An intelligent robotic framework for the execution of contact assembly tasks

The deployment of robots for industrial automation has demonstrated a significant improvement in manufacturing processes through reducing manual labour participation, and in enhancing flexibility, efficiency and product quality. However, most robotic applications are limited to free-space, point-to-point and non-interactive operations, where a highly structured work environment is a necessity. This paper presents an intelligent robot control framework for enhancing an industrial robot's adaptability, flexibility, dexterity and thereby its intelligence. The paper begins by reviewing briefly the design of intelligent robotic systems and defining some criteria for achieving an intelligent robotic system. A conceptual framework comprising two essential parts, namely, the contact-state recognizer and the control strategy generator, is then proposed for robotic assembly. The implementation of the proposed framework for intelligent robotic assembly is also demonstrated by using an industrial robot. Indeed, the results show that the framework proposed in this paper is an effective tool for designing intelligent automatic assembly systems.