Smart robotic system for advanced manufacturing

随着工业4.0的到来，工业机器人成为先进制造业的关键要素。它们提供了空间灵活性，长距离，多自由度以及以低成本快速完成重复性任务的能力。农业、航运、汽车、航空航天、石油和天然气等制造业已经开始使用机器人装卸、交付和组装零件。通过与人类合作，机器人可以提高制造和装配的效率。然而，由于机器人的低结构刚度，机器人应用仍然局限于需要低负载的任务。当机器人移动或切割时，这种低结构刚度会导致振动，这会延长加工时间并降低加工表面的光洁度。高刚性的大型机器人无法与人类合作，因为出于安全原因，它们必须在硬屏障内操作。传感器可以提高机器人的准确性和安全性，但其有限的类型，尺寸和高昂的价格构成了挑战。 该研究项目的目标是开发智能机器人系统，以自动化由各种材料制成的大型复杂结构的制造过程。新颖之处在于开发电缆辅助机器人系统的技术，包括机器人运动学和动力学的数字模型，以及嵌入式纳米复合材料力传感器。第一个成果将是一个刚性增加五倍以上的机器人系统，这将扩大机器人在机械加工以及拾取和放置或金属3D打印方面的应用。第二个成果将是能够预测机器人性能的数字孪生模型，可用于改善刀具路径或加工条件。最后的成果将是具有高精度和高灵敏度的低成本嵌入式传感器，当人类触摸它时，它可以立即停止，从而提高安全性。该项目的完成将有助于建立合作伙伴关系，并通过产生知识产权探索未来的商业化道路。该项目将培训HQP在机器人，制造和机电一体化加拿大的未来产业。

With the advent of Industry 4.0, industrial robots are the critical elements of advanced manufacturing. They provide the benefits of space flexibility, long reach, multiple degrees of freedom, and the ability to quickly complete repetitive tasks at a low cost. Manufacturing industries for agriculture, shipping, automotive, aerospace, and oil and gas have begun to use robots to load and unload, deliver, and assemble parts. By collaborating with humans, robots can improve the efficiency in manufacturing and assembling. Robotic application, however, is still restricted to tasks that require low loads because of the robot's low structural rigidity. This low structural stiffness causes vibrations when the robot moves or cuts, which extends the processing time and reduces the finish quality of machined surfaces. Large robots with high rigidity cannot cooperate with humans because they must operate within hard barriers for safety reasons. Sensors can improve the robot's accuracy and safety but their limited types, sizes and high prices pose challenges. The goal of this research project is the development of smart robotic systems to automate manufacturing processes for large, complex structures made of various materials. The novelties lie in technologies to develop a cable-assisted robotic system, a digital model including a robot's kinematics and dynamics, and embedded nano-composite force sensors. The first outcome will be a robotic system with more than a fivefold increase in rigidity, which expands robots' application to machining as well as pick-and-place or metallic 3D printing. The second outcome will be a digital twin model capable of predicting the robots' performance, which can be used to improve the tool path or machining condition. The last outcome will be low-cost embedded sensors with high accuracy and high sensitivity, which can improve safety by making it stop immediately when a human touches it. The completeness of this project will help build partnerships and explore future commercialization paths by generating intellectual properties. This project will train HQP in robotics, manufacturing, and mechatronics for Canada's future industries.