The rapid technological advancements of Industry 4.0 have opened up new vectors for novel industrial processes that require advanced sensing solutions for their realization. Motion capture (MoCap) sensors, such as visual cameras and inertial measurement units (IMUs), are frequently adopted in industrial settings to support solutions in robotics, additive manufacturing, teleworking and human safety. This review synthesizes and evaluates studies investigating the use of MoCap technologies in industry-related research. A search was performed in the Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Only studies in English, from 2015 onwards, on primary and secondary industrial applications were considered. The quality of the articles was appraised with the AXIS tool. Studies were categorized based on type of used sensors, beneficiary industry sector, and type of application. Study characteristics, key methods and findings were also summarized. In total, 1682 records were identified, and 59 were included in this review. Twenty-one and 38 studies were assessed as being prone to medium and low risks of bias, respectively. Camera-based sensors and IMUs were used in 40% and 70% of the studies, respectively. Construction (30.5%), robotics (15.3%) and automotive (10.2%) were the most researched industry sectors, whilst health and safety (64.4%) and the improvement of industrial processes or products (17%) were the most targeted applications. Inertial sensors were the first choice for industrial MoCap applications. Camera-based MoCap systems performed better in robotic applications, but camera obstructions caused by workers and machinery was the most challenging issue. Advancements in machine learning algorithms have been shown to increase the capabilities of MoCap systems in applications such as activity and fatigue detection as well as tool condition monitoring and object recognition.

https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/19/5687/pdf

Motion Capture Technology in Industrial Applications: A Systematic Review.

U tehnologiji proizvodnje, u skupini tehnologija obradbe i preradbe metala, znacajno mjesto pripada oblikovanju metala deformiranjem. Kada spominjemo samo glavne i najucestalije nacine kako to izvodimo, onda navodimo savijanje, duboko vucenje, optiskivanje, valjanje (oblikovanje lima deformiranjem), provlacenje, istikivanje, slobodno kovanje i kovanje u ukovnjima (masivno oblikovanje) u proizvode plosnog ili prostornog oblika. Pored nabrojanih nacina postoje i njigove brojne kombinacije i varijante pa je broj postupaka koji se koriste u proizvodnji znatno veci. U knjizi su opisani navedeni postupci, prednosti i nedostaci, izrazi i potrebni podaci za konstrukciju i dimenzioniranje alata za oblikovanje lima deformiranjem.

Sheet metal forming

Robot Analysis And Control

I' IE: E www.cie-china.orglmape2005 IEEE 2005 International Symposium on Microwave, Antenna, Propagation, and EMC Technologies For Wireless Communications

The usage of VR gear in mixed reality applications demands a high position and orientation accuracy of all devices to achieve a satisfying user experience. This paper investigates the system behaviour of the VR system HTC Vive Pro at a testing facility that is designed for the calibration of highly accurate positioning instruments like geodetic total stations, tilt sensors, geodetic gyroscopes or industrial laser scanners. Although the experiments show a high reproducibility of the position readings within a few millimetres, the VR system has systematic effects with magnitudes of several centimetres. A tilt of about 0.4∘ of the reference plane with respect to the horizontal plane was detected. Moreover, our results demonstrate that the tracking algorithm faces problems when several lighthouses are used.

Accuracy Investigation of the Pose Determination of a VR System

Due to the change from mass production to mass personalized production and the resulting intrinsic product flexibility, the automotive industry, among others, is looking for cost-efficient and resource-saving production methods to combining global just-in-time production. In addition to geometric manufacturing flexibility, additive manufacturing offers a resource-saving application for rapid prototyping and small series in predevelopment. In this study, the FDM process is utilized to manufacture the tooling to draw a small series of sheet metal parts in combination with the rubber pad forming process. Therefore, a variety of common AM polymer materials (PETG, PLA, and ABS) is compared in compression tests, from which PLA is selected to be applied as sheet metal forming die. For the rubber pad forming process, relevant processing parameters, i.e., press force and rubber cushion hardness, are studied with respect to forming depth. The product batch is examined by optical evaluation using a metrological system. The scans of the tool and sheet metal parts confirm the mechanical integrity of the additively manufactured die from polymer and thus the suitability of this approach for small series in sheet metal drawing processes, e.g., for automotive applications.

/pdf/3d-printed-prototyping-tools-for-flexible-sheet-metal-33zeje4ns5.pdf

3D printed prototyping tools for flexible sheet metal drawing

Human–robot interaction has extended its application horizon to simplify how human beings interact with each other through a remotely controlled telepresence robot. The fast growth of communication technologies such as 4G and 5G has elevated the potential to establish stable audio–video-data transmission. However, human–robot physical interactions are still challenging regarding maneuverability, controllability, stability, drive layout, and autonomy. Hence, this paper presents a systematic design and control approach based on the customer’s needs and expectations of telepresence mobile robots for social interactions. A system model and controller design are developed using the Lagrangian method and linear quadratic regulator, respectively, for different scenarios such as flat surface, inclined surface, and yaw (steering). The robot system is capable of traveling uphill (30
$$^{\circ }$$

) and has a variable height (600–1200 mm). The robot is advantageous in developing countries to fill the skill gaps as well as for sharing knowledge and expertise using a virtual and mobile physical presence.

/pdf/telepresence-mobile-robots-design-and-control-for-social-3z04v1uxvj.pdf

Telepresence Mobile Robots Design and Control for Social Interaction.

Human-robot collaboration combines the extended capabilities of humans and robots to create a more inclusive and human-centered production system in the future. However, human safety is the primary concern for manufacturing industries. Therefore, real-time motion tracking is necessary to identify if the human worker body parts enter the restricted working space solely dedicated to the robot. Tracking these motions using decentralized and different tracking systems requires a generic model controller and consistent motion exchanging formats. In this work, our task is to investigate a concept for a unified real-time motion tracking for human-robot collaboration. In this regard, a low cost and game-based motion tracking system, e.g., HTC Vive, is utilized to capture human motion by mapping into a digital human model in the Unity3D environment. In this context, the human model is described using a biomechanical model that comprises joint segments defined by position and orientation. Concerning robot motion tracking, a unified robot description format is used to describe the kinematic trees. Finally, a concept of assembly operation that involves snap joining is simulated to analyze the performance of the system in real-time capability. The distribution of joint variables in spatial-space and time-space is analyzed. The results suggest that real-time tracking in human-robot collaborative assembly environments can be considered to maximize the safety of the human worker. However, the accuracy and reliability of the system regarding system disturbances need to be justified.

Real-Time Motion Tracking for Humans and Robots in a Collaborative Assembly Task

Identifying human intention during assembly operations using wearable motion capturing systems including eye focus

Abstract In human–robot collaboration (HRC), human motion capture can be considered an enabler for switching autonomy between humans and robots to create efficient and safe operations. For this purpose, wearable motion tracking systems such as IMU and lighthouse-based systems have been used to transfer human joint motions into robot controller models. Due to reasons such as global positioning, drift, and occlusion, in some situations, e.g., HRC, both systems have been combined. However, it is still not clear if the motion quality (e.g., smoothness, naturalness, and spatial accuracy) is sufficient when the human operator is in the loop. This article presents a novel approach for measuring human motion quality and accuracy in HRC. The human motion capture has been implemented in a laboratory environment with a repetition of forty-cycle operations. Human motion, specifically of the wrist, is guided by the robot tool center point (TCP), which is predefined for generating circular and square motions. Compared to the robot TCP motion considered baseline, the hand wrist motion deviates up to 3 cm. The approach is valuable for understanding the quality of human motion behaviors and can be scaled up for various applications involving human and robot shared workplaces. 

/pdf/human-motion-quality-and-accuracy-measuring-method-for-human-2gh0flmv.pdf

Tadele Belay Tuli

Papers

3D printed prototyping tools for flexible sheet metal drawing

Telepresence Mobile Robots Design and Control for Social Interaction.

Real-Time Motion Tracking for Humans and Robots in a Collaborative Assembly Task

Identifying human intention during assembly operations using wearable motion capturing systems including eye focus

Human motion quality and accuracy measuring method for human–robot physical interactions