Robotics has been around for decades and forever changed professions, companies, and industries around the world, delivering enhanced efficiency, precision and reliability, minimising financial drawbacks and operations difficulties that often stem from human error, according to Konica Minolta.
“Today, people coexist with robots and the relationship is one that allows us streamline responsibilities enhance capabilities and provides more time to strive toward innovation and greatness. This is seen around the world with some industries benefiting from their relationships with robots,” Konica Minolta innovation product marketing manager, Matthew Hunter said.
“The impact of robotics has been so significant that, depending on the industry, robotics is no longer an innovation but the difference between business success or failure.”
There are two key industries that have been revolutionised by robots:
Manufacturing
Like the delivery and distribution sector, manufacturing was previously dominated by production lines of human workers who were required to maintain a high level of care and consistency to ensure the quality of the final manufactured product.
The industry was revolutionised when machines were introduced to the production line, proving that tasks can be done without stopping or mistakes, essentially guaranteeing increased output, quality, and profits. Robotics has played such a pivotal role in manufacturing that a spot-welding robotic arm or a product packaging machine is almost archaic. The industry is focused on fully automated factories that are run by robots that determine output by algorithms and machine learning.
Delivery and distribution
Warehouses that were once run by clipboards, forklifts, and manual labour have now streamlined item logistics thanks to robots. From product loading and unloading to packing and sorting, warehouse robotics add value to warehousing operations by automating the execution of menial, repetitive tasks, letting human workers focus on more complicated tasks.
For example, item transportation within a warehouse no longer requires someone to manoeuvre a heavy trolley around hazards. Instead, mobile industrial robots can automate the internal transportation of heavy loads and pallets with greater cost effectiveness and an increased ability to withstand dust particles and fluids. These types of robots handle labour-intensive tasks that can often lead to fatigue, which may lead to injury or lapses in judgment, and can complete tasks that would have perhaps taken days in a matter of hours.