Industrial automation, communication and data management

Collaborative roboticsProf. Paolo Rocco (paolo.rocco@polimi.it)Politecnico di MilanoDipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Source: Universal Robots

Collaborative robotics

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Humans and robots collaborating at the same task

Protective fences are not needed

Particularly interesting for SMEs (reduced cost, reduced foot print)

Source: KUKA

Collaborative robotics (1/3)

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Redundant, dual arm manipulators, characterized by low inertia and low payload (reduced risk when impact)

Still good precision available Good potential for assembly of

electronic parts

Source: ABB

Collaborative robotics (2/3)

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

New programming interfaces Decrease of the deployment

time High potential for SMEs

Source: Universal Robots

Collaborative robotics (3/3)

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Source: A.M. Zanchettin

Why human-robot collaboration?

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Source: ABB Corporate Research

Collaborative assembly

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

2000 20172000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

1960 - 2000Industrial robots are separated from humans; they requires significant investments and programming skills

2000The world cobot enters the dictionarycobot: noun. A collaborative robot designed to help workers on the job instead of replacing them. Source: Wall Street Journal, Jan 2000

2005Universal Robots is founded in Denmark to develop an affordable, low-cost collaborative robotUR5 was launched in 2008 and certified by TUV in 2014

2012Rethink Robotics is founded and launches Baxter

2015ABB launches YuMi and acquires Gomtec

2016ISO sets a new standard for cobots

2013KUKA launches LBR iiwa

Source: A.M. Zanchettin

A bit of history of collaborative robotics

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Collaborative robots have no (or reduced) physical protection devices to allow the human operator to directly interact with them.

The limited need of safeguarding devices allows a smaller footprint, making cobots more affordable, especially for SMEs, as compared with traditional industrial robots.

Cost breakdown of a robotic station

Installation costs of cobots

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

ABI Research, Marker report on collaborative robotics, 2015

Market of the cobots

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Robots are key components in the manufacturing of Industry 4.0 Integration of machinery, warehousing systems and production facilities

as Cyber-Physical systems Flexibility, cost effectiveness and productivity in smart factories

Source: Bosch

Industry 4.0

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Robots doing the same task connect across all global locations so performance can be compared and improved at the click of a button

Self-optimizing production Self-programming robots

Robots automatically download what they need to get started from a cloud library and then start to optimize through “self-learning” Source: IFR

Industry 4.0

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Robots are connected to the cloud and diagnostics information, alarm information, maintenance information, can be collected and used for predictive maintenance

Predictive maintenance

Source: FANUC

Industry 4.0

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

From robots to cobots

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

This robot is safe However it is not

collaborative How can we guarantee

safety while allowing for collaboration?

Safety

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Source: A.M. Zanchettin

Safety standards for robotics

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Collaborative operation ISO 10218-1:2011, clause 3.4 State in which purposely

designed robots work in direct cooperation with a human within a defined workspace

Collaborative workspace ISO 10218-1:2011, clause 3.5 Workspace within the

safeguarded space where the robot and a human can perform tasks simultaneously during production operationSource: ABB Corporate Research

Safety standards: definitions

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Source: ABB Corporate Research

Types of collaborative operations

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzR5NZrZSu0

Hand guiding

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7DgzHC9e9E

Speed and separation monitoring

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

It is the safety standard that qualifies what we actually call cobots

The risk reduction is obtained by limiting the mechanical loading of human-body parts when moving parts of robot, end-effector or work piece

This is achieved with low inertia, suitable geometry and material, sensory input, control functions, …

Source: ABB Corporate Research

Power and force limiting

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

The robot is simply a component in a final collaborative robot system and is not in itself sufficient for a safe collaborative operation. The collaborative operation applications are dynamic and shall be determined by the risk assessment performed during the application system design.

Robot as an element in the collaborative station

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Cobots as assistive fellow co-workers

There are many examples of operations with poor ergonomics.A collaborative robot might support the operator as an autonomous positioner of the workpiece in order to increase the ergonomics of the workstation

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

IRB 140

Kinect KinectXtion

Ergonomic and safe human robot-interaction

Cobots as assistive fellow co-workers

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Cobots as assistive fellow co-workers

Through a vision system, the robot is able to track the position of the operator (based on his shoulders) and evaluate the best positioning of the workpiece that minimize the risk of musculoskeletal disorders.

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Cobots as intelligent fellow co-workers

Through a vision system the robot is able to infer the intention of the human operator and decide the most convenient action to perform according to the collaborative task.

Vision system

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Collaborative operation

Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1p1-hejjaQ

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Prediction of activity patterns

The robot perceives the human and predicts when assistance is needed. In the meanwhile, it keeps doing its job. As a result, the robot is always ready to help, and productivity is maximized.

Prediction of activity patterns

assemble

pick

???

Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHK2vXf0mrk

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

Prediction of activity patterns

Cycle time is reduced by 20%

IACDM – Collaborative robotics – Paolo Rocco

A collaborative assembly