Currently, a large number of industrial robots have been deployed to replace or assist humans to perform various repetitive and dangerous manufacturing tasks. However, based on current technologica...

Human–robot interaction in industrial collaborative robotics: a literature review of the decade 2008–2017

Human–robot collaboration is a main technology of Industry 4.0 and is currently changing the shop floor of manufacturing companies. Collaborative robots are innovative industrial technologies introduced to help operators to perform manual activities in so called cyber-physical production systems and combine human inimitable abilities with smart machines strengths. Occupational health and safety criteria are of crucial importance in the implementation of collaborative robotics. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the state of the art for the design of safe and ergonomic collaborative robotic workcells. Emerging research fields beyond the state of the art are also of special interest. To achieve this goal this paper uses a systematic literature review methodology to review recent technical scientific bibliography and to identify current and future research fields. Main research themes addressed in the recent scientific literature regarding safety and ergonomics (or human factors) for industrial collaborative robotics were identified and categorized. The emerging research challenges and research fields were identified and analyzed based on the development of publications over time (annual growth).

Emerging research fields in safety and ergonomics in industrial collaborative robotics: A systematic literature review

Discrete reconfiguration planning for Cable-Driven Parallel Robots

Cable-driven parallel robots (CDPRs) are categorized as a type of parallel manipulators. In CDPRs, flexible cables are used to take the place of rigid links. The particular property of cables provides CDPRs several advantages, including larger workspaces, higher payload-to-weight ratio and lower manufacturing costs rather than rigid-link robots. In this paper, the history of the development of CDPRs is introduced and several successful latest application cases of CDPRs are presented. The theory development of CDPRs is introduced focusing on design, performance analysis and control theory. Research on CDPRs gains wide attention and is highly motivated by the modern engineering demand for large load capacity and workspace. A number of exciting advances in CDPRs are summarized in this paper since it is proposed in the 1980s, which points to a fruitful future both in theory and application. In order to meet the increasing requirements of robot in different areas, future steps foresee more in-depth research and extension applications of CDPRs including intelligent control, composite materials, integrated and reconfigurable design.

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A Review on Cable-driven Parallel Robots

Recent research results on human–robot interaction and collaborative robotics are leaving behind the traditional paradigm of robots living in a separated space inside safety cages, allowing humans and robot to work together for completing an increasing number of complex industrial tasks. In this context, safety of the human operator is a main concern. In this paper, we present a framework for ensuring human safety in a robotic cell that allows human–robot coexistence and dependable interaction. The framework is based on a layered control architecture that exploits an effective algorithm for online monitoring of relative human–robot distance using depth sensors. This method allows to modify in real time the robot behavior depending on the user position, without limiting the operative robot workspace in a too conservative way. In order to guarantee redundancy and diversity at the safety level, additional certified laser scanners monitor human–robot proximity in the cell and safe communication protocols and logical units are used for the smooth integration with an industrial software for safe low-level robot control. The implemented concept includes a smart human-machine interface to support in-process collaborative activities and for a contactless interaction with gesture recognition of operator commands. Coexistence and interaction are illustrated and tested in an industrial cell, in which a robot moves a tool that measures the quality of a polished metallic part while the operator performs a close evaluation of the same workpiece.

/pdf/human-robot-coexistence-and-interaction-in-open-industrial-4ecrohzzoo.pdf

Human-robot coexistence and interaction in open industrial cells

Morphology, perception and locomotion are three key features highly inter-dependent in robotics. This paper gives an overview of an underwater modular robotic platform equipped with a bio-inspired electric sense. The platform is reconfigurable in the sense that it can split into independent rigid modules and vice-versa. Composed of 9 modules, the longer entity can swim like an eel over long distances, while once detached, each of its modules is efficient for small displacements with a high accuracy. Challenges are to mechanically ensure the morphology changes and to do it automatically. Electric sense is used to guide the modules during docking phases and to navigate in unknown scenes. Several aspects of the design of the robot are described and a particular attention is paid to the inter-module docking system. The feasibility of the design is assessed through experiments.

An underwater reconfigurable robot with bioinspired electric sense

The research work presented in this paper introduces a Reconfigurable Cable Driven Parallel Robot (RCDPR) to be employed in industrial operations on large structures. Compared to classic Cable-Driven Parallel Robots (CDPR), which have a fixed architecture, RCDPR can modify their geometric parameters to adapt their own characteristics. In this paper, a RCDPR is intended to paint and sandblast a large tubular structure. To reconfigure the CDPR from one side of the structure to another one, one or several cables are disconnected from their current anchor points and moved to new ones. This procedure is repeated until all the sides of the structure are sandblasted and painted. The analysed design procedure aims at defining the positions of the minimum number of anchor points required to complete the task at hand. The robot size is minimized as well.

https://hal-lirmm.ccsd.cnrs.fr/lirmm-01221407/document

A Reconfigurable Cable-Driven Parallel Robot for Sandblasting and Painting of Large Structures

Purpose-The installation of industrial robots requires security barriers, a costly, time consuming exercise. Collaborative robots may offer a solution, however these systems only comply with safety standards if operating at reduced speeds. This paper describes the development and implementation of a novel security system that allows human robot coexistence while permitting the robot to execute much of its task at nominal speed. Design/methodology/approach-The security system is defined by three modes: a nominal mode, a coexistence mode and a gravity compensation mode. Mode transition is triggered by three lasers, two of which are mechanically linked to the robot. These scanners create a dynamic envelope around the robot and allow the detection of operator presence or environmental changes. To avoid velocity discontinuities between transitions we propose a novel time scaling method. Findings-The paper describes the system's mechanical, software and control architecture. The system is demonstrated experimentally on a collaborative robot and is compared with the performance of a state of art security system. Both a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the new system is carried out. Pratical Implications-The mode transition method is easily implemented, requires little computing power and leaves the trajectories unchanged. As velocity discontinuities are avoided, motor wear is reduced. The execution time is substantially less than a commercial alternative. These advantages can lead to economic benefits in high volume manufacturing environments. Originality/value-This paper proposes a novel system that is based on industrial material but that can generate dynamic safety zones for a collaborative robot.

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An industrial security system for human-robot coexistence

Electric fish sense the perturbations of a self-generated electric field through their electro-receptive skin. This sense allows them to navigate and reconstruct their environment in conditions where vision and sonar cannot work. In this article, we use a sensor inspired by this sense to address both problems of locating and estimating the size of small objects (electrolocation) and navigating in a tank. Based on a Kalman filter, any small object in the surroundings of the motion-controlled sensor can be modeled as an equivalent sphere whose location is well estimated by the filter. As a first application to the problem of navigation, the filter is included into a closed feedback loop in order to achieve wall following in a tank. Our experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of this approach.

/pdf/environment-reconstruction-and-navigation-with-electric-qcjl8h2wvp.pdf

Alexis Girin

Papers

Discrete reconfiguration planning for Cable-Driven Parallel Robots

An underwater reconfigurable robot with bioinspired electric sense

A Reconfigurable Cable-Driven Parallel Robot for Sandblasting and Painting of Large Structures

An industrial security system for human-robot coexistence

Environment reconstruction and navigation with electric sense based on a Kalman filter