Industrial Digital Twin Robot Control for Remote Machine Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies for controlling robots in industrial settings through digital twins lack the ability to enable users to view real-time scenes and perform physical actions in physical industrial facilities, especially when human presence is restricted.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses fixed cameras and on-premises robots with cameras to stream real-time video feeds into an industrial digital twin, allowing users to interact with the twin to control the on-premises robot to perform physical actions, such as selecting and interacting with input devices of industrial machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users are restricted from physically accessing industrial facilities, then safety is improved, but the ability to perform physical actions on machines deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
An on-premises robot serves as an intermediary between the remote user and the industrial machine. The robot physically interacts with the machine's input devices while the user controls it remotely through a digital twin interface, enabling physical actions without direct human presence in the facility
Solution Approach 2:
A digital twin of the industrial facility is created, which includes a virtual representation of the robot and the machine. The user interacts with the digital twin instead of the physical system directly, and these interactions are translated into real-world robot actions through the system
2Loss of information
If real-time video streaming is implemented, then user awareness of physical scene is improved, but system complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The on-premises robot performs multiple functions: it captures video feed for streaming to the user, executes user-controlled actions on the machine, and can be navigated autonomously or manually. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated devices for each task
3Productivity
If automated control commands are generated, then operational efficiency is improved, but control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is dynamic and adaptive. It can automatically generate control commands for routine operations to improve efficiency, but allows the user to take direct control when precision is needed. The system smoothly transitions between autonomous and manual control modes based on operational requirements
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes a twin model management system presenting a video stream captured by a robot in an industrial facility, the video stream presented in a digital twin (DT) of the industrial facility to a user, receiving a user request to select an input device of an industrial machine, the user request provided by the user via the DT when the industrial machine is depicted in the video stream, providing, in the DT responsive to the user request, a list of input devices indicating input device(s) of the industrial machine that are depicted in a video image of the video stream, receiving a user selection provided via the DT that specifies a target input device in the list, generating, responsive to the user selection, control command(s) specifying operation(s) to be performed by the robot to physically interact with the target input device, and transmitting the control command(s) to the robot.