The companies will display the Voith Panda and the CANVAS Autonomous Cart for factory and warehouse innovations in booth 121173

York, Pa. / Boulder, Colo. (Sept. 5, 2018) – Voith and CANVAS Technology will showcase intelligent and innovative solutions for process automation at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2018 at McCormick Place in Chicago. At the trade show, which takes place from September 10 to September 15, the companies will demonstrate how Voith’s Panda robotic arm – an easily programmed collaborative robot (cobot) built to interact with humans – and the CANVAS Autonomous Cart - an intelligent, vision-based virtual conveyor - can work in unison.

The Voith Panda and the CANVAS Autonomous Cart were designed independently of one another but can be easily integrated. Visitors can receive a hands-on look at the integration in CANVAS Booth 121173 where cart loading and unloading will be demonstrated throughout the event.

“The Panda is a user-friendly cobot designed to function like a human arm, and it can be used in a variety of ways by manufacturers. We’re excited to work with CANVAS Technology at IMTS to debut the Panda to the North American industry,” said Martin Scherrer, CEO, Voith Robotics. “It’s the Panda’s versatility and simplicity our customers will appreciate. A manufacturer can quickly change the programming of a Panda through a set of apps, for example, changing the cobot from assembly duties to inventory control. Then, when called upon by connected IIoT software, the Panda can pick warehouse supplies from a specific bin and load those supplies on the CANVAS Autonomous Cart for delivery to the shop floor.”

Adding to this, Jonathan McQueen, CEO of CANVAS Technology, shared, “Our customers already see efficiency gains by automating the transport of materials. Adding onload/offload capability is a logical next step. We chose to integrate with Voith because of Voith’s high-quality design, construction and user interface.”

About the Panda
As a system integrator, Voith Robotics offers complete solutions, integrating Panda with third party components and extending its flexible software platform with customized apps. The highly sensitive and collaborative lightweight robot Panda increases production and assembly efficiency significantly, as it performs specific tasks in form of modular programs (apps), which can be easily and intuitively configured by existing personnel without any robotics expertise. With the CE-certified out-of-the-box solutions such as chip testing, screwing or device testing, Panda offers the fastest time to production on the market for those tasks. In addition to that, Voith Robotics helps customers to develop new apps for Panda and to implement additional use cases.

Inspired by the agility of the human arm the Panda is a very sensitive and versatile power tool that uses seven corresponding axes that enable the robot to manipulate objects in a skillful and efficient manner.
Currently the Panda has a maximum payload of 3 kilograms and weighs 18 kilograms with a total reach of 855 metric millimeters. At the same time the hand can grasp quickly with a force of 70 newtons and travels with 30 millimeters per second. The slim control unit can be mounted in server racks or anywhere else and connects the Panda to the cloud or existing local shop floor networks. Meanwhile the Panda is totally platform- and manufacturer-independent, which keeps integration costs at a minimum.

About the CANVAS Autonomous Cart
CANVAS Autonomous Carts are simple but highly sophisticated autonomous transport vehicles designed to automate one of the most cumbersome, wasteful and prolific human tasks in the workplace: moving materials from one place to another. Using state-of-the-art computer vision, CANVAS is the only commercial self-driving vehicle capable of hands-off operations in highly changing and unstructured environments. By using cameras to map, localize and plan, it sees its environment in rich 3D — enabling intelligent and safe behavior indoors or out, and in GPS-denied environments.

Learn more or schedule a meeting at IMTS with Voith/CANVAS experts by filling out this form or emailing voith-robotics@voith.com.

About the companies
Voith Robotics, a joint venture between the global technology company Voith and the Munich-based robotics start-up Franka Emika, is a global system supplier for robot-assisted automation. The company bundles unique know-how in tailor-made robotic solutions, artificial intelligence, digital apps and process consulting for customers in various target markets such as automotive, consumer goods, healthcare and logistics.
 
Voith is a global technology group. With its wide range of plants, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets for energy, oil and gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith today has more than 19,000 employees and earns 4.2 billion euros in sales. It has locations in over 60 countries and is one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe. For more information, please visit www.Voith.com. 

CANVAS Technology is a robotics company using spatial AI to provide end-to-end autonomous delivery of goods. CANVAS has created a safe and intelligent autonomous platform to power vehicles through complex, dynamic spaces alongside people and other moving vehicles, on-road or off-road, indoor or outdoor. The result is increased safety and efficiency in transportation and material-handling operations. www.CANVAS.technology