Generative design in the development of a robotic manipulator

The emergence of cyber physical production systems has brought with it an increased utilization of robotics in collaborative manufacturing environments. An approach to meet this demand is to democratize robotics by making cheaper more customizable robots that can be implemented by small and medium enterprises. To tackle this problem this research looks at using rapid prototyping techniques for the development of customizable robotic manipulators which can be implemented in cyber physical production systems. This research therefore contributes an approach for designing connected and rapid prototyped robotic manipulators. This approach considers both the software and hardware development required for implementing a robotic manipulator. Furthermore generative design, an evolutionary and artificial intelligence based approach, is used to design the link modules between the robot joints. This component has been identified as the ideal to be designed with this approach as it benefits most of the generative design approach coupled with rapid prototyping. This paper also explores a robotic manipulator control structure based on Ethernet control technology for implementation within cyber physical production systems.peer-reviewe

Shape optimisation using evolutionary techniques in product design

Shape or surface optimisation in product design is a very essential and time-consuming process, especially at the conceptual design stage. In this paper, we introduce a research project aiming to develop an evolutionary design system capable of evolving product shape designs that are easy to manufacture and satisfy the given geometric constraints. One of the issues in applying evolutionary techniques to conceptual design is how to represent designs in a way in which genetic algorithms can be used to support the process of generating and optimising innovative and imaginative geometric components and parts. This paper examines two stages of using genetic algorithms in product shape design-the representation of shapes or phenotype and how to encode designs in a manner analogous to genes in nature, which can be manipulated by genetic algorithms. The early research result and directions for future work are also presented in this paper

A 3D shape generative method for aesthetic product design

[EN] This work describes a generative method for the exploration of product shapes in the conceptual design stage. The method is based on three concepts: the notion of grammars to capture product appearance, the implementation of sketching transformation rules to produce design variations and the use of a parametric modeller to build shapes. We represent product solutions as 3D sketches using combinations of basic shapes arranged in simple and schematic product structures. This procedure allows creating many varied configurations with a minimal number of shapes, and facilitates the adaptation of the generative model to different products. The performance of the method is demonstrated through several examples from the literature.Alcaide-Marzal, J.; Diego-Mas, JA.; Acosta-Zazueta, G. (2020). A 3D shape generative method for aesthetic product design. Design Studies. 66:144-176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2019.11.003S14417666Agarwal, M., & Cagan, J. (1998). 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