A Distributed Computational/physical System for Micromanufacturing

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This project is creating a novel modular, distributed, and highly scalable computational/physical system for multi-disciplinary research and applications in micro-manufacturing. The approach is a robotic-agent-based distributed information architecture of a type not found in industry today. The distributed nature of the agent-based system requires neither centralized control nor a centralized database for its operation, thereby avoiding communication and code complexity bottlenecks. The goals are to 1) dramatically reduce design, program, and deployment times compared with state-of-the-art systems, 2) greatly increase mechanical precision over existing methods, and 3) greatly reduce floor space requirements. Intellectual MeritThe architecture is highly generic, and is applicable to multi-step flow-through production systems for domains such as micro-fabrication of small parts, assembly of meso- and micro-scale products, synthesis of discrete amounts of chemicals, and analysis of biological materials. The system addresses several difficult human-computer interface issues making the system more accessible to researchers and students and much easier to use compared with conventional approaches. In this work, collections of computational/physical agents are designed and programmed through a virtual 3D representation that is registered in space and synchronized in time with the actual micromanufacturing system. The system includes several automatic procedures such as calibration and multi-agent coordination which reduces programming tedium. We expect the developed system to be a suitable research platform where multiple, concurrent experiments can be run by faculty and students. The intention is also to provide a working system which can serve as an example for industry. The team has great expertise in this area, and their research will benefit both the research community through the development of new manufacturing techniques, but will also contribute to the field by expanding its scope of applicability.Broader ImpactsThis project provides a vision of compilable factories, and if broadly realized, represents a transformative breakthrough in automated assembly. This includes automated assembly of optical systems, mass spectrometers, 3D devices formed from metal parts, and mass replication of intelligent micro-robots for environmental monitoring. Moreover, education is a vital component of the proposed project. The enhanced minifactory provides a new learning environment for multi-robot programming and cooperative robotics. There is also a close interaction closely with manufacturing engineering faculty and students at Walla Walla University in Washington State. We also continue the fruitfulstudent exchanges with micro-manufacturing laboratories at Technical University of Munich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. As always, undergraduate students engage in the research and add a valuable and vital contribution to the work.