Design and Implementation of a Multi-purpose End-effector Tool for Industrial Robot

In recent years, much research is transpiring into making robots less machine and more intelligent. The present work proposes a custom-developed end-effector tool for industrial robots for applications such as writing, drawing, painting, calligraphy, and soldering. Although the end-effector tool is multi-purpose, for simplicity, this work mainly discusses helping the robot write by designing a 3D CAD model of the end-effector tool employing SolidWorks. The writing tool is 3D printed for prototyping and ensuing fabricated with Aluminum 6061 alloy. ABB’s official software RobotStudio is used to simulate and synchronize the designed virtual setup and programmed using RAPID. For writing English alphabets and numbers, experiments were carried out on the ABB IRB 1200 Industrial Robot Arm. Experimental results verify and validate that the tool developed allowed the robot to interact and write.