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Robot positioning performance is studied in the scope of a robotized X-ray computed tomography application on a ABB IRB4600 robot. The robot has the “absolute accuracy” option, that is, the manufacturer has identified the manufacturing defects and included them in the robot control. Laser-tracker measurement on a 6.5-h long linear trajectory shows thermal drift and backlash issues, affecting the positioning unidirectional repeatability and bidirectional accuracy. A thermo-geometrical model with backlash compensation is developed. Geometrical calibration improves the forwards unidirectional mean accuracy from 1.39 to 0.06 mm between theoretical and optimized geometrical parameters with a stable thermal state. Thermo-geometrical calibration reduces the positioning scattering from a maximum of 0.15 to 0.05 mm (close to the repeatability of the robot). Backlash compensation improves the bidirectional mean accuracy from 1.53 to 0.07 mm.

Purpose – The robot offers interesting capabilities, but suffers from a lack of stiffness. The proposed solution is to introduce redundancies for the overall improvement of different capabilities. The management of redundancy associated with the definition of a set of kinematic, mechanical and stiffness criteria enables path planning to be optimized. Design/methodology/approach – The resolution method is based on the projection onto the kernel of the Jacobian matrix of the gradient of an objective function constructed by aggregating kinematic, mechanical and stiffness weighted criteria. Optimized redundancy management is applied to the 11-DoF (degrees of freedom) cells to provide an efficient placement of turntable and track. The final part presents the improvement of the various criteria applied to both 9-DoF and 11-DoF robotic cells. Findings – The first application concerns the optimized placement of a turntable and a linear track using 11-DoF architecture. Improved criteria for two 9-DoF robotic cells, a robot with parallelogram closed loop and a Tricept are also presented. Simulation results present the contributions of redundancies and the leading role of the track. Research limitations/implications – The redundancy-based optimization presented and the associated simulation approach must be completed by the experimental determination of the optimization criteria to take into account each machining strategy. Practical implications – This work in robotics machining relates to milling operations for automotive and aerospace equipment. The study is carried out within the framework of the RobotEx Equipment of Excellence programme. Originality/value – The resolution method to optimized path planning is applied to 9- and 11-DoF robotic cells, including a hybrid robot with a parallelogram closed loop and a Tricept PKM.

This paper deals with Yaskawa robots controlling the Robot Operating System (ROS) for teleoperation tasks. The integration of an open-source ROS interface based on standard Motoman packages into control loop leads to large trajectory tracking errors and latency, which are unsuitable for robotic teleoperation. An improved version of the standard ROS-based control is proposed by adding a new velocity control mode into the standard Motoman ROS driver. These two approaches are compared in terms of response time and tracking delay. Investigations applied on the Yaskawa GP8 robot while using the proposed improved ROS-based control confirmed trajectory tracking and latency improvements, which can achieve 43% with respect to standard control.

Machine tools and robots have both evolved fundamentally and we can now question the abilities of new industrial robots concerning accurate task realization under high constraints. Requirements in terms of kinematic and dynamic capabilities in High Speed Machining (HSM) are increasingly demanding. To face the challenge of performance improvement, parallel and hybrid robotic architectures have emerged and a new generation of industrial serial robots with the ability to perform machining tasks has been designed. In this paper, we propose to evaluate the performance criteria of an industrial robot included in a kinematically redundant robotic cell dedicated to a machining task. Firstly, we present the constraints of the machining process (speed, accuracy etc.). We then detail the direct geometrical model and the kinematic model of a robot with closed chain in the arm and we propose a procedure for managing kinematic redundancy whilst integrating various criteria. Finally, we present the evolution of the criteria for a given trajectory in order to define the best location for a rotary table and to analyze the manipulators stiffness.

Purpose – The mechanization of the meat cutting companies has become essential due to the lack of skilled workers and to working conditions. This paper deals with the analysis of human gestures in order to improve the performance of a redundant robotic cell. The aim is to define optimization criteria linked to the process and the human gesture analysis to improve the cutting process with a redundant robotic cell. Design/methodology/approach – This paper deals with an optimized path planning of complex tasks based on the human arm analysis. The first part details the operator's manual work. The robotized cutting strategy using bones as a guide associated with an industrial force control leads to the tasks redefinition. Thus, the analysis of the arm during the tasks is presented. With a robotic model, the authors evaluate the relevance of two criteria (kinematic and mechanical) that the operator naturally manages. These criteria are used to improve the robotized cutting process by using redundancy. Simulation work and experimentation are presented to show the enhanced performance. Findings – The paper explains how to define optimization criteria based on human arm analysis to realize cutting operations which require force or dexterity performance. It presents a study on the criteria weighting on a robotic arm model established through human arm analysis. The optimized cutting process clearly shows improvement. Research limitations/implications – The scalability of the ham implied the definition of iterative trajectories to follow the curvature of the bone. Due to the use of an industrial force control, no online optimization can be achieved. The off-line optimization implies that the boundary of the trajectory space is technically feasible. Nevertheless, more information has to be extracted from the deboning process such as vision data in order to improve cutting quality. Practical implications – This study was carried out within the framework of several national and European projects (FUI SRDViand, ANR ARMS, FP7 Echord Dexdeb) in collaboration with ADIV (Meat Institute Development Agency). The redundant robotic cell was developed and implemented at ADIV and used for feasibility studies in connection with SME/SMI French sector. Originality/value – The paper deals with the cutting of soft bodies such as meat and complex human gesture analysis, which constitute an innovative challenge for the coming years in order to help or replace humans in industrial meat companies with difficult working conditions.

Cable-Driven Parallel Robots (CDPRs) offer high payload capacities, large translational workspace and high dynamic performances. The rigid base frame of the CDPR is connected in parallel to the moving platform using cables. However, their orientation workspace is usually limited due to cable/cable and cable/moving platform collisions. This paper deals with the design, modelling and prototyping of a hybrid robot. This robot, which is composed of a CDPR mounted in series with a Parallel Spherical Wrist (PSW), has both a large translational workspace and an unlimited orientation workspace. It should be noted that the six degrees of freedom (DOF) motions of the moving platform of the CDPR, namely, the base of the PSW, and the three-DOF motion of the PSW are actuated by means of eight actuators fixed to the base. As a consequence, the overall system is underactuated and its total mass and inertia in motion is reduced.