Robots can optimize industrial processes, conduct inspections in hazardous scenarios, interact with nursery patients, and more. The Dutch province of North Brabant wants to innovate this industry and stimulate wider robotics adoption.
On October 10, the Dutch and Japanese trade federation DUJAT and the Brabant Development Agency (BOM) organized the ninth edition of ‘Japan meets Brabant.’ During the annual meeting, stakeholders from the two countries come together and have a chance to connect. The venue for this edition was Eindhoven Strijp-T’s MELT building, which once housed Philips’s glassmaking factory. Now, it is the city hotspot for robotics.
Why this is important:
As many industries face labor shortage issues, robotics can help close the gap. At the same time, developing robot technology entails creating high value knowledge and skills.
Undoubtedly, North Brabant is one of the Dutch robotics hotspots. Toine Cleophas, BOM’s senior project manager specializing in foreign investments, proved it by presenting some numbers. The province is home to 120 companies active in the domain—28% of the national ones—and is by far the province with the highest number of such firms.
Japan has always been at the forefront of robotics development, with the first mechanical dolls developed in the 17th century. Nowadays, the country is home to some of the most influential companies in the domain, such as Mitsubishi, Yaskawa, and Kawasaki. Japan delivers 45% of the global robot production.
Robotization as an opportunity
Two of the MELT building’s residents are Avular and Mujin Europe. The CEOs of the two companies—Albert Maas and Lukasz Drewnowski, respectively— gave a speech presenting their companies and the opportunities robotics can offer.
According to Drewnowski, robots can help close the forecasted gap between labor demand and supply. Mujin, one of Japan’s fastest-growing robotics companies, has its European branch at the MELT building. With around 300 employees worldwide—two-thirds of them employed in R&D—the company develops software to allow robots to see and detect objects and thus perform actions in dynamic environments such as industrial production plants. In a demonstration, Mujin showcased the capabilities of its software, helping a robotic arm pick and release from and to a conveyor belt.
An increase in robotization is often seen as responsible for higher unemployment levels. In his speech, Drewnowski compared the unemployment rates over 40 years in the countries with the highest number of robots per 10,000 workers in the manufacturing sector. South Korea, Germany, and Japan emerged as the countries with more robots, with stable levels of unemployment as the number of robots increased.
“Automation creates jobs. Behind all robots performing tasks, there are engineers programming and keeping track of them. Higher robotization levels come with a growth in the high skills sector, boasts economic productivity, and offers reskilling and upskilling opportunities”, Drewnowski said.
Flying and driving robots
The MELT building also houses a 23-meter-tall indoor drone cage–the tallest in Europe—where Avular can conduct some of its tests. Next to one of the cage walls is a dozen-meter-tall shelf full of pallets. One of their drones takes off, approaches the shelf, and starts moving horizontally from one level to another, its orange lights blinking. The drone is scanning the QR code of each pallet for inventory purposes, showcasing one of the potential use cases its Vertex One drone offers.
Maas took the audience through the journey of Avular, explaining how it works to make “labor shortage a problem of yesterday.” Combining AI, design, and attention to user experience, Avular crafts its robots. Such care is necessary. “Robots need to operate in dynamic environments, often around untrained people,” Maas said.
Avular developed two lines of products: drones and ground robots. The flying robots suit chimney inspection and forestry mapping use cases. The ground robot can help automate logistics, conduct railway track inspections, and maintain grass in golf courses. On top of them, Avular’s autopilot platform found a business case for automating floor-cleaning machinery.
Giving robots a way to see sound
After the talks, there was room for demos. In addition to the Mujin and Avular, Sorama presented its acoustic camera technology to the guests. The company, also located in Eindhoven’s Strijp T district, develops advanced cameras that can localize noise with high precision. They do so with microphones that capture sound waves from different directions and represent sound visually. This technology has different applications, from industry leak detection to noise pollution detection in urban settings. New York is using Sorama’s cameras to combat noise pollution.
Sorama integrates its technology into various devices, including handheld scanners and robots – such as Boston Dynamics ones for inspections – but cameras can also be standalone. Furthermore, the company is working with Avular to integrate its sensing technology into its ground robot.
Operating in diverse scenarios
Sita Robotics creates robots for deployment in hazardous and critical situations, such as a fire or a conflict scenario. Their throwable platform, SPEAR, has sensors and cameras to gather information and plan operations accordingly. As a further development of their concept, they created a smart ball. The device, developed alongside the Dutch fire department, is an easy-to-use tool for emergency deployment.
There is room for robots in the healthcare system. SARA Robotics’s SARA is a successful example. The robot is a proper social assistant in nursing homes, providing extra care for patients who need it the most, as personnel do not always have time. The bot communicates with the patient through a screen, and by knowing what one’s preferences are, it tells stories or shows videos.
Tens of nursing homes in the Netherlands are now using SARA. The robot complements the nurses’ activities, especially when care workers are needed elsewhere. By starting conversations with patients and keeping them entertained, SARA can reduce incomprehensible behavior—a form of acting typical of people who have dementia or intellectual disability—by an average of 40%.
Organizers are already focused on organizing the 10th edition of the meeting—which will be a special one, as per DUJAT’s managing director Christa Kemp—and the cooperation between Japanese and Dutch firms continues. Robots are certainly part of the discussion.
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