Realization of human-robot collaboration in hybrid assembly systems by using wearable technology

Abstract

Together with improvements in robot technology, the number of research conducted on the interaction between humans and robots has increased. As a result of these researches, collaborative robots (cobot) emerged. The fourth industrial revolution, usage of wearable technologies, and the internet of things increase the significance of cobot and its applications. In this study, the realization of human-robot collaboration in hybrid assembly systems in which humans and robots cooperate to perform assembly tasks is aimed. The interaction between human and robot is achieved by using a wearable armband that can sense muscle signals. By using this device, the end of human operation can be recognized by the robot. In order to carry out hybrid assembly, tasks to be performed by the human and the robot are determined, and a robot control algorithm is created to ensure that the products are assembled appropriately. As a performance test, elapsed time to assemble the same number of products with human-robot collaboration is compared with the assembly process performed by the robot alone. Results show that the hybrid assembly process with human-robot collaboration is faster and more effective than the assembly process performed by the robot alone.