Nextsense Implements Measurement Device in Human-Robot Manufacturing

The CALIPRI measurement device from optical measurement device manufacturer Nextsense GmbH has been implemented in automobile mass production at a premium German car manufacturer.

The CALIPRI C12 was applied to a human-robot collaboration (HRC) device, with the robot working side-by-side with humans on a continuous production line without spatial separation, mechanical barriers or other restrictive and protective apparatuses. Thanks to its positioning accuracy, the HRC robot can use the CALIPRI C12 sensor to measure door gaps at exactly predetermined points. At the same time, workers can apply a handheld measurement device in the same station to evaluate the most important gaps for customers, in the hood and rear trunk area.

"Since both model variants use the same evaluation method to measure dimensions, both results – the ones obtained by human hand as well as those measured by robot hand – can be integrated and used in one inspection protocol,” said Clemens Gasser, CEO of Nextsense. “As if the work was done by a single person.”

The CALIPRI devices are based on the laser light section technology, with projections of laser lines enabling the contactless and highly accurate measurement of almost any profile. A unique swivel movement allows the sensor to capture and process the complete depth of a gap’s contour.

Nextsense is a developer and distributor of profile measurement and surface inspection solutions.