Design and implementation of a pick and place solution using a collaborative robot

Abstract

Robots as a supplement to the workforce are becoming increasingly popular to increase efficiency and reduce strain on human workers. The utilization of robotics in any task requires planning and programming. With the increasing usage of robotics also comes an increase in the number of people programming robots. While conventional programming is making its way to elementary schools, robot programming is not as widely present in society.

The goal of this thesis is to act as an introductory look at the process of producing a robot solution, by designing and implementing one. This thesis aims to provide insight to the thought process by methodically going over all the decisions, from the structure of the program to the shape of the carried object while providing alternative options and justifying the made choices.

The thesis is split into three parts. The first part explores current utilization and classifications of robotics through a literature review providing a brief look into how different types of problems are approached. In the second part the planning of the robot solution is presented. Requirements for the robot solution and demo setup are explained in the requirements chapter, and different possible solutions for filling those requirements are explored in the design chapter. The last third of the thesis covers the final implementation of the project, along with the explanations for the chosen design. The conclusions chapter provides a brief reflection on the lessons learned, and a few suggestions on possible future work.

Ultimately the process leads to a functional program and demo setup validating the process. The program produced in the thesis can be found in appendix A.