[RTJ2022 Report] Over 40,000 people in three days (1/2)

ROBOT TECHNOLOGY JAPAN (RTJ) 2022, an exhibition of industrial robots and automation systems, was held at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture, from June 30 to July 2.　The exhibition was organized by News Digest Publishing, which runs SEISANZAI Japan.　The exhibition, which was held for the first time, reflected the growing demand for automation in central Japan, and attracted a total of 41,880 visitors over the three days. Here is a look back at the three days of excitement.

The opening of the show, three days of excitement began

Hideaki Omura, Governor of Aichi Prefecture, addressed the opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony was held on June 30. Hachiro Higuchi, president of News Digest Publishing, the organizer of the event, opened the event by greeting “I am pleased to announce the opening of the first-ever Robot Technology Japan 2022”. Hideaki Omura, Governor of Aichi Prefecture, expressed his congratulations, saying, “I hope that we can deepen exchanges and further advance the robotics industry”. Kenji Yamaguchi, President and CEO of FANUC and Chairman of Japan Robot Association, also gave a speech, saying, “As an exhibitor, we are excited to see the event being held on such a grand scale”. A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the opening of the exhibition, which will run through July 2.

Robot makers offer a variety of proposals

FANUC caught the attention of visitors with its “CRX Palletizing System,” which uses a 25 kg transportable collaborative robot (Cobot). Using the Cobot CRX-25iA, 3D Vision Sensors 3DV/1600 and 3DV/400, and FANUC’s iPC industrial PC, the demonstration involved loading and unloading pallets for use in logistics.

Many visitors came to see Yaskawa Electric’s latest proposal.

Yaskawa Electric presented a large-scale demonstration based on the digital twin technology of its small- and medium-sized vertically articulated robots and automated guided vehicles (AGVs), which can respond to changes in process, production volume, and variety. Many visitors came to see Yaskawa’s latest proposal, in which robots share their progress with each other and support other robots as needed.

DENSO WAVE demonstrated a total of nine applications using a total of 15 robots. The demonstration of palletizing returnable boxes with ” Mech-Eye,” a 3D vision system from Mech-Mind Robotics of China, and a large robot with a payload capacity of 60 kg attracted a particularly large crowd.

Promoting the ease of system building

Demonstration using the “Tablet Teaching-less System” by Daihen.

DAIHEN presented a demonstration of its teaching-less system by tablet. The system requires only “taking a picture, selecting, and sending” the spot that needs to be welded using an iPad with the application “AR Teach” installed. The welding line is automatically recognized when an AR marker attached to the welding torch for robots and the spot to be welded is photographed with the iPad. By sending a program with torch angle and welding conditions, the robot will start welding following the program.

Mujin’s fascinating presentation attracted a lot of attention.

Mujin, a venture company involved in “intelligent robot controller,” exhibited two systems for factory automation. One is the “PickWorker Package,” a 3D picking standard cell. The other is the “Parts orienting robot with hand camera for multitype disc rotors,” which combines a vision system, an industrial robot, and an AGV. Presentations were given on monitors in the front of the booth. Many visitors looked eagerly at each attractive presentation.

Long lines of visitors waited in line for the opening of the exhibition.

FANUC’s CRX Palletizing System attracted visitors’ attention.