KUKA : Things that can do anything

Yea, so for some reason I can’t quite recall, I found myself on this site, looking at robots from Sweden.

That’s cool, thunk I. They make little ones. You could use them to… I don’t know, Ice cakes or something.

Then I looked at what it could actually (and potentially) do:

• Handling, loading and unloading
• Packaging and order picking
• Other handling operations
• Welding and soldering
• Arc welding
• Other welding processes
• Soldering
• Painting, surface treatment
• Metal casting machines, foundry plants
• Painting, enameling
• Application of adhesives and sealants
• Other coating operations
• Machining
• Other machining operations
• Assembly
• Fastening
• Plastics processing machines
• Inserting, mounting
• Service applications
• Other applications
• Cutting machine tools
• Handling for other machines
• Measuring, testing and inspection

It can solder? IT CAN SOLDER WITH ONE HAND?!!?!

Holy crap, I can solder but I need 4 hands. I wonder if this thing could reprap itself. To be honest, as far as the reprap thing goes, I have been slightly more enamoured by a multiple tool-weilding robot than a 3D printer… not that that isn’t impressive in itself etc, but with a glue-gun type set up you’re always going to hit the vitamin-part wall.

Speaking of 4 arms – I notice that the Da Vinci surgical robot has acquired 3D High-Definition optics



– which is a technology that I think has applications all over the place. The 1st Personism of machines etc… or anything really. If you could persuade your cat to wear glasses like these


(from)

(and you know you could, you’re just not trying hard enough)… then you could go cruising through dustbins and catching mice and generally going out roister-doistering all night. That would rock.

These glasses are new… ish. Vuzix (who makes them) basically just stuck a camera onto a pair of screen glasses… which was actually my idea ages ago etc