Showing posts with label ARM chips. Show all posts
Perhaps this will succeed where Windows RT failed.
Microsoft dipped its toe in the ARM waters with Windows RT but it ultimately proved a failure, primarily because of the lack of applications. That doesn't mean the company is going to give up on the dominant mobile market processor, however.
At the WinHEC show in China last week, Microsoft announced it has finally created a native version of Windows 10 running on Qualcomm Snapdragon processors with full x86 compatibility. This isn't Windows RT, it's full Windows 10, but you’ll be able to run Win32 apps and Windows Universal Apps.
The initial version of ARM Windows 10 only supports 32-bit apps, but that's not a big deal since most mobile devices have 4GB of memory or less anyway. And it should be noted this is Windows 10 on Snapdragon, not Windows 10 on ARM. Sure, Qualcomm's processors are fairly ubiquitous but they aren't everywhere. You won't be running Windows 10 on an iPad any time soon.
This enables Microsoft to get down into the lower-cost mobile market. The Surface tablets and notebooks are nice but they aren't cheap. That's partly due to being essentially x86 PCs. An ARM-based tablet has an overall lower cost of materials and lower price, so it gets Windows into places Microsoft currently isn't playing with the Surface line.
"For the first time ever, our customers will be able to experience the Windows they know with all the apps, peripherals, and enterprise capabilities they require, on a truly mobile, power efficient, always-connected cellular PC," said Windows chief Terry Myerson in a blog post announcing the breakthrough, along with other WinHEC news.
"With Windows 10 on cellular PCs, we will help everyone make the most of the air around them. We look forward to seeing these new devices with integrated cellular connectivity and the great experiences people love like touch, pen and Windows Hello, in market as early as next year," he added.
PCWorld (a sister publication of Computerworld) reports that the emulation will be built around a new, unreleased chip the Snapdragon 835 that's in production now and is due to ship in the first half of 2017, according to Qualcomm. The first Windows-on-ARM devices are expected by the second half of next year.
This will be a major challenge for Qualcomm. Emulation is always tricky business. Remember Transmeta? The difference here is Intel has basically given up on the mobile market. It bailed out of the tablet and smartphone business last year, basically handing it to ARM. So at least they don't have to deal with Intel on the hardware side.
But Qualcomm still faces a considerable challenge of ARM-to-x86 emulation. We don't know anything on the performance specs of the 835, only that it's a 10nm part.
Apps on the x86 architecture have mostly been limited to desktop processors - until now. At the 2016 WinHEC Conference in China, Microsoft announced that ARM processors will soon be able to run the full desktop experience of Windows.
During the Windows 8 time frame, as The Verge recounted, Microsoft implemented Windows on ARM under Windows RT, which proved to be unpopular since RT was only capable of running apps from the Windows store - that meant no x86 apps.
This has been rectified with the software giant's partnership with Qualcomm. Through emulation that is built into Windows 10, ARM processors will be able to run x86 win32 programs.
Executive Vice President Terry Myerson noted on Windows Blog: "For the first time ever, our customers will be able to experience the Windows they know with all the apps, peripherals, and enterprise capabilities they require, on a truly mobile, power efficient, always-connected cellular PC."
With a Snapdragon chipset, Microsoft demoed Windows 10 on ARM running the desktop Office suite, Adobe Photoshop, and Halo Spartan Assault. This showed how easily desktop apps might be handled on laptops and tablets by hardware partners, and even phones with Continuum, all the while taking advantage of the light footprint that mobile processors provide.
Lumia 950 XL release with Continuum, a feature of Windows 10 Mobile that let's phone act like computers when connected to a display. While Microsoft did not discuss Continuum in relation to this x86 emulation, this ARM implementation of Windows 10 could make Continuum that much more potent.
As it stands, Continuum for Windows 10 Mobile can only be taken advantage of using apps specifically design under the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) architecture, but Windows 10 on ARM can bring desktop apps to phones.
Windows 10's support for ARM processors is set to release next year. Stay tuned for more exciting updates!
Microsoft said yesterday that it is paving the way for easier, faster Windows 10 computing on mobile devices with new support from Qualcomm's Snapdragon ARM processors. The partnership, announced at a Windows hardware engineering event in China, could lead to new mobile products running Windows 10 "as early as next year," according to Microsoft executive Terry Myerson.
The Windows 10-Snapdragon union could pose a threat to Intel's position as the market leader in PC chips, a number of observers have noted. At the same time, however, Microsoft yesterday also announced it was collaborating with Intel to bring new security and artificial-intelligence features to PCs, with a focus on gaming and mixed-reality applications.
The Windows 10-Snapdragon union could pose a threat to Intel's position as the market leader in PC chips, a number of observers have noted. At the same time, however, Microsoft yesterday also announced it was collaborating with Intel to bring new security and artificial-intelligence features to PCs, with a focus on gaming and mixed-reality applications.
Together,
developments like these could signal that significant shifts in the
microprocessor market are on the horizon. They could also enable a second
chance for Microsoft to bring the full Windows experience to mobile devices, an
effort the company failed to achieve with its previous Window RT mobile
operating system.
Targeting
Windows Users on the Go
In
a blog post about several announcements made yesterday in China, Myerson -- who
is executive vice president for Microsoft's Windows and Devices Group -- said
the new Snapdragon-powered collaboration with Qualcomm is aimed at meeting
"our customers' growing needs to create on the go."
"For
the first time ever, our customers will be able to experience the Windows they
know with all the apps, peripherals, and enterprise Relevant Products/Services
capabilities they require, on a truly mobile, power efficient, always-connected
cellular PC," Myerson said. "With Windows 10 on cellular PCs, we will
help everyone make the most of the air around them."
By
using Qualcomm's ARM chips instead of Intel's X86-based processors, Microsoft
hopes to enable a new generation of Windows 10-native mobile devices like
tablets and laptops. Traditionally limited to low-power applications, ARM chips
are becoming increasingly powerful and bring the added advantages of support
for longer battery life and cellular-based, always-on connectivity.
Second
Chance for Microsoft
Thanks
to "compatibility with the Windows 10 ecosystem, the Qualcomm Snapdragon
platform is expected to support mobility to cloud computing and redefine how
people will use their compute devices," Qualcomm executive vice president
Cristiano Amon said yesterday in a press announcement.
Myerson
noted that the partnership will enable Microsoft's hardware partners to
"build a range of new Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered Windows 10 PCs that run
x86 Win32 and universal Windows apps, including Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft
Office and popular Windows games."
Microsoft
had previously targeted the mobile computing market with ARM-based devices
running Windows RT, which launched in late 2012. However, that OS failed to
gain traction among consumers, and production of Windows RT-based devices like
the Surface 2 and Lumia 2520 tablets came to an end in early 2015.
Meanwhile,
a new collaboration between Microsoft and Intel called Project Evo will aim to
"further push the boundaries of personal computing" with smarter
voice-machine communication, new virtual and mixed-reality applications, better
gaming and "true always-connected computing," according to an
editorial penned by Navin Shenoy, senior vice president and general manager of
Intel's Client Computing Group.
"The
work we are doing will help drive innovation in other areas too, from
hardware-enhanced single- and multi-factor authentication powered by Windows
Hello and Intel Authenticate for enhanced PC security to an even greater focus
on connectivity -- starting today with LTE," Shenoy wrote. "This
includes offering a wide range of PC form factors and price points that give
people choice in mobility, whether they are carrying an ultra-thin and light
notebook or a cool 2 in 1."
Parties to work together to accelerate virtualized BBUs based on General-Purpose Processors
SAN JOSE, CA December 8th, 2016 - Today, Cavium, Inc. (NASDAQ: CAVM), a leading provider of semiconductor products that enable intelligent processing for Enterprise, Telco, MSP and cloud data centers, announced an agreement with China Unicom to accelerate the design and development of Virtualized BBU and provide a path for 5G adoption. The collaboration will focus on commercializing vBBU systems using general purpose hardware based on Cavium’s ThunderX® workload optimized data server processors which are built on ARM architecture. In addition, Cavium has joined the China Unicom CORD Industry Alliance and will drive adoption of open source architecture and technologies in China together with China Unicom.
China Unicom and Cavium will work together on new innovative fronthaul solutions, system architecture and vBBU performance and deployment. This collaboration allows Cavium to align with China Unicom’s commercial networks technology development and innovation, research feasibility of Next Generation Virtualized Wireless Access Network, perform lab and field testing, evaluate results, drive deployment of developed technologies into commercial network, carry out lab and field performance test and assessment, accelerate pilot and application of new technical innovations in real-world networks.
“We are very pleased to collaborate with China Unicom in this critical area. As network capacity continues to be stretched and the user demands continue to grow the industry is faced with significant challenges which cannot be solved by traditional means,” said Raj Singh General Manager of the Wireless Broadband Group at Cavium. “The use of advanced general purpose hardware such as Cavium’s ThunderX workload optimized data severs allows us to provide a highly scalable virtualized solution for these requirements.”
“Virtualized network based on general purpose hardware and open source technologies represents the overall direction for future network changes. China Unicom partners with Cavium, a leader in virtualized BBU technology field, to drive R&D of virtualization products based on general purpose processors, thus laying a solid foundation for building new generation of network infrastructure,” said Dr. Tang Xiongyan, CTO of Network Technology Research Institute, China Unicom.
About Cavium
Cavium, Inc. (NASDAQ: CAVM), offers a broad portfolio of integrated, software compatible processors ranging in performance from 1Gbps to 100Gbps that enable secure, intelligent functionality in Enterprise, Data Center, Broadband/Consumer, Mobile and Service Provider Equipment, highly programmable switches which scale to 3.2Tbps and Ethernet and Fibre Channel adapters up to 100Gbps. Cavium processors are supported by ecosystem partners that provide operating systems, tools and application support, hardware reference designs and other products. Cavium is headquartered in San Jose, CA with design centers in California, Massachusetts, India, China and Taiwan. For more information, please visit: http://www.cavium.com.
Media Contact
Angel Atondo
Sr. Marketing Communications Manager
Telephone: +1 408-943-7417
Email: angel.atondo@cavium.com
Microsoft has been already in the news for the latest upcoming devices that are reported to be waiting in the pipeline to be released once 2017 sets in. And it’s back in the headline yet again but this time for a completely different reason. It is reported that Microsoft will be tying up with Qualcomm to enable the availability of Windows 10 desktops apps on ARM chipsets.
The news has come in that Windows 10 will be able to support ARM chipsets and the announcement has been made by the officials of both Microsoft and Qualcomm. This means that the desktop windows app will be available on the mobile devices like smartphones, laptops and tablets. And such compatible devices might come out “as early as next year” as the company officials have suggested.
It is also reported that the new Windows 10 which is going to support ARM chipsets from Qualcomm will be able to run desktop x86 Win32 apps besides the Universal Windows apps. This will surely make things much better particularly after the discontinuation of the Windows RT platform which did not feature any desktop apps. But it remains to be seen how well the apps perform because it is expected that the apps will still run better on the x86 chipsets made by Intel.
However, the latest developments have put under the scrutiny the relationship between Microsoft and Intel which many believe that might just have fallen out. But Terry Myerson, Executive Vice President of Microsoft, absolutely dismissed such possibilities. He has been quoted telling The Verge, “We’re working closer with Intel than we ever have before. The collaboration is better than ever before. It’s just the case where Qualcomm does have these chips with integrated connectivity and better idle power performance which enables new devices to get built.” Thus the speculations that the collaboration between Microsoft and Intel might come to an end in distant future should die down for the time being.
Regarding the availability of the PCs which would be coming out after such collaboration between Microsoft and Qualcomm, it is speculated that it might be very early in 2017. Qualcomm has been quoted saying that the Windows 10 based on Qualcomm Snapdragon processors are “expected to be available as early as next year.” so the tech enthusiasts across the world would be eager to watch out how these new devices perform when they are brought out in the market.
A video demonstrating Windows 10 and Adobe Photoshop running on an ARM-based device is reproduced below, with Qualcomm and Microsoft promising to launch the first units some time next year.
Packet’s not-so-secret weapon: energy-sipping bare-metal servers using ARM processors.
A
little-known startup is making a big bet that it can parlay new ARM chips, and
backing from a Japanese investment giant, to make its presence felt among the
cloud computing giants.
The
company, Packet, on Tuesday is launching new rentable “bare metal” computing
services based on the ARM v8 chip architecture from its data centers in New
Jersey, Northern California, Amsterdam, and Tokyo. Customers can set up and
launch these resources within minutes, Packet said
The
move is unusual because ARM chips are not commonly found in the servers that
power corporate data centers or public cloud computer services, such as those
sold by Amazon AMZN -1.47% Web Services. They do, however, dominate the
smartphone market—scratch an Apple AAPL
-1.87% iPhone (God forbid) and you’ll
see an ARM chip. And many techies see ARM’s energy-efficient design as an
interesting option for servers going forward.
Bare
metal servers, unlike typical cloud-based servers, are not virtualized. That
means they can run certain jobs, like databases, faster than virtualized cloud
servers. IBM IBM -2.15% , Rackspace RAX 0.00%
and some other cloud companies already offer bare metal options for
rent.
New
York-based Packet, which disclosed $9.4 million in funding from Softbank in
September, aims to satisfy what it sees as a growing market for bare-metal
computing on demand. Softbank is a great ally for Packet, since it is buying
ARM Holdings for $32 billion. ARM Holdings is the U.K. company that controls
and licenses ARM processor designs to manufacturers.
Packet
CEO Zachary Smith acknowledges that this is a David and Goliath tale in many
ways. Intel chips dominate cloud computing services and equipment, as they do
inside corporate data centers. And Amazon Web Services and Microsoft MSFT -0.71%
Azure are the behemoths in the public cloud market; both organizations
sell (or rent) massive amounts of computing power to customers from their
Intel-dominated data centers.
Smith
has no problem stipulating that Intel owns “99 point whatever percent” of the
data center chip architecture, with a smattering of IBM-backed Power chips and
Oracle ORCL -1.42% SPARC chips here and there. Likewise, he
admits that Intel INTC 0.23% x86 chips work with everything, that Intel
fields a huge partner ecosystem of software, hardware and add-on providers, and
that it also owns the biggest-and-best fabrication facilities.
But,
he also insists that big changes over the past year are shifting the balance of
power. “There are a billion smartphones out there with ARM chips,” Smith noted.
As a result, there many manufacturers and plenty of ARM licensees working with
the technology. What that means is ARM now has an ecosystem all its own, which
is something Softbank and Packet hope to capitalize on.
Taking
on established cloud giants like Amazon Web Services is a long shot but there
are some critical nuances to consider.
First,
the market for rentable computer resources is growing fast enough now to float
many boats, including newcomers, provided they have funding and innovative
services that corporate developers and their IT strategy overlords want.
Second,
even cloud giants admit that new chip technologies will be critical as cloud
computing matures. Energy-efficient ARM chips that already power an estimated
95% of smartphones are bound to get a look, especially if their use can reduce
data center power requirements. Microsoft and Google also talk up x86
alternative chips for some uses. And Amazon last year bought Annapurna Labs, an
ARM chip licensee. Clearly, there is interest here.
Smith
contended that the widespread use of ARM chips in other scenarios is also
making it easier for cloud service providers (and others) to get early previews
of the technology and to develop offerings using it.
Suwanee, GA, October 24, 2016 - SoC Solutions is teaming with asicNorth as part of a complete development ecosystem for custom Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Joining SoC Solutions and asicNorth are Faraday Technology, Silicon Creations, and UMC. Each company offers valuable expertise in key areas such as system design, semiconductor design, and process technology areas. “By bringing together the unique expertise of the companies, asicNorth is able to offer IoT customers a streamlined platform for the creation of fully integrated devices for the IoT chip marketplace,” commented Mike Slattery, President of asicNorth.
“SoC Solutions is very excited to become a partner of the asicNorth ‘IoT Design EcoSystem’”, says Jim Bruister President/CEO. “Our more than 25 years of experience developing ARM based subsystems and software combined with asicNorth’s excellence in producing quality mixed signal designs is perfect for servicing the IoT market.” “asicNorth is pleased to offer this new capability to our customers” says Steve Stratz, VP. “By aligning ourselves with such strong players in the system design, semiconductor design and manufacturing community, we can collectively help our customers to bring better IoT device solutions to market.”
ARM TechCon 2016 Exhibiting Announcement
In an effort to showcase the newly created asicNorth’s “IoT Design EcoSystem”, Soc Solutions will be joining asicNorth at the ARM TechCon October 26th and October 27th, 2016 in Santa Clara, CA. ARM TechCon’s conference program is built to ignite understanding and innovation across the embedded systems industry, connecting thought leaders and professionals from around the country in order to push tomorrow’s industry today. It’s an unmatched opportunity to share ideas, gather insight, and discover inspiration for your next project. By offering three full days of technical tracks, demonstrations, and industry insight from broad and deep levels of industry-leading companies and innovative start-ups, ARM TechCon remains more than a tradeshow; it is a comprehensive learning environment for the entire embedded community, uniting the software and hardware communities. The conference also hosts a large commercial exhibition featuring over 100 companies.
Come visit us at booth #917.
About ASIC North:
ASIC North, INC was founded in January 2000 with one purpose in mind; to deliver the highest quality design services possible. In an industry that can be quite volatile at times, it is important to have a design partner that you can depend upon to deliver the skills you need when you need them. Today, asicNorth is enabling high-tech industry leaders and startups alike with a combination of design services in digital, analog, mixed-signal, and RF design. These capabilities, along with our focus on IP Design, Circuit Characterization; Supply Chain Management; and Turnkey Products allow us to support the needs of our clients at any point in the IC product development cycle. asicNorth is “Bringing Analog / Mixed-Signal to ASIC Design”. To learn more about asicNorth, visit us at www.asicNorth.com.
“SoC Solutions is very excited to become a partner of the asicNorth ‘IoT Design EcoSystem’”, says Jim Bruister President/CEO. “Our more than 25 years of experience developing ARM based subsystems and software combined with asicNorth’s excellence in producing quality mixed signal designs is perfect for servicing the IoT market.” “asicNorth is pleased to offer this new capability to our customers” says Steve Stratz, VP. “By aligning ourselves with such strong players in the system design, semiconductor design and manufacturing community, we can collectively help our customers to bring better IoT device solutions to market.”
ARM TechCon 2016 Exhibiting Announcement
In an effort to showcase the newly created asicNorth’s “IoT Design EcoSystem”, Soc Solutions will be joining asicNorth at the ARM TechCon October 26th and October 27th, 2016 in Santa Clara, CA. ARM TechCon’s conference program is built to ignite understanding and innovation across the embedded systems industry, connecting thought leaders and professionals from around the country in order to push tomorrow’s industry today. It’s an unmatched opportunity to share ideas, gather insight, and discover inspiration for your next project. By offering three full days of technical tracks, demonstrations, and industry insight from broad and deep levels of industry-leading companies and innovative start-ups, ARM TechCon remains more than a tradeshow; it is a comprehensive learning environment for the entire embedded community, uniting the software and hardware communities. The conference also hosts a large commercial exhibition featuring over 100 companies.
Come visit us at booth #917.
About ASIC North:
ASIC North, INC was founded in January 2000 with one purpose in mind; to deliver the highest quality design services possible. In an industry that can be quite volatile at times, it is important to have a design partner that you can depend upon to deliver the skills you need when you need them. Today, asicNorth is enabling high-tech industry leaders and startups alike with a combination of design services in digital, analog, mixed-signal, and RF design. These capabilities, along with our focus on IP Design, Circuit Characterization; Supply Chain Management; and Turnkey Products allow us to support the needs of our clients at any point in the IC product development cycle. asicNorth is “Bringing Analog / Mixed-Signal to ASIC Design”. To learn more about asicNorth, visit us at www.asicNorth.com.
At the World Robot Conference 2016, which ran from Friday to Tuesday in a southern suburb of Beijing, some companies complained that the event is unlikely to help them due to the overheated market. Manufacturers looking to automate have had a hard time finding workers to operate their robots, and the industry is still struggling with how to better integrate operation systems. The frenzy in China's robotics market is cooling, and people are raising more practical questions about how to best implement robotics in manufacturing.
Beijing-based Yaskawa Shougang Robot Co showcases its industrial robots at the World Robot Conference 2016 in Beijing. Photo: Chen Qingqing/GT
On
a chilly Friday afternoon, dozens of attendees at the World Robot Conference
2016 in suburban Beijing gathered around an industrial robotic arm
demonstrating its delicate grip and wide range of motion.
The
six-axis robotic arm can be used in a wide range of applications such as
assembly, dispensing, materials handling and packaging.
"I
am not surprised by the progress these exhibitors have made in automation. I
know many Chinese factories are equipped with industrial robots to increase
efficiency," an attendee surnamed Zhang told the Global Times on Friday at
the conference, which ended on Tuesday.
China
has been considered a growth market for industrial robots over the last few
years, Vitaly Nedelskiy, president of the Russian Association of Robotics, said
at the conference on Friday.
China's
supply of industrial robots grew by a robust 17 percent in 2015, Nedelskiy
noted. Companies installed 68,000 robots last year, though the ratio of robots
to workers remains far below the global average.
Globally,
the average ratio of robots to workers, known in the industry as robot density,
stood at 69 installed robots for every 10,000 employees in 2015, according to
the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
By
comparison, China's average robot density is about 49 robots per 10,000
workers, Nedelskiy noted.
Under
its "Made in China 2025" or China's "Industry 4.0," the
Chinese government has set a target for China to have 150 robots per 10,000
workers by 2020.
To
achieve the goal, the country's industrial enterprises would have to add
600,000 to 650,000 industrial robots by the end of the decade, according to the
IFR.
Because
the government is encouraging Chinese manufacturers to install more automated
machinery and robots to boost efficiency, about 3,400 companies around the
country are now engaged in the robotics business, domestic industry news site
robot.ofweek.com reported in May.
However,
the development of China's robotics industry has been uneven and the market has
grown overheated, leaving major challenges that need to be addressed, industry
experts said during the conference.
Men
and machines
Despite
the rapid growth of China's robotics industry, which had about 20 percent of
the domestic market share in 2015, the country lacks workers trained to run the
machines, said Qu Daokui, president of Shenyang SIASUN Robot & Automation
Co. The lack of workers is one of the major issues many Chinese factories are
facing today.
With
the government so clearly behind the robotics industry, factories have jumped
to acquire automated machinery. The city of Dongguan, South China's Guangdong
Province, often referred to as "the world's factory," has adopted a
strategy called "Robotics-powered Smart Manufacturing" to improve the
productivity of local manufacturers.
There
are nearly 200 robot manufacturers in Dongguan, according to a document the
local government sent to the Global Times in February. So far, 400 factories
have been equipped with a total of 10,000 robots.
Although
they have the robots, they still need people to operate them, said Qu, whose
company acquired a German vocational training institution in February.
"More
and more factories are asking us to teach them how to use [industrial robots],
instead of just installing them, which illustrates how important it is to
educate more skillful workers," Qu told the Global Times.
The
lack of trained workers has weighed on some small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) in the Pearl River Delta, said an employee in charge of automation at an
original equipment manufacturer in Dongguan, who spoke on the condition of
anonymity. Dongguan is an industrial powerhouse in the Pearl River Delta
region.
The
situation also jeopardizes the government's goal of automating more of the
city's manufacturing industry.
"It's
hard to find sufficient skillful workers who can handle those machines, and
some factories only use automated machines when local officials visit their
production lines, and they go back to labor-intensive production after [the
officials] leave," the employee told the Global Times on Sunday.
The
factories benefit from the government subsidies they receive for rebranding
themselves as an "automated business," but few local SMEs actually
benefit from installing industrial robots, the employee said.
As
it turns out, operating a robot is a multidisciplinary task involving the
integration of software, hardware and core technologies, experts said.
A
lot of people just think "I'll buy a robot and place it and connect
it", but they end up with a lot of problems, said Oussama Khatib, director
of robotics laboratory at Stanford University.
Technology
and the future
For
those who focus on research and development (R&D) in the robotics sector,
more effort needs to be made to make the machine smarter by introducing more
advanced technologies, but China has a long way to go, industry representatives
said.
The
rise of China's robotics industry has encouraged a growing number of companies
to enter the field, but many of them don't bother with developing their own
core technology and stick to manufacturing low-end products, said Gan Zhongxue,
chief technology officer of the ENN Group.
"Some
elements like the RV reducer and controller are still produced by foreign
companies," he told the Global Times on Friday. An RV reducer, one of
reduction gears, is used for transmission and the controller is used for
controlling the machine.
Purchasing
those components from overseas raises the manufacturing costs for Chinese
robotics companies.
As
far as technological trends are concerned, companies will be concentrating on
the collaboration between humans and machines, simplified applications and
light-weight robots, the IFR said in its World Robotics Report 2016.
And
the demand for industrial robots will likewise be driven by a whole assortment
of factors, such as the handling of new materials, energy efficiency, and
better developed automation concepts, the report said.
For
now, a large part of industrial robots are operating under digital control
systems, but a more harmonized human-robot interaction requires greater
flexibility and autonomous operation in unstructured environments, which is
unlikely to be achieved for the moment, said Zuo Shiquan, head of the equipment
industry institute at the CCID Institute affiliated with the Ministry of
Industry and Information Technology.
"Although
the application of robots in China has expanded in recent years, the next step
ought to be to improve R&D, which will help keep us from falling behind our
foreign competitors," he told the Global Times.
By Chen Qingqing Source:Global Times Published: 2016/10/24 19:38:39
