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Chapter 54 — Industrial Robotics

Martin Hägele, Klas Nilsson, J. Norberto Pires and Rainer Bischoff

Much of the technology that makes robots reliable, human friendly, and adaptable for numerous applications has emerged from manufacturers of industrial robots. With an estimated installation base in 2014 of about 1:5million units, some 171 000 new installations in that year and an annual turnover of the robotics industry estimated to be US$ 32 billion, industrial robots are by far the largest commercial application of robotics technology today.

The foundations for robot motion planning and control were initially developed with industrial applications in mind. These applications deserve special attention in order to understand the origin of robotics science and to appreciate the many unsolved problems that still prevent the wider use of robots in today’s agile manufacturing environments. In this chapter, we present a brief history and descriptions of typical industrial robotics applications and at the same time we address current critical state-of-the-art technological developments. We show how robots with differentmechanisms fit different applications and how applications are further enabled by latest technologies, often adopted from technological fields outside manufacturing automation.

We will first present a brief historical introduction to industrial robotics with a selection of contemporary application examples which at the same time refer to a critical key technology. Then, the basic principles that are used in industrial robotics and a review of programming methods will be presented. We will also introduce the topic of system integration particularly from a data integration point of view. The chapter will be closed with an outlook based on a presentation of some unsolved problems that currently inhibit wider use of industrial robots.

SMErobotics Demonstrator D3 assembly with sensitive compliant robot arms

Author  Martin Haegele, Thilo Zimmermann, Björn Kahl

Video ID : 382

SMErobotics: Europe's leading robot manufacturers and research institutes have teamed up with the European Robotics Initiative for Strengthening the Competitiveness of SMEs in Manufacturing - to make the vision of cognitive robotics a reality in a key segment of EU manufacturing. Funded by the European Union 7th Framework Programme under GA number 287787. Project runtime: 01.01.2012 - 30.06.2016 For a general introduction, please also watch the general SMErobotics project video (ID 260). About this video: Chapter 1: Introduction (0:00); Chapter 2: Work cell description and configuration (00:29); Chapter 3: Selection of the job (00:50); Chapter 4: Preparation step (01:09); Chapter 5: Riveting (01:44); Chapter 6: Error handling with automatic solution (02:17); Chapter 7: Finalise workflow (02:34); Chapter 8: Statement (03:09); Chapter 9: Outro (03:40); Chapter 10: The Consortium (03:54). For details, please visit: http://www.smerobotics.org/project/video-of-demonstrator-d3.html

Chapter 30 — Sonar Sensing

Lindsay Kleeman and Roman Kuc

Sonar or ultrasonic sensing uses the propagation of acoustic energy at higher frequencies than normal hearing to extract information from the environment. This chapter presents the fundamentals and physics of sonar sensing for object localization, landmark measurement and classification in robotics applications. The source of sonar artifacts is explained and how they can be dealt with. Different ultrasonic transducer technologies are outlined with their main characteristics highlighted.

Sonar systems are described that range in sophistication from low-cost threshold-based ranging modules to multitransducer multipulse configurations with associated signal processing requirements capable of accurate range and bearing measurement, interference rejection, motion compensation, and target classification. Continuous-transmission frequency-modulated (CTFM) systems are introduced and their ability to improve target sensitivity in the presence of noise is discussed. Various sonar ring designs that provide rapid surrounding environmental coverage are described in conjunction with mapping results. Finally the chapter ends with a discussion of biomimetic sonar, which draws inspiration from animals such as bats and dolphins.

Side-looking multipulse sonar moving down cinder-block hallway

Author  Roman Kuc

Video ID : 303

Rather than producing a single TOF reading per emission, the multipulse sonar produces multiple spikes by quickly resetting the sonar-detector integrator, thereby producing a spike density related to the echo amplitude. A side-looking sonar scans a cinder-block wall containing a door and window jambs. The resulting spikes have been processed to differentiate the first cinder-block wall, the cider-block surface and localize the window and door jambs. The red circles indicate the initial TOF values and illustrate the additional echo waveform data produced by the multipulse sonar. Reference: R. Kuc: Recognizing retro-reflectors with an obliquely-oriented multi-point sonar and acoustic flow, Int. J. Robot. Res. 22(2), 129-145, (2003); doi:10.1177/0278364903022002004.

Chapter 43 — Telerobotics

Günter Niemeyer, Carsten Preusche, Stefano Stramigioli and Dongjun Lee

In this chapter we present an overview of the field of telerobotics with a focus on control aspects. To acknowledge some of the earliest contributions and motivations the field has provided to robotics in general, we begin with a brief historical perspective and discuss some of the challenging applications. Then, after introducing and classifying the various system architectures and control strategies, we emphasize bilateral control and force feedback. This particular area has seen intense research work in the pursuit of telepresence. We also examine some of the emerging efforts, extending telerobotic concepts to unconventional systems and applications. Finally,we suggest some further reading for a closer engagement with the field.

Passivity of IPC strategy at 30-Hz sample rate

Author  Stefano Stramigioli

Video ID : 724

In this short video, the effectiveness of the passive sampling approach and IPC control are shown. A "PD" like control is implemented digitally in the classical way and also using IPC and passive sampling. At the used sampling frequency of 30 Hz, it is shown that instability occurs for the standard implementation, but is completely absent in the proposed way.

Tele-existence, master-slave system for remote manipulation

Author  Susumu Tachi, Hirohiko Arai, Taro Maeda

Video ID : 297

A tele-existence, master-slave system for remote manipulation experiments is designed and developed, and an evaluation experiment of a tele-existence master-slave system is conducted. Presented at ICRA 1991.

Chapter 54 — Industrial Robotics

Martin Hägele, Klas Nilsson, J. Norberto Pires and Rainer Bischoff

Much of the technology that makes robots reliable, human friendly, and adaptable for numerous applications has emerged from manufacturers of industrial robots. With an estimated installation base in 2014 of about 1:5million units, some 171 000 new installations in that year and an annual turnover of the robotics industry estimated to be US$ 32 billion, industrial robots are by far the largest commercial application of robotics technology today.

The foundations for robot motion planning and control were initially developed with industrial applications in mind. These applications deserve special attention in order to understand the origin of robotics science and to appreciate the many unsolved problems that still prevent the wider use of robots in today’s agile manufacturing environments. In this chapter, we present a brief history and descriptions of typical industrial robotics applications and at the same time we address current critical state-of-the-art technological developments. We show how robots with differentmechanisms fit different applications and how applications are further enabled by latest technologies, often adopted from technological fields outside manufacturing automation.

We will first present a brief historical introduction to industrial robotics with a selection of contemporary application examples which at the same time refer to a critical key technology. Then, the basic principles that are used in industrial robotics and a review of programming methods will be presented. We will also introduce the topic of system integration particularly from a data integration point of view. The chapter will be closed with an outlook based on a presentation of some unsolved problems that currently inhibit wider use of industrial robots.

SMErobotics Demonstrator D1 assembly with dual-arm industrial manipulators

Author  Martin Haegele, Thilo Zimmermann, Björn Kahl

Video ID : 380

SMErobotics: Europe's leading robot manufacturers and research institutes have teamed up with the European Robotics Initiative for Strengthening the Competitiveness of SMEs in Manufacturing - to make the vision of cognitive robotics a reality in a key segment of EU manufacturing. Funded by the European Union 7th Framework Programme under GA number 287787. Project runtime: 01.01.2012 - 30.06.2016 For a general introduction, please also watch the general SMErobotics project video (ID 260). About this video: Chapter 1: Introduction (0:00); Chapter 2: Fenceless approach in a safe; environment & Gesture Control (00:27); Chapter 3: Cooperative motion (00:57); Chapter 4: Minimal fixtures for maximum flexibility (Scan Objects) (01:36); Chapter 5: Offline preview (02:12); Chapter 6: Task execution (02:26); Chapter 7: Tool changer device (03:49); Chapter 8: Statement (04:11); Chapter 9: Outro (04:39); Chapter 10: The Consortium (05:08). For details, please visit: http://www.smerobotics.org/project/video-of-demonstrator-d1.html

Chapter 59 — Robotics in Mining

Joshua A. Marshall, Adrian Bonchis, Eduardo Nebot and Steven Scheding

This chapter presents an overview of the state of the art in mining robotics, from surface to underground applications, and beyond. Mining is the practice of extracting resources for utilitarian purposes. Today, the international business of mining is a heavily mechanized industry that exploits the use of large diesel and electric equipment. These machines must operate in harsh, dynamic, and uncertain environments such as, for example, in the high arctic, in extreme desert climates, and in deep underground tunnel networks where it can be very hot and humid. Applications of robotics in mining are broad and include robotic dozing, excavation, and haulage, robotic mapping and surveying, as well as robotic drilling and explosives handling. This chapter describes how many of these applications involve unique technical challenges for field roboticists. However, there are compelling reasons to advance the discipline of mining robotics, which include not only a desire on the part of miners to improve productivity, safety, and lower costs, but also out of a need to meet product demands by accessing orebodies situated in increasingly challenging conditions.

Autonomous tramming

Author  Oscar Lundhede

Video ID : 142

This video shows one example of the current state of the art in LHD automation for underground mining operations. The Atlas Copco Scooptram Automation system depicted in this video automatically hauls and dumps material from underground draw points.

Chapter 19 — Robot Hands

Claudio Melchiorri and Makoto Kaneko

Multifingered robot hands have a potential capability for achieving dexterous manipulation of objects by using rolling and sliding motions. This chapter addresses design, actuation, sensing and control of multifingered robot hands. From the design viewpoint, they have a strong constraint in actuator implementation due to the space limitation in each joint. After briefly introducing the overview of anthropomorphic end-effector and its dexterity in Sect. 19.1, various approaches for actuation are provided with their advantages and disadvantages in Sect. 19.2. The key classification is (1) remote actuation or build-in actuation and (2) the relationship between the number of joints and the number of actuator. In Sect. 19.3, actuators and sensors used for multifingered hands are described. In Sect. 19.4, modeling and control are introduced by considering both dynamic effects and friction. Applications and trends are given in Sect. 19.5. Finally, this chapter is closed with conclusions and further reading.

UBH2, University of Bologna Hand, ver. 2 (1992)

Author  Claudio Melchiorri

Video ID : 756

This hand, developed at the University of Bologna at the beginning of the 1990s, was the first to implement the "whole-hand-manipulation" capability. It was equipped with intrinsic tactile force/torque sensors in each phalange and in the palm.

Chapter 34 — Visual Servoing

François Chaumette, Seth Hutchinson and Peter Corke

This chapter introduces visual servo control, using computer vision data in the servo loop to control the motion of a robot. We first describe the basic techniques that are by now well established in the field. We give a general overview of the formulation of the visual servo control problem, and describe the two archetypal visual servo control schemes: image-based and pose-based visual servo control. We then discuss performance and stability issues that pertain to these two schemes, motivating advanced techniques. Of the many advanced techniques that have been developed, we discuss 2.5-D, hybrid, partitioned, and switched approaches. Having covered a variety of control schemes, we deal with target tracking and controlling motion directly in the joint space and extensions to under-actuated ground and aerial robots. We conclude by describing applications of visual servoing in robotics.

2.5-D VS on a 6 DOF robot arm (2)

Author  Francois Chaumette, Seth Hutchinson, Peter Corke

Video ID : 65

This video shows a 2.5-D VS on a 6 DOF robot arm with (c*^t_c, x_g, theta u_z) as visual features. It corresponds to the results depicted in Figure 34.13.

Chapter 44 — Networked Robots

Dezhen Song, Ken Goldberg and Nak-Young Chong

As of 2013, almost all robots have access to computer networks that offer extensive computing, memory, and other resources that can dramatically improve performance. The underlying enabling framework is the focus of this chapter: networked robots. Networked robots trace their origin to telerobots or remotely controlled robots. Telerobots are widely used to explore undersea terrains and outer space, to defuse bombs and to clean up hazardous waste. Until 1994, telerobots were accessible only to trained and trusted experts through dedicated communication channels. This chapter will describe relevant network technology, the history of networked robots as it evolves from teleoperation to cloud robotics, properties of networked robots, how to build a networked robot, example systems. Later in the chapter, we focus on the recent progress on cloud robotics, and topics for future research.

A multi-operator, multi-robot teleoperation system

Author  Nak Young Chong

Video ID : 84

A multi-operator, multi-robot teleoperation system for collaborative maintenance operations: Video Proc. of ICRA 2001. Over the past decades, problems and notable results have been reported mainly in the single-operator single-robot (SOSR) teleoperation system. Recently, the need for cooperation has rapidly emerged in many possible applications such as plant maintenance, construction, and surgery, and considerable efforts have therefore been made toward the coordinated control of multi-operator, multi-robot (MOMR) teleoperation. We have developed coordinated control technologies for multi-telerobot cooperation in a common environment remotely controlled from multiple operators physically distant from each other. To overcome the operators' delayed visual perception arising from network throughput limitations, we have suggested several coordinated control aids at the local operator site. Operators control their master to get their telerobot to cooperate with the counterpart telerobot using the predictive simulator, as well as video image feedback. This video explains the details of the testbed and investigates the use of an online predictive simulator to assist the operator in coping with time delay.

Chapter 7 — Motion Planning

Lydia E. Kavraki and Steven M. LaValle

This chapter first provides a formulation of the geometric path planning problem in Sect. 7.2 and then introduces sampling-based planning in Sect. 7.3. Sampling-based planners are general techniques applicable to a wide set of problems and have been successful in dealing with hard planning instances. For specific, often simpler, planning instances, alternative approaches exist and are presented in Sect. 7.4. These approaches provide theoretical guarantees and for simple planning instances they outperform samplingbased planners. Section 7.5 considers problems that involve differential constraints, while Sect. 7.6 overviews several other extensions of the basic problem formulation and proposed solutions. Finally, Sect. 7.8 addresses some important andmore advanced topics related to motion planning.

Motion planning in multi-robot scenario.

Author  Jamie Snape, Jur van den Berg, Stephen J. Guy, Dinesh Manocha

Video ID : 22

Motion planning can be used for multiple robot scenarios. In this video, each iRobot Roomba senses its surroundings and acts independently without central coordination or communication with other robots. This approach uses the current position and the velocity of other robots to predict their future trajectories in order to avoid collisions.