Smart robotic system for advanced manufacturing

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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.