useful robot dexterity for the factory

Jean-Philippe JobinCTO, Robotiqrobotiq.com

2011-04-02

NIST DEXTEROUS MANIPULATION WORKSHOPAutomate Show, January, 24th 2013

USEFUL ROBOT DEXTERITY

for the FACTORY

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MANUFACTURERS NEED ROBOT DEXTERITY

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What our customers need

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What our customers need

Low Mix High MixLots of :

ChangeoversNew Product Introduction

Production Cost

(given volume, over given period of

time)

Robot production(Robots only)

Manual production

Robot production (including tooling +changeovers)

Robot production (including tooling +changeovers)

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What our customers need

Low Mix High MixLots of :

ChangeoversNew Product Introduction

Production Cost

(given volume, over given period of

time)

Robot production(Robots only)

Manual production

Robot production (including tooling +changeovers)

Robot production (including tooling +changeovers)

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What our customers need

Stay ManualROI < 0

Stay ManualROI < 0

Not sureROI > 0Not sureROI > 0

AutomateROI >> 0AutomateROI >> 0

Low Mix High MixLots of :

ChangeoversNew Product Introduction

Production Cost

(given volume, over given period of

time)

Manual production

ROBOT HANDS TODAY

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• Traditional approach– Robots and grippers with limited or

no sensors (vision, touch)– Mechanical repeatability– Adapt the environment / process

• System broken in pieces (arm, hand, vision)

• Gripper choice left aside while planning project

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Current System Approach

( )

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Hand functions

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What is the best hand?

FlexibilityNumber of tasks it can do

PerformanceHow well it can do a task on a curent robot

Bad

Average

Good

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What is the best hand?

FlexibilityNumber of tasks it can do

PerformanceHow well it can do a task on a curent robot

Bad

Average

Good

New Industrial

Robots

New Industrial

Robots

Traditional Robots

Traditional Robots

MAKING GOOD ROBOT HANDS

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Making good hands

Image: http://www.darklingwood.com/2008/05/dac-and-the-vls.html

1. Robust, cost-effective industrial sensors2. Force / tactile control

– Algorithms– Integration

Benefits:– World of applications– Relax mechanical constraints

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Challenge: Sensing

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Challenge: Robustness

• Gripper ROI calculation– Purchase– Integration– Operation

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Challenge: Cost

BENCHMARKING ROBOT DEXTERITY

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Southampton Hand Assessment Procedure (SHAP)•Measure performance of upper limb prostheses•Also applied to musculoskeletal and unimpaired participants•26 tasks

– 8 abstract objects– 14 activities of daily living

•Measured success and speed used to calculate performance

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Benchmarking Dexterity

http://www.shap.ecs.soton.ac.uk/

• SHAP equivalent for manufacturing tasks?– X abstract objects– Y activities of daily manufacturing– Human vs Robots

• Programming or teaching time• Scale

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Benchmarking Dexterity

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Picture: Hélène McNicoll http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Canyon_Sainte-Anne,_le_canyon.jpeg

OFFEROFFER DEMANDDEMAND

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