Industry 4.0 (I4.0) encompasses a plethora of digital technologies effecting on manufacturing enterprises. Most research on this topic examines the effects in the smart factory domain, focusing on ...

The applications of Industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing context: a systematic literature review

Industry 4.0 is a concept devised for improving the way modern factories operate through the use of some of the latest technologies, like the ones used for creating the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), robotics, or Big Data applications. One of such technologies is blockchain, which is able to add trust, security, and decentralization to different industrial fields. This article focuses on analyzing the benefits and challenges that arise when using blockchain and smart contracts to develop Industry 4.0 applications. In addition, this paper presents a thorough review of the most relevant blockchain-based applications for Industry 4.0 technologies. Thus, its aim is to provide a detailed guide for the future Industry 4.0 developers that allows for determining how the blockchain can enhance the next generation of cybersecure industrial applications.

A Review on the Application of Blockchain to the Next Generation of Cybersecure Industry 4.0 Smart Factories

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

Industry 4.0 has paved the way for a world where smart factories will automate and upgrade many processes through the use of some of the latest emerging technologies. One of such technologies is Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which have evolved a great deal in the last years in terms of technology (e.g., control units, sensors, UAV frames) and have significantlyr educed their cost. UAVs can help industry in automatable and tedious tasks, like the ones performed on a regular basis for determining the inventory and for preserving item traceability. In such tasks, especially when it comes from untrusted third parties, it is essential to determine whether the collected information is valid or true. Likewise, ensuring data trustworthiness is a key issue in order to leverage Big Data analytics to supply chain efficiency and effectiveness. In such a case, blockchain, another Industry 4.0 technology that has become very popular in other fields like finance, has the potential to provide a higher level of transparency, security, trust and efficiency in the supply chain and enable the use of smart contracts. Thus, in this paper, we present the design and evaluation of a UAV-based system aimed at automating inventory tasks and keeping the traceability of industrial items attached to Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags. To confront current shortcomings, such a system is developed under a versatile, modular and scalable architecture aimed to reinforce cyber security and decentralization while fostering external audits and big data analytics. Therefore, the system uses a blockchain and a distributed ledger to store certain inventory data collected by UAVs, validate them, ensure their trustworthiness and make them available to the interested parties. In order to show the performance of the proposed system, different tests were performed in a real industrial warehouse, concluding that the system is able to obtain the inventory data really fast in comparison to traditional manual tasks, while being also able to estimate the position of the items when hovering over them thanks to their tag's signal strength. In addition, the performance of the proposed blockchain-based architecture was evaluated in different scenarios.

Towards an Autonomous Industry 4.0 Warehouse: A UAV and Blockchain-Based System for Inventory and Traceability Applications in Big Data-Driven Supply Chain Management.

Robot navigation is an indispensable component of any mobile service robot. Many path planning algorithms generate a path which has many sharp or angular turns. Such paths are not fit for mobile robot as it has to slow down at these sharp turns. These robots could be carrying delicate, dangerous, or precious items and executing these sharp turns may not be feasible kinematically. On the contrary, smooth trajectories are often desired for robot motion and must be generated while considering the static and dynamic obstacles and other constraints like feasible curvature, robot and lane dimensions, and speed. The aim of this paper is to succinctly summarize and review the path smoothing techniques in robot navigation and discuss the challenges and future trends. Both autonomous mobile robots and autonomous vehicles (outdoor robots or self-driving cars) are discussed. The state-of-the-art algorithms are broadly classified into different categories and each approach is introduced briefly with necessary background, merits, and drawbacks. Finally, the paper discusses the current and future challenges in optimal trajectory generation and smoothing research.

https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/18/9/3170/pdf

Path Smoothing Techniques in Robot Navigation: State-of-the-Art, Current and Future Challenges

After many years of rigid conventional procedures of production, industrial manufacturing is going through a process of change toward flexible and intelligent manufacturing, the so-called Industry 4.0. In this paper, human–robot collaboration has an important role in smart factories since it contributes to the achievement of higher productivity and greater efficiency. However, this evolution means breaking with the established safety procedures as the separation of workspaces between robot and human is removed. These changes are reflected in safety standards related to industrial robotics since the last decade, and have led to the development of a wide field of research focusing on the prevention of human–robot impacts and/or the minimization of related risks or their consequences. This paper presents a review of the main safety systems that have been proposed and applied in industrial robotic environments that contribute to the achievement of safe collaborative human–robot work. Additionally, a review is provided of the current regulations along with new concepts that have been introduced in them. The discussion presented in this paper includes multi-disciplinary approaches, such as techniques for estimation and the evaluation of injuries in human–robot collisions, mechanical and software devices designed to minimize the consequences of human–robot impact, impact detection systems, and strategies to prevent collisions or minimize their consequences when they occur.

Working Together: A Review on Safe Human-Robot Collaboration in Industrial Environments

Ergonomic evaluation and performance of a new handle for laparoscopic tools in surgery

Dynamic positioning of floating caissons based on the UKF filter under external perturbances induced by waves

This paper presents the application of an linear quadratic gaussian (LQG) control strategy for concrete caisson deployment for marine structures. Currently these maneuvers are carried out manually with the risk that this entails. Control systems for these operations with classical regulators have begun to be implemented. They try to reduce risks, but they still need to be optimized due to the complexity of the dynamics involved during the sinking process and the contact with the sea bed. A linear approximation of the dynamic model of the caisson is obtained and an LQG control strategy is implemented based on the Kalman filter (KF). The results of the proposed LQG control strategy are compared to the ones given by a classic controller. It is noted that the proposed system is positioned with greater precision and accuracy, as shown in the different simulations and in the Monte Carlo study. Furthermore, the control efforts are less than with classical regulators. For all the reasons cited above, it is concluded that there is a clear improvement in performance with the control system proposed.

LQG Control for Dynamic Positioning of Floating Caissons Based on the Kalman Filter

In Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) surgeons operate through small incisions in the body of the patient and due to the lack of the degrees of freedom their capability to manipulate the organs is li...

Esther Gonzalez-Sarabia

Papers

Working Together: A Review on Safe Human-Robot Collaboration in Industrial Environments

Ergonomic evaluation and performance of a new handle for laparoscopic tools in surgery

Dynamic positioning of floating caissons based on the UKF filter under external perturbances induced by waves

LQG Control for Dynamic Positioning of Floating Caissons Based on the Kalman Filter

New design and optimization procedure of a 2-dof articulating mechanism for a laparoscopic surgical instrument