BionicCobot

Year

2017

The idea

The lightweight pneumatic robot is a sensitive assistant in human-robot collaboration.

The objective

BionicCobot uses human motion dynamics and can work hand in hand with humans.

Technical data

Compressed-air lines: 16
Pressure sensors: 14
Degrees of freedom: 7
Weight: approx. 6 kg
Payload: approx. 1.5 kg
Positioning accuracy: 1 mm
Path planning: Robot Operating System
Control: Festo Motion Terminal

Teamwork

The human operator and the robot can work on the same workpiece simultaneously as a social team. Since this collaboration does not pose any hazard, no safety measures are necessary. The structure and kinematics of the collaborative robot arm are modelled on the human anatomy, with shoulder, upper arm, elbow, ulna, radius and gripping hand.

Safety

As soon as the lightweight robot accidentally or intentionally comes into contact with a human, it automatically yields. This safety factor is a basic requirement for collaborative use in production. The compressible nature of air in pneumatic systems inherently guarantees this necessary yielding ability.

Operation

Operation is intuitive thanks to specially developed software: the desired actions and motion sequences can be programmed by dragging and dropping icons onto a timeline. The system can be extended to include voice control, camera systems, infrared tracking or artificial intelligence as required.

Material

BionicCobot