The hardest data for managers and engineers in charge of the design and implementation of robot systems to acquire is also the most valuable: case studies detailing best current practice and the return on investment actually achieved. It has been a major goal of the British Robot Association, among other professional groups, to organise meetings where such case studies are presented and discussed between members; but the obvious restrictions of commercial confidentiality lead to considerable difficulty, especially in relation to the best recent installations. The authors of this book have been in the uniquely privileged position of lecturing in the Cambridge University Production Engineering Tripos, a course specially organised in conjunction with a number of leading companies applying robots and automation. Actual case studies from these companies form an important part of the course, making this book that has emerged from it a uniquely important addition to our Open University Press series.

"Industrial Robots: Design, Applications and Technology is an essential reference source that explores the fundamentals of kinematics, dynamics and industrial robot control as well as a new generation of industrial robots, the collaborative robots or cobots. The tendency in Industry 4.0 towards the mass customisation of products, shorter product cycles and quality demands has led to the introduction of collaborative robot's systems capable of learning and working hand-in-hand with humans. Collaborative robots in the industry target the enhancement of production efficiency by combining the best of human operators and the industrial robots' accuracy, speed and reliability. The advances in smart sensors, artificial intelligence, digital twin, cyber-physical systems and the adoption of exoskeletons in industrial applications have opened new possibilities for technological progress in manufacturing, which led to efficient and flexible factories. This requires individuals to be educated in trends that are now focused on the design, monitoring and control of smart production processes. Featuring coverage on a wide range of topics such as new trends in human-robot collaboration, advanced vision technology and artificial intelligence, as well as application of industry robots in metal and wood industry, this book is ideally designed for electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, manufacturers, supply chain managers, logistics specialists, investors, managers, policymakers, production scientists, researchers, academicians and students at the postgraduate level"--

Master the principles and practices of industrial robotics Written by a pair of technology experts and accomplished educators, this comprehensive resource provides a solid foundation in applied industrial robotics and robot technology. You will get straightforward explanations of the latest components, techniques, and capabilities along with practical examples and detailed illustrations. The book takes a look at the entire field of robotics―from design and production to deployment, operation, and maintenance. Valuable appendices provide information on specific robot models, pendants, and controllers. Robots and Robotics: Principles, Systems and Industrial Applications covers: • Robot and robotics fundamentals • Identification of components • Robot parts and robotic motion capabilities • Programs, programming languages, and microprocessors • Drive systems, pumps, motors, and sensors • Control methods • Industrial applications • Specifications and capabilities • Troubleshooting and maintenance • Emerging technologies and the future of robotics

Industrial Robots Programming focuses on designing and building robotic manufacturing cells, and explores the capabilities of today’s industrial equipment as well as the latest computer and software technologies. Special attention is given to the input devices and systems that create efficient human-machine interfaces, and how they help non-technical personnel perform necessary programming, control, and supervision tasks. Drawing upon years of practical experience and using numerous examples and illustrative applications, J. Norberto Pires covers robotics programming as it applies to: The current industrial robotic equipment including manipulators, control systems, and programming environments. Software interfaces that can be used to develop distributed industrial manufacturing cells and techniques which can be used to build interfaces between robots and computers. Real-world applications with examples designed and implemented recently in the lab. Industrial Robots Programming has been selected for indexing by Scopus. For more information about Industrial Robotics, please find the author's Industrial Robotics collection at the iTunesU University of Coimbra channel.

THE REAL THING by Isaac Asimov Back in 1939, when I was still a teenager, I began to write (and publish) a series of stories about robots which, for the first time in science fiction, were pictured as having been deliberately engineered to do their job safely. They were not intended to be creaky Gothic menaces, nor outlets for mawkish sentiment. They were simply well-designed machines. Beginning in 1942, I crystallized this notion in what I called 'The Three Laws of Robotics' and, in 1950, nine of my robot stories were collected into a book, I, Robot. I did not at that time seriously believe that I would live to see robots in action and robotics becoming a booming industry .... Yet here we are, better yet, I am alive to see it. But then, why shouldn't they be with us? Robots fulfil an important role in industry. They do simple and repetitive jobs more steadily, more reliably, and more uncomplainingly than a human being could - or should. Does a robot displace a human being? Certainly, but he does so at a job that, simply because a robot can do it, is beneath the dignity of a human being; a job that is no more than mindless drudgery. Better and more human jobs can be found for human beings - and should.

Industrial internet of things (IIoT) is changing the face of industry by completely redefining the way stakeholders, enterprises, and machines connect and interact with each other in the industrial digital ecosystem. Smart and connected factories, in which all the machinery transmits real-time data, enable industrial data analytics for improving operational efficiency, productivity, and industrial processes, thus creating new business opportunities, asset utilization, and connected services. IIoT leads factories to step out of legacy environments and arcane processes towards open digital industrial ecosystems. Innovations in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Smart Factory is a pivotal reference source that discusses the development of models and algorithms for predictive control of industrial operations and focuses on optimization of industrial operational efficiency, rationalization, automation, and maintenance. While highlighting topics such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, and data collection, this book is ideally designed for engineers, manufacturers, industrialists, managers, IT consultants, practitioners, students, researchers, and industrial industry professionals.

Presents the current state-of-the-art of robotics & potential future applications for the following: glass industry, food & pharmaceutical industries, footwear industry, wood products industry, brick industry, electronics industry, electric utilities, textile industry.