This project centers on the creation of a robotic system to assist and augment human associates in automotive final assembly, removing risks for human workers.
Project
The SCR is intended to first, provide cognitive assist by delivering the right part and tool at the right place at the right time, eliminating the risk of incorrect parts being assembled, and enhancing quality in high-mix assembly environments; and second, provide physical assist, by helping the transport of medium-heavy parts from subassembly areas to reduce worker fatigue/repetitive injuries. Such capability addresses two variations of mass customization – high volume/low mix space, such as build to stock, and high volume/high mix, such as build to order.
Objective
Demonstrate the viability of an intelligent mobile manipulator robotic system to assist and augment human associates in automotive final assembly, where intensive manual manipulation remains the mainstay.
Technical Approach
The resulting CDIP is anticipated to include:
- Smart collaborative mobile manipulator system for human-robot co-assembly
- Source code for map updating, autonomous navigation and manipulation of parts, applicable to ROS based robots
- Evaluation of mapping and navigation of the robot for manufacturing environment
- Novel interface between human machine simulation
