Oct. 15, 2008 -- The 16-month reign of the world's strongest robot -- the KUKA Titan -- has been overthrown by Michigan-based Fanuc Robotics' M-2000iA/1,200.
"We've got a new challenger," joked Mike Beaupre of Germany-based KUKA. "The robot wars have begun."
The two robots aren't mere muscle-bound brutes. Both posses artificial intelligence systems and sensors that enable them to make independent decisions while twirling a car chassis or, in KUKA's case, your kids, in mid-air.
Both the Titan and the M-2000iA were originally designed to lift and position machinery for spot welding, assembly and other industrial functions. The Titan's nine motors can lift nearly a ton of metal more than 13 feet into the air. Before the Titan, it would have taken two robots working in sync to manipulate, for instance, a tractor body or airplane frame.
The M-2000iA can raise 2,645 pounds 20 feet into the air. It's also equipped with video cameras and touch-sensitive "fingers."
Related Content:
"We could roll a pipe across a table top, and the robot could track it, pick it up, and move it to a new location," said Richard Johnson of Fanuc Robotics. "The artificial intelligence gives the robot the ability to adapt to new environments and new situations."
Both robots have six axes of movement. Three axes move the robot arm, and three manipulate whatever object the "hand" is holding.
KUKA and Fanuc representatives describe those six axes as equivalent to a human waist, shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers. The Titan is even more flexible than a human shoulder; like a contortionist, it can even bend over backwards.
All this power costs money. While Johnson won't provide specific pricing details, he does say that a smaller, less powerful model, the R-2000cB, is roughly $85,000. The M-2000iA will cost several times that. The Titan costs between $225,000 and $230,000.
Despite the price tag, the robots help factories reduce costs and increase productivity, their makers say. If customers suddenly prefer one car model more than another, the factory can simply install new software in a robot designed for flexibility rather than replacing the specific hardware needed for each model.
The robots also increase human safety by removing workers from risky areas, such as pouring molten metal into castings to make engine blocks.
Replacing humans with robots might not sit well with those who stand to lose their jobs, but Johnson says not to worry. "The robots still need technicians to monitor and repair them when they break," he said.
When programmed correctly, the robots are so safe that you could strap a human to the end of one, he added. Two humans, in fact.
KUKA added two seats, a hood, and a 20-inch flat screen to its 1,100-pound model to create the Robocoaster. The only Robocoaster in the United States is at Legoland in Carlsbad, Calif. KUKA plans to equip the larger Titan with a similar "entertainment" package.
As to the ousted champion, Johnson said Fanuc could build a bigger, stronger robot, but only if they could sell it to customers. Beaupre said KUKA has no plans to develop a robot stronger than the M-2000iA.
"The title isn't everything," said Beaupre. "We have a robot to sell as well."
Related Links:
our sites
video
mobile
shop
stay connected
corporate
