Artificial intelligence (AI) and mobile robotics have advanced significantly in recent decades and the convergence of both technologies brings surprising results in several areas. Artificial intelligence robots (AI robots) are changing the way we live and work, as well as industrial processes around the world. Robotnik explores the advantages and disadvantages of AI robots. In this article, you can also find 10 examples of applications of these robots deployed in various industries.
WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF AI ROBOTS?
Pros of AI robots:
- Improved efficiency: AI robots can continuously perform repetitive and monotonous tasks covering full shifts, increasing production efficiency and reducing labor costs.
- Precision: they execute tasks with millimeter precision, an aspect of great relevance for sectors such as manufacturing, allowing a significant reduction in the number of errors.
- Increased productivity: By allowing workers to focus on more creative and strategic tasks, AI robots can increase productivity and free up human resources for higher value-added work.
- Safety: They can perform dangerous or tedious work in harsh environments, reducing risks to human workers.
Cons of AI robots:
- Upfront cost: Acquiring and deploying AI robots has a cost that can be an effort, especially for SMEs or industries with tight budgets. Robotnik is working to make access to robotics more and more accessible and to eliminate these barriers to entry as much as possible.
- Job displacement: Intelligent mobile robotics executes certain tasks more efficiently than people, so there is a natural process of work divergence in which humans move on to other types of higher-value tasks.
- Dependency on technology: AI bots are only as effective as their programs and software, making them vulnerable to technical glitches and cyberattacks. For this reason, one of the main focuses of attention of professionals in the sector is to develop systems that are increasingly capable of protecting these devices.
WHAT ARE THE APPLICATIONS OF AI ROBOTS IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES?
There are available examples of the interesting contribution of robots with Artificial Intelligence in a wide variety of industries, offering innovative solutions to complex problems. Here are 5 examples of AI robots:
- Manufacturing Industry:
In manufacturing, AI-powered robots are used for production line automation, product assembly, quality control, and logistics. Their ability to work 24 hours a day without fatigue and with pinpoint accuracy has transformed the way consumer goods are produced. - Healthcare sector:
Have you seen real-life examples of robotic-assisted surgeries? In the same way, in the health sector, they are bringing advances for medical diagnoses and physical therapies. Their precision and ability to work in confined spaces have allowed for more precise and less invasive surgical procedures. - Agriculture:
The RB-VOGUI at Terras Gauda is an example of the application of robotics + AI for precision viticulture, whose objective is to bring together techniques for the cultivation of vines that bring competitiveness to the agri-food sector.
The use of mobile robotics in this area saves inspection, transport and phytosanitary costs, as well as freeing harvesters from some of the heaviest parts of the process. - Automotive:
In the automotive industry, AI-powered robots are particularly well-suited for vehicle manufacturing tasks, from body welding to painting and assembly. This use case describes the intralogistics automation process in an automotive plant with a collaborative AMR from Robotnik. - Services & Hospitality:
There are robots such as PLATO, from United Robotics Group, which have been developed specifically to operate in sectors such as hospitality and customer service in reception, cleaning or food service tasks. These robots, combined with Artificial Intelligence technology, not only reduce labor costs but also improve the customer experience.
WHAT ARE AI ROBOTS USED FOR?
These robots are used in a wide range of applications, some of which are mentioned in the previous section. 5 other uses of robots with Artificial Intelligence that you may not know about:
- Security and defense: AI robots are used in military and security applications for tasks such as explosive ordnance disposal, surveillance, and patrolling high-risk areas.
- Scientific research: These systems are valuable tools in scientific research, aiding in data collection in areas such as oceanography, climatology, and marine biology.
- Inspection and Maintenance: In hazardous or hard-to-reach environments such as oil rigs, electrical substations or nuclear facilities, robots are used for inspection and maintenance tasks, reducing risks to human workers.
- Domestic services: The most democratized AI robots are those used in the home for tasks such as cleaning (e.g., robot vacuum cleaners), lighting and temperature management, or assistance in the kitchen.
- Last-mile delivery and logistics: Autonomous ground-based robots and AI drones for parcel and food delivery in urban areas are one of the growing trends within the mobile robotics sector to improve the efficiency of last-mile logistics.
Check out this interview with Roberto Guzmán, CEO of Robotnik, talking about last-mile robotics, robotics and Artificial Intelligence and other disruptive topics.
TO CONCLUDE
AI robots are transforming industries around the world by offering improved efficiency, accuracy, and safety in a variety of applications. Although there are challenges such as initial investment or the lack of a stable regulatory framework, its potential to improve people’s working conditions and improvements in the efficiency of processes is indisputable. As technology advances, expect an increase in the applications they are capable of running. The future is already here and robots that integrate Artificial Intelligence algorithms are leading the way towards a new era of automation and innovation that involves most industrial sectors.
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