It is well known, the possibilities for big data, but what about the robotics, which are going to develop the physical tasks, from the most common automation to the autonomous cars, integral security, drones or in aerospace (even drawing thermal energy to generate electricity), with incredible evolution, see DARPA Robotic Challenge.
Days ago took place the 2015 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Washington State, being feasible to see the evolution of this enormous topic.
The word was introduced in 1920 by Karos Capek's, a Czech playwright. In 1941, Isaac Asimov, used for first time the word in his book "Robot AL76 Goes Astray." In 1942, the word got a common used and was established for initial time the three laws of Robotics:
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Nowadays, the robotic has multiple applications, but evidently, the first steps of the robotics came from the Automotive Industry. More in concrete, the first steps of robotics applications appeared in 1961; a robot for welding applications called UNIMATE on a General Motors assembly line installed in New Jersey. Furthermore, two European vendors, primary KUKA, with the FAMULUS in 1973, and ASEA (nowadays ABB), in the same year, with the installation of the first anthropomorphic robot, totally electric and controlled by microprocessors, installed in Magnusson (Sweden), to polish stainless steel pipes.
Figure 1_A) UNIMATE Robot installed in General Motors assembly line, B) FAMULUS robot from KUKA and C) first anthropomorphic robot by ASEA, totally electric and controlled by microprocessors_source: Robotics Course Jesuïtes el Clot - Barcelona.
Trying to introduce the complexity of the automated systems by robotics, the first consideration is the software applications to control the robots and basically, the robotic station.
In this case, it is going to be introduced the software "RobotStudio," a software of ABB to control Robot Stations.
The minimal compositions of the Robot Stations are integrated by (A) FlexPendant o programming unit, (B) the power and control unit, and (C) the robot.
A part of that minimal composition of the Robot Stations, it must be considered other parts of the station, for example; palletizing, welding, drilling, security and emergency units, etc., etc.
The software RobotStudio can parameterize the complete Robotic Station and to program the trajectory of the Robot, depending of the degrees of freedom of the robot, normally depending of its joints.
These movements of the trajectory of the robot can be modified from RobotStudio, but at the same time, the movements of the robot can be configured by a 3D mechanical design software. In this case, can design a piece or a trajectory of the robot by a solid design,and after that, insert this information to the RobotStudio, which identified the instruction of this 3D design software.
Nevertheless, a lot of Robotics Technicians select manually the points of contact between the tool of the robot and the destination location or destination locations, indifferently if is a welding point, painting, movement or any other task.
This operation is made by the programming unit or FlexPendant, moving the Robot with the joystick of the FlexPendant and checking on the place if the contact between the tool of the Robot, and the destination is properly. This is necessary because the Robot has a resolution and accuracy which need to be considered to develop the tasks programmed. Once the destination point of contact is achieved, the Technician saves the information of the point in the programming unit or FlexPendant and continuous with the next point. Likewise, the Technicians can establish the trajectory circumscription operation of the Robot for security reasons, simply to avoid contact with not desired parts.
This operation is made by the programming unit or FlexPendant, moving the Robot with the joystick of the FlexPendant and checking on the place if the contact between the tool of the Robot, and the destination is properly. This is necessary because the Robot has a resolution and accuracy which need to be considered to develop the tasks programmed. Once the destination point of contact is achieved, the Technician saves the information of the point in the programming unit or FlexPendant and continuous with the next point. Likewise, the Technicians can establish the trajectory circumscription operation of the Robot for security reasons, simply to avoid contact with not desired parts.
Figure 3_Screenshot of the software RobotStudio with the Robot IRB 120 with the tool writing "Rotulador" in Spanish in the arm of the robot_source: RobotStudio software ABB.
On the other side, and coming back to the 3D mechanical design software, it is feasible to configure one tool, which will be installed in the arm of the Robot for its different applications.
It is necessary to mention that the manufacturers (OEM) of the Robots are not supplying tools for the different applications. In the most of cases, the users must implement a project to develop a tool, by ingeneering service or by their own.
It is necessary to mention that the manufacturers (OEM) of the Robots are not supplying tools for the different applications. In the most of cases, the users must implement a project to develop a tool, by ingeneering service or by their own.
To implement this operation of creating and developing a tool to install in the arm of the Robot, the first step is to design the tool in a 3D mechanical design software. In the example expose in this blog, the 3D mechanical software is Solidedge (by Siemens).
Once the tool is design in 3D (and its parameters), all the information created in a file in the Solidedge, in that situation, is being inserted in the RobotStudio, with a serial of steps to identify the 3D design. After that, it is mandatory configuring the reference points in the robot software (RobotStudio) for identifying the points of the tool which will be in touching on the contact point or contact points. Accordingly to the previous point, the tool can work properly in the Robotic station.
Besides the example into consideration, it is important to expose the great advance of robotics for different application, Digital Factory or Smart Factories (project in Germany Industrie 4.0), with factories where the automation is around 100%, introducing new technologies in the automation systems, like virtual reality, augmented reality and the artificial intelligence.
Nevertheless, the virtual reality is being supported in big applications, of course in small workshops; the introduction of virtual reality is still an expensive project.
Automotive Industry is taken great resources from virtual reality in different ways, at least but not last in design, production or ergonomics.
Virtual reality has multiple applications, overall in terms of maintenance, inspection and repair in emplacements, where is difficult by accessibility, security or simply because the travel expenses are very high, case of Renewable Energy like Wind Offshore or Concentrated Solar Power.
Likewise, in energy is feasible to consider the possibilities for creating a virtual training in cases like Offshore systems, where the costs of the intervention, by travel and labour cost in the maintenance interventions are very expensive.
At the same time, it is possible to think in nuclear plants, aerospace or chemical industry, not only for training, just because, may be in short time, like it is exposed at the beginning of the blog, the "Technicians" in the field will be robots, which will be controlled in a "Control Room," and of course, it will be necessary training for optimizing and getting the properly assurance in the maintenance, inspection or repair tasks.
On the other hand, virtual reality is in a process to develop its technology. It is well known the big challenges to face, just for being a technology, like the augmented reality, in its first steps.
Virtual reality is using computer technology to generate images for simulating environments, despite augmented reality, which is mixing computer technology and reality to create a mixed reality.
It is to have in mind the multiple applications in gaming, training, military, customer interaction, medical, virtual tours, product design and story telling, basically, for cost reduction, HSE improvements and quality improvements.
In terms of cost reduction, it is to consider, the reduction of the time and complexity for maintenance operations and for simulation process engineering and its optimization.
In order to reduce the human risk, the improvement in the training in hazardous environments and the feasibility to evaluate the safety in the design process will be optimized. About quality, the accurate training in the manufacturing, operation and maintenance will improve the quality performance.
Basically, the main issues to develop are related to multiple topics, first, the cost reduction, overall in terms of computational cost, secondly, the motion sickness, and after, the dimensional accuracy and the 3D model optimization.
Next year, in 2016, it will be possible to see releases from Facebook, HTC or Sony, with Oculus, Vive and Morphens respectively.
The examples are multiple, in automotive industry manufacturing, in different applications in training, service technician training, in wind offshore, in hazardous environments training in Oil & Gas industry among other applications, even empathy training.
Regarding, artificial intelligence, some referents in the science and business are advising about this controversial topic.
On the right, one oculus in the GE software stand in the IoT World Congress in Barcelona.
At the bottom, a picture of a face recognizing software in the Stand of NEC (Field Analyst) in the IoT World Congress in Barcelona, in this case recognizing the face of a picture and estimating the age of 17 years old_source: J. Sánchez Ríos
References:
Robotics course in Jesuïtes el Clot - Barcelona
UNIMATE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unimate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Laws_of_Robotics
ABB website Robotics
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Virtual and Augmented reality:
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