At the beginning of this year, the AGMA Robotics Committee published a white paper, Gear Backlash in Robotics Applications. The paper is available for download from the store on the AGMA website or reach out to me directly. A consensus was being built among experts that over the next 10–15 years, personal and collaborative robots will exceed the industrial robot market and be common in homes. As a committee, we wanted to address this change in the marketplace. The paper addresses the issues of gear drives in robotics. If this space grows exponentially, we should address intrinsic problems of backlash, wear, unpredictability, size, and high cost. Gear drives for robots that are in non-industrial settings will need to be different.

Instead of waiting until the beginning of next year to make a resolution to learn more about emerging technologies, I suggest taking advantage of the learning opportunities available right now. Engaging with AGMA’s emerging technology (ET) initiatives will help you stay current, expand your knowledge base, and potentially add to your itinerary for IMTS.

I just returned from two information-packed days in Detroit, running the 2024 AGMA Emerging Technology Forum and the AGMA Technical Committee meeting on standards development for electric vehicle technology. AGMA provided attendees with high-level presentations on materials, advanced IIoT experiences, interactive sessions on the future of robots, and initial standards work for EV technology.