Modular Manipulator for a Mobile Robot

Import 23/07/2015Diplomová práce se zabývá rešerší stávajících a návrhem nového řešení modulárního manipulátoru pro mobilní podvozek. Po stanovení požadovaných funkcí a parametrů systému jsou navrženy pohonné moduly zajišťující pohyb manipulátoru a pasivní moduly umožňující vytvoření požadované kinematické struktury. Moduly jsou spojovány mechanismem pro rychlou výměnu. Celý systém je navržen z běžně dostupných komponent.Diploma thesis deals with research of existing and design of a new solution of modular manipulator for mobile chassis. There are necessary functions and requirements of the system defined. Then propulsion modules are designed for establishing the movement of the manipulator and passive modules creating the kinematic structure. Modules are connected together with quick change mechanism. The whole system is designed from standard components.354 - Katedra robotikyvýborn

Direct cooperation of Robots with Humans

Předkládaná disertační práce se zabývá problematikou spolupráce robotu s člověkem. Aktuální téma průmyslové robotizace otevírá možnosti vytváření pracovišť s roboty, které mohou přijít do přímého kontaktu s obsluhou pracoviště v průběhu pohybu zařízení. To přináší benefity robotizace na místech, kde byla využívána pouze manuální práce, a nové příležitosti a možnosti výroby. Přináší ale také rizika spojená s možností kolize s pohybujícím se strojem. V úvodních kapitolách jsou analyzovány aktuální standardy definující základní pojmy a způsoby spolupráce robotu s člověkem. Dále je proveden průzkum již existujících řešení a jejich zhodnocení a posouzení výhod a nevýhod. Přehled dostupných technologií, zařízení pro zajištění bezpečnosti a způsobů detekce kolize, a také samotných robotů vykresluje aktuální možnosti pro vytváření bezpečných pracovišť. Zadání práce vychází z potřeb firmy ŠKODA AUTO a.s. na zařazení této technologie do procesu výroby automobilů. Požadavkem nejen na teoretický průzkum možností, ale také na praktickou realizaci pracoviště vznikla příležitost navržené řešení důkladně vyprojektovat, ale i realizovat a ověřit a vyhodnotit dodržení standardů, a také přínosů této technologie. V práci je popsána předprojektová fáze volby vhodného pracoviště, stanovení požadavků a zadání nového systému. Následně popisuje jeho realizaci a ověření funkcí. Navržená metodika postupu návrhu kombinuje předpisy stanovené normami, ale také poznatky z realizace pilotního pracoviště, které je dle dostupných zdrojů unikátní v rozsahu spolupráce robotu s člověkem přímo v provozu. Metoda ověření bezpečnosti pracoviště se spolupracujícím robotem v průběhu celého pracovního cyklu je navržena v rámci doplňkové studie prováděné na Tohoku University a je popsána v závěrečné kapitole práce. Tato metoda neověřuje překročení bezpečnostních limitů pouze ve vybraných situacích, ale v průběhu celého pohybu obsluhy v pracovním prostředí robotu.The dissertation thesis follows up on the cooperation between a robot and a human. This topic has recently been a significantly discussed problem in the field of industrial robotics. There are new opportunities for robotic workplace design where a robot can come into a direct contact with the operator during operation. Such cooperation brings benefits in areas where manual work was used in standard applications and shows new production capabilities. However, this technology also brings risks in regard to the possibility of collision with a moving machine. In the introduction there are analysed the current standards which define basic concepts and ways of human-robot cooperation. Then there follows a thorough research of existing solutions and their evaluation. A survey of available technologies, safety devices and principles of collision detection shows up-to-date possibilities in the development of safe robotic workplaces. The topic of this thesis was specified by ŠKODA AUTO a.s. company as a requirement for an implementation of this technology to the car production process. Based on requirements both for theoretical research and the real workplace development, there has arisen an opportunity for a precise design, realization and profound check of the final solution. The thesis also deals with a pre-design phase of workplace selection, setting requirements and task definition, including the realization of the project and its evaluation. The proposed methodology combines technical standards and experiences from the pilot project development and realization. This workplace is unique in the scope of application of the human-robot cooperation in the real production according to available information. The evaluation method for robotic workplace safety during the whole operation has been proposed in an additional study done at Tohoku University and is described in the last chapter. This method does not monitor exceeding the safety limits only in certain situations but during the whole movement of the operator in the robot’s working range.354 - Katedra robotikyvyhově

Generating synthetic depth image dataset for industrial applications of hand localization

In this paper, we focus on the problem of applying domain randomization to produce synthetic datasets for training depth image segmentation models for the task of hand localization. We provide new synthetic datasets for industrial environments suitable for various hand tracking applications, as well as ready-to-use pre-trained models. The presented datasets are analyzed to evaluate the characteristics of these datasets that affect the generalizability of the trained models, and recommendations are given for adapting the simulation environment to achieve satisfactory results when creating datasets for specialized applications. Our approach is not limited by the shortcomings of standard analytical methods, such as color, specific gestures, or hand orientation. The models in this paper were trained solely on a synthetic dataset and were never trained on real camera images; nevertheless, we demonstrate that our most diverse datasets allow the models to achieve up to 90% accuracy. The proposed hand localization system is designed for industrial applications where the operator shares the workspace with the robot.Web of Science10997449973

Using virtual scanning to find optimal configuration of a 3D scanner turntable for scanning of mechanical parts

The article describes a method of simulated 3D scanning of triangle meshes based on ray casting which is used to find the optimal configuration of a real 3D scanner turntable. The configuration include the number of scanners, their elevation above the rotary table and the number of required rotation steps. The evaluation is based on the percentage of the part surface covered by the resulting point cloud, which determines the ability to capture all details of the shape. Principal component analysis is used as a secondary criterion to also evaluate the ability to capture the overall general proportions of the model.Web of Science2116art. no. 534

Method for robot manipulator joint wear reduction by finding the optimal robot placement in a robotic cell

We describe a method for robotic cell optimization by changing the placement of the robot manipulator within the cell in applications with a fixed end-point trajectory. The goal is to reduce the overall robot joint wear and to prevent uneven joint wear when one or several joints are stressed more than the other joints. Joint wear is approximated by calculating the integral of the mechanical work of each joint during the whole trajectory, which depends on the joint angular velocity and torque. The method relies on using a dynamic simulation for the evaluation of the torques and velocities in robot joints for individual robot positions. Verification of the method was performed using CoppeliaSim and a laboratory robotic cell with the collaborative robot UR3. The results confirmed that, with proper robot base placement, the overall wear of the joints of a robotic arm could be reduced from 22% to 53% depending on the trajectory.Web of Science1112art. no. 539

Improved mutual understanding for human-robot collaboration: Combining human-aware motion planning with haptic feedback devices for communicating planned trajectory

In a collaborative scenario, the communication between humans and robots is a fundamental aspect to achieve good efficiency and ergonomics in the task execution. A lot of research has been made related to enabling a robot system to understand and predict human behaviour, allowing the robot to adapt its motion to avoid collisions with human workers. Assuming the production task has a high degree of variability, the robot's movements can be difficult to predict, leading to a feeling of anxiety in the worker when the robot changes its trajectory and approaches since the worker has no information about the planned movement of the robot. Additionally, without information about the robot's movement, the human worker cannot effectively plan own activity without forcing the robot to constantly replan its movement. We propose a novel approach to communicating the robot's intentions to a human worker. The improvement to the collaboration is presented by introducing haptic feedback devices, whose task is to notify the human worker about the currently planned robot's trajectory and changes in its status. In order to verify the effectiveness of the developed human-machine interface in the conditions of a shared collaborative workspace, a user study was designed and conducted among 16 participants, whose objective was to accurately recognise the goal position of the robot during its movement. Data collected during the experiment included both objective and subjective parameters. Statistically significant results of the experiment indicated that all the participants could improve their task completion time by over 45% and generally were more subjectively satisfied when completing the task with equipped haptic feedback devices. The results also suggest the usefulness of the developed notification system since it improved users' awareness about the motion plan of the robot.Web of Science2111art. no. 367

Počítačová podpora laboratorní výuky prostředků automatického řízení

Prezenční352 - Katedra automatizační techniky a řízeníNeuveden

Pucks Feeder for Robot Training Cell with ABB IRB 140

Import 26/06/2013Bakalářská práce se zabývá konstrukčním návrhem zásobníku pro rozšíření demonstrační úlohy třídění puků. Nejprve je analyzováno pracoviště a stávající stav úlohy pro stanovení základních požadavků. Návrhem několika variant je k problému přistoupeno odlišnými způsoby za použití různých technologií. Zhodnocením variant na základě požadavků je jedna vybrána a zpracována do formy 3D modelu. Nakonec je navržen montážní postup.Bachelor thesis deals with mechanical design of pucks feeder to upgrade an existing demonstration task – sorting pucks. At first the workplace and the task are analyzed for setting basic requirements. There are options designed from different point of view using several applicable technologies. Options are evaluated according to requirements. One is chosen and designed into the 3D model. At the end an assembly process is drawn up.354 - Katedra robototechnikyvýborn

Intuitive spatial tactile feedback for better awareness about robot trajectory during human–robot collaboration

In this work, we extend the previously proposed approach of improving mutual perception during human–robot collaboration by communicating the robot’s motion intentions and status to a human worker using hand-worn haptic feedback devices. The improvement is presented by introducing spatial tactile feedback, which provides the human worker with more intuitive information about the currently planned robot’s trajectory, given its spatial configuration. The enhanced feedback devices communicate directional information through activation of six tactors spatially organised to represent an orthogonal coordinate frame: the vibration activates on the side of the feedback device that is closest to the future path of the robot. To test the effectiveness of the improved human–machine interface, two user studies were prepared and conducted. The first study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the ease of differentiating activation of individual tactors of the notification devices. The second user study aimed to assess the overall usability of the enhanced notification mode for improving human awareness about the planned trajectory of a robot. The results of the first experiment allowed to identify the tactors for which vibration intensity was most often confused by users. The results of the second experiment showed that the enhanced notification system allowed the participants to complete the task faster and, in general, improved user awareness of the robot’s movement plan, according to both objective and subjective data. Moreover, the majority of participants (82%) favoured the improved notification system over its previous non-directional version and vision-based inspection.Web of Science2117art. no. 574

Camera-based method for identification of the layout of a robotic workcell

Featured Application A fast and low-cost process for automated identification of positions of workcell components, including robots. Suitable for rapid deployment of robotic applications without a need of previous simulations or CAD modeling. In this paper, a new method for the calibration of robotic cell components is presented and demonstrated by identification of an industrial robotic manipulator's base and end-effector frames in a workplace. It is based on a mathematical approach using a Jacobian matrix. In addition, using the presented method, identification of other kinematic parameters of a robot is possible. The Universal Robot UR3 was later chosen to prove the working principle in both simulations and experiment, with a simple repeatable low-cost solution for such a task-image analysis to detect tag markers. The results showing the accuracy of the system are included and discussed.Web of Science1021art. no. 767