Advanced robotic applications: performance improvement techniques for industrial robots acting at the macro- and micro-scale

Over the years, industrial robot applications have been broadening, including complex, fast and high-precision operations, in several industrial and non-industrial fields. These new tasks require an increase in performance in terms of velocity, accuracy, trajectory design, sensor integration, control strategy and flexible programming, that can be achieved by advanced hardware and software solutions. However, achievement of high performance and actual exploitation of enhanced systems are currently almost research issues. This book addresses the development of techniques to improve the performance of industrial robots and robotic work-cells for advanced applications, highlighting the role of clever design and calibration strategies. Two innovative fields are investigated: applications requiring an intelligent and controlled interaction between the robot and the environment, and micro-manipulation, that is the handling of components with sub-millimetric size. The comprehensive analysis of theoretical aspects and experimental results aims to reduce the current gap between research and industry, making this book a tool useful to both researchers and manufacturers.