Page 265 - Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics

Quality Assurance and Control (QA/QC)
3
2
3
sub -element is divided into four sub -elements; the lower right sub -
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element is divided into four sub -elements; the upper left sub -element is
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divided into four square sub -elements. This process can continue until
the limit of resolution, or the required level of precision, is reached.
If the world space is not square or rectangular in shape, the situation
becomes more complicated. However, a bit map of square elements can
approximate a 2-D world space of any shape, provided the elements are
small enough.
If a robot’s world space is three-dimensional (3-D), it can be divided
into cubes or rectangular prisms (blocks). Each block can be divided into
eight subblocks.This process can be repeated in the same manner as the 2D
quadtree. The result is called an octree.
See also COMPUTER MAP and OCCUPANCY GRID.
QUALITATIVE NAVIGATION
See TOPOLOGICAL NAVIGATION.
QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CONTROL (QA/QC)
In factory work, robots can perform repetitive tasks more accurately, and
faster, than human workers. Robotization has improved the quality, as
well as increased the quantity, of production in many industries.
Doing it better
An important, but often overlooked, aspect of quality assurance and
control lies in the production process itself. One way to ensure perfect
quality is to do a perfect job of manufacturing. Robots are ideal for this.
Not all robots work faster than humans, but robots are almost always
more consistent and reliable.When the manufacturing process is improved,
fewer faulty units come off an assembly line. This makes quality assurance
and control (QA/QC) comparatively easy.
Some QA/QC engineers say that, in an ideal world, their jobs would
not be necessary. Flawed materials should be thrown away before they
are put into anything. Assembly robots should do perfect work. This
philosophy has been stated by Japanese QA/QC engineer Hajime
Karatsu: “Do such good work that QA/QC checkers are not necessary.”
This is a theoretical ideal, of course; manufacturing processes are not,
and will never be, perfect. There will always be errors in assembly, or
defective components that get into production units. Thus, there will
always be a need for at least one QA/QC person to keep bad units from
getting to buyers.

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