Assignment

Prepared By
Mayank Bohra 2021BTech072

Submitted To
Dr. Rajlakshmi Nayak
Dr. Mahesh Kumar Yadav

Course ME1226: Introduction to Robotics

November 2023
1) Robots are widely used in manufacturing, assembly and packing,
transport, earth and space exploration, surgery, weaponry, laboratory
research, and mass production of consumer and industrial goods.

I am the head of the robotics and automation division in a Drone

manufacturing Company. I am tasked to find the feasibility of installing a
robot to increase the production and reduce the manpower in assembling the
drone frames. Following are my considerations:

Advantages of using a robot

Robots can assemble drone frames with greater precision and
consistency than human workers, leading to a more and reliable
product.
Robots can work tirelessly without breaks or fatigue, resulting in a
significant increase in drone frame assembly throughput.
As robots can perform tasks that were previously done by human
workers, there is a potential for significant savings in labor costs.

Technical challenges of using a robot

Robots can be expensive to purchase and install, and there may be
significant upfront costs associated with training and programming
the robot.
Robots can be complex to set up and program, and it may require
specialized expertise to maintain and troubleshoot them.
Robots may not be as flexible as human workers in adapting to
changes in the drone design or dealing with unexpected
manufacturing defects.

Payback time and economic viability

The payback time for installing a robot to perform drone frame
assembly depends on a number of factors, including the cost of the
robot, the savings in labor costs, and the increase in drone frame
assembly throughput. In general, robots can be a cost-effective
investment for drone manufacturing companies, particularly for high-
volume production tasks.
 Safety requirements
Robots must be shielded from human workers to prevent accidents.
Workers must be trained to work safely around robots and
understand the potential hazards.
Robots must have emergency stop buttons that can be quickly
activated in case of a hazard.

Socio-economic aspects of robotization

As robots take over tasks that were previously done by human
workers, there is a risk of job displacement.
The increasing use of robots may require workers to develop new
skills to remain employed.
The introduction of robots can change the dynamics of the workplace
and may require workers to adapt to new ways of working.

Based on the above analysis, I recommend that the company install a robot
to perform drone frame assembly. The robot is expected to provide
significant advantages in terms of precision, consistency, productivity, and
safety. The payback time for the investment is estimated to be within two
years, and the company is expected to realize significant savings in labor
costs. While there are potential socio-economic impacts associated with the
use of robots, the company can mitigate these impacts through retraining
programs and other initiatives.

2) Robot programming is the method of inputting specific instructions for a

robot to carry out automated tasks. Instructions are entered into the robot’s
control system which then moves the motors, or actuators, on each axis. The
program dictates what the robot does, and enables robotic equipment to
perform specific actions within a manufacturing, processing, logistics or
packaging line.
 Feature Robot Programming General Programming

Subject to strict real-

time constraints due
Typically not subject to
Real-time to the need for
strict real-time
Constraints immediate responses
constraints.
to stimuli and
actions.

Involves integrating
sensor data into
Typically does not
Sensor Data control logic for
involve sensor data
Integration informed decision-
integration.
making based on the
environment.

Involves controlling
actuators (motors,
Typically does not
Actuator servos) to perform
involve actuator
Control specific tasks like
control.
manipulating objects
or navigating paths.

Common ROS (Robot Operating

Visual Studio, IntelliJ
Development System), MATLAB,
IDEA, Eclipse
Environments Simulink

Web development,
Robotics,
Typical mobile app
automation, control
Applications development, software
systems
development
The three methods of programming robots in simpler terms are:

Teaching Pendant
It is a handheld device that looks like a big calculator used to teach
robots tasks. One moves the robot step-by-step and save each
position using buttons.
Good for simple movements like painting straight lines.
Halts all operations using the robot during programming. Requires
training to use and might be tough for those not into programming.

Simulation/Offline Programming
Programming done on a computer simulation of the robot and its
tasks before applying it to the real robot.
Reduces robot downtime for programming. It allows testing different
approaches efficiently.
Simulation may not perfectly match real-world conditions. Takes
extra time to develop and test the simulation.

Teaching by Demonstration
Programming by physically moving the robot or using a joystick-like
device. Records each position in the robot's memory.
It is faster than traditional methods like the teaching pendant.
Intuitive for operators without programming knowledge.
Doesn't reduce downtime like offline programming. Tricky for precise
movements and algorithmic tasks.

3) Robot Operating System (ROS), despite its name, is not an Operating

System. Its a flexible framework for building robot applications. It provides a
set of tools, libraries, and communication protocols that simplify the process
of developing and deploying robotic software.
ROS is necessary because developing robot software can be complex and
time-consuming. ROS provides a number of features that make it easier to
develop robot software, including:
ROS applications are made up of independent modules called nodes.
This makes it easy to reuse code and to combine modules from different
sources.
ROS provides a publish-subscribe communication system that makes it
easy for nodes to exchange data.
ROS provides a number of tools for developing, testing, and deploying
robot applications.

Nodes: The camera sensor, the sonar sensor, and the motor are all
represented by ROS nodes. A node is a process that runs on a computer
and publishes or subscribes to topics.

Topics: The camera sensor publishes a topic called `/camera/image`, which

contains the latest image from the camera. The sonar sensor publishes a
topic called `/sonar/range`, which contains the latest range measurement
from the sonar. The motor subscribes to a topic called `/motor/command`,
which contains commands for the motor.

When a node publishes a topic, it is sending data to all of the nodes that are
subscribed to that topic. Nodes can subscribe to multiple topics.

In the example above, the camera node publishes the `/camera/image`

topic. The image processing node subscribes to this topic and receives the
latest image from the camera. The image processing node then processes
the image and publishes a new topic, `/camera/processed_image`, which
contains the processed image. The motor node subscribes to the
`/motor/command` topic and receives commands for the motor. The motor
node then controls the motor based on the received commands.
Communication and Decision Making

ROS makes it easy for nodes to communicate with each other and share
sensor data. This makes it possible for robots to make decisions based on a
variety of sensor inputs.

In the example above, the image processing node receives the latest image
from the camera and the sonar node receives the latest range measurement
from the sonar. The image processing node can then use this information to
identify objects in the environment and track their movements. The sonar
node can use this information to detect obstacles and avoid collisions. The
information from both of the nodes can then be combined to make decisions
about how to move the robot.

Basic Architecture of ROS

A ROS system typically consists of the following components:

ROS Master: The ROS Master is responsible for managing the

communication between nodes. It keeps track of which nodes are
subscribed to which topics and routes messages between nodes.

Nodes: Nodes are the basic building blocks of ROS applications. They
publish or subscribe to topics and perform the actual work of the
application.

Topics: Topics are the data channels that nodes use to communicate
with each other. A topic has a name and a data type.

Messages: Messages are the data that is published to and subscribed

to by nodes. A message has a data type and a set of fields.
References

1)
https://www.mdpi.com/2218-6581/10/1/6
https://www.robotics247.com/article/robotics_feasibility_study_can_help_
integration_return_on_investment
https://info.qii.ai/blog/robots-and-drones-are-changing-the-industrial-
inspection-industry

2)
https://robocademy.com/2020/06/25/what-is-robot-programming/
https://www.educba.com/robotics-and-coding/
https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/what-difference-between-robot-
programming

3)
https://ubuntu.com/robotics/what-is-ros
https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/what-some-key-features-benefits-ros-
robot-operating-system
https://www.electronicdesign.com/markets/automation/article/21214053/
electronic-design-ros-2-explained-overview-and-features