Abstract
The application of industrial robots has been glamorized by much publicity over the last decade. Nevertheless, realizations have fallen short of expectations, except in relatively few application areas. It is becoming more apparent that many important changes of industrial philosophy will have to take place. These changes must encompass all levels, from the technology used for the design of products to the design of complete manufacturing plant. Significant changes in attitudes at all levels of the workforce are essential prerequisites to success and these must take place throughout the whole system including senior management and shop floor workers alike. In order to achieve these transitions, it is important that the true economic advantages of such devices must be known, and it is critical to understand how to make valid comparisons with present labour intensive methods, particularly in small batch production. There is little known about this facet of robot applications technology at present, and the situation will continue until enough working experience has been gained to enable optimal operating conditions to be evaluated. This lecture considers these problems with indications of how future applications may be accelerated, together with a look at the prospects for more advanced technology which can be built on for the very important basic concepts which need to be established.
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