#robotics Logs

Feb 18 2022

06:07 AM paul424: I almost decided on mbot for robotics lessons : https://store.makeblock.com/products/diy-coding-robot-kits-mbot
06:15 AM paul424: it's cheap plus have all the sensors and it's programable in a block like language what do you think ? for a kids 7-10 years old ?
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08:36 PM justanotheruser: what is the difference between a cobot and an articulated robot + collision avoidance software?
09:01 PM enleth: justanotheruser: the biggest mechanical difference is pinch point elimination, I think
09:03 PM enleth: notice how LBR iiwa robots are designed around the joints to always have enough space between segments for a human hand to fit in
09:07 PM enleth: another thing is 7 axes instead of typical 6 in some models (again, iiwa is a good example), this lets the robot reach almost any point from several directions, with the middle part if the part in one of many possible configurations - which is needed to avoid obstructing the human worker's access to stuff, or getting obstructed by them
09:07 PM enleth: in short, a 7 axis robot can reach over and around things
09:10 PM enleth: justanotheruser: finally, the "collision avoidance software" is in fact a dozen layers of highly tested, certified, insured and legally vetted operator safety mechanisms that reach deep even into things such as servo drive design and behavior
09:15 PM enleth: an iiwa still has plenty enough power at its disposal to clobber a human to a very dead and very bloody pulp, the amount of paperwork they had to do to let it move at full capacity with a person in the working area, in a professional environment that is already fraught with liability, is staggering
09:16 PM justanotheruser: are cobots a bit overhyped? Or is there often a legitemate need for people to work within reach of the robot
09:16 PM EdFletcher: when the robots are being phased in as replacements for human labor, often it's necessary that they be able to co-work safely with humans
09:18 PM enleth: the automotive industry seems to be very interested in using them to speed up assembly of components that still require a human's dexterity and adaptability
09:18 PM enleth: the robot can hold, line up and fit parts, while a human supervises and corrects it in the fly
09:18 PM justanotheruser: whats the typical markup for a cobot with the same exact functionality of an articulated robot?
09:20 PM enleth: I don't think they're comparable in that sense, they do not have exact same functionality kinda by definition
09:20 PM enleth: it's a tradeoff game
09:22 PM enleth: oh, medical is another big area where cobots are a likely improvement
09:22 PM justanotheruser: am I wrong to think the primary benefits of a cobot over an actuated robot are 1) safety, 2) imitation learning?
09:24 PM enleth: definitely safety, but I'd say adaptability is a bigger point than imitation
09:25 PM enleth: as in, the robot can adjust the programmed movement based on a physical input of the human coworker
09:25 PM justanotheruser: that's what I mean by imitation learning
09:25 PM justanotheruser: perhaps I'm using the term wrong though
09:26 PM enleth: I'm not sure it conveys the main point well
09:26 PM enleth: anyway, yes, that's it, and the main thing is safety
09:27 PM enleth: cobots can be installed in places where no robot of any other kind could have been allowed before
09:28 PM enleth: there are probably many uses for them that no one has thought of just yet, because up until recently thinking about them was pointless
09:31 PM enleth: 20 years ago the thought of a real industrial robot arm casually moving in close proximity of a human worker was pure science fiction and a shift in thinking about that has to happen before we really see the benefits of this technology
09:34 PM EdFletcher: yup 100% agreed, safety is without a doubt the primary benefit. one of our favorite demos at a big company where we were investigating cobots to replace some operators on the final manufacturing testing line was to stick a finger in the joint of a bot moving at full speed. because everyone had been trained _ad infinitum_ that doing so was
09:34 PM EdFletcher: incredibly dangerous, anyone seeing this for the first time would instinctually freak out 😂
09:34 PM enleth: (I know manual, physical teach-in using compliant torque mode movement was a thing even in late 80s, but that was intended to be done by trained operators during programming)
09:37 PM enleth: (and it was dropped by pretty much everyone for a reason)
09:39 PM justanotheruser: are cobots being deployed even in cases where there aren't close contact as a precaution, or for the safety of the R&D teams?
09:40 PM enleth: yes, for tight access situations, thanks to 7 axes
09:40 PM justanotheruser: there isn't close contact*
09:41 PM enleth: a 6R arm can't reach into an opening and then to the side, for example
09:41 PM justanotheruser: what about general purpose precautionary uses? safety of careless workers violating zoning rules, safety of researchers programming the robots
09:41 PM rue_bed2: when you protect dumb people, people as a whole become dumber
09:42 PM rue_bed2: new cars wont let you open the hood do that you wont drink the battery acid
09:42 PM enleth: the first should never happen in a proper installation
09:42 PM justanotheruser: ya, but for a short while the area under the slope increases
09:42 PM rue_bed2: old cars had how to rebuild the engine in the manual
09:42 PM enleth: the second is reasonable and I'm sure it's being done
09:43 PM rue_bed2: thats one thing I liked about australia
09:43 PM justanotheruser: thanks for the info
09:44 PM rue_bed2: there were all sorts of things there that would totally never be allowed in north america, cause dumb people would instantly be killing themselvs
09:46 PM justanotheruser: seems every robotics company has 1-2 cobot models. I've read the category is generally unreliable, especially UR models. Is that true?