Identification of Industrial Robot Arm Work Cell Use Cases and a Test Bed to Promote Monitoring, Diagnostic, and Prognostic Technologies

Abstract

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is performing research to advance the state of the art in monitoring, diagnostic, and prognostic technologies (collectively known as prognostics and health management (PHM)) to enhance decision-making at the factory floor to promote smarter maintenance and control strategies. One specific thrust in this hierarchical research is focused at the work cell level. A robot system is the focus of this research level where the manufacturing community would benefit from measurement science (e.g., performance metrics, test methods, reference datasets, software tools) to design, deploy, verify, and validate PHMC technologies aimed at a robot system work cell. NIST’s identification of representative manufacturing robot work cell use cases will provide the foundation for which it will construct its own physical test bed. The test bed is designed to emulate the chosen robot system use case and afford sufficient flexibility to add, subtract, or upgrade components and capabilities to be commensurate with common industrial practices. This paper presents various use case options that NIST has considered and highlights the one that will be the foundation of the physical test bed. Additionally, the initial test bed design is introduced.