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Client story

Democratizing Robotics

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Client: Kinova

Region: North America

Client Challenge: Kinova and Capgemini wanted to develop a solution that not only introduced robotic  arms to industrial users for the first time, but also that could be easily trained for a variety  of tasks

Results:
– Created Robotics-as-a-Service model with Capgemini
– Capgemini XIoT platform enables industrial data collection and processing
– Capgemini’s Teach Robot Yourself (TRY) enables operators to program  robots themselves
– A large European aircraft manufacturer is using Kinova robotic arms  for cockpit testing

One of our goals is to democratize robotics technologies for people who are not necessarily engineers or scientists,” says François Boucher, VP Sales and Marketing, Kinova. “It’s a hardened myth that robots are here to replace us. They’re actually here to assist us with repetitive, dull, or dangerous tasks while people can do value-added things.

The need for flexible robots

To remain competitive, many manufacturers are offering customized products, and need to be productive and cost-effective when manufacturing at lower volumes.  Robots can be used to increase productivity in manufacturing, but the typical robot is highly specialized for a particular task. It’s ill-suited to a manufacturing plant that might have 25 assembly lines, and produce a diverse range of different products.

Kinova, a leader in innovation robotics, creates robotic solutions that help researchers, medical professionals, businesses and educational institutions achieve their innovation goals. By partnering and collaborating with Capgemini, Kinova identified the opportunity for its robots to be used in industrial environments, and was able to adapt its robots and help Capgemini deliver Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS).

Introducing Robotics-as-a-Service

Kinova and Capgemini offer a low-risk deployment model, called Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS). Taking inspiration from Software-as-a-Service and similar models, RaaS enables companies to acquire the robotics capabilities they need without making a heavy up-front investment. Weighing between 4.5kg and 8kg, and capable of lifting between 0.5 and 4kg, the robots assist employees with some of their most challenging tasks.

For manufacturing production lines, the service uses the XIoT platform, built in collaboration with Intel, and enables easy collaboration between operators, information systems and robots.

Working with Capgemini has enabled Kinova to transform its business to enter the industrial market, and Kinova is now hiring talent to grow its new division dedicated to the market. The companies are working together to explore new opportunities in Asia, Europe and North America. Please allow statistical cookies to see this Youtube embed

Interested in this solution or other smart services?

Please contact:

Philippe Ravix,  XIoT Global Solution Leader
philippe.ravix@capgemini.com

Charles Cote,  North America and Latin America XIoT Solution Architect
charles.cote@capgemini.com

Fabrice Robert, Head of Robotics as a Service (RAAS), Digital Engineering & Manufacturing Services
fabrice.robert@capgemini.com