Daniela Alejandra Gutierrez Centeno, “Advancing Industrial Automation with FANUC Robot Programming for Collaborative Manufacturing Environments”
Mentor: Joseph Hamann, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering & Applied Science (College of)
Poster #23
Industrial robots play a critical role in modern manufacturing, where precision, efficiency, and adaptability are essential. This research focuses on the programming and implementation of FANUC industrial robots to automate manufacturing tasks and enhance their performance in collaborative demonstrations. The primary goal is to develop reliable robot programs that improve task efficiency and accuracy while supporting integration with advanced technologies such as virtual reality (VR). The project involves programming FANUC robots for a variety of automated tasks, including pick-and-place operations and object manipulation, as part of demonstration setups at the Connected Systems Institute. Custom components were designed and 3D printed to support these tasks, and system performance was evaluated through repeated testing to ensure precision, reliability, and safety in operation. Additionally, contributions were made to the integration of a VR interface by assisting in the installation of communication protocols between the VR system and the FANUC robot controller. Results from the project include the successful programming and deployment of FANUC robots in demonstration environments, where they reliably perform complex tasks with high accuracy. The robot systems demonstrated consistent performance during testing, validating the effectiveness of the programming strategies and system design. This research highlights the role of industrial robotics in smart manufacturing and demonstrates the potential benefits of combining reliable robot programming with emerging technologies such as VR. The outcomes of this work support the development of more efficient, user-friendly, and adaptable robotic systems for Industry 4.0 applications.