Flexibility and Adaptability

Robotic systems are no longer rigid and limited to specific tasks. Today’s palletizing robots have unprecedented flexibility, adapting to a range of products and packaging types. This adaptability is a game-changer for industries with diverse and evolving product lines, ensuring that automation does not come at the cost of versatility.

Advanced Vision Systems

The integration of advanced vision systems in palletizing robots is a leap forward in precision and efficiency. These sophisticated systems enable robots to accurately identify, sort, and position items, regardless of their size, shape, or orientation. This technological advancement not only boosts productivity but also significantly reduces the margin of error.

The Rise of Collaborative Robots

Collaborative robots, or cobots, are revolutionizing the palletizing process by working hand-in-hand with human workers. These cobots are not only user-friendly and cost-effective but also enhance safety and efficiency in the workplace. They represent a synergistic approach to automation, where human ingenuity and  tireless combine to achieve optimal results.

Connectivity and IoT

In the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), palletizing robots are more connected than ever. This interconnectivity facilitates real-time data analysis, predictive maintenance, and remote operations, turning palletizing systems into integrated parts of a smart warehouse ecosystem

AI and Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning are propelling palletizing robots into a new era of smart automation. By learning from past experiences, these robots are constantly improving, making more informed decisions, and optimizing palletizing tasks. This continuous learning curve paves the way for more intelligent and autonomous robotic solutions.

Sustainability

As the world gravitates towards sustainable practices, robotics in palletizing is not far behind. Emphasizing the efficient use of materials, energy conservation, and waste reduction, these robots are playing a crucial role in promoting sustainable operations in the logistics and supply chain sectors.

Customization and Modular Solutions

The trend towards customized and modular robotic solutions is reshaping the way businesses approach palletizing. This flexibility allows for tailored solutions that fit specific operational needs and makes scaling and modifying systems more straightforward and cost-effective.

Palletizing with RoboDK

To help with these challenges RoboDK has developed a palletizing plugin specifically designed to simplify the process of programming robots for palletizing tasks. This plugin is compatible with a wide range of robot brands, making it a versatile tool for various robotic automation applications. Moreover, the RoboDK Palletizing plugin has a user-friendly Interface that helps in the quick creation of palletizing programs.

Real-time simulation

The RoboDK plugin utilizes an efficient 2D layout builder, paired with the 3D environnement preview, where users can create pallet patterns by dragging boxes on the screen. It is also able to program the task offline. and allows users to easily drag and drop each box to its desired position on each layer of the pallet. A 3D visualization aids in real-time simulation, enabling users to adapt the settings to suit their specific requirements.

What questions do you have about robot palletizing? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum. Also, check out our extensive video collection and subscribe to the RoboDK YouTube Channel.

The post Transforming the Warehouse: Trends in Robot Palletizing appeared first on RoboDK blog.

And, indeed, should your simulation be highly realistic?

It’s important to understand the delicate balance between realism and usefulness in robotic simulations.

On the one hand, high-level realism allows you to create a more accurate depiction of how the robot will perform in a real-world setting. This helps you to create simulations that more closely match the operating conditions in your facility. On the other hand, striving for absolute realism in your simulation can compromise its usefulness. The simulation can become overly complex and time-consuming, creating a system that is impractical.

The most useful level of realism for your virtual environments is one that accurately reproduces the robot’s task, while remaining streamlined and efficient.

Here’s how to judge and create that level of realism.

What Does It Mean to Have a Realistic Simulation?

Realism refers to how accurately a simulation replicates the real-world behavior and functionality of the robot. This includes the robot’s movement dynamics, interaction with the environment, and operation.

It’s important to understand that a realistic simulation isn’t necessarily one that looks visually pleasing. Qualities of realism like complex lighting and shadows, high-definition rendering, and advanced surface modeling are not usually necessary. While these attributes might enhance the visual appeal of the simulation, they usually don’t contribute to the robot’s performance.

Instead, a realistic simulation should focus on aspects that directly affect the robot’s performance.

Remember, the point of adding realism is not to have an accurate simulation… it’s to have a useful robot.

3 Types of Realism for Effective Robotic Simulation

There are various ways you can look at realism in robotic simulations. For example, you can split it into different types.

Here’s one way to look at 3 types of simulation:

1. Operational Realism

Operational realism refers to the accurate representation of the actual operations of the robots. This involves faithful representation of the robot’s kinetic and dynamic properties and its interaction with the environment.

The primary purpose of operational realism is to create a robot program that will perform optimally in the real-world environment.

2. Visual Realism

Visual realism refers to the accurate graphical rendering of the simulation. With it, you create a visually appealing virtual representation of the real-world environment.

While visual realism might not directly affect the operational effectiveness of the robot, it can be very important for certain applications. For example, if your application uses [robot vision sensors,][RKCAMERA], high levels of visual realism can help you accurately test this sense.

3. Physics Realism

Physics realism refers to accurate modeling of the physical laws that govern the environment where the robot operates. This includes factors like gravity, friction, and collision dynamics that might affect the robot’s performance.

This is one area where you need to strike a balance with your simulation. If you add more physical realism than is necessary, your simulation can quickly become unwieldy.

How Simulation Realism Affects Robot Deployment

When you want to deploy a robot to your workplace, it’s a good idea to start by identifying the level of simulation realism that will be necessary. This will vary depending on your task and application area.

The wrong level of realism in your virtual environment could negatively affect the deployment.

For example, here are some disadvantages to using an overly realistic simulation:

• Increased computational load — Highly realistic simulations use more computational resources, which slows down the simulation.
• Complex debugging — More realism usually leads to programs that are harder to maintain and debug.
• Cost and time — Creating very realistic simulations often takes longer and costs more in terms of computer resources and programming.
• Inaccuracy from overfitting — No simulation is 100% accurate to the real world. As a result, a higher level of realism can actually lead to a worse operation of the physical robot. This is known as “overfitting.”
• Unnecessary details — Any details that are not relevant to the robot’s operation are probably a distraction.

By stripping away unnecessary details from your robot simulation, you can focus on the critical aspects of the robot’s operation and prevent overfitting.

The Realistic Robot Simulation (RRS) Project and RoboDK

In RoboDK, we are dedicated to address a significant challenge in industrial robotics: the need for accurate, easy-to-use robot simulation.

One way we have done this recently is to incorporate the Realistic Robot Simulation (RRS) project. The RRS is an ambitious initiative designed to address the current limitations in the accuracy of offline generated programs for industrial robot.

The primary goal of the RRS is to enhance the precision of robot programs, enabling a more economic and efficient application of industrial robots.

We have created an RRS project add-in which helps to improve the accuracy of robot programs developed with RoboDK. It provides an interface to incorporate accurate robot controller software for motion behavior into offline programming.

Finding the Right Level of Simulation for Your Application

How can you find the right level of virtual environment realism for your robot simulation?

Here are a few tips for finding the right level of realism for your application:

1. Understand the simulation needs for your project — Begin by outlining your project objectives and defining the purpose that your robot will serve.
2. Evaluate your interactions — Consider both the physical and other interactions that your robot will have with the environment and other components in the workspace.
3. Assess the operational environment — Evaluate which elements of the environment need to be included in the simulation.
4. Be realistic about visual realism needs — Look at the rendering and visual requirements of your simulation. Identify what aspects are really necessary.
5. Determine your performance requirements — Identify the level of computing performance required from the simulation tasks. For example, high-precision tasks might need more detailed simulations.
6. Factor in your budget and resources — Lastly, consider your resources and budget. More realistic simulations may demand more computing power and programming skills.

With all of these, strive for balance — a simulation that meets your needs without being “too much.”

Remember, creating realistic robot simulations is fundamental when working with modern robots. By using the right tools, like our RRS add-on, you can create a robot simulation that works for you.

What questions do you have about accuracy and realism in robot simulations? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or in the RoboDK Forum.. Also, check out our extensive video collection and subscribe to the RoboDK YouTube Channel

The post Creating Realistic Virtual Environments for Robot Simulation in RoboDK appeared first on RoboDK blog.

There has been a change in manufacturing over the last few years. As FinancesOnline explains “It’s not more than a few years ago when [the number of] personalized products […] could be counted on your fingertips.”

In the past, most personalized products were either marketing merchandise or special one-off jobs. For most manufacturers, customization was restrictively costly so they just didn’t do it.

Recently, that has all changed. Low-cost engraving means that a huge variety of products can be easily personalized in minutes. Engraving technology is so accessible now that even a hobbyist can add it to their workshop. If you look at any online e-commerce marketplace, you will see a huge array of custom-engraved products being sold by thousands of different small suppliers.

Does this trend translate into more revenue? Absolutely! According to a Deloitte survey from 2015, 1 in 4 customers are willing to pay more for a personalized product.

Robotics is a spectacular way to add personalization to your business. Robots are more flexible than traditional CNC engraving machines and can be easily moved to other tasks when you are not using them for engraving.

Here’s an introductory guide to using robotics to engrave your personalized products.

The 2 Ways to Use a Robot for Engraving

There are two main ways that you can use a robot for engraving:

1. Robot Operates the Engraving Tool

This is the type of robot engraving that we’ll be covering in the rest of this article. It involves attaching the engraving tool to the robot itself and programming it to perform the engraving task (e.g. with RoboDK’s milling tool or drawing tool).

Due to the large workspace of robots and the possibility of using external axes, you can achieve much bigger engraving using this method than you could with dedicated CNC engraving machines.

2. Robot Does Machine Tending

This involves using a robot to tend a dedicated engraving machine. For example, you could program the robot to pick and place products into a dedicated laser engraver, as this example from a jeweler demonstrates. This will increase the productivity of the machine as you won’t have to load products into it yourself.

Either of these options may be suitable for your specific situation. However, the second option does require you to purchase another engraving machine which increases the cost and complexity of the solution.

4 Types of Engraving Processes

The traditional method of engraving products is to use a dedicated CNC machine. There is a huge range of different CNC machines with each one specifically suited to a particular type of engraving. All of the processes in the list below are also achievable with a robot.

The 4 most common types of engraving are:

1. Rotary engraving — A spinning routing or milling tool is used to cut thin grooves into the material. Larger areas are removed by progressively cutting away thin layers from the material.
2. Etching — A similar process to rotary engraving. However, instead of cutting grooves into the material, an abrasive etching tool is used to scratch shapes into the surface. The tool can either be reciprocal or rotary.
3. Laser engraving — A high-powered laser is used to burn a thin line into the surface of the material. This is becoming a very popular type of engraving as it allows customization of wood and other products without changing the structural properties of the material.
4. Pyrography — A hot metal element is used to burn a thin line or blocks of shape into the surface of the material. This is similar to laser engraving in that it works by burning the material, but it is mostly used for wood and produces a more natural style of engraving.

The two most common of these are probably rotary engraving and laser engraving.

10 Materials You Can Engrave With a Robot

The most common material for personalized products is probably wood, which is traditionally done with a CNC routing machine. However, many materials can be engraved with a robot.

Here are 10 popular materials that can be engraved using one or more of the processes listed above.

1. Wood — There is a diverse range of woods (e.g. MDF, plywood, hardwood, cork) and they can be engraved using any of the methods above (including pyrography).
2. Metal — Metals are compatible with all engraving methods (except pyrography).
3. Glass — Glass products are especially popular for customizing as they make good gifts and can be engraved using any of the methods above (except pyrography).
4. Plastic — Plastics are one of the most common materials and can be engraved using any of the methods above (expect pyrography).
5. Rubber — Engraved rubber can be used to make everything from personalized wrist bands to rubber stamps and it’s compatible with any of the methods above (except pyrography).
6. Fabric — Some fabrics (e.g. cotton, leather, nylon) are compatible with laser engraving and non-synthetic fabrics can be engraved with pyrography.
7. Paper/Card — As wood-derivatives, paper and card can be engraved with both laser and pyrography.
8. Foam — Various types of foam can be engraved using any of the methods above (except pyrography).
9. Stone — Stone of almost any type (e.g. granite, marble, tiles) can also be engraved using any of the methods above (except pyrography).
10. Ceramic — Tableware is a popular product for personalization and ceramics can be engraved using any of the methods above (except pyrography).

Whatever material your product is made of, it’s likely that you can use robot engraving to personalize it.

How to Get Started With Robot Engraving

You can test out your robot engraving application right away in a simulation by downloading a trial copy of RoboDK. If you don’t have a robot already, you will need to find one. The Robot Library is a good place to start looking at which robots are available on the market. There are a few smaller robots which are targeted at engraving tasks (e.g. the robots from UR and Dobot).

Once you’ve got your robot, you just need to pick a suitable end effector and create a test simulation!

What could you do with a robot engraving? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post Why You Should Pick Robot Engraving for Your Products appeared first on RoboDK blog.

Every year, a few new unusual end effectors appear in the robotics media. This year it’s an origami gripper, last year it was a robot hand that can give you a high-five.

One great advantage to the way RoboDK handles end effectors is that it can pretty much be used with any end effector. You are not restricted by a small catalog of available end effectors. You can use whichever end effector you like and get started in just 5 minutes.

This is great news if you want to use one of the more unusual end effectors available.

Here are 10 of the strange and amazing robot end effectors from the last few years.

1. Gecko Gripper

OnRobot’s Gecko Gripper is really a rising star this year. It was awarded a silver at the 2019 Edison Awards, an award which celebrates innovation in various fields (the gold prize in robotics this year went to a robot bricklayer).

It’s a gripper with a difference. Instead of using vacuum gripping or articulated fingertips, the Gecko Gripper makes use of millions of microfibers. These stick to objects via the powerful “Van der Waals force” which makes use of the strong inter-molecular forces — the same force that allows gecko lizards to climb up sheer walls.

2. Origami Flower Gripper

The latest futuristic end effector comes from a team from MIT and Harvard universities. It is a suction gripper which was inspired by an origami shape called a Magic Ball. It looks a bit like a flower or a Venus flytrap plant.

The gripper consists of a soft internal skeleton and a flexible, airtight skin. When the vacuum is applied, the gripper deforms to conform to the shape of the object it’s grasping. In terms of robot control, this could be used in a similar manner to any vacuum gripper, though the gripper is still in the research phase so not currently on the market.

3. Octopus Tentacle

One “famous” futuristic end effector from a few years ago comes from Festo, who specialize in biologically-inspired robotic vacuum technologies. Their octopus-inspired TentacleGripper is quite a unique end effector.

The gripper is modeled on the shape of an octopus tentacle. It has no skeleton which allows it to wrap around an object and get a good grip. The control of this one could be tricky but it’s very flexible.

4. Face-tracking Magnet

Let’s move away from grippers, for now, to look at an intriguing robot end effector. In 2018, designers in Zurich made a robotic-driven tabletop which tracks people’s faces and moves as though it has a life of its own.

The artwork uses ferrofluids, a type of liquid that becomes strongly magnetized in the presence of a magnetic field. The robot is fitted with a custom-designed magnetic end effector. Using a camera with face detection, the fluid is programmed to follow people around when they look at the artwork.

5. Dexterous Hand

A hand is probably not the most unusual end effector you can think of, but it’s worth mentioning Shadow’s Dexterous Hand. The Shadow Robot Company has been making robot hands for over 20 years.

The hand is probably the closest that a robot end effector has yet come to mimicking the human hand. With the right programming, it can pick up pretty much any object that a human can.

6. Fruit-Picker

Fruit picking has become quite a popular robot application over the past few years. It allows fruit growers to reduce the costs of picking, but it also improves the quality because each fruit can be picked at exactly the right moment for optimum ripeness.

Different fruits require a different end effector. I particularly like this pepper picking end effector, which incorporates a flexible vacuum arm to grab the fruit and a pair of scissors to cut the stalk (yes, pepper is a fruit… botanically speaking at least).

7. Trash Fingers

Sorting recycling is a laborious task. Wouldn’t it be great to give it to a robot? Another research-stage end effector from this year is the Rocycle from MIT. What’s unusual about this gripper is the way that it incorporates sensing into the fingertips of the robot.

On the surface, the end effector doesn’t look very different from your average two-fingered robot. But, beneath its Teflon-wrapped fingertips, it hides an innovative way to sort your trash. Its conductivity sensor detects if an object is metal (e.g. cans, tins), its variable-stiffness fingertips detect the size of the objects with a strain sensor, and it contains pressure sensors to determine if a material is paper or plastic.

8. Touchscreen Stylus

One task that you might not think you’d need a robot for is operating a smartphone. However, a few years ago a team from Fraunhofer IPA created an end effector for exactly that.

The end effector incorporates a touch-screen stylus which can be used to test different usage scenarios for Human Machine Interfaces. The benefit of using a robot for this task is that it can test the lifetime of a touch-screen device in just a few days.

Company Tactile Automation Inc has a similar system, which even includes a tool changer to simulate different touches.

9. High Five!

This robot end effector is really quite silly… but fun! Developed by a researcher at the University of Southern California last year, the end effector allows robots to give humans a “high five”. It’s basically like a giant foam hand.

The purpose of this end effector is to allow social robots to play “bi-directional clapping games” (like the ones you may have played as a kid) to improve people’s engagement with robots.

10. Any End Effector In Your Imagination

Any of these strange and futuristic end effectors could be used with RoboDK. That means that any end effector that you can imagine — and build — can also be used. Your idea could lead to the next futuristic end effector to turn up in a list like this one.

All you need is a 3D CAD model of the end effector, a way to program it and you’re good to go! You can easily get programming in no time.

What unusual end effector would you like to use with your robot? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post 10 Strange Robot End Effectors from the Future appeared first on RoboDK blog.

What is robotic offline programming?

What is robotic simulation?

Are they the same thing?

These terms are often used together in a way that suggests that they have equal meaning (e.g. “OLP/Simulation”) but they are not exactly the same.

You could easily get confused and exasperated if you tried to use a robot simulator for offline programming. What’s worse, it could lead to you wasting many hours trying to get the wrong software to perform a task it wasn’t designed to do.

It’s time to set things straight.

Offline Programming vs Simulation: Are They The Same Thing?

The basic answer is: No, offline programming and simulation are not the same things.

But, in robotics, they are very closely related… in most cases.

Here’s a Venn diagram to show how the two terms are related:

As you can see, offline programming always involves simulation — with a small exception which I’ll explain in a moment. However, there are a vast number of simulators which have nothing to do with offline programming (or with robotics, for that matter).

A good rule of thumb is to say:

(Almost) All Offline Programming is Simulation

BUT

Not All Simulation is Offline Programming.

What is Robot Simulation?

A simulator is a piece of mechanical equipment or a software program which is designed to represent the conditions in a physical environment. Said another way, simulation involves imitating the real world.

The classic example of a simulator (from outside of robotics) is a flight simulator for training pilots. This machine includes both hardware and software elements to look and behave realistically like a real airplane.

In robotics, simulation is used for various purposes, including:

• To test the functionality of robot programs in a safe environment where the robot cannot harm itself or the environment.
• To test hundreds of different program permutations in a short amount of time to optimize the program.
• To run the program when no physical robot exists or one is not available.
• To create a proof of concept before you purchase a physical robot.

Many robot simulators involve a graphical representation of the robot (as is the case in RoboDK). This is useful because it allows you to see what the simulation algorithms are actually doing underneath. Some of these simulators only have basic graphics (e.g. lines to represent the robot’s links), whilst others allow you to model the entire workspace and use a realistic model of the robot.

However, although graphics are very common it is possible to have a simulation with no graphics at all. Some simulators only contain algorithms and a basic command-line interface. As long as the underlying algorithms are the same, these can be as “realistic” as those simulators which include graphics. For example, RoboDK can be used via the command line and API.

What is Offline Programming (OLP)?

Offline programming refers to the practice of programming a machine (usually a robot or a CNC machine) without having the physical machine present. In other words, you first create the program on a computer and then later download it to the physical machine later.

In robotics, offline programming is used for a range of reasons, including:

• To save you time compared to conventional (online) robot programming. There are many ways that OLP saves time and helps you to improve your process’s productivity.
• To access more advanced robot functionality by using specially designed software wizards and libraries. OLP is suited to a variety of different tasks, which it can often achieve more effectively than with conventional programming.
• To create a proof of concept before purchasing a robot, but in a way that allows you to use the same program when you do choose your robot.
• To streamline your software workflow.

Most offline programming packages include a simulator for your chosen robot. First, you program the robot in the virtual environment. Then, when you have debugged your program and it is running smoothly, you transfer it to the physical robot. The offline programming software achieves this using a “post processor” which turns the simulated program into code that the physical robot will understand.

This method allows you to iron out any problems in the programming quickly and easily using the simulator, without affecting the uptime of the physical robot.

When OLP Doesn’t Include Simulation

There is one situation where you would program a robot offline without using a simulator. This would be if you just programmed the robot in its native programming language using a text editor in your computer and then downloaded it directly to the physical robot once the entire program had been written.

Although this situation could technically be called “offline programming” — after all, you are still doing all the programming offline — it is not what we are usually referring to when we talk about OLP. Usually, we mean programming a simulated robot.

Also, it is a terrible idea. If you have done any programming before, you’ll know that creating an entire program before doing any testing is a recipe for disaster. It’s much more effective to build up your program step-by-step and use a good simulator to see the effect of your instructions on a virtual robot.

How OLP and Simulation Work Together

As you can see, offline programming and robot simulation are very closely related. In all practical situations, offline programming software also includes a simulator.

This is certainly the case with RoboDK. Most of our users use it for OLP but some use it as a pure simulator, depending on their needs.

The major difference between the OLP and simulation is that final extra step. OLP always needs to convert the simulation into a program that can actually be used to control the physical robot.

Many robot simulators do not contain that extra step. They can realistically simulate the robot and environment, but they cannot convert the simulation into usable robot code.

A good OLP software, on the other hand, will make the transition from simulation to real robot as seamless as possible.

What other terms confuse you in robotics? Tell us in the comments below or join the discussion on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or in the RoboDK Forum.

The post What’s the Difference Between Offline Programming and Simulation? appeared first on RoboDK blog.