Robotic Grasping and Manipulation for Assembly

Recent advancements in robotic arms and end-effectors have the potential to accelerate the use of robotics for assembly.  The force sensing and compliance capabilities used in collaborative robots to prevent injuries and enable them to work safely alongside human workers in manufacturing environments lend themselves to robotic assembly tasks.  Additionally, robotic hands are emerging as a next generation end-effector technology with advanced force control and manipulation capabilities.  These robotic components contribute to new ways of tackling the small parts assembly field especially for low-volume, high-mix manufacturing operations.  This work develops performance metrics and test methods to support the evolution of these technologies using a community driven approach.