Robot Builds IKEA Chair

Robot Builds IKEA Chair

By Corey Erban

What is it?

Some scientists from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have developed a robot that can independently assemble an IKEA chair without stopping or making a mistake. 

It was designed by Assistant Professor Pham Quang Cuong and his team from the University's  Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering program. The robot uses a 3D camera and two robotic arms with grips to pick up objects. The team coded many algorithms to help the robot complete its job of putting together the IKEA chair.

Building the Chair

It assembled IKEA's Stefan chair in 8 minutes and 55 seconds. Before the assembly, however, the robot took 11 minutes and 21 seconds to independently plan out how it was going to build the chair. 

How it Works

The robot is designed to mimic a human: The "eyes" are a 3D camera and the "arms" are robotic arms that are capable of six-axis motion. Each arm has grips to pick up objects with. On the wrists are force sensors that determine how strongly the "fingers" are gripping and how powerfully they push objects into one another. The robot starts by taking 3D photos of the parts laid out on the floor to create a plan of assembly. Then, by using algorithms, the robot grips the pieces and assembles them where they need to be. 

Hopes for the Future

The team is looking to use more artificial intelligence to make the robot more independent so it can learn the different steps of assembling a chair through human demonstration or by just reading the instruction manual, or even from an image of the assembled product. They are also working with companies to apply these robotics to a range of industries.

The team is now working to send out the robot to do glass bonding that could be useful in the automotive industry and aircraft industry.