uom robotics and industrial automation laboratory -...

University of MaltaRobotics and Industrial Automation LaboratoryUniversity of Malta

UOM Robotics and Industrial Automation Laboratory


RIAL Missiono to be a Centre of Excellence in Malta for research,

development, teaching and outreach in the broad areas of Robotics, of Mechatronics, and of Industrial Automation

o to make contributions to the international community in niche areas of Robotics, of Mechatronics, and of Industrial Automation


RIAL Facilities

o Mitsubishi RV-6SL 6-DOF revolute robot, 91cm reach, 6kg payload, with controller upgrade, tracking card, and adjustable gripper, or vacuum gripper. Mounted on a highly reconfigurable table.

o Epson E2S651S 4-DOF SCARA robot, 65cm reach, 5kg payload

o Two Cognex/DVT smart image sensors (machine vision)o Six Mitsubishi FX1N-24 PLCso Two flat belt conveyors (one with variable speed)o Machine vision lighting (ring light, strobe)o Other sundry equipment, components and toolso Various robot hands and glove devices, built in house


RIAL research and lab sessions

Mechatronics and Robotics researchers

Mechatronics lab sessions


RIAL robots in action

Cocktail server demo

Column building demo


RIAL Research

Two major themes:

o Robotics and Mechatronics:

Versatile grippers and dexterous robot hands; glove input

devices; dexterity studies; design of mechatronic devices;

innovative sensors and actuators.

o Manufacturing Automation

Reconfigurable manufacturing automation systems; analysis of

automation use in industry; industrial automation case study

projects in collaboration with industry.

This presentation focusses mainly on published workIn the subsequent slides, all dates refer to publication dates


PART 1: Dexterity and Design Optimization Studies

(Robotics, Mechatronics)


2006 and 2013: Dexterity Studies

Two complementary studies:

o Manual dexterity studies and minimal requirements for

a dexterous anthropomorphic artificial hand

o Actuation Dexterity – a framework for the evaluation of

the detailed and overall actuation approach used in

generic multi-degree-of-freedom mechatronic devices

that have space and weight constraints.


o Minimal requirements for satisfactory manual dexterity

extracted from constrained human testing

o Dexterity quantified through standard tests

2013: Dexterity Studies

Standard dexterity tests


o Minimal requirements for satisfactory manual dexterity

extracted from constrained human testing

o Dexterity quantified through standard tests


Examples of hand constraints



Quantified dexterity penalties due to various manual constraints


A minimal anthropomorphic dexterous hand that could

achieve 84% of human dexterity should have:

o Two fingers (equivalent to the human index and middle

fingers) and a thumb

o The corresponding finger MCP and PIP joints

o DIP joints coupled to the PIP joints by ratio of 2:3

o The abduction-adduction joint

o At least 3 DOF in the thumb

o An effective sense of touch

o The equivalent, performance-wise, of the human control,

actuation/transmission, and vision feedback processing

systems



Note: thumb constraints were removed

British plug rewiring exercise was carried out with only three available fingers on each hand, in approximately the same time as with free hands.



2013: Actuation Dexterity

Forty eight evaluation criteria, categorized as follows:

o Intrinsic properties of the actuation system and its

constituents

o Properties / effects of the actuation system with

respect to the other universal elements of the device

(excluding overall device properties)


respect to the properties and capabilities of the device


respect to the expectations of the device type

This evaluation exercise has been named the Dexterous

actuation assessment protocol (DAAP)


2013: Actuation Dexterity

Application of DAAP to the design of mechatronic devices


2015: Quasi-dynamic Analysis, Design Optimization, and Evaluation of a Two-finger Underactuated Hand

A detailed analytical, experimental, simulation and optimization exercise challenges the conventional design of planar underactuated robot hands, and suggests paradigm changes to improve grasping performance

Finger 1

Finger 2

Upper link

Object

Upper joint

Lower link

Lower joint

Palm


2015: Design Optimization of Compact Multi-degree-of-freedom Mechatronic Devices*

* Paper in advanced state of preparation


PART 2: Dexterous Hands, Glove Input / Output Devices,

and Innovative Sensors

(Robotics, Mechatronics)


2001: The RIAL Versatile Gripper

3 fingers

9 links, 1 DOF

Stepper motor

Remote actuation

Tendon transmission

Fingertip force, palm

proximity sensors

offline adjustable finger

orientations


2004: Slip Sensing and Force Control

W

F

Strain gauge(s)

Primary contact

Top attachment

Bottom attachment

Secondary contact

Finger skeleton

Rubber skin

Object

Novel sensor, to detect

incipient object slip

full analysis, experimental

validation and simulation


2004: The RIAL Glove Input Device

2 fingers + thumb data

Wrist pitch and roll data

Linear potentiometers and

flexible bands

Linear output

Good resolution and repeatability

Can fit hands of different sizes


2005: The RIAL Anthropomorphic Hand – Model 1 2 fingers + thumb

2 coupled links per finger

wrist pitch and roll

5 DOF

DC motors

Remote actuation

Tendon transmission

Tele-operated


2006: The RIAL Integrated Finger

4 joints, 3 DOF

miniature DC motors

full kinematic solutions


2007: The RIAL Anthropomorphic Hand – Model 2

Exo-skeletal design

3 fingers + thumb

3 joints per finger

human-like flexion motion

8 DOF

DC motors

Tendon transmission

Position and force sensing

Remote actuation and

sensing


2010:The RIAL Haptic Glove

Data input from finger and

thumb MCP and PIP joints

Development of an actuator

based on magnetorheological

fluid

Force feedback to joints of

middle finger


2010: Reporting and Test Standards for Artificial Hands


2014: University of Malta Minimal Anthropomorphic Robot Hand I : UM-MAR Hand I

Detailed design features based on achieving grasp taxonomy of Cutkosky, 1989


2014: University of Malta Minimal Anthropomorphic Robot Hand I : UM-MAR Hand I


2014: RIAL QTC Tactile Sensor

Based on quantum tunnelling

composite material

Based on human experimentation

that determined minimum

specifications for satisfactory

dexterity

Soft silicon

Stiff silicon

Base gold electrode

Top

gold

electrod

e

QTC

Top gold electrode


2015: University of Malta Minimal Anthropomorphic Robot Hand II : UM-MAR Hand II *

* Paper in advanced state of preparation


2015: University of Malta Minimal Anthropomorphic Robot Hand II : UM-MAR Hand II *


PART 3: Industrial Automation


Examples of Industry-PartneredIndustrial Automation Projects

2008, with Baxter

2009, 2010, with Toly

2010, with Portughes Laundry & Dry Cleaning

2015, with Baxter


2008: The RIAL Material Transfer System

PUMA 260 Robot

DVT SmartImage Sensor

RIAL Versatile Gripper

Conveyor, equipped with

photoelectric proximity sensors

PC (controller)

System can recognize object type,

position and orientation, and

relocate it successfully


2009: Industrial Automation in Malta

Comprehensive survey on the use, perceptions and problems associated with automation

70 local respondents


2012: Migration from Manual to Automated Assembly of a Product Family

Formal generic guidelines developed

Case study with Methode


Changeover

Process

TIME

2012: Robot Time and Cost Management

An analytical study on the application of a robot to

multiple low-volume production processes

Included a case study with Playmobil


2008 – 2015: Reconfigurable Automation

New models and guidelines for the development, conversion and / or evaluation of reconfigurable automation systems for high added-value manufacturing (still not published)

Development of a versatile manufacturing automation test bed, highly reconfigurable to cater for different sectors

Implementation of model and test bed to three industrial test cases (Cheops, ProMinent, Toly)

Development of industrial automation guidelines


End

uom robotics and industrial automation laboratory -...

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