ABB unveiled the Paintbot, a robot so precise that it can finish a complete car paint job in about 30 minutes. The machine does not create drawings on its own; it faithfully applies the artwork created by a human designer. The demonstration featured two images. One comes from Illusorr, a Dubai-based digital design art collective, and the other from Advait Kolarkar, an eight year old Indian abstract artist.
Kolarkar affectionately named his pattern Zebra Dreamland, a scene where Pegasus zebras wander in a surreal, dreamlike world. Illusorr drew inspiration from how air moves across a car surface, translating that sense of motion into a motley, flowing design.
Paintbot completed both cars in under half an hour each. It carries 1000 nozzle tips that deliver paint from such a short distance that overspray is minimized, saving both material and time in the process.
PixelPaint technology from ABB is described by the company as more than a tweak in capability; it is a breakthrough. Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s robotics and discrete automation division, notes that this example demonstrates how robot automation and RobotStudio software can lower production costs while also enabling the recreation of artwork in a factory setting. The impact extends from mass production to acoustic precision in artistic replication. Credit: ABB