Robots descend on AT&T Stadium for Waves of Innovation event

Dallas manufacturer Aircraft Tooling uses a cobot from Universal Robots to handle plasma and metal powder spray processes.

More than 20 robotics and automation vendors will showcase hands-on demonstrations at the free Waves of Innovation event, hosted by Olympus Controls at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Nov. 15.

Despite the Dallas metro adding more than 10,000 manufacturing jobs over the past 10 months, the region still has more job vacancies than applicants. “Historically low labor participation rates in our area means manufacturers are often unable to staff their shifts,” says Nick Armenta, regional manager of Olympus Controls, an engineering services company that integrates motion control, machine vision, and robotic technologies.

The event will showcase a variety of automation technologies, from cobots performing sanding and polishing tasks to vision-guided robotic arms picking up items using deep learning algorithms, along with applications for automated machine loading and laser marking.

Exhibitors include Apex Dynamics, Asyril, Cobot Depot, Copley Controls, Datalogic, Dorner Conveyors, Epson Robots, Flexxbotics, Kane Robotics, Mecademic, National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA), Nidec Corp., Olympus Controls, Panasonic, Robotiq, Robotunits, Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC), Spira Vision, University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), and Zebra Robotics. Platinum sponsors are Universal Robots and Mitsubishi Electric.