G.

Balakumaran, (101637)
15MH413-ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION

Part –B
21. State the advantages and limitations of robots.
Advantages
 Greater flexibility, re programmability
 Greater response time to inputs.
 Improved product quality.
 Accident reduction.
 Reduction of hazardous exposure.

Disadvantages
 Replacement of human labor
 Significant retaining cost.
 Capital cost.
22. Accuracy:
How close does the robot get to the desired point? When the robot's program
instruct the robot to move to a specified point, it does not actually perform as per
specified. The accuracy measure such variance. That is, the distance between the
specified position that a robot is trying to achieve (programming point), and the actual
X, Y and Z resultant position of the robot end effector.
Precision:
The ability of a robot to return repeatedly to a given position. It is the ability of
a robotic system or mechanism to repeat the same motion or achieve the same position.
Repeatability is is a measure of the error or variability when repeatedly reaching for a
single position. Repeatability is often smaller than accuracy.

23. Types of electrical actuators.

 Servomotor
 Stepper Motor
 DC Motor
 Direct Drive Motor

Write down the advantages and disadvantages of electrical actuators.

Advantages
 power supply available everywhere
 low cost
 large variety of products
 high power conversion efficiency
 easy maintenance
 no pollution in working environment.

Disadvantages
 Overheating in static condition.
 Needs special protection in flammable environment.
24. What is a sensor? What are the desirable features of a sensor?
Sensor is an electronic device that transfers physical phenomenon like
temperature, pressure, humidity into an electrical signal.
Features of a sensor
 Accuracy
 Precision
 Operating range
 Calibration
 Reliability
 Cost
 Ease of operation

25. Define kinematics. What is forward kinematics and reverse kinematics?

The analytical relationship between joint positions and the end effector
position and orientation.

FORWARD KINEMATICS
It is a scheme to determine joint angles of a robot by knowing its position in
the world coordinate system.

REVERSE KINEMATICS
It is a scheme to determine the position of the robot in the world coordinate
system by knowing the joint angles and the link parameters of the robot.

26. Explain magnetic grippers with neat sketch.

Magnetic grippers can use either electromagnets or permanent magnets.

Electromagnetic grippers are easier to control, but require a source of dc power
and an appropriate controller. When the part is to be released, the control unit
reverses the polarity at a reduced power level before switching off the
electromagnet.

27. What is AGV? What are the benefits of AGV?

An AGV is a computer controlled, driverless vehicle used for transporting
materials from point-to-point in a manufacturing setting. They represent a major
category of automated materials handling devices. They are guided along
 defined pathways in the floor. The vehicles are powered by means of on-board
batteries that allow operation for several hours between recharging.

Benefits of AGV.
 Driverless train operations
 Storage distribution system
 Assembly line operation
 FMS

Part –C
28. a) Describe the robot configuration with neat diagrams.

Cartesian Geometry` (4 Marks)

These Robots are made of 3 Linear joints that orient the end effector, which are
usually followed by additional revolute joints.

 Also called rectangular, rectilinear, gantry

 Robot has the ability to move its gripper to any position within the cube or
rectangle defined as its work envelope
 (3L) Three linear movements

Cartesian Applications
 Materials handling
 Parts handling related to machine loading/unloading supply bins
 Assembly of small systems
o Example: Electronic printed circuit board assembly

Cartesian Disadvantages
 Access to the work envelope by overhead crane or other material-handling
equipment may be impaired
 Maintenance may be difficult.

Cylindrical Geometry (4 Marks)

 Robot can move its gripper within a volume that is described by a cylinder
 (2L1R) Two linear movements, one rotational
Cylindrical coordinate Robots have 2 prismatic joints and one revolute joint.

Cylindrical Advantages
 Horizontal reach into production machines is possible
 Vertical structure of the machine conserves floor space
 Rigid structure, allows large payloads and good repeatability
Cylindrical Disadvantages

 Most cannot rotate a full 360 degrees because of mechanical design

limitations

Spherical Geometry (4 Marks)

 Also called Polar
 Spherical shaped work envelope
 (2R1L) Two rotations, one linear extension
 They follow a spherical coordinate system, which has one linear two
rotational joints.

Spherical Applications
 Mounted on machinery to load/unload parts
 Spherical robots have lost practicality in the workplace due to articulated (4
& 6 axes) robots
Spherical Advantages.
 Fully capable of 360 degree rotations.
 Long horizontal reach
Spherical Disadvantages.
 Lower profile, no linear actuator for the Z-axis
 Small work envelope
28. b) Explain the robot anatomy with neat sketch.

Controller: (2 Marks)
Every robot is connected to a computer, which keeps the pieces of the arm working
together. This computer is known as the controller. The controller functions as the
"brain" of the robot. The controller also allows the robot to be networked to other
systems, so that it may work together with other machines, processes, or robots.
Robots today have controllers that are run by programs - sets of instructions written in
code. Almost all robots of today are entirely pre-programmed by people; they can do
only what they are programmed to do at the time, and nothing else. In the future,
controllers with artificial intelligence, or AI could allow robots to think on their own,
even program themselves. This could make robots more self-reliant and independent.

Arm: (2 Marks)
Robot arms come in all shapes and sizes. The arm is the part of the robot that positions
the end - effector and sensors to do their pre-programmed business. Many (but not all)
resemble human arms, and have shoulders, elbows, wrists, even fingers. This gives the
robot a lot of ways to position itself in its environment. Each joint is said to give the
robot 1 degree of freedom. So, a simple robot arm with 3 degrees of freedom could
move in 3 ways: up and down, left and right, forward and backward.
(2 Marks)

Drive: (2 Marks)
The drive is the "engine" that drives the links (the sections between the joints into their
desired position. Without a drive, a robot would just sit there, which is not often helpful.
Most drives are powered by air, water pressure, or electricity.
End-Effector: (2 Marks)
The end-effector is the "hand" connected to the robot's arm. It is often different from a
human hand - it could be a tool such as a gripper, a vacuum pump, tweezers, scalpel,
blowtorch - just about anything that helps it do its job. Some robots can change end-
effectors, and be reprogrammed for a different set of tasks.
Sensor: (2 Marks)
Most robots of today are nearly deaf and blind. Sensors can provide some limited
feedback to the robot so it can do its job. Compared to the senses and abilities of even
the simplest living things, robots have a very long way to go. The sensor sends
information, in the form of electronic signals back to the controller. Sensors also give
the robot controller information about its surroundings and lets it know the exact
position of the arm, or the state of the world around it.

29. a) Draw the neat sketch and explain the construction and working principle of
hydraulic Actuators.
Components of Hydraulic Actuation Systems

Hydraulic Fluid (2 Marks)

Hydraulic fluid must be essentially non-compressible to be able to transmit power

Instantaneously from one part of the system to another. At the same time, it should lubricate
the moving parts to reduce friction loss and cool the components so that the heat generated
does not lead to fire hazards. It also helps in removing the contaminants to filter. The most
common liquid used in hydraulic systems is petroleum oil because it is only very slightly
compressible. The other desirable property of oil is its lubricating ability. Finally, often, the
fluid also acts as a seal against leakage inside a hydraulic component. The degree of closeness
of the mechanical fit and the oil viscosity determines leakage rate.

Reservoir (2 Marks)
It holds the hydraulic fluid to be circulated and allows air entrapped in the fluid
to escape. This is an important feature as the bulk modulus of the oil, which determines
the stiffness of hydraulic system, deteriorates considerably in the presence of entrapped
air bubbles. It also helps in dissipating heat.
(2 Marks)

Filter (2 Marks)
The hydraulic fluid is kept clean in the system with the help of filters and strainers. It
removes minute particles from the fluid, which can cause blocking of the orifices of
servo-valves or cause jamming of spools.

Line (2 Marks)
Pipe, tubes and hoses, along with the fittings or connectors, constitute the conducting
lines that carry hydraulic fluid between components. Lines are one of the disadvantages
of hydraulic system that we need to pay in return of higher power to weight ratio. Lines
convey the fluid and also dissipate heat. In contrast, for Pneumatic Systems, no return
path for the fluid, which is air, is needed, since it can be directly released into the
atmosphere. There are various kinds of lines in a hydraulic system. The working lines
carry the fluid that delivers the main pump power to the load. The pilot lines carry fluid
that transmit controlling pressures to various directional and relief valves for remote
operation or safety. Lastly there are drain lines that carry the fluid that inevitably leaks
out, to the tank.

Hydraulic Pumps (2 Marks)

The pump converts the mechanical energy of its prime-mover to hydraulic energy by
delivering a given quantity of hydraulic fluid at high pressure into the system.
Generically, all pumps are divided into two categories, namely, hydrodynamic or non-
positive displacement and hydrostatic or positive displacement. Hydraulic systems
generally employ positive displacement pumps only.

29. b) Describe the construction and working of piezo electric sensors with suitable
diagrams.
(4 Marks)
Materials that generate electric potential or voltage when mechanical strain is
applied to them or conversely when the voltage is applied to them, they tend to change
the dimensions along certain plane. This effect is called as the piezoelectric effect.
Some of the materials that exhibit piezoelectric effect are quartz, Rochelle salt,
polarized barium titanate, ammonium dihydrogen and ordinary sugar.
(4 Marks)

The piezoelectric transducers work on the principle of piezoelectric effect. When

mechanical stress or forces are applied to some materials along certain planes, they
produce electric voltage. This electric voltage can be measured easily by the voltage
measuring instruments, which can be used to measure the stress or force.
The physical quantities like stress and force cannot be measured directly. In such
cases the material exhibiting piezoelectric transducers can be used. The stress or the
force that has to be measured is applied along certain planes to these materials. The
voltage output obtained from these materials due to piezoelectric effect is proportional
to the applied stress or force. The output voltage can be calibrated against the applied
stress or the force so that the measured value of the output voltage directly gives the
value of the applied stress or force. In fact the scale can be marked directly in terms of
stress or force to give the values directly.

Advantages of Piezoelectric Transducers (2 Marks)

Every devise has certain advantages and limitations. The piezoelectric transducers
offer several advantages as mentioned below:
1) High frequency response: They offer very high frequency response that means the
parameter changing at very high speeds can be sensed easily.
2) High transient response: The piezoelectric transducers can detect the events of
microseconds and also give the linear output.
3) High output: They offer high output that be measured in the electronic circuit.
4) The piezoelectric transducers are small in size and have rugged construction.
Limitations of Piezoelectric Transducers
Some of the limitations of piezoelectric transducers are:
1) Output is low: The output obtained from the piezoelectric transducers is low, so
external electronic circuit has to be connected.
2) High impedance: The piezoelectric crystals have high impedance so they have to be
connected to the amplifier and the auxiliary circuit, which have the potential to cause
errors in measurement. To reduce these errors amplifiers high input impedance and
long cables should be used.
3) Forming into shape: It is very difficult to give the desired shape to the crystals with
sufficient strength.
Applications of the Piezoelectric Transducers (2 Marks)
1) The piezoelectric transducers are more useful for the dynamic measurements, i.e.
the parameters that are changing at the fast rate. This is because the potential developed
under the static conditions is not held by the instrument. Thus piezoelectric crystals are
primarily used measurement of quantities like surface roughness, and also in
accelerometers and vibration pickups.
2) For the same reasons they can be used for studying high speed phenomenon like
explosions and blast waves. They are also used in aerodynamic shock tube work and
seismograph (used for measurement of acceleration and vibration in rockets).
3) Many times the piezo sensors or transducers are used along with the strain gauges
for measurement of force, stress, vibrations, etc.
4) The automotive companies used piezoelectric transducers to detect detonations in
the engine blocks.
5) Piezoelectric transducers are used in medical treatment, sonochemistry and
industrial processing equipments for monitoring the power.
30. a)

(2 Marks)

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31. A) (2 Marks)
Grippers are devices used with pick-and-place robotic systems to pick up or place an
object on an assembly line, conveyor system, or other automated system. Fingered
tooling—or jaws—is attached to the grippers to grip or hold the object.
They come in a variety of styles and powered designs. Three common types are
Parallel, three-finger, and angled designs. The most common are parallel designs, with
two fingers that close on a workpiece to grip it or open it out by creating pressure on
the inside. Three-finger designs hold the workpiece in the center, and have three fingers
offset by 120°. Finally, angled designs feature jaws that work at a variety of different
angle openings (for example, 30°, 40°, etc.).
In addition, three choices of power are available; the most common being pneumatic
grippers; electromechanical grippers are second most common; and the least common
being hydraulic grippers. Hydraulic grippers are most often used in conjunction with a
piece of equipment that only has a hydraulic power source for actuators.
In general, hydraulic and pneumatic grippers have the same basic actuation principle.
They include direct acting piston designs as well as piston wedge designs.
The direct acting piston design is used when a hydraulic force acts directly on a piston
that is directly connected to the jaw or finger that is touching or gripping the part. The
piston wedge design features a hydraulic force acting on a piston while the piston itself
is acting on a wedge. The wedge translates this force to the jaws or fingers, providing
the grip force to grip the part. The wedge can give a mechanical advantage as it can
increase grip force while

Vacuum grippers (2 Marks)

Vacuum grippers are used in the robots for grasping the non – ferrous objects. It
uses vacuum cups as the gripping device, which is also commonly known as suction
cups. This type of grippers will provide good handling if the objects are smooth, flat,
and clean. It has only one surface for gripping the objects. Most importantly, it is not
best suitable for handling the objects with holes.
Vacuum cups:
Generally, the vacuum cups (suction cups) will be in the round shape. These cups
will be developed by means of rubber or other elastic materials. Sometimes, it is also
made of soft plastics. Moreover, the vacuum cups are prepared of hard materials for
handling the soft material objects.
(3 Marks)
Two different devices are used in the suction cups for creating the vacuum.
They are: (3 Marks)
 Venturi
 Vacuum pump
Venturi device is operated with the help of shop air pressure, while the vacuum pump
is driven either by means of vane or piston device. The vacuum pump has the ability
to create the high vacuum. As the venturi is a simple device, it is more reliable and
inexpensive. Both these devices are very well capable of providing high vacuum if
there is a sufficient supply of air pressure.
Types of vacuum grippers:
 The ball joint type vacuum gripper is capable of changing into various contact
angles automatically. Moreover, the bending moments in the vacuum cups
are also decreased. It is used for carrying irregular materials, heavy objects,
etc.
 A vacuum gripper with level compensator can be very helpful in balancing
the objects with different levels. It also has the capability to absorb the
shocks.

Applications of vacuum grippers: (2 Marks)

 Vacuum grippers are highly useful in the heavy industries, automobiles,

compact disc manufacturing, and more for material handling purposes.
 It is also used in the tray & box manufacturing, labelling, sealing, bottling, and
so on for packaging purposes.

31. B) Explain any three types of gripper mechanism with neat sketch,

Linkage Grippers: (3 Marks)

there is no cam, screw, gear. There is movement only because of links attached to
input and output. There must be perfect design of mechanism such that input
actuator’s motion is transformed into the gripping action at the output.

Gear and Rack Grippers: (3 Marks)

movement of input due to gear motion which makes connecting links to go in motion
to make gripping action at the output link.
Cam-actuated Grippers: (3 Marks)
reciprocating motion of the cam imparts motion to the follower, thus causing fingers
to produce a grabbing action. A variety of cam profiles can be employed- constant
velocity, circular arcs, harmonic curves etc. This mechanism is similar that the linkage
gripper but in this intervene the cams.

Screw-driven Grippers: (3 Marks)

operated by turning screw, in turn giving motion to connecting links and thus giving
griping motion to output. Screw motion can be controlled by motor attached.

32. A) function and uses of robots in surgical and manufacturing automation.

Function and uses of robots in surgical. (4 Marks)

Information flow in robotic systems for minimally invasive surgery. The surgeon
moves the master manipulators; these motions are sent as position commands to the
robotic instruments that manipulate tissues within the patient’s body. The surgeon
views the internal operative field through video images from an endoscope, which is
manipulated by another robotic system. Some systems also furnish audio, force, or
tactile information. (2 Marks)
Surgeons work through a set of three to five incisions approximately 1 cm in size.
Long-handled instruments are used to grip and cut tissue within the body, and a video
laparoscope provides a view of the internal operating field. Because this procedure
avoids the long incision through the abdominal wall used in the conventional open
procedure, patients recover more quickly. Benefits include greatly reduced is comfort,
improved cosmesis, reduced convalescence and hospitalization costs, and less time
away from productive work. Minimally invasive approaches have produced the same
benefits in a number of other procedures, such as arthroscopic knee reconstruction and
thoracoscopic lung resection.
The necessity of working through a few fixed incisions places severe limitations on
dexterity in manipulation, and only a few procedures are possible with the current
hand-held instruments. Lateral movement of the instrument shaft is not possible at the
incision, which thus acts as a fulcrum, reversing the directions of the surgeon’s hand
motions at the instrument tip and varying the mechanical advantage as the
instruments move in and out. The video monitor is often located on the far side of the
patient, and the difference in orientation between the endoscope and the monitor
requires the surgeon to perform a difficult mental transformation between visual and
motor coordinate frames.

Function and uses of robots in manufacturing automation. (6 Marks)

They are designed to move materials, as well as perform a variety of
programmed tasks in manufacturing and production settings. They are often used to
perform duties that are dangerous, or unsuitable for human workers, such as repetitious
work that causes boredom and could lead to injuries because of the inattentiveness of
the worker.
Industrial robots are able to significantly improve product quality. Applications are
performed with precision and superior repeatability on every job. This level of
reliability can be difficult to accomplish any other way. Robots are regularly being
upgraded, but some of the most precise robots used today have a repeatability of +/-
0.02mm. Robots also increase workplace safety.
The disadvantages to integrating robots into a business are the significant upfront
cost. Also, ongoing maintenance requirements can add to the overall cost. Yet, the long
term ROI makes manufacturing robots the perfect investment.
Material handling is the most prevalent application of industrial robots with 38%
of the robots being used for this purpose. Material handling robots can automate some
of the most tedious, mind-numbing, and unsafe tasks in a production line. The term
material handling takes in a variety of product movements on the manufacturing floor,
such as part selection, transferring of the part, packing, palletizing, loading and
unloading and machine feeding.
Welding robots offer efficiency, reach, speed, load capacity, and enhanced
performance for welding parts of all shapes and sizes; and they support a wide range
of intelligent functions such as ready-to-use robotic vision, and collision avoidance.
Assembly operations encompass 10% of the robots used in manufacturing, including
fixing, press-fitting, inserting, and disassembling. This category of robotic applications
has diminished because of the introduction of different technologies such as force
torque sensors and tactile sensors that gives more sensations to the robot.
 When it comes to putting parts together, assembly robots move faster and with
greater precision than a human, and an off-the-shelf tool can be installed quicker than
with special-purpose equipment. An assembly robot is easily reconfigured and it is a
low-risk investment that satisfies the demands of manufacturing, quality and finance
all at the same time.

32. b) Function and uses of robots in space and under water applications.

Function and uses of robots in space (6 Marks)

A big advantage of space robots is that they need neither food nor drink and can
support very inhospitable conditions. More important still, although expensive to
design and produce, their loss is always preferable to that of an astronaut. "On Earth,
robots regularly take over when it comes to repetitive tasks or when human health may
be at risk. They are used to assemble cars, deactivate bombs, weld pipes at the bottom
of the sea and work in nuclear power plants.

The most advantageous opportunity is the almost zero gravity in outer space.
This means that everything weighs much less than on Earth and even the heaviest
object can be moved and raised with little effort, so a small robot can move huge
objects.

In the space community, any unmanned spacecraft can be called a robotic

spacecraft, but Visentin prefers a more specific description: "a system having mobility
and the ability to manipulate objects plus the flexibility to perform any combination of
these tasks autonomously or by remote control". "The objective of space robots is
basically to perform an action in space such as position an instrument to take a
measurement, collect a sample for examination, assemble a structure or even move
around an astronaut."

Types of robots The most conventional robot used in space missions is the rover.
This vehicle can move around the surface of another planet transporting scientific
instruments. Usually both the vehicle and the instruments are operated autonomously.

Function and uses of robots in under water applications. (6 Marks)

Underwater robots play an important role in the offshore oil and gas industry,
the defence sector, maritime search and rescue, oceanographic research, underwater
archaeology and environmental monitoring. Many of these applications are conducted
with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) that are tethered to and controlled from a
surface vessel but as with the trend in terrestrial and airborne robots, autonomous
operation is of increasing importance. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are
now finding growing uses, driven largely by the improved capabilities arising from
various technological developments. This article aims to provide details of the
technologies and applications of underwater robots.

An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is a robot that travels underwater

without requiring input from an operator. AUVs constitute part of a larger group of
undersea systems known as unmanned underwater vehicles, a classification that
includes non-autonomous remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) – controlled
and powered from the surface by an operator/pilot via an umbilical or using remote
control. In military applications a AUV is more often referred to as unmanned undersea
vehicle (UUV). Underwater gliders are a subclass of AUVs.

Until relatively recently, AUVs have been used for a limited number of tasks
dictated by the technology available. With the development of more advanced
processing capabilities and high yield power supplies, AUVs are now being used for
more and more tasks with roles and missions constantly evolving.