Grants and Contributions:

Title:

Reinforcement Learning-based Model Predictive Control for Robot Manipulators in Automated Material Design Chemistry Laboratory

Agreement Number:

1011029

Agreement Value:

$313,500.00

Agreement Date:

Nov 1, 2023 - Mar 31, 2026

Description:

Automated chemistry for material design has been a priority for research groups and companies per the requirement of increased productivity, reliable results, safer operation conditions, cost savings, and flexible working time. Due to their features of dexterity and flexibility, robot manipulators (RMs) are widely used for chemistry laboratory automation. However, the safe and high-precision control of RMs for pouring and transmitting reagents and catalysts in synthetic and reaction experiments is still challenging. To fill this gap, this project aims to propose a solution to the control of an RM with guaranteed safety, reliability, and stability for achieving autonomous grasping operation. Specifically, the objective of this work is to develop an intelligent framework based on reinforcement learning (RL), model predictive control (MPC), and visual serving techniques. The proposed RL-based MPC (RLMPC) will improve the control performance of the RM and thus further improve the level of automation in chemistry laboratories.

Organization:

National Research Council Canada

Expected Results:

In the short term, anticipated outcomes will be strengthened collaborations across industry, academia, and government to support research excellence. In the medium term, anticipated outcomes will be the development of new and potentially disruptive technologies with collaborators. In the long term, find collaborative solutions to public policy challenges and create stronger innovation systems.

Location:

Victoria, British Columbia, CA V8P 5C2

Reference Number:

172-2023-2024-Q3-1011029

Agreement Type:

Grant

Report Type:

Grants and Contributions

Recipient Business Number:

108162470

Recipient Type:

Academia

Recipient's Legal Name:

University of Victoria

Federal Riding Name:

Victoria

Federal Riding Number:

59041

Program:

Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation Program - Collaborative R&D Initiatives

Program Purpose:

Collaborate on multiparty research and development programs to catalyze transformative, high-risk, high-reward research with the potential for game-changing scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs in priority areas.

NAICS Code:

541710