POLIBOT

POLIBOT is a co-promoted RTD project involving two companies, Norcam (consortium leader) and TJ Aços, and two Non-Business Entities from the Research and Innovation System (ENE SII), the Institute for Systems and Robotics - University of Coimbra and CENTIMFE - Technological Center for the Mouldmaking, Special Tools and Plastics Industry. The goal of this project is to develop a collaborative robotics system to address the problem of surface finishing and polishing of injection molds for plastic parts. In this context, compliant robotic control architectures will have to be developed, as well as associated human-robot "mixed/virtual reality" interfaces, in order to significantly improve the polishing process (which is currently manual and very time consuming). Autonomous robotic learning based on sensory patterns will also be explored, taking human "skills" as a starting point. The project integrates a strong research component in an area little explored and focused on industrial processes, the collaborative robotics in the finishing of mold surfaces, from which will result an innovative system that will constitute a new product for the borrowing company, and a significant technological leap for the industry. This system will be quickly integrated in the companies' production chain, becoming an added value for the co-promoters and users, where a greater efficiency of the processes is foreseen, reduction of defects and waste, and where a strong contribution to the increase of productivity and sustainability is estimated.