Fanuc America Corp. in Rochester Hills and Inbolt in Paris have integrated changes that allow the CRX cobot and other FANUC robot models to operate with real-time 3-D vision and adaptive trajectory correction, including with part variation or in imperfect environments.
The integration with FANUC robots is the first solution of its kind on the market using Inbolt’s intelligence layer and real-time vision.
General Motors Co. is the first to adopt the new integration, while Stellantis, Ford, Whirlpool, ThyssenKrupp Automotive, Toyota, and more use Inbolt’s technology across various applications.
The solution will debut in live demos at Booth #8632 at Automate in Detroit, North America’s largest trade show for industrial automation. The show runs May 12-15 at Huntington Place.
“This new collaboration between Inbolt and FANUC gives car manufacturers a new level of automation — precision tasks, performed by robots, on lines that never stop,” says Rudy Cohen, CEO of Inbolt.
“No more expensive indexing. No more undue complexity and maintenance challenges. Just robots operating in a continuous motion environment and a huge leap forward for automakers.”
The system operates up to 100 times faster than conventional solutions, and is designed to scale across diverse production needs, whether for manufacturers worried about maintenance or line throughput or system integrators requirements for easy and quick installation.
The solution combines FANUC’s streaming motion capabilities, which enable real-time trajectory input via Ethernet, with Inbolt’s lightweight, robot-mounted vision system and ultra-fast AI model. Key features include:
- Real-Time 3-D Guidance: Inbolt’s proprietary localization AI refreshes at a high rate continuously identifying object orientation and adapting robot paths on the fly, enabling high-speed screwdriving and part insertion without indexing.
- Flexible Deployment: Operates in low-space environments, with no need for fencing. Ideal for General Assembly stations.
This integration supports bolt rundown, screw insertion, filter installation, and other tasks which are challenging applications for traditional robotics. The system handles real-world constraints: crowded stations, variable parts, minimal floor space, as well as moving lines and variable part position.
“Our primary goal is to reduce the complexity of automation,” says Albane Dersy, COO of Inbolt. “With Inbolt’s guidance system and FANUC’s native motion control, robots can now think and act on the fly.”
Significantly lowering the barriers to high-performance automation, this integration eliminates the need for specialized lighting or custom jigs, making it easier to deploy robots in complex, real-world environments.
A single robot can now handle over 100 part models with real-time accuracy, even on continuously moving lines. Deployment is streamlined through Inbolt Studio, an intuitive platform that allows users to import CAD files, train the AI model, validate tracking in real time, and launch the program directly on the line.
“As industries navigate rising demands for efficiency and cost-effectiveness, automation has become an essential solution — and the timing has never been better,” says Lou Finazzo, vice president, of sales at FANUC America, a subsidiary of FANUC Corp. in Japan.
“At our new Innovation Lab, FANUC is collaborating with forward-thinking startups like Inbolt to harness cutting-edge solutions, from cobots to AI and streaming motion applications, tackling challenges in the automotive sector and beyond.”
The solution is now available for FANUC CRX models and industrial robots with Stream Motion.
Inbolt provides the intelligence layer for industrial robot guidance, combining real-time 3D vision and AI to automate unpredictable manufacturing environments. For more information, visit inbolt.com/.
FANUC America designs and builds CNC systems, robotics, and ROBOMACHINEs. For more information, visit fanucamerica.com.
