Research and Development of Robots with Advanced Skills in Hand Lay-Up

Hand lay-up fabrication is a form of craftsmanship and an implicit skill supported by individual sense, and subjective implicit values deep-rooted in expertise and judgment by touch and from appearance based on “instinct” and “know-how” skills inherited from past generations for the evaluation of thickness and impregnation, removal of voids, etc. Typically, more than 20 years of experience is required for a person to become a skilled craftsman in hand lay-up fabrication. Challenges the need to be addressed are how to pass their skills onto future generations, foster artisans, and construct a sustainable manufacturing process. In this study, the development of HLU molding robots input with the knowledge of skilled engineers as an achievement of this research will help overcome the lack of skilled workers during the stage of training young personnel to replace their predecessors as generations change.