IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2015 - 120

turning point

The Future of Automation
By Eugenio Guglielmelli

n this issue, Eugenio Guglielmelli
(EG), editor-in-chief of IEEE Robotics
and Automation Magazine (RAM), interviews Henrik I. Christensen (HC).
Henrik is the KUKA chair of Robotics and the executive director of the
Georgia Tech Institute for Robotics and
Intelligent Machines. He does research
on robotics and computer vision with
an emphasis on estimation and systems
engineering. He was the founder of the
European Robotics Research Network
and the editor of the U.S. National
Robotics Roadmaps (2009, 2013). He is
the chair of the IEEE Transactions on
Automation Science and Engineering
Advisory Board.

EG: From your perspective, what
are the most important emerging
application areas for automation?
HC: Automation has traditionally
been focused on large-volume manufacturing. Products
are increasingly
We can, in the true
becoming customized to the
sense, move from
individual buyer.
fixed automation to
Even cars come
in more than 1
flexible automation
million different
through the use of
configurations.
The high degree
robot technology.
of customization
implies that we
manufacture one-off products even on
high-volume production lines. Through
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MRA.2015.2424814
Date of publication: 18 June 2015

120

IEEE ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION MAGAZINE

JUNE 2015

the use of model-based control, perception, and high-performance computing, we can provide customized
manufacturing. This also implies that
the same manufacturing techniques
can be used outside of high-volume
manufacturing by small- and mediumsized companies.

EG: In one of my recent editorials
of RAM, I speculated about the ongoing transition from the information
society, driven by information and
communications technology (ICT),
to the automation society, driven by
ICT in addition to robotics and automation technology. In the automation society, new products and
services will be enabled not only by
information exchange but also by
action exchange, which will be possible ubiquitously and at a relatively
low cost. Do you agree with this
vision? What is your personal road
map for the development of the automation society?
HC: There is no doubt that cloud
computing will become ubiquitous as
cloud robotics. We will see a higher
degree of standard interfaces for
robots as seen, for example, in ROS-I,
which facilitates a higher degree of use
of shared models, not only in terms of
objects and mobiles for perception but
also for planning and control. At the
same time, we will see off-loading of
processing to the cloud. In my mind,
the sharing of knowledge and blurring
the boundary between on- and offboard processing will generate a leap
in performance and cost.

EG: Shall we expect an increasing
convergence between automation
and robotics research and industrial
fields in the medium to long term, or
will they develop more and more as
separate fields with a clear independent scientific, technological, industrial, and social mission?
HC: Fixed automation has been
the major driver for increased precision, quality, and robustness in manufacturing. Through the use of new
sensors and advanced computing, it is
possible to approach the same performance with robot technology. We can,
in the true sense, move from fixed
automation to flexible automation
through the use of robot technology.
We can take the fixed automation
"monuments" and replace them with
robot systems. This allows higher flexibility and better capitalization, and it
feeds into the increased customization
of technology.
EG: What are the most important
ongoing research and industrial developments in the automation field in
the United States?
HC: To me the main drivers are
improved processing, perception, and
networking. Just like Europe has
embraced Industry 4.0, we are seeing
the United States embrace the Industrial Internet in the same way. Recently,
a number of national manufacturing
institutes have been launched. One of

(continued on page 117)

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2015