Contribution to AI

Experimental exemplary unmanned electroplating system

The outstanding projects, which was implemented by laboratory staff under my leadership, was unmanned system of the electroplating manufacturing. It was one of the first unmanned production system in the world practice and the first experimental exemplary unmanned system in galvanic production in the USSR. The work was carried out in accordance with the decree of the USSR Council of Ministers and the Program for the creation of an exemplary unmanned system in the galvanic shop (Agreement of intend). The workshop included an automatic warehouse, four automatic electroplating lines, a transport robot serving loading/unloading of the warehouse and lines, and transportation of products. The system was supported by hardware consisting of industrial local computer network based on a CM-4 minicomputer and six Elektronika-60 microcomputers (computers made in USSR, compatible with PDP 11/23). The software developed in the AITLab included a subsystem of technical preparation of production, in particular an interactive system for preparing and loading a knowledge base (rules) about the technological process for new products. Control of the warehouse, transport cart and robots on the lines was implemented as independent event-directed control systems interacting over a local network and using global data about current situation. The system was put into operation at one of the mechanical engineering enterprises (Contract). 

SPRUT is the first embedded AI system in the USSR built on a fuzzy model

Another milestone in the history of the development of intelligent machines was the SPRUT system, also developed in the AITLab. SPRUT* (Situational PRodUcTion system of control) is the first embedded AI system in the USSR, built on a fuzzy systems model. The decision-making model on which SPRUT is based refers to fuzzy classification rules. The SPRUT knowledge base included about 150 such rules, built on more than 500 fuzzy facts, the certainty factors of which are calculated based on data from more than 200 sensors. An intelligent event-directed control system built on this basis, operating in real time with a response to events not exceeding 50 ms, was supported by a built-in operating system specially developed in the laboratory. The SPRUT software is developed on ASSEMBLER and implemented in a local network on three microcomputers of the “Elektronika 60” type (computers made in USSR, compatible with PDP 11/23). SPRUT is designed as a digital control module and was put into serial production at one of the machine-building enterprises as a complex “Automatic asynchronous multi-process electroplating line with a built-in control system". 

Project documentation 1988,   Project documentation 1990, Part 1,   Project documentation 1990, Part 2 

*Kargin A.A., Polyakov V.G., Demin V.A. (ets). Software of a complexly automated system of electroplating production / Instruments and control systems, M.: Mashinostroenie, No. 4, 1984.- P.7-8, (in russion).

**Kargin A. A., Demin V. A., Novikov V. B. Situational production system for controlling technological processes in the production of electroplating (SPRUT-1) / Instruments and control systems, M.: Mashinostroenie, No. 3, 1991, P.6-8, (in russion). 

The project was carried out by the Research Institute of Mining Mechanics named after M.M. Fedorov, the Institute of Electric Welding named after E. Paton of NAS of Ukraine and AITLab of Donetsk State University. A robotic module for assembly and welding of explosion-proof shells of mine automation equipment was created in the experimental and production shop of the Paton Institute of Electrical Welding of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The module included three robots from KUKA, a rotated table-manipulator with three degrees of freedom and auxiliary equipment for replacing tools with robots (torches, grippers). The specialization of the robots was as follows. The robot-assembler joined the part according to the assembly plan to the main body of the structure being manufactured, the robot-welder_1 fixed the mating parts using spot welding, and then the robot-welder_2 bypassed the mating contour using arc welding. The AITLab developed a system of automated programming for the module’s equipment complex. Building programs for controlling the module equipment using methods known at that time (handheld teach pendant or training manually by forcing the trajectories of three robots and rotated table-manipulator working simultaneously and cooperatively) was difficult for many reasons, which was further complicated by the need to use adaptive operating mode of arc welding robot. The core of the system was a three-dimensional geometric dynamic model of the module’s workspace (wire images of equipment and products were used), which model the implementation of control program commands in model time. The system of automated programming had several modes of robots learning. It allows to set the position coordinates and equipment configuration by interactively moving robotic working tools to certain points in the workspace. Calculation the coordinates of points using built-in library programs and using precedents of motions in similar situations are possible too. Beside this, the tool to tune the model robot configuration on the base of data from real robots' sensors can used. 

The system of automated programming of robotic assembly and welding module equipment had been putted into trial operation and used in the experimental production of the Institute of Electric Welding named after E. Paton of NAS of Ukraine.

Project Report 1986, Project Report 1987, Project Report 1988, Project Report 1989, Project Report 1990