AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS

ROBOTICS
Engr Haider-e-Karar
Teaching Assistant
Mehran University of Engineering and Technology
Engr Haider-e-Karar

ROBOTICS - PHILOSOPHICAL
CONSIDERATIONS
During the last century, the modern science grew at a fast pace
in "stages" given below.
First stage - Invention of tools.
Second stage - Invention of steam and I.C. engines.
Third stage - Technological development; a brand of numerically
controlled (NC) machines came into existence in the early 1950s.
Fourth stage - Invention of computers/microprocessors etc.;
development of computer numerically controlled (CNC)
machines.
Final stage - Development of concept of Robotics. Robotics,
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ROBOTICS
conceptually, differs from conventional automation in
the following respects:
Its ability to perform on its own, going to the extent of
unmanning several operations.
To relieve man of tedious and mindless, repetitive and
hazardous jobs.

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Important Areas of Robotics

The important areas of robotics are :
1. Prosthesis : It deals with artificial replacements for parts of
human body
2. Exoskeletons : It deals with frames which surround the human
limbs or frames and devices and means (or amplification of
available power).
3. Telecherics: It is concerned with remote manipulation.
4. Locomotive devices : This area deals with robots designed to
walk on legs
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DEFINITION AND ADVANTAGES OF

ROBOTICS
Definition : Robotics may be defined as follows :
"Robotics is the science of designing and building robots suitable
for real-life applications in automated manufacturing and other
non-manufacturing environments.
OR
"Robotics is the art, knowledge base and know how of designing,
applying and using robots in the human endeavors."

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Advantages of Robotics
Robotics is an interdisciplinary subject that benefits from
mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering,
computer science, and several other disciplines.
Advantages : The main advantages of robotics are
Reliability
Increased flexibility.
Low cost in the long run

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MOTIVATING FACTORS FOR THE

INTRODUCTION OF ROBOTICS
The following are the factors which vouch for the introduction of
robotics systems to the industrial world :
1. Improved quality of products.
2. Lesser preparation time than hard automation.
3. Lower rejects and less waste than labor intensive production.
4. Higher flexibility of product type and variation.
5. Skilled labor shortage.
6. Constant demand for improvement in quality.
7. Rising costs.
8. Pressure to increase production rates to compete the market.

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ROBOT
The origin of word 'robot' is in the Czech word 'robota' meaning
either a slave or a mechanical item that would help its master.
A robot therefore carries out the task done by a human being.
The word "robot always refers to an automated multifunctional
manipulator that works by energy, to perform a variety of tasks.
A robot is any mechanical device operated automatically to
perform in a seemingly human way.
By this definition, a garage door opener, which automatically
opens the door by remote control is also a robot; obviously this is
not an industrial robot.

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ROBOT
Robot, once a creature of science fiction, is today a reality. It is
the off-shoot of the second industrial revolution.
A robot by virtue of its programmability and versatility is
productive, dynamic and flexible to an extent.
Robots range from toys to automated assembly lines.

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Definition of a Robot
Definition of a Robot A robot may be defined as follows : The
definition adopted by International Standards Organization (ISO)
and agreed upon by most of the users and manufacturers is :

"An industrial robot is an automatic, servo-controlled, freely

programmable, multipurpose manipulator, with several areas for
the handling of work-pieces, tools or special devices. Variably
programmed operations make the execution of a multiplicity of
tasks possible.
OR

"A robot is an automatic device that performs functions normally

ascribed to humans or a machine in the form of a human."

Definition of a Robot
OR
"A robot is a software-controllable mechanical device
that uses sensors to guide one or more end-effectors
through programmed motions in a work piece in order to
manipulate physical objects.
So long as the evolution of robotics continues, the definition of
robot will change from time to time depending on the
technological advances in its sensory capability and intelligence
level
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ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

OF ROBOTS
Following are the advantages and disadvantages of
employing robots Advantages :
1. Lifting and moving heavy objects.
2. Working in hostile environments.
3. Providing repeatability and consistency.
4. Working during unfavorable hours.
5. Performing dull or monotonous jobs.
6. Increasing productivity, safety, efficiency and quality of
products.
7. Achieving more accuracy than human beings.
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Disadvantages
Disadvantages :
1. The robots lack capability to respond in emergencies.
2. The initial and installation costs of equipment's of robots are
quite high.
3. They replace human workers, thus causing resentment
among workers.

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Robotic System
A system is an integral whole of parts or subsystems. It has a
specific goal or output for a given set of inputs; a system may
have many goals as well.
A "robot' is a system as it combines several subsystems that
interact themselves as well as with the environment in which the
robot works. A robot has some specific objective. It may be
designed for the following jobs/ assignments :
1. To simply pick up and place the work pieces
2. To interact with and work load a lathe, a milling machine or any
equipment;
3. To perform some assembly work
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Robotic System
To accomplish these assignments a robot should have the following
"components" : A suitable manipulator arm with specified coordinate
systems to attain a designed reach in the working space.
A suitable gripper to match the geometry of the work piece to be handled.
A suitable control system with or without servo-mechanisms for sending
signals to the drives, or permitting storage of programs and data for
desired path planning with adequate speed and good accuracy.
Some sensors to feed back information for modifying the motion or path.
A controller is provided with interfacing units connected to external
equipment in the outside world. Fig. shows a scheme of robotic system.

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Robotic System

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Robot components
Refer to above Fig. The various components of a robot
are enumerated and discussed below :
1. Base
2. Manipulator arm
3. End-effector
4. Actuators and transmissions
5. Controller
6. Sensors

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Robot Components
1. Base : The base may be fixed or mobile
2. Manipulator arm :
The most obvious mechanical configuration of the robot is the
manipulator arm. There are several designs of the arm to
facilitate movement within the work envelope with maximum
possible load and speed with high precision and repeatability.
The simplest robot may be a two or three-axes arm. The axis
is meant to understand independent movement or degree of
freedom (DOF)

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Manipulator arm
A robotic manipulator arm consists of several separate links making a chain. The
arm is located relative to the ground on either a fixed base or a movable base.
It has a free-end where an end-deflector or gripper or sometimes a specialized
tool holder (for holding, say, a welding gun) or any powered device (say, a drill) is
attached
In a fixed base, six degrees of freedom robot, the first three links of the
manipulator constitute the body and they help to place the end-effector at a
desired location inside its work environment or working volume.
The remaining three links make up the wrist of the manipulator and are used to
define the orientation of the manipulator end points
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3. End-effector
Robot end-effector is the gripper or end of arm tooling
mounted on the wrist of the robot manipulator arm.
A robot performs a variety of tasks for which various
tooling and special grippers are required to be designed.
A robot manipulator is flexible and adaptable, but its
end-effector is task-specific.
A gripper designed for picking up a tool to be fitted to
a CNC machine tool is not suitable for welding a railway
vegan.
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4. Actuators and Transmissions:

Actuators : The robot arm can be put to a desired
motion with its payload if actuator modules are fitted in
to provide power drives to the systems.
There are three different types of power drives in
common use. They are :
1) Pneumatic drives
2) Hydraulic Drives
3) Electric Drives

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4. Actuators and Transmissions:

1) Pneumatic drives :
These systems use compressed air to move the robot arm
The pneumatic systems may employ a linear actuator, i.e.,
double acting cylinders or it may employ rotary actuators like
vane motors
However, linear actuators are more popular
The "advantages" of pneumatic actuators are : Simple
construction, relatively inexpensive, fast and reliable.
The "disadvantages" of pneumatic system are smaller
payloads
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4. Actuators and Transmissions:

2) Hydraulic drives:
In a hydraulic system, the electric motor pumps fluid (oil) from
a reserve tank to the hydraulic actuators which are, in
general, double acting piston-cylinder assemblies.
Fluid at a higher pressure passes through control valves
before its entry into the linear actuators. On the other hand,
rotary actuator comprising some motors or hydraulic motors
which rotate continuously may also be employed
The hydraulic drives have high pay load capacities and
relatively easy to maintain
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4. Actuators and Transmissions:

3) Electrical drives :
These drives are clean and quiet with a high degree of
accuracy and reliability
They also offer a wide range of payload capacity,
accompanied by an equally wide range of costs
D.C. servo motors, Brushless D.C. motors, Reversible A.C.
servo motors and Stepper motors are important electrical
drives.

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4. Actuators and Transmissions:

Transmissions : "Transmissions" are elements
between the actuators and the joints of the mechanical
linkage.
They are generally used for the following three reasons :
1. Often the actuator output is not directly suitable for driving
the robot linkage
2. The output of the actuator may be kinematically different
from the joint motion
3. The actuators are usually big and heavy and often it is not
practical to locate the actuator at the joint.
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5. Controller
The "controller" provides the intelligence that is necessary to control
the manipulator system. It looks at the sensory information and
computes the control commands that must be sent to the actuators
to carry out the specified tasks
It generally includes :
1. Memory to store the control program and the state of the robot
system obtained from the sensors
2. A computational unit that computes the control commands
3. The appropriate hardware to interface with the external world
(sensors and actuators)
4. The hardware for a user interface.
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Basic Motions
The six basic motions or degrees of freedom (DOFs) are as follows :
Refer to Fig. 1.1
1. Vertical motion. The entire manipulator arm can be moved up
and down vertically either by means of the shoulder swivel, i.e.
turning it about a horizontal axis, or by sliding it in a vertical slide.
2. Radial motion. Radial movement, i.e., in and out movements, to
the manipulator arm is provided by Elbow extension by extending
it and drawing back.
3. Rotational motion. Clockwise or anticlockwise rotation about
the vertical axis to the manipulator arm is provided through arm
sweep.
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Engr Haider-e-Karar

4. Pitch motion. It enables up and down movement of

the wrist and involves rotational movement as well. It
is also known as wrist bend.
5. Roll motion. Also known as wrist swivel, it enables
rotation of wrist.
6. Yaw. Also called wrist yaw, it facilitates rightward or
leftward swiveling movement of the wrist.

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END OF LECTURE

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