Development of a Car Window Installation Assist Robot

Traditionally, robots and humans work independently, isolated from each other for safety reasons. We developed a robot for use on the assembly line which works together with a human operator, assisting and augmenting the operator's skills. Because of its function, this robot is known as the “Car Window Installation Assist Robot” and is currently in use on the plant of Toyota Motor Corporation. In this paper, we propose a method to estimate human intent as well as a skill assist control method. Moreover, we present technology that enables safe human-robot cooperation, high product quality, and the cycle time of only 48 seconds.