With machine vision, robots can accurately manipulate parts, regardless of how they're positioned.
Henry Ford provided the first quantum leap in modern manufacturing: the assembly line. A half century later, automation brought manufacturing another giant step forward. But, even though automation has improved considerably over the years, the basic concept of using specialized, precise repetition to raise output and lower costs has remained unchanged. Today, "blind" automation is reaching the limits that economy of scale can provide. Manufacturing's next leap forward is intelligent robotics, and it is not surprising that, once again, the future can be found on the automobile assembly line.