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

Technology 2001: The Second National Technology Transfer Conference and Exposition, volume 2

Proceedings of the workshop are presented. The mission of the conference was to transfer advanced technologies developed by the Federal government, its contractors, and other high-tech organizations to U.S. industries for their use in developing new or improved products and processes. Volume two presents papers on the following topics: materials science, robotics, test and measurement, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, electronics, and software engineering

Integration of 3D Feedback Control Systems for Fabrication of Engineered Assemblies for Industrial Construction Projects

A framework and methods are presented in this thesis to support integration of 3D feedback control systems to improve dimensional conformance during fabrication of engineered assemblies such as process piping, structural steel, vessels, tanks, and associated instrumentation for industrial construction projects. Fabrication includes processes such as cutting, bending, fitting, welding, and connecting. Companies specializing in these processes are known as fabricators, fabrication shops or fab shops. Typically, fab shops do not use 3D feedback control systems in their measurement and quality control processes. Instead, most measurements are done using manual tools such as tape measures, callipers, bubble levels, straight edges, squares, and templates. Inefficiency and errors ensue, costing the industry tens of billions of dollars per year globally. Improvement is impeded by a complex fabrication industry system dependent on deeply embedded existing processes, inflexible supply chains, and siloed information environments. The goal of this thesis is to address these impediments by developing and validating a new implementation framework including several specific methods. To accomplish this goal, several research objectives must be met: 1. Determine if 3D dimensional control methods are possible for fab shops that do not have access to 3D models corresponding to shop drawings, thus serving as a step toward deploying more integrated, sophisticated and higher performing control systems. 2. Discover ways to solve incompatibility between requested information from fabrication workers and the output information delivered by state-of-the-art 3D inspection systems. 3. Conduct a credible cost-benefit analysis to understand the benefits required to justify the implementation costs, such as training, process change management, and capital expenditures for 3D data acquisition units for fab shops. 4. Investigate ways to compare quality and accuracy of dimensional control data sourced from modern point cloud processing methods, conventional surveying methods, and hand tools. Methodologies used in this research include: (1) an initial literature review to understand the knowledge gaps coupled with informal interviews of practitioners from industrial research partners, which was revisited throughout the development of the dissertation, (2) development of a conceptual framework for 3D fabrication control based on 3D imaging, (3) development and validation of algorithms to address key impediments to implementation of the framework, (4) experiments in the fab shop environment to validate elements of the framework, and (5) analysis to develop conclusions, identify weaknesses in the research, understand its contributions, and make recommendations. By developing and testing the preceding framework, it was discovered that three stages of evolution are necessary for implementation. These stages are: 1. Utilization of 3D digital templates to enable simple scan-vs-3D-model workflows for shops without access to 3D design models. 2. Development of a new language and framework for dimensional control through current ways of thinking and communication of quality control information. 3. Redefining quality control processes based on state-of-the-art tools and technologies, including automated dimensional control systems. With respect to the first stage, and to address the lack of access to 3D models, a framework for developing 3D digital template models was developed for inspecting received parts. The framework was used for developing a library of 600 3D models of piping parts. The library was leveraged to deploy a 3D quality control system that was then tested in an industrial-scale case study. The results of the case study were used to develop a discrete event simulation model. The simulation results from the model and subsequent cost-benefit analysis show that investment in integrating the scan-vs-3D-model quality control systems can have significant cost savings and provide a payback period of less than two years. With respect to the second stage and to bridge the gap between what 3D inspection systems can offer and what is expected by the fabrication workers, the concept of Termination Points was further defined and a framework for measuring and classifying them was developed. The framework was used to developed applications and tools based on the provided set of definitions. Those applications and tools were further analyzed, and the results are reported in each chapter. It is concluded that the methods developed based on the framework can have sufficient accuracy and can add significant value for fabrication quality control

A ROS-based software architecture for a versatile collaborative dual-armed autonomous mobile robot for the manufacturing industry

The industrial context is changing rapidly due to advancements in technology fueled by the Internet and Information Technology. The fourth industrial revolution counts integration, flexibility, and optimization as its fundamental pillars, and, in this context, Human-Robot Collaboration has become a crucial factor for manufacturing sustainability in Europe. Collaborative robots are appealing to many companies due to their low installation and running costs and high degree of flexibility, making them ideal for reshoring production facilities with a short return on investment. The ROSSINI European project aims to implement a true Human-Robot Collaboration by designing, developing, and demonstrating a modular and scalable platform for integrating human-centred robotic technologies in industrial production environments. The project focuses on safety concerns related to introducing a cobot in a shared working area and aims to lay the groundwork for a new working paradigm at the industrial level. The need for a software architecture suitable to the robotic platform employed in one of three use cases selected to deploy and test the new technology was the main trigger of this Thesis. The chosen application consists of the automatic loading and unloading of raw-material reels to an automatic packaging machine through an Autonomous Mobile Robot composed of an Autonomous Guided Vehicle, two collaborative manipulators, and an eye-on-hand vision system for performing tasks in a partially unstructured environment. The results obtained during the ROSSINI use case development were later used in the SENECA project, which addresses the need for robot-driven automatic cleaning of pharmaceutical bins in a very specific industrial context. The inherent versatility of mobile collaborative robots is evident from their deployment in the two projects with few hardware and software adjustments. The positive impact of Human-Robot Collaboration on diverse production lines is a motivation for future investments in research on this increasingly popular field by the industry

Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing: The Human-Data-Technology Nexus

This is an open access book. It gathers the first volume of the proceedings of the 31st edition of the International Conference on Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing, FAIM 2022, held on June 19 – 23, 2022, in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Covering four thematic areas including Manufacturing Processes, Machine Tools, Manufacturing Systems, and Enabling Technologies, it reports on advanced manufacturing processes, and innovative materials for 3D printing, applications of machine learning, artificial intelligence and mixed reality in various production sectors, as well as important issues in human-robot collaboration, including methods for improving safety. Contributions also cover strategies to improve quality control, supply chain management and training in the manufacturing industry, and methods supporting circular supply chain and sustainable manufacturing. All in all, this book provides academicians, engineers and professionals with extensive information on both scientific and industrial advances in the converging fields of manufacturing, production, and automation

The Internet of Things and The Web of Things

International audienceThe Internet of Things is creating a new world, a quantifiable and measureable world, where people and businesses can manage their assets in better informed ways, and can make more timely and better informed decisions about what they want or need to do. This new con-nected world brings with it fundamental changes to society and to consumers. This special issue of ERCIM News thus focuses on various relevant aspects of the Internet of Things and the Web of Things

Challenges and potential of technology integration in modern ship management practices

This thesis explores the challenges and potential of technology integration in current ship management practices. While technology advancements were designed to be contributing to minimising task complexity, issues such as fatigue, increased administrative burden and technology assisted accidents still plague the industry. In spite of the clearly recognisable benefits of using modern technology in the management of ships, in practice its application appears lacking by a considerable margin. The main driver of the study was to appreciate the cause of this disparity. The study first reviewed a wide body of literature on issues involving the use of technology which included academic literature with empirical evidences and theoretical explanations of implementation of technology at work. With the help of the extant knowledge this research embarked on providing an explanation to the gap that existed in the application of technology in the shipping industry. By taking a case study approach the thesis looked into the induction and integration of technology in the management and operation of ships that primarily interfaced closely between the ship and its management unit on shore. Three companies with mutually diverse management setup were studied. The fourth case comprised of purposefully selected senior members of ships’ staff. The analysis of the data revealed that the manifestation of the gap in technology implementation is caused by deeper influences at work in the shipping industry. The un-optimised technology integration results in the seafarer, who is the keystone to the technology application, becoming a victim of the circumstances. The technology that was intended to ease operations and burdens ends up in controlling him, even leaving him under-resourced and causing fatigue.This was not an unintended outcome but the result of weak regulatory practices, short-term capital outlook and weakened labour practices in the shipping industry all caused by wider social and economic developments affecting not just this industry but businesses globally. The impact of such influences was however more acute in this industry resulting in such extreme consequence. By bringing to light the limited application of some fundamental principles of human-systems integration, this study has attempted to expand the boundaries of research on the subject and contributed to the holistic understanding of the various underlying factors that influence technology integration in ship management processes