Peg-in-Hole Assembly Based on Six-Legged Robots with Visual Detecting and Force Sensing

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Mechatronics
• Assembly Automation

Background:

• Multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) manipulators are standard for peg-in-hole tasks.
• Six-legged robots offer superior mobility but are underexplored for assembly.
• Existing research lacks peg-in-hole solutions for legged robots.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a peg-in-hole assembly strategy for six-legged robots.
• To leverage combined vision and force/torque sensing for precise task execution.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of using a six-legged robot for intricate assembly operations.

Main Methods:

• A hybrid approach using vision and force/torque (F/T) sensors to determine relative peg-hole positions.
• Real-time trajectory planning based on force feedback for peg-in-hole mating.
• Admittance control implementation to ensure smooth insertion dynamics.
• Utilizing the robot's body and gripper to provide a six-DOF workspace for the peg.

Main Results:

• Successful demonstration of a peg-in-hole task using a six-parallel-legged robot.
• Effective exploration of relative pose using integrated sensor data.
• Smooth peg insertion achieved through admittance control.
• The proposed method proved suitable for the assembly task.

Conclusions:

• The developed approach enables six-legged robots to perform peg-in-hole assembly tasks.
• Combined sensor feedback and admittance control are crucial for success.
• This research opens new avenues for legged robots in automated assembly.