# A New Configuration Method for Glass Substrate Transfer Robot Modules Based on Kansei Engineering
## 1 Introduction  
With the widespread adoption of modular design techniques for industrial robots, perceptual design has become crucial for industrial robots to gain a competitive advantage. To be specific, in the context of manufacturing industries' increasing demand for industrial robots for large-scale production [1], industrial robots have been designed with a modular architecture to accommodate variable working environments and production requirements, as well as to meet flexible production demands [2]. In contrast to the industrial design of ordinary consumer goods, modular industrial robots are commonly viewed as the design of mechanical structures, for which the notion of the primacy of mechanical functionality has long dominated the design of industrial robot modules [3]. This unipolar development,which focuses on solving \"functional and technical\" problems, is likely to lose market share or even be eliminated [3; 4] due to the increasing maturity and widespread use of industrial robotics and the increase in human emotion. In this study, for example, the glass substrate transfer robot must not only meet the mechanical performance requirements but also have a modular configuration that is consistent with the brand image of the intended user. According to a comprehensive perspective, as the industrial robot market becomes more competitive and product homogeneity becomes more prominent, people have new perceptions and demands about robot functioning. In other words, when it is difficult to differentiate robots based on \"functional utility\" and \"technology\", excellent robot design will become key to market competition, and the assertion that \"beautiful design is also functional\" has become a hot topic for research on industrial robot design and its modular design. Despite this, sufficient research is still lacking on the perceptual design of industrial robot modules at present. According to the literature reviews and practical research, the modular design of industrial robots at this stage is primarily concerned with functional utility, such as addressing the structure [5; 6], power [7], path [8], and communication [9] of industrial robot modules through technical means. In the few perceptual design studies that have been conducted, the focus has also been on the design of the overall industrial robot, rather than the perceptual design of the individual modules of the robot. In the actual application of industrial robots, this results in the disadvantage that \"one module configuration equals one redesign, and a new style is created\". This randomized, non-uniform, and non-standardized module configuration style does not meet the user's requirements when the perceptual experience becomes a key factor influencing users to purchase and employ industrial robots [9; 10]. To solve this implementation problem, we examine the Kansei Engineering-based method of industrial robot module configuration, using the module design of a glass substrate transfer robot as an example. The purpose of the study is to determine the mapping relationship between user perceptual demands and module design elements and then to design an industrial robot module and select the module configuration scheme based on these findings. Compared to previous research, this study presents a perceptual design and assessment of various combinations of modular shapes and solutions, which is useful for broadening the application of Kanseil Engineering in the design of industrial robot modules and serves as a reference for the design of industrial robot modules of the same type. The remainder of the paper is structured as follows: In Section 2, we review the application of Kansei Engineering in the field of industrial robotics, based on the Kansei Engineering concept and the research challenges, and propose the problem to be addressed in this paper: how to carry out effective perceptual design oriented to the configuration and combination scheme of industrial robot modules with variable morphology.