Experiments using a sensor network, based workcell for industrial robots

Abstract

As manipulators, robot arms are woefully under-utilized in modern industrial workcells. The norm involves little or no sensing, the grasp of a single known object, and the execution of a single geometric motion. In contrast, the popular ideal of a visually guided arm (as for a human) should be able to track and grab relatively arbitrary objects, under relatively arbitrary motions, across a comfortable range of velocities. Our ongoing research aims at extending these capabilities in a modern industrial workcell. We outline a framework in which these capabilities might be measured, and demonstrate experimentally the capabilities of our current prototype.