Robots, quartz resonators, microcontrollers … what does Epson do?

Once again, monitoring a news feed at the request of Epson, I was surprised again – how wide is the field of the company’s development … Here you are quartz vibrators (resonators) in phones, and microcontrollers of all stripes. For example, the legendary 32768 kHz microcontroller Epson E0C6S46, which was put in Tamagotchi.

In its homeland – in Japan – Epson manufactures so much interestingthat at first I can’t even believe that these are devices of the same brand, which is known to customers all over the rest of the world mainly as a manufacturer of peripheral equipment – printers, projectors … But this is only the tip of the iceberg.

The company’s development is carried out in 4 main areas:

They will be discussed today.

Caution traffic! A lot of pictures and videos.

Epson is not only peripherals

Epson creates devices and technologies in the following areas of life and business:

  • printed solutions;
  • visual communications solutions;
  • wearable products;
  • industrial solutions (robots and microcontrollers).

I have already talked about office printing a hundred times on the blog. As well as the Epson projectors. Epson PaperLab once mentioned even a compact office machine for recycling waste paper and creating new paper.

Let’s dig deeper.

A small but important clarification: those products that the story will be about are either not supplied to the Russian market, or other companies are engaged in their promotion, therefore there is little information and video on them in Russian. I will try to clarify as much as possible, along the way, translating the most important.

Epson Robots

Epson robots are slightly different from BostonDynamics robots. They do not know how to do somersaults and run. However, they brilliantly cope with the laying of goods on pallets, they can saw, grind, drill, grind, install, move and collect. In general, they can automate production around the world.

Epson is a pioneer in robotics. From production and sales to service and support. The company released its first robots in the early 80s for the accurate and quick assembly of Seiko watch movements. Soon after, industrial robots and Epson controllers began their successful march around the world. Today, Epson is a world leader in the production of SCARA robots with a line of more than 300 models. “We introduced the world’s first folding-arm 6-Axis robot,” the director of the robot product group of product managers proudly states, stressing that Epson became the first companywhich produced a 6-axis folding “robotic arm”, designed primarily for more efficient use of production facilities, especially in cases where it is necessary to perform movement not in a straight line, but bypassing obstacles or within a limited space.

Short story:

In addition, Epson robots use their own QMEMS sensor technology (Quartz MEMS) with special gyro-sensors that significantly reduce residual vibrations, which allows to accelerate productivity without losing the accuracy of following the manipulator’s trajectory.

What kind of robots releases Epson

Scara (Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm) – a robotic “arm” based on a lever system that provides the movement of the final link in the plane due to the rotational drive of the mechanism levers. Simply put, this is a system of axes, the rotation of which allows you to move the “brush” of the robot along the desired path, pre-programmed by the engineer.

Epson SCARA line of robots includes more than 200 models, “reach” 175-1000 mm, load capacity up to 10 kg, as well as models for working in the built-in sink and models for clean rooms.

Epson robots collect guitars:

One of the 6-axis Epson robots, for example, works at the factory for the production / assembly of ink containers for office printers Epson WorkForce Pro RIPS …

Or collects boxes on pallets in a limited space …

And here both people and robots dance – at first it’s a little boring, but then it becomes more fun. In the second minute, you can see for yourself how accurately the manipulator maintains the position of the last link of the chain even with the simultaneous movement and rotation of the “arm”.

And the most, in my opinion, a spectacular demo: two 6-axis robots, one twists and turns a sword, the other spins a spinning top, then puts a spinning top on the blade of a sword.

Autonomous two-armed robot (Bertie – 7 axis dual arm robot)

Epson WorkSense W-01 (Berti) is the first two-armed robot on wheels, designed to solve small-scale production tasks and automate complex tasks in small rooms.

Vision

Bertie “sees” thanks to four “head” cameras, as well as two cameras built into his hands. Thus, he can accurately determine the position of the objects with which he works, including when changing their position.

Sensory

Robot’s hands are equipped with highly sensitive and high-precision Epson sensors. Bertie is capable of performing delicate assembly, transportation, and other tasks that require controlling a force similar to a human being to avoid damage to objects. Universal hands, can grab, clamp objects of various shapes and sizes, are included in the package. They can manipulate tools and fixtures designed for people.

Logics

The robot can accurately determine the position and orientation of objects in three-dimensional space, so even if the robot is moved, it can immediately start working without the need for programming changes. In other words, Bertie can flexibly adapt to sudden changes in production. For example, it can be delivered to different places to perform various tasks every day, if necessary. The robot independently determines the trajectory of its 7-axis arms.

Performance of tasks

Two 7-axis robotic arms move like human hands. Double levers move independently of each other, which allows the robot to perform tasks that a one-armed robot cannot perform, for example, for example, tightening bolts.

Funny “viral” video, prepared in conjunction with Mercedes:

Brand video on Bertie and his features:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNxN-zZGUIQ

Watches Orient and Trume

The history of the company is inextricably linked with the watch, because before the invention of the first printing timer, the company was engaged in the production and assembly of precisely clockworks. By the way, a brief history of the company can be found on our website.

Epson is a major watch manufacturer and components for them, including calibers – mechanical and quartz, and it produces watches both under its own brands and supplies components to well-known watch brands.

Epson manufactures watches under its two brands – Orient and Orient Star – classic mechanical and quartz watches.

And also TRUME – a new brand of watches, combining all the most advanced developments of Epson.

In Russia, the Orient brand is well known. Today, Orient is a unique watch manufactory, founded in 1950 in Japan and having a complete cycle of watch production – from the development of mechanisms, its own unique design to its own production facilities. Today’s unique situation on the watch market – all Orient watch calibres are produced at its own factory in Akita in northern Japan.

Few in the know (it’s not particularly “PR”) that Orient joined Epson in 2017.

And in 2019, the face of the brand in Russia was the world champion in quick and blitz chess – Sergey Karjakin.

In 2020, the Orient brand turns 70 years old. Over the years, Orient watches have rightfully earned the title of accurate and reliable watches that have been serving their owner for many years, because this is real Japanese mechanics with a large share of manual assembly. The site of the company: www.orient-watch.com.

Brand Trume

For a long time, Epson was an OEM supplier of well-known watch companies, but a few years ago the company launched its own brand – Trume. True + Me = Trume.

So far, the main market is Japanese. The watch has many interesting “chips” that distinguish them from the products of competitors. In particular, some models come with an external sensor that measures the strength of UV radiation, temperature, and can also act as a sensor-pedometer. Such a sensor works up to six months from one battery.

Watch on e-ink

Epson watches are also available on E-ink technology. These models are currently also sold only in Japan. Once an hour and / or day the picture changes, and each time – a new one.

There are just thematic models, for example, about travels, and there are models with famous heroes – mummies trolls, mickey mouse, Hello Kitty and Winnie the Pooh.

Computers and laptops

Epson’s Japanese site also offers desktop computers, laptops, and even tablets:

We ourselves do not know much about them … Recently it was discovered that for the Japanese market the company announced Endeavor NJ7000E CAD Design Select laptop for user-centric 2D and 3D CAD systems. In the office, we saw an Epson laptop only on the table of our Japanese head of the representative office and with engineers who came to observe the projection settings for the Circle of Light in 2018 and 2019.

Industrial sensors

Epson’s range also includes specialized industrial devices for civilians and the defense industry. For example, gyroscopes, accelerometers and inertial sensors, which are widely used in Japanese cities to monitor seismic activity and predict earthquakes.

Semiconductors, microcontrollers

And there are. There is nothing special to tell, because These are highly specialized industrial devices for production.

And even golf!

Epson manufactures M-Tracer For Golf sensors, which are mounted on a club and allow you to determine the trajectory and speed of the swing, as well as the angle of the club when you hit the ball. These data are transferred to a special mobile application. In the application, you can see animation of strokes and graphics with various readings. It can store 300 hit results in its own memory, and another 2,000 in cloud storage. The app was developed in conjunction with the Laboratory for Sports Research at the Keio University Research Institute.

A small demo:

Not a single printer

Here is such an assortment. On one side of the globe, the company is known as a manufacturer of peripherals, and on the other – as a brand that produces high-precision industrial equipment.

But in fact all this – Epson.

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