The development of an improved control methodology for a robotics assembly cell using a AI-based sensory systems

The uncertainty in the location of parts is a major problem in automated assembly systems. Although robots are reprogrammable and can easily adapt to product change, the robotic assembly system, just like the dedicated assembly system, faces the same problem of resolving the uncertainty in the part´s location. Surrounding the robots with costly and inflexible feeders and fixtures increases the total system cost and reduces the flexibility of the entire system. This research work has focused on the development of an artificial intelligence cell which can accommodate flexible assembly tasks. The system comprises a Fanuc S-Model-O robot, and a vision system that uses artificial intelligence, and which is located at the robot end-effector. Overall control of the system is provided by a knowledge based expert system which makes decisions according to the data acquired and processed by the vision system