Smarter Industry Fraunhofer experts control driverless systems via voice command

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Fraunhofer-Institut für Digitale Medientechnologie IDMT

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Once again, members of the industrial working group "Audio Technology for Smart Production AiP" from industry and research have come together. Here are two highlights...

Language is the most natural medium of communication for humans and thus the most efficient form of communication. However, spoken language can also be utilized in industrial production to simplify processes or make them safer and more user-friendly for operators. During the Industry Working Group meeting in Oldenburg, various speakers from industry and research presented production-oriented ideas. In collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology (IDMT), an English language voice control has been integrated into a collaborative robot (cobot) for welding tasks, to be more precise. This provides the opportunity to program robots more efficiently in areas where workers still need to wear gloves, commented Dr. Johannes Stoll, group leader of robot processes and kinematics at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA), who has worked with the IDMT.

From the milling machine to the cobot, everything responds to the worker

Voice control can also be employed in driverless transport vehicles (DTVs), also known as Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). According to researchers, this allows the DTVs to flexibly respond to new requirements. They can receive instructions in real-time and adjust their routes, for example, to enable the timely delivery of tools at the workplace. Various scenarios are conceivable, such as exchanging a defective tool or delivering the required components. From milling centers to welding robots to cobots, everything could be voice-controlled as needed, while the employees' hands remain free for other tasks, as per the vision. Hence, the need to remove gloves for programming on a touchscreen becomes obsolete. Additionally, walking distances can be shortened, enhancing efficiency further.

Listen, what’s that milling machine doing?!

Ultimately, those who can adapt most flexibly to changing situations remain successful, as researchers point out. Therefore, easily retrofittable and operable process monitoring systems are necessary for the practical optimization of production parameters and the safe autonomous operation of production machines. For this reason, the IDMT in Oldenburg also presented current research findings in the field of process monitoring for machining processes. The scientists have developed an airborne sound-based sensor system specifically for machining, which can be retrofitted, as emphasized. The manufacturer-independent system supports operators in efficiently and safely designing machining processes. Serving as an extended "ear" for operators, it also reliably identifies regenerative chatter outside the machining space of the mill—a self-amplifying chatter that can occur when the miller engages with the tool, which usually signifies problems. Tool wear and other process anomalies are also detected. Behind this, once again, are "intelligent" algorithms that can be adapted to the current requirements of automated machining processes.