The goal of this use case is to establish a safe and efficient collaboration between robots and workers at PEMU, producer of viscoelastic pillows. Manipulating pillows of different sizes and materials will present the biggest challenge for the robotic manipulator. Introducing a robot into the workflow will lead to faster operation and improved quality monitoring.
Manual quality monitoring is error-prone and tiring, especially when performed in an environment with elevated temperatures resulting from the moulding process. As part of the project, a new, more efficient workflow will be devised that allows human and robot to each contribute with their respective strengths. It is paramount that the worker will learn to trust the robotic collaborator, feel safe and be unburdened.
The pillows that are being manufactured differ in sizes and materials and can be considered soft or very soft. Consequently, the robot needs to be able to efficiently identify and handle these different pliant objects.
Below, find some photos representing how the task is done currently.
