Industrial Robot Gesture Programming With Projected Tool Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial robots can only be programmed offline, making it time-consuming and prone to human error to generate and test new programs, and engineers lack direct visibility into the G-code, hindering efficient debugging and modification processes.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that processes sensor data to determine end-user gestures, generates tool paths, projects these paths onto a workpiece, and modifies it accordingly, allowing dynamic programming and real-time visibility into the robot's operations without requiring the robot to be taken offline.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If industrial robots are programmed offline using traditional methods, then programming can be done before deployment, but the test cycle becomes lengthy and tedious requiring multiple iterations
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time visual feedback by projecting the tool path onto the workpiece, allowing engineers to immediately verify programming accuracy without waiting for offline simulation or multiple test iterations. This feedback loop eliminates the need for repeated offline programming cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary visualization of the tool path on the actual workpiece before execution, enabling engineers to detect and correct errors in advance during online programming rather than through multiple offline test cycles.
2Ease of manufacture
If engineers use CAM libraries to generate G-code offline, then tool paths can be generated based on CAD models, but engineers lack direct visibility into the actual tool paths being executed
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an optical projection intermediary that visually maps the virtual G-code tool paths onto the physical workpiece, bridging the information gap between the engineer, the code, and the actual robot execution path.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a visual copy of the tool path by projecting it onto the workpiece surface, allowing engineers to directly observe the intended robot trajectory without needing to interpret abstract G-code or rely on offline simulations.
3Manufacturing precision
If the robot is taken offline for programming and testing, then modifications can be made to CAD models and G-code generated, but the process requires bringing the robot online again and repeating test cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables continuous online programming and verification without requiring the robot to be taken offline, allowing engineers to make real-time modifications and immediately observe the projected tool path, thereby maintaining continuous productive action.
4Reliability
If multiple test cycles are performed to identify and correct errors in the robot program, then programming accuracy can be improved, but the length and tediousness of the test cycle increases
Solution Approach 1:
The real-time projection of the tool path onto the workpiece provides immediate visual feedback to engineers, allowing them to identify and correct errors in a single programming pass rather than through multiple tedious test cycles, thereby simplifying the programming process.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot system is configured to identify gestures performed by an end-user proximate to a work piece. The robot system then determines a set of modifications to be made to the work piece based on the gestures. A projector coupled to the robot system projects images onto the work piece that represent the modification to be made and/or a CAD model of the work piece. The robot system then performs the modifications.