Fundamentals of Robot Technology

1: Introduction.- Definitions of 'robot' and 'robotics'.- Other definitions in robotics.- Connections between robotics and some related subjects.- Artificial intelligence.- Flexible manufacturing systems, factory automation, computer-aided manufacturing.- Bibliographic notes.- 2: Geometric configurations for robots.- The distinction between arms and vehicles.- Structural elements of manipulators.- Degrees of freedom and number of joints.- Types of joint.- Construction of joints.- Parallel linkages.- Constrained linkages.- Distributed manipulators.- Robot transporters and workpiece positioners.- Arm configuations.- Cartesian.- Polar.- Cylindrical.- Horizontally jointed arms.- Vertically jointed or anthropomorphic arms.- Other arm designs.- Tension structures.- Wrists.- Direct drive to each axis.- Gear drives.- Compliance in wrists.- End effectors (grippers, tools and hands).- Two-jaw grippers.- Special purpose mechanical grippers.- Vaccum and magnetic grippers.- Tools.- Tool and gripper changing.- Anthropomorphic and other adaptive hands.- Two dimensional adaptive grippers.- Anthropomorphic hands.- Bibliographic notes.- 3: Operation, programming and control of industrial robots.- Types of industrial robot and their methods of operation.- Pick and place manipulators.- Point to point robots.- Continuous path robots.- Methods of teaching and programming.- Programming pick and place robots.- Walk-through teaching or pendant teaching.- Walk-through teaching with path control.- Lead-through teaching or physical arm leading.- Off-line programming.- The implications of sensing for robot control.- Types of controller and program memory.- Analysis and control.- Formulating the kinematic equations.- Solving the kinematic equations.- The Jacobian formulation.- The 'forward' and 'inverse' problems of dynamics.- Specifying trajectories.- Servo control of actuators.- Programming languages for industrial robots.- Bibliographic notes.- 4: Actuators for robots.- Pneumatic actuation.- Pneumatic valves.- Hydraulic actuation.- Hydraulic valves.- Hydrostatic circuits.- Hydraulic pumps and associated equipment.- Electric actuation.- Direct current servomotors.- Alternating current servomotors (brushless direct current servomotors).- Stepper motors.- Other electromechanical actuators.- Mechanical transmission methods.- Inertia reduction.- Speed reduction.- Rotary/rectilinear motion conversion.- Differentials and parallelogram linkages.- Bibliographic notes.- 5: Sensing for robots.- Joint angle.- Potentiometers.- Resolvers and synchros.- Incremental and absolute encoders (usually optical).- Joint angular velocity.- Rectilinear position.- Force and torque.- Strain gauges.- Piezoelectric force transducers.- Proximity sensing and range measurement.- Touch sensing.- Resistance-based touch sensors.- Inductance and capacitance.- Piezoelectric transducers.- Thermal touch sensing.- Optical methods of touch sensing.- Slip.- Vision.- Vision hardware 98 Television cameras.- Illuminator.- Framestore.- Preprocessor.- General purpose computer.- Types of computer vision.- Two-dimensional vision with isolated objects and a binary image.- Stasticial pattern recognition.- Two-dimensional vision with isolated objects and a grey scale image.- Touching or overlapping objects.- Two-dimensional inspection.- Two-dimensional line tracking.- Three-dimensional vision: isolated objects.- Single image (monocular vision).- Stereo vision.- Structured illumination.- Range imaging.- Three-dimensional vision applied to a heap of parts.- Three-dimensional scene analysis for mobile robots.- Non-visual sensing in welding and other processes.- Bibliographic notes.- 6: Performance specifications of industrial robots.- Geometric configuration; number of axes.- Positioning accuracy and repeatability.- Accuracy.- Repeatability.- Test methods for accuracy and repeatability.- Angular accuracy and repeatability.- Speed.- Speed and acceleration accuracy.- Spatial specifications: working volume, swept area, reach.- Payload (maximum load capacity).- Control-related specifications.- Memory capacity.- Program structure.- Advanced features.- Vibration.- Miscellaneous specifications.- Bibliographic notes.- 7: Applications of industrial robots.- Machine loading.- Pallet loading and unloading.- Investment casting.- Spot welding.- Arc welding.- Spraying (paint, enamel, epoxy resin and other coatings).- Fettling (grinding, chiselling); polishing.- Cutting.- Inspection.- Training and education; hobby robots.- Robots in assembly.- Types of robot for assembly.- Grippers.- Compliance.- Design for assembly.- numbers and types.- Component design for mechanical handling.- Design of the assembly process.- New applications for industrial robots.- Extension of existing methods to new applications.- More sensing.- Artificial intelligence.- Handling difficult workpieces.- Integration of industrial robots into the workplace.- Tracking.- Work cell configurations.- Transport of components and assemblies.- Feeders for assembly robots.- Control and communication.- Bibliographic notes.- 8: Teleoperated arms.- Methods of control.- Mechanical master-slave telemanipulators.- Powered telemanipulators.- Servo control of unilateral telemanipulators.- Bilateral servo manipulators.- Special characteristics of teleoperators.- Design criteria for teleoperators.- Vehicles and transporters.- Applications of teleoperators.- Remote handling of radioactive materials.- Remote handling of explosive and toxic materials.- Telemanipulation of heavy objects.- Underwater teleoperation.- Teleoperation in space and planetary exploration.- Telemanipulators for the disabled.- Computer assisted teleoperation.- Bibliographic notes.- 9: Mobile robots.- Land surface robots.- Arrangements of wheels and tracks.- Unusual wheel and track arrangements.- Navigation for land vehicles.- Teleoperation.- Dead reckoning.- Inertial navigation.- Tracking from a fixed base; beacons.- Satellite navigation 175 Map matching.- Wall following.- Route planning.- Control and communication.- Sensors for mobile robots.- Body orientation and angular rates.- Body position, speed and acceleration.- Terrain scanning.- Types and applications of mobile robots.- Education and research.- Remote handling.- Military mobile robots.- Fire-fighting and rescue.- Construction.- Mining.- Planetary exploration.- Legged robots.- Comparison of legs and wheels.- Leg number and arrangement.- Leg number.- Leg disposition.- Relative leg length.- Leg construction.- Control.- Climbing robots.- Robot submersibles.- Uses of submersible robots.- Robots in air and space.- Space.- Bibliographic notes.- 10: Automated guided vehicles.- Automated guided vehicle technology.- Power, steering and guidance.- Route programming.- Route planning.- Loading and unloading.- Safety; vehicle separation.- Miscellaneous features.- Automated guided vehicles with mechanical and optical guidance.- Free ranging automated guided vehicles.- Bibliographic notes.- 11: Robotics and artificial intelligence.- Vision.- Voice communication.- Planning.- Discrete step planning.- Route planning.- Modelling.- Adaptive control.- Error monitoring and recovery.- Autonomy and intelligence in robots.- Expert systems in robotics.- Bibliographic notes.- 12: Economic and social aspects of robotics.- Reasons for installing robots.- Economic costs and benefits of installing industrial robots.- Safety benefits of using robots.- Prevention of mechanical damage.- Avoidance of robot-generated fires and pollution.- Protection of robots from adverse environments.- Acceptability of industrial robots by the workforce.- Employment.- Other social issues of robotics.- Social issues.- Military robotics.- Police and security uses of mobile robots.- Teleoperators.- Medical uses of robots.- Bibliographic notes.- References and Bibliography.