Robot News: Fanuc Robots Trim the Tree at Neiman Marcus

Who knew pick and place applications could be so festive, so hip? This holiday season, a family of industrial robots is the main attraction at Neiman Marcus' store in Dallas, Texas.

 

Neiman Marcus always wows shoppers with daring Christmas window displays - trees made out of 1950's car fins, money, or water. This year is no exception. The glitzy display features three industrial robots trimming a 15 ft. aluminum tree.

 

Designer Ignak Gorischeck, Vice President of Store Development at Neiman Marcus, chose industrial robots to give the display a futuristic feel. Fanuc Robotics America Inc. provided robots, software, and support. Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center integrated the project.

 

Tree-trimming is well-suited for industrial robots. The three Fanuc robots - Mom, Dad, and Jr. - are programmed to select round ornaments from two feeder trees and thread them onto the thin stick branches of the larger, main tree. All three metallic trees rotate, adding even more complexity to the application.

 

The company celebrated its centennial anniversary this year, and the window display, entitled "The Next 100 Years," is a look into the future. During the display's unveiling ceremony, Santa arrived by jet-pack.