We’re not just talking about our latest technologies; we’re showing them. At the Honeywell Robotics booth, we’ll have an integrated demo featuring the OTTO Lifter, a new autonomous forklift from our strategic collaborator Clearpath OTTO Motors
Q&A with Dr. Thomas Evans, Robotics Chief Technology Officer | Honeywell SPS
Tell us about your company.
Honeywell is one of the world’s premier developers and integrators of warehouse automation technologies — from conveyor, sortation and high-density storage systems to innovative robotics, order picking and putting technologies, palletizing and depalletizing systems, and voice direction solutions.
Your company will be exhibiting at AUTOMATE, what is it that makes this an important event for your company?
As automation is becoming more prevalent within the material handling industry, it’s important to us that we develop products that match the needs of our customers. In fact, Honeywell offers one of the broadest portfolios of advanced automation technologies and software in the industry. AUTOMATE’s focus on the entire automation ecosystem makes it a natural fit for us, as well as our clients, prospects and strategic partners.
What makes your booth a must visit for AUTOMATE Attendees?
We’re not just talking about our latest technologies; we’re showing them. At the Honeywell Robotics booth, we’ll have an integrated demo featuring the OTTO Lifter, a new autonomous forklift from our strategic collaborator Clearpath OTTO Motors, and our innovative smart flexible depalletizer autonomous robotic system.
AUTOMATE has many educational sessions, forums and demos. Is your company involved in any of them this year?
Absolutely. I’ll be participating in a panel discussion on Tuesday about how to jump-start your automation strategy. It’ll be a great opportunity for attendees, not only for those who are new to automation and looking to get started, but also for those who are already using automation and want to take their strategy to the next level.
When you get a chance to walk the exhibit hall floor yourself, what is it you will be most interested to see? Any educational sessions, pavilions etc. you plan on attending?
I sincerely enjoy talking to companies about the exciting products and solutions they have on display at the show. It’s a great opportunity for me to connect with industry suppliers and partners to Honeywell Robotics from a social perspective and receive insights from various viewpoints. It’s valuable to understand what others are also seeing in the industry and discuss the challenges they’re facing.
The factory floor is undertaking rapid advancements, be it automation, robotics, machine vision or data. Automation Technology is a huge part for many manufacturers, give us an idea on how your company and product is being utilized now in the smart factory.
We’re enabling advanced automation strategies and significantly more flexibility in the manufacturing space by utilizing AMRs for applications to automate machine tending and material transport tasks. AMRs with an in-line conveyor option can bridge gaps in manufacturing or warehouse environments to keep production moving by easily managing variations in workflows, which have traditionally required manual heavy load transport. This allows human workers to stay more productive while robots handle repetitive tasks with little or no human supervision.
Give us your thoughts on what the future holds for manufacturers and automation technology.
We’re seeing a major shift in how manufacturing, distribution and warehousing view and adopt automation. As the available labor pool becomes even tighter than ever before, most operators we talk to are seeking ways to utilize their workforce as efficiently as possible. In addition, operators have become increasingly knowledgeable about automation solutions and the comparative technologies which support automation products. I see this as a very exciting time for robotics and autonomous systems that enhance productivity. The engagement among operators, product developers and system integrators is pushing the bar higher for technical performance and speed to deployment.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of RoboticsTomorrow
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