ASTM International’s robotics, automation, and autonomous systems committee (F45) has proposed a new standard practice on inducing workpiece disturbances in mobile manipulators.
 
The standard, designated WK92144, provides guidelines for documenting disturbance behavior using an example apparatus for testing.
 
According to ASTM International member Omar Aboul-Enein, factors like passing heavy equipment can unsettle automated arms working in unstructured manufacturing environments. A means to measure their reliability is therefore critical.
 
“Many applications of mobile manipulators require high degree of position and orientation accuracy and repeatability,” says Aboul-Enein. “The aerospace, energy, and transportation sectors often require prototyping, assembling, and surfacing large-scale components, which have curved and complex shapes.”
 
As a result, Aboul-Enein says this practice will be helpful for manufacturers, integrators, and end-users of mobile manipulators.
 
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