Framework for Performance Assessment of Heterogeneous Robotic Systems

In a dynamic environment, a manufacturing system should be reconfigurable to make the products with lot size of one and a high product mix in mass customization. A manufacturing system is continuously evolved to make new products at different time scales and ensure uninterrupted productions when internal or external changes occur. System evolution relates to add, remove, upgrade components, and reconfigure the system at different levels and scopes. However, scientific methods and tools are lacking to support designers in reconfiguring a system subject to given changes. This becomes a big hurdle to adopt automated solutions in small- and medium-sized enterprises. To support system reconfiguration, we propose a generic framework and methods to assess the performance of heterogeneous robotic systems or components. The proposed methods can also help 1) designers to select components for an integrated solution based on the needs and 2) robot manufacturers to identify the weaknesses of their products.

Automated summary

In a dynamic manufacturing environment, a system should be reconfigurable to meet the demands of mass customization. However, the lack of scientific methods and tools to support system reconfiguration poses a challenge for designers in adapting to changing needs.