Human-Robot Co-manipulation and Handling of Flexible Materials

Human-Robot Co-manipulation and Handling of Flexible Materials

SHORT SUMMARY

The testbed focuses on the collaborative handling of flexible and semi-flexible materials, including foam-reinforced structures and composite sheets such as fiberglass and carbon fiber. It integrates an industrial collaborative robot (cobot) with low-latency perception systems to synchronize operations with a human operator. This ensures the safe and efficient handling and transfer of materials. Validated use cases include the manufacturing of maritime and automotive composites, applications requiring high-precision placement and delicate handling.

HOSTING INSTITUTION AND PI INFO

HOSTING INSTITUTION AND PI INFO

Name of Host Organization	University of Patras, Greece
Department or Lab	Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems & Automation (LMS) – Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics
Name of Building	Main Building of Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics
Physical Address	Campus of University of Patras, Rio, Greece
Website Links	https://www.upatras.gr
Institutional contact name	N/A
Institutional contact email

APPLICATION CASES

APPLICATION CASES

Application case:	Short description:
Human-Robot Co-Manipulation of Composite Sheets	Use of the UR10 cobot, depth camera and linear rail to assist operators in transferring large, non-rigid composite sheets. The system synchronizes robot motion with human intent to reduce ergonomic strain.
Intuitive “No-Code” Cell Reprogramming	Utilizing the Unity-based HMI to allow operators to define new grasping points and trajectories for different materials without writing code, facilitating rapid production changes.
Vision-Based Safety & Operator Tracking	Using the ZED 2 stereo camera and AI to monitor the operator’s position in real-time, ensuring they remain within safety boundaries and adjusting the robot’s speed/path dynamically.