Agent and cyber-physical system based self-organizing and self-adaptive intelligent shopfloor

The increasing demand of customized production results in huge challenges to the traditional manufacturing systems. In order to allocate resources timely according to the production requirements and to reduce disturbances, a framework for the future intelligent shopfloor is proposed in this paper. The framework consists of three primary models, namely the model of smart machine agent, the self-organizing model, and the self-adaptive model. A cyber-physical system for manufacturing shopfloor based on the multiagent technology is developed to realize the above-mentioned function models. Gray relational analysis and the hierarchy conflict resolution methods were applied to achieve the self-organizing and self-adaptive capabilities, thereby improving the reconfigurability and responsiveness of the shopfloor. A prototype system is developed, which has the adequate flexibility and robustness to configure resources and to deal with disturbances effectively. This research provides a feasible method for designing an autonomous factory with exception-handling capabilities

NASA Center for Intelligent Robotic Systems for Space Exploration

NASA's program for the civilian exploration of space is a challenge to scientists and engineers to help maintain and further develop the United States' position of leadership in a focused sphere of space activity. Such an ambitious plan requires the contribution and further development of many scientific and technological fields. One research area essential for the success of these space exploration programs is Intelligent Robotic Systems. These systems represent a class of autonomous and semi-autonomous machines that can perform human-like functions with or without human interaction. They are fundamental for activities too hazardous for humans or too distant or complex for remote telemanipulation. To meet this challenge, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) has established an Engineering Research Center for Intelligent Robotic Systems for Space Exploration (CIRSSE). The Center was created with a five year $5.5 million grant from NASA submitted by a team of the Robotics and Automation Laboratories. The Robotics and Automation Laboratories of RPI are the result of the merger of the Robotics and Automation Laboratory of the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering (ECSE) and the Research Laboratory for Kinematics and Robotic Mechanisms of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, and Mechanics (ME,AE,&M), in 1987. This report is an examination of the activities that are centered at CIRSSE

Modelling an Industrial Robot and Its Impact on Productivity

[EN] This research aims to design an efficient algorithm leading to an improvement of productivity by posing a multi-objective optimization, in which both the time consumed to carry out scheduled tasks and the associated costs of the autonomous industrial system are minimized. The algorithm proposed models the kinematics and dynamics of the industrial robot, provides collision-free trajectories, allows to constrain the energy consumed and meets the physical characteristics of the robot (i.e., restriction on torque, jerks and power in all driving motors). Additionally, the trajectory tracking accuracy is improved using an adaptive fuzzy sliding mode control (AFSMC), which allows compensating for parametric uncertainties, bounded external disturbances and constraint uncertainties. Therefore, the system stability and robustness are enhanced; thus, overcoming some of the limitations of the traditional proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers. The trade-offs among the economic issues related to the assembly line and the optimal time trajectory of the desired motion are analyzed using Pareto fronts. The technique is tested in different examples for a six-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) robot system. Results have proved how the use of this methodology enhances the performance and reliability of assembly lines.Llopis-Albert, C.; Rubio Montoya, FJ.; Valero Chuliá, FJ. (2021). Modelling an Industrial Robot and Its Impact on Productivity. Mathematics. 9(7):1-13. https://doi.org/10.3390/math907076911397AOYAMA, T., NISHI, T., & ZHANG, G. (2017). Production planning problem with market impact under demand uncertainty. Journal of Advanced Mechanical Design, Systems, and Manufacturing, 11(2), JAMDSM0019-JAMDSM0019. doi:10.1299/jamdsm.2017jamdsm0019Llopis-Albert, C., Rubio, F., & Valero, F. (2015). Improving productivity using a multi-objective optimization of robotic trajectory planning. Journal of Business Research, 68(7), 1429-1431. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.01.027Rubio, F., Valero, F., Sunyer, J., & Cuadrado, J. (2012). Optimal time trajectories for industrial robots with torque, power, jerk and energy consumed constraints. Industrial Robot: An International Journal, 39(1), 92-100. doi:10.1108/01439911211192538Llopis-Albert, C., Rubio, F., & Valero, F. (2018). Optimization approaches for robot trajectory planning. Multidisciplinary Journal for Education, Social and Technological Sciences, 5(1), 1. doi:10.4995/muse.2018.9867Yang, Y., Pan, J., & Wan, W. (2019). Survey of optimal motion planning. IET Cyber-Systems and Robotics, 1(1), 13-19. doi:10.1049/iet-csr.2018.0003Gasparetto, A., & Zanotto, V. (2008). A technique for time-jerk optimal planning of robot trajectories. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 24(3), 415-426. doi:10.1016/j.rcim.2007.04.001Mohammed, A., Schmidt, B., Wang, L., & Gao, L. (2014). Minimizing Energy Consumption for Robot Arm Movement. Procedia CIRP, 25, 400-405. doi:10.1016/j.procir.2014.10.055Van den Berg, J., Abbeel, P., & Goldberg, K. (2011). LQG-MP: Optimized path planning for robots with motion uncertainty and imperfect state information. The International Journal of Robotics Research, 30(7), 895-913. doi:10.1177/0278364911406562Liu, S., Sun, D., & Zhu, C. (2011). Coordinated Motion Planning for Multiple Mobile Robots Along Designed Paths With Formation Requirement. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 16(6), 1021-1031. doi:10.1109/tmech.2010.2070843Plaku, E., Kavraki, L. E., & Vardi, M. Y. (2010). Motion Planning With Dynamics by a Synergistic Combination of Layers of Planning. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 26(3), 469-482. doi:10.1109/tro.2010.2047820Rubio, F., Llopis-Albert, C., Valero, F., & Suñer, J. L. (2015). Assembly Line Productivity Assessment by Comparing Optimization-Simulation Algorithms of Trajectory Planning for Industrial Robots. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2015, 1-10. doi:10.1155/2015/931048Rubio, F., Llopis-Albert, C., Valero, F., & Suñer, J. L. (2016). Industrial robot efficient trajectory generation without collision through the evolution of the optimal trajectory. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 86, 106-112. doi:10.1016/j.robot.2016.09.008Llopis-Albert, C., Valero, F., Mata, V., Pulloquinga, J. L., Zamora-Ortiz, P., & Escarabajal, R. J. (2020). Optimal Reconfiguration of a Parallel Robot for Forward Singularities Avoidance in Rehabilitation Therapies. A Comparison via Different Optimization Methods. Sustainability, 12(14), 5803. doi:10.3390/su12145803Llopis-Albert, C., Valero, F., Mata, V., Escarabajal, R. J., Zamora-Ortiz, P., & Pulloquinga, J. L. (2020). Optimal Reconfiguration of a Limited Parallel Robot for Forward Singularities Avoidance. Multidisciplinary Journal for Education, Social and Technological Sciences, 7(1), 113. doi:10.4995/muse.2020.13352Yang, J., Su, H., Li, Z., Ao, D., & Song, R. (2016). Adaptive control with a fuzzy tuner for cable-based rehabilitation robot. International Journal of Control, Automation and Systems, 14(3), 865-875. doi:10.1007/s12555-015-0049-4Zhang, G., & Zhang, X. (2016). Concise adaptive fuzzy control of nonlinearly parameterized and periodically time-varying systems via small gain theory. International Journal of Control, Automation and Systems, 14(4), 893-905. doi:10.1007/s12555-015-0054-7SUTONO, S. B., ABDUL-RASHID, S. H., AOYAMA, H., & TAHA, Z. (2016). Fuzzy-based Taguchi method for multi-response optimization of product form design in Kansei engineering: a case study on car form design. Journal of Advanced Mechanical Design, Systems, and Manufacturing, 10(9), JAMDSM0108-JAMDSM0108. doi:10.1299/jamdsm.2016jamdsm0108DUBEY, A. K. (2009). Performance Optimization Control of ECH using Fuzzy Inference Application. Journal of Advanced Mechanical Design, Systems, and Manufacturing, 3(1), 22-34. doi:10.1299/jamdsm.3.22Zhang, H., Fang, H., Zhang, D., Luo, X., & Zou, Q. (2020). Adaptive Fuzzy Sliding Mode Control for a 3-DOF Parallel Manipulator with Parameters Uncertainties. Complexity, 2020, 1-16. doi:10.1155/2020/2565316Markazi, A. H. D., Maadani, M., Zabihifar, S. H., & Doost-Mohammadi, N. (2018). Adaptive Fuzzy Sliding Mode Control of Under-actuated Nonlinear Systems. International Journal of Automation and Computing, 15(3), 364-376. doi:10.1007/s11633-017-1108-5Truong, H. V. A., Tran, D. T., To, X. D., Ahn, K. K., & Jin, M. (2019). Adaptive Fuzzy Backstepping Sliding Mode Control for a 3-DOF Hydraulic Manipulator with Nonlinear Disturbance Observer for Large Payload Variation. Applied Sciences, 9(16), 3290. doi:10.3390/app9163290Li, T.-H. S., & Huang, Y.-C. (2010). MIMO adaptive fuzzy terminal sliding-mode controller for robotic manipulators. Information Sciences, 180(23), 4641-4660. doi:10.1016/j.ins.2010.08.00

Advances in Reinforcement Learning

Reinforcement Learning (RL) is a very dynamic area in terms of theory and application. This book brings together many different aspects of the current research on several fields associated to RL which has been growing rapidly, producing a wide variety of learning algorithms for different applications. Based on 24 Chapters, it covers a very broad variety of topics in RL and their application in autonomous systems. A set of chapters in this book provide a general overview of RL while other chapters focus mostly on the applications of RL paradigms: Game Theory, Multi-Agent Theory, Robotic, Networking Technologies, Vehicular Navigation, Medicine and Industrial Logistic

NASA space station automation: AI-based technology review

Research and Development projects in automation for the Space Station are discussed. Artificial Intelligence (AI) based automation technologies are planned to enhance crew safety through reduced need for EVA, increase crew productivity through the reduction of routine operations, increase space station autonomy, and augment space station capability through the use of teleoperation and robotics. AI technology will also be developed for the servicing of satellites at the Space Station, system monitoring and diagnosis, space manufacturing, and the assembly of large space structures

Human-Robot Collaborations in Industrial Automation

Technology is changing the manufacturing world. For example, sensors are being used to track inventories from the manufacturing floor up to a retail shelf or a customer’s door. These types of interconnected systems have been called the fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, and are projected to lower manufacturing costs. As industry moves toward these integrated technologies and lower costs, engineers will need to connect these systems via the Internet of Things (IoT). These engineers will also need to design how these connected systems interact with humans. The focus of this Special Issue is the smart sensors used in these human–robot collaborations