I have a component which is semicircle in shape. The component is kept in a box so that the arc surface of semicircle is at top. A robot has to pick the component and should keep it on a conveyor belt and conveyor belt will lead that component to a laser engraving machine.
My question is what is the step by step process that I have to do? I don,t have enough experience in robotics. Which robot should I buy and how to program it? Which software I have to learn to do the task described above
I think the best option for your project would be a Robot Arm/Manipulator. There are many options in those links but the choice will depend on the precision you need for the project, the weight of the objects it would have to carry, and of course your budget.
I suggest you give a look at the models available and if you are interested in one but are not sure about it, you can ask for more guidance.
Finally, I think you should give a look at the following models:
Can you run something like an inline conveyor serial/lot number printer where the item flows through a choke point and is engraved like an inline serial/lot number printing machine?
You can have something created that will orientate the packaging for consistency for etching purposes.
First of all, thank you for your answer. I would like to explain a few more things about the task which I need to complete. The component which robot needs to pick from the box is of hollow semicircular in shape. The robot should place the component on to the conveyor belt by keeping only the curve surface on top, not the hollow surface. So, that means, all the component in the box should also be in the same position so that robot picks it up without any difficulty. But, I want to also achieve the task if the components in the box are not in the right position by accident. In that case, the robot has to rotate the component, make it in a position so that curve surface is on top again and pick and place on a conveyor belt. I was thinking, to achieve such a task, I need to set-up a camera on the robot so that the robot scans the component and make necessary changes in its position. Do you have any robot in which one can install a camera?
Can one use “uArm xArm 5 Lite Robotic Arm” to achieve the above-explained task?
It sounds like a great project, it would be great if you could share it in the Robots section!
Do you have any robot in which one can install a camera?
The answer is yes, most uArms arms allow adding a camera module. In fact, the uArm models have some nice add-ons that you might be interested in like the Vision Camera Kit, a Conveyor Belt and the Laser Engraving Kit. Even the xArm models have some add-ons too, like the following:
I was thinking of a much simpler solution. You have “pucks” made that compliment your item/packaging that auto orient the item in the correct position as it goes through the laser. This is just a simple puck used for filling packaging, but you can design a puck that works with the odd shape of your product:
What is the lifetime of xArm? I did not understand what is xArm camera module? Is this the camera? Does that mean xArm does not have an in-build camera and its a part of accessories that I have to buy separately?
Do you mean that the blue part shown in the picture is a “puck”? My parts goes in laser engraving machine. If I use a puck then the puck will go in laser engraving machine too and then a man would be needed to bring it back on a conveyor belt. The whole idea of my project is to eliminate man and all work should be done by robot.
Sorry if I misunderstood what you were trying to explain.
The weight of the component is 40 grams.
Please find the attached photograph. The picture shows the concave surface of the component which is the ideal position. At this position, the robot should be able to pick it and place it on a conveyor belt. But if the component is reversed i.e. the top surface is convex, then the robot should understand to rotate it, make the top surface again concave and the pick it place it on a conveyor belt.
To execute such a process, which robot would be suitable uArm or xArm? Does xArm have a camera for image recognition?
Which area of the object gets engraved? The flat portion (bottom), side or top of the convex area?
My original thought was that the laser engraving machine was in-line with the conveyor system, not a separate area. Pucks are utilized for both product orientation and stability during the conveyor process. Companies design pucks to normalize the processing of non-standard packaging /items for printing, labeling, filling and capping (to name a few).
How far is the end of the conveyor to the start of the engraver?
Can the product be picked up utilizing air as suction /vacuum?
Depending on the distance, you can use a a mechanical arm that has vacuum /suction device…
You can put something in-line on the original feed conveyor that ensures that the product always has the flat side down. Possibly something something as simple as a hook on a hinge that will help flip the product if it’s upside-down or if the product is correct, it will just glide over the top. I believe that the proper term is “part flipper”.
How far is the end of the conveyor to the start of the engraver?
Around 1 - 1.5 m.
Can the product be picked up utilizing air as suction /vacuum?
I want to use a suction cup in the robot so that the robot can pick the component.
You can put something in-line on the original feed conveyor that ensures that the product always has the flat side down. Possibly something as simple as a hook on a hinge that will help flip the product if it’s upside-down or if the product is correct, it will just glide over the top. I believe that the proper term is “part flipper”.
I was thinking about doing this task by using the same robot by using an image recognition technique. My concern is that after the robot has scanned the image and recognized that the component is upside down, how can the robot flip or turn the component and keep it at the right position on the conveyor belt?
The manufacturer of the xArm doesn’t state a precise lifetime but according to the specifications it seems to be a very robust and durable manipulator.
With a payload of 2 kg and the length of 691 mm, xArm touts repeatability of +/- 0.2 mm
xArm integrates the current feedback combined with the dynamics compensation to sense the force precisely, if any collision happened, xArm will detect it and stop the moving in 0.5 s. (* Collision detection is available on xArm 6/xArm 7, but not available on xArm 5 Lite.)
xArm is crafted with carbon-fiber which is 50% lighter compared with the industrial robot, which not only delivers optimal robustness and but also endows it with great flexibility
IP Classification: IP54 / ISO Class Cleanroom: 5
The ambient temperature of xArm is 0-50 °C
Does that mean xArm does not have an in-build camera and its a part of accessories that I have to buy separately?
Yes, the camera module has to be purchased separately.
The camera add-on is available for both products as well, for the uArm it would be the Vision Camera Kit. The xArm doesn’t include the camera module but it can be purchased separately.
I was thinking about doing this task by using the same robot by using an image recognition technique. My concern is that after the robot has scanned the image and recognized that the component is upside down, how can the robot flip or turn the component and keep it at the right position on the conveyor belt?
I was thinking that you could skip the camera module and maybe just use an ultrasonic sensor before the robotic arm to verify that the component is in the correct position.
yes, it can be used in that way but if the component is upside down, can the robot will be able to still pick it and place on a conveyor rotating it 180 degrees so that it is at the right position now?
I have a doubt how can it pick it and place it by rotating it 180 degree upside down with stability?
I think, I have to think about the orientation and the picking coordinates. The robot should understand both this parameters to grab the component at the right place . Can this be achieved with xArm. Can xArm is able to recognize orientation as well as picking coordinates of the component? if not, what can be done to achieve this task?
@Vedant99 are there any mechanisms in place that stops these items from stacking whether they are upright or upside-down? Orientation doesn’t seem like an issue to me as you can probably create a mechanical option to “flip” the item to correct it’s orientation.
As @bmoscato said, I don’t think rotating the objects will be a problem, you could simply program the robot to pick the object from the side and flip it to the right position.
The only thing that seems a bit more difficult (but not really) is detecting if the objects need to be rotated or not. As I said before you could use an ultrasonic sensor to detect if they are upside down or not and according to that information program the robot to do a different rutine.
There are many other solutions for detecting if the objects are in the correct position, like the one suggested by @bmoscato. You could use a piece of plastic that compliments the shape of the components and lets them go trough if they are in the right position or not if they are upside down. You could use a camera module too. It is up to you!
you could simply program the robot to pick the object from the side and flip it to the right position
sometime it could happen that the component is placed on top of each other but not exactly upside-down, in such cases before even grabbing the component, the robot has to decide where to hold. For that purpose recognizing the orientation is important and then deciding the picking coordinates by which robot can pick the component comfortably and place on a conveyor.
I think ultrasonic sensor will not be enough but yes, a mechanism which can flip can work.
I personally want to use some optical solution here like a camera which would give precise information to the robot and can be used for other application as well.
If you want to use a camera definitely go for it! I just mentioned other options because I thought it would be easier to implement since with a camera you would have to program a tracking and recognition algorithm which is not as simple as using an ultrasonic sensor and a mechanical piece to check orientation or stacking. But you are right, a camera module can be used for many other applications.
As I said before, the choice of components and sensors is completely up to you but you should have in mind there are lots of options out there!
