Design of a Robotic Work Cell Using Hierarchical Systems Approach and Visual Components Software

The use of Hierarchical Systems (HS) technology in the conceptual design of the RWC (Robotic Work Cell) is proposed in the work. In comparison with other widespread approaches, the conceptual model of the RWC constructed in the HS formal basis contains connected models of RWC subsystems, their processes, the RWC structure, its dynamic presentation as the unit in its environment, and the RWC coordinator. The design and control system of RWC is presented in the form of an HS coordinator. For the detailed design of the selected RWC, the Visual Components system was applied in the work. First, the conceptual model of the RWC is presented in the paper. The application of the Visual Components program system for the detailed design of the RWC is described after that. Third, the laboratory experiment with the KUKA KR16-2 F robot is briefly considered. The originality of the proposed work lies in the application of the novel HS technology in the creation of the conceptual model and design of the selected RWC. The model developed at the conceptual design phase is coordinated with the model created at the detailed design phase within the framework of the Visual Components system. The effectiveness of the proposed HS approach in comparison with other known design, AI, and mathematical methods lies in the possibility of solving RWC synthesis and analysis design problems within the framework of one common formal HS model using an HS coordinator that connects the structure of the system being designed with its function, predicting, in this way, the system’s dynamics in its environment, and performing RWC control. The reliability of the model proposed was verified while performing the design and control tasks of the presented RWC and various other mechatronic objects. The results and conclusive remarks are finally presented in the paper.