MRP 4.0 - Mixed Reality Production for cross-location production in industry 4.0
With Mixed Reality Production 4.0, researchers of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) present new, cross-location forms of human-robot collaboration (HRC). Using mixed reality and virtual reality technologies, employees in one place, together with robots and colleagues in another place, jointly and flexibly solve the task of handling dangerous goods safely. Adaptable and trainable lightweight robots are used for this.
The actions of a human being in one place immediately lead to a direct robotic action elsewhere through telemanipulation, by means of a HoloLens. Displays can also be used to show the mixed reality ego perspective of the HoloLens wearer. Thus, for example, the telemanipulation of two robots (Universal Robots UR, MiR 100) can be shown live from any location in the MRK4.0 innovation laboratory of DFKI in Saarbrücken.
With the help of the mixed reality system it is possible to manipulate objects in a three-dimensional virtual representation of the collaboration scenario in real time. The user can interact with the robot by looking at the virtual representation of the target object and trigger the desired action by a gesture. Telemanipulation in the immediate environment is also possible. Here the operator controls the processes in a mixed reality environment (HoloLens) with gestures. The robots execute the commands, grip and move objects on a table or shelf mounted on the mobility robot. In this way, for example, objects can be transported safely between two locations. The aim is to practice the error-free handling of the robots in the remote “dangerous goods” situation.
Practical applications in the production and industrial context are e.g. remote maintenance, telepresence, teleproduction or teleoperation as well as human-robot collaboration (HRC).
