Development of Self-Adaptable Visual-Servo Pick-and-Place Robot Technology for Manufacturing Automation

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Pick-and-place Robots have been widely used to automate laborious and repetitive tasks by human operators to increase productivity, lower labour costs and reduce workplace injury claims, while ensuring consistent quality of products at high speed. However, specially designed pick-and-place robots for certain products and processes can no longer fit the current fast changing manufacturing process and products, where different products may be handled. As a result, many shops of small and medium auto parts manufacturers still retain human operators at the end of automated assembly lines to pick up and sort finished parts. The objective of the proposed research is to develop a programming framework for self-adjustable visual-servo pick-and-place robotic technology that can be readily implemented into commercial industrial robots. The research will integrate the computer vision and robotic control technologies with artificial intelligence and machine learning to replace human operators. The computer vision will be programmed with artificial intelligence tools to enhance the ability in successful identification and recognition of parts' shape and pose in shop environment. Then, a path for the end-effector of the robot will be planned automatically for a pick-and-place task, subject to the constraint of space and operation requirements. The visual and path information will be fed dynamically into the inner robot control system to execute the task. The outcome of the proposed research provides a last-mile delivery of robotic technologies to small and medium sized auto parts manufacturers, which is currently not covered by major manufacturers of industrial robots. TiGold Automotive North America Co Ltd in Ontario has identified this niche market and supports the proposed development. The proposed technology will increase the productivity and competitability of Ontario's automotive industry sector. It will not only increase jobs to our industrial partner by adding more service capability but also the local suppliers. In addition to the economic and technical benefits to Canada outlined above, this project will train three HQP, benefit the industrial partner, its employees, local suppliers and service providers.