Smart Grading, Handling and Packaging Solutions for Soft and Deformable Products in Agile and Reconfigurable Lines

Project Information

AGILEHAND

Grant agreement ID: 101092043

DOI

10.3030/101092043

Project closed

EC signature date 18 November 2022

Start date 1 January 2023

End date 31 December 2025

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

€ 5 986 187,50

EU contribution

€ 5 986 186,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITA POLITECNICA DELLE MARCHE
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AGILEHAND (Smart Grading, Handling and Packaging Solutions for Soft and Deformable Products in Agile and Reconfigurable Lines)

Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

AGILEHAND Project will develop advanced technologies for grading, handling and packaging autonomously soft and deformable products, as a strategic instrument to improve flexibility, agility and reconfigurability of production and logistic systems of the European manufacturing companies. AGILEHAND project aims at developing innovative solutions for three key aspects of a workpiece handling system:
• The "grading" aspect, i.e. knowledge of the workpiece's characteristics and condition. In particular, the project focuses on a self-calibrating sensing solution for producing a mesh of integrated and overlapping sensors that will improve production-line traceability, agility and reconfigurability. The main gains will be a cost effective, accurate and fast solution to finely grade the quality of delicate and perishable products.
• The “handling” aspect of soft and deformable products during the Sorting, Handling and Packaging stages. The AGILEHAND project addresses the problems of robotic manipulation, not in the factory setting, but in a more human-oriented environment, where objects are diverse, deformable, and delicate.
• Aspects of agility, flexibility and reconfigurability in production lines. To build a set of solutions for Agile Production Line Reconfiguration in a mixed-model production system. These AI based solutions, will allow for monitoring, adaptive control and synchronisation of production and logistics flows in a factory, even when faced with a variability of products, production mix or fresh market, guaranteeing high performance in customer response time, and an efficient use of resources.
In particular, AGILEHAND Project will create three AGILEHAND SUITES as Key Exploitable Results (KERs) that concern Smart Sensing Technologies (WP4), Self-Adaptive Handling, Sorting and Packaging Technologies (WP5) and Agile, Flexible and Rapid Reconfigurable Technologies (WP6). These SUITES are made up of 10 new technological solutions (Other Exploitable Results - OERs) as shown in Figure 1.
Moreover, AGILEHAND project aims to:
- Design the AGILEHAND Framework and deliver the Reference Architecture for smart manufacturing and devised using multiple perspectives, related to business, usage, functional and implementation viewpoints (WP3).
- Test and validate the AGILEHAND Solutions in 4 use cases that differ in characteristics of the surface, deformability, and consistency of the products to be handled (WP7).
- Integrate Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) aspects to keep a human-centric approach when design solution (WP2).

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

As of month M18, the AGILEHAND project has achieved significant milestones, submitting 11 deliverables on time and reaching 10 milestones. In brief, the following deliverables per WP were accomplished from M1 to M18:
WP1:
- D1.1 – Project Handbook was submitted, presenting the daily operational procedures and approach to be followed.
- D1.2 – Initial version of the AGILEHAND data management plan.
WP2:
- D2.1 - Project Vision Guide and Benchmarking of Grading, Sorting and Handling Technologies with potential to AGILEHAND was prepared and submitted, presenting the consensual vision of the project and establishing the state of the art in terms of technologies for quality in manufacturing.
- D2.2 “Demonstration Scenarios and Monitoring KPIs Definition” was submitted, presenting the Use-Cases scenarios, the mapping of available AGILEHAND solutions vs. Pilots' demands, and the study of all present business processes for the demonstration scenarios. Furthermore, D2.2 involves establishing the most appropriate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) needed to evaluate the outcomes of implementing AGILEHAND based solutions quantitatively.
WP3:
- D3.1 - Reference Architecture was prepared and submitted. The framework of AGILEHAND project is designed to support the entire lifecycle of industrial equipment.
- D3.2 “Usage, Functional & Technical Specifications” was prepared and submitted, presenting the AGILEHAND system's structure, its component parts, and how the system interacts with its surroundings.
WP4:
- D4.1 – “AGILEHAND Smart Sensing SUITE v1” was prepared and submitted, presenting the overview, the current implementation status and next developments of the Smart Sensing SUITE that is made up of three solutions: AGILEHAND Self-Calibrating, AGILEHAND Grade the Quality and AGILEHAND Data-Sets.
WP5:
Project members are developing the AGILEHAND Self-Adaptive Handling, Sorting and Packaging SUITE. These WP is focused on self-adaptive solutions for manipulating soft and deformable products with the objective of achieving a high level of agility and sustainability between the manufacturing processes.
WP6:
Project members are developing the AGILEHAND Agile, Flexible and Rapid Reconfigurable SUITE. These WP is focused on smart solutions for monitoring, adaptive control and optimization of production and logistics flows in the production line.
WP7:
Project members are executing the AGILEHAND Pilots according to the implementation plan. The first release of this WP (D7.1) will be submitted by M30 (June 2025).

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The AGILEHAND project delivers significant results impacting the European Manufacturers and in particular the Industrial Handling, Sorting and Packaging Systems Manufacturers.
Key results include:
TECHNOLOGICAL
By building on a human-centric approach and developing tools for facilitating social change AGILEHAND will contribute to accelerating the digital transition of work piece handling manufacturers and work piece handling-using companies. The Smart SUITEs provided by AGILEHAND will provide benefits to European work piece handling manufacturers in the design and construction of handling systems, resulting in optimised designs and efficient manufacturing methods.
ECONOMIC
AGILEHAND Agile, Flexible and Rapid Reconfigurable Technologies allow industrial manufacturing companies to increase agility by operating in a predictable manner even in the face of extreme complexity. AGILEHAND Smart Sensing SUITE will provide the company with delivering products to market with the speed and accuracy that customers demand and will increase the ability to respond to the changing needs of customers (resilience).
SCIENTIFIC
AGILEHAND Self-Adaptive Handling, Sorting and Packaging SUITE will face the challenge of handling soft and deformable products. When dealing with soft and deformable objects, robot and transportation systems would need to be more careful to avoid damaging products. Although techniques that allow robots to grasp rigid objects have become increasingly advanced over the past few years, strategies for grasping these objects do not always transfer well to deformable objects.
SOCIETAL
AGILEHAND solutions will contribute to reduce workers’ musculoskeletal risks, slip, trip and fall, as well as those related with exposure to extreme environmental conditions (e.g. cold).