Proceedings. 1998 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.98CH36146)
ABSTRACT This paper describes guidelines for the design of grippers for use in modular manufactur... more ABSTRACT This paper describes guidelines for the design of grippers for use in modular manufacturing workcells. Gripper design is an important and often overlooked aspect of the design of a complete assembly system. Here, we present guidelines which can be applied to a wide variety of grippers and are divided into two major categories: those that improve system throughput and those that increase system reliability. Designs of several grippers, currently being used in a modular manufacturing workcell, are presented as examples of the application of the guidelines to real world problems
2003 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.03CH37422)
A new flexible parts feeding system has been designed and constructed at Case Western Reserve Uni... more A new flexible parts feeding system has been designed and constructed at Case Western Reserve University. To complement the feeder, an object-oriented software architecture has been designed and implemented. Design goals of the software were the ability to rapidly introduce a new part into the system without major reprogramming and the creation of a software architecture that would be applicable to the general class of visionbased parts feeders (rather than just our own implementation). The system currently feeds two different types of parts and can switch on-the-fly between part types. Throughputs in excess of 60 parts per minute have been achieved during testing.
Proceedings of International Conference on Robotics and Automation
This paper describes the design and implementation of a flexible parts feeding system. While flex... more This paper describes the design and implementation of a flexible parts feeding system. While flexibility encompasses every part of the workcell design, including hardware and control software, the ability to feed parts in a wide variety of sizes and shapes is crucial. Conventional feeding methods, such as vibratory bowl feeders, are not practical for flexible workcells because of their specialized nature. This system is composed of three conveyors working together. The first conveyor is inclined and lifts parts from a bulk hopper in a quasisingulated manner. Parts fall from the first conveyor onto the second, horizontally mounted, conveyor. An underlit window at the end of the second conveyor presents a silhouette image of the parts to a vision system. After the pose of a part has been determined, a robotic arm is used to acquire it. Parts which are in unfavorable orientations or are overlapping are returned to the bulk hopper by a third conveyor. Guidelines for part design which improve the feeding system's performance are also presented.
As vision-based flexible parts feeders continue to make in-roads into the manufacturing arena, a ... more As vision-based flexible parts feeders continue to make in-roads into the manufacturing arena, a unified methodology and architecture for their programming becomes increasingly important. This thesis examines an object-oriented software architecture for programming flexible parts feeding systems. The architecture is vertically segregated into levels of responsibility. High-level software objects oversee system start-up, general system operation, and shutdown. Mid-level objects are used to perform functions associated with sub-systems of the feeder: part presentation, part location, part retrieval, and parameter auto-adjustment. Server-level objects are responsible for encapsulating specific hardware. Complementing this vertical segregation, as one descends the hierarchy, is a progressively tightening alignment of software objects with physical hardware. A new high-speed parts feeder has been constructed and serves as the testbed for the development of the software. It utilizes a ser...
Smaller lot sizes, shorter times to market, and lower manufacturing costs are typical requirement... more Smaller lot sizes, shorter times to market, and lower manufacturing costs are typical requirements of a modern manufacturing facility. Under such constraints, agile manufacturing systems are desirable. Elements of such a system include multiple robots, flexible parts feeders, modular conveyors, and machine vision. Flexible feeders enable a workcell to rapidly switch between different assemblies by eliminating the need for part-specific feed mechanisms. A flexible feeder, consisting of multiple conveyors to singulate parts, a vision system for pose determination, and a robot for part retrieval, was designed, implemented, and incorporated into an agile workcell. The system was shown to feed a wide variety of parts with little physical alteration at rates of up to 30 parts per minute. A new metric to describe feeder throughput was developed and a statistical analysis of feeder test results was conducted. In most assemblies there are operations which cannot easily be performed by a robo...
Proceedings 2000 ICRA. Millennium Conference. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Symposia Proceedings (Cat. No.00CH37065), 2000
In this paper we illustrate a methodology for modeling and analyzing flexible feeders using gener... more In this paper we illustrate a methodology for modeling and analyzing flexible feeders using generalized semi-Markov process (GSMP) models. Working through the simple case consisting of a single part being fed on a flexible feeder, we show how the throughput of the system may be obtained by both GSMP simulation and analytical techniques for GSMP models. Further, we demonstrate the predictive capability of such models. This is accomplished by generating and validating a model of the system feeding three distinct part types (at the same time) and then modifying the model to allow other feeding scenarios to be predicted. These scenarios include the effect of feeding the parts in a specific order, the effect of using a robot with different speed capabilities, and the effect of using a different sized presentation conveyor. We validate the predictions with physical testing.
1999 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (Cat. No.99TH8399), 1999
Flexible parts feeding techniques have recently begun to gain industry acceptance. However, one b... more Flexible parts feeding techniques have recently begun to gain industry acceptance. However, one barrier to effective flexible feeding solutions is a lack of knowledge of the underlying dynamics at work in flexible part feeders. This paper begins to address this topic. First, we discuss statistical modeling of the feeders' subsystems and the fed parts themselves. For each feeding situation, we construct a generalized semi-Markov process (GSMP) model of the system that is built from these constituent models. Such models allow for a compact description of the complete feeder system and are amenable to highlevel simulation and analysis. They can be used to answer questions regarding: the overall system throughput for a variety of parts, control strategies that may be employed to maximize throughput, and the trade-offs between different physical designs of the feeder versus the class of parts being fed. The paper closes with a discussion of future work that is required to mature our understanding of the control and modeling of flexible feeders.
IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2004. Proceedings. ICRA '04. 2004, 2004
A mobile autonomous robot capable of tracking an odor plume to its source could be used to locate... more A mobile autonomous robot capable of tracking an odor plume to its source could be used to locate hazardous material spills or leaks. To test plume tracking strategies in a laboratory environment, a robotic platform consisting of a linear Cartesian robotic gantry mounted inside a wind tunnel with a mobile floor has been designed. A plume of ionized air is created by an ion detector installed in the wind tunnel. A twodimensional plume tracking strategy based on the behavior of the tobacco hornworm moth Manduca sexta was implemented and tested. It was discovered that a plume tracking algorithm can be implemented with the robotic platform almost as easily as in simulation.
Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation
This paper introduces a design for agile manufacturing workcells intended for light mechanical as... more This paper introduces a design for agile manufacturing workcells intended for light mechanical assembly of products made from similar components (i.e. parts families). We define agile manufacturing as the ability to accomplish rapid changeover from the assembly of one product to the assembly of another product. Rapid hardware changeover is made possible through the use of robots, flexible part feeders, modular grippers and modular assembly hardware. The flexible feeders rely on belt feeding and binary computer vision for pose estimation. This has a distinct advantage over nonflexible feeding schemes such as bowl feeders which require considerable adjustment to changeover from one part to another. Rapid software changeover is being facilitated by the use of a real-time, object-oriented software environment, modular software, graphical simulations for off-line software development. and an innovative dual VMEbus controller architecture. These agile features permit new products to be introduced with minimal downtime and system reconfiguration. 'P.M. Noaker. The search for agile manufacturing.
Proceedings of International Conference on Robotics and Automation
An agile workcell has been developed for light mechanical assembly in collaboration with industri... more An agile workcell has been developed for light mechanical assembly in collaboration with industrial sponsors. The workcell includes multiple Adept robots, a Bosch conveyor system, multiple flexible parts feeders at each robot's workstation, CCD cameras for parts feeding and hardware registration, and a dual VMEbus control system. Our flexible parts feeder design uses multiple conveyors to singulate the parts and machine vision to locate them. Specialized hardware is encapsulated on modular grippers and modular worktables which can be quickly interchanged for assembly of different products. Object-oriented software (C++) running in the real-time operating system, VxWorks, is used for workcell control. An agile software architecture was developed for rapid introduction of new assemblies through code re-use. A simulation of the workcell was developed so that controller software could be written and tested off-line, enabling the rapid introduction of new products.
This paper introduces a design for agile manufacturing workcells intended for light mechanical as... more This paper introduces a design for agile manufacturing workcells intended for light mechanical assembly of products made from similar components (i.e. parts families). We define agile manufacturing as the ability to accomplish rapid changeover from the assembly of one product to the assembly of a different product. Rapid hardware changeover is made possible through the use of robots, flexible part feeders, modular grippers and modular assembly hardware. The division of assembly, feeding, and unloading tasks among multiple robots is examined with prioritization based upon assembly time. Rapid software changeover will be facilitated by the use of a real-time, object-oriented software environment utilizing graphical simulations for off-line software development. An innovative dual VMEbus controller architecture permits an open software environment while accommodating the closed nature of most commercial robot controllers. These agile features permit new products to be introduced with minimal downtime and system reconfiguration.
IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, 2000
This paper summarizes results of a five-year, multidisciplinary, university-industry collaborativ... more This paper summarizes results of a five-year, multidisciplinary, university-industry collaborative effort investigating design issues in agile manufacturing. The focus of this project is specifically on light mechanical assembly, with the demand that new assembly tasks be implementable quickly, economically, and effectively. Key to achieving these goals is the ease of equipment and software reuse. Design choices for both hardware and software must strike a balance between the inflexibility of special-purpose designs and the impracticality of overly general designs. We review both our physical and software design choices and make recommendations for the design of agile manufacturing systems.
This paper describes guidelines for the design of grippers for use in modular manufacturing workc... more This paper describes guidelines for the design of grippers for use in modular manufacturing workcells. Gripper design is an important and often overlooked aspect of the design of a complete assembly system. Here, guidelines are presented which can be applied to a wide variety of grippers. Guidelines are divided into three major categories: those that improve system throughput, those that increase system reliability, and those that decrease cost. Designs of several grippers, currently being used in a modular manufacturing workcell, are presented as examples of the application of the guidelines to real world problems.
This paper describes advances in developing key software, sensing/control, and parts-handling tec... more This paper describes advances in developing key software, sensing/control, and parts-handling technologies enabling robust operation of an agile manufacturing workcell. In particular, we discuss: a modular software architecture that supports real-time feedback, process scheduling, and workcell extensions; simulation for error detection, visualization, and diagnosis; flexible sensors allowing multiple, programmable quality checks; a generic robot API permitting plug-and-play of heterogeneous robot controllers/networks; flexible feeders accommodating a large variety of parts, including medium-sized and rolling parts; and agile gripper design methods enhancing speed and reliability of parts handling.
Proceedings. 1998 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.98CH36146)
ABSTRACT This paper describes guidelines for the design of grippers for use in modular manufactur... more ABSTRACT This paper describes guidelines for the design of grippers for use in modular manufacturing workcells. Gripper design is an important and often overlooked aspect of the design of a complete assembly system. Here, we present guidelines which can be applied to a wide variety of grippers and are divided into two major categories: those that improve system throughput and those that increase system reliability. Designs of several grippers, currently being used in a modular manufacturing workcell, are presented as examples of the application of the guidelines to real world problems
2003 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (Cat. No.03CH37422)
A new flexible parts feeding system has been designed and constructed at Case Western Reserve Uni... more A new flexible parts feeding system has been designed and constructed at Case Western Reserve University. To complement the feeder, an object-oriented software architecture has been designed and implemented. Design goals of the software were the ability to rapidly introduce a new part into the system without major reprogramming and the creation of a software architecture that would be applicable to the general class of visionbased parts feeders (rather than just our own implementation). The system currently feeds two different types of parts and can switch on-the-fly between part types. Throughputs in excess of 60 parts per minute have been achieved during testing.
Proceedings of International Conference on Robotics and Automation
This paper describes the design and implementation of a flexible parts feeding system. While flex... more This paper describes the design and implementation of a flexible parts feeding system. While flexibility encompasses every part of the workcell design, including hardware and control software, the ability to feed parts in a wide variety of sizes and shapes is crucial. Conventional feeding methods, such as vibratory bowl feeders, are not practical for flexible workcells because of their specialized nature. This system is composed of three conveyors working together. The first conveyor is inclined and lifts parts from a bulk hopper in a quasisingulated manner. Parts fall from the first conveyor onto the second, horizontally mounted, conveyor. An underlit window at the end of the second conveyor presents a silhouette image of the parts to a vision system. After the pose of a part has been determined, a robotic arm is used to acquire it. Parts which are in unfavorable orientations or are overlapping are returned to the bulk hopper by a third conveyor. Guidelines for part design which improve the feeding system's performance are also presented.
As vision-based flexible parts feeders continue to make in-roads into the manufacturing arena, a ... more As vision-based flexible parts feeders continue to make in-roads into the manufacturing arena, a unified methodology and architecture for their programming becomes increasingly important. This thesis examines an object-oriented software architecture for programming flexible parts feeding systems. The architecture is vertically segregated into levels of responsibility. High-level software objects oversee system start-up, general system operation, and shutdown. Mid-level objects are used to perform functions associated with sub-systems of the feeder: part presentation, part location, part retrieval, and parameter auto-adjustment. Server-level objects are responsible for encapsulating specific hardware. Complementing this vertical segregation, as one descends the hierarchy, is a progressively tightening alignment of software objects with physical hardware. A new high-speed parts feeder has been constructed and serves as the testbed for the development of the software. It utilizes a ser...
Smaller lot sizes, shorter times to market, and lower manufacturing costs are typical requirement... more Smaller lot sizes, shorter times to market, and lower manufacturing costs are typical requirements of a modern manufacturing facility. Under such constraints, agile manufacturing systems are desirable. Elements of such a system include multiple robots, flexible parts feeders, modular conveyors, and machine vision. Flexible feeders enable a workcell to rapidly switch between different assemblies by eliminating the need for part-specific feed mechanisms. A flexible feeder, consisting of multiple conveyors to singulate parts, a vision system for pose determination, and a robot for part retrieval, was designed, implemented, and incorporated into an agile workcell. The system was shown to feed a wide variety of parts with little physical alteration at rates of up to 30 parts per minute. A new metric to describe feeder throughput was developed and a statistical analysis of feeder test results was conducted. In most assemblies there are operations which cannot easily be performed by a robo...
Proceedings 2000 ICRA. Millennium Conference. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Symposia Proceedings (Cat. No.00CH37065), 2000
In this paper we illustrate a methodology for modeling and analyzing flexible feeders using gener... more In this paper we illustrate a methodology for modeling and analyzing flexible feeders using generalized semi-Markov process (GSMP) models. Working through the simple case consisting of a single part being fed on a flexible feeder, we show how the throughput of the system may be obtained by both GSMP simulation and analytical techniques for GSMP models. Further, we demonstrate the predictive capability of such models. This is accomplished by generating and validating a model of the system feeding three distinct part types (at the same time) and then modifying the model to allow other feeding scenarios to be predicted. These scenarios include the effect of feeding the parts in a specific order, the effect of using a robot with different speed capabilities, and the effect of using a different sized presentation conveyor. We validate the predictions with physical testing.
1999 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (Cat. No.99TH8399), 1999
Flexible parts feeding techniques have recently begun to gain industry acceptance. However, one b... more Flexible parts feeding techniques have recently begun to gain industry acceptance. However, one barrier to effective flexible feeding solutions is a lack of knowledge of the underlying dynamics at work in flexible part feeders. This paper begins to address this topic. First, we discuss statistical modeling of the feeders' subsystems and the fed parts themselves. For each feeding situation, we construct a generalized semi-Markov process (GSMP) model of the system that is built from these constituent models. Such models allow for a compact description of the complete feeder system and are amenable to highlevel simulation and analysis. They can be used to answer questions regarding: the overall system throughput for a variety of parts, control strategies that may be employed to maximize throughput, and the trade-offs between different physical designs of the feeder versus the class of parts being fed. The paper closes with a discussion of future work that is required to mature our understanding of the control and modeling of flexible feeders.
IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2004. Proceedings. ICRA '04. 2004, 2004
A mobile autonomous robot capable of tracking an odor plume to its source could be used to locate... more A mobile autonomous robot capable of tracking an odor plume to its source could be used to locate hazardous material spills or leaks. To test plume tracking strategies in a laboratory environment, a robotic platform consisting of a linear Cartesian robotic gantry mounted inside a wind tunnel with a mobile floor has been designed. A plume of ionized air is created by an ion detector installed in the wind tunnel. A twodimensional plume tracking strategy based on the behavior of the tobacco hornworm moth Manduca sexta was implemented and tested. It was discovered that a plume tracking algorithm can be implemented with the robotic platform almost as easily as in simulation.
Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation
This paper introduces a design for agile manufacturing workcells intended for light mechanical as... more This paper introduces a design for agile manufacturing workcells intended for light mechanical assembly of products made from similar components (i.e. parts families). We define agile manufacturing as the ability to accomplish rapid changeover from the assembly of one product to the assembly of another product. Rapid hardware changeover is made possible through the use of robots, flexible part feeders, modular grippers and modular assembly hardware. The flexible feeders rely on belt feeding and binary computer vision for pose estimation. This has a distinct advantage over nonflexible feeding schemes such as bowl feeders which require considerable adjustment to changeover from one part to another. Rapid software changeover is being facilitated by the use of a real-time, object-oriented software environment, modular software, graphical simulations for off-line software development. and an innovative dual VMEbus controller architecture. These agile features permit new products to be introduced with minimal downtime and system reconfiguration. 'P.M. Noaker. The search for agile manufacturing.
Proceedings of International Conference on Robotics and Automation
An agile workcell has been developed for light mechanical assembly in collaboration with industri... more An agile workcell has been developed for light mechanical assembly in collaboration with industrial sponsors. The workcell includes multiple Adept robots, a Bosch conveyor system, multiple flexible parts feeders at each robot's workstation, CCD cameras for parts feeding and hardware registration, and a dual VMEbus control system. Our flexible parts feeder design uses multiple conveyors to singulate the parts and machine vision to locate them. Specialized hardware is encapsulated on modular grippers and modular worktables which can be quickly interchanged for assembly of different products. Object-oriented software (C++) running in the real-time operating system, VxWorks, is used for workcell control. An agile software architecture was developed for rapid introduction of new assemblies through code re-use. A simulation of the workcell was developed so that controller software could be written and tested off-line, enabling the rapid introduction of new products.
This paper introduces a design for agile manufacturing workcells intended for light mechanical as... more This paper introduces a design for agile manufacturing workcells intended for light mechanical assembly of products made from similar components (i.e. parts families). We define agile manufacturing as the ability to accomplish rapid changeover from the assembly of one product to the assembly of a different product. Rapid hardware changeover is made possible through the use of robots, flexible part feeders, modular grippers and modular assembly hardware. The division of assembly, feeding, and unloading tasks among multiple robots is examined with prioritization based upon assembly time. Rapid software changeover will be facilitated by the use of a real-time, object-oriented software environment utilizing graphical simulations for off-line software development. An innovative dual VMEbus controller architecture permits an open software environment while accommodating the closed nature of most commercial robot controllers. These agile features permit new products to be introduced with minimal downtime and system reconfiguration.
IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, 2000
This paper summarizes results of a five-year, multidisciplinary, university-industry collaborativ... more This paper summarizes results of a five-year, multidisciplinary, university-industry collaborative effort investigating design issues in agile manufacturing. The focus of this project is specifically on light mechanical assembly, with the demand that new assembly tasks be implementable quickly, economically, and effectively. Key to achieving these goals is the ease of equipment and software reuse. Design choices for both hardware and software must strike a balance between the inflexibility of special-purpose designs and the impracticality of overly general designs. We review both our physical and software design choices and make recommendations for the design of agile manufacturing systems.
This paper describes guidelines for the design of grippers for use in modular manufacturing workc... more This paper describes guidelines for the design of grippers for use in modular manufacturing workcells. Gripper design is an important and often overlooked aspect of the design of a complete assembly system. Here, guidelines are presented which can be applied to a wide variety of grippers. Guidelines are divided into three major categories: those that improve system throughput, those that increase system reliability, and those that decrease cost. Designs of several grippers, currently being used in a modular manufacturing workcell, are presented as examples of the application of the guidelines to real world problems.
This paper describes advances in developing key software, sensing/control, and parts-handling tec... more This paper describes advances in developing key software, sensing/control, and parts-handling technologies enabling robust operation of an agile manufacturing workcell. In particular, we discuss: a modular software architecture that supports real-time feedback, process scheduling, and workcell extensions; simulation for error detection, visualization, and diagnosis; flexible sensors allowing multiple, programmable quality checks; a generic robot API permitting plug-and-play of heterogeneous robot controllers/networks; flexible feeders accommodating a large variety of parts, including medium-sized and rolling parts; and agile gripper design methods enhancing speed and reliability of parts handling.
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Papers by Greg Causey