Cobot Self-inspection
A collaborative robot (or cobot) is a robot which has been specifically designed to work closely with humans without the need for additional safety equipment or fencing. To achieve this, the cobot is typically equipped with a variety of force and position sensors that detect the presence of humans and objects in the workspace. This suite of sensors provides an opportunity for the robot system to be re-designed to evolve from a “blind” tool to an intelligent machine that can develop a “sense” of its environment and self-monitor the outcomes or products it creates.
This PhD project will develop methods by which the cobot will self-evaluate its performance of tasks and outcomes in real time using information gathered from how it perceives motions and actions. Ultimately it would be able to evaluate its performance in much the same way that a skilled craftsperson (welder, woodworker etc.) knows by experience that they have produced a good quality product.