ATG Technologies · Robotics & Vision / Computer Vision Engineer · 2015
Robotic Handling — Gas Industry
Robotics · Computer Vision · ATEX Industrial Automation
Context
A robotic handling application for the gas industry, operating in an ATEX (explosive atmosphere) environment and requiring vacuum handling of gas cylinders around 130 kg, localized by a 2D vision-based positioning system.
The challenge
Localizing and handling heavy gas cylinders safely inside an ATEX environment — combining dual-camera 2D vision-based positioning, ATEX-rated protection and vacuum handling at that weight.
My role
Functional analysis, material selection, vision programming, robot programming, automation, commissioning and production start-up.
The approach
A KUKA robot fitted with an ATEX protective cover performed approximately 130 kg vacuum handling of gas cylinders, guided by two Cognex cameras for 2D object localization and robot guidance, with ATEX-rated sensors and Beckhoff Automation handling the industrial I/O.
System architecture
Technologies
- KUKA robot
- ATEX environment / protective cover
- ATEX sensors
- Beckhoff Automation I/O
- Cognex cameras (x2)
- 2D machine vision
Project journey
- Concept
- Prototype
- Validation
- Industrialization
- Deployment
- Scale
My contribution
- Designed
- Developed
- Deployed
Deployment / industrialization
Deployed to production.
Results — business / industrial impact
Production start-up achieved for ATEX-rated robotic handling of gas cylinders.
Skills demonstrated
- Robot programming (KUKA)
- Machine vision (Cognex)
- ATEX / functional safety
- Commissioning
- Object localization
- Robot guidance