Intriguing ApplicationsRobots: Armed with intelligence

Intelligent industrial robots are moving from the pages of science fiction to the factory floor. New generations of intelligent multi-axis robotic arms incorporate 3D machine vision and video analytics software to improve manufacturing process efficiency, while making the factory floor a safer place for human workers.

Why it’s a game changer

Combining multi-axis motion control circuitry, video-based machine vision, input from networks of embedded sensors, and the latest sophisticated software, a new generation of versatile, smart industrial robots is transforming the manufacturing environment.

With programmable intelligence embedded at the device level, industrial robots can respond to changing sets of parameters. This is ushering in a new era of “mass customization,” combining the efficiency of mass production with the versatility of custom, manufactured-to-order products.

Embedded Intel® platforms are enabling designers to replace multiple processors with a single processor that is capable of analyzing multiple sensor inputs for applications including industrial assembly tasks, quality control measurements, and safety.

What’s so intelligent about it?

Embedded industrial platforms based on Intel® Xeon® and Intel® Core™2 Duo processors provide the processing performance that industrial robots need to analyze real-time data from onboard machine vision systems, control up to 12 axes of rotation with extreme precision, and process data streams generated by networks of connected sensors. Video analytics software enables robots to recognize changes in their environment and instantly respond in the appropriate way. 

The ultra low power consumption of platforms based on Intel® processors enables smart robots and other devices to function reliably in the factory environment, with enhanced mobility. Intel® architecture-based platforms enable manufacturers to create a range of scalable robotic systems based on one software architecture. The programmability of Intel® platforms minimizes set-up time and reduces change-over costs to accommodate the manufacturing of new products.

Key technologies

Advances in embedded Intel® architecture platform technologies—including Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT)¹, multi-core processing and Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT)²—provide the robust computing capabilities that enable industrial control and automation equipment to quickly and easily share data with IT infrastructure in today’s digital factories. Robots and other real-time devices built on Intel AMT-enabled platforms can be remotely accessed, maintained, and updated with new software to combine production volume and flexibility. Virtualization allows both a graphical user interface and a real-time operating system for deterministic processes to run on the same machine without risk of one system impacting the other.