Keywords
Citation
(2003), "New robot systems", Industrial Robot, Vol. 30 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2003.04930eab.009
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
New robot systems
New robot systems
Keywords: Robots, Hazardous environments
Two fresh on the market robot systems are reported by Komatsu Ltd, Tokyo, and Sanki Engineering Co., also of Tokyo, one to fight fires in high-rise buildings, and the other automated for stowing and working underground.
The first, introduced by Komatsu, working with the International Robotics and Factory Automation Center and the Japan Industrial Robot Association, took almost 3 years to develop, and cost some $2.5 million. The system employs a gondola that is suspended from the roof to move vertically on guide rails, the gondola carrying a monitoring camera and fire fighting equipment. It can be controlled either remotely or operated by a fireman in the gondola, itself a 1.5 tonne unit that can move vertically at a speed of 40 m/s, and horizontally at a speed of 3 m/min.
The second robot, that Sanki Engineering calls the IMTL, is equipped with a robot responsive to orders from a host computer.