Service products company Pudu Robotics launched the first robot designed for industrial applications.
The company revealed its PUDU T300 at the Hannover Messe 2024 industrial trade fair. The robot is engineered to enhance material logistics in discrete manufacturing. It streamlines operations by delivering supplies to production lines, transferring materials across diverse production zones, and transporting samples for quality checks.
Pudu claims that it can navigate the typical narrow corridors of industrial shops. Its “map-and-go” feature ensures flexible deployment and the ability to operate independently of network connectivity or environmental modifications.
A joint study from the Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte released this month shows that robotics will grow by 3.8 million jobs over the next decade.
The PUDU T300 aims to resolve potential labour shortages by automating the delivery and transport of materials. This will allow human workers to shift their efforts to higher-value tasks.
“There is a huge demand from industrial clients for automated, flexible robotics solutions that can operate continuously to meet high production rates and improve operational efficiency,” Felix Zhang, founder and CEO of Pudu Robotics, said.
One of the reasons the company built the device is to reduce the risk of workplace injuries associated with industrial work. It does this by taking care of heavy or hazardous material transportation.
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Robot supports automatic recharging and quick battery swapping
The PUDU T300 is built on the company’s proprietary PUDU VSLAM+ technology, and employs an advanced visual positioning system that enables marker-free navigation.
This technology allows the device to quickly adapt to changes in production layouts without requiring time-consuming reconfiguration or site remodelling. The robot can navigate spaces as narrow as 23.6 inches and overcome obstacles like 0.7 inch thresholds and 1.3 inch gutters. This allows it to shuttle effortlessly between production lines.
Its advanced navigation system combines laser SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) and visual SLAM for positioning. This lets it adapt to environments with ceilings up to 30 meters and update its map in real-time.
The device’s IoT capabilities include secure door access, elevator control, a self-configuring network with call options, and the ability to request materials for production lines via an app. Multimodal interactions feature high-brightness operation indicator lights and traffic signal light design that clearly display the robot’s position and intentions, along with customizable buttons for organized collaboration and audible alerts for effective reminders.
For energy efficiency, the device supports automatic recharging and quick battery switching. The means continuous operation is possible to meet various customer needs. Additionally, the robot is safe. It adheres to ISO 3691-4 Industrial Safety Requirements, using lidar, a depth camera, collision protection edges, and emergency stop buttons.
Projected uses for the PUDU T300 include improvements for production lines across the entire manufacturing sector. Additionally, it could theoretically be used for 3C electronics manufacturers, car parts processing, metalworking and more.
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