Open-source software speeds installation of working robots
Today’s working robotic systems often are too inflexible to produce small series or individual customer requests in a cost-effective manner. The time-consuming programming alone, with which industrial robots are introduced to new assembly tasks, is a cost factor that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often cannot cope with. However, many companies also shy away from purchasing costs and the costly installation of robots.
In the EU research project “Factory in a Day“, researchers, robot manufacturers and system integrators have jointly devised methods to significantly reduce the costs and time required for the installation of robot systems – making them more attractive for SMEs. For example, the project partners have developed a demonstrator called “Giftbot” that makes it possible to efficiently and cost-effectively compile and dispatch even small order quantities of an individual gift box. A robot arm packs a wide variety of different objects into a cardboard box, thanks to its flexible gripper.
Within the project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation (Fraunhofer IPA) assumed the task of a system integrator, providing the software framework used by the project partners to program the Giftbot’ motion planning. In this context, the ROS-Industrial (ROS = Robot Operating System) open-source software was used to create reusable software components and tools. These pre-fabricated software modules greatly facilitate the programming of industrial robots.
“Although we have succeeded in significantly reducing the costs and time required for the installation of robot systems, “summarizes project coordinator professor Martijn Wisse from the Delft University of Technology, “it has been shown installing such a robot within just one day with state-of-the-art technology is a long-term goal.” The team has nevertheless achieved remarkable results that are presented in a Youtube video. The successor project ROSIN, which follows the basic idea of “Factory in a Day” and has been launched already, is intended to establish the ROS-Industrial as standard across the European industry and thus pave the way for widespread factory automation. Towards this end, the project partners, including Fraunhofer IPA, are pursuing three main activities: ensuring industrial-ready software quality, providing 33 percent of the project budget for users and developers of business-relevant applications, and providing continuing education opportunities for students and industrial partners.
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