Available theses in robotics (November 2017)

Prof. Paolo Rocco – Prof. Andrea Maria Zanchettin

MERLIN – Available theses in industrial robotics

Ergonomic positioning of bulky objects

Robot acts as a 3rd hand for workpiece positioning: Muscular fatigue depends on task and posture We want to identify the most ergonomic positioning of a work-object

through a robot Validation using sEMG data

Example of application: priming of car bumpers with a Comau SmartSix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzIsMeS-_UQ

Thesis 1

MERLIN – Available theses in industrial robotics

Recognition of complex human activities

In a robotic cell it is possible to collect a variety of different observations: skeletal point positions, head orientation (with a Head Mounted Device), objects in the scene, etc.

head orientation

Skeletal point position

distance to objects

Can we use Bayesian Networks as a tool to infer which action a human is doing, according to this set of indirect observations?

Thesis 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHK2vXf0mrk

pickingassemblinghammering

MERLIN – Available theses in industrial robotics

Prediction of human activity patterns

Human activities usually form patterns that can be inferred from previous observations.Typical methods (e.g. Markov chains) do not consider constraints such as the availability of parts, tools or space.Can we develop methods to predict the sequence of activities of the human?

Example of application: collaborative assembly with ABB YuMi robot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNDdDvta-tw

Thesis 3

MERLIN – Available theses in industrial robotics

Scheduling of robotic activities in a human-robot collaboration context

It is possible to use Timed Petri Net to schedule robot activities in a human-robot context.

Since robot and human share a common space, the duration of a robotic activity is not deterministic (sometimes the robot has to slow down to avoid collision with human).

Is it possible to take into account variability of motion time during scheduling?

Example of application:collaborative assembly with ABB YuMi robot.

Thesis 4

MERLIN – Available theses in industrial robotics

Applications and case studies in collaborative robotics

The MERLIN Lab has been active for several years in research on human-robot interaction and collaborative robotics

A spin-off company has been recently created. It will bring a new device for human-robot collaboration to the market

Thesis 5

Theses will be available on development of case studies and applications of collaborative robotics with different robotic platforms

MERLIN – Available theses in industrial robotics

Remote handling of liquids for teleoperation applications

Topics: Robot teleoperation, force feedback, constrained control, sloshing angle perception

Teleoperation allows to control a robot from a distance

We have developed an optimization-based policy to avoid liquid spilling in autonomous tasks…

… however a human operator often has to remotely handle liquids (e.g. pharma production)

We want to join together these techniques to assist the user during remote liquid handling, and provide information via force feedback to teach him/her how to operate without assistance

Thesis 6

MERLIN – Available theses in industrial robotics

Human intention estimation from visual servoing in shared control teleoperation

Topics: Robot teleoperation, machine learning, visual servoing

Teleoperation can be difficult due to system structure and devices mapping

We have trained a neural network for human intention prediction during human-robot cooperative tasks

We want to transfer this result to robot teleoperation with visual feedback

Objective: infer user intention from visual servoing data, and develop a strategy to help the user in executing the predicted task

Thesis 7

MERLIN – Available theses in industrial robotics

Remote robot manipulation task with visual and force feedback

Topics: Robot teleoperation, visual servoing, interaction control, virtual fixtures

We have developed a visual servoedteleoperation system for a reaching task in presence of camera occlusions…

… and a level control law that guarantees stability during interaction with the environment

Objective: couple the two controllers together to perform a remote manipulation task with both visual and force feedback, from the environment and virtual motion constraints

Thesis 8

MERLIN – Available theses in industrial robotics

Modelling and control of a hydraulically actuated mechanism

Hydraulic actuators are used in several machines where large forces are needed

Control of a hydraulically actuated mechanism entails interesting problems related with resonances and nonlinearities

Objective: to study advanced, model-based, control schemes for these systems and to validate them on a test bench in the framework of a collaboration with a company

Thesis 9

MERLIN – Available theses in industrial robotics

Modelling and control of a hydraulically actuated machine

Hydraulically actuated machines are characterized by closed-chains, highly nonlinear dynamics, resonant behaviours

A mechatronic model of a machine has been developed that can serve to offline test innovative control laws

Objective: to study advanced, model-based, control schemes for an articulated machine with hydraulic actuators and to validate them on a real machine in the framework of a collaboration with a company

Thesis 10

Koivumäki and Mattila, 2016

MERLIN – Available theses in industrial robotics

Aerial manipulation Thesis 11

An aerial robotic manipulator is a system composed of a quadrotor equipped with a robotic arm.

Several control problems arise related to the coupling of the two systems

A prototype has been made at MERLIN

We want to perform experiments on the prototype

MERLIN – Available theses in industrial robotics

Additive manufacturing (3D printing) is one of the most fast-growing technologies for the factory of the future

Industrial robots can serve as dexterous 3D printers

Application on a COMAU RACER robot

Atropos +LAB POLIMI

Industrial robotics for the additive manufacturing Thesis 12

Collaborazione con un altro Dipartimento del Politecnico