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Dynamic Machine Scheduling, Expansion, And Control Of A Generic Workcell, Peter A. Murray

Theses

Factory automation has come a long way since the invention of the automatic flour mill. A workcell is a group of machines (robots) working together to produce a product. In the past workcells have been hard wired using methods such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). To change a part of this system would require reprogramming the entire system.

The Generic Work Cell (GWC) is a dynamic architecture which allows a workcell to be modified on the fly. The architecture enables the generation of new cells with minimal effort, and the modification of the system without reprogramming the entire system. The …