Design of a Modular Robotic Workcell Platform Enabled by Plug & Produce Connectors

To respond to the increasing global demand for highly customisable production systems, we developed a new standardised component for modular robotic platforms. It supports a modular framework for building robotic workcells of the next generation. The main building blocks for the framework are the archetypical module, on which the equipment that provides the functionality of the module is mounted, and the newly developed “Plug & Produce” connector. The latter is the key enabling technology of the system as it allows us to mechanically couple and decouple different modules while also providing all the necessary signals and energy sources to the module. To demonstrate the potential of the proposed framework, we have built a fully functional robotic workcell and applied it in the context of automated recycling of electronic devices. To prove the feasibility of such a system for real-world settings, we evaluated the repeatability of the module coupling and deflections of the modules as a result of floor unevenness.