{"id":577621,"date":"2024-01-29T08:00:06","date_gmt":"2024-01-29T13:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.therobotreport.com\/?p=577621"},"modified":"2024-01-26T16:40:01","modified_gmt":"2024-01-26T21:40:01","slug":"bosch-rexroth-emphasizes-flexibility-with-smart-flex-effector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.therobotreport.com\/bosch-rexroth-emphasizes-flexibility-with-smart-flex-effector\/","title":{"rendered":"Bosch Rexroth emphasizes flexibility with Smart Flex Effector"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bosch Rexroth’s Smart Flex Effector its in between the robot and its gripper to make it more flexible and precise. | Source: Bosch Rexroth<\/p><\/div>\n

In 2022, there were 3.9 million operational robots in the world, an all-time high, according to the International Federation of Robotics. Bosch Rexroth said it expects that number to grow in the coming years as new innovations make it possible for robots to do more tasks more successfully. <\/p>\n

The Buchanan, Mich.-based company<\/a> creates intelligent systems for factory automation, mobile and machining applications, and engineering. It said it hopes to help the industry keep up with rising demand by making robots more flexible and easier to use. <\/p>\n

Brad Klippstein, a product manager at Bosch, gave insight into the company’s Smart Flex Effector<\/a>. This end effector, which sits between the robot and its gripper, gives a robot tactile feedback. This allows a robot to know when it’s touching an object and how to get into position to best pick that object. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had vision systems for robotics for a number of years,” Klippstein told The Robot Report<\/em><\/a>. “Now, we\u2019re adding tactile sensing to that process to increase accuracy, increase repeatability and process transparency, and do some of these operations that were incredibly difficult or impossible before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Bosch Rexroth makes industrial arms more adaptable<\/h2>\n

Robots, particularly large industrial robots, can be inflexible and difficult to train on new tasks, noted Bosch Rexroth. Robots used in picking processes typically have “teach positions,” which are ideal positions for the robot and the item it’s picking to be in.<\/p>\n

Industrial robots will typically pick the same item over and over again, so when the item or the robot is slightly off position, the robot may struggle to complete the task. <\/p>\n

\u201cLots of things can happen to make that teach position be a little bit misaligned or off position,” said Klippstein. “The Smart Flex Effector gives you the ability to feel the environment.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“So now I don\u2019t have to know the exact position of an object or location,” he added. “I can get somewhat close and then have the Smart Flex Effector tell me exactly where to go based on tactile sensing or touch.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

While vision systems can provide important feedback for robots, tactile feedback adds a new level of flexibility to robots, asserted Bosch Rexroth.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as the robot touches the workpiece you get that feeling, that feedback. And that can tell the robot that it\u2019s in position,” explained Klippstein. “For high picking and placing operations, we don\u2019t need to be exact. With all of these teach positions we can get somewhat close and the smart flex effector adds flexibility to that process so that you don\u2019t have to reteach that position each and every time.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo if we know that the position is off half a millimeter in the X direction, three-quarters of a millimeter in the Y direction, and 2.5 degrees about the X-Y axis, and we know all of those dimensions immediately, we can send that information back to the robot,\u201d he said. “Then it knows the exact position to correct.”<\/span><\/p>\n