Robots, and Lasers, and VR, OH MY!

In my last article, I wrote about the rise in the adoption of AI and Robotics by a variety of companies in many different industries and sectors. I wanted to shine some light on the innovation that’s happening locally and I was fortunate enough to find a great example of a company here in Brisbane successfully implementing robotics and a number of other cool technologies into their business. I came across this organisation completely by chance; and by chance I mean I sat down next to some members from Watkins Steel at a conference – right time right table! After learning that they were in the AI and robotics field I started asking more and more questions about their experiences and business journey. They were then kind enough to invite me to tour their offices and play with some of their tech; as you can imagine I very quickly said yes!

Watkins Steel – a case study in innovation

Brett and the Watkins Steel team were quick to tell me they weren’t always at the forefront of technological innovation – in fact for the last 50 years it was the exact opposite. Watkins Steel, in Brett’s words, was “one step away from being a blacksmith.” There were very few barriers to entry in the industry at the time, and to stay competitive it really was a race to the bottom in terms of pricing and profits were inevitably being eaten into. This all started to change about 5 years ago when their owner decided to double down on tech investment, robotics, and innovation.

When you walk into the Watkins Steel factory you’ll be hard pressed to not notice the huge robot sitting in pride of place. At first glance you would be forgiven for not realising this is a machine driven by robotics, it doesn't look like something off i-Robot or Black Mirror. They explained to me that this huge metal cube is a machine that bridges Information Technology and Operational Technology (we are seeing these fields blend more often), and its function is to complete the tasks that would take a human much longer. Since beginning to use the robot, Watkins Steel is saving approx. 5000 man hours per month. This is a staggering improvement in efficiency, and it’s translating into more profit and more opportunity for both the company and its employees.

The idea of process improvement/automation to this level can be quite scary to a lot of people – one of the biggest concerns employees have about robotics tends to be that their roles will be made redundant by a machine that can do things faster, better, and cheaper. In this case, Watkins Steel actually did the opposite and re-invested their increased profits in upskilling and retraining their workers whose tasks were now being absorbed by the robot. Not a single person lost their job. In the end, even though 5000 man hours per month had been automated the company actually doubled in size - talk about a win-win!

But wait there’s more! Robotics wasn’t the only slice of innovation pie that Watkins Steel wanted, they also invested in laser scanning, drones and Virtual Reality; they developed an entirely new business offering called “Holovision 3D”. I highly recommend jumping onto their website and having a look at some of the cool stuff they're doing! This was the technology I got to play with and I can honestly say it blew my mind (see below for a QR code that will send you a 3D model direct to your phone)! What they’re doing with Holovision is leveraging drones to enhance their top of the line laser scanning to build out entirely virtual versions of their projects which means they can catch potential issues before they occur, let customers do a virtual walkthrough of the planned finished product, and offer awesome risk management solutions. For me this is a fascinating example of how to use advanced tech for genuinely fit-for-purpose solutions – I’ve seen a lot of buzz around VR and robotics as well as some really convoluted uses, so it was very refreshing to see a company do this so well.

I asked Brett about how they got to this point because I know these journeys are never as smooth as they seem, and what he said really stuck with me - “You have to fail a lot.” In fact, Brett made a point of saying they’ve probably failed more times than I’ve had hot breakfasts. He also made it very clear that once you’re on this journey you have to commit to continuous improvement and innovation; that realistically you’ll never be done – “Once you think you’re done you’ve already failed.” Watkins Steel truly understands that change is inescapable. Brett explained that if they were to stop innovating now, if they started to rest on their laurels, then inevitably another company would overtake them on their journey. This to me was especially poignant as I work in an industry where tech seems to be changing faster than anyone can keep up. It makes sense that in an environment that is ever-changing you too have to be ever-changing to remain at the forefront.

QR Code Instructions

 1. Open your camera, hover the camera over the QR code. You should get a web link without taking a picture. Open the web link and it will take you to the model.

2. Click on the cube icon on the bottom right. You will need to allow permission for the camera for the first time.

 3. Once the camera is on, scan your environment to display the model. Note that when you scan please scan slowly and try to scan a flat surface.

4. Once the model is displayed, use 2 fingers to move, resize or rotate.