The companies will display the Voith Panda and the CANVAS Autonomous Cart for factory and warehouse innovations.
September 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.”
