1. Scope

This practice describes accepted procedures for measuring the performance of a mobile manipulator in completing non-continuous (both static and indexed), discrete pose-constrained tasks (DPTs). The information contained in this practice provides instructions, with references to appropriate existing standards, for documenting the mobile manipulator performance test configuration, defining the performance measurement procedure and suggested performance metrics, and reporting the measurement results. Documentation of the mobile manipulator performance test configuration includes describing the operating environment, the measurement system, and the test configuration of each mobile manipulator sub-system.

Keywords

Automatic, Automated, or Autonomous Uncrewed Ground Vehicle (A-UGV); Configurable Mobile Manipulator Apparatus (CMMA); Manipulator; Mobile Manipulator Performance; Non-continuous Task; Discrete pose-constrained task

Rationale

Mobile manipulators have the potential to operate in a wide range of manufacturing applications that require alignment of the manipulator end-effector with a discrete number of points on the workpiece within a pre-defined tolerance. Examples of such manufacturing applications include, but are not limited to, drilling, welding, peg-in-hole insertion type assembly, such as riveting, and pick-and-place operations, such as machine tending (see Bostelman et al., 2014 for more manufacturing use case examples). Therefore, this practice describes a performance measurement procedure, suggested metrics, and recommended reporting practices for benchmarking the performance of a mobile manipulator in completing non-continuous discrete pose-constrained tasks. Recommendations on documentation practices for the mobile manipulator performance test configuration are also provided to: (1) contextualize the mobile manipulator performance with respect to the configuration during measurement, (2) identify the possible adjustable configuration parameters, (3) provide the proper context for mobile manipulator performance measurement or test results, or both, with respect to the test configuration, (4) provide basis of comparison for mobile manipulator performance measurement and/or test circumstances across different performance measurements/tests, and (5) allow a mobile manipulator performance measurement or test, or both, to be replicated. The practice is intended for use by mobile manipulator manufacturers, suppliers, integrators, and end-users in either laboratory or manufacturing environments. Other standards and/or future revisions to this standard may address: (1) continuous task performance, (2) performance measurement of more than one mobile manipulator (i.e., fleets), (3) mobile manipulator performance measurement in the presence of workpiece disturbances, and (4) performance measurement of mobile manipulators in completing tasks falling outside of the scope of discrete pose constrained tasks (e.g., sanding, painting, inspection, or additive manufacturing /construction). (5) performance measurement of mobile manipulators in the presence of dynamic end-effector payloads.

The title and scope are in draft form and are under development within this ASTM Committee.