ABB’s PixelPaint robot is a revolutionary piece of machinery that is at the forefront of automotive painting and stands out as a pioneer for the future.
Its ability to produce a level of precision that requires years upon year so practicing and the rate at which it can complete a task is in a league above that of any flesh and blood painter.
ABB refurbished a flood-damaged Volkswagen SUV and invited eight-year-old art prodigy Advait Kolarkar, as well as Dubai-based art collective Illusorr to witness PixelPaint’s remarkable painting ability. Kolarkar’s “Zebra Utopia” art piece was effortlessly recreated before his eyes. “I could not believe a robot was painting an artwork first time and it wasn’t just any artwork. It was my artwork.”
Begum Aydinoglu, co-founder of Illusorr was invited to watch the PixelPaint robot work in real-time. Illusorr designed a tricolor geometric pattern that mimicked the flow of air around the vehicle. In a matter of minutes, the artwork had been replicated in a single pass. “Every single detail in our artwork is inspired by the speed and the airflow around the car, that has been created throughout the car’s movements.”
The PixelPaint is a robot is equipped with 1000 nozzles and laser-like precision. The robot operates mere millimetres away from the car, which results in 100% of the paint being applied to result in less airborne misting and overspray. This process eliminates the need for masking, which is a very tedious and time-consuming part of the automotive painting process. The PixelPaint is less impactful than traditional means and could allow manufacturers to cut the process of painting by 60%. ABB claims that its PixelPaint robot and technology allow for a reimagining of the automotive painting process. They claim that their robot can reproduce any design with 100% accuracy in terms of detail and color.
ABB’s PixelPaint robot is a breakthrough in the world of automotive painting that will significantly contribute to a revolution in the current technology and techniques used today.
“Some artworks requires a robotic execution because a human eye of human hands can not execute that kind of drawing level of complexity.” – Begum Aydinoglu
