Handling with AI-enhanced Robotic Technologies for flexible manufactUring

HARTU will provide the necessary tools to implement three basic stages of parts handling, i.e., grasping, assembly and releasing. These tools aim to address the key challenges for creating handling applications by means of innovative technical approaches: (1) self-supervised grasp and release planning policies identification and control; (2) to learn and control contact-rich assembly skills from human demonstrations; (3) to develop an AI-based multi-modal perception for visual-servoing and continuous monitoring in handling operations, supported by virtual and continuous learning; and (4) to develop versatile and dexterous soft grippers with electro-active fingertips. HARTU is an industry-driven research project that includes the deployment of technologies in 5 industrially relevant scenarios: 4 manufacturing lines in different sectors: automotive, household appliances, hand tool manufacturing and food processing, and 1 in logistics to validate that the technologies can be transferred to other sectors. They offer an enormous variability of products in terms of shape, material and sizes. This approach contributes to the (1) industrial objective of HARTU, i.e., to increase the flexibility, reconfigurability and efficiency of manufacturing lines through easy to integrate and configure, safe and reliable handling systems, supported by tools for application development and a reference architecture. It also contributes to the (2) social objective: to contribute to user acceptance and adoption, identification of skills development needs and compliance with the liability/legal and ethic aspects.