When thinking of robots, a futuristic image comes to mind: Humanoid machines, equipped with artificial brains, able to carry out any task a human could. There have been many attempts to create such robots, but building a successful one has yet to be accomplished. This is where Brain Corp comes in, but not as one would expect. The San Diego-based software company claims that the robots of the future are not humanoid, but existing machines enabled to work autonomously. Brain Corp’s goal is to develop A.I. (artificial intelligence) that converts those machines into robots.
Brain Corp’s solution
Brain Corp’s fully automated scrubber
Meet EMMA (Enabling Mobile Machine Automation), Brain Corp’s A.I. navigation system capable of automating a range of commercial-grade equipment, like forklifts, medical equipment or industrial floor care machines. Brain Corp does not manufacture these machines themselves, but rather supports the integration of their product into branded equipment by the manufacturer. Customers who chose to purchase these robots will then use Brain Corp’s monthly service to automate their equipment. Brain Corp calls this technology “Autonomy by Brain”.
EMMA has already been successfully integrated into an industrial floor care machine, manufactured by ICE. EMMA’s software is based on the human brain. It collects data and is able to learn and adapt accordingly. Thus, the robot is able to function completely autonomously in a complex, real-world environment thanks to 3D-sensing technology, provided by the built-in O3D (1) and O3X (2) sensors by ifm electronic.
How it works
The robot is designed akin to a normal scrubber, so that employees who can operate those will be able to effortlessly work with the automated one. This means that customers do not need to hire additional employees, who are experts on the field of robotics, or put their staff through special training just to use Brain Corp’s product.
An employee teaches EMMA the route the robot has to take by manually driving the scrubber. The machine will then be able to replay this route and optimize it along the way.
EMMA (Enabling Mobile Machine Automation), Brain Corp’s A.I. navigation system
EMMA’s 3D-sensing allows her to work safely alongside people. She detects any obstacles in her way and avoids them reliably. Since the robot is completely autonomous, employees can focus on higher value tasks. This allows for the increase of productivity and efficiency while labor time and costs are reduced. Furthermore, EMMA provides a standardized cleaning performance across multiple locations. EMMAS’s cloud-based infrastructure allows for machine-to-machine communication. If one machine learns something new, the entire fleet becomes smarter.
An outlook to the future
In the future, robots will be everywhere. They will assist with countless tasks, be it at work, at the office, on a farm or else. It will be up to Brain Corp and similar companies to provide artificial brains for these robots and advance the possibilities of automation.
Threedimensional detection and analysis with the O3D sensor by ifm. Do you want to learn more about the O3D?
ifm is a manufacturer of sensors, communication and control systems. After many years of intensive cooperation with our customers we have established ourselves in the market as service-oriented sensor specialists and today we are represented by more than 6,700 employees in over 70 countries worldwide.
» Learn more about the O3D on the ifm-website
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