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CHAPTER 11 Applications of Robotics and Autonomous Systems Introduction Since the Industrial Revolution, many improvements occurred in manufacturing systems and service field. But the late 20th century witnessed rapid and remarkable changes in manufacturing and information technology. The integration of information technology, manufacturing and services brought forward a plethora of advancements and opportunities, the most significant among them being automation and robotic applications in most of the fields of life. These advancements conduced to the increasing productivity in manufacturing environment and streamline efforts of daily life. Structure This chapter deals with the basics of applications of robotics in fields like: e Manufacturing industries e Defense and military e Healthcare e Space explorations 374 ti Robotics Simplified Objectives Robotics and Automated Syst area, and when it comes to t ems (RAS) are very intriguing yet a multi-discip . he its specific applications in a selected field, the incorporation and consideration of basic and some necessary principles related to that particular field are mandatory. This chapter discs e amentals of robotic applications in most familiar fields with the basic terms required to understand those specific applications. Introduction to robotics industry The robotics industry is a highly advancing industrial sector with innovations in machine autonomy. Autonomy may not be a priority for all applications. The broad classification of robotics according to their application is industrial robotics and interactive robotics. Industrial robotics are designed to perform repetitive, pre- programmed tasks in a very controlled environment, or simply, they are robots requiring lower levels of autonomy, but still represent the largest population of the robotics industry. Interactive robots or service robots are designed with higher levels of autonomy because they are intended to assist humans in various tasks, and at dynamic environments, usually need to include some level of autonomy in their functioning. Service robots vary in shapes and sizes from nano-scale robots to large unmanned ground systems and have a very broad range of domestic, commercial and military and applications. The increasing acceptance and requirement of service robots lure large industrial companies to venture into the field of automated systems to support their own development and for the market. The extent of autonomy of service robots will always depend on their intended purposes and varies significantly with the working environment. Service robots that are designed support and interact with humans in open and semi-structured environments. The following are some examples for service robots: e Self-driving vehicles ¢ Logistical robots for material handling and transport ¢ Companion robots and social ass istive robots to i i s. (for example, elderly care robots) ‘o interact with humans. ( e Military robots for surveillance, issi athering intelli aissance missions, and combat 8 g intelligence, reconn Medical robots for assisting clinicians and patients ¢ Aerial robots for profesgi ; and surveillance) tonal use (for example, photography, agriculture, Space robots for space exploration and experimentation 376 Bi Robotics Simplified Figure 11.1: (A) Arc welding robot, (B) spot welding robot (source: wwww.yaskawa.eu.com) Resistance spot welding Resistance spot welding is the process of joining 2 metal pieces using the heat developed due to resistance while passing huge amount of electric current through 2 opposing contact electrodes tightly pressed on to the metal pieces to be fused. Robotic spot welding is the most common robot application in the sheet metal joining process as in the automotive industry. Large articulated arm robots are commonly used for most spot-welding applications (figure 11.1 B) because of the dexterity needed and the weight of welding gun. Fixed- cycle programs with path positions, path order, speed, and control logic can be developed offline and fed into the robots to execute same job repeatedly. Parameters like temperature, pressure applied, and time are Separately controlled by an operator. And, the positioning has to be fed to the system through lead-through programming because weld location is the most important factor in welding. Often, repeatability outweighs accuracy in such operations. Arc welding Arc welding is a metal joining process under intense heat produced by an electric arc between an electrode and the metal parts being welded. Most of the arc welding processes use some shielding gas or coatings or fluxes to shield the weld pool from phere. When i welding, wh nert gases are used as shieldin is called metal ine oa i rt gas ich is the most common robotic 8 ake y then i arc welding. As the robot (figure 11.1 A) Manipul ough = th ae ’ pulates thr Togrammed path, a filler metal wire is fed through weld ing gun into the weld site, which gets melted tg fi » J ba m under high temperature. Fixe -cycl led between metal pieces, joinin, the i. fet e programs with feed rate of filler elect i i vith respect to the joint an aes < Tode, orientation, and Position of welding gun ie Se ee ea Ogrammed to the robot to execute repeatedly; Pensate the errors and correct the path of the robot in real Cutting The engineering materials should be cut to required shape and size before machining and joining processes. Usually, metals for industrial use are produced and supplied as flat plates, sheets, and ingots. Robots and automated systems can cut materials precisely and continuously along complex contours and shapes. Robots using laser, water jet, abrasive jet, plasma arc, router, and various types of knives are employed in different industries according to the requirement. Articulated arm robots are used in cutting carpets or large plastic moldings, which require less precision. Five-axis gantry-style robots are employed for cutting complex materials with complicated patterns. Drilling and fastening s. Drilling robots require vibration-absorbing illing i isi chining proces: absor Se ee ererenm vil actions that locate and to hold a drill spindle end-effectors to overcome the drilling re at } | rigidly. Drilling end-effectors move rapidly to the specified locations and on to the desired depth, then retract, while work piece is held rigidly using some camping j sfully used in the aerospace industry i illing robots are most succes r fee chats [See require thousands of holes to be placed precisely and in ause ail com, ientations. , plex on ss of driving in threaded fasteners (screws and bolts) and is Fastening is the Pee tomobile industry and electronics industry. sauna n a tiresome job in t e au hold application. The robotic end-effector uses a aaa end-effector position-and- Sy bars or other static mechanisms are © jon cylinder to drive screws OT bolts. vee ioraue loaded. needed to prevent the arm from being ork piece is temporarily submerged in ed i cool the et an even coating or to ne The or for any other specific purpos Part dipping Part dipping is a pro fluids for a very shor' work piece during the ™ where the w cess 5 as tO 8 —— Applicatio ns of Robotics and Autonomous S| ystems Wl 379 Material handlin : low of production |i oint to anoth ng Operations incl Production line as well as th th other; it also consists o s the supply lines, ‘anatie easy to move without causi andling equipment and methods ilk .) i; eo £ operati io ns that make the materials to some form S g damages. A: . andle them: nd, all materials need specific Figure 11.3: Palletizing operations using Yaskawa robotic arm (source: www.yaskavwa.com) Palletizing and depalletizing ed in boxes of regular shape and stacked on standard pallets for d to palletize (figure 11.3) and depalletize boxes are programmed layer after layer. Robotic palletizing is achieved using 5 with servomotor-driven joint actuators for accuracy axes controlled motion — 3 for translation anda robots works in programmed repeated cycles. lows 3 steps; gripping the box or component and wrapping the stack of boxes after rograms can be easily modified to 5 with proximity sensors Products are packag shipping. Robots use to stack an array of boxes, cylindrical coordinate robot and repeatability. Palletizing is 2 4 fourth to orient the box. Palletizing The palletizing function of robots fo to palletize, placing in 07 the box array, permissible height/ weight of stack is reached. Progré adapt to changes in box ‘dimensions. Vacuum end gripper’ are used in palletizing- 380 Bi Robotics Simplified Loading and unloading Robotic machine loading yields consistent and efficient machine cycles. Robots eliminate the efforts and damages that occur in human-paced loading, and also, the loading cycle can be precisely repeated. Robots are used for loading and unloading work pieces from machines before and after machining as well as loading or unloading of large loads in the docking area. Machine loading is usually more demanding than other material handling applications because part orientation and placement are critical and may require locating mechanisms such as tooling pins and pads and/or sensor logic to guarantee an interface between the robot and the serviced machine. Position programming is mostly done by the lead-through programming method, as discussed in the chapter on robotic programming. Industry 4.0 Industry 4.0 is the name given to the era of fourth industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 was first declared in the Hannover Fair in 2011 by the German Government as the beginning of the fourth industrial revolution. The fourth industrial revolution is aimed at increasing the productivity through the efficient utilization of resources. Industry 4.0 exploits the opportunities of advancements in digitalization to bridge the existing gaps and to improve all stages of production and service systems. The concepts in the advancements of the fourth industrial revolution are based on elements such as mechanization and automation, digitalization, networking, and miniaturization. The fundamentals behind the Industry 4.0 infrastructure are research and innovation, reference architecture, standardization, and security of networked systems. Industry 4.0 focuses on the effective, improved, and continuous intelligent communication systems in both machine-to-machine and human- machine interaction. Industry 4.0 integrates the physical basic system and the software system with economic models and vivid industries. The 3 most important aspects in the successful implementation of Industry 4.0 are as follows: ° Vertical integration and networking of manufacturing or service systems * Horizontal integration via value chains *¢ End to-end engineering of the overall value chain Vertical integration is the process of cross-linking units of different hierarchy within the organization in an intelligent and well-digitalized manner. Horizontal integration is meant by the linkages between organizations for the exchange of eee materials, and finances. The horizontal and vertical integration combined enables real-time data sharing, productivity in resource allocation, coherent worked business units, and accurate planning. End-to-end engineering is the process © 382 i Robotics Simplified e Additive manufacturing: Additive manufacturing is a newer and highly advancing group of technologies that produces products using additive methods, that is, by joining with different required materials. Additive manufacturing begins with the creation of a CAD model of the product, which includes all the descriptions and requirements of the expected end product, and then this information is digitally communicated with industrial machines. These machines then began to manufacture the required product, not in the conventional ways but by creating multiple layers one above the other, finally creating the 3-dimensional product. Each layer created by these machines is usually in magnitude of microns, and by repeated and continuous material addition, the final product gets its shape. The raw materials for such machines can be in powdered, liquid, or laminar sheet forms and can be of materials such as metals, ceramics, plastics, and other polymers. e Cloud technologies: The "cloud" term here encompasses both cloud computing and cloud-based manufacturing and design. Like the term cloud storage, here also cloud manufacturing means "available on-demand" production. Such manufacturing works are an extended version of lean manufacturing technology. Maximum product output with less wastage and optimum resource utilization is the key feature of cloud manufacturing. This manufacturing method can meet the variable demands of customers but ina lower overall product life cycle cost. e Virtualization technologies: Virtualization technologies are Virtual Reality (VR)- and Augmented Reality (AR)-based tools that enrich the real- world environment presentation with computer-supported additional and valuable information. These virtualization technologies work by associating a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to the real environment in a meaningful manner to enhance the human perception. The GUI enables humans to interact with them using certain commands or items provided on the menu displayed on the screen. These visualization technologies basically function by first capturing a scene of real environment, then identifying it, processing the information, and then creating a meaningful visualization. It means that virtualization is done by the integration of 4 basic steps. * Simulation: It is the testing or rehearsal of a newly developed method, product, or an entire system before it is put to actual work in the real world. There are different types of simulation methods ranging from 3D model simulation using computers to actual controlled environment testing: Simulation helps in optimization and improvement of the expected output. ° Big data analytics: It comprises of data analytics and AI, which helps organizations to process huge volumes of real time data from diverse sources quickly so as to facilitate better performance. The real-time data abstracted from various sensors of the entire plant or industry is processed Applications of Robotics and Autonomous Systems @i 383 attmiltaneoat to predict and counter any delays or wastages that may occur neste analysis power helps the companies to evaluate their entire pro ingfully and to make a competitive advantage out of it. Embedded systems: Embedded systems, also known as Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), can be explained as supportive technology for the organization and coordination of networking systems between its physical infrastructure and computational capabilities. Embedded systems are the linkage between physical and digital realms, amalgamating both of them to achieve decentralized actions. Embedded systems realize a handshake between physical reality and computing and communication infrastructure. The 2 important functions of embedded systems are as follows: o The advanced level of networking to obtain real-time data from the physical infrastructure and to provide feedback from the digital structure in return Intelligent data processing, decision-making, and computational capability that support the physical infrastructure. Industrial Internet: Communication and networking is the most important technology of all, as it creates the linkages and makes information transfer possible between different elements of the industry and supply chain. Networking and communication between different elements of the industry helps in coordinated functioning to achieve targeted goals. Embedding intelligent sensors in machines and processes helps in enabling data collection from all devices, creating an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). IloT aims at providing the ability to computers and machines to sense the environment and enabling connectivity back to them from anywhere at any time by any one for anything. Networking and communication between all elements is helpful in real-time supply chain optimization, human-robot collaboration, smart energy consumption, digital performance management, and predictive maintenance. Cyber security: Industry 4.0 i i i lly aris and its wise processing. SO, there natura and memagity of the collected data, its transfer, and storage processes. Thus, i d and stored in computer systems, robots, the escinly a we es is of utmost importance. Cyber security is Me rioreits term use te all those methods and processes used for protection of stored a! ated data. Detection and prevention Cc 2 rcing stan dardized communication protocols, i ess, enfo! : : I of snauithoriee preserva for information sharing, privacy regulations, data multi-level autho® of the cyber security methods. The burden of cyber security, etc. are some ent on digital data gathering is solely depend es the fear of error, intrusion, data collecte d technologi d to deno nd communic +i F Y used, which are usually wheeled or track propulsion robots, Famous ex amy space exploration is Mars study on Mars’ environme 7 continuous ple for a Tover-type robot used in Curiosity Rover (fi nt: Sure 11.5) designed to conduct Figure 11.5: Mars Curiosity Rover —an expedition robot by NASA (source: www.nasa.gov) Providing assistance to astronauts: Robots can replace or support humans in tasks that are dangerous/difficult/repetitive /time consuming. Robots replace humans in pioneering missions. Also, they assist the crew of space station and space shuttles in logistics, maintain life support systems, and assemble or dissemble equipment. All major national space agencies began to design and test humanoid robots so that they can be used to study the impact of long space travel, forces acting on human body while entering or escaping smenpere of any plea Bedi oS, and I eee nae i Figure ame examples fer inamamait robots Vyommitra (half-humanoid robot) are developed for space application. 386 Robotics Simplified Figure 11.6: “Valkyrie” Robonaut developed by NASA (source: www.nasa.gov) Space service functions: Space service functions include On Orbit Services (OOS). Satellite servicing such as deployment, maintenance (both corrective and preventive), repair, and retrieval of satellites and its components in the orbit. OOS is now actively focused on Active Debris Removal (ADR), that is, removal of space debris (usually obsolete or damaged satellites and components of launching vehicles) accumulated in orbits and space from all the space programs of various nations through their space programs. OOS mainly utilizes tethered Space robots, space tentacles, space robotic manipulators, and space tethers. 388 Mi Robotics Simplified igni i i tal conditions of outer space and of desi due to the hostile environmen the oaeaticl belies While systematic constraints are those that the space tobots incur upon themself by being a complex system having high number of interacting subsystems and that too from different disciplines. Environmental constraints Environmental factors get separate and specific significance while designing space robots as they are supposed to be working in a hostile environment. The continuous working of space robots with a required reliability for extended lifespan needs careful and planned tackling of certain constraints. * Robots with all of its expensive support structures, mechanisms, sensitive electronic components, and test facilities should survive the launch and landing loads. * Material selection for robot manufacturing, method of lubrication of moving parts, sensing, and control systems all should be designed to work without failure in the vacuum for the designed lifespan. ¢ All the moving parts and fastening components should be designed to work under weightlessness or at minimum gravity. ¢ The extreme radiation exposure will reduce the life time of the materials /SO Proper shielding and hardening have to be provided. e For functioning under extreme temperatures and temperature variations, the robots will require multi-layer insulations, radiators with heat pipes, electric heaters, Radioisotope Heating Units (RHUs), etc. ¢ Image processing and vision systems should be designed to function with the desired degree of Precision and accuracy under extreme lighting and contrast conditions, * Extreme remote working environments will de maintenance-free systems with in-orbit calibra’ and efficient teleoperated interfaces, mand highly autonomous, tion, sensor-based control, System constraints or programmatic constraints * Ahighly complex system will require professional system engineering and Project management, ° Robots should be upgradeable, re-programmable so as to function ance-free for long lifetime, with built-in growth potential. “Orbital replaceable units” for maintenance should also be Provided. Applicati i plications of Robotics and Autonomous Systems S 389 e Inherently safe and redundant desi . a) . sh non-deterministic approaches in diagnoetcesgd nee iia “ eshooting. e Lightweight designs with feeble elastic effects (for ease of control) ol). e High-efficiency low-power electre ynics to be o ed | magn ct ive. pt because on: board power e Sophisticated teleoperator interfaces will be required to cope with transmission delays as com: icati mu: i F limited, Me nications to ground will be expensive and . Low-speeds, high-actuator motion smoothness, high gear ratios, and smooth acceleration should be designed to preserve micro-gravity conditions. ° Large approximations and sophisticated simulations of functioning in zero gravity with limited testability on the Earth. Defense and military applications Idealistically speaking, modern-day countries at the international level believe in cooperation, peaceful coexistence, and do not strive for any conflicts. Most of the countries express war as least preferred as it is perceived as a harmful and irrational tool for conflict resolution. The reason of conflicts is often rooted in the unawareness of each other's national interests. In the 21* century, the word national interest itself lacks a global consensus on an exact definition for itself and so is for the threats against it and insurgencies. The concept of wat in the 21* century is quick, intense, and target-specific rather than long conventional wars. Modern warfare utilizes all dimensions from land, air, water, cyberspace, electro- magetcapectrum,andspa Se oman and spend hefty sums in defense researc and deve Pp no \ tc pent het sume tary petal een. akg Nt soldier might no longer have a guaranteed survt izi id i idly modernizing defense systems an advantage, most of the nations are rapidly sr achive teeing jority in the future battled integrating humans with services to ensure super! d teaming, will f Ale parorrice manned nme ck pd onses by enhancing surveillance. This AI and autonomous systems tantly recognize and react faster to future threats and will enable defense forces to ns an achieve dominance by intelli: igentized warfare. GC Applications of Robotics and Autonomous Systems @ 391 Figure 11.8: HDT Global's Hunter-WOLF (Wheeled Offload Logistics Follower) robotic system (Source: www.hdtglobal.com) Large quantities of information, mostly raw and doubtful, will cloud human decision-taking ability. Autonomous systems and AI will facilitate smooth mission command by collecting, filtering, organizing, debugging, and prioritizing data for improved decision-making as well as tactical mobility. Squad Multi-Purpose Equipment Transport (SMET) (figure 11.8 shows a typical SMET developed by HDT Global and employed by US defense forces) can drastically lighten equipment loads and increases soldier speed, stamina, and effectiveness. MQ-4C Triton (figure 11.9), an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) developed for long-term Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, can autonomously plan a route, but the general navigation parameters: . | eR TE anned aircraft (source: Ww wnews.usniorg) an autonomous, unm Figure 11.9: MQ-4C Triton, 392 Ml Robotics Simplified Sustaining an effectively and efficiently distributed force Man and material distribution is an intensively resource-consuming process. Soldiers and battalions at the far ends of extended supply lines over the vast borders become vulnerable to resource scarcity or their timely availability. Unmanned autonomous air and ground systems-based capabilities enhance logistics at every stage of supply movement to the forefront. Unmanned autonomous systems move supplies and equipment to the most urgent points of need and benefits in logical and optimum distribution of men and materials. The leader-follower capability utilizes a combination of manned and unmanned vehicles to conduct convoy operations. This lifesaving technology employs dedicated short-range radios and computerized behavioral algorithms to allow multiple unmanned vehicles to follow the lead manned vehicle. Facilitate quick movements and effortless maneuver Modern combined forces should be combat ready at all time with superior physical and cognitive capabilities to outmaneuver adversaries in all domains. RAS will provide resilient defense formations and credible strong forward presence in borders and battlefields. AI, together with seamless data communication, facilitates integrated and synchronized, joint, inter-organizational, or even multinational armed force collaborations with advanced capabilities to create multi-domain pre- eminence in common military objectives. RAS can extend the reach in minimum time to emplace obstacles to check enemy movement across probable avenues of advance. Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2AD) capabilities allow defense forces to engage with future enemies at greater distances. Semi-autonomous unmanned combat vehicles exemplify the manned-unmanned teaming concept by operating in front of maneuver units to safeguard defense forces and simultaneously provide the time and space for them to plan and operate. A unmanned combat vehicle creates a buffer between enemy and friendly formations that grants various options in presenting the enemy with multiple dilemmas. 
