Design and Experimental Validation of a Centrally Controlled Educational Assembly Mini-Line Using the WLKATA Mirobot

Abstract

This paper presents the design, implementation, and experimental validation of an educational robotic assembly mini-line based on the WLKATA Mirobot platform. The system was developed as a laboratory-scale demonstrator for centralized coordination of multiple robotic stations and for demonstrating selected industrial automation concepts, with potential for future extension toward Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications. The main objective is to develop and functionally validate a centralized seven-station robotic assembly system capable of simulating selected manufacturing and assembly processes under controlled laboratory conditions. The practical implementation includes the mechanical design and layout of the assembly mini-line, robotic programming, and the development of communication and control mechanisms. A centralized supervisory control architecture based on an Arduino Mega 2560 and RS485 master–slave communication was implemented to coordinate seven WLKATA robotic stations and manage the production sequence. Experimental evaluation included repeated individual workstation tests and 30 complete production cycles. The results demonstrate the functional feasibility of centralized coordination and successful execution of the defined assembly sequence under the evaluated laboratory conditions. This paper evaluates the boundaries of deterministic behaviour in low-cost multi-robot networks utilizing a master–slave physical layer under dense operational sequencing. The identified limitations and requirements for future work include automated data logging, quantitative communication-performance monitoring, and long-term system testing.