuring rate of optoNCDT 1320 sensors can be
adjusted to up to 2kHz. The Auto Target Compensation
(ATC) feature enables precise control of the distance
signal regardless of target colour or brightness. Very small
objects can be detected reliably due to the small and sharply
projected measurement spot size.
Due to their excellent price/performance ratio, the sensors
are particularly suitable for high volume applications in
machine integration and factory automation.
Bestech Australia
Ph: (03) 9540 5100
www.bestech.com.au
Bestech unveils new
award winning compact
laser sensor
New optical distant
measurement
sensors
from Leuze
T
he latest distance measuring
sensor ODS 10 and HT 10 are
sensors that reliably detect
objects and measure distances with an
operating range of up to 8m (diffuse
reflex) 25m (reflective tape) with the
accuracy of 3mm resolution.
The devices have high tolerance with
respect to the angle of incidence, the
colour, surface structure and brightness
of the reflective material.
As a result, they even detect different
materials, such as wood or matt surfaces
as well as glossy metal, under varying
environmental conditions. They are also
suitable for dark (black) materials and
objects that are not aligned correctly or
are moving at a great speed.
Highly visible status indicators, large
control buttons as well as the OLED
display for step-by-step commissioning
and diagnosis at the press of a button.
The compact housing (dimensions
25x65x55mm) with integrated recesses
for M4 screws/nuts, and flexible
connections make the device easy to use
even when space is tight.
The ODSL10 series are ideal for a
broad variety of applications including
conveyor lines, packaging, printing and
warehousing.
Leuze electronic Pty Ltd
Ph: 1300 538 933
www.leuze.com.au
Reliability and accuracy …
new ODS 10 measurement
sensor

19. 19JULY 2016
WHAT’S NEW IN SENSORS
W
ith a housing size of
only 22x32x12mm
and a large working
range of up to 1000mm, the
Wenglor WinTec P1KY001
is ideal for all applications
where fast and accurate
object detection is required in
extremely tight spaces.
Despite its extremely small
size, the new transit time
sensor offers many features
allowing it to be used in complex
automation applications. It
is suitable for automated
small parts warehouses, the
automotive industry, logistics,
cold storage facilities, the
woodworking industry, and
many more applications.
Available from Treotham
Automation the sensor is
equipped with Wenglor’s
interference-free technology
WinTec, which reliably detects
all objects at a switching
frequency of 1000 Hz. It quickly
and accurately detects edges
and black or glossy objects with
high precision, even at extremely
inclined positions.
The high performance triple dot
laser offers protection against
reciprocal influence, allowing
sensors to be installed directly
next to each other. The sensors
work perfectly every time, even
in extreme temperatures from
-40°C to 50°C.
The P1KY001 sensor features
a large working range of
1000mm, two switching
outputs (antivalent) and a 270°
potentiometer, ensuring the
sensor is user-friendly.
The LED display provides
information regarding power
supply, switching status and
error diagnostics, informing
the user if the sensor may
be contaminated, has been
incorrectly mounted or has not
been properly adjusted to the
object.
Treotham Automation Pty Ltd
Ph: 02 9907 1788
www.treotham.com.au
Treotham introduces
world’s smallest
transit time sensor
Fast and accurate … Wenglor
WinTec P1KY001 sensor
Despite its extremely
small size, the
new transit time
sensor offers many
features allowing
it to be used in
complex automation
applications.

20. 20 JULY 2016
WHAT’S NEW IN SENSORS
C
hoosing the right process
technology is the key
to an efficient and
successful supply chain.
Australian manufacturers face
increasing pressure to get their
products to market on time –
and in compliance with industry
standards.
And Australian food producers
especially, need to get goods
out of their storage facilities
or warehouses and through
the supply chain as quickly and
efficiently as possible.
It is vital for Australian
manufacturers to choose
technologies they can implement
within their business that will
drive efficiencies and reduce
costs.
To maintain accuracy and
efficiency, manufacturers must
move away from manual low-
tech processes across their
supply chain.
“Automation is the key to the
future,” says George Nematian,
an expert in vision sensor
technology.
“In such a competitive consumer-
driven market it is vital for
Australian manufacturers to get
their products to retailers across
the nation,” he says.
“Technologies such as vision
sensors should be considered to
better control the end-of-the-
line manufacturing processes,
including coding, labelling and
packaging.”
Vision sensor technology
is primarily used for quality
inspections and traceability.
This is a cost-efficient solution
that not only reduces production
costs but also product liability.
“With vision sensors
manufacturers can better
monitor and control production
quality and eliminate product
recall – particularly those in the
food & beverage, pharmaceutical
and packaging industries,” says
Mr Nematian.
Checking for product defects
as goods come down the line is
definitely a more cost-efficient
method than waiting to check
the completed products at the
end of the production line, says
Mr Nematian.
“Most food lines operate at very
high speeds, he explains. “If a
defect is not
recognised, manufacturers can
lose thousands of defective
products, resulting in heavy
losses.
“Vision sensors provide
How vision sensor
technology has been a
game changer
Tim Michael
Vision sensors can help
companies to:
• Reduce waste
• Reduce failure rate
• Maintain customer
satisfaction

21. 21JULY 2016
WHAT’S NEW IN SENSORS
continuous inspection of products on a production
line, eliminating human error.”
A vision sensor can monitor fill levels, check
expiry dates as well as analysing codes and label
information.
Automated inspection not only increases
productivity, it significantly reduces waste and
ensures bad products are not distributed in the
marketplace, Mr Nematian says.
For these reasons more companies are turning to
vision technology, which delivers a quick return of
investment.
“Vision sensor technology usually
pays off within three months and
advanced vision will pay off six
months to one year in many cases,
says Mr Nematian.
“And most vision sensor users
report productivity improvements
well above 20 per cent, with
reduced labour costs and less
wastage.
“The ability of vision sensors to deliver in excess of
99 percent accuracy also means there are fewer
returns and credits to process, resulting in a much
higher level of customer satisfaction.”
Manufacturers who make an investment in
modernising their businesses with technologies,
such as vision sensors will be better positioned to
meet today’s workplace challenges.
They will also be able to get their products
to market sooner, which will support their
opportunities to grow their
bottom line.
* George Nematian is Product
Manager at Omron Electronics, a
leader in automation technology.
Omron Electronics
Ph: 1300 766 766
www.omron.com.au
‘With vision sensors
manufacturers can better
monitor and control
production quality and
eliminate product recall
– particularly those in
the food & beverage,
pharmaceutical and
packaging industries,’
says Mr. Nematian.

22. 22 JULY 2016
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
W
ork is underway on
software that aims
to use hologram
technology and LEGO-inspired
assembly to help manufacture
some of the world’s most
complex machines.
The Australian arm of global
defence and security company
Saab has partnered with
Microsoft to build a range
of ground breaking training,
education and other complex 3D
Holographic applications.
Worn as goggles by users, the
Microsoft HoloLens Platform
is the first fully untethered,
holographic computer, enabling
interaction with high definition
holograms.
Based in the South Australian
capital Adelaide, Saab Australia
is a defence, security and traffic
management solutions provider
specialising in computer-based
command and control systems.
Saab Australia Head of Training
and Simulation Inger Lawes
said the company had identified
three initial markets: its
traditional defence and security
market, the enterprise market
– primarily large corporations
wanting bespoke applications
to address a specific need – and
internal applications for the
company’s own development.
“We want to stay within our
business of defence and
security but we also want to
explore applied markets such
Bringing LEGO
simplicity
to advanced
manufacturing
Andrew Spence

23. 23JULY 2016
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
as using HoloLens to support
sophisticated manufacturing,” he
said.
“Most design work these days
is done on a computer and is
called model-based design.
What we want to do is support
model-based assembly where
the models that are designed
on a computer are represented
holographically.
Mr Lawes said, as an internal
test, the company would use a
LEGO model of the company’s
Gripen fighter jet as a starting
point to prove the value of the
technology to its assembly team
in Sweden.
“We’re going to use model-
based assembly software as the
background but we’re going to
use LEGO components,” he said.
“Everyone understands LEGO
so it is a fantastic vehicle to
demonstrate this sort of thing
and get people as enthusiastic
as we are and prove to them
that you can build things in this
environment and if we can build
it with LEGO we can do it with
everything else.”
Mr Lawes said the company
would initially focus on internal
applications for HoloLens but
would deliver something for
its first external customer in
September.
“We expect very quickly to be
able to look at this technology
to support any highly complex
assembly or design work, it
just happens that we are in
that business ourselves so the
logical thing is to start doing it
internally,” he said.
Mr Lawes said the way to think
of HoloLens was as a self-
contained high-end computer
with standard features such as
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB.
Holographic images are
projected onto the goggles’
optical lens and appear in the
field of vision about a metre
from the user’s eye.
“Most of the really complicated
things will rely on having some
sort of server or access to a
database and streaming it to the
device rather than loading it up
with a packaged application,” Mr
Lawes said.
“It just opens up an almost
infinite number of possibilities
to draw on information and have
that information rendered as a
model and just work with it.
“I’m extremely confident that
this is going to be a significant
business for us but it’s also a
significant opportunity to create
some work in South Australia.”
Mr Lawes said the leading-
edge technology would explore
“uncharted waters”.
“The way we will chart that
direction is people will come
to us and say ‘we’ve got this
idea and we’d like to use the
technology in this particular way’
and we’ll have a discussion about
that and more than likely, out of
that will pop something quite
spectacular,” he said.
“It’ll be the users by and large
who come up with the ideas.”
*Andrew Spence is editor of
The Lead, South Australia.
· · ·
‘Everyone
understands LEGO
so it’s a fantastic
vehicle’

24. 24 JULY 2016
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
I
n the industrial world today, robotic and digital
technologies, collectively known as “Industry
4.0,” are driving transformative change.
The full potential of the advances won’t be realized
for years to come. And that’s the rub.
Many people fear the new labor-saving
technologies. They know only too well that jobs
will be lost, particularly factory jobs.
They don’t seem to realize, or don’t seem to care,
that new jobs also will be created – and that on
balance there should be more new jobs than lost
jobs. But the new jobs will require different skills.
And many of today’s industrial workers don’t have
those skills.
A recent report titled Man and Machine in
Industry 4.0 prepared by global management
consulting firm BCG, examines how the
introduction of robotics and computerization will
affect some 40 job categories in 23 industries.
The report focuses on Germany, but the broader
lessons are applicable to other industrialized
nations.
The message couldn’t be clearer:
First, that greater use of digital industrial
technologies will reduce the number of traditional
assembly and production jobs. To make the
transition successfully from today’s workplace
to the workplace of 2025, companies will
“need to retrain their workforces, revamp their
organizational models, and develop strategic
approaches to recruiting and workforce planning.
Second, that the decline in assembly and
production jobs “will be more than offset” by the
creation of new jobs in industrial IT, analytics,
R&D … as well as new jobs in other corners of
the economy triggered by economic growth.
The new industrial jobs will have such titles as IT
solution architect, industrial data scientist, robot
coordinator, user interface designer.
Third, while Industry 4.0 will significantly change
the industrial landscape, making some existing jobs
obsolete while creating entirely new job families,
the factory as we know it won’t disappear entirely.
As Ingo Ruhmann, IT systems adviser to
Germany’s Ministry of Education and Research,
is quoted as saying: “Complete automation is not
Advanced
Manufacturing
will create jobs,
not kill them
Harold Sirkin
‘Complete
automation
is not realistic’

25. 25JULY 2016
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
realistic. Technology will mainly
increase productivity through
physical and digital assistance
systems, not the replacement of
human labor.”
Overall, Industry 4.0
manufacturing jobs will be less
physically demanding and less
repetitive than today’s factory
jobs, but they will require
employees to become problem
solvers, showing more flexibility
and thinking faster on their feet.
Fourth, while the workplace
changes now in progress will
reduce the number of traditional
factory jobs requiring employees
to perform simple, repetitive
tasks, the plus side for today’s
workers is that these same
changes could enable many
older workers to extend their
careers “if, for example, robotic
assistance systems support them
in physically demanding jobs or
provide step-by-step guidance
for using new machines.”
“Such assisted-work
environments,” the report’s
authors note, “will also create
opportunities for people to
return to the workforce in
entirely new roles if they lose
their jobs when their training and
experience become obsolete.”
Advanced manufacturing does
not have to be a job killer.
Just as steam power
transformed our economy in
the 19th century, and electricity
and automation powered the
growth of the economy in the
20th century, if government,
industry, education and labor
pull together, digital industrial
technology will remake the
economy once again in the 21st.
Source: Forbes

26. 26 JULY 2016
INNOVATION
d
rones carrying
hamburgers and drinks
have begun flying over a
golf course in Japan as part of a
unique drone delivery service.
Sora Raku is a drone delivery
service launched by online
shopping giant Rakuten and
Autonomous Control Systems
Laboratory (ACSL), a spin-off
of Chiba University. The first
consumer service of its kind, Sora
Raku will begin May 9, 2016 as a
month-long pilot project at a golf
course in Chiba Prefecture east of
Tokyo.
Golfers can order about 100
items, including hamburgers,
snacks and gear such as golf balls
and tees, on their smartphones
through a dedicated Android app.
A Rakuten ID is necessary to use
the app.
During a demonstration, the
Tenku drone developed by
Rakuten and ACSL took off from
an area near the clubhouse at
Camel Golf Resort and flew up
to a height of 30 meters over a
grove of trees to a landing zone.
It automatically recognized a
large “R” designating the landing
zone, landed and released a pink
box containing a burger and a
bottle of water. It didn’t seem to
be affected by gusts buffeting the
links.
The Tenku drone flew, landed
and released the package
autonomously. The six-rotor
drone can carry about 2kg and
can fly in a stable fashion in
strong wind. It has a top speed of
approximately 4m per second.
“This is the first step in the
industrial revolution of the sky,”
said ACSL President Kenzo
Nonami, an engineering professor
at Chiba University, adding that
Japan mustn’t lose out to other
countries when it comes to drones
like it did with computers and
smartphones.
“The government has started to
position the drone business as
one of the strategic industries for
Japan,” said Rakuten CEO Hiroshi
Mikitani. “It’s being surprisingly
aggressive and we are very
encouraged.”
The Tenku drone and the box it
delivers are designed with a pink
color scheme, a touch intended
to make drones less frightening,
Mikitani said. He recalled an
incident a year ago in which a
drone landed on the Japanese
prime minister’s office in a
protest against Japan’s nuclear
policies. The operator received a
suspended prison sentence and
new legislation restricting drones
was introduced.
The regulations are more lax
when it comes to sparsely
populated areas such as the
region of Chiba Prefecture that’s
home to the golf course.
Chiba is home to Narita Airport,
an international gateway for
Tokyo, and has positioned
itself at the forefront of drone
developments in Japan with a plan
to introduce drone deliveries to
high-rise residences in the next
few years.
Rakuten invested in ACSL, known
Delivery drone
tees off at Japanese
golf course
Tim Hornyak
‘The government has started
to position the drone business
as one of the strategic
industries for Japan’

27. 27JULY 2016
for its Mini Surveyor brand of
industrial drones, earlier this year,
and has yet to decide if and how it
will expand the Sora Raku service.
ACSL was also involved in Japan’s
first urban drone delivery in
which a six-rotor drone delivered
a bottle of wine to a group of
spectators at a park.
The drone delivery tests also
successfully airlifted medicine
from the ground to the rooftop
(31m off the ground) of a 10-story
apartment building.
And drone delivery is also slowly
but surely gaining traction in the
United States.
A Nevada-based startup last
year completed the first FAA-
approved urban drone delivery
in the United States, delivering
a package that included bottled
water, emergency food and a
first aid kit to a residential area in
Hawthorne, Nevada.
And Foodpanda, the world’s
largest online food delivery
platform, is also testing drone
delivery in Singapore.
Foodpanda started testing drone
delivery late last year and CEO
Ralf Wenzel says if the trials go
well, a Singapore-wide rollout
of food delivery drones could
happen in the coming years.
Tim Hornyak is a Canadian-
born freelance science and
technology journalist based
in Tokyo. This story was first
published in Robotics Trends www.
roboticstrends.com
INNOVATION

28. 28 JULY 2016
W
hile working in the mining and oil
industry, Adelaide entrepreneur Dan
Squire regularly saw the innovative use
of drones to solve long-standing issues.
But when he moved into the water industry, he was
surprised the same wasn’t being done there.
It was that realisation which led him to create
his startup, Drones over Water, which utilises
unmanned autonomous vehicles to monitor water
quality in remote locations.
The concept was recently recognised at the
Flinders University New Venture Insitute’s eNVIes
awards last week, with Squire taking out the top
prize.
He has developed a prototype drone fitted with
water sensors that can collect samples and records
data from water sources in areas difficult for
humans to access.
“In the Murray-Darling and places like that,
sometimes they can’t test billabongs and lagoons,
because it’s quite hard to get out there,” he says.
Squire says the information collected by drones
would arm the water industry with crucial
information about water quality, like the presence
of blue-green algae, and help experts know how to
best treat that water.
Drones are also less likely than boats to damage
fragile water environments.
“At the end of the day, anytime you can get
someone off a watercourse, that’s a good thing,”
Squire says.
“I’ve spoken with more than 20 CEOs and
managers, and almost every one of them has said
they think this is something that is useful and a
great idea. Those who would use it have said they
would take it on.”
Squire now plans to move on from the prototype
stage, but admits there are obstacles to be
overcome. The sensors for the drone must still be
perfected and he also has to appease aeronautical
authority regulators.
Regardless, he's already thinking about other
applications for his product.
A sailor by trade, Squire foresees drones being
used to test seawater, as well as reducing the risk
to ship workers completing dangerous jobs.
"In that world, you've got people hanging off the
sides of ships,” he says.
“Why can't you just send a drone to do that? It’ll
reduce the risk."
Drone startup
ready to test
the waters
Mark Kearney
WHAT’S NEW IN DRONES
Bright idea … Dan Squire (right) from Drones
Over Water at the eNVIes awards in Adelaide.

29. 29JULY 2016
A
ustralian consumers
may soon get the option
of having items they
purchase online delivered direct
to their doors by drones.
Australia Post is trialling the
use of remotely piloted drones
internally, with the backing
of the Civil Aviation Safety
Authority.
If the initial two-week trial
is successful, the company
hopes to trial the service with
consumers by the end of the
year.
The organisation put its new
delivery drone through its
paces at Dandenong South in
Melbourne's south-east last
month.
The new technology could
revolutionise the way parcels
are delivered – particularly in
remote regional and rural areas.
Australia Post is working
with local start-up ARI Labs,
which developed proprietary
technology for the drones,
to check their reliability and
applications.
Australia Post CEO Ahmed
Fahour said the drone trial is just
one of the innovation Australia
Post is exploring, as online
shopping continues to post
double-digit growth.
The new trial by the postal
service will initially focus
on small parcels – making it
ideal for the rapid delivery of
medications.
"E-commerce and online
shopping, it's all about customer
convenience," Mr Fahour said.
"If you were shopping
and wanted something
really quickly, what's
the best way when
you've got traffic and
a situation where you
need it right now? You
could potentially use it."
The drones would be
operated by delivery
drivers who would launch
them from a parked vehicle.
CASA, the government
body overseeing air traffic
safety, recently relaxed some
regulations for commercial
drone operators, including
the need for an operator's
certificate and a remote pilot's
licence.
The changes apply to drones
weighing less than 2kg and
come into effect at the end of
September this year.
A CASA spokesman said the
authority would identify all
relevant safety requirements to
ensure there were no risks to
people, property or aircraft.
He added CASA currently did
not approve drone operations
over populous areas, "so drones
cannot currently deliver parcels
down city or suburban streets".
Each drone has an HD camera,
a siren, parachute and lights. It
also has a video system to allow
operators to monitor the landing
environment for hazards.
Major US retailers Amazon and
Wal-Mart are also testing the
use of drones for commercial
delivery, subject to regulatory
approval.
WHAT’S NEW IN DRONES
Australia Post tests drones
for parcel delivery
The drones are
expected to cost
$10,000 each and will
allow packages up to 2kg
to be delivered over 25km.
This may be increased by
up to 10kg – subject to
certain requirements.

30. 30 JULY 2016
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
L
ate last year Omron
Electronics, a Japanese
giant specialising in
industrial automation, acquired
a 100 percent stake in Adept
Robotics – the largest supplier of
industrial robots in the US.
Omron launched the new
range in Australia at a series
of seminars in major capital
cities last month. Omron’s core
technology is electronics – most
notably controllers, safety,
vision and sensing products.
The new acquisition means
Omron can now offer clients
a total automation solution. In
this exclusive interview with
Robotics Today Omron robotics
expert Chris Probst explains how
the new purchase will benefit
Australian industry …
RT: Adept is a well-known brand
in the US, but has not had a big
presence in Australia. Can you
tell us more about the brand?
CP: Adept Technology has been
around for more than 25 years.
The company is very much a
pioneer of the robotics industry
globally. Adept offers a wide
range of intelligent vision-guided
robotics systems, autonomous
mobile robot solutions and
associated services. Their
product lines and systems
are used in many market
sectors including medical,
electronics, food and beverage,
semiconductor, packaging,
machine tool automation and
automotive.
RT: What was the main reason
for the Adept purchase?
CP: Omron globally has a very
wide automation platform,
however robotics was the
one missing link. Until now
Omron could provide the
entire automation production
line – minus a robot at the end.
With the Adept acquisition
the company can now offer a
complete automation solution.
We are probably the only
company in the world that can
do that. For customers, this
will mean one partner and one
point of contact for purchasing,
support and maintenance,
which greatly simplifies their
operations.
RT: So Adept’s robotic range is
totally compatible with Omron
automation systems?
CP: Most definitely. Adept robots
talk Omron and the control
system talks Omron – all from one
controller. Omron has developed
dedicated communication drivers
and function blocks (FBs) that
interface directly into Adept’s
controllers (which are often
embedded into the robot).
The EtherCAT or Ethernet/IP
protocol is used for this, due to
its widespread usage throughout
industrial applications.
With a new robotics range Omron
now offers total automation solution

31. 31JULY 2016
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
RT: What does the Adept
robotics range offer?
CP: Adept’s robotic portfolio
is seen as “best in class” and
includes fixed and robots.
This includes Parallel (or Delta)
robots – Hornet and Quattro –
SCARA (Selective Compliance
Articulated Robotic Arm –
Cobra, a 6 axis articulated arm
Viper and even Cartesian axes
Python. The Quattro (four-axis)
delta robot is the world’s fastest
packing and handling parallel
robot. It can do the same task as
two standard Delta robots. One
of the main advantages of using
Adept Technology is that a smart
controller is integrated into the
robot, with no need for a bulky
external controller.
RT: What are the main
applications for the fixed
robots?
CP: They are ideal for materials
handling and very high speed
packaging – pick and place.
And with new Omron-Adept
technology they can be used
for conveyor vision tracking.
Adept robots are world
renowned for their speed and
accuracy. They are reliable,
rugged and proven. Using
Omron vision controllers they
are now able to pick parts off
a moving conveyor belt ‘on
the fly’ with great accuracy
– an extremely hard task for
humans.
RT: How can Adept mobile
robots be used in industry?
CP: Unlike Automated Guided
Vehicles (AGVs), Adept
Autonomous Intelligent
Vehicles (AIVs) don’t need
much infrastructure, such as a
dedicated track to guide them.
Using safety scanners they can
automatically avoid obstacles.
Adept has been a pioneer of
AIVs and they are already being
used widely across the globe.
This includes the healthcare
sector, such as hospitals, where
they can be used to move blood
or medication around a facility
or by manufacturers on a
mobile production line. In fact,
they are ideal for any business
that needs an autonomous
operation.
RT: Is the complete range now
available in Australia?
CP: Omron Oceania has
released the full range of
Adept’s fixed robots, for the
Australian, New Zealand and
South Pacific markets in April
this year. It’s anticipated that
Omron will release Adept’s
remaining product range, such
as mobile robots (eg: “Lynx”)
later this year.
RT: Which brand name will
these products carry – Adept
or Omron?
CP: All robots are dual branded
Omron Adept to take advantage
of Omron’s name for quality
and Adept’s reputation for
innovation and reliability.
RT: What is the main
advantage of using robots in
the workplace?
CP: Increased production and
greater efficiency. Robots give
you faster throughput and
accuracy. They can operate 24/7
and never make a mistake. They
are perfect for quality control
jobs and traceability. Using
robots you can trace a product’s
history back to the point of sale.
RT: Will the rise of robots mean
a loss of jobs?
CP: Robots will never replace
the function of a human. They
are there to assist humans –
and will eventually take over
the more tedious tasks. Rather
than losing a job, it will mean a
change of roles – a higher skilled
job. It will mean workers will
be ‘re-skilled’ with higher skills.
And robots need maintenance
– they will always need people
to program them and maintain
them.

32. 32 JULY 2016
HOT PRODUCTS
T
he new igus Triflex RSE
system is a cost-effective
retraction system
for robotic arm applications,
automatically guiding energy
supply systems and supply hoses.
The extremely lightweight Triflex
RSE system automatically retracts
cables and hoses, and prevents
looping of the cable carrier. This
allows power, media and data to
be supplied safely to the end of the
robotic arm.
The RSE system is based around
the maintenance free igus DryLin
linear bearings. The cable carrier
is guided through the moving
carriage, allowing for a retraction
stroke of up to 23.6 inches. A
durable elastic cord automatically
retracts any slack, preventing loop
formation within the system.
The Triflex RSE system features
integrated adjustable attachment
plates, allowing the system to
be mounted close to the robot,
making it a space saving and
affordable solution.
Triflex RSE was designed for use
with the Triflex R line of cable
carriers from igus, which are
available in a variety of styles and
diameters.
A large range of mounting options
are also available, allowing the
system to be fitted to a variety of
robot models.
Treotham Automation
Ph: 02 9907 1788
www.treotham.com.au
T
urck, a global leader in
industrial automation
technology, has introduced
the TBEN-L Ethernet spanner,
which provides customers with a
robust protocol converter.
This new technology is a much
needed solution for applications
dealing with multiple protocols on
the same network.
The TBEN-L Ethernet
spanner capitalizes on Turck’s
multiprotocol technology and
serves as an easy way to link
multiple Ethernet networks
together – even networks that
speak different protocols. Its
master to master data exchange
allows PLCs to exchange data
easily.
By utilizing Turck’s multiprotocol
Ethernet technology and the
embedded Ethernet switch,
the device can allow isolated
networks to pass data between
them (up to 256 bytes), even if
the networks are on different
Ethernet subnets or using
different protocols such as
Modbus TCP, PROFINET or
EtherNet/IP.
Additionally, by utilizing the
isolated Ethernet network,
the TBEN Ethernet spanner
offers the ability to setup
a NAT (Network Address
Translation) router for up to 5
IP addresses. The devices also
include an embedded webserver
for a streamlined setup and
configuration process.
The TBEN-L spanner offers 16
digital inputs that are available to
both networks and allows data
transfer speeds of up to 100
megabits per second.
Additionally, the spanner comes
in a glass-fiber reinforced housing
with fully potted electronics and
offers an IP65, IP67, or IP69K
rated housing.
Turck Australia
Ph: 1300 132 566
www.turck.com.au
Treotham’s
safe retraction
system for
industrial robots
Cost effective solution, new igus
Triflex RSE system.
Turck’s new Ethernet spanner is a real
game changer
Much needed solution… Turck’s
TBEN-L Ethernet spanner

33. 33JULY 2016
HOT PRODUCTS
S
hanghai-based DIY robot
company DFRobot is
hoping its latest pet-like
toy robot called Antbo can
help breed a new generation of
engineers.
For the new generation,
learning to code will be almost
as important as learning to read.
But most five-year-olds aren't
interested in staring at lines of
code.
Enter Antbo – a learning
robot that makes things more
interesting.
It looks like an ant, is simple to
program and can teach kids to
learn to code while they play
with it.
"We believe in the philosophy
of learning through play …
Seeing an ant-shaped robot
come to life is definitely more
interesting than reading code
on a computer screen," Ricky
Ye, CEO of DFRobot, told Fast
Company.
Younger children can use visual
programming tools like Scratch
to make simple commands, like
telling the robot to follow lines
on the ground, react to a voice,
or even simulate emotions.
Once kids are old enough to
code traditionally, they can also
program the robot with Arduino
IDE. Advanced users can 3-D
print custom shells for the toy.
"We believe kids can benefit a
lot from robotics, by identifying
their own challenges, learning
how stuff works, solving
new problems, motivating
themselves to complete a
project, working together,
inspiring others, and sharing
with others," says Ye.
The robot is designed to feel as
alive as possible.
"Antbo is more like an organic
creature," says Ye. "Our
engineers have studied each
kind of walking robot's gait from
the point of insect bionics and
designed a six-footed walking
mechanism … He can respond
to the surrounding environment
and various stimulus."
With 30 neurons for different
"feelings," the robot can learn
simple movements and habits
based on the preferences of
the user. As a pet-like toy, it's
designed to stay interesting
enough for kids to want to play
with it over time.
And it's not the only robot
aimed at developing coding
skills in very young children.
A group of roboticists from
Harvard's Wyss Institute has
also developed a robot can
teach kids how to code.
It's controlled by a tablet app
that can switch between a basic
and an advanced UI.
This is another fun way to get a
child’s full, undivided attention.
Known as Root, this small
hexagonal robot is designed to
ignite their interest in coding.
Root was designed to crawl
on a white board, using the
markers and erasers it carries
on command.
Kids can control it by
moving icons around in its
accompanying app called Square
(get it?).
They simply have to make if-
then statements using the icons,
so even very young children can
make the robot draw doodles
and erase them afterwards.
‘Most five-year-olds
aren't interested in
staring at lines of code’
Fun ways to learn … Antbo from DF Robot and Harvard’s Root robot.
This cute robot can
teach toddlers to code

34. 34 JULY 2016
P
rosthetic and therapeutic
robotic devices will grow
into a US$1.9 billion and
US$1.7 billion market by 2025
respectively, according to a new
report.
Lux Research, which compiled
the report, predicts the boom
will come as an aging global
population demands better
quality of life and superior
performance.
Predictably, the largest markets
for the prosthetic robotics
devices – such as bionic arms
and legs – will be in developed
countries – mainly Europe and
the US.
But China will comprise nearly
one-third of the total 2025
market, more than any other
country.
Therapeutic robotics – devices
that help a range of conditions
from strokes to spinal cord
injuries – are less sensitive to
the availability of insurance
reimbursement, so most of this
market will be from sales to
centralised rehabilitation centres.
“Robotics is rapidly entering the
future of healthcare as a tool that
will enable more advanced and
personalised care for millions
of patients,” said Lux research
analyst Maryanna Saenko.
“As longevity increases, more
people are demanding better
rehabilitative care. The rapid
rise in patient numbers degrades
medical providers’ ability and
further stresses the need for
more robotic technologies to
assist in treatment,” she said.
Ms Saenko is the lead author of
the report titled: Automating
the road to recovery: How the
rehabilitation robotics market
is changing the future of health
care.
Global life expectancy has risen
to 78.7 years, compared to 75.4
in 1990. Additionally, the number
of people aged 65 or over is
projected to rise to nearly two
billion in 2050. This will raise
the population of those with
debilitating diseases requiring
rehabilitative care.
According to Lux Research, the
number of patients needing
rehabilitative robotics is on the
rise.
The number of stroke survivors is
increasing worldwide along with
survivors of spinal cord injuries.
Lux Research predicts huge
opportunities for device
integrators.
The therapeutics market
lacks existing infrastructure,
making it a fertile ground for
new technologies despite
challenges arising from medical
reimbursement.
“An even larger opportunity
exists for device integrators
because profit margins are
significantly higher than for
makers of finished products in
the medical devices industry,”
said Lux Research in a press
release.
Huge global growth
predicted in
prosthetic and
therapeutic
robotics market
ROBONEWS
The number of
patients needing
rehabilitative
robotics is on the rise.

35. 35JULY 2016
EVENTS
LOCAL INTERNATIONAL
CemAT Australia 2016
hrI 2016 - 11Th ACm/Ieee
InTernATIonAL ConferenCe on
humAn-roboT InTerACTIon
2016 ChInA InTernATIonAL roboT
ShoW (CIro)
ISArC 2016
33rd InTernATIonAL SymPoSIum
on AuTomATIon And roboTICS In
ConSTruCTIon (ISArC 2016)
AuVSI STArTuP ConneCTIon
AuTomATed VehICLeS SymPoSIum
nV InnoVATe 2016
CXo dISruPT 2016
eLeCTroneX 2016
eLeCTronICS deSIgn And ASSembLy eXPo
Where: Melbourne Convention
& Exhibition Centre
Ph: 02 9280 3400
www.cemat.com.au
Where: National Exhibition and Convention
Centre, Shanghai
emAIL: mark.chen@ciros.com.cn
www.en.ciros.com.cn
Where: Auburn University, Alabama
Organised by members of the International
Association for Automation and Robotics in
Construction (IAARC).
www.auburn.edu
Where: Hilton San Francisco Union Square
San Francisco, US
orgAnISer: AUVSI Foundation
emAIL: meetings@auvsi.org
www.auvsi.org
Where: Hilton San Francisco Union Square
San Francisco, US
orgAnISer: AUVSI Foundation
emAIL: lvoss@auvsi.org
www.auvsi.org
Where: Inter Continental Melbourne,
The Rialto
Ph: 1800 027 408
www.vmware.com/go/NSXConference
Where: Dockside, Cockle Bay Wharf, Sydney
Ph: 02 9358 4274
www.cxodisrupt.com.au
Where: Australian Technology Park, Sydney
Ph: 03 9676 2133
www.electronex.com.au
JULY 12-14 JULY 6-9
JULY 18-21
JULY 18
JULY 19-21
JULY 28
AUGUST 23
SEPTEMBER 14-15