My 8 Takeaways from Automate 2022

Three years in the past, I used to be given by our buddies at A3 a cool wanting “Automate – Detroit 2020” t-shirt. Identical to the caps they by no means give that have been made for the staff ending up shedding the skilled league’s ultimate, my t-shirt can be a ceaselessly anomaly. Automate 2020 by no means occurred. We needed to wait till 2022 to dwell it… and it was nice! Listed here are some very private (and thus biased) takeaways. If you wish to get a extra journalistically appropriate and exhaustive overview of the present, I invite you to have a look at what professionals like Steve and Eugene write.

1. I Missed the Individuals Behind the Robots

Automate 2022 was a chance to reconnect with our personal staff members and with many enterprise companions who helped us develop throughout the covid years. Everyone knows it by now : it’s technically attainable to collaborate remotely. However all of that work has been attainable as a result of there was already a strong relationship and belief degree we had inbuilt particular person earlier than. We love robots and what they will do for us. We love much more the folks behind the robots and it felt actually good to spend time collectively in particular person.

2. New Faces, Extra Innovation

My first impression whereas coming into the present flooring was “wow, there are loads of new gamers and new faces right here this time!” And that’s nice information to see that inflow of expertise and innovation into robotics and automation. That facet felt extra essential than within the earlier editions of Automate.

3. Producers Love Cobot Purposes

Greater than 2 years in the past, we obtained on a brand new part of our evolution and began constructing Cobot Purposes from our Plug & Play Parts. At Automate, it grew to become clear that this technique is now in full movement with Palletizing, Screwdriving and Machine Tending occupying the Robotiq sales space and our guests’ consideration. Producers get it. A lot of them don’t even know what a cobot is, however they completely perceive how these Purposes could be deployed simply on their flooring to do work for them they cannot discover folks to do anymore.

4. Machine Store House owners and Engineers get the Machine Tending Resolution

The earlier level was very true for the CNC Machine Tending Resolution that we launched on the primary day. Machine Store homeowners, engineers and machinists completely obtained it after they noticed it operating. In the event that they have been there, it’s as a result of they wish to automate that job. All of them noticed the 2 issues that we’re fixing :

1. Connecting the cobot to various, generally outdated machine
2. Designing and programming these functions is all the time appear easier that it’s

And so they all favored the simplicity and magnificence of the method. 

5. Lean Robotics is Turning into a Traditional

I used to be pleasantly shocked by the quantity of people that got here to me, thanking me for writing Lean Robotics… or having been given the guide as a part of their onboarding course of after they began a brand new job within the robotics business. It makes me really feel that I did one thing helpful 5 years in the past by organizing and sharing that data that we had constructed over our first decade at Robotiq. By the best way, in the event you’re considered one of them, please go write a overview on Amazon! 🙂

6. Our Ecosystem Need again the RUC

The Robotiq Consumer Convention (RUC) was a yearly occasion that we did in Quebec Metropolis for 4 years. It was very distinctive within the business: mixing Robotiquois, companions and finish customers from across the globe, with a powerful emphasis on hands-on & peer studying, late evening programming (…and perhaps a little bit of partying). We received’t do a RUC in 2022 sadly due to the journey restrictions globally. However I had dozens of individuals asking us to carry it again. Let’s cross our fingers for an easier-to-predict setting subsequent 12 months…

7. Logistics is Invading Manufacturing

To unravel the booming e-commerce operational challenges, there was a bonanza of investments in robotics for logistics over the previous years. Many startups funding, mergers and acquisitions occurred. And lots of of those corporations have been there regardless of a standard deal with manufacturing at Automate. Clearly, there may be an overlap between logistics and manufacturing. Many massive producers have warehouses as a part of their operations and all factories obtain and ship items. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see how that innovation and cash is put to work and percolate into the manufacturing world within the coming years.

8. Buyers are … however Cautious

There have been dozens of traders and funding bankers strolling the present. All of them see the macro-trends that may make automation develop ever sooner within the coming years : labor is tougher to seek out, wages are rising, expertise is getting extra highly effective and simpler to make use of. All of them ask the identical query : are you providing a robot-as-a-service mannequin? And so they all begin to understand {that a} wholesome robotics enterprise at scale is tough to tug off. So there may be some huge cash on the market however the bar to get funding is getting increased. And a few secretly hope that the market slows down a bit so the valuations modify to a justifiable degree. Let’s see what the long run holds!

All in all, I had a blast at Automate 2022! I wish to thank the Robotiq Crew who made it work, the companions and prospects who got here to debate and the organisers at A3.

Subsequent cease: Automatica in Munich in 2 weeks. See you there!