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August 2007 | |
| KUKA ROBOT GROUP NEWSLETTER |
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Early July was once again an exciting time for all followers of robotic soccer - from school pupils and students to research and development teams - as the RoboCup World Championship was held in Atlanta. And the interest was not just in who would win. The RoboCup is a unique platform for exchanging creative ideas on a wide range of topics and actively contributing to the on-going development of robotics. At the same time, the international event also offers excellent training opportunities for schools and universities. All of these were important reasons for KUKA to contribute to the success of the event as Premier Sponsor.
Robotic soccer represents one of the central technical challenges in the industry: the autonomous robot. Even service robots are no longer just a vision. They must take in changing situations quickly, make appropriate decisions and cooperate and communicate with the people in their surroundings. Research establishments are currently working on the development of such service robots on the basis of the KUKA Lightweight Robot. The soccer field is clearly a good choice as a test field: if it is possible to develop robots that can play soccer together with humans, then these robots can also perform other tasks together with humans. By the way, Stuart Shepherd, the president of our American subsidiary, ably demonstrated at the opening event of the RoboCup that it is already getting more difficult to beat a robot at soccer. He had to work extremely hard before finally getting one past the keeper of the Brainstormers Tribots team (University of Osnabrück), which successfully retained its world championship title this year. Our summary: robotics has taken yet another major step forwards. Find out more for yourself in the current edition of our newsletter.
We hope you enjoy our newsletter!
Martin Sträb
Chief Operating Officer, KUKA Roboter GmbH
Feel free to pass this newsletter on to your colleagues, who can register here.
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| COMPANY NEWS |
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| PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS |
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| INDUSTRY NEWS |
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| FAIRS AND EVENTS |
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IWKA AG is now called KUKA AG
IWKA, the parent company of KUKA Roboter GmbH which the British subsidiary company KUKA Robotics UK Limited belongs, is now called KUKA AG. KUKA AG leads KUKA's operations worldwide. The company has its headquarters in Augsburg (Germany). The CEO of KUKA Roboter GmbH, Bernd Liepert, is a Member of the Executive Board of the new company.
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KUKA @ RoboCup: A meeting of two worlds
Leadership in innovation requires commitment. This is why KUKA Roboter was more than happy to support the RoboCup World Championship in Atlanta, USA, as Premier Sponsor. Robotic soccer boosts developments in Personal Service Robotics, which in turn provides industrial robotics with pioneering impulses. KUKA showcased its Lightweight Robot, impressing Georgia's Commissioner of Economic Development, Ken Stewart. Read our review.
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Used robots as an environmental concept - British company wins price
A project being carried out by the Augsburg-based environmental institute bifa on behalf of the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection (StMUGV) aims at reducing environmental impact by means of an integrated product policy (IPP) concept. As part of this project, bifa conducted a survey for KUKA on the topic of used robots. As an incentive to take part in the survey, a used robot worth 20,000 euro was raffled among all the participants. The happy winner: British company Albon PLC.
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World Tractor Tour: Arrival in Australia
Matthias Lause and the Claas World Tractor Tour team have now reached Sydney. One thing has become apparent since the start of the journey in Germany: it is no easy feat to circle the globe in a tractor and raise money for a children's aid project in Lesotho. However, Matthias Lause, with his CLAAS ARES 697 ATZ tractor, has already managed to raise 15,000 euro. And the journey continues - with sponsor KUKA helping wherever it can. We shall keep you up to date. Our tip: read the fascinating reports of the journey.
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Review: In-house show in France
Positive feedback for the fifth in-house trade fair at the French subsidiary of KUKA Roboter. Numerous customers and partners made the most of the recent opportunity to become more familiar with 16 robots from the overall range. The spectrum ranged from small robots to the agile KR 180-2 with complete welding equipment. In an accompanying conference, visitors were able to receive in-depth information about KUKA robots in four parallel sessions. One aspect: cleanroom robots.
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These customers put their faith in KUKA
Would you like to know which major companies in your sector rely on solutions from KUKA Roboter? Information is available from the KUKA reference database.
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Find out more: KUKA KR 1000 titan
It is the strongest and biggest 6-axis robot on the market. KUKA unveiled it recently at the GIFA trade fair. With a payload of up to 1,000 kilograms, it is used primarily in the glass, foundry, building materials and automotive industries.
Find out more about the youngest member of the KUKA product family.
Did you know that the KUKA titan has already found its way into the Guinness Book of Records?
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KUKA's smart software boosts snack packing system
KUKA has developed an innovative software control system which has boosted the efficiency of palletising boxes of snacks at KP Foods' factory in Billingham, Cleveland.
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Intelligent robots in the bending cell
MULTIBEND-CENTER is the name of the bending center from German company RAS Reinhardt Maschinenbau for flexible sheet-metal working. Two KUKA robots load and unload this bending system in a state-of-the-art production line. The robots, with their integrated intelligence, communicate with the cell control computer and the CNC program of the machine. Result: full automation of operations, from the high-bay warehouse and the bending process to the unloading of finished parts onto a pallet.
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K 2007 Düsseldorf
The world market of the plastics and rubber industry is being showcased in Düsseldorf once again from 24 to 31 October. More than 2,900 exhibitors will be presenting their latest developments for all branches of industry at this flagship fair. The products exhibited range from standard raw materials to custom-tailored tools. They include modules for optimum production conditions, ranging from raw materials to machines and systems, and even complex solutions for various industries. As always, KUKA Roboter will be present at this year's K fair with a booth of its own - Hall 11, Booth no. D04 - with its globally proclaimed robotic solutions for the plastics industry.
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INTERESTING LINKS | |
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British Automation and Robotics Association (BARA)
BARA (formerly known as the British Robot Association) provides a voice for the Robotics and Automation Industries, when dealing with government, industry, financial and academic institutions. The aim of the BARA is to promote the use of, and assist in the development of Automation in British industry.
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EUnited Robotics
EUnited Robotics is the new European Robotics Association. Members are robot manufacturers and system integrators creating a network of the industry leaders in Europe. EUnited Robotics is also a cooperation platform between all stakeholders - from research institutes to national associations and customers.
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International Federation of Robotics
The purpose of the International Federation of Robotics is to promote research, development, use and international cooperation in the entire field of robotics and to act as a focal point for organizations and government representatives in activities related to robotics.
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Robotic Industries Association
The official site of the Robotic Industries Association (RIA) and its corporate members .With more than 60,000 user sessions per month, Robotics Online is the world's number-one Internet resource for industrial robotics.
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Imprint
You can access the KUKA homepage here. | |