Four robotic applications that benefit from artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are growing together, and several manufacturing applications such as assembly and packaging are benefiting from AI's developments.

By Robotic Industries Association (RIA) September 18, 2018

Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are a powerful combination for automating tasks inside and outside of the factory setting. In recent years, AI has become an increasingly common presence in robotic solutions, introducing flexibility and learning capabilities in previously rigid applications.

While AI is still in its nascent stages, it’s been a transformative technology for some applications in the manufacturing sector, although there are many that have yet to feel the impact.

In today’s global manufacturing sector, these four applications have deployed and used AI effectively.

1. Assembly

AI is a highly useful tool in robotic assembly applications. When combined with advanced vision systems, AI can help with real-time course correction, which is particularly useful in complex manufacturing sectors like aerospace. AI can also be used to help a robot learn on its own which paths are best for certain processes while it’s in operation.

2. Packaging

Robotic packaging uses forms of AI frequently for quicker, lower cost and more accurate packaging. AI helps save certain motions a robotic system makes, while constantly refining them, which makes installing and moving robotic systems easy enough for anybody to do.

3. Customer service

Robots are now being used in a customer service capacity in retail stores and hotels around the world. Most of these robots leverage AI natural language processing abilities to interact with customers in a more human way. Often, the more these systems can interact with humans, the more they learn.

4. Open-source robotics

A handful of robotic systems are now being sold as open source systems with AI capability. This way, users can teach their robots to do custom tasks based on their specific application, such as small-scale agriculture. The convergence of open source robotics and AI could be a huge trend in the future of AI robots.

AI and robots are a powerful automation solution. When working together, robots are smarter, more accurate and more profitable. AI has yet to come close to reaching its full potential, but as it advances, so will robotics.

This article originally appeared on the Robotics Online Blog. Robotic Industries Association (RIA) is a part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

Original content can be found at www.robotics.org.