As part of the 3rd edition of Printemps de la Robotique, we studied the hybrid concept of a mobile manipulator robot, the MOMA. At this conference, three speakers came together to explain this technology, its use cases and constraints:
Faouzi Grebici, Industry solution Europe at Omron, explains that a MOMA is a mobile manipulator robot made up of three main technologies:
This combination of technological bricks enables the robot to manipulate, lift and move objects in an industrial environment. With its high degree of precision, it is particularly well-suited to high-stress environments.
Julien Vialle, Industrial Strategy Program Manager at SOITEC, shares some examples of use cases that are particularly well-suited to MOMA.
At SOITEC, a major player in the semiconductor industry, plans are underway to integrate a MOMA in Fab 150 and 200, where production batches are still moved by operators. The mobile robot equipped with a manipulator arm would then pick up the batches from the storage rack, transport them, then place them with great precision on the production equipment.
In the automotive industry, too, MOMA is relevant when human handling of products is prohibited. This is the case, for example, in the manufacture of driver assistance systems, where it is the robot that loads and unloads the material throughout the test phase.
Another example given by Faouzi Grebici is in the pharmaceutical sector, in quality control.
Fabien Benoteau, Technical Director at Meanwhile, agrees that the MOMA robot is an interesting technology that could be used for a wide range of applications. However, the technology needs to be put into perspective, and the initial requirements clearly defined, particularly in terms of speed and productivity.
In fact, traditional fixed robotics can easily achieve sub-millimetre accuracies, and therefore achieve high levels of precision at high speeds. In terms of mobile robotics, which evolve in a mobile environment, it will be complicated to achieve the same level of precision. On a MOMA, the expected level of precision will be in the millimetre range.
It’s important to underline that a MOMA, which picks up, handles and sets down objects, necessarily performs slower movements than traditional fixed robotics.
With this technology, both the mobile base and the robotic arm consume energy. Given that a standard AMR has between 8 and 10 hours of autonomy, this is halved if it has to be coupled with a robotic arm.
The notion of autonomy and speed of movement will have a direct impact on your return on investment. So it’s important to study all the aspects of this innovative technology in advance, and to enlist the help of robotics experts throughout your project.
The successful completion of a MOMA project is therefore based on 3 pillars:
To find out more about MOMA technology and its limitations, watch the replay of the conference:
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