MARS - Mobile Arm Robot System

張貼日期：2020/3/5 上午 01:36:42

In response to the growing demand for improved robotic assistance in industry sectors such as retail and light industry, we created MARS, the Mobile Arm Robot System, a robot with more sophisticated autonomous navigation and inspection capabilities.

Yen-Chia Peng, One of MARS's Lead Creators | ITRI

02/20/20, 05:36 AM | Industrial Robotics, Mobile & Service Robots | arm, autonomous, cobots, lidar, mobile robotics, research

Tell us about MARS and your role with the company.

As Deputy Manager at ITRI, my role is to help carry out ITRI’s mission to innovate a better future for society (including the transformation of industry from labor-intensive to innovation- driven). More specifically, as related to the innovation of technologies like MARS, this requires my team to identify situations where technology can benefit the workplace. In response to the growing demand for improved robotic assistance in industry sectors such as retail and light industry, we created MARS, the Mobile Arm Robot System, a robot with more sophisticated autonomous navigation and inspection capabilities.

What is it that you feel makes MARS unique?

What makes MARS unique is its superior ability to plan and execute the task to which it is assigned. To begin, MARS can create and edit a map of its environment and from that map it configures its loop route and establishes its repeating mission. MARS’ Lidar and depth vision sensors allow MARS to navigate around the environmental obstacles it has identified in this map. When given an assignment such as inventory checking and shelf tracking, MARS’ advanced AI vision allows it to not only generate out-of-stock notifications and replenishment lists, but also to recognize and remove misplaced items. This is a key breakthrough. It can use its advanced AI vision to accommodate other tasks as well such as precise object retrieval. MARS is extremely well-suited to work alongside people due to its speech system, collaborative robotic arm design, and its excellent obstacle (and people) avoidance system.

Can you share some examples on how MARS can be used in various applications such as retail, warehousing, and light industry?

Retail, warehousing and light industry all need service robots with autonomous mobility and inventory robots to reduce labor costs. Some examples of its applications are:

• • Shelf-Tracking and Inventory Checking: Its advanced AI vision enables it to send out-of-stock notifications and generate replenishment lists. Unlike other shelf-tracking robots, with its flexible multi-joint robotic arm and AI vision, MARS can identify and remove items that have been misplaced as well as relocate goods.

  • Power Substation Inspection: Because MARS is a robot with an autonomous mobile platform, advanced AI vision and 2D and 3D sensors, MARS can visit power substations to inspect the components and generate a report on their status.

  • Transport and Loading/Uploading: With its high-efficiency wheel drive module, flexible multi-joint robotic arm and its gripper (which is adaptable for customized uses), MARS is well suited for transporting and loading/uploading anything from retail goods to discrete manufacturing parts. 

What technology does MARS use to establish its routes? 

While moving, MARS fuses information from its Lidar and depth vision sensors and employs its navigation ability to establish route planning and avoid the environmental obstacles it has identified in the map it has made.