Search results

To report on the design and development of a robotic palletizing system that handles both pails of lubricant as well as cardboard cartons or cases.

The customer selected a material‐handling expert to design and install the system after reviewing the offerings from a number of suppliers.

Careful planning, detailed simulation and attention to details helped ensure that the working production system was in service to meet a tight deadline.

Robotic solutions can be designed to handle a multitude of product configurations. Hiring an expert in the particular application type with specific prior experience addressing the project requirements can prove very beneficial. Improving throughput is just one of many benefits that such a project can provide. Other benefits may include, improving workplace safety, reducing floor space needs and adapting to small order sizes.

Knowing what others have accomplished can provide not only a project plan but can also bring fresh ideas to other projects. Helps designers think outside the box.

Aims to show how sensor networks can be used to effectively allow industrial robots to handle unpredicted movements within their workcells.

Presents the concept of using sensor networks, using off‐the‐shelf technologies, to sense in real time movements within the workcell, and to feed this information, in real time, to the industrial robot controller, to allow adaptation of the robot to the movements. Results of numerous experiments in intercept and grasp of moving objects using a prototype of the system are reported.

Finds that the prototype system operates effectively and in a robust fashion in over 1,000 trials.

Provides new insight and understanding for engineers working in the area of visually guided robots.

Results are of significant value to practitioners seeking to expand the markets of industrial robots by showing how to expand the capabilities of current systems with off‐the‐shelf technology.

Introduces the concept of using sensor networks to drive the controllers of industrial robots to intercept unpredictable moving objects in their workcells. Results are of value to practitioners working to expand the capabilities of their systems.

Aims to describe how Japan sees robotics for the future based on the author's observation of robots displayed at the World Expo 2005.

Visits with the Expo and the relevant symposium.

Japan is convinced of the immense potential of the new robotic market.

Gives the Japanese view on robotics for the future to observers outside Japan.

Aims to introduce a self‐adjusting robotic painting process for automotive fuel containers, capable of predicting the required correction action to avoid further defect production.

Presents the development, testing and on‐site implementation of a robotic thermal machine vision system designed for evaluating coat thickness and coverage attributes. Computer simulation is used to study the effect of the painting robot's program on the film build‐up.

Effective technique for the real‐time detection of anti‐corrosive coat's pinholes and pop‐ups. A systematic study for this paint deposition scheme.

The presented detection system and the simulation program methodology could be further studied and modified for other painting applications.

Provides insights validated with on‐site results and systematic study for the automated or the manual adjustments of the robotic painting parameters.

Introduces a novel application of thermal imaging for evaluating coated surfaces. In addition, a first reported case study of automotive fuel container's painting process. Presents potential application to reduce the defects generation thus, improving quality, and reducing production cost.

To present the technical and subsequent commercial developments arising from a large European research project into robotic paint‐spraying of low‐volume, highly variant components.

Discusses the economic need for robots that can plan their own paint trajectories for unknown parts, and describes the design and management of the project. Presents details of the technical approach taken by the researchers, the subsequent commercial developments, and the present state of the art.

The commercial developments following the research project promise a solution to the increasingly prevalent problem of small batch sizes in paint‐spraying. This opens up new markets, making much wider use of robot technology.

Updates robot specialists and general readers on the progress of a highly innovative European initiative.

Aims to experimental determination of paint flow rate flux for elliptical paint sprays. Paint flow rate flux distribution is necessary for computer simulation of the spray painting process.

Different painting strokes at different spray distances and painting velocities are made on flat surfaces by using paint sprays with elliptical spray areas. Then, thickness measurements are made across the strokes after the paint dries out completely. Thickness distributions are used for determination of the paint flow rate flux distribution by making use of the developed formulation and algorithm.

Finds that it is possible to determine the paint flow rate flux for elliptical paint sprays by making use of the painting strokes made on flat surfaces at different spray distances and painting velocities.

Computer simulation of the spray painting process for elliptical paint sprays is made possible. Simulation software for circular paint sprays has been developed previously by the authors.

Paint flow rate flux distribution is necessary for computer simulation of the spray painting process. Such simulation software has been developed previously by the authors.

Achieving natural interactions by means of vision and speech between humans and robots is one of the major goals that many researchers are working on. This paper aims to describe a gesture‐based human‐robot interaction (HRI) system using a knowledge‐based software platform.

A frame‐based knowledge model is defined for the gesture interpretation and HRI. In this knowledge model, necessary frames are defined for the known users, robots, poses, gestures and robot behaviors. First, the system identifies the user using the eigenface method. Then, face and hand poses are segmented from the camera frame buffer using the person's specific skin color information and classified by the subspace method.

The system is capable of recognizing static gestures comprised of the face and hand poses, and dynamic gestures of face in motion. The system combines computer vision and knowledge‐based approaches in order to improve the adaptability to different people.

Provides information on an experimental HRI system that has been implemented in the frame‐based software platform for agent and knowledge management using the AIBO entertainment robot, and this has been demonstrated to be useful and efficient within a limited situation.