Automation design and system integration: When designing automation for the future, consider open source, capital costs, evolution, multi-vendor capability and cybersecurity.

Great product design using automation and controls isn’t just about solving existing problems faster and cheaper than others. It’s about living in the future. Don’t just do a better version of the same thing. Ask where the industry is heading, ask customers where they want to go, and then design a product that can live in that future.

Before investing in an industrial mobile robot, get answers for these five questions.

If you are thinking of moving to a mobile robot or automated guided vehicle (AGV), there are questions that should be asked. BlueBotics chief executive officer, Nicola Tomatis, with a PhD in robotics, covered five key areas to consider before buying mobile robotics.