Copyright © IFAC Algorithms and Architectures for

Real-Time Control, Vilamoura, Portugal, 1997

REALTIME CONTROL IN FACTORY AUTOMATION

P. Kopacek

Institute for Handling Devices and Robotics

Vienna University o/Technology
Floragasse 7a. A-J040 Vienna. AUSTRIA
Tel: +43-1-5041835. FAX: +43-1-5041835-9
e-mail: kopacek@ihrt1.ihrt.tuwien.ac.at

Abstract: Automation today consists of two main fields: the automation of continuos
processes - process automation- and the automation of discontinuous processes -
production automation. Both fields get closer together under the influence of
microelectronics or modem computing. In both fields AI methods are introduced. This
leads to new headlines in factory automation, like intelligent manufacturing systems (ims),
service robots, with new tasks for real time control.

Keywords: Real time control, manufacturing automation, Robots

1. INTRODUCTION control in chemical and process engineering, electric

power generation, position control in navigation and
Some "tools" of manufacturing automation and in biomedicine.
robotics necessary for realtime control will be shortly
presented.
1.2 Man - Machine Communication

1.1 Trends in realtime process control
Process automation or the automation of continuos
processes is and will be dominated by "classical"
control engineers. Therefore topics like adaptive
control, nonlinear or timevarying systems,
identification and parameter estimation and
advanced control algorithms are on top.
Some years ago the first intelligent sensors and
actuators, equipped with one chip microprocessors,
were commercially available. Furthermore modem
computing technologies make it possible to realize
modem control concepts like adaptive or "advanced"
control algorithms . The main problem is which
control method should be applied for distinct
realtime tasks. According to a study some years ago,
"advanced" algorithms are used for aircraft control,
The user interfaces in process automation systems
get more and more user friendly because of
developments in "Man Machine Communication
(MMC)" an absolutely necessary tool for real time
control. Fully graphic screens operated by mouse or
joystick, logical cross checks (thinking systems) and
the possibility to generate a distinct layout by users
are available. Such user friendly interfaces require
an improved computer hardware - storage capacity,
clock frequency (computing speed )
1.3 ArtifiCial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence - AI - is since some decades an
ex1ensive research field. The first knowledge based
or expert systems were available in the late seventies
preferably for special fields in medicine. One of the

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reasons was the computer hardware because AI
methods require very high computer power. In the
last years the computer capacity increases
dramatically - especially from PC's - and therefore
some methods of "Artificial Intelligence - AI" can
be applied in an efficient way for real industrial
processes. For such purposes programming
languages and software tools are available for "low
cost" industrial applications.
One of the "magic terms" in automation in the last
years was "fuzzy". Created by the mathematician
Lotfi Zadeh approximately 30 years ago and
introduced in automation in the early eighties by the
Japanese. In Europe - with the usual dead time - ten
years later fuzzy logic and fuzzy control become
headlines. A lot of industrial applications appears in
a short time - most of them only for ,,PR" purposes -
and nearly every producer of control devices has at
least one with the label "fuzzy". In process
automation fuzzy control can be used for the control
of highly nonlinear processes, time varying systems,
multivariable control systems and for modeling and
identification of some complex processes.
Today fuzzy methods are mainly
used for control tasks in household
and utility goods, adaption of
controller parameters, as modules
Sensor Design
for PLC' s and microcomputer
controllers. Future applications
could be classification and pattern Physical Sensor Configuratio
recognition, fuzzy techniques for
expert systems, neuro-fuzzy Sensor Management
techniques, fuzzy techniques for
Petri-Nets. The efficiency of fuzzy Behaviour Control
methods depends mainly from the
quality of the rule base. Furthermore
no stability criteria and only few Fig. 1. Smart Sensor Concept (probst, 1996).
optimization methods for fuzzy
controllers are published.
Artificial neural networks (ANN) for control
purposes were introduced a little bit later than fuzzy
methods. The original idea was to copy some parts of
the human brain; e.g. a neural net is able to learn
from the environment. Applications are in robotics,
in steel production, in paper industry and in
banking. The field of applications for neural nets are
not so clear defined than for fuzzy concepts.
Both concepts are merged to neuro-fuzzy in the last
time. Neuro-fuzzy is a combination of the ability to
learn from the neural nets and the transparency of
fuzzy methods. Today only few pilot applications are
known e.g. control of a washing machine, adaptive
control of steam generator and control of a grinding
process. These developments yield to new subjects in
automation like genetic algorithms. neuro-
informatics and soft computing.
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1.4 External sensors
Autonomously or (partly autonomously) guided
systems need to move in an unstructured
environment without having a-priori knowledge.
Regarding to economical reasons, one is interested to
increase the autonomy of these systems so that they
can take over some tasks of the operator, who again
can spend his time for other, more special tasks. To
provide this autonomy, there is a need for sensor
based guidance - thinking in terms of "low~st"
solutions - operating on the base of ultrasonic
sensors.
The "smart sensors" concept is based on the idea to
use animal behaviour as a paradigm for the control
of man-made machines. Analyzing the complex
behaviour of animals or human beings, one can
isolate releasing mechanisms that cause a specific
response to certain situations. The design of these
behaviours can be considered as a fast human copy
of the evolution process resulting in reliable and
efficient control systems (Fig. 1).
Smart Sensor
At behaviour control each control system is
implemented as an independent module that
generates a special response as a function f of the
input of sensors and other modules (f = f(xI, xl),
with xl is the input of the sensors and xl is the
status of the other modules). It can be processed
parallel to other Behaviour Modules - these modules
communicate via messages to each other. To manage
conflicts, the input information can be inhibited by
another behaviour or an output response can be
suppressed.
Classical approaches of control systems for mobile
robots are typically of a cascaded structure. Any
changes of the lower levels do have an influence to
the higher ones. The structure of a "Behaviour
Control" is similar to the Object-Oriented approach:
A behaviour is an abstraction of a set of rules that
generate the specific response to a specific stimulus.
A ..Behaviour Module" receives messages from and
sends messages to other modules. The internal
infonnation processing is hidden - this encapsulation
allows an easy maintenance of the modules. The
modules can be developed in parallel and the
adaptation to application-specific requirements can
simply be done by adding new behaviour modules.
An ultrasonic sensor system used for the autonomous
guidance is required to reliably detect a vast variety
of objects. The degree of reflection of the ultrasonic
energy differs from almost 100% for a huge plane
wall perpendicular to the acoustical axis of the
sensor down to 20010 for the legs of a hwnan being or
even 1% for a tiny object such as the leg of a chair.
"Smart Sensors", the combination between sensor
element and behaviour control, are designed for the
reliable and robust execution of sensor based
functions in the real world.
2. COMPUTER INTEGRATED
MANUFACTURING
The field of production or manufacturing automation
was dominated by ClM - Computer Integrated
Manufacturing - in the last decade. The original idea
of a total computer aided or controlled production
from the order or first product draft until the delivery
was only realized in few cases worldwide mainly in
large companies.
According to common definitions, ClM consists of
the following components:
CAD: includes all data processing activities, related
to development and construction, together
with calculation and simulation (CAE)
CAP: planning of work. programming of NC -
machines (results are basic data of the PPS -
system).
CAM: includes the support of computers for the
control of the working means during the
production (machine tools, handling devices,
transport and stock systems).
CAQ: describes computer supported planning and
performance of quality control.
PPS: includes the use of computer aided systems
for the organisatorial planning, controlling
and monitoring of all processes.
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2.1 "Low cost" Computer Integrated
Manufacturing
Especially SME's had a lot of difficulties to
introduce ClM or parts of CIM. Today only in few
SME's a total ClM concept is realized. In most of
the SME's only some ClM components (CAD,
CAP, CAM, CAQ, PPS) or parts of these are
realized. European and especially Austrian SME's
need more time to get familiar with the ClM
philosophy and to introduce more components or
parts of them.
Software packages for the ClM components are
available commercially from various sellers. Usually
these packages are only partially suitable for SME's.
They offer a lot of features, often not necessary for
the demands of SME's, on the other hand features
necessary are missing. Adding some of these takes a
long time and it is usually very expensive.
Furthermore most of these packages requires a cost
intensive computer hardware.
Especially for the demands of SME's flexible,
modular "low cost" ClM concepts are necessary.
From the side of hardware, the basic philosophy is to
use PC's (e.g. 486 compatibles or similar) connected
by a local area network (LAN) with a host computer
for database tasks. The operating system for the PC's
is MS-DOS, for the host computer UNIX. As a LAN
serves ETHERNET.
The modular "low cost" ClM concept is shown in
Fig.2. It uses two types of computers: A UNIX
machine serves as a database and network server,
various MS-DOS computers (AT or 386) work as
network stations with different tasks. For OCA
special terminals are used.
The database-server and all workstations are
connected by a local area network (ETHERNET). A
second network (party-line) connects the OCA-
terminals with the OCA-server, which works as an
intelligent gateway between the two networks.
The various control systems recognize on their own,
if the connection to the host server is possible and/or
succeeded. They build up the connections self-acting
and adjust the data between the different databases
automatically.
With this solution the personnel in the production is
not stressed with additional data-processing
activities, in order to keep the control system
working. Each workstation has its own server
process running on the network server. These server
processes handle the communication between
workstations, processes and database. The software
is completely modular. "Modules" could be
commercially available or individually written
 PPS Server
OCA Terminals
OCAGateway
CIM PC. ',..~...
Fig. 2. "Low cost" CIM concept (Kopacek, 1991).
according to specific demands of the user. These
modules can combined with a minimum of interface
problems - as usual in CIM systems today. The
programming language is C or C++.
This concept has following advantages:
• low cost
• Possibility of stepwise realization
• easy combination of software modules for a
specific solution
• possibility to include AI methods in some
modules.
From a control engineering viewpoint the operation
of today's "Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS)"
as a important CIM component is planned and open-
loop. This might be one of the reasons that FMS
operations are not very reliable. Therefore there is a
trend for introducing feedback and closed loop
control techniques into FMS subsystems and
operations. The incorporation of automatic tool
monitoring, automatic tool change as well as closed-
loop quality control are some steps in this direction.
A more detailed analysis of the various FMS areas
shows that because of the great variety of control
tasks involved , the application of standard control
techniques may not be sufficient for this complex
industrial environment. "Advanced" control
algorithms probably with methods of artificial
intelligence have to be introduced.
18
CAQ-
CADINC Fileserver
NC Machines
2.2 Intelligent Manufacturing Systems - "ims"
Generally, AI methods are introduced more and
more in production automation or CIM systems.
This results in intelligent CIM components - ICAD,
ICAP, ICAM, ICAQ - and in intelligent CIM
systems (lCIM) or in intelligent manufacturing
systems (ims). This new philosophy requires a lot of
prerequisites and research.
"ICIM" or "ims" is partially introduced in the
industry but mainly for large companies. AI in fonn
of knowledge based and e},."J)ert systems is ready to be
introduced in an efficient way in CIM components.
The implementation of AI methods in "low cost"
CIM systems depends from the availability of AI
software packages for this hardware configuration.
The results of the 6 test cases of the worldwide ims-
initiative
TC2 Clean manufacturing
TC3 Global concurrent engineering
TC4 Globeman 21
TC5 Holonic manufacturing systems
TC6 Rapid product development
TC7 Knowledge systemization
are "tools" for the development and a new dimension
in real time control.
3. ROBOTS
As a typical example for the present state and future
developing trends in production automation could
serve the industrial robot. Robots were 10 to 15 years

"0
~ ~
] t;
Cl:
1.000.000
.s
'-
c ./
800.000 o 0
z :z
600.000
400.000
1991 1992 1993
Fig. 3. Comparison: Installed IR versus service robots (Schraft, 1993)
ago one of the headlines in factory automation.
Meanwhile robots are a tool on the manufacturing
level.
3.1 Industrial robots
The worldwide robot population was growing up
dramatically in the last years. Approximately ten
years ago the number of robots in industry were
nearly doubled every three years. Therefore
according to the forecasts five years ago the number
of robots working in industry world-wide should be
increased 30% every year. One of the reasons is that
in classical application fields like spot welding,
spray painting, coating, materials and parts handling
a saturation can be obtained especially in the last
three years. Work places requiring industrial robots
are usually equipped with such robots. Three years
ago the industry was waiting for the intelligent robot
equipped with external sensors. As already known
the development of such e:\."ternal sensors like visual,
auditive, force torque etc. is going on very well in
research institutes and laboratories. But until now
only few of these sensor concepts are available for
industrial applications at a reasonable price.
Therefore between 1992 and 1994 the producers of
industrial robots were confronted with a decreasing
demand of industrial robots. The number of installed
robots in the industry worldwide was approximately
30 % less than the estimations five years ago. As a
logical consequence the prices for industrial robots
decreases in these years dramatically. Latest
developments deal with a modularisation of the
robots as well as the control system. Probably in two
or three years it might be possible to buy an
industrial robot and separately from another
company an advanced control computer at low
prices.
~
er;
"0
.-'--s::
I
t /}
0
1.500
1.000
500
Year
1994 1995 1996
Integration of industrial robots in the manufacturing
environment requires enhanced capabilities of the
hardware structure of the robot controller as well as
the robot programming system. Related to the first
aspect, fault tolerant multiprocessor architectures
represent a perforrnant solution, for nowadays
multitasking robot controllers. Robot languages
integrate sensory-based commands for adaption to
the working environment.
As an example could selVe a robotized assembly cell.
To handle all the necessary different assembly
sequences a hierarchical control structure was
chosen as shown in Fig. 4. At the lowest level there
are only local control functions, which are divided
into subsystems with own controllers such as:
-7 Robots
-7 Screwing devices
-7 Soldering device
and Systems without controller like:
-7 Transportation system
-7 Part feeders
All these subsystems interface to the sequence
controller. This module is connected to a database
containing the following informations:
• All single robot programs
• Start conditions for one part
• Definition of the sequence of assembly
• Information for plausibility check of robot
program and tooVgripper
• Information about the used storing devices or
tools.
• Information to avoid collision.
The tasks of the sequence controller are to check the
availability of all components in each stage of the
assembly process, to start the corresponding robot
program sequence and to send all the necessary
19
 interface
toCIM
(Ethernet • lAN)

Man-Machine-
Interface

Robot- Part- Transportation Sensordatas external

controllers feeder systems controllers

Tools Screwing de.;c,;s

TooI-Changing- Soldering and
Systems Glueing devices
Grippers

Fig. 4. Control Structure of an Assembly Cell (probst, 1996)

commands to the connected subsystems. On the 3.2 Service Robots

other hand the sequence controller is connected to a
man-machine-interface. All error and status-
conditions are interfaced to this module.
The module for collision avoidance is mainly
responsible for the coordination of all assembling
operations where both robots are involved (e.g. one
robot move a wire towards the surface of the printed
circuit, the other solders the two parts.). Furthennore
this module watches all parallel moving sequences of
the robots and stops one, until the other robot
reaches the same point within the assembling
sequence. The Man-Machine-Interface module
displays all error conditions and status infonnations
of the cell and generates automatically report-files.
Therefore future industrial applications of industrial
robots can be divided in two directions. On the one
hand side intelligent robots are necessary for
increasing the number in classical application fields.
In addition to the application fields mentioned before
some other classical fields growing up dramatically
in the last two years, e.g. assembling as well as
disassembling. For disassembling applications new
features of the industrial robots are necessary. These
robots require a combined position and force control
as well as relatively high payload. That requires the
availability of cheap ex"ternal sensors in the nex"t
years for industrial applications.
Producers of industrial robots tried to recognize new
application areas. A broad field are so-called
unconventional areas. This unconventional areas can
be divided in two classes:
• Robots to replace human beings at work in dirty,
hazardous and/or tidious operations
• Robots to operate on human beings to elevate
incornodity or to increase comfort pleasure.
To the first category what is necessary for:
• Operation in hazardous environment (e.g. in
high temperature, vacuum, underwater,
radioactive environment)
• Fire fighting (fire extinction, life saving)
• Police applications
• Military applications
• Architecture (inspection/maintenance of
buildings/structures)
• Publicity (attracting customers, etc.)
• Entertainment (appearance in films)
• Housework (floor sweeping, cooking)
To the second category robots can applicate in the
following fields:
• Medicine (patient care)

20
• Guiding the blind
• Entertainment (use in gaming houses, in
amusement parches)
• Housework (table services)
Comparing with industrial robots, service robots
would be characterized by the following facilities, to
permit the operating effectively and unobtrusively in
the human living environment:
• Mobility
• Portability
• Operating case
• Sensingllearning/judging functions (artificial
intelligence)
• Adaptability to widely varying operations and
environmental conditions
The ultimate target to be reached would be a robot
that possesses faculties approaching that of human
beings. Leaving such an ideal robot as a goal for the
future, intennediate robots that only satisfy a limited
selection of the most requisite functions should still
find good use in human society. Among the faculties
cited above, what is the most indispensable for a
service robot would be mobility.
Today the number of service robots in operation is
very small. However, the evolution of people
working in the service field shows a constant growth
rate and consequently enormous potential. Great
hopes are attached to the e~:pansion of this sector,
however the possibility of the automated
implementation of services through robot systems is
barely apparent, neither to the supplier and
manufacturer, nor t9 the user/customer. The use of
robot systems in the field of services offers, in
principle, advantages to all those involved.
To fulfill these tasks, research would be necessary in
the nearest future in the field of microsystems or
micro-mechanics. Microsystems or micro-mechanics
is an interdisciplinary research field growing up
dramatically in the last five years. As a research field
between mechanical engineering, electronics,
computer science, Microsystems should be
applicable in the nearest future for industrial robots.
Another direction taken in service robot
development is toward limited purpose robots to
serve such specific purposes as
• guiding the blind
• patient care
• floor sweeping
• building/civil construction work
• inspection, operation.
Future application oriented research in robotics is
dominated by two mean directions. Robots for
classical applications have to be equipped with
21
additional features like combined force and position
control, external sensors based on microsystems,
flexible and light weight robots. Because of the
decreasing number of installed robots new
application fields will be recognized. One of these
fields are the service robots. Service robots look
quite different than conventional and therefore
research have going on in additional directions such
as external sensors, new grippers and gripping
devices, new kinematic structures. Efforts have to be
undertaken to further develop key components of
these robots towards efficiency, performance,
miniaturization and cost. Here the collaboration of
research institutions, service industry and robot and
component manufacturers has the potential to create
valuable synergies.
4. SUMMARY
Microelectronics is the driving force to close the
historical gap between theory and practice in
automation. We are now in the position to realize
modem control concepts like "advanced" control
algoritluns, fuzzy methods, neural networks, expert
or knowledge based systems but we have no
e~:perience when such a modem concept is necessary
and efficient.
The future of automation in the broadest sense will
be determined by the development of
microcomputers e.g. single chip processors from the
hardware side. The software tends towards "user
friendly" with all advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages are e.g. the possibility in process control
systems to create an own layout for the process or to
develop an own e~:pert system for a special purpose.
Disadvantages are the higher computer power for
this tasks as well as the complexity of the new
software tools.
Introduction of methods of AI in automation is in
progress and will be increasing in the future. New
control concepts like neural networks and genetic
algoritluns are introduced in industrial applications
in the nearest future. The next generation is ready
from the theory and waits for practical applications.
The future of production automation is dominated by
"new" headlines like intelligent manufacturing
systems, agile manufacturing, holonic systems, rapid
prototyping, etc.). Historically production
automation was always and will be in the future the
field of headlines. In reality we have to introduce -
as pointed out in the paper - AI methods, starting on
a very low level, in this field of automation. This
development requires new and advanced realtime
control concepts.
 5. LITERATURE

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User interface to a CIM-database. In:
Proceedings of the Second International
Workshop on " Computer Aided Systems Theory
EUROCAST'9I". Lecture Notes in Computer
Sciences, Vol. 585, pp. 592-601. Springer
Verlag, Krems.

Kopacek, P. (1994). Robotics research today and in

the future. In: Preprinls of the Symposium
"Robotics in Alpe Adria Region - RAA 1994",
p. 213-217. Bled.

Kopacek, P. (1995). Trends in process and

production automation from the viewpoint of
European small and medium sized companies.
Bulletin of the Polytechnic Institute of Iasi Vol.
45, pp. 7-21.

Probst, R and P. Kopacek (1992). Robotized

assembly cells in low cost CIM concepts. In:
Proceedings of the 23rd "International
Symposium on Industrial Robots - ISIR'92",
p. 191-195. Barcelona.

Probst, R and P. Kopacek (1996). Service robots -

Present situation and future trends. In:
Proceedings of the 2nd ECPD International
Conference on "Advanced Robotics. Intelligent
Automation and Active Systems ". Vienna.

Schmidt, G. (1991). Towards integration of

autonomous subsystems for assembly and
mobility into flexible manufacturing. In:
Proceedings of the Int. Workshop "Information
Processing in Autonomous Mobile Robots",
pp.3-20. Springer.

Schraft, RD. (1994). Service Robots: Opportunities,

Possibilities and Potentials for the Ne:\.1 Decade.
In: Proceedings of the " IEEE Robotics
Conference ". San Diego.

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