Starting in the 2025 academic year, second- and third-year students in the Grande École Program will have access to a collaborative robot as part of their coursework. ROAM ( Arts et Métiers) is a prototype that incorporates innovative features and paves the way for educational projects that combine technology and traditional craftsmanship within the framework of the “ Evolutive Learning Factories ” program.
New features for this fall
Since the start of the 2024 academic year, a preparatory project has been set up to familiarize students with the concepts of robotics. An integrator will be on site until July to configure and connect ROAM to the various machines in the Cluny campus workshops. By the start of the next academic year, the robot will be operational and ready for use in second-year vocational projects and third-year machining courses.
A demonstrator for multipurpose workshops
ROAM is a robot capable of moving like a human arm on six axes. Equipped with collaborative features, it can operate safely alongside students without the need for physical barriers. This robot will gradually be integrated into various workshops, including foundry, woodworking, and high-speed machining, to produce complete products, from raw materials to the final functional product.
Show students how a robot can be integrated into a machine
"The robot is capable of running a machine through its entire cycle," explains Charly Euzenat, an associate professor. "It must dock with the machine, open the door, position the raw part, run the machining program, retrieve the machined part, and store it." The goal is to show our students how a robot can be integrated with a machine, understand the communication architecture between different machines, and carry out the associated programming.
An immersion in modern industrial processes
Among the main objectives of the project, students will develop a mobile platform enabling ROAM to move around autonomously, without human intervention. Various student projects will also be launched at the start of the 2025 academic year, including the design and production of a part that can be forged and then machined using ROAM, for a complete immersion in modern industrial processes.
For the teaching team, composed of Dominique Cotton, Charly Euzenat, Guillaume Fromentin, Jean-Baptiste Guyon, Jihane Arbi, and Hadi El Bayda, this project represents a significant step forward in the integration of new technologies at Arts et Métiers.
