In 2021, known as the year of composite robots, robots with hands, feet, and eyes have become an important trend in the future development of the robotics industry, which can meet the production needs of more segmented scenarios. It is expected that by 2025, the sales of domestically produced composite robots may exceed 12000 units.

When mobile robots become an important means for manufacturers to upgrade automation and intelligence, they are endowed with more applications, rather than simply moving point A to point B, such as additional grabbing and sorting work for mobile robots. When mobile robots are operating indoors or outdoors or have high-precision positioning, composite navigation is inevitable. Different navigation methods can help robots better achieve operations in different scenarios.

Composite robot is a new type of robot that combines mobile robots and general industrial robots. In industrial applications, robotic arms or manipulators are typically used to perform grasping functions similar to human arms. Mobile robots, commonly known as AGVs or AMRs, can replace the walking functions of human legs and feet. Composite robots can combine these two functions with both hands and feet. At present, composite robots are very common in industrial scenarios, such as 3C manufacturing workshops, semiconductor workshops, and CNC machining centers, where they perform processing tasks for small products.

In many people's minds, composite robots integrate robotic arms and mobile chassis, making it easy to transport and move. It may seem easy to add up in such a simple way, but in reality, it requires a high level of underlying technology. To make two robot systems with different logics work stably, the robotic arm needs to be stable and grab in a timely manner. AGV has strong adaptability to the scene Composite robots are far from as simple as imagined.

At present, the accuracy of many composite robots needs to be improved. Currently, many robots rely on visual systems for localization, and the deviation is still significant. Due to the need for both the robotic arm and the mobile site to move, the composite robot needs to adopt a dual vision assisted positioning method, which requires the robotic arm to be moved to the corresponding position first, and then the robotic arm to adjust its position according to the actual situation. The entire process not only requires PLC processing, but also visual and software adjustments, but the results may not be optimistic. At present, the positioning accuracy of general composite robots is around 5 mm, which is still a technological step away from the accuracy of around 2 mm of single collaborative robots and mobile robots on the market.

Apart from technical issues, the control of the robotic arm and chassis are almost different, and the internal communication protocols are also different. To create a satisfactory composite robot is also a huge challenge for integrators. Even if it can be integrated, the subsequent control frequency and movement algorithm will still be tested. For customers, time and software/hardware costs are also difficult to control. That's why everyone says composite robots are good, but in reality they are rarely used.