These Robots Rock

KUKA Robotics Corp.( www.kuka-robotics.com/usa/en), Clinton Township, Mich., for example, has for years promoted the use of its robots in interactive amusement part rides. Now comes “The Circle Tour,” by the rock group Bon Jovi, which opened Feb. 19 in Seattle’s Key Arena. While the Bon Jovi concert experience has always been a marvel of sight and sound, this tour has taken production innovation to a new level, notes a recent announcement from ABB Robotics (www.abb.com/product/us/9aac910011.aspx), Auburn Hills, Mich. A primary component of the visual intrigue of the show is five ABB IRB 7600 industrial robots positioned toward the back of the stage, each with a 6-by-9 foot LED video panel attached to its articulated arm. The robots and screens are integral to the concert production, moving to the rhythm and beat of the music while displaying real-time video footage of the show and digital animations. At various intervals, the five robot arms move into a formation where the LED panels become one continuous, five panel screen. The robots will accompany the nearly two-year long tour, which currently features approximately 60 concerts in North America and Europe, with additional dates likely to be scheduled. This will be the band’s longest tour since the late 1980s.KUKA Robotics Corp.www.kuka-robotics.com/usa/enABB Roboticswww.abb.com/product/us/9aac910011.aspx

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