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Introduction to industrial robotics
book reviews Intelligence at machine tool level Manufacturing intelligence by P K Wright and D A Bourne. Published by Addison-Wesley. 352pp. £22.95. Chapter 12, the last chapter of the book presents an interesting and novel 'conversation' between a mechanical engineer, a computer scientist and the author, the topic of which is manufacturing in the year 2020. Ten questions are answered contrasting the views of each specialist: the answers providing a neat way for the authors to define their conclusions and to make a number of suggestions regarding likely development over the course of the next three decades. Answering question No. 9 'What will be the state of manufacturing science in thirty years'?, the computer scientist states A science for manufacturing currently does not exist. Many thick books on manufacturing fall between two extremes ... introductory texts ... [and] more advanced texts and handbooks [containing] thousands of equations for manufacturing conditions that rarely occur .... Industrial people tend to ignore both types of book. Although I think what he intended to say was that books on manufacturing are either one or the other, the general
sentiment must bring a rueful smile to the lips of most people engaged in manufacture. How often are books written by academics for their and other students; such books making little contribution to manufacturing science and less to manufacturing industry? Wright and Bourne's book presents an approach to an area of manufacturing that is refreshingly different in style. My only criticism is with the title. "Manufacturing' currently implies a much wider view than that which the authors choose to use, and is most often used to describe a whole enterprise and that sector of the community of which it is part. The authors use 'manufacturing' in a narrow sense, indeed they concentrate almost exclusively on the domain of machine tools and metal cutting. The book makes a very useful contribution to, and will complement, an increasing number of books which identify manufacturing systems. This is the emergent science of manufacture. The detailed treatment of the means of achieving autonomous operation of machine tools will provide for students (at all levels) of manufacturing systems, not only valuable information
but a perspective of the hierarchy that must be established if a system is to function effectively. The book draws widely from material published in learned journals, combining such with more detail and description appropriate to this fuller length work. Extensive references and a useful annotated bibliography are given. The theme is the evolution of and the implementation of intelligence at the machine tool level of the manufacturing hierarchy. Control concepts and the sensory framework are presented and discussed in detail in both procedural and heuristic implementations; discussion is well supported by examples. A very good section is presented defining and suggesting how craft skills in immediate machining problems and in support activities might be viewed and how electro-mechanical devices might be incorporated to replicate the skills. A style has been adopted throughout which undergraduates and others should appreciate. I shall certainly recommend the book to my own students. G W SMITH Brunel University UK
Introduction to industrial robotics Industrial robotics by Gordon M Mair. Published by Prentice-Hall, UK. 354pp. £17.95. This is a well written text which gives excellent illustrations with good explanations. It starts with an overview of robotics today and looks briefly at the origins of robotics thus helping to clarify the position of robotics in relation to other computer controlled manufacturing equipment. Chapters four to twelve provide a thorough guide to robotic design and control. The final chapters not only provide the
Vol 2 No 4 November 1989
reader with examples of current robot applications but also describe how humans react to robots in the workplace and where and how robots and robotics fit into a modern manufacturing system. I would recommend this publication as a good introductory text to anyone wishing to learn about modern industrial robotics. It is particularly suited to undergraduate engineering students and is very good value for money. For many students this publication will provide all the infor-
mation they require on the subject of robotics. Robotics by nature covers a broad range of topics e.g. classification, drives, structure, control, programming, sensors etc. Students will find this text a useful starting point for indepth studies into specific aspects of robotics such as machine vision and artificial intelligence. J CHERRINGTON Birmingham Polytechnic UK
249
sentiment must bring a rueful smile to the lips of most people engaged in manufacture. How often are books written by academics for their and other students; such books making little contribution to manufacturing science and less to manufacturing industry? Wright and Bourne's book presents an approach to an area of manufacturing that is refreshingly different in style. My only criticism is with the title. "Manufacturing' currently implies a much wider view than that which the authors choose to use, and is most often used to describe a whole enterprise and that sector of the community of which it is part. The authors use 'manufacturing' in a narrow sense, indeed they concentrate almost exclusively on the domain of machine tools and metal cutting. The book makes a very useful contribution to, and will complement, an increasing number of books which identify manufacturing systems. This is the emergent science of manufacture. The detailed treatment of the means of achieving autonomous operation of machine tools will provide for students (at all levels) of manufacturing systems, not only valuable information
but a perspective of the hierarchy that must be established if a system is to function effectively. The book draws widely from material published in learned journals, combining such with more detail and description appropriate to this fuller length work. Extensive references and a useful annotated bibliography are given. The theme is the evolution of and the implementation of intelligence at the machine tool level of the manufacturing hierarchy. Control concepts and the sensory framework are presented and discussed in detail in both procedural and heuristic implementations; discussion is well supported by examples. A very good section is presented defining and suggesting how craft skills in immediate machining problems and in support activities might be viewed and how electro-mechanical devices might be incorporated to replicate the skills. A style has been adopted throughout which undergraduates and others should appreciate. I shall certainly recommend the book to my own students. G W SMITH Brunel University UK
Introduction to industrial robotics Industrial robotics by Gordon M Mair. Published by Prentice-Hall, UK. 354pp. £17.95. This is a well written text which gives excellent illustrations with good explanations. It starts with an overview of robotics today and looks briefly at the origins of robotics thus helping to clarify the position of robotics in relation to other computer controlled manufacturing equipment. Chapters four to twelve provide a thorough guide to robotic design and control. The final chapters not only provide the
Vol 2 No 4 November 1989
reader with examples of current robot applications but also describe how humans react to robots in the workplace and where and how robots and robotics fit into a modern manufacturing system. I would recommend this publication as a good introductory text to anyone wishing to learn about modern industrial robotics. It is particularly suited to undergraduate engineering students and is very good value for money. For many students this publication will provide all the infor-
mation they require on the subject of robotics. Robotics by nature covers a broad range of topics e.g. classification, drives, structure, control, programming, sensors etc. Students will find this text a useful starting point for indepth studies into specific aspects of robotics such as machine vision and artificial intelligence. J CHERRINGTON Birmingham Polytechnic UK
249