Hybrid Virtual Commissioning of a Robotic Manipulator with Machine Vision Using a Single Controller

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Computer Science
• Robotics

Background:

• Digital twin (DT) technology facilitates interaction between physical and virtual systems across engineering fields.
• A lack of a unified definition for digital twins leads to varied interpretations and creation methods.
• Digital twins can optimize existing processes or simulate new devices for performance prediction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel concept of hybrid virtual commissioning.
• To demonstrate the integration of physical devices into the virtual commissioning phase.
• To explore the application of this concept in a practical case study involving a robotic manipulator.

Main Methods:

• Development of a hybrid virtual commissioning framework.
• Implementation in a case study featuring a robotic manipulator with machine vision, controlled by a programmable logic controller.
• Focus on a pick-and-place application to validate the approach.

Main Results:

• The proposed hybrid virtual commissioning enables the use of real devices during the virtual commissioning stage.
• The case study illustrates the practical benefits and feasibility of the approach.
• Identified specific scenarios where this hybrid method is particularly advantageous.

Conclusions:

• Hybrid virtual commissioning offers a viable method to enhance the development and commissioning of digital twins.
• Integrating real components early in the virtual commissioning process can lead to more robust and efficient system deployment.
• The approach is beneficial for complex robotic systems and programmable logic controller-based applications.