SCUAI Add On Industrial Robots

STEM Coding Ultimate AI Add On: Industrial Robots

Experience industrial robotics practically in the classroom

With this learning set, learners dive deep into the world of industrial robotics and prepare specifically for the demands of today’s working world. They independently assemble two realistic six-axis robots and acquire basic knowledge in their programming. This practical approach not only imparts technical knowledge but also builds valuable practical skills that go beyond pure theory.

Age group

Secondary school

Number of female and male students

2-4 per modular system

Learning Objectives

Numerics, logic, development of solution strategies, computational thinking, engagement with basic elements of information processing (EVA principle - sensors, processing, actuators), programming, information technology

Time required

The students need approximately 120 minutes to build the model. For each subtask of the operating instructions, 60-90 minutes should be planned.

Product Information

Didactic accompanying material

Topics

Structure and functionality of an industrial robot, basic concepts of robotics

Modeling and calculation of driving behavior, navigation via motor pulses, point control

Mathematical description of the kinematics and kinetics of robots. Kinematics and dynamics of linear movements.

Coordinate systems

Understanding and using sensors and actuators

Programming: program structures (loops and conditions, variables), reuse of program parts, debugging

Teach-in programming

Robot components: gripper, vacuum gripper
Learning Objectives

Process-related competence: problem solving, being creative.

Mathematical and computer science competence: numerics, logic, development of solution strategies, computational thinking.

Personal and social competence: finding solutions together as a team.

Linguistic-communicative competence: development of technical terms, logical description of contexts

Content-related competence: dealing with basic elements of information processing (EVA principle - sensors, processing, actuators), programming, information technology
Time required

The students need about 120 minutes to assemble the model.

For each subtask of the operating instructions, 60-90 minutes should be planned.

Introduction to industrial robots

Industrial robots have become an integral part of the modern manufacturing industry. They are mostly used in factories to carry out repetitive tasks quickly and with high precision. In this introduction, we will look at their structure and basic functionality. We take a look at the history of their development and find out why industrial robots have become indispensable in many industries today.

Industrial robots consist of a robot arm that has various joints. A simple movement for us humans requires highly complex programming and control of multiple axes in a robot. Basically, the number and arrangement of the joints can vary depending on the robot model. However, the most common are articulated robots with six axes or degrees of freedom. The number of degrees of freedom indicates over how many independent movement possibilities the robot arm has. With six degrees of freedom, the robot can reach any point in space with any orientation. Reaching the point requires three degrees of freedom (namely the x, y, and z coordinates) and reaching any orientation requires three additional degrees of freedom (namely tilting in the x, y, and z directions). We will also get to know the structure and programming of such a 6-axis robot in this modular system.

In addition, there are numerous other designs of industrial robots for special applications, such as the very fast-moving SCARA robots and delta robots or cable robots for particularly large work areas.

Figure 1: Industrial robot with axes

The joints of an industrial robot are usually driven by powerful electric motors, as industrial robots often lift heavy components or tools. The current position of each individual joint is recorded via a position measuring system, and a special control system drives the electric motors so that the robot moves to the desired target point at the desired speed. In addition, industrial robots are equipped with a variety of sensors so that they can perceive their environment and perform their tasks safely and precisely. Depending on the application, cameras, tactile sensors, force sensors, or distance measurement sensors are used.

At the end of the robot arm is the tool, which can vary depending on the application:

Moving components: Mechanical grippers, vacuum grippers
Joining components: Punching pliers, welding pliers, glue gun
Assembly: Screwdriver
Measuring components: Laser measuring system, camera

Figure 2: Tools Industrial Robots

Some robots are even capable of automatically and independently changing their tools. To supply the tools with energy, industrial robots typically provide electrical connections or a connection to the compressed air system. The modular industrial robot is equipped with a vacuum gripper and can also be converted to a pneumatic gripper.

Depending on the specific application, industrial robots can perform various movements, from linear movements to rotational movements and complex motion patterns. The so-called path, i.e., the position of the tool over time, as well as the speed, are determined during the programming of the robot.

Industrial robots are controlled by pre-programmed instructions called robot programs. These programs are developed by technicians and engineers and contain a sequence of commands that control the robot arm and other components. Programming can be done on various logical levels: In low-level languages such as G-code, the individual target coordinates are programmed, which the robot moves to one after another. Teach-in-programming simplifies robot programming by having an operator first move the robot to the desired positions using a remote control and save each position („teach“). Afterwards, the robot can independently repeat the learned sequences of positions. With modern software, industrial robots can also be simulated and programmed in a virtual environment, and the program can be loaded onto the robot later. This so-called offline programming offers the advantage that the robot can perform another task simultaneously and thus remain productive. In this accompanying material, we will learn the individual steps from controlling a single axis to teach-in programming.

Figure 3: TeachIn Control

Industrial robots are used in a wide variety of designs in many areas:

Automotive Industry: Thanks to industrial robots, the body shop and painting in automobile manufacturing are almost fully automated. They are used, for example, for welding body parts, applying seals, or painting. The use of robots increases the efficiency, accuracy, and speed of production, thereby improving product quality and production capacity. At the same time, industrial robots relieve human workers by taking over the lifting of heavy loads and preventing people from being directly exposed to toxic fumes during welding.
Electrical Industry: In the electrical industry, industrial robots are used for manufacturing electronic components or assembling circuit boards. Their use enables fast and precise handling of tiny components, leading to increased productivity and quality. Furthermore, robots can also be used for automatic testing and quality assurance of electronic components.
Food Industry: Industrial robots are used in the food industry for processing and packaging food. This allows for a sterile and contamination-free working environment, thereby improving hygiene and thus the product quality of the food.
Medical Technology and Pharmaceutical Industry: They eliminate the risk of microbial contamination and radiation exposure of employees and streamline processes in pharmaceutical and drug development environments.
Logistics and Warehousing: In the logistics and warehousing sector, industrial robots can be used for order picking, packaging, and transporting goods. Robots can lift and move heavy loads, reducing the workload for employees and lowering the risk of injuries. In addition, they can increase efficiency in warehouses through automated processes and shorten delivery times.

Let’s summarize the reasons why industrial robots have become indispensable in so many industries today:

Improved Productivity: Industrial robots can perform repetitive tasks faster and more continuously than humans. They do not experience fatigue and can operate around the clock, increasing production speed and the overall performance of a production line.
Precision and Quality: Industrial robots are capable of performing tasks with extraordinary precision, leading to improved product quality. Their movements are reproducible and accurate, resulting in lower error rates and less scrap.
Safety: The use of industrial robots can take over dangerous or health-hazardous tasks from humans. This includes, for example, lifting heavy loads or handling hazardous materials. This relieves employees physically, reduces workplace accidents, and improves safety at work.
Flexibility: Industrial robots can be adapted to different tasks and production requirements. By changing the programming and exchanging tools, they can efficiently handle new tasks as well, enabling high flexibility in production.
Cost Savings: Although the acquisition costs for industrial robots can be high, investing in an industrial robot can lead to significant long-term cost savings. Industrial robots reduce the need for human labor and their precision lowers potential error costs. Due to these factors, the use of an industrial robot can pay off for a company.

Before industrial robots became an indispensable part of a modern factory today, we look back on a 70-year development history.

The birth of industrial robots dates back to the 1950s, when George Devol and Joseph Engelberger founded the world’s first robotics company „Unimation“ and developed the first industrial robot called „Unimate". Unimate was used in 1961 in an automobile factory in the USA to remove and separate injection-molded parts. With this breakthrough, Unimate revolutionized automobile manufacturing and opened up new possibilities for automating production processes.

In the following decades, industrial robots were continuously further developed and used worldwide. In the 1970s, more advanced control systems based on microprocessors emerged, which still form the basis of modern robot control today. During the 1980s, industrial robots became more flexible and have since been able to perform a variety of tasks such as assembly, painting, and material handling.

With technological progress, industrial robots have become increasingly intelligent and powerful. Advanced programming options enable them to perform more complex tasks and adapt to changing production requirements. The further development of industrial robots is driven in particular by the use of advanced sensors for environmental perception and artificial intelligence.

The research field of human-robot collaboration deals with the question of how robots can safely work together with humans. While industrial robots have so far mostly operated in fenced-off areas, the use of touch-sensitive sensors and cameras aims to reduce the distance to their human colleagues. Workplace safety naturally has the highest priority.

Another research area deals with the question of how industrial robots can learn movement independently and become less dependent on fixed programmed patterns. Despite their superiority in terms of speed, precision, and reliability, industrial robots so far rely on an exact programming of the movement sequence and therefore fail at seemingly everyday problems for which they have no program. A well-known example is the "grasp into the box," where a robot with a gripper must pick arbitrary objects out of a box.

How does the robot recognize where the individual objects are located without the positions being pre-programmed?
How can the robot securely grasp the objects without dropping them when lifting?
How strongly may the gripper be squeezed without damaging the object?

A human would solve these tasks with their sensitive hands as well as intuition and experience. Researchers want to transfer this principle to industrial robots: For this purpose, they investigate how robots can perceive their environment and respond to changing requirements using additional sensors and artificial intelligence. This is intended to make industrial robots even smarter in the future and enable them to independently handle complex tasks.