Video: Industrial robot as theme park ride

Posted by Joel Johnson, March 16, 2009 7:25 AM | permalink

This is so dangerously awesome I have a hard time believing it's real, but the laughs from the coworkers sold me. (Thanks, Jimbo!)

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#1 posted by Latente

, March 16, 2009 7:34 AM

old!

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#2 posted by sanity , March 16, 2009 7:44 AM

I'm pretty sure that's a FANUC device that is not in a Ford factory. Also, FANUC was not real happy with people doing this video.

It's still awesome, and check this out!

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/02/26/diy-robot-ride-up-fo.html

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#3 posted by ROSSINDETROIT , March 16, 2009 7:46 AM

That looks like more fun than forklift rides.

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#4 posted by dculberson , March 16, 2009 7:47 AM

I still can't believe they did that, considering how incredibly dangerous that is.

Well, let me modify that statement: I believe they did it. I just wish I couldn't believe it. If you can believe that.

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#5 posted by xzzy , March 16, 2009 7:51 AM

It almost wasn't awesome, he just about sanded off the top of his head in the first few seconds.

I'd probably alter the program to give a couple more inches of clearance for that part.

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#6 posted by tweygant , March 16, 2009 8:15 AM

I worked as an automation installation tech during the 80's automation boom and bust. You would be amazed at the after hours fun we had "Testing" the equipment. Try riding a 50 ft tall ASRS Crane full tilt a half mile then having it come to an abrupt halt to put a pallet on a rack. Or racing smaller agv's like skate boards down a ramp in a large car assembly facility.

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#7 posted by dross1260 , March 16, 2009 8:15 AM

“HUARF”

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#8 posted by Anonymous , March 16, 2009 8:43 AM

I don't think that Ford has any factories that are pre-fab metal buildings. Still, it is all fun and games until someone gets crushed by a robot.

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#9 posted by RedShirt77 , March 16, 2009 8:51 AM

If I remember correctly they sold this robot after the video was made.

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#10 posted by WalterBillington , March 16, 2009 9:13 AM

It started just as fun ... then ... it squashed Pete ... and then ... it seemed to enjoy it, did more and more, seemed to follow some kind of instruction, kept chanting "squash 'em, squash 'em" ... I was so scared, I hid, and now ... more of them are doing it - they're mobile - how'd they do that, they were bolted down ... it's so confusing, so fast, so ... deliberate ...

is anybody hearing this? fzzt

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#11 posted by Patrick Austin

, March 16, 2009 9:40 AM

Do not fuck with industrial equipment. I wouldn't worry about it going off course and hitting the floor. Robots reliably do the same thing over and over and over again millions of times.

The problem is that when something meat-based gets in the way, the robot continues doing the thing it was programmed to do. If one of those seatbelts gets wrapped around the axis of rotation...

I had a coworker get his head crushed flat by a robot when he got a bit too nonchalant about disconnecting the power before working on gigantic robotic assembly station...

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#12 posted by Bugs , March 16, 2009 11:31 AM

dculberson: I don't believe you.

As long as we're posting old-but-awesome robot links:

An industrial robot arm being controlled via a Wii remote. Hang on, let me correct myself: an industrial robot arm weilding a sword and being controlled vai a Wii remote.

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#13 posted by Anonymous , March 16, 2009 1:18 PM

This is nothing special. There's a series of 4 of these chairs as a ride at Legoland. Went on it in 2007. Fun but not dangerous.

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#14 posted by igpajo , March 16, 2009 1:31 PM

It's all fun and games
till the robot spills your brains.

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