- Start: 01/11/2019
- End: 30/04/2023
The ambition of the MERGING project is to build a versatile, easy-to-use and low-cost robotic solution and provide manufacturers with an end-to-end solution for the automation of tasks involving the handling of flexible or fragile objects. It will consist of an optimized dexterous gripper equipped with an adaptive electro-adhesive skin. Electro-adhesion will increase the attraction forces between the gripper fingers and the object. The skin will also have ability to conform to the objects to handle in order to rise the contact surface. Both will allow reducing the gripper’s clamping forces and avoid damaging them, while rising the overall gripping efficiency of the so enhanced dexterous gripper. MERGING solution will include firstly perception and supervision functions to adapt the system’s behaviour in real time to the execution conditions and to the possibly high variability of the flexible object’s behaviour during the task, and secondly control abilities to make safer the human or multi-robot co-manipulation of the flexible object. It will also propose functions for robot system easy programming to make it accessible to non-specialists, like in SME’s.
To demonstrate the performance of the robotic solution and the possibilities of scaling it up, the system will be designed using proven laboratory technologies (TRL 4), then carry out proof of concept in realistic environments (TRL 6) in three different applications and sectors: fabric handling for lingerie manufacturing, technical fiber handling for composite bus panel manufacturing, plastic bag handling for the food industry.
AIMEN is in charge of the development of the perception system, both for process and safety, and the control of the whole system.
- Sectors: Composite manufacturing, Food packaging, Textile
- R&D&i: Advanced robotic solutions for industrial applications, Robotics for logistics
- Partners: AIMEN Centro Tecnológico, SYMVOULOI KAI PROIONTA LOGISMIKOU AE, SELMARK, ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE, PANEPISTIMO PATRON, IPC - Centre Technique Industriel de la Plasturgie et des Composites, VDL Fibertech Industries, THIMONNIER SAS, THE SHADOW ROBOT COMPANY ESPAÑA, S.L.U., THE SHADOW ROBOT COMPANY LIMITED - SHADOW, GTIE INDUSTRIE - ACTEMIUM
- Acronym: MERGING
- Ambit: International
- Web: http://www.merging-project.eu/
FEDER