APRIL H2020 Midterm Integration: A Milestone in Robotic Hand Development

Mia Hand from Prensilia as part of the Robotic Hand Development pursued from the ConsortiumThe mid-term integration held in Alicante marked a milestone for APRIL H2020, signifying the culmination of extensive efforts in the robotic hand development. This pivotal stage represented more than just the integration of various components; it was a testament to the collaborative spirit and dedication of the Consortium partners who made this ambitious endeavor possible.

The integration process involved meticulous coordination and collaboration among multiple teams comprising the APRIL Consortium. Each partner brought unique expertise and resources to the table, contributing to the collective goal of advancing the development of the final result.

The outcome of the mid-term integration was both intense and gratifying on many levels:

  •  it was confirmed the the readiness of APRIL system modules for deployment on the target machine and their seamless interaction with one another;
  • operational tests focusing on usage of external hardware components provided by the use case owner (INESCOP) were completed successfully. The tests involved two of APRIL modules: INESCOP ROS driver (a key component of ISIM, Interactive and Sensory Interface Module) and High-level Control Engine Module (HICEM), who used behavior tree based models to control the INESCOP hardware and execute all the related industrial cycle steps;
  • the planning models of Knowledge Reasoning Engine Module (KREM), as well as the behavior models of High-level Control Engine Module (HICEM) were verified against the actual use case hardware setup and refined;
  • the high-level layer of the system (reasoning and control) was successfully integrated with the low-level execution layer. They were tested together for the first time in the operational environment, and for the first time they cooperate together to grasp a deformable object (in INESCOP use case it was an insole and an insole bag);
  • robot to human interface was tested for the first time in the operational environment. Valuable feedback was collected, what will allow to refine the interface before the first operational tests with human worker involved.

In addition to these accomplishments, the mid-term integration phase also saw the development, improvement, and testing of various auxiliary tools essential to the overall functionality and performance of the APRIL system.

Looking ahead, the successful outcomes of the mid-term integration serve as a starting point to the collective expertise, dedication, and collaborative spirit driving the APRIL H2020 project forward. As the project progresses, the integration of innovative technologies and the refinement of operational processes will continue to pave the way for advancements in specialized robotics.