Tech Briefs Magazine - July 2022 - 38

Robotics
Above: Pneumatic drives enable the robot arm to be easily guided
by hand and without any resistance so that waypoints or paths
can be taught quickly and precisely. (Image: Festo SE & Co. KG)
Above: A pneumatic cobot will consist of an
articulated arm, a handheld module, and software.
(Image: Festo SE & Co. KG)
A pneumatic cobot should be able to function
similarly to a human arm and be perceived as a
helping third hand when working with a team
member. (Image: Festo SE & Co. KG)
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
MULTIPHYSICS
MODELING AND
SIMULATION
APPLICATIONS
COMSOL Multiphysics® is a
software environment for creating
physics-based models and simulation apps and
managing simulation projects. Add-on products provide
tools for electromagnetics, structural, acoustics,
fluid flow, heat transfer, and chemical simulations.
Interfacing products offer a unified workflow with
all major technical computing and CAD tools. COMSOL
Compiler™ and COMSOL Server™ are used
for deploying simulation applications to colleagues
and customers. https://www.comsol.com/products
COMSOL, Inc.
OPTICALLY
CLEAR EPOXY
CURES AT 80 °C
Master Bond EP4CL-80
is a one part, exceptionally
low viscosity
epoxy for bonding and sealing. This free-flowing
system cures readily at 80 °C to 85 °C in one hour
or 5-10 minutes at 100 °C. It is not premixed and
frozen and has an unlimited working life at room
temperature. EP4CL-80 possesses excellent dimensional
stability and low shrinkage upon curing.
https://www.masterbond.com/tds/ep4cl-80
Master Bond
38
smooth and rounded at the edges so
that humans collaborating with the
pneumatic cobot cannot be hurt.
Pneumatic direct drives and light
weight reduce contact energy. Pressure
regulators in the articulated joints will
allow the robot to recognize when it is
being touched and respond with appropriate
safety functionality.
Collaborative robots originally were
developed to help workers perform assembly
tasks; today, they have many more
applications. One potential application
for a pneumatic cobot will be in 3D
printers, where units remove powder residue
by blowing it off and then detach
the finished component. In logistics operations,
the cobot can apply labels to
packages of different heights using its
fine sensor technology without pressing
in or damaging the surface.
www.techbriefs.com
ISO/TS 15066 and the need to specify
each individual application according to
safety aspects are the limiting factors so
far in terms of barriers to a broader
adoption of cobots. The inherent safety
features of pneumatic cobots should
help lower those barriers and speed
adoption.
Robots have always been electrically
driven. Shortly there will be pneumatically
powered units. What other new, different,
and exciting features will design
engineers invent to advance human/
machine collaboration? Adaptive gripping
is one area of great interest. Time
will tell.
This article is written by Dr. Frank Melzer,
Chief Technology Officer, Member of the Management
Board, Product and Technology
Management, Festo. For more information,
visit http://info.hotims.com/82323-286.
Tech Briefs, July 2022
http://info.hotims.com/82323-736 http://info.hotims.com/82323-737 http://info.hotims.com/82323-286 http://www.techbriefs.com
Tech Briefs Magazine - July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tech Briefs Magazine - July 2022
