Robotics
Classification
Envelopes
Accuracy
Repeatability
History
c3000 BC Egyptian water clocks and mechanical dolls
c500 BC Herodotus describes the wooden foot of Hegesistratus
c360 BC Archytas of Tarentum - wooden bird that could fly
c218 BC Roman general Marcus Sergius has an iron replacement made for his severed hand
c200 BC Chinese mechanical orchestra
c150 BC Hero of Alexandria - De Automatis described a mechanical theatre with marching and dancing figures
c1250 Albertus Magnus invents household automaton to open doors
c1400 Swiss and German android clocks developed
1509 Götz von Berlichingen’s iron hand is made with gearing for manipulating mechanical fingers and thumb
1643 Blaise Pascal develops mechanical adding machine, the Pascaline
1720 Bouchon and Falcon in Lyons, France, design looms for weaving patterns into silk
1738 Jacques de Vauconson builds mechanical duck that quacked, bathed, drank water, and ate, digested, and voided grain
1770 Pierre and Henri-Louis Jacquet Droz built 3 android automatons: a young boy who wrote letters, and older boy who drew pictures, and a girl who played piano
1774 John Winkinson invents boring machine to help build steam engine
1787 James Watt invents flyball governor to control speed of steam engine
1795 Evan's Flour Mill in Philadelphia introduced continuous process
1800 Metal lathe invented by Henry Maudslay
1801 Joseph Marie Jacquard invents punch card controlled automatic loom in France
1812 Charles Babbage begins difference engine to compute mathematical tables automatically
1818 Eli Whitney invents milling machine
1818 Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley wrote Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus
1830 Charles Babbage conceives the analytical engine, develops many basic principles of computing, Ada Augusta Lovelace writes the software
1873 C. M. Spencer invents fully automatic lathe or automatic screw machine
1887 Herman Hollerith begins to mechanize the U.S. census using punched card concept
1892 Steward Babbitt invents motorized rotary crane with gripper for removing ingots from a furnace
1909 Henry Ford mass produced automobiles with a 1.5 minute cycle time
1921 Karel Capek wrote play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), coining the word robot from the Czech word robotit which means worker, drudge, or forced labor
1930 Vannevar Bush builds analog computer (differential analyzer) to solve integral equations mechanically
1931 IBM 601 performs decimal multiplication using plugboard programming and electromechanical memory, arithmetic, and control
1937 Howard Aiken of Harvard with IBM support develops Mark I electromechanical computer as an extension of punched-card technology - completed in 1944
1938 John Atanasoff develops a prototype electronic computer - completed in 1942
1938 William Pollard and Harold Roseland invent a spray painting machine with recorded paths for DeVilbiss
1942 Punched paper tapes used to control differential analyzer
1944 Goertz invented master-slave manipulator
1945 J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly invent ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator) full scale electronic computer at University of Pennsylvania
1945 John von Neumann develops concept of stored program in the EDVAC computer - completed in 1949
1946 Forrester and Everett develop Whirlwind at MIT general purpose digital computer (16 bits, 42K ips, 5 bit op code, 11 bit address, 5K tubes, 256 word memory)
1946 George Devol invented a playback device for machine control, used it on an electromechanical feedback manipulator
1948 Bardeen, Bratton, and Shockley invent transistor at Bell Laboratories
1948 Norbert Wiener publishes Cybernetics describing concepts of communications and control in electronic, mechanical, and biological systems
1949 EDSAC stored program computer developed at Cambridge University
1950 Lincoln Lab founded at MIT
1951 Parsons Corporation and MIT developed APT (Automatically Programmed Tools) language using Whirlwind computer to control a Cincinatti Hydrotel milling machine using flexowrite tape - NC component completed 1954, APT completed by Douglas Ross and others in 1956
1951 Eckert and Mauchly develop mass produced commercial computer UNIVAC (Universal Numerical Integrator and Calculator)
1951 Third generation programming language compilers written
1951 Raymond Goertz invents teleoperator-equipped articulated arm for the Atomic Energy Commission
1952 IBM 701 computer marketed - delivered in 1953
1953 SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) air defense system development project started
1955 Pennsylvania Railroad leased IBM 705 to handle the paperwork
1956 FORTRAN developed
1956 George Devol invents programmable robot, calls it univeral automation, founds Unimation
1956 Cincinnati Milacron introduce numerical control machine tool
1957 Tidewater Oil's "Refinery of the Future" used IBM 650 to monitor complex refinery operations
1957 Barnes drilling machine had 4 spindles for automatic tool changing
1958 AN/FSQ-7 Sage (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) computer delivered for NORAD combat centers (25K tubes, 30,000 sq. ft., 32 bits, 175 tons, 1500 KW power)
1958 Wallace E. Brainard developed automatic tool changer for Kearney and Trecker Milwaukee Matic maching center
1959 LISP and Cobol developed
1959 Ferranti developed a coordinate measuring machine using linear diffraction gratings
1959 Planet introduces a commerical pick-and-place robot controlled by limit switches and cams
1960 Unimate robot installed at Ford Motor to tend die-casting machine
1960 AMF introduces VERSATRAN commercial robot
1961 Unimation introduces servo-controlled industrial robot
1961 Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce form INTEL
1961 Collins prosthetic hand developed
1961 Ernst arm, a teleoperator slave arm equipped with touch sensors, is connected to a computer at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory
1961 General Motors installs Unimate robot on a production line
1962 Ivan Sutherland developed Sketchpad (MIT) - a CRO driven by a Lincoln TX2 - beginning of computer graphics
1963 Coon include APT in computer graphics functions
1963 American Airlines developes SABRE reservation system for IBM 7090 computer
1963 American Machine and Foundry Versatile Transfer developed (Prab)
1963 Roehampton arm development begun
1963 Edinburg arm developed
1964 GM announced DAC-1 (Design Augmented by Computer) console installed on IBM 7094 computer (Dr. Harranty)
1965 Expert system DENDRAL developed by Edward Fiegenbaum at Stanford
1965 Bell Lab announced GRAPHIC 1 remote display system
1966 IBM Component Division implemented a system to aid A.C. module design for sytem 360
1967 Freeman worked out a hidden-line algorithm
1968 Stanford Reserach Institute develops Shakey, a mobile robot with vision
1968 Kawasaki Heavy Industries negotiates license from Unimation
1969 General Electric develops experimental walking truck for U.S. Army
1969 Unix
1969 Williamson developed a flexible manufacturing system in the Molins System 24
1970 Stanford Arm with camera and computer stacks colored blocks
1970 First National Symposium on Industrial Robots
1970 Unimate robot used for die casting at GM
1970 Japanese National Railways placed seven lathes under simultaneous control, introducing DNC (direct numerical control)
1970 Ted Codd proposed relational database management
1970 200 robots in use worldwide
1971 Japan Industrial Robot Association formed
1972 RCA announced GOLD system for I.C. layout
1972 Geometrical modelling systems PADL were developed at the University of Rochester
1973 Richard Hohn of Cincinnati Milacron introduces T3 (The Tomorrow Tool) minicomputer-controlled industrial robot that tracks objects on a moving conveyor
1973 Chasen justified the CAD system (Lockheed)
1974 Scheinman forms Vicarm to market version of Stanford Arm with minicomputer control for industrial applications
1974 ASEA introduces electric drive industrial robot
1974 3500 robots in use worldwide
1975 Robot Institute of America formed
1976 Viking II lands on Mars
1977 ASEA Brown Boveri Robotics Inc. introduces two sizes of micocomputer controlled electric drive industrial robots
1977 British Robot Association formed
1977 6500 robots in use worldwide
1978 Unimation with G.M. help and Vicarm technology develops the PUMA (Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly) robot
1978 HP's microporcessor-based raster scan display
1979 GM, Boeing described how to bridge gap between CAD and CAM
1979 Visicalc spreadsheet introduced on Apple computers
1980 Fujitsu Fanuc Company of Japan develops automated factory
1980 MAZAK flexible manufacturing factory is built in Florence, KY
1980 14,000 robots in use worldwide, 4000 robots in use in US
1981 Robotics International/SME formed
1982 Microbot and Rhino introduce first educational robots
1982 27,000 robots in use worldwide, (table 1-1)
1983 Heath introduces Hero1 robot
1984 Adept Corp. introduces electric direct-drive robot arms to eliminate need for gear or chain drives
1985 68,500 robots in use worldwide
1988 Richard S. Muller invents micromachine at Berkeley
1990 150,000 robots in use worldwide
1990 ASEA Brown Boveri Robotics, Inc. purchases robotics division of Cincinnati Milacron
1992 William Barger employs Robodoc, a robotic arm, in hip-replacement surgery
Definition of a Robot
Generic types of robots
Industrial - "An industrial robot is a reprogrammable, multi-functional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools, or specialized devices, through various programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks" - examples: Cincinatti Milacron, Asea, Unimate
Educational - Hero
Entertainment - C3PO, R2D2
Human-like - (droid)
Robot Capabilities
Motion
- Axes of motion/degrees of freedom
- Work envelope
- Coordinate system
Power/Precision/Repeatability
Speed
Sensing
- Sight (vision) / light
- Sound (acoustic)
- Proximity (range)
- Touch
- Force
Output
- Speech
- Computer Signals
- Displays
What robots can do (Table 2-1)
Robot Classification
Cartesian (or rectangular) Robots - 3 linear axes, supported from a base
Gantry Robots (also rectangular)- 3 linear axes, supported from a gantry
Cylindrical Robots - 2 linear axes, 1 rotary axis
Spherical (or polar) Robots - 1 linear axis, 2 rotary axes - a fading breed
Articulated (jointed arm, revolute) Robots - 3 rotary axes - major offering of robotics industry
SCARA Robots - (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm) - more than 3 axes, combination of articulated (with rotary axes mounted vertically) and cylindrical - allows some floatation at final position for parts insertion - becoming quite popular
Work Envelope (Figures 2-1 and 2-2)
Additional Axes of Motion
Robots, in addition to the three major axes of motion, can have both minor axes of motion and an additional major axis of motion
An additional major axis of motion can be obtained by mounting the entire robot on a traverse track on the floor or overhead. Sometimes this axis of motion is not programmable
Minor axes of motion of a robot are contained in a wrist assembly, mounted to the end of the robot arm. An additional 1 to 3 axes of motion are provided. Names used for these axes of motion are pitch, yaw, roll, bend, and swivel. As the names imply, these are generally all rotary axes.
Robot Control
Non-servo point-to-point robots
low technology - about 10% of U.S. market
"pick and place," "limited sequence," "bang-bang"
more human intervention needed to re-program (adjust stops)
$4000 to $35000
pneumatic or hydrolic control (no electric)
payload from ounces to 75 lbs (because of decelleration)
no jointed arms available
Servo-controlled point-to-point robots
medium technology - about 80% of U.S. market
general purpose robots
use servomechanisms capable of stopping the robot at any point along any axis of motion
$13,500 to $220,000
electric, hydrolic, or (rarely) pneumatic control
payload from ounces up to tons - all types of arms available
Servo-controlled continuous path robots
about 10% of U.S. market, 90% of which used in spray painting
specialized designs based on intended use
intermediate as well as endpoint data stored on a time basis, frequently programmed by leading it through the pattern
$55,000 to $225,000 - usually hydrolic control, jointed arm
Robot Tradeoffs
Payload - specified at 100% (or 75%) or arm extension - can be tons
vs.
Velocity - can be in excess of 200 inches/second
vs.
Repeatability - how close it comes to previous location
Accuracy - how close it comes to desired location
Robot Applications
Spot Welding / 41% / 3%
Arc Welding / 4% / 14%
Painting/Finishing / 11% / 5%
Materials Handling (machine load/unload) / 29% / 31%
Assembly / 6% / 37%
Other / 9% / 10%
Comparison Points When Choosing A Robot
Degrees of freedom
Cost
Drive type
Software available
Kinematic construction
Closed loop/open loop
Payload in grams
How many I/O ports
Repeatability
Operational radius
Movement limited or wide in all axes
Speed
Multiple vs. single speed
Teach pendant
On-line with host
I/O
External communications protocol
Hard home
Sensing via gripper
Transmission
Feedback
Off-line programming
Courseware availability/curriculum
Number of program lines allowed
XYZ program
Design of work cell
Program parameters
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics 17 Robotics