SIMBIOTS

SIMBIOTS project, which reached its end date, facilitates the introduction of robotics in new industrial processes and applications thanks to the development of collaborative robots that facilitates the interaction of robots and operators without physical barriers. SIMBIOTS allows:

• The implementation of safe workspaces shared between robots and operators

• The improvement in the ergonomics of workers

• The reduction of the number of injuries and casualties resulting from the activity

• The increase in industrial productivity through sustainable manufacturing

SIMBIOTS is a project of the Community Industries of the Future (IdF) of RIS3CAT coordinated by the Institute of Robotics and Industrial Informatics (IRI) with the participation of Zanini Parets, Pal-Robotics, Promaut and Eurecat. The aim of the Community is to consolidate a leading innovative pole in efficient and sustainable manufacturing in Catalonia, through the deployment of a network of capacities and pilot plants that have to serve to streamline and consolidate the R+D+I value chain industrial.

During the project, industrial robot prototypes have been designed and implemented with the necessary characteristics to act collaboratively with the workers based on the development of a set of algorithms for an effective human-machine interaction, object recognition and operator position and trajectory correction in real time. The solution also includes an integrated sensor system that allows to overcome occlusions and methods to allow reconfigurations and adaptations of the robot’s actions.

The collaborative robot prototype developed during the project has been validated in the brightening operation of a load and unloading production cell, a process in which the operator has performed a large manipulation of parts.

The Eurecat Robotics and Automation Unit has developed collaborative technology and algorithms for effective man-robot interaction to increase the productivity of industrial processes and improve the ergonomics of different jobs. The main goal is to allow the robot to collaborate with humans, be able to adjust the end-effector position if a person is nearby, and allow the human co-worker to adjust robot’s arm position.

During the last project months, Eurecat carried out different integration days alongside project partners PAL Robotics and IRI, using emblems provided by ZANINI, to prepare a demo. The main goal of one of the project has been to use the TIAGo robot in order to clean and manipulate the emblems on a moving tool axis, helped by a human co-worker.

Eurecat is in charge of coordinating all the operations required using BehaviorTrees. The goal is two-fold: a) generate optimal trajectories of the robot and the tool axis, for cleaning the emblems, and, picking them from the tool axis to place them on a tray.