Fraunhofer IEM will present an ultra-versatile solution at Hannover Messe 2024 that combines collaborative robotics, AI-based image analysis and IoT platform
Manually checking the quality of components or products in industry is labor-intensive for employees and also prone to errors. The Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronic Systems Design IEM presents a solution that offers total versatility in this area.
In an OWL-supported collaboration with ATM producer Diebold Nixdorf and software specialist verlinked, Fraunhofer IEM has created a combination of collaborative robot (cobot), AI-based image analysis and IoT platform. The system frees employees from having to perform visual inspections and can be incorporated into all types of test scenarios. Fraunhofer researchers will present a demonstrator at the Hannover Messe pre-fair on February 21, 2024.
Collaborative robots (cobots) are considered a key technology in the industry. These robots, typically equipped with artificial intelligence and sensor technology, work alongside people in production facilities, unlocking flexible and intelligent automation concepts. In today’s world of size 1 batches, fragile supply chains, and new and ever-changing regulations, this is a crucial advantage over competitors.
Fraunhofer IEM will present an ultra-versatile cobot solution at Hannover Messe 2024. In collaboration with Diebold Nixdorf and verlinked, Fraunhofer researchers have developed a test robot in the “it’s OWL” project called CogeP (Cobot-supported test stations for smart technology systems ). Employees use the robot to check the quality of ATM control panels quickly and without errors; Plus, it’s easy to retrofit for an ever-changing range of test tasks.
AI-backed quality checks
To check the control panels, the robotic arm supported by sensors moves a camera over the components, parts or products to be analyzed from different angles. The AI-supported image analysis function analyzes the quality and then the robot moves the camera to the next product. If the analysis software finds a defect (a protruding screw or an unstable plug connection, for example), the system notifies the responsible employees, who can then focus on the problem and correct it immediately.
This increases productivity in productive activities, but that is not all. Employees also benefit from the cobot solution. Dr.-Ing. Eugen Djakow, Group Director of Automation and Robotics Technology at Fraunhofer IEM, comments: “Manual visual inspections in production are a monotonous and labor-intensive task for employees and are also prone to errors. The testing robot performs these types of tasks quickly and reliably. And that makes the work of people in production more interesting and also less monotonous.”
IoT platform unlocks a variety of test scenarios
The highlight of the solution is the combination of the testing robot with an IoT platform. It works as a real-time data center, assigning test tasks, storing the results, and collecting corresponding data between different robots and tasks. This means that testing processes can be optimized even further.
The data collected can also be used to fine-tune testing of a new version of the product, without having to spend a lot of time and effort on programming. New product versions require only minor adjustments to the testing procedure. “Cobot-supported test stations can collect all operational and test data on the central IoT platform and access the information in real time. That means companies can reconfigure their testing routines to adapt to new requirements, without costly modifications or investments. In this way, the system offers total versatility as a tool for all types of test scenarios,” adds Djakow.
Benefits for SMEs: flexibility to incorporate cobot workstations into production
The cobot solution presented can be used not only for testing processes but also for assembly, picking and packaging, and general plant support. Fraunhofer IEM also leverages its years of experience in industrial process technology and expertise in areas such as machine learning for automated pattern analysis to help SMEs incorporate cobot workstations into existing production processes, all at low cost. and without large investments of time and effort. This allows small and medium-sized businesses, like their larger counterparts, to modify their production operations in a short time or adapt to small unit volumes, down to individual items.
The collaboration between Fraunhofer IEM, Diebold Nixdorf and Verlinked was funded within the framework of the project “Cobot-supported test stations for intelligent technical systems” (CogeP) of the it’s OWL technology network. The Fraunhofer team will demonstrate testing cobot-compatible control panels for Diebold Nixdorf at the Hannover Messe Preview on February 21, 2024 (hall 2, stand 24).