Thursday 22 September 2022

TOP 5 ADVANCES IN AUTOMATION

 Automation is picking up quickly as technology rapidly develops, and things we did not think were possible even ten years ago are suddenly possible. Here are our top five picks for the biggest advances happening in automation in 2022.

3D PRINTING IN MANUFACTURING FOR FINISHED COMPONENTS

3D Printers have come a long way since their start in 1988. Originally, they were intended for only rapid prototyping. Now, they can be used for creating finished parts in manufacturing and even 3D printing actual homes like “ House Zero ” from ICON. Of course, today’s 3D printers still have a long way to go in refining their processes, but they have made a ton of progress just in the past couple of decades.

SELF-DRIVING CARS

Big tech companies like Tesla and Google have been designing and producing driverless car technology. According to Investopedia, In 2050, self-driving cars are expected to create approximately $800 billion worth of opportunities for automakers and technology developers, said a report by Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE). High-resolution machine vision cameras and LiDar technology capable of sensing objects and people around the car will be the key to unlocking the winner of this Full Self Driving (FSD) / autonomous vehicle race between the big tech companies of the world.

24-HOUR MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS

Industrial robots can operate 24/7, performing repeatable and tiresome processes. Additionally, the expensive parts typically associated with industrial robots have dropped compared with human labor in the past two decades. This allows manufacturers to achieve higher productivity and efficiency without additional labor costs.

FINE-TUNING CAPABILITIES

Industrial robots are now equipped with further sensing, measurement, and process-control receivers that help to guide increasingly dexterous machines. The sensors in robots today can sense touch, lights, pressure, temperature, vibration, humidity, sounds, and more.

‘SEMANTIC AUTOMATION’ REVOLUTIONIZES ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION (RPA)

Currently, automation developers must tell robots what to do step-by-step: “Move this, open that, bring this…” so even in drag-and-drop, low-code environments, building intricate automation can be complicated.

But semantic automation lets developers move away from rules-based approaches. Semantic software robots use AI to simply observe activity and begin to match it without step-by-step instructions. They will recognize the process, understand what data is required, know where to get it, and where to move it.

With all the new developments in automation and robotics, it is just as important that each system features the best machine vision optics. Data flows from the lens first, and Computar’s Machine Vision lenses come in multiple sizes, focal lengths, and with convenient capabilities perfect for automation and robotic applications.

TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HIGH RESOLUTION CAMERA DISTRIBUTOR IN MUMBAI INDIA, CONTACT MENZEL VISION AND ROBOTICS PVT LTD OR CALL US AT (+ 91) 22 35442505 OR EMAIL US AT INFO@MVRPL.COM


Thursday 1 September 2022

HOW AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS ARE CHANGING THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY

 In recent years, the agricultural industry is increasingly—and unsurprisingly—turning to robotics, automation, and AI to increase productivity and efficiency. Without robotics, traditional farming methods struggle to keep up. In addition, many farmers are suffering to find an adequate workforce. The need for automated farming has never been more urgent. Here are the top 10 ways automation and robotics are changing the industry.


1. AUTONOMOUS PLANTING

Nurseries can be the first step in the food journey for many crops. Nursery automation solutions are used for intelligent seeding, planting, potting, and plant inspection. In addition, mobile bots can move plants through each stage of development, then be used for harvesting, packaging, and palletizing.

2. SEEDING

The traditional method for sowing seeds uses a "broadcast spreader" attached to a tractor, throwing the seeds while the tractor is in motion. This method is inefficient and wasteful.

With machine vision, farmers use geomapping and "agrobots" for autonomous precision seeding. First, the geomapping generates a map with the field's soil properties (quality, density, etc.). Then, a tractor with a robotic-seeding attachment places the seeds at varied locations and depths to optimize germination.

3. CROP MONITORING

Farmers can collect real-time data autonomously and continuously to analyze their fields using IoT sensors, ground robots, and drones.

4. CROP ANALYSIS

Machine vision combined with deep learning algorithms can detect soil conditions, analyze aerial views of the agricultural land, and assess crop health based on geo-sensing information.

In addition, ground-based robots can provide detailed monitoring by getting closer to the crops.

5. FERTILIZING AND IRRIGATION

By targeting specific plants, robot-assisted irrigation can reduce wasted water. Robots can access areas where other machines cannot and autonomously navigate between rows of crops, then selectively water the plants where it is most needed.

6. CROP WEEDING AND SPRAYING

Robots are efficient for targeted spraying of pesticides and weed killers onto crops. In addition, "micro-spraying" significantly reduces the amount of herbicide used. This is less wasteful and is kinder to the environment. There are also weeding robots that use lasers to kill weeds.

According to Vietnam National University, micro-spraying robots use machine vision technology to detect weeds and target them with needed herbicides.

7. THINNING AND PRUNING

Pruning can be complex. The winemaking industry currently uses autonomous vineyard robots to prune grape vines. The robots create 3D models and identify what needs pruning. Intelligent software then directs the robot where to cut. Some pruning robots use a spinning cutting tool to ensure precision and use AI to learn the specific parts to prune by reviewing examples. Machine vision then detects which plants to keep and which to remove.

8. AUTONOMOUS TRACTORS

It is now more commonplace for tractors to be equipped with robotics. However, there are also fully-autonomous tractors using machine vision. Autonomous tractors can gather, identify, and sort crops. Autonomous harvesting helps farmers reduce costs and increase efficiency.

9. SHEPHERDING AND HERDING

Although most agricultural robots are currently applied in crop growing, some applications are used for sheep and cattle farming. For example, using barking drones, robotic herding systems have been developed to herd animals without human input. The rapid development of this automated technology can also be used for monitoring, protecting, and conserving animal individuals or species.

10. INSPECTION AND SORTING

Using SWIR (Short-Wave Infra-Red) lenses, machine vision provides strong contrast and high-resolution imaging needed for agricultural sorting and inspection. Hyperspectral imaging can provide valuable information, including the size, shape, color, and even the chemical composition (ripeness, fungal content, decay, etc.) of the objects being inspected.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Over the past few decades, there has been an enormous expansion of automation, machine vision, and robotics in the agricultural industry. The advancements in robotic crop farming, monitoring, analysis, harvesting, weed control, and more, will continue to revolutionize agriculture and prove to be more efficient and beneficial for both the farmer and the consumer.

When setting up these automated vision systems, lens choice is vital. That makes the machine vision lens choice one of the most impactful decisions that affect how well your system will work for you.


TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MACHINE VISION LENS DISTRIBUTORS IN MUMBAI INDIA, CONTACT MENZEL VISION AND ROBOTICS PVT LTD OR CALL US AT (+ 91) 22 35442505 OR EMAIL US AT INFO@MVRPL.COM