NGQC IoRT

Industrial modernization has been driving the intensification of R&D efforts towards the creation of new Industrial Internet of Things/Internet of Robotic Things (IIoT/IoRT) sensor concepts for distributed and robotic applications, in particular with advantages in terms of efficiency, production rate and quality. Nevertheless, existent solutions have some technical limitations regarding flexibility, transparency and adaptability to the real conditions. Hence, NGQC IoRT aims to develop a new IIoT / IoRT ecosystem applicable in a transversal and flexible way to the process of visual inspection and quality control in complex production lines of the automotive industry, including environmental and energy monitoring, wastewater and gas treatment. Collaborative robotic systems (with the integration of robotic manipulators and controllers) and artificial vision mechanisms integrated into an IIoT / IoRT sensing ecosystem will be investigated and developed, namely: (i) collaborative robotic system for visual inspection and quality control in dynamic regimes and ( ii) robotic system in a mobile and portable unit for identification and analysis of non-conformities, embedded with artificial vision algorithms, in order to achieve properties of versatility, flexibility and transparency in the identification of non-conformities including the ability to self-reprogram / self-reconfiguration through intelligent self-learning. The proposed solution will foster the pilot sensing systems in an industrial environment at PSA in Mangualde, within the new concepts of Industry 4.0.