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2007
Conference Paper
Titel
Von der Fabrik ins Wohnzimmer - Roboter auf dem Weg in den Alltag
Alternative
Robots moving into everyday life
Abstract
A safe and flexible cooperation between robot and operator may be a promising way to achieve better productivity at manual workplaces. Thus, robot assistants can be thought to be clever helpers in both: manufacturing environments (manufacturing assistants) as well as in service settings (home and care assistants). Currently, the industrial robot is being re-invented: from a key-component of today's automotive manufacturing towards a versatile tool at hand in any kind of manufacturing and in private homes. Initiatives in form of European and national research projects like COGNIRON, ASSISTOR, DESIRE and SMErobot aim to create a whole family of easily deployable robots which allow safe intuitive human-robot cooperation. Robots have already found their way out of the manufacturing scenario. In the last years, these so called service robots have appeared in numerous product developments for both professional and personal use. Despite some differences between industrial and service robots (cost, size, payload etc.) we claim that many key-technologies and mechatronic components regarding grasping and motion control, sensing, intuitive interaction and decision making will be shared in future. Furthermore, many of the IT-related technologies are adopted from mass markets (PC-components, standard interfaces, mobile technologies and infotainment). In addition, new technologies originating from material flow and autonomous guided vehicles sector - i.e. like map building, path planning, autonomous navigation in frequently changing environments or safe obstacle surrounding - are providing robot arms with the required mobility and dependability to perform the flexible applications of tomorrow as demanded by the customer. This paper explains the motivation for exploring and developing innovative mechatronic components and new robot products for both areas, industrial and service robot domains (professional and personal/domestic). Market prospects and challenges regarding research and future product developments are given.
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