Robotics 1
Industrial Robotics
Prof. Alessandro De Luca
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What is a robot?
n industrial definition (RIA = Robotic Institute of America)
re-programmable multi-functional manipulator
designed to move materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices through
variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks,
which also acquire information from the environment
and move intelligently in response
n ISO 8373:2012 definition
an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose manipulator
programmable in three or more axes, which may be either fixed in place or
mobile for use in industrial automation applications
n more “visionary” definition
intelligent connection between perception and action
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Robots !!
Spirit Rover
(2002)
Comau H4 Waseda WAM-8
(1995) (1984)
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A bit of history
n Robota (= “work” in slavic languages) are artificial human-
like creatures built for being inexpensive workers in the
theater play Rossum’s Universal Robots (R.U.R.) written
by Karel Capek in 1920
n Laws of Robotics by Isaac Asimov in I, Robot (1950)
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a
human being to come to harm
2. A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except
where such orders would conflict with the First Law
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection
does not conflict with the First or Second Law
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Evolution toward industrial robots
computer 1950 mechanical
numerically controlled
telemanipulators
(CNC) machines
robot
manipulators
1970
Unimation PUMA
n with respect to the ancestors
n flexibility of use
n adaptability to a priori unknown conditions
n accuracy in positioning
n repeatability of operation
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The first industrial robot
US Patent General Motor plant, 1961
G. Devol and J. Engelberger (Unimation)
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Historical pictures and clips
video
video
bimanual remote manipulation
at Oak Ridge Nat’l Labs Unimate 6-dof robots
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Robot manipulators
ASEA IRB-6 Hirata AR-300
(1973) (1978)
first robot first SCARA
all-electric-drives robot
Cincinnati
Unimation
Milacron T3
PUMA 560
(1974)
(1979)
first micro-
6R with
computer
human-like
controlled
dexterity
robot
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robots – a 50-year journey
robotics research up to 2000
Video compiled for the IEEE ICRA 2000 conference, S. Francisco
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World Robotics 2020
executive summary for 2020
statistics by IFR
issued yearly in late September
(for back issues since 2007,
check course web site)
ion by one
n total worldwide stock at end 2019: 2.7 million units of operational industrial robots
els in 2020
(+12% w.r.t. 2018, +13% CAGR since 2014)
n new robot sales in 2019: ~373K (-12%, 3rd highest ever, +11% CAGR since 2014)
n robot market value in 2019: $13.8 billion (without software and peripherals)
n robotic systems market value: ~4 times as much
5G in China
n China expanded further as the largest market since 2013, now with a 38% share
new markets
n 73% of new robot installations in 5 countries: China, Japan, USA, Korea, Germany
m, plug& play &'()
-//0123
Compound Annual Growth Rate: CAGR = −1
&*'+,(
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Diffusion
industrial robots in operation worldwide
preview in 2020: ～3M robots in operation
(as reference, industrial robots in 1973 = 3K, 1983 = 66K, 1993 = 575K, 2003 = 800K)
length of robot service life is estimated in 12-15 years
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Diffusion
industrial robots in operation by world area
preview in 2020: almost 1M robots operating in China!
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Diffusion
robots in industrial sectors
70% of robots are deployed in three main industries
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Diffusion
robots by main applications
almost 70% of robots are used for material handling or welding
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Annual supply
new industrial robots worldwide
year of highest ever
selling of new robots
stop of growth rate in 2019: automotive transition, trade & political headwinds
preview in 2020: deferred investments, plummeted consumer demand, travel restrictions,
disrupted supply chains (due also to Covid-19)
medium term preview: crisis will be a digitalization booster creating growth opportunities
for robotics industry worldwide
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Annual supply
new robots by industrial sectors
the two major industries struggled in 2019 (especially in Asia)
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Annual supply
new installations in top markets (countries)
China well ahead, with 5 markets accounting for 73% of total supply
Italy (2nd EU market): double as many new robots installed as in 2015
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Density of robots
almost doubled in last 5 years!
number of robots per 10000 employees
in the manufacturing industry
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Collaborative robots
a small but steady growing market in the industrial setting
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Industrial & service robots
Industrial robots
§ automatically controlled, programmable, multipurpose, 3+ axes
§ for use in industrial automation applications
§ equipped with application-specific end-effectors
Service robots
§ perform tasks excluding industrial automation
§ usually application-specific design, often fewer than 3 axes
§ sometimes not fully autonomous but remote-controlled
different customers, pricing, machinery, distribution channels, suppliers
… but separation
line is blurring:
same unit can act
as both, depending
on the application
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Personal/domestic service robots
data (2018-19) and forecast*
10 billions $ value*
5,7 billions $ value
1,9 billions $
(+20%)
value*
vacuuming and floor cleaning: true tasks for robots
steady growth of turnover expected
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Professional service robots
data (2018-19) and forecast*
robots (AGV, AMR) in logistics are still the growth drivers
Europe is the main supplier of service robots (with many young start-ups!)
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Industrial robot
and its auxiliary equipments
1. Comau SMART H robot
2. C3G Plus controller
3. Welding control box
4. Application software
5. Air/water supply
6. SWIM Board
7. Integrated cables
8. Welding gun
9. Auxiliary devices in the
robotic cell
(servo-controlled axes)
SWIM = Spot Welding Integrated Module
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ABB IRB 7600
commercial video by ABB
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Industrial applications
• manipulation (pick-and-place, handling,
machine feeding)
• assembly and packaging
• spray painting and coating (nozzles)
• arc welding or spot welding (with
pneumatic or servo-controlled guns)
• laser cutting and welding
• gluing and sealing
• mechanical machining operations
(milling, drilling, deburring, grinding, …)
video
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A day in the life of an industrial robot
• At BMW car production line with ABB robots
pick-and-place
with end-effector
to reorient part
video
video
pick-and-place
with support
to reorient part
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A day in the life of an industrial robot
pick-and-place
heavy parts and
human intervention
video
video
metal cutting
on a supporting
machine with dofs
(video speeded up
at some point)
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A day in the life of an industrial robot
glue deposit
(on fancy paths!)
video
video
cooperation of
multiple robots
for handling and
inspecting/sealing
a car body
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A day in the life of an industrial robot
coating parts
for rust and corrosion
protection
video
video
spray painting
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A day in the life of an industrial robot
hood deburring
with a suspended tool
video
video
test measurements
with assembly on a AGV
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What a robot should do and what cannot do
yet
video video
spray painting assembly of flexible
very unhealthy or complex parts
for human operators (here a car dashboard)
⇒ human-robot collaboration
(co-bots or co-workers)
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Plasma cutting
video
electrode
gas
chamber
nozzle
hot plasma
small KUKA robot used for plasma cutting of a stainless steel toilet
(courtesy of Engenious Solutions Pty)
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Robotized workcells
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3D simulation of robotic tasks
• analysis of operative cycle times
• off-line programming and optimization
• layout design and collision checking
• 3D graphic simulation
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Welding - 1
• spot with servo-controlled gun • stud welding
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Welding - 2
• spot (discrete) or arc (continuous)
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Two cooperating robots in arc welding
ABB video at Laxa, Sweden
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Palletizing
pallet = a portable platform on which
goods can be moved, stacked, and stored
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Palletizing of cheese forms
video
using Kawasaki robots (courtesy of Effedue Engineering)
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Folding
with loading of sheets under the press
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Deburring
• car windshields may have large manufacturing
tolerances and a sharp contour profile
• the robot follows a given
predefined Cartesian path
• the contact force between
cutting blade and glass must
be feedback controlled
• deburring robot head
mounts a force load cell and
is pneumatically actuated
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Deburring center
video
deburring center for steel parts
using Comau SMART NJ 110-3.0/foundry robot (courtesy of Adami srl)
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Off-line robot workstation
articulated robot in metal surface finishing operation
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Safety in robotic cells
commercial video from ABB
SafeMove (2008) cell monitoring system: no fences!
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Robot manipulator kinematics
Kuka 150_2 S2000 Comau Fanuc
open kinematic chain Smart H4 F-200iB
(series of rigid bodies closed kinematic chain parallel kinematics
connected by joints)
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SCARA-type robots
Mitsubishi RP Mitsubishi RH
(repeatability 5 micron, (workspace 850 mm, Bosch Turbo
payload 5 kg) velocity 5 m/s)
SCARA (Selective Compliant Arm for Robotic Assembly)
• 4 degrees of freedom (= joints): 3 revolute + 1 prismatic (vertical) axes
• compliant in horizontal plane for micro-assembly and pick-and-place
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Adept Cobra i600
video
fastest SCARA robot for pick-and-place tasks!
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Other types of robots
Comau Mast ABB Flexpicker
gantry robot (150 pick-and-place
(payload up to 560 kg) operations/minute)
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Chocolate packaging with
lightweight parallel robots
test video with video with
ABB Flexpicker Adept Quatro s650
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Distribution by robot type
of kinematic configuration
for 59600 articulated robots installed back in 2004
(90% of all robots installed in America, 74% in Europe, only 49% in Asia)
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Robot data sheet
Fanuc
R-2000i/165F
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Workspace
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Visualization of
workspace and mobility
video
kinematic simulation of a 6-dof Comau robot (all revolute joints)
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Visualization of
workspace and mobility
video
V-REP simulation of the 7-dof KUKA LWR4+ robot (all revolute joints)
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Robot end-effector sensors and tools
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Calibration of robot kinematics
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Man-machine interface
• teach-box pendant used • cabinet with power electronics
as robot programming for robot supervision and
interface control
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Programming and control environment
control modules
and interfaces
(Reis Robotics)
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Motion programming and scaling
commercial video from ABB
TrueMove & QuickMove fast motion control performance
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Mobile base robots in industry
• AGV (Automated Guidance Vehicles) for material and parts transfer
on the factory floor: wire- or laser-driven along predefined paths
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Lifting AGV for warehouses
video by Elettric80
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Kiva Systems
company acquired in 2012 for $775 million by Amazon (store automation)
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Intelligent AGV in factories
commercial video of ADAM mobile robot (RMT Robotics)
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What’s next in industrial robotics?
changing nature of manufacturing and work
n shift from high volume/low mix to low volume/high mix is having
a profound impact on manufacturing
n many industries are facing acute shortages of skilled labor
n quicker return-of-investment (ROI) of automation and rising
wages are eventually discouraging labour arbitrage
n increased focus is being placed on workplace safety
Source: Steven Wyatt (IFR). “Today’s trends, tomorrow’s robots!” Frankfurt, 27 September 2017
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What’s next in industrial robotics?
addressing some real facts opens huge opportunities
answers to these challenges lie in
Simplification, Digitalisation, and Collaboration
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What’s next in industrial robotics?
Simplification (critical for SME, but also for large global manufacturers)
n robots easier to install, program (with open source) and operate will unlock entry
barriers to the large market of small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
n trend towards having production closer to the end consumer is driving the
importance of standardisation & consistency across global brands
Digitalisation (Big Data allows taking better decisions on factory operations)
n “Industry 4.0”, linking the real-life factory with a virtual/digital one, will play an
increasingly important role in global manufacturing
n vision and sensing devices, coupled with analytics platforms, will pave the way
for new industry business models
n IoT/AI/Machine Learning will drive many robotics developments in coming years
Collaboration
n collaborative robots are shifting the traditional limits of “what can be automated?”
n collaborative robots increase manufacturing flexibility as ‘low-volume, high-mix’
becomes the main standard
n collaboration is also about productivity with increased physical and cognitive
human/robot interaction
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What’s next in industrial robotics?
“connected” future of robotics
self-optimizing production self-programming robots
n robots doing the same task connect across all n robots automatically download what they
global locations so performance can be easily need to get started from a cloud library and
compared and improved then optimize through “self-learning”
connected and collaborative robots will enable
SMART Manufacturing for both SMEs & Global Enterprises
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Franka Emika robot
... one possible example (dated 2016) video
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