ROBOTICS
A SOLUTION TO INTEROPERABILITY ISSUES
Michelle Schlechtriem, content manager at Meili Robots, discusses the importance of interoperability in robot fleets
W
ith the growing demand and specialisation of mobile robots, a solution to tackle communication
problems in diverse robot fleets is needed more than ever. Interoperability relates to the ability of
computer systems or programs to exchange information and is an absolute must for multi- diverse systems to work together. It is a well-known term in the robotics industry, however, the industry-wide adoption of the practice is yet to be seen. This raises serious concerns when looking at current market developments. The two main drivers for the robotics
industry when it comes to interoperability are the increase in demand and the specialisation of mobile robots. Increase in Demand: Many warehouses,
factories and logistic centres are deploying robots into their operations. In fact, robotics shipments were up 41% in 2018 and with a large contribution of the Covid-19 pandemic, current growth figures are hitting the roof. The global robot unit shipments for logistics
and warehousing is expected to reach 620K by the end of this year. However, robot manufacturers are hardly able to keep up with this growing demand. Moreover, the global robotics market is
expected to reach £152.7B by 2025, with a 26% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR). On the other hand, the warehouse automation market is projected to reach £21.6B in 2026, following a 10.41% CAGR during the forecast period, and up from £10.8B in 2019. Specialisation: As a more or less direct result of the growing demand for robots and
automation, companies are starting to invest in robots that fit specific use cases and applications. Most of them focus on the deployment of specific, niche robots. In fact, breakthroughs in connectivity and
automation have led to industries such as food and beverage and plastics entering the robotics market. It is expected that by embracing the diversification of robotics and smart factories, new business models will pop up across the industries. This will increase the level of specialisation even more as robots will be needed for a wider range of applications. As a result, companies are starting to buy
different types of robots from different brands to perform different tasks. Keeping the increasing demand and
specialisation in mind, there is one major issue: there is a lack of interoperability across the industries. Each robot manufacturer will supply their robots with their own, individual operating systems. This means that deploying robots into a diverse fleet will lead to a great number of different operating systems. This is where the communication issues
arise. Typically, the robots are going to cross paths at some point, and when they do, their operating systems will not be able to communicate with each other. As a result, the robots could collide with each other or humans, cause accidents, delay operations, and create many other operational risks. Along with a growing demand for robots
and automation comes a focus on a number of technologies that will continue to be drivers for market growth. These include artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), Industry 4.0, and enterprise resource planning (ERP), to name a few. Industry 4.0 technologies let
A successful test of MiR’s robot
companies establish a communication network between different devices, and many companies are implementing ERP technologies to help automate processes via a single system. These examples show how technological advances are related to automation, the diversification of mobile robot fleets, and the need for diverse systems to be able to work
52 MAY 2021 | PROCESS & CONTROL
together. In other words: interoperability. Case Study: Interoperability Issues at
Hospital Sønderjylland The Management of Robotised Transport
project — project START (Styring Af Robotiseret Transport) — was carried out at Hospital Sønderjylland, the front runner of robotic deployments in Danish hospitals. The purpose of the project was to test, adjust, and customise MiR’s new fleet management system (MiR Fleet 2.0) for the intelligent management of the different types of mobile robots, as well as the hospital logistics. During the execution of the project, various
tests were conducted. The picture below shows a successful test of MiR’s robot driving in the straight red line and a robot from a different manufacturer driving in the oval blue path. As you can see, the robots cross paths at two different points. In order to avoid collisions, the traffic control system has set up information areas where the AGV will stop and wait for a clear signal before it continues. Issues that arose during the testing of the
fleet management system were mainly related to diverse mapping and routing features and a lack of common safety rules (due to supplier differences and miscommunication, as previously mentioned). The outcome of the project was quite clear:
all project partners were convinced that there is a need for a universal fleet management system that can provide an overview of the fleet, regardless of the robots’ brands or types. In order to avoid collisions and other accidents as well as to optimise operational efficiency, it is crucial that the robots’ locations, routes, speed, etc. can be controlled in a levelled way. The project showed that there is a need for
interoperability in the industry through an open fleet management system that can control the task management and traffic of diverse mobile robot fleets. To find out more about interoperability in the robotics industry, download the report for free.
Meili Robots
www.meilirobots.com
The report can be downloaded from the Meili Robots’ website
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