FlexiCell: 5G location-based context-aware agile manufacturing

Abstract

Manufacturing machines need to be re-tooled approximately 15 times per week and in the future even more often because of decreasing batch sizes and increasing short-cyclic demands. Collaborative robots promise to offer a versatile automation approach for priorly manual tasks in small and medium-sized enterprises. However, their configuration needs to change at least as often as the re-tooling rate because different parts are produced by the machines or might require different handling in general. Therefore, it would be great if robots and autonomous factory systems, in general, would automatically adjust to these changes in an intelligent way. In our approach, we propose a context-aware and location-based approach for agile manufacturing, in which the manufacturing plant parts, especially the collaborative robots, store i) their constellation, ii) their configuration, and iii) their adaptation strategy, and can react to re-tooling changes and even re-location changes adaptively. For example, moving one collaborative robot to a different location next to the production machine will automatically load its new configuration and consult with the operator on the adaptation strategy (i.e., the safety requirements). Such an approach requires precise location information. To realize the localization and the network capabilities, we propose to use localization based on heterogeniclocalization technologies like ultrasound and wireless communications. We suggest a wireless small-cell-based approach around a nomadic 5G core network, which integrates multiple wireless and wired communication technologies as well as localization support combined with an intelligent asset management strategy. Such nomadic cells can operate on an island without a heavy operator backend and optimize end-to-end communication. Furthermore, these small cells can federate with each other and thus extend their coverage when getting into each other's range.