Industrial robots don’t always have to be stuck performing boring, repetitive industrial jobs.
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
