Insights from an Industrial Collaborative Assembly Project: Lessons in Research and Collaboration

TL;DR

This paper shares lessons from a collaborative project that developed a precise, flexible, and safe industrial assembly cell, highlighting new research directions and collaboration strategies in robotics for manufacturing.

Contribution

It introduces new insights into collaborative robotics for industrial applications and emphasizes the importance of academia-industry partnerships in developing advanced manufacturing technologies.

Findings

Development of a high-precision, flexible assembly cell

Identification of new research directions in collaborative robotics

Insights into strengthening academia-industry collaborations

Abstract

Significant progress in robotics reveals new opportunities to advance manufacturing. Next-generation industrial automation will require both integration of distinct robotic technologies and their application to challenging industrial environments. This paper presents lessons from a collaborative assembly project between three academic research groups and an industry partner. The goal of the project is to develop a flexible, safe, and productive manufacturing cell for sub-centimeter precision assembly. Solving this problem in a high-mix, low-volume production line motivates multiple research thrusts in robotics. This work identifies new directions in collaborative robotics for industrial applications and offers insight toward strengthening collaborations between institutions in academia and industry on the development of new technologies.