Project
Composite layup, despite being labor-intensive, remains a highly manual process and thus limited to low-volume runs or specialty composite item production. The robotic technologies generated through this project aim to make the layup process more collaborative with robot assistants working alongside humans. This will require advancements in perception, planning, and control areas. Additionally, the project will evaluate the quality of robotic layup processes and compare it to the manual process of today.
Objective
Automate the composite layup process through robotic assistants working alongside humans, enabling larger-scale production and resulting in safer human working conditions.
Technical Approach
This project developed a robotic work cell that can perform layup under human supervision, allowing for collaboration. The following developments enabled project success:
- Develop sensing and perception technologies for inspection and monitoring of prepreg sheets
- Develop planning system for automatically generating robot instructions to perform layup tasks
- Develop control and optimization technologies for on-line process control and optimization
Participants
University of Southern California (Principal Investigator), Lockheed Martin, United Technologies Research Center