Master Thesis: Usability and Complexity Analysis of New Robot Kinematic Designs

Placering
Västerås

Master Thesis: Usability and Complexity Analysis of New Robot Kinematic Designs
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This position reports to
R&D Team Lead

Your role and responsibilities
In recent years, collaborative robots (cobots) have seen a surge in popularity across various industries due to their flexibility, safety features, and ease of integration into existing industrial workflows. ABB Robotics stands at the forefront of this technological revolution, offering a range of cobots designed to work alongside human operators safely and efficiently. A distinct feature of the cobots, compared to standard industrial robots, is that the kinematic structure, although in most cases being articulated, makes spherical wrist concept not applicable in the inverse kinematic computation. Closed form inverse kinematic solutions exist in many cases, but the most common solution relies on using iterative numerical solvers. In this thesis, we will explore various aspects of kinematic structures in robot design: • Computational Complexity: We will identify parameters driving the complexity of inverse kinematics solutions. Multiple joint space configurations can exist for a given position and orientation, and characterizing these solutions is crucial. We will analyze and design strategies for solving inverse kinematics using both numerical methods and closed-form analytical solutions. • Usability: Using the complexity analysis and inverse kinematics solutions, we will assess the ease-of-use and practical usability of different robot designs. This will allow us to compare designs from both computational and usability perspectives, aiding early design decisions. Finally, we aim to apply and test our findings to enhance ABB Robotics’ offerings. Details: • Start: January 2025 • 30 ECTS per student • Suitable for 1 student • On-site at ABB Robotics (Finnslätten) in Västerås Your responsibilities: • Conduct a literature review on both existing design configurations and available algorithms for solving inverse kinematics • Investigate the parameters driving the solution complexity for different kinematic designs • Evaluate and develop both iterative solvers and closed-form analytical solutions for a given set of manipulator designs • Implement and test the inverse kinematic solver for offset kinematics to evaluate the potential in practical use cases • Develop and evaluate the usability of the manipulator designs • Write a high-quality technical report

Qualifications for the role

• Motivated to solve real world problems using state-of-the-art methods
• Background in mathematical or physical modelling, computer science, engineering or similar
• Excellent knowledge of analytical and numerical methods
• Good knowledge of algorithm design
• Good knowledge of Matlab/Python and C/C++
• Good interpersonal skills

More about us
Recruiting Manager: Niklas Durinder, ([email protected]), Giacomo Spampinato ([email protected]) and Jordis Herrmann ([email protected]) will answer your questions. Positions are filled continuously. Apply with your CV, academic transcripts and a cover letter in English latest by November 23. Please note that we can only accept applications submitted through our online career portal. Applications via e-mail will have to be deleted and not processed due to data privacy requirements. We value people from different backgrounds. Could this be your story? Apply today or visit www.abb.com to read more about us and learn about the impact of our solutions across the globe. #MyABBStory

Locations
Västerås, Sweden