Victory march – Robots are an integral part of the modern working world and are also conquering everyday life.
Robots have everything under control. In industry, there are more and more devices with more and more new, diverse applications, and their radius is constantly increasing. The goal: maximum efficiency. But even with cost pressure and rapid innovation, safety must not be neglected. This applies in particular to cobots - when robots work closely with humans or humanoid robots, which - according to the manufacturers' vision - will one day be natural companions in everyday life, helpers in the household and care assistants.
In this issue of VDE dialog, we also present tiny robots: Nano- and micro-robots that are sent into the human bloodstream for medical purposes and are intended to help treat diseases.
And we take a look at how the various collaborations between German robotics companies and Chinese companies, which have often been criticized as a “sell-out of innovation”, have developed.
In addition to our focus, you can also read about two promising technologies that could help solve future energy problems: With research into nuclear fusion, scientists are trying to replicate the principle of solar energy. And with the miracle material superconductor, electrical current is to be transported without loss. Let's get one thing out of the way first: As tempting as this all sounds - both technologies still have a long way to go before they can be used on a widespread basis.
The new year also marks the start of our survey. From now on, we will be putting a topic to the vote in every issue. This is because the VDE dialog editorial team would like to enter into closer dialogue with readers. This time, in keeping with the focus of the issue, we are asking: A robot as friend and helper - what do you think?
