ITA attends the COGNIMAN project meeting in Norway

The Aragon Institute of Technology is participating in this consortium, which underlines its commitment to people as the center of industrial production.

Engineers Miguel Ángel Barcelona and Rafael Herguedas from the Modeling and Control and Robotics and Automation groups of ITA Mechatronic Technologies attended two events in Kristiansand (Norway) related to the COGNIMAN project, in which the Aragon Institute of Technology is participating. partner.

COGNIMAN is an acronym for a research and innovation project that started in January 2023 and will end at the end of 2026 and stands for COGNitive Industries for smart MANufacturing. Upon completion of the project, strategies will be developed that can be easily adapted to automate various manual production operations by combining different modules implemented in a toolbox type system. The development of this toolkit also leverages advanced technologies such as digital twins, simulation, advanced sensors and machine learning.

Among the activities in which ITA representatives participated was a work session “where the general requirements of each project pilot were analyzed, during which epics and user stories were defined to create iterative version planning,” explains Miguel Ángel Barcelona. During the day, the contribution of each partner to different pilot projects was clarified, taking into account the different levels of the project’s technological architecture. In addition, the following technical steps have been planned to expand the pilot cases by making them openly available (open pilot), which will demonstrate the viability of reusing project components in new industrial scenarios.

On the second day, the first Cogniman congress took place. The event was attended by a diverse group of experts, including 80 people not involved in the project, including representatives from technology companies, robotics developers and industrial companies.

Four pilot cases

At this meeting, four pilot cases were presented, with the help of which the technical solution of the project will be evaluated.

The first focuses on glass fiber production with the goal of automating defect detection using sensors and machine learning to reduce defects and waste.

The second focuses on deburring large pieces of metal and will develop a cognitive robot capable of performing this task autonomously, increasing safety and efficiency.

The third case involves the post-processing of 3D printed medical implants, using intelligent robots to automate support structure removal and surface polishing.

Finally, the fourth case is devoted to the digitization and automation of inventory management in steel production, the creation of a digital library that optimizes the internal logistics of finished products.

The day included interactive workshops where participants could discuss the ethical and technological challenges of automation in the industry. Participants also had the opportunity to exchange ideas on possible cooperation within the European Union and access funding opportunities at both European and Norwegian levels, including a presentation by the European DIH specialized in mechatronics https://www.dihoceanopolis.com/.

COGNIMAN Goals

The COGNIMAN project aims to create a flexible and efficient production process that produces high-quality products without waste. To achieve this goal, it resolves legal, procedural, ethical and technical issues through the analysis of conditions in selected production scenarios. His approach focuses on humanized technology design, integrating technologies such as digital twins, advanced sensors, machine learning and cognitive robots.

What stands out about the project is its commitment to humans as the center of industrial production. Existing knowledge is critical for automating processes and introducing robots as human assistants in factories.

These components are tested in digital and simulation environments before implementation in manufacturing plants. Additionally, the project aims to improve collaboration between humans and robots by enabling ethical and trustworthy interactions while optimizing tasks such as deburring, additive manufacturing, and autonomous control in industrial warehouses using drones and collaborative robots.

AIT PARTICIPATION

The ITA is responsible for a package of work aimed at robotizing all pilots. “In addition, we are actively involved in the GOIMEK pilot project, where it is involved in automating the deburring process of large metal parts using an autonomous AGV that navigates safely and generates a semantic map of the environment,” explains Rafael Erguedas.

“Our contribution also includes the creation of a technology architecture for the platform, which is developed based on a model-based approach to enable efficient and flexible integration of technologies in different smart manufacturing environments,” concludes Miguel Angel Barcelona.

“Funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”