The parts feeder we describe here is limited to planar parts. One approach to extending this idea to three-dimensional parts is to treat each stable orientation of a polyhedral part as a different polygonal projection. Since our programmable parts feeder operates open-loop, no sensing is required. However, by sensing jaw diameter, we may be able to determine part orientation with fewer motions. We are currently working on extending our algorithm in these directions.
Parts feeding is one small piece of the flexible manufacturing picture. Once the orientation of individual parts is known, the next step is to assemble the parts. Methods are needed for automatically transforming an assembly diagram into a sequence of robot motions that assemble the parts. Here we must consider the interaction between parts as well as the interaction of parts with the robot. Much remains to be done.