Here comes the drone backlash
Mike Elgan for Computer World: Consumer drone technology is barely taking off, and already a harsh public backlash is growing.
Your typical garden variety consumer drone is lightweight, battery operated, has four propellers and is controlled by a smartphone. Most have cameras and beam back live video, which can be recorded for posterity. Some have high-quality HD cameras on them, and from that high vantage point can take stunning photos and videos.
Drones are fun. They're exciting. They're accessible. But increasingly, they're becoming unacceptable.
I'm sensing a growing backlash, a kind of social media pitchfork mob against drones and drone fans. It's only a matter of time, and not much time, before it will be politically incorrect to express any kind of enthusiasm for drones in polite company. I fear that many are about to embark on an "everybody knows drones are bad" mentality that will suppress the nascent industry and spoil this innovative and exhilarating technology.
Here's what's driving the coming backlash: Cont'd...
Make It Smart; Make It Here!
Make it smart and make it here! These are the rallying words heard around the world regarding keeping jobs in-country and manufacturing smarter, more efficiently, and less costly.
Why I Automate
Our goal is to share stories about companies that are using automation to succeed and compete effectively in their marketplace.
Lucky guesses or accurate predictions?
In 1962, Rosie, the robot, was more than just a maid to the Jetson family. Well, Toyota is working on such a robotic maid, which should be released in the next few years.
Next Great Thing: Chasing Innovative Products is a Long, Hard Trek
The boss challenge is to figure out which are the good ideas and which are great ideas. But the real innovator?
Its the customer "¦ he/she/they determine what idea is insanely great and which is"¦
CES Gets Robots All Wrong
We may have reached a tipping point where having a robot zone does everyone a disservice. Outside of a couple of very well known and popular robots, like Paro and Pleo, the robot zone was primarily filled with component company booths.
Eldercare Robots
Games, sensors and robots are among the tools beginning to come to market to help aging people live in their homes as long as possible.
Distribution Centers: An Emerging Robotics Frontier
This article originated as a profile of one company as they began to robotically augment distribution centers. But, as I gathered information, the story has morphed into a review of why Kiva Systems' innovative methods - the goods-to-man methodology - is far superior to other older styles of fulfillment.
Why you should care about the Uncanny Valley
As the demand for human-like robots grows, the Uncanny Valley phenomenon will impact robot manufacturers and developers more and more. With populations aging in countries as diverse as China and the United Sates, roboticists will increasingly focus on social robots. They will ignore the Uncanny Valley at their own risk.
Why are there more unmanned platforms than customers?
Why are unmanned systems developers offering so many different kinds of platforms and ideas, when there is comparatively little demand by the civilian market? Why are there more offerings than customers?
Eight Tips for Optimal Machine Vision Lighting
Tips for choosing the optimal lighting solution for a machine vision application.
Japan's Decline as a Robotics Superpower: Lessons From Fukushima
Robots were a major force in the automation drive that made Japan the most competitive nation in manufacturing in the 1980s. That glory seems to have faded in recent decades, and Japanese robotics are no exception.
Records 16 to 27 of 27
Featured Product
3D Vision: Ensenso B now also available as a mono version!
This compact 3D camera series combines a very short working distance, a large field of view and a high depth of field - perfect for bin picking applications. With its ability to capture multiple objects over a large area, it can help robots empty containers more efficiently. Now available from IDS Imaging Development Systems. In the color version of the Ensenso B, the stereo system is equipped with two RGB image sensors. This saves additional sensors and reduces installation space and hardware costs. Now, you can also choose your model to be equipped with two 5 MP mono sensors, achieving impressively high spatial precision. With enhanced sharpness and accuracy, you can tackle applications where absolute precision is essential. The great strength of the Ensenso B lies in the very precise detection of objects at close range. It offers a wide field of view and an impressively high depth of field. This means that the area in which an object is in focus is unusually large. At a distance of 30 centimetres between the camera and the object, the Z-accuracy is approx. 0.1 millimetres. The maximum working distance is 2 meters. This 3D camera series complies with protection class IP65/67 and is ideal for use in industrial environments.
Robotics and Automation - Featured Company
PDS / Precision Drive Systems
Over 40,000 Spindles Repaired or Rebuilt Since 1996. PDS is a global leader in spindle repairs and retrofits for precision metal and robotics applications. With over 40,000 spindles repaired to better than-new-condition. PDS also offers new spindles, CNC accessories, and Industry 4.0 spindle monitoring. With offices in Bessemer City, NC (near Charlotte) and Herford, Germany PDS backs superb craftsmanship with a standard 12 month warranty on repaired spindles and an optional, industry-leading 24 month PrecisionCare warranty.
