Automotive: Manufacturer Builds on PickNik’s MoveIt Pro Platform to go Beyond PLCs

Situation

BMW Group is a leader in implementing automation solutions to improve factory effectiveness. They have used robots for decades to build cars at manufacturing facilities around the world. However, robotic automation solutions are still mostly limited to the body shop, wherein processes can be rigidly programmed with very high throughput and efficiency. MoveIt Pro creates the opportunity to support automation in many new areas across BMW Group.

Opportunity

BMW Group has had great success automating manufacturing production with first generation robotics hardware and software, however there is still opportunity. Today’s automation systems are often decentralized and span multi-vendor ecosystems. This limits the adaptability and interoperability needed for more flexibility and reusability. Complex use cases therefore often lead to a task specific purpose-built solution increasing programming and setup effort. Leveraging open technologies such as ROS in combination with platform solutions therefore can lead to a paradigm shift in automation, enabling cost efficient automation of more complex use cases.

An example task in the body shop involves picking parts placed chaotically (a random arrangement of objects in a box), examining the part’s orientation, and then placing the chosen part precisely. This type of technical challenge is easy for humans to complete but unsuited for traditional automation solutions because industrial robots lack the intelligence and environmental awareness to understand the desired part’s location and autonomously plan collision free motions to manipulate the part. Lacking these capabilities, the human programmer will have to conceptualize countless edge cases per station and part, leading to more expensive and less robust systems.

Solution

BMW Group implemented this use case using MoveIt Pro, which offered three key advantages over previous generation software.

Intelligent Decision Making Capabilities: BMW Group is using MoveIt Pro’s advanced behavior trees to build autonomous robot behaviors, bringing together real-time computer vision with object recognition, dynamic path planning, force control, and collision avoidance to build a sophisticated application that can pick an object, reorient it, and place the re-oriented object precisely within the body shop.

Open Platform: MoveIt Pro’s open architecture provided BMW Group the flexibility to build their required system. The camera technology and magnetic end-effector used in the test were previously unintegrated. However, MoveIt Pro’s open platform allowed the BMW Group to swiftly implement ROS 2 drivers and utilize the new hardware. Additionally, MoveIt Pro’s open APIs enable extension of standard behaviors and algorithms with custom C++ code.

Rapid Development Environment: After the hardware integration was in place, it was time to build the robot behaviors themselves. The BMW Group used MoveIt Pro’s behavior trees (a visual, low code control mechanism) to implement the robot behaviors. The behavior trees enabled the BMW Group to bring together their new components and program the robot to solve the business problem. The team found the behavior trees and UI to be intuitive and put together their own robot capabilities after the training course with minimal support.

Outcome

The testing phase in a replicated use case setup had very positive outcomes:

  • The BMW Group is now fully capable of developing applications independently, thanks to MoveIt Pro’s user-friendly, low-code development environment.
  • After rigorous testing, MoveIt Pro received high marks across all the test criteria.
  • The team is preparing to move its first MoveIt Pro-powered pilot application from the laboratory into full production in the near future.

BMW Group is extending its leadership in automotive manufacturing innovation, driving efficiency, precision, and adaptability in their production processes, all in support of providing BMW owners “Sheer Driving Pleasure”.

PickNik Robotics

PickNik Robotics is a leading developer of robotic arm applications, providing cutting-edge software and services to automate complex tasks. Our flagship software, MoveIt Pro, is designed to help organizations achieve unprecedented efficiency and precision in their robotic operations. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, PickNik Robotics is committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the field of robotics.