Throwing of Objects: A New Technology for Factory Automation

In a research project at the Reinhold-Wuerth-University in Kunzelsau, Germany, a new approach for logistic functions in production systems is investigated. Objects are thrown by throwing devices and captured by capturing devices. With this approach for the separation, transportation and commissioning of work pieces, tools, packaging etc. the features of high speeds, high flexibilities and the need of few resources are expected to be achieved in future. At the beginning an overview will be given for this new technology. It was inspired by observations in nature, where the fastest movements can be watched at flying. When this basic idea is implemented in a technical environment, the functions can be subdivided in launching of the objects, measuring the objects on their trajectories and capturing the objects. In the second section the physical basics for the ballistic of flying objects will be considered. At flying objects in particular the thrust (driving respectively braking force), the gravitational force, the drag force and the lift force have to be considered. With these forces a mathematical model for the trajectories can be deduced. These forces are also determining the stability of the object orientation during flight. Different methods will be presented for the flight stabilization of cylinders. For the realization of the throwing technology two basic concepts have to be distinguished. Throwing with indirect hits: When objects are thrown, which are unsymmetrical or not identical, their trajectories are depending on sensitive influences like different conditions during the acceleration by a throwing device or the influence of the gravitation and the aerodynamic forces during the flight. In this case the objects must be detected on their trajectories by a sensor system and a robot has to move a capturing device during the flight to the final capturing point. Throwing with direct hits: If the objects can be thrown into a capturing device with a direct hit, the visual tracking of the objects on their trajectories and the tracking of the capturing device are not required. Several approaches for throwing devices, sensor systems for measuring the objects on their trajectories, robots for moving capturing devices and capturing devices will be presented for these concepts. Finally an outlook with some visionary applications will be given. Examples like throwing of workpieces from one machine to another, throwing of objects over obstacles and the commissioning of goods by throwing shall illustrate the potential of the new technology for the factory automation in the future.