Modular Mobile Robot System for Open Innovation

Abstract

A mobile robot was developed within the EXAM4.0 project. This mobile robot is a modular system designed to be assembled in a Learning Factory. In addition to the basic mechanical technologies, it requires configuration and programming as well as a final system test. The robot consists of mainly 3D printed parts and additional standard parts. These parts could be assembled to components with a side length of 40mm suitable for an MPS System. In the next step components are assembled to subsystems with a size of about 100mm. A final assembly will finalize the mobile robot with a footprint of about an A3 page and a weight of 5kg. The robot could be configurated with different drive systems and different controllers. Starting from a simple remote control over Arduino, ESP32 based, to Raspberry Pi platform is supported. MQTT, OPC/UA or a ROS system could be hosted in various configurations. Most of the sensor systems could be assembled and configurated in a modular production system. A simple system with self-printed parts could be realized for a little more than 100€. The interaction of robots, students, teachers, researchers, and the equipment could be established on several levels. The designed open innovation platform offers access to the mechanical components and the software of the robot. A configurator with an order management, a logistic module leads to an effective use of the learning factory. The focus was on a collaborative learning factory CLF as an extension of a learning factory. Part production, assembly, code generation, testing and optimization and international collaboration could be demonstrated in a learner centered approach. The concept directly includes the connection of the processes in the CLF and the associated learning modules.

Keywords: mobil robot, cyber pysical system, collaborative learning factory, micro-credentials