Low-priced and flexible robotic systems that are able to target small businesses must be the response from robot developers to one of the industry’s most complex automation tasks – bin-picking. The advanced Technology Foundation invests DKK 15 million in new collaborative project between Danish companies in the international robotics market and three Danish universities.
It is one of the biggest challenges for a robot is to take random piece from a box of disordered parts ( bin-picking ). However, Danish companies and researchers have managed to develop bin-picking technologies. The technology is now used extensively in industry and the Foundation has seen great potential and has invested in bin-picking since 2006.
Scape Technologies’ bin-picking solutions are used today, among other, by various car manufactureres, typically handling heavy items using more traditional industrial robots and thus resulting typically an automation investment of over £ 1 DKK.
To be accessible to SME’s the next generation of bin-picker robots must be smaller and more flexible, and a consortium has come together to develop and market a small mini – picker robot to pick up smaller and lighter objects.
In Denmark and other countries , we have seen that small and medium-sized companies that produce on demand or small batches , often have difficulties to find advanced automation solutions that are sufficiently flexible and affordable says Søren Bøving – Andersen Scape Technologies .
The developed tool-unit will be developed specifically for use with a UR5 robot from Universal Robots. The goal is a Mini-Picker – a co-worker robot that can be easily moved around the production and easily adapted for new parts. Scapes advanced software solutions , Universal Robots groundbreaking new generation force-controlled robot manipulator and Blue Ocean Robotics ‘ unique tool Unit will enable the users to do this in 1-2 hours .
Photonics Engineering will be responsible for the sensor optics and while AAU focuses on the positioning detector of object. The integration into a tool-unit design will be done by Blue Ocean Robotics / SDU . SDU also helps with power steering and path planning of the robot.
In 3 years the consortium hopes to become able to offer an attractive standard product that can be sold in one complete package of dealers around the world.
Contact :
Scape Technologies A / S, DK-5000 Odense M , CEO Søren Bøving -Andersen, tel 2128 1128
Blue Ocean Robotics , 5230 Odense M, Claus Risager tel 2510 5431
Technical University of Denmark , 2800 Lyngby, Steen Grüner Hanson , tel 46774504
University of Southern Denmark , DK-5230 Odense M, Lars -Peter Ellekilde tel 2466 7583
Universal Robots , 5260 Odense S , CTO Esben Østergaard tel 2989 0939
Aalborg University , Copenhagen , 2450 Copenhagen , Volker Krueger , tel 9940 2495
Budget : 26 million DKK
Foundation’s investment: 15 million DKK
Duration : 3 years
Project title: Mini-Picker