A Distributed Computational/physical System for Micromanufacturing

该项目正在创建一个新颖的模块化，分布式和高度可扩展的计算/物理系统，用于微制造中的多学科研究和应用。该方法是一种基于机器人代理的分布式信息体系结构，这种结构在当今的工业中是找不到的。基于代理的系统的分布式特性既不需要集中控制，也不需要集中数据库来进行操作，从而避免了通信和代码复杂性瓶颈。其目标是：1）与最先进的系统相比，大大减少设计、编程和部署时间; 2）与现有方法相比，大大提高机械精度; 3）大大减少占地面积要求。该体系结构具有高度通用性，适用于多步骤流通生产系统，如小部件的微制造，中尺度和微尺度产品的组装，离散量化学品的合成以及生物材料的分析。该系统解决了几个困难的人机界面问题，使系统更容易访问的研究人员和学生和更容易使用与传统的方法相比。在这项工作中，集合的计算/物理代理的设计和编程通过虚拟的3D表示，在空间上注册，并在时间上与实际的微制造系统同步。 该系统包括几个自动程序，如校准和多代理协调，减少编程繁琐。 我们希望开发的系统是一个合适的研究平台，多个，并发实验可以运行的教师和学生。 本发明还旨在提供一种可以作为工业范例的工作系统。 该团队在这一领域拥有丰富的专业知识，他们的研究将通过开发新的制造技术使研究界受益，但也将通过扩大其适用范围为该领域做出贡献。更广泛的影响这个项目提供了一个可编译工厂的愿景，如果广泛实现，代表了自动化装配的变革性突破。这包括光学系统、质谱仪、由金属部件形成的3D设备的自动化组装，以及用于环境监测的智能微型机器人的大规模复制。 此外，教育是拟议项目的一个重要组成部分。增强的微型工厂提供了一个新的学习环境，多机器人编程和合作机器人。在华盛顿州的瓦拉瓦拉大学，与制造工程教师和学生也有密切的互动。我们还继续与慕尼黑工业大学和瑞士联邦理工学院的微型制造实验室进行富有成效的学生交流。与往常一样，本科生从事研究，并增加了宝贵的和重要的贡献的工作。

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.