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In an industrial robotic cell, the optimal layout planning problem needs critical analysis, as it indirectly affects the manufacturing time and cost involved in the production process. This paper aims to propose a generic three-step robotic cell layout planning method and aims to enhance the adaptability of robotic manufacturing cell in small-scale industries.

The method uses the data generated from the point cloud modeling and simulation of the objects (machines and robot) to optimize their positions and orientations in the cell. The simulated annealing algorithm has been used to solve the optimization problem with minimum joint displacement criterion. This approach is critically analyzed and discussed against the data collected from an industrial robotic cell in a foundry shop of a pipe manufacturing industry.

More than 50 per cent reduction in the net joint movement of the robot has been achieved. Immediate feedback of the results by a three-dimensional view of the optimal cell layout without using any commercial robotic simulation package.

The layout optimization of an industrial robotic cell based on the point cloud modeling of its objects is the novelty of the method.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the advantages of a robotic time‐lapsed microscopic imaging system for tracking stem cells in in vitro biological assays which measure stem cell activities.

The unique aspects of the system include robotic movement of stem cell culture flasks which enables selection of a large number of regions of interest for data collection. Numerous locations of a cell culture flask can be explored and selected for time‐lapsed analysis. The system includes an environmentally controlled chamber to maintain experimental conditions including temperature, gas levels, and humidity, such that stem cells can be tracked by visible and epifluorescence imaging over extended periods of time.

This is an extremely unique system for both individual cell tracking and cell population tracking in real‐time with high‐throughput experimental capability. In comparison to a conventional manual cell culture and assay approach, this system provides stem cell biologists with the ability to quantify numerous and unique temporal changes in stem cell populations, this drastically reduces man‐hours, consumes fewer laboratory resources and provides standardization to biological assays.

Fundamental basic biology questions can be addressed using this approach.

Stem cells are often available only in small numbers – due both to their inherent low frequency in the post‐natal tissue as compared to somatic cells, and their slow growth rates. The unique capabilities of this robotic cell culture system allow for the study of cell populations which are few in number.

The robotic time‐lapsed imaging system is a novel approach to stem cell research.

The robot offers interesting capabilities, but suffers from a lack of stiffness. The proposed solution is to introduce redundancies for the overall improvement of different capabilities. The management of redundancy associated with the definition of a set of kinematic, mechanical and stiffness criteria enables path planning to be optimized.

The resolution method is based on the projection onto the kernel of the Jacobian matrix of the gradient of an objective function constructed by aggregating kinematic, mechanical and stiffness weighted criteria. Optimized redundancy management is applied to the 11-DoF (degrees of freedom) cells to provide an efficient placement of turntable and track. The final part presents the improvement of the various criteria applied to both 9-DoF and 11-DoF robotic cells.

The first application concerns the optimized placement of a turntable and a linear track using 11-DoF architecture. Improved criteria for two 9-DoF robotic cells, a robot with parallelogram closed loop and a Tricept are also presented. Simulation results present the contributions of redundancies and the leading role of the track.

The redundancy-based optimization presented and the associated simulation approach must be completed by the experimental determination of the optimization criteria to take into account each machining strategy.

This work in robotics machining relates to milling operations for automotive and aerospace equipment. The study is carried out within the framework of the RobotEx Equipment of Excellence programme.

The resolution method to optimized path planning is applied to 9- and 11-DoF robotic cells, including a hybrid robot with a parallelogram closed loop and a Tricept PKM.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of finishing robot technology and its applications.

The paper initially considers the development of automated finishing technologies and then discusses robotic systems. The uses of robotic finishing are illustrated through reference to a range of applications and case histories and a final section summarises the key benefits of the technology.

The paper shows that robotic finishing is being adopted by a range of industries including the aerospace, automotive, medical and household goods sectors. The technology has been shown to yield significant benefits, notably improved productivity, cost reductions, more consistent quality and reduced reject levels.

The paper provides a useful insight into robotic finishing and illustrates the key applications and benefits of the technology.

This paper deals with the problem of developing a low cost remote supervisory control system with multimedia features of distributed robotic cells. The distributed robotic cells are locally controlled by different vendor systems. In the automated factories, a low cost and not isochronous backbone network is usually installed to transfer process data from the production level to the other ones. The proposed architectural prototype makes possible on different remote platforms a supervisory control with full process database access and field audio/video signal. The case of field vocal messages and animated plant synoptic using the low cost factory backbone network has been considered. On the remote station it is possible to use commercial supervisory control applications. A first case study, the remote supervision of a robotic cell, installed in the University of Naples, has given satisfying results. In addition, this application has shown the possibility of using the prototype for educational and research purposes, making available remote access to laboratories.

During the casting of steel components, burrs and other unwanted material are formed which need to be removed in the deburring process. This is usually effected manually in what is an unpleasant, monotonous, strenuous and even a dangerous task. Robotic deburring can overcome these disadvantages, but many problems must be addressed before this becomes the normal practice because of the complexity of the process. One of the major concerns in all robotic deburring applications is the time that it presently takes to program the robot. It is universally recognised that off‐line programming offers very many advantages and enormous benefits are to be gained; however, to date there are very few if any successful applications. The research being conducted at Sunderland aims to address several of the problems associated with off‐line programming of robots. Some of the problems are particular to the industrial collaborators’ robotic workcell; however, the main concern is in developing an accuracy compensation method in order that “so called” off‐line programming software can be applied.

The main purpose of a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) is simultaneously to process parts with small to medium lot sizes and high varieties. The rule despatching problem in a Flexible Manufacturing Cell (FMC) is examined using a simulation model. This is based on an algorithm for dynamically selecting the best despatching rule according to the current system status. Comparison between simulation runs with and without dynamic rule despatching shows that the proposed algorithm gives a better overall performance.

Examines the use of robots for printed circuit board assembly with particular reference to the growing trend of mixing surface‐mount and through‐hole technology on to a single board. Describes the flexibility of today’s robotic cells, with one system capable of assembling a range of PCBs, making changes to board assembly by changing the software instead of the hardware. Looks at the various end effectors for robotic assembly of PCBs, including a new type of gripper which can handle all variations of circuit boards without having to make tooling or gripper changes.