IONA System and ORA Software for Robot Monitoring and Control

CPV: Software package and information systems

Procedure method

Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition

Legal basis

CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)

Procurement category

Goods

Notice status

Awarded without competition

Procurement threshold

Unspecified in notice

Regulatory regime

Standard

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Direct award (no call for competition)

GPA / WTO covered

Unspecified in notice

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

15 Mar 2022, 22:45 GMT

Last source update

15 Mar 2022, 22:45 GMT

FTS notice number

2022/S 000-007076

Classification (CPV)

Software package and information systems

Delivery area

UK

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-03223e Find a Tender

Why no open competition

The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive

Published justification

INSPHERE Ltd is the manufacturer of the IONA system and developer of the ORA software platform. This procurement contains a requirement to procure equipment, software, and services from a UK-based instrument manufacturer. To our understanding INSPHERE are the only company within the UK to manufacture a system to this specification.

We require the capability to simultaneously measure multiple targets in six degrees of freedom. We require a system to improve robot positional accuracy by measure and correct methodology, stream data such as robot positions to an external system, and a method to visualise robot path accuracy by comparison of programmed paths versus actual.

The system must be expandable to increase/add additional work area and be moveable between areas and robotic systems. This would mean that the proposed system must not be a permanent fixture or limited in use to the installed cell or to the connected robotic system.

We require a system that:

• Measures and tracks multiple targets, and gather position and pose data of live robot equipment
• Can measure multiple bodies simultaneously in six degrees of freedom and provide multiple viewing angles to overcome line of sight issues
• Continuously streams live data of these multiple targets as an open protocol (e.g., non-proprietary formats)
• Updates robot path in real-time with provided software of this proposed solution (e.g., capable of move – measure – correct methodology)
• Has the ability for the system to be expanded (e.g., with additional cameras/sensors) to increase/add to the tracking volume of the system and moved to another robot cell
• Is commercially available and supported, with standardised warranty and SMA
• Can operate at a frequency of 3Hz and to an accuracy of 250µm
• Must have passive targets (I.e., non-powered)
• Can operate without the need for a visible flash or visible light source
• Has the ability to compare measured data to robot nominal programmes and highlight differences without third party software
• Has automated correction of robot program without third party software
• Is capable of MQTT data output protocol
• Supports native robot language communications (e.g. RAPID, KRL,etc)
• Does not require stable sensor/instrument mounting during operation.

The above will deliver a system whereby:

• The data captured from the tracking system will used to update the robot to achieve higher accuracy
• Software provided can compare a planned robot path with the actual robot path to visualise accuracy
• The addition of more sensors/cameras/trackers can be used to expand the work area to cover a wider range of the workshop
• Cost goes up if third party software required and bespoke integration needed to make it work for the application, this also impacts the robustness and support

• INSPHERE LtdAwarded supplier The Innovation Centre, Bristol & Bath Science Park, Dirac Crescent, Emersons Green, Bristol, UK, BS16 7FR

No document links were published on the notice.