Smart materials technology for handling delicate objects

用于处理精致物体的智能材料技术

• 批准号: 463485-2014
• 负责人: Menon, Carlo
• 金额: $ 12.83万
• 依托单位: Simon Fraser University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Strategic Projects - Group
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=577071
• 关键词: Smart; materials; technology; handling; delicate

While robots and imaging technologies are used in automated lines for handling a variety of objects, there is no grasping technology that can individually pick and place delicate items, such as fruits and vegetables, without damaging them or leaving marks. The absence of such a grasping technology forces the Canadian horticultural industry to rely heavily on manual labour. The Canadian farm industry, which is the fifth-largest importer ($40.3 billion) and exporter ($31.0 billion) of agri-food products in the world, accounts for over $46 billion in revenue in Canada alone and has grown on average by 1.4% per year since 1997. However, the industry faces very serious challenges to remaining globally competitive if picking and placing processes continue to involve the high costs of Canadian manual labour, which is currently the largest expense (31%) associated with horticultural products. In addition to reducing labour costs, an automated process would also reduce worker injury and disability - the highly repetitive tasks are both psychosocially and physically demanding. In this project, we propose a transformative technology, the Smart Adhering Interface (SAI), to directly address the needs of the Canadian horticultural industry and benefit the Canadian automation technology sector. The SAI consists of smart materials that, controlled by an external stimulus, deform, adhere, hold, and gently release delicate horticultural commodities. This radically novel approach, when coupled to a robotic manipulator, will enable picking and placing delicate items at high speed without damaging them or leaving any mark. Williams and White (W&W), the primary organization supporting this project, is a leader in the automation sector. Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, a horticultural research organization, will enable field trials in their facilities and will provide access to a large number of Canadian growers (end-users). With a primary goal of improving the growth of the supporting organizations and the Canadian farm industry, the SAI will also find use in other automation industries where delicate objects, such as bakery products, eggs, and many other industrial plastic, glass, metallic, and wood products, are handled.

虽然机器人和成像技术被用于处理各种物体的自动化生产线，但没有抓取技术可以单独拾取和放置水果和蔬菜等精致物品，而不会损坏它们或留下痕迹。由于缺乏这样的技术，加拿大的园艺业严重依赖手工劳动。加拿大农业是世界上第五大农产品进口国（403亿美元）和出口国（310亿美元），仅加拿大一国的收入就超过460亿美元，自1997年以来平均每年增长1.4%。然而，如果采摘和放置过程继续涉及加拿大手工劳动的高成本，该行业将面临非常严峻的挑战，以保持全球竞争力，这是目前与园艺产品相关的最大支出（31%）。除了降低劳动力成本外，自动化流程还将减少工人受伤和残疾-高度重复的任务对心理和身体都有要求。 在这个项目中，我们提出了一种变革性的技术，智能粘附接口（SAI），以直接满足加拿大园艺行业的需求，并使加拿大自动化技术部门受益。SAI由智能材料组成，由外部刺激控制，变形，粘附，保持并轻轻释放精致的园艺商品。这种全新的方法，当与机器人机械手结合时，将能够高速拾取和放置精致的物品，而不会损坏它们或留下任何痕迹。威廉姆斯和白色（W&W），支持这个项目的主要组织，是自动化领域的领导者。 葡萄园研究和创新中心是一个园艺研究组织，将在其设施中进行实地试验，并将向大量加拿大种植者（最终用户）提供使用机会。 SAI的主要目标是促进支持组织和加拿大农业的发展，SAI还将用于其他自动化行业，其中处理精细物体，如烘焙产品，鸡蛋和许多其他工业塑料，玻璃，金属和木制品。