In recent years, the research community has dedicated significant effort to improving and developing technologies that play a vital role in advancing the next generation industrial robotic applications. Some notable examples of emerging technologies include:
- Cobots and dual-arm manipulators with increased flexibility, such as gantry dual-arm robots and mobile robots.
- AI-enabled cognitive and perception abilities.
- AI-enabled optimization, motion planning and planning in object handling and process planning.
These technologies have been driving the gradual shift of production paradigm from rigid automation systems to hybrid and collaborative working environments. A common and crucial element of many of these technologies is their reliance on software.
The SMARTHANDLE project aims to combine state of the art technologies to help manual and automated production lines “produce more and diverse with less”. Specifically, SMARTHANDLE aims to develop highly flexible, resilient, reconfigurable, and agile production lines capable of handling a variety of products and materials with high precision.
Achieving this goal is challenging, as the outcome depends among others on the methods and software tools that will support the development.
The SMARTHANDLE architecture defines how the SMARTHANDLE modules and external systems work and are integrated for seamless operation in multiple levels. It also addresses aspects of the integration process and specifies software tools such as Docker and Github.
At the system-level, the SMARTHANDLE architecture offers a comprehensive view of the overall SMARTHANDLE technological roadmap. It defines the communication framework that enables seamless interaction between the technical modules and various external systems.
At the module-level, the SMARTHANDLE architecture provides a high-level design for each software module, including information on module functionalities, interfaces and connections with other modules and technology specifications.
This piece was authored by Spyros Koukas for Netcompany-Intrasoft (INTRA)