Hey guys,

I would like to share a proof of concept I worked on today for a potential customer who is interested in using the FT300 sensor to insert gears into a Go-NoGo jig. So I 3D printed a jig with internal teeth matching the same profile of the gear I used in this demo. 

Since the fit between the gear and the jig is fairly tight, the force sensor is required to match the teeth of both the gear and the jig. To accomplish this, the gear is moved in the Z axis until the a force of 20N is encountered, this indicates that the gear is in contact with the top of the jig. From here, the subprogram Circle_Search is called to rotate the gear in Rz (Clockwise) and the variable search is set to TRUE. An event is triggered if the force in the variable search is set to TRUE and if the force in the Z axis is smaller than 10N.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geSX2m1BvjI&feature=youtu.be

I hope this can useful for similar applications that you may be working on!

@Tyler_Berryman
Is there an way to apply the same concept/ application using only the gripper and the camera ( without the force sensor)? 

Hi @kfur5e ,

For an insertion application of this type, force sensor is prefered since it allows for more precision and actual feedback that the task has been completed. Not using force control may result in a collision with the jig.

The camera is able to detect part orientation. However, in this context you need to have a precise picture of the hole, with sufficient contrast. The shape has also several axises of symmetry, making the model orientation harder to handle by the software.

Also, you need to know precisely how the part to be inserted is held by the gripper (orientation).

Even under perfect conditions, the tolerance of such a jig is so tight that we will not would get enough precision from the camera. 

If you have a particular application case in mind, I suggest you contact us at coach@robotiq.com for more details. 

Best regards. 

Alex Tremblay
Application Coach