Common Sensors in Industrial Robots: A Review

The application of industrial robots has greatly promoted the development of industry in the past decades. Now with the proposal and prevalence of Industry 4.0, industrial robots are required to be more independent and intelligent to accomplish more complex and flexible tasks. The advancement of industrial robots relies on the development and progress of multiple technologies, among which sensors are the indispensable part. They can acquire abundant information to help industrial robots implement their functions. This paper reviews the recent literatures and gives a summary and introduction of the commonly used sensors in industrial robots. Additionally, the applications of these sensors in diverse functions of industrial robots are also presented. Finally, the developing direction and challenges of industrial robots in the future are discussed in the last part of this article.