Affordable high-end automation using refurbished low-end robots and 'Assertive Products'

为了处理小批量、高可变性的订单，发达经济体的公司越来越多地考虑使用自主制造系统。然而，这些系统通常非常昂贵，因为很难创造出能够自主处理产品、工艺和环境条件变化的智能机器。我们建议，通过从以机器为中心的焦点转向以产品为中心的观点，可以以较低的成本实现自主制造系统。通过在生产部件中插入廉价的传感器、计算机和通信设备，我们可以创造出积极参与制造决策的“断言产品”。通过将智能从机器分散到产品，整个制造系统可以以更低的成本变得更加自主。这里提出的创新也将为二手机器人创造令人兴奋的机会。与其投资昂贵的、高度先进的机器人，这些机器人可以处理几种类型的“哑巴”产品，并且重新配置需要花费一大笔钱，制造商可以依靠旧的机器人，这些机器人改装了通信系统，使它们能够与许多类型的自信产品进行交互和适应。例如，一个自信的产品可以指导机器人以最佳方式抓住自己，减少对机器人视觉系统的要求，并消除每次引入新部件时重新编程机器人的需要。

To deal with low-volume, high-variability orders, companies in advanced economies are increasingly looking into autonomous manufacturing systems. However, these systems are usually prohibitively expensive due to the difficulty of creating intelligent machines that can autonomously deal with variations in products, processes and environmental conditions. We propose that autonomous manufacturing systems can be achieved at lower costs by moving away from this machine-centric focus towards a more product-centric view. By inserting inexpensive sensors, computers, and communication devices into production parts, we can create ‘Assertive Products’ that actively participate in manufacturing decision-making. By decentralising intelligence from machines to products, the manufacturing system as a whole can be made more autonomous at lower costs. The innovation proposed here will also create exciting opportunities for second-hand, used robots. Rather than investing in costly, highly advanced robots that can handle a few types of ‘dumb’ products and will cost a fortune to re-configure, manufacturers can rely instead on older robots that are retrofitted with communication systems, enabling them to interact with and adapt to many types of assertive products. For example, an assertive product can instruct a robot on the best way to grasp itself, reducing the requirements for the robot’s vision systems and removing the need to reprogram the robot every time a new part is introduced.