Abstract
Mass personalization—a megatrend in industrial manufacturing and production—requires fast adaptations of robotics and automation solutions to continually decreasing lot sizes. In this paper, the challenges of applying robot-based automation in a highly individualized production are highlighted. To face these challenges, a framework is proposed that combines latest machine learning (ML) techniques, like deep learning, with high-end physics simulation environments. ML is used for programming and parameterizing machines for a given production task with minimal human intervention. If the simulation environment realistically captures physical properties like forces or elasticity of the real world, it provides a high-quality data source for ML. In doing so, new tasks are mastered in simulation faster than in real-time, while at the same time existing tasks are executed. The functionality of the simulation-driven ML framework is demonstrated on an industrial use case.
Zusammenfassung
Die Massenpersonalisierung – ein Megatrend in der industriellen Fertigung und Produktion – erfordert eine schnelle Anpassung von Robotik- und Automatisierungslösungen an immer kleinere Losgrößen. In dieser Arbeit werden die Herausforderungen der roboterbasierten Automatisierung in einer hochgradig individualisierten Produktion aufgezeigt. Um diesen Herausforderungen zu begegnen, wird ein Framework vorgeschlagen, welches neueste Methoden des maschinellen Lernens (ML), wie beispielsweise Deep Learning, mit High-End-Physiksimulationen kombiniert. ML dient zur Programmierung und Parametrierung von Maschinen für eine bestimmte Produktionsaufgabe mit minimalem menschlichen Eingriff. Wenn die Simulationsumgebung physikalische Eigenschaften wie Kräfte oder Elastizität der realen Welt realitätsnah erfasst, stellt sie eine hochwertige Datenquelle für ML dar. Dabei werden neue Aufgaben in der Simulation schneller als in Echtzeit gemeistert, während gleichzeitig bestehende Aufgaben ausgeführt werden. Die Funktionalität des simulationsgesteuerten ML-Frameworks wird anhand eines industriellen Anwendungsfalls demonstriert.
Award Identifier / Grant number: 017-192996
Award Identifier / Grant number: Cyberprotect
Funding source: Baden-Württemberg Stiftung
Award Identifier / Grant number: NEU016/1
Funding statement: This work was partially supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the state Baden-Württemberg (Zentrum für Cyber Cognitive Intelligence – Grant No. 017-192996 and Cyberprotect) and the Baden-Württemberg Stiftung (Deep Grasping – Grant No. NEU016/1).
About the authors

Mohamed El-Shamouty received his B. Sc. and M. Sc. in Communication Engineering and Media Technology from German University in Cairo, in 2015 and University of Stuttgart, in 2018 respectively. Since 2018, he is a research associate in the robotics department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA with the focus of using Machine Learning for safe and intelligent collaborative robots in production.

Kilian Kleeberger received his B. Sc. and M. Sc. degree in production engineering from the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. During his studies, he focused on automation engineering, image processing and robotics. Since 2017, he is a research associate in the robotics department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA. His research focuses on computer vision and robotics.

Arik Lämmle received his B. Sc. and M. Sc. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Stuttgart. During his studies, he focused on industrial robotics, production processes and machine tools. Since 2017, he is a research associate in the robotics department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA. His main focus is the development of intelligent systems for autonomous execution of assembly operations using a combination of advanced simulation environments, artificial intelligence and industrial robots.

Marco Huber received his diploma and Ph. D. in computer science from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, in 2006 and 2009, respectively. From 2009 until 2011 he was with Fraunhofer IOSB, Karlsruhe, Germany, where he was leading a research group on computer vision and information fusion. He then worked as Senior Researcher with AGT International in Darmstadt until 2015. From April 2015 to September 2018, Marco Huber was responsible for product development and data science services of the Katana division at USU Software AG in Karlsruhe. Since October 2018, he is full professor for cognitive production systems with University of Stuttgart and also head of the Center for Cyber Cognitive Intelligence (CCI) at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA. His research focuses on machine learning, sensor data analysis, and robotics for production.
Acknowledgment
The authors would like to also acknowledge Ramez Awad, Xinyang Wu, Dennis Lamaj, Jiacheng Yang and Karin Röhricht for fruitful discussions and support with implementations.
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