Enhancing robotic interoperability: An approach for ROS 2-driven system integration
Reconfigurable manufacturing requires robotic workcells that can adapt to changing products, processes, and equipment without extensive redesign or manual reprogramming. This paper presents the R3M framework, a ROS 2 driven integration architecture that connects model based manufacturing knowledge with execution level robotic control. Product, process, and equipment information is formalised through UML domain models and serialised in AutomationML(AML), enabling automated correspondence between assembly requirements, available skills, and executable recipes. The framework integrates automated programme generation, reinforcement learning based recipe optimisation, and a modular CAD informed six degree of freedom perception layer to support both technical and semantic interoperability across simulated and physical workcells. The approach is evaluated through Cube Kitting and Cylinder Stacking use cases implemented on distinct robotic platforms, including ABB and Universal Robots systems. Experimental results show high reliability, with environment launch performance reaching up to 99.93%, standard skill sequences achieving 100% execution success, and full use case trials exceeding 97% success in simulation and reaching 100% on physical hardware. These findings demonstrate that R3M provides a scalable foundation for adaptive robotic manufacturing, reducing programming effort while supporting modular substitution, robust perception, and simulation to real deployment.
Authors
- Niels Lohse (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7279-8849)
- Phil Webb
- Windo Hutabarat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7393-7695)
- Gautham Ragunathan
- S. A. Syed Asif (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7048-0183)
- Ashutosh Tiwari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6197-1519)
- Pedro Ferreira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5690-5704)
- Yue Yao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9509-8199)
- Mikel Bueno
- Paul Anandan
- Lloyd L.C. Tinkler
- Ze Zhang
Institutions
- Loughborough University (GB)
- University College Birmingham (GB)
- Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (GB)
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- Cranfield University (GB)
- University of Sheffield (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing
- Published
- 2026-09-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcim.2026.103420
- Primary Topic
- Robot Manipulation and Learning
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council