Robots Are Learning to
Handle With Care
Photo: Soft Robotics
Just Born Quality Confections, the maker of the famous Peeps candy, is implementing a robot with "squishy" like fingers that will send their production over the top. The company every year makes about two billion of the brightly colored marshmallow treats! This year they plan to make that number sky rocket with the robot implementation.
In August, the candy makers will install 16 factory robots. These robots will be like the video above.. having blue finger like prongs to be able to pick up and hold the marshmallows without bruising them up. These "robot-grippers" made by Soft Robotics Inc., is apart of the robotics movement today.
Project engineer, Brent Edsoren stated "We need something like the human hand". This is just what the company was aiming for. As some companies are already ahead of the game with robotics in their factories, others are just beginning to test the technology out.
Gripping and Handling
Venture-capital investment in robotics companies
focused on warehouses, where robots that can better grip and grasp could be especially useful.
Soft robotics is a "game-changer". In a way, going soft allows machines to do more with less information. These grippers are controlled by air pressure and are able to cram and wiggle their way into places that are hard to reach and would otherwise be impossible if we didn't have this "soft-grip" technology.
Flexibility and Speed
The soft hands Just Born is currently using is only able to handle certain types of the Peeps, such as the Christmas trees and bunnies. this is because they're easier to grip than the chick-shapped varieties because of the flatness. As of now, this is why they must be picked up by hand. Productivity is reduced by switching between the two. The advantage to switching to the advanced soft grippers is "flexibility as well as speed". The company also expects to "have fewer rejects on the line due to handling damage" Randall Copeland, from Just Born adds.
I chose this article because I think the upcoming "robot" industry is coming into full effect. The talk about robots replacing jobs has been talked about for years but I believe with the technology we've acquired & the things the robots are capable of, it would be the most efficient for companies to implement the robot technology. I think that the robots would be listed under the Product section of the target market. Because its still new they aren't able to solely rely on the robots but they are implementing it with the few types of Peeps candies. The robots products are literally taking over as a human hand and if they can get them into the industry fully, it could be a game changer!
What are your thoughts on the robot workers?
I chose this article because I think the upcoming "robot" industry is coming into full effect. The talk about robots replacing jobs has been talked about for years but I believe with the technology we've acquired & the things the robots are capable of, it would be the most efficient for companies to implement the robot technology. I think that the robots would be listed under the Product section of the target market. Because its still new they aren't able to solely rely on the robots but they are implementing it with the few types of Peeps candies. The robots products are literally taking over as a human hand and if they can get them into the industry fully, it could be a game changer!
What are your thoughts on the robot workers?
Photo by: Ocado Technology
Hernandez, Daniela. “Robots Are Learning to Handle With Care.” Wall Street Journal , 11 Mar. 2018, www.wsj.com/articles/robots-are-learning-to-handle-with-care-1520820240.
It is so shocking how robots are really replacing humans in the workplace. For producers it is better because production is cheaper, but for the workers, it is so unfortunate that they are out of a job. It is true that this is how firms can make more money and displays how the marketing strategy was improved by implementing robots that can produce products at cheaper prices. This was very interesting to read about... you learn something new everyday!
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