The Role of SSDs in Industrial Robotics
Phison Electronics Corps.
Global leader in NAND Flash controller IC and storage solutions
As digital transformation makes its impact across every industry, enterprises are looking for ways to automate processes for increased efficiency. The bid for automation has led to a great rise in the use of industrial robots. These machines are taking over tedious, hazardous or very repetitive tasks to free up human workers to deal with more complex work. Industrial robots enable organizations to stay productive with fewer people—a much-needed benefit in industries with severe worker shortages, such as manufacturing, sawmills and textile mills, warehouses/retail fulfillment centers, utilities, and mining.
The advancement of technology combined with the growing popularity of industrial robots is resulting in a range of innovative and diverse robotic applications that go far beyond the simple repetitive abilities of robots from past generations. Now robots are being equipped with built-in AI algorithms and machine learning (ML) abilities to make them even more intelligent and capable of much more fine-tuned work and predictive capabilities.
Of course, as robot abilities become more advanced and complex, so do their inner workings and the need for equally advanced data storage.
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Advanced industrial robots need a robust data storage
Part of the value of industrial robots—besides their ability to work 24/7 without breaks or holidays—is their skill in gathering data. They can collect and analyze information about their own condition and operation, as well as what’s happening on the assembly line, for instance.
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Today’s industrial robots, whether they’re assembling products, picking-and-placing components on circuit boards, welding car frames, packing retail orders or involved in any number of other applications, are typically designed to continuously gather data that includes (at the very least) the rotary angle and position of each movable arm, as well as environmental conditions such as temperature, perhaps, or their proximity to human workers or other robots.
All of this information goes into a data log, and the more advanced and complex the robot’s operations, the more comprehensive the data logs. A controller inside the robot also keeps a detailed data log that includes operational parameters of each axis and other information such as payload, command position, and encoder value.
This data is critical for a couple of reasons. First, it can be used in reporting and data analysis programs to identify errors or issues that are negatively impacting production. Second, in the event of an unexpected power failure, the robot can start up operations at the exact point it left off, once power is restored or the system reset.
All of this data needs to be stored somewhere. When building industrial robots, developers can decide to have data logs stored in a central location or at the edge, on each robot. Edge computing allows systems to access and use data faster—with reduced latency and need for connectivity—than when it’s stored centrally elsewhere. Edge computing can also reduce security and privacy risks.
The more data a robot can store and access locally, the more autonomous it can be. And autonomy is a big reason organizations use robots in the first place.
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Many of today’s industrial robots are equipped with computing processors that enable them to operate resource-heavy applications locally. One example of this is the use of graphics processing units (GPUs) that allow robots to run machine learning algorithms to accomplish tasks that require skills such as sensor fusion and object recognition. Another example is putting an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) in a robot that gives them specialized abilities like speech recognition or video processing.
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In addition to more basic sensors that record a robot’s positioning and movement, many industrial robots also have high-definition cameras and light and proximity sensors that give them extremely accurate machine vision.
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Add in AI and machine learning algorithms, which rely on and generate additional ultra-detailed and granular information, and the need for substantial data storage becomes more imperative.
Industrial robots collect and create a whole lot of data. In fact, some experts say an autonomous robot can generate up to 500 GB of data per hour —especially when AI processes like machine vision and path planning are involved. For this reason, today’s organizations using industrial robots are beginning to see the value of non-volatile NAND flash storage and memory on solid-state drives (SSDs).
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Why NAND flash data storage is a smart option for industrial robots
With so much data to aggregate and analyze on the fly, industrial robots need fast, high-performing data storage to work as efficiently as possible. They also need robust storage devices that can stand up to the sometimes harsh operating environments in factories and warehouses. Reliability is also a must-have in industrial robot data storage. A faulty SSD can take down a whole line—and every second of downtime comes with a price tag.
NAND flash solid state drives (SSDs) are becoming a popular choice for onboard memory and storage in industrial robots. Only NAND flash can deliver the high performance and low latency these robots need to do their jobs adequately.
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Phison delivers the powerful industrial SSDs that drive robotics
The NAND flash storage products that industrial robotics requires can’t be found in standard, off-the-shelf products. They require a degree of customization and system-optimization adjustments for specialized and specific applications.
As a global leader in NAND Flash controller IC and storage solutions, Phison has the expertise and experience needed to deliver robust data storage suitable for industrial robots. Not only does the company offer industrial SSDs that can withstand a variety of operating environments, including extreme cold and heat, dust, gases, and vibrations, it also offers SSDs optimized for AI workloads with a best-in-class combination of high-performance and low power consumption.
Phison’s SSD products meet U.S. military-grade standards (MIL-STD-810G), including resistance to drops, shock, humidity, sand, and dust to make sure that they operate normally in factory and automation environments.
In addition, Phison SSDs continue to maintain stable and consistent performance in 24/7 production line situations. Phison optimizes the firmware and drive algorithms to achieve great Quality of Service (QoS) of the storage device.
Finally, the tasks in an automated production line are very critical. The Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) provided by Phison allows its SSDs to automatically detect their own health and report potential failures to prevent unexpected failure during any critical moment.