Robotics and Cobotics / PERSYVAL-Minalogic Breakfast Meetings

Robotics is currently experiencing unprecedented growth thanks to constant advances in both hardware (sensors, computers, actuators) and software (perception, decision-making, control), enabling it to tackle increasingly complex tasks and regularly expand into new areas of application. 

The European Commission estimates that the global robotics market will be worth 100 billion euros by 2020. However, robotics remains complex and costly to implement. 

The goal of cobotics is to enhance the ability of humans and robots to work together, in order to develop processes that combine human dexterity, flexibility, and advanced cognitive abilities with the strength, endurance, and precision of robots. The aim is to enable new applications and address new needs that current robots cannot meet.

The purpose of this morning’s session is to provide an overview of current research and applications in robotics, with a focus on mobile robotics and cobotics

Program and presentations

• 8:30–8:45 a.m.: Introductory presentation
  : From Robotics to Cobotics
  : Pierre-Brice Wieber, National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control
  : Download the presentation
• 8:45–9:45 a.m.: Specialized presentations
  • Mobile Robotics
    Olivier Aycard, Grenoble Computer Science Laboratory
    Download the presentation
    Generally speaking, we use the term “mobile robots” to refer to all robots with a mobile base, as opposed to, for example, robotic arms. In this presentation, we will focus on wheeled mobile robots, which make up the vast majority of mobile robots. 
    Despite their apparent simplicity, compared to walking robots for example, these systems raise a large number of difficult problems that, incidentally, remain unresolved. Indeed, unlike robotic arms that operate in known environments and perform relatively repetitive tasks, mobile robots navigate autonomously in environments not designed for them. Despite this, and thanks to recent technological advances as well as progress in mobile robotics research, industrial applications for mobile robots are beginning to emerge.
    This presentation aims to provide an overview of current mobile robotics. We begin by defining what a mobile robot is, with a focus on sensors and actuators. Next, we detail the challenges in this field, specifically the software approaches that will bridge the gap between sensors and actuators. Finally, we highlight several industrial applications of mobile robotics. This presentation is illustrated using the @RobairLig mobile robot developed at the Grenoble Computer Science Laboratory.
  • Seamless and Flexible Integration of Cobots in Industrial Settings: Programming by Demonstration
    Damien Pellier, Grenoble Computer Science Laboratory
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    The goal of cobotics (or collaborative robotics) in industrial settings is to “free the industrial robot from its protective cage” so it can work alongside human operators at the same workstation. Humans and robots work together, in an integrated manner, side by side, safely, to perform tasks combining physical effort and human expertise (for example, unloading, assembling parts, and packaging/palletizing parts that require consideration of the context and its uncertainties). 
    These cobots are particularly sought after by Small and Medium-sized Industries (SMIs) to meet their need for flexibility. Indeed, SMIs are subject to the increasingly rapid renewal of their product lines and a growing demand for increasingly customized products.
    In this presentation, we provide an overview of the cobot market as well as a new “demonstration-based” approach to cobot programming designed for production operators who are not experts in programming languages but possess the expertise to perform the tasks. This approach enables the exploration of new markets in industrial environments with little or no automation that require high production flexibility.
• 9:45–10:00 a.m.: Conclusion
  Summary of collaboration opportunities, LabEx teams, and master’s programs related to this topic
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• 10:00–10:30 a.m.: Discussion time (may continue until 11:00 a.m. for those who wish to stay)