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Resilient manufacturing lines based on smart handling systems

Project description

Smart solutions to support resilience of European industry

Manual and automated production lines do not always run smoothly. There are several challenges, such as high product variants requiring tool-level dexterity and resource-level reconfigurability. The EU-funded SMARTHANDLE project will search for solutions. Specifically, it will implement intelligent, reconfigurable agents to provide dexterity in a range of handling applications, AI-based reasoning enablers to optimise the agents’ flexibility potential, and higher-level planning and coordination mechanisms for successful and scalable deployment of such solutions in real-life use cases. SMARTHANDLE will use three use cases from the consumer goods, metal industries and automotive sectors. The aim is to demonstrate benefits for workers by reducing their involvement in unsafe and unhealthy tasks and improving their working conditions.

Objective

Manual and automated production lines must evolve to “produce more and diverse with less”, however they need to address shortcomings such as
- high product variants requiring tool level dexterity and resource level reconfigurability
- lack of cognitive perception systems to allow autonomous reasoning and operation
- absence of adaptable control to accurately handle a variety of workpieces and materials, and
- inefficiency of planning systems in addressing holistically all hierarchical production levels.

SMARTHANDLE will research technologies to address these needs and support European industry, by implementing a) intelligent, reconfigurable agents to provide dexterity in a range of handling applications, b) AI based reasoning enablers to optimize the flexibility potential of these agents and c) Higher-level planning and coordination mechanism to allow the successful and scalable deployment of such solutions in real life use cases.

SMARTHANDLE is a research and innovation action (RIA) nevertheless, it acknowledges that such technologies can be meaningful only if they lead to solutions that address real life needs. Thus it has engaged 3 use cases from the consumer goods (MENICON-handling of deformable, delicate and high precision parts: contact lenses), Metal Industries (ALUMIL- packaging of large variable section materials: aluminum profiles) and automotive tier-1 suppliers (ABEE- disassembly of complex products: batteries) involving dexterous operations that are not possible to implement with the existing technologies.

SSH aspects will be addressed, demonstrating benefits for workers by reducing their involvement in unsafe and unhealthy tasks, improving their working conditions when working in areas where the SMARTHANDLE reconfigurable solutions will operate.

Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL4-2022-TWIN-TRANSITION-01

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Coordinator

FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATION
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 954 472,50
Address
PARQUE CIENTIFICO Y TECNOLOGICO DE BIZKAIA, ASTONDO BIDEA, EDIFICIO 700
48160 DERIO BIZKAIA
Spain

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Region
Noreste País Vasco Gipuzkoa
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 954 472,50

Participants (14)

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