Vision and robotics team up at the 2007 Show

Purpose – This paper aims to review the 2007 Bi‐Annual International Robotics and Vision Show in Chicago. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents in‐depth interviews with exhibitors of robots and robotic vision systems. Findings – The marriage of vision and robotics is changing the nature of robotics. In the past, a robot was a “dumb” mechanism which followed pre‐programmed directions. With the addition of vision and added computing power, the robot is starting to “find its way” in the application. Innovations in grippers, robotic design and simulation also shared the stage. Practical implications – Applications, which previously did not lend themselves to a robotic solution because the requirement could not be completely pre‐programmed, may now be possible. With vision, the robot can adjust for uncertainties in real‐time and perform other tasks such as inspection. Originality/value – This paper reviews the 2007 Bi‐Annual International Robotics and Vision Show, Chicago.