Instrumented tools and objects : design, algorithms, and applications to assembly tasks

Abstract

We developed an instrumented tool system comprised of wireless nodes and sensor systems to facilitate distributed robotic assembly tasks. This robotic system was deployed on two separate robotic assembly scenarios: one scenario used programmable autonomous beacons to facilitate precise localization of an assembly robot within a mock airplane wing, while the second used programmable assembly components to simplify sensing and coordination in a distributed, multi-robot assembly task. An instrumented tool system comprised of two types of programmable nodes (beacons and assembly components) and two types of robot-mounted sensors was designed, implemented, and tested. On-board microprocessors allow each element of the system to perform sensing and communicate over an infrared communication protocol. Algorithms for sensing and distributed communication were developed to perform local sensing tasks between assembly robots and instrumented materials.