The symbolic project outlined below is firmly anchored in one of our corporate values: “Our innovative spirit drives us forward”. AEON is a humanoid robot that is currently undergoing evaluation in our production department. The aim is not to replace human beings, but rather to support and improve the quality of people-based operations.
You see them frequently in short clips on social media: humanoid robots developed by Tesla or Boston Dynamics, performing an impressive range of tasks. Hexagon, the Swedish technology group which supplies measuring equipment for Pilatus, is also focused on developing AEON, a humanoid – i.e. human-like – robot for industrial applications. AEON is currently being tested in our production hangars. This is a joint project designed to supply both parties with valuable feedback.
Testing in a Real-World Environment
The humanoid robot combines sensor technology, artificial intelligence and precision measuring capability with advanced motion control. AEON can perceive its environment and perform tasks such as manipulating objects, inspecting parts and making digital recordings, in addition to moving around autonomously in complex surroundings such as our production hangars. An initial use case involves inspecting a component group. The humanoid navigates to the assembly independently – the side wall of a PC-24, for example – and then checks that the employee has installed the right component in the right place. The ultimate goal of this use case is to tighten up quality inspections and improve overall quality.
A Long Way to Go
Although Pilatus already makes use of robots, this is the first time it has deployed a robot resembling a human being. In the Pilatus environment, moving around is a highly complex affair: to begin testing, the humanoid has to independently recognize which assembly is located where in the large production hall. Naturally, safety aspects are paramount – there must be no risk of the robot endangering humans or components as it moves around our buildings.
The humanoid was deployed in the hangar occupied by Benjamin Mettler, Head of Structure Assembly. He comments: “Initially, the robot triggered a certain sense of unease among some employees in my team. But we certainly recognize the robot’s potential. The system still needs a lot of work before it’s ready for use in the future – there’s still has a long way to go.”
No Substitute for Human Beings
In the future, the manufacturer plans to use the humanoid robots to improve safety, increase autonomy and assist human workers who perform repetitive or physically demanding tasks.
Kilian Läubli, a project manager at Pilatus, is responsible for overseeing this innovative project. He emphasizes: “It’s not about replacing people. The idea is to have robots perform highly repetitive or unattractive or physically demanding jobs – tasks for which Pilatus generally has difficulty recruiting staff.”
Naturally, we also hope to see efficiency gains. Another advantage is that AEON could also work at night: checking all the tasks done by employees during the day, for example.
Kilian adds: “The technology is developing very quickly, but there are still many hurdles ahead. For example, a regulatory framework needs to be set up to define exactly how these robots can be used legally. But by partnering with the manufacturer, we at Pilatus are able to gather valuable initial experience of how this technology could be used here in the future.”
So let’s extend a warm welcome to our temporary employee at Pilatus and and see how he does after further testing. Further reports to follow.
Matching Outfits: Roman Emmenegger, VP of Manufacturing, introduces his successor.
Kilian Läubli, Benjamin Mettler und / and Marcel Thielke, with their potential future teammate.
