Bionic handling assistant
The Bionic Handling Assistant is a biomechatronic handling system . It serves as a gripping tool in direct human-machine contact. The system was developed by Festo together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) as part of the Bionic Learning Network .
Due to its compliance behavior and the associated safe contact between man and machine, the Bionic Handling Assistant was nominated for the German Future Prize 2010 - as one of three final projects. While conventional industrial robots are not allowed to come into contact with people and are separated by safety precautions such as cages, grids or protective fences, the Bionic Handling Assistant is harmless in the event of a collision or failure of electronics or control.
Construction and technology
The Bionic Handling Assistant consists of three basic elements for spatial movement as well as a joint axis and a gripper with three adaptive fingers that use fin-ray technology . The fin-ray effect uses the natural property of fish fins, which do not bend away when pressure is applied to the side, but rather arch against the direction of the force. The basic elements are three actuators (bellows), which are arranged in a circle and taper at an angle of 3 degrees. Each actuator is supplied with compressed air at the interfaces of the basic elements.
The device combines the technologies of bionics , pneumatics , mechatronics , handling technology and fast production . The individual components are made of polyamide using rapid prototyping . Technical data of the system are a length of 0.75 m with a maximum extension of 1.1 m. The weight is 1.8 kg. With 13 actuators 11 degrees of freedom are achieved.
Working method and application
The work is done with compressed air, valves control the compressed air in the individual actuators so that the arm is deflected into the desired movement. The reset occurs through the loop-like construction of the actuators, which act like a tension spring after the compressed air has been released. Cable potentiometers on the outside of the actuators record their length and are used to control the system in the room. In the joint axis, three further actuators are arranged around a ball joint. Their actuation causes an angle adjustment of the gripper of up to 30 degrees. Sensors ensure that the distances are detected and enable precise alignment. With eleven degrees of freedom, it is possible to easily reach any place in your workspace with the device.
Areas of application are industry and workshops, such as agricultural technology, households, learning facilities and laboratories. The handling is characterized primarily by structural flexibility; In the event of a collision, the robot gives in or selects an alternative sequence of movements, thus enabling real human-technology cooperation.
research
Outside the Bionic Learning Network, the Bionic Handling Assistant is currently available as a research platform for the University of Bielefeld and the University of Stuttgart . The main research areas there are the modeling and learning control of the robot.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Inventors from the state nominated for an innovation Oscar. In: Die Welt from September 21, 2010.
- ↑ Exemplary elephant trunk - a high-tech helper for industry and household ( memento of the original from September 26, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Nomination for the German Future Prize 2010.
- ↑ The Bionic Handling Assistant - move flexibly and flexibly on the Festo website
- ↑ Bionic handling assistant at Bielefeld University ( Memento of the original from February 28, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Bionic handling assistant at the University of Stuttgart ( memento of the original from February 24, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Arne Nordmann: A robot trunk learns like a baby. In: botzeit.de. May 26, 2013, accessed on February 28, 2020 (German).
