Taiwan's NCU develops robotic arm with greater precision for manufacturing

台灣國立中央大學（NCU）研發出更高精準度的機械手臂，用於製造業

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A team from National Central University has developed a robotic arm with improved precision and stability for use in smart manufacturing.

Wu Jim-wei (吳俊緯), an associate professor in the university’s Department of Electrical Engineering, said robotic arms have become key equipment in smart manufacturing and automation. He noted that such systems still require improvements in adaptability, anti-interference capability, and precision control, per CNA.

To address this, Wu said the team integrated machine learning and control technologies to develop the robotic arm. The team also designed its components and wrote software to optimize its operations.

A “disturbance observer” was also developed for the robotic arm to detect interference and respond quickly to changes such as increased load or external impacts. The device outperforms conventional systems, which are typically unable to handle multiple sources of interference at the same time.

The team also used an AI-powered system to help the robotic arm learn to control force and movement direction. To reduce repeated parameter adjustments and make the system easier to upgrade, the team applied control principles to the design.

Techman Robot established a robotics talent training center at the university in 2021. The center is equipped with six Techman collaborative robots and one workstation integrated with an industrial automation control system.

The company has also introduced robotics courses at the university, featuring hands-on training with its robots for tasks such as stacking objects, recognizing items, identifying colors, and detecting defects.

In addition, Delta Electronics has cooperated with the university to set up a robotics research center. The facility integrates the company’s industrial robots, machine vision modules, and automation equipment.