ULMA participates in the HARTU project for innovation in artificial intelligence

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ULMA Handling Systems is one of the pioneering entities that is part of the HARTU initiative, a leading research project that addresses the main challenges of parts handling in manufacturing lines, including gripping, assembly and positioning, using innovative and AI-enhanced technical approaches.

The technical-industrial objectives pursued by the HARTU initiative are:

• Automated grasping: Develop grasping planners that combine human knowledge, simulation, analytical methods and deep learning to automatically identify candidate grasping points and feasible policies.
• Contact-rich assembly: Learn and control contact-rich assembly skills from human demonstrations, based on movement sequences applied in the field by work crews.
• AI-based visual manipulation: Develop an AI-based multimodal visual perception system capable of robust recognition of workpieces of different textures, shapes and materials, and capable of continuous monitoring and learning in manipulation operations.
• Electroactive soft grippers: Creating versatile, dexterous soft grippers with electroactive fingers.
• Optimised handling systems: Increasing the flexibility and efficiency of manufacturing lines through safe, reliable handling systems that are easy to integrate and configure.

However, HARTU also integrates a social objective in its mission, which is none other than teamwork between humans and artificial intelligence. That is, to assess user acceptance and adoption, ensuring compliance with ethical and legal requirements. Also, to provide guidance on human-artificial intelligence teamwork and to define user profiles and competencies for new work scenarios.

ULMA: use case for the logistics sector

ULMA's role will be to design, deploy and validate human-centred, industry-driven robotic handling capabilities for the logistics sector. Specifically, a work focused on order picking in different sectors with a high number of references to be handled. In other words, ULMA Handling Systems plays a dual role in the project: it provides an industrial scenario in the logistics sector and also the feedback of a systems integrator, helping to analyse the ease of use and validation of the system.

The other use cases on which they will develop studies and tests are the industrial sectors of automation, consumer goods, hand tools and food. In addition to ULMA, the HARTU initiative includes 13 other members from other European countries and Taiwan: Tekniker, the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence DFKI, the AIMEN technology centre, the Politecnico di Bari University, the ITRI institute, and the companies Engineering Ingegneria Informatica, TOFAS, Philips, ULMA, Deep Blue, FMI HTS Drachten, Tecnoalimenti, Infar Industrial and Omnigrasp. The HARTU initiative is funded by the Horizon Europe programme and will run until 2026.

 

 

 

Funded by the European Union.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Horizon 2020. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.