IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - December 2018 - 113

standards

Empowering
A
Journey Toward
Robotics
the Convergence
in Manufacturing
of Robotics
Through
Measurement
and Life Sciences
Science
By Jeremy
EugenioA.Guglielmelli
Marvel and Elena R. Messina

T

he U.S. National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST)
is dedicated to advanc ing
measurement science, technology,
and standards, thus promoting innova-
tion and industry competitiveness. In
particular, the Robot Systems for Smart
Manufacturing (RSSM) program within
NIST's Engineering Laboratory focuses on
advancing measurement science for
industrial robot systems, specifically to
address issues that may hinder ease of
adoption and advances in the performance
of robotic technologies.
Robotic systems are an essential tool
for strengthening manufacturing com-
petitiveness in our rapidly changing
global economy. Automating the dull,
dirty, and dangerous aspects of manu-
facturing drives growth through greater
responsiveness to market needs and
innovative product offerings while
enabling workforce development and
advancement. The flexibility and reus-
ability of robotic systems are proving
valuable to both large manufacturers
and small enterprises that must respond
nimbly to customer's needs.
The RSSM program consists of sev-
eral projects targeting different mea-
surement science challenges related to
robotic systems. These projects focus on
topics including the following:
● evaluating robot system perfor-
mance such as mobility, dexterous
grasping, sensing, and safety
● assessing and assuring robots'

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MRA.2018.2875379
Date of publication: 12 December 2018

ability to work collaboratively with
humans and with other robots
● measuring the capacity for adapt-
ing to uncertainty and change
● facilitating easier integration and
improved interoperability of robots
in smart manufacturing work cells.
These projects also focus on advanc-
ing the state of practice of robot applica-
tions in manufacturing environments,
with a particular interest in overcoming
the barriers that currently prevent small
and medium-sized manufacturers
from leveraging rwobots in their day-
to-day operations.
However, NIST's efforts would be for
naught without inputs from both indus-
try and academia to guide and validate
the measurement science. There are a
number of means through which inter-
ested academic and industry parties
may collaborate with researchers in the
RSSM program. While many interac-
tions occur through ongoing participa-
tion in standards organizations and
technical societies (including efforts
under the IEEE Robotics and Automa-
tion Society, such as the Standard
Ontology for Robotics and Automation
and the Robotic Hand Grasping and
Manipulation metrics working group),
NIST offers mechanisms for formal
partnerships, including grants, con-
tracts, cooperative research and devel-
opment agreements, and small business
innovation research awards. Under-
graduate and graduate internships are
available for current students, as are
postdoctoral research awards (student
and postdoctoral fellow positions re-
quire U.S. citizenship).

Informal interactions, including input
on relevant metrics and comments on
draft test methods, are welcome, as is par-
ticipation in NIST-organized competi-
tions (e.g., the Agile Robotics for Indus-
trial Automation Competition and the
manufacturing track of the Robotic
Grasping and Manipulation Competi-
tion). More information on NIST, the
RSSM program, and ongoing research
project efforts can be found at https://
www.nist.gov/programs-projects/robotic-
systems-smart-manufacturing-program.
Despite several decades of continu-
ous advance and successful deploy-
ments, many robots remain expensive,
dangerous machines that are difficult to
integrate, use, and retask. Sensing tech-
nologies for process flow and safety
have increased in resolution and band-
width, yet reliably understanding the
environment remains a limiting factor
for autonomy of operation and resil-
iency to change. Robot mobility has
extended the reach and capabilities of
automation to the far corners of the fac-
tory floor, yet safety and localization
concerns still plague automatic-guided
vehicles and mobile robots (i.e., wheeled
or legged platforms with autonomy to
navigate independently to achieve goals
and avoid obstacles).
Innovative designs are flourishing
for grasping technologies, including
mechanisms that mimic human hands;
however, very few are finding their way
onto shop floors due to a lack of under-
standing of their capabilities and how to
best apply them. Recent advances in
collaborative robot standards have
empowered the removal of barriers that

December 2018

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IEEE ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION MAGAZINE

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113
http://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/robotic http://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/robotic
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