Safety analysis on human-robot collaboration in heavy assembly task

Manufacturing assembly industry has traditionally utilized human labor to perform assembly tasks manually. With the introduction of industrial robots, fully automated solutions have provided an opportunity to perform complex and repetitive tasks and assist in the assembly of heavy components. In recent years, improvement in robot technologies and changes in safety legislation have enabled new human-robot collaboration (HRC) concepts which have drawn attention of manufacturers. HRC uses characteristics of dexterity and flexibility of human and repeatability and precision of robots to increase the flexibility of the system, decrease the cost of labor in production and improve ergonomics in the design of shared workspace. The operator safety is one of the challenges inside the HRC environment. The safety concerns could be altered with different levels of physical interactions between robot and human. This thesis aimed to develop solution for analyzing the safety functions on different human-robot interaction (HRI) levels. The approach was started with the classification of tasks between human and robot. In this thesis, assembly sequences were designed to fulfill the requirements of each interaction levels of HRI. These experiments were providing evaluation tables for analyzing the safety functions in HRI levels. The primary objective of this thesis is to design the HRC system with suitable safety functions. The safety of the workstation was developed using a combination of hardware and software. Laser scanners employed to detect the presence of a human in hazard areas and ABB SafeMove add-on were configured to exploit safety signals to the robot controller for adopting safety functions such as safety-rated monitored stop, and speed and separation monitoring. In this thesis, time work study analysis was demonstrated that the implementation of HRC decreases the fatigue and the injury risks of the operator and enhances the ergonomics for the operators. The study of safety functions through different HRI levels proved that with an increase of physical interactions it was necessary to employ multiple safety functions to prohibit collisions between robot and human

Mechatronic Systems

Mechatronics, the synergistic blend of mechanics, electronics, and computer science, has evolved over the past twenty five years, leading to a novel stage of engineering design. By integrating the best design practices with the most advanced technologies, mechatronics aims at realizing high-quality products, guaranteeing at the same time a substantial reduction of time and costs of manufacturing. Mechatronic systems are manifold and range from machine components, motion generators, and power producing machines to more complex devices, such as robotic systems and transportation vehicles. With its twenty chapters, which collect contributions from many researchers worldwide, this book provides an excellent survey of recent work in the field of mechatronics with applications in various fields, like robotics, medical and assistive technology, human-machine interaction, unmanned vehicles, manufacturing, and education. We would like to thank all the authors who have invested a great deal of time to write such interesting chapters, which we are sure will be valuable to the readers. Chapters 1 to 6 deal with applications of mechatronics for the development of robotic systems. Medical and assistive technologies and human-machine interaction systems are the topic of chapters 7 to 13.Chapters 14 and 15 concern mechatronic systems for autonomous vehicles. Chapters 16-19 deal with mechatronics in manufacturing contexts. Chapter 20 concludes the book, describing a method for the installation of mechatronics education in schools

Smart working technologies in industry 4.0 : contributions to different manufacturing activities and workers’ skills

A Indústria 4.0 é considerada a quarta revolução industrial porque utiliza uma ampla integração de tecnologias de informação e de operação na fabricação industrial. Apesar dessa perspectiva tecnológica, diversos estudos vêm evidenciando a importância de considerar o fator humano para o desenvolvimento de um sistema de manufatura inteligente. Nesse sentido, a dimensão denominada como Smart Working precisa ser melhor investigada, uma vez que entender como as tecnologias afetam os trabalhadores e as habilidades desses são cruciais para o bom desempenho das fábricas. Em razão disso, o objetivo desta dissertação foi entender como as Smart Working Technologies (SWT) podem contribuir para as atividades e as habilidades dos trabalhadores da manufatura. Para tanto, primeiramente foi realizada uma análise abrangente da literatura para identificar as SWT e seus impactos nas capacidades dos trabalhadores em suas atividades de manufatura. Deste modo, foram analisados 80 artigos que relacionam as SWT em oito atividades de manufatura. Posteriormente, foi selecionada uma das SWT mais relevantes conforme a literatura, os robôs colaborativos, para identificar os efeitos das tecnologias nas habilidades dos trabalhadores. Deste modo, foram analisados 138 casos de aplicação reportados por uma das empresas fornecedoras líderes mundiais, bem como três entrevistas com empresas adotantes da tecnologia. Os resultados apontam que existem 15 SWT que podem ser implementadas nas atividades de manufatura e relacionadas às capacidades dos trabalhadores. Além disso, os resultados também apontam que podem existir quatro efeitos das SWT nas habilidades dos trabalhadores. Estes achados demonstram que de acordo com a estratégia da empresa uma SWT pode impactar de diferentes formas os trabalhadores.Industry 4.0 is considered the fourth industrial revolution because it uses a broad integration of information and operating technologies in industrial manufacturing. Despite this technological perspective, several studies have highlighted the importance of considering the human factor to develop a smart manufacturing system. In this sense, the Smart Working dimension needs to be further investigated since understanding how technologies affect workers and their skills are crucial for factories' good performance. Therefore, the objective of this dissertation was to understand how Smart Working Technologies (SWT) can contribute to the activities and skills of manufacturing workers. To this end, firstly a systematic literature review was carried out to identify SWTs and their impacts on workers' capabilities in their manufacturing activities. Thus, 80 articles relating to SWT in eight manufacturing activities were analyzed. Subsequently, one of the most relevant SWTs according to the literature, collaborative robots, was selected to identify the effects of technologies on workers' skills. In this way, 138 application cases reported by one of the world's leading supplier companies were analyzed, as well as three interviews with companies that adopted the technology. The results show that there are 15 SWT that can be implemented in manufacturing activities and related to workers' capabilities. In addition, the results also point out that there may be four effects of SWT on workers' skills. According to the company's strategy, these findings demonstrate that an SWT can impact workers in different ways

The Use of Virtual Twins in the Robotic Yoghurt Mixing Process

This paper presents the results of computer simulations related to the selection and optimisation of parameters for a robotic yoghurt mixing process. The authors proposed a station configuration using the RobotStudio environment for off-line robot programming and virtual controller technology and determined the performance of the robotised production line. The main component of the study was a computer simulation of the station based on the Picking PowerPac package and Pick Master 3 program. As a result of the simulations, numerical values were obtained informing about the number of handled and rejected products, filled containers and the times of production cycles of the station

Physical ergonomic improvement and safe design of an assembly workstation through collaborative robotics

One of the key interesting features of collaborative robotic applications is the potential to lighten the worker workload and potentiate better working conditions. Moreover, developing robotics applications that meets ergonomic criteria is not always a straightforward endeavor. We propose a framework to guide the safe design and conceptualization of ergonomic-driven collaborative robotics workstations. A multi-disciplinary approach involving robotics and ergonomics and human factors shaped this methodology that leads future engineers through the digital transformation of a manual assembly (with repetitive and hazardous operations) to a hybrid workstation, focusing on the physical ergonomic improvement. The framework follows four main steps, (i) the characterization of the initial condition, (ii) the risk assessment, (iii) the definition of requirements for a safe design, and (iv) the conceptualization of the hybrid workstation with all the normative implications it entails. We applied this methodology to a case study in an assembly workstation of a furniture manufacturing company. Results show that the methodology adopted sets an adequate foundation to accelerate the design and development of new human-centered collaborative robotic workstations.This work has been supported by NORTE-06-3559-FSE-000018, integrated in the invitation NORTE-59-2018-41, aiming the Hiring of Highly Qualified Human Resources, co-financed by the Regional Operational Programme of the North 2020, thematic area of Competitiveness and Employment, through the European Social Fund (ESF)

Ground Robotic Hand Applications for the Space Program study (GRASP)

This document reports on a NASA-STDP effort to address research interests of the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) through a study entitled, Ground Robotic-Hand Applications for the Space Program (GRASP). The primary objective of the GRASP study was to identify beneficial applications of specialized end-effectors and robotic hand devices for automating any ground operations which are performed at the Kennedy Space Center. Thus, operations for expendable vehicles, the Space Shuttle and its components, and all payloads were included in the study. Typical benefits of automating operations, or augmenting human operators performing physical tasks, include: reduced costs; enhanced safety and reliability; and reduced processing turnaround time