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Robot Programming Methods of programming

• It is concerned with teaching the robot its work Three Programming Methods:
cycle
• Manual programming
• Comprising of motion path that the robot must
execute in moving parts or tools. • Leadthrough programming
• Which taught by showing the robot the motion • Textual robot languages
and recording it into the memory
• Except sensor data interpretation, actuating end
effector, sending & receiving signals from other
devices, computations & decision about work
cycle, etc

2. Leadthrough programming
[Link] Teaching: • It requires the programmer to move the
• Point to Point applications manipulator through the desired motion path
• Used in limited sequence robots, by means of and that the path be committed to memory
mechanical stops and limit switches. by the robot controller

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3. Textual robot languages

• Programmed with textual languages like
computer program
• Often augmented using leadthrough
technique

Leadthrough programming Powered leadthrough

Methods
• Powered leadthrough • A teach pendant is usually a small handheld
• Manual leadthrough
control box with combination of toggle
switched , dials and buttons to regulate the
robots physical movements and programming
• Powered leadthrough makes use of teach
pendant to control the various joint motors, to capabilities
drive the robot arm and wrist through a series of
point in space.
• Each point is recorded into memory for playback
during work cycle

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Teach Pendant

Manual leadthrough Manual leadthrough

• Also called walkthrough method • In manual leadthrough method, programmer
• Used for continuous-path programming grasps the robot arm and moves it through
• Where motion cycle involves smooth complex the desire motion cycle.
curvilinear movements of robot arm • If the robot is large, a special programming
• Best example spray painting, to give a even apparatus often substituted for actual robot
coat, • This apparatus has basically the same
• Continuous arc welding is another example. geometry as the robot, but easier to
manipulate during programming

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Robot program as a path in space Robot program as a path in space

• Locus of points along the path defines the • Arm and body joints determine the general
sequence of positions through which the position in space of the end effector & wrist
robot will move its wrist determines the orientation
• End effector is attached to wrist • If we consider a point in space in the program
• So program can be considered to be the path as a position & orientation, then there is more
in space thru which the end effector is to be than one possible set of joint coordinate
moved by the robot values for the same point

Robot program as a path in space Robot program as a path in space

• So the specification of a point in space does
not uniquely define the joint coordinates
• So the robot program may be redefined as
sequence of joint coordinate position rather
than a path in space

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Methods of defining point in space World coordinate system

• Joint movements
• X-Y-Z coordinate motions
• Tool coordinate motions

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Tool coordinate system Reasons for defining points

• To define a working position for the end
effector – ex pick an object, perform spot
welding, & to define safe positions
• To avoid obstacles – so that it doesn’t collide
with other objects in the work cell

Speed control Speed control

• Speed can be regulated during program Speed of robot is dependent on:
• Teach pendant can be used to set speed for • How many axes are moving at one time &
different parts of program which are they
• Some good practice are • Axis configuration
• Operate at slow speed near obstacles • Load it is carrying
• High speed when moving over large distance,
where there is no obstacles

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Motion Interpolation Motion Interpolation

• Interpolation is a type of estimation, a • Joint Interpolation
method of constructing (finding) new data • Straight line Interpolation
points based on the range of a discrete • Circular Interpolation
set of known data points
• Irregular smooth motion

Joint Interpolation If we remove step 3-> (8,8)

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Interpolation process Interpolation process

• In joint interpolation, the controller • Based on the known time, & the amount of
determines how far each joint must move to movement required for the other axes,
get from first point to next. • the controller subdivides the move into
• It then selects the joint that requires longest smaller increments,
time • so that all joint start and stop their motions at
• This determines the time taken to complete the same time.
the move • Consider an ex of moving from (1,1) to (7,4)

Joint Interpolation

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Consider move from 1,1 to 3,2

• Robot with And move from 1,7 to 3,8
• One rotational axis &
• One linear axis
• With 8 addressable points
• The grid is polar than rectilinear
• During interpolation, creates different lengths.

Circular interpolation Circular interpolation

• Programmer defines circle in the robots work
space
• Done by specifying 3 points along the circle
• Controller constructs an approximation of
circle by selecting series of addressable points
that is closest to the defined circle
• Robot actually performs short-straight-line
segments
• So it is a linear approximation of circle
• More easy with textual programming

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Irregular smooth motion Irregular smooth motion

• When programmer moves robot to teach • To approximate the irregular smooth pattern,
spray painting or arc welding, it consists of the path is divided into sequence of closely
combination of smooth motion segments spaced points
• Consisting of straight, curves, to & fro motion • That is recorded into the controller memory
etc, these are referred as irregular smooth • The interpolated path may consist of
motions thousands of individual points
• An interpolation process is involved in this

WAIT, SIGNAL & DELAY COMMANDS WAIT, SIGNAL & DELAY COMMANDS
• All industrial robots are instructed to send
signals or wait for signals • Communication with other devices is
important.
• These signals are called interlocks
• Ex of unloading from press
• Common form is to actuate end effectors
– Stop robot entering before press is open
• In grippers, its on or off or Binary – Remove gripper before press closes
• Grippers involve 2 interlocks – open & close • To do this we have 2 commands
• Feedback might be added to verify actuation • SIGNAL M – instructs to O/P signal thru M
• WAIT N – robot should wait until I/P thru N

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Example of loading and unloading

Press

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DELAY
• DELAY X SEC
• Robot should wait X seconds before going into
next step

Example of loading and unloading Modified program

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BRANCHING
• Controllers allow dividing a program into one
or more branches
• Allows program to be subdivided into
convenient segments
• It is also subroutines and can be identified by
a name
• Allows incoming signal to invoke branch
• Usage of interrupt

Pallet with 24 positions General commands

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Limitations of Leadthrough
Capabilities of Leadthrough Methods
programming
• Defining points & speed is easy through Teach • Robot cannot be used in production while
pendant (TP) being programmed
• WAIT, SIGNAL & DELAY is done in TP through • More complex program cannot be done
special buttons • Not compatible with CIM and factory
• BRANCHING functions networking

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Robot Languages First Generation Languages

• WAVE – 1973 – Stanford AI Lab, feasibility of • Uses command statement and teach pendant
robot hand-eye coordination • Manipulator motion, straight line
– AL – control multiple arm interpolation, branching, elementary sensor
• VAL – Victors Assembly Language (1979) commands
– VAL II • Low to medium complexity
• AML – A Manufacturing Language – developed • Ex VAL
by IBM
• MCL, RAIL, APT, HELP

Seconds Generation Languages Robot language structure

• Also called structured program language
• Ex - AML, RAIL, VAL II
• Make use of teach pendant to define location

• Motion control
• Advanced sensor capabilities
• Limited intelligence
• Communication and data processing

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Robot language structure - Operating Robot language structure - Operating

system system
• Some means of permitting the user to
determine the action • Interpreter – a program in OS, executes each
• Monitor mode - supervisory control, speed instruction of source program
control, store program, transfer program, • Compiler – passes thru the entire program
change mode and pretranslates all instructions into
• Run mode – execute robot program machine level code, that can be read and
executed by robot controller
• Edit mode – write new program and edit
existing program

Robot Language Elements and

Function
Constants and variables • Aggregates and location variables
• Character, string
• Numerical constants – integers and real
numbers

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Motion command
MOVE and related statements
• MOVE A1 (move to point A1) DMOVE (incremental move)
• MOVES A1 (with straight line interpolation) • DMOVE (1,10) {link 1 moves thru 10 units}
• MOVE A1 VIA A2 (moves to A1 thru A2) • DMOVE (<4,5,6>,<30,-60,90>)

• APPRO A1, 20 (approach at axial offset) • MOVE ARM2 TO A1

• MOVES A1
• SIGNAL (to close gripper)
• DEPART 50

SPEED control Definition of points in the workspace

• Through Teach Pendant
• SPEED 60 IPS {60 inches per sec}(defines – HERE A1
speed unit directly)
• SPEED 75 (defines speed as a % of max speed) • Through typing

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END EFFECTOR AND SENSOR

Paths and frames
COMMANDS
• DEFINE PATH1 = PATH(A1,A2,A3,A4)
• MOVE PATH1 End Effector command – Gripper
• MOVES PATH1 (using straight line • OPEN or CLOSE (wait for next motion)
interpolation) • OPENI or CLOSEI (immediate)
• DEFINE FRAME1 = FRAME(A1,A2,A3) • CLOSE 40 MM or CLOSE 1.575 IN (int opening)
• DEFINE • CLOSE 3.0 LB (gripping force)
ROUTE:FRAME1=PATH(P1,P2,P3,P4,P5,P6,P7) • CENTER (doesnt move the object)
• MOVES ROUTE:FRAME1

SENSOR OPERATION
End Effector command – Tools • SIGNAL 3, ON (binary output)
• OPERATE TOOL(SPEED = 125RPM) • SIGNAL 3, OFF (binary output)
• OPERATE TOOL (TORQUE = 5 IN LB) • SIGNAL 105, 4.5 (analog voltage output)
• OPERATE TOOL (TIME = 10 SEC)

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Variable name
• Instead of identifying ports though I/O port
number, it is convenient to define variable
name
• Easier of the programmer to remember
• Controller port 1-10 = Output lines (SIGNAL)
• Controller port 11-20 = Input lines (WAIT)

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Define analog signal REACT statement

• Voltage as input or output • It’s a statement in VAL & VAL II
• Continuously monitor incoming signal & to
• Signal is used for analog voltage output respond to change in signal
• Used to interrupt execution of regular robot
• For analog voltage input program
• Ex are when error occurs or safety hazard is
detected

REACT 17, SAFETY

Computation and operation
• When change happens in the input line 17, it
branches to subroutine called SAFETY • Need arises for the program to perform
• Nature is to complete current command arithmetic and logic operations
before interrupting • Precedence rules are established to evaluate
REACTI 17, SAFETY from left to right
• Causes immediate suspension of the current • Parenthesis indicate, expression with
program parenthesis must be evaluated first
• Manipulator motion stops immediately

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Computation and operation Other important functions

Relational operator Logical operator

• For comparison and evaluation

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Program control PROGRAM SEQUENCE CONTROL

• It becomes necessary to exercise control over • The GOTO statement can be used with logical
the sequence in which statements are function
executed by means of branches and IF (logical function) GOTO 10
subroutines • If logical expression is true, then the program
PROGRAM SEQUENCE CONTROL branches to statement 10
• Instruction to control logic flow • Otherwise continues to next statement
GOTO 10
• Unconditional branch statement to 10

Example problem

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• No. of logic steps to program is reduced

• It has reduced from 89 to 26
• Number of points in workspace that must be
taught by teach pendant is reduced

IF…THEN…ELSE…END Subroutines
• Earlier we used

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• BRANCHES will be called SUBROUTINES RETURN

• Programming language permit subroutine to • statement results in termination of subroutine
be CALL statement and returns control of program back to the
statement following CALL statement for the
subroutine

communication between robot

Communications and data processing
controller and operator
• Communication refers to communication • To request information
between robot controller and operator/robot • To indicate the source of malfunction
system/other computer based system • Inform the operator about current status

• Monitor, printer, buzzer and speech

synthesizers are the possible device

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Monitor mode command

• WRITE & READ commands • Monitor mode is used for
• Entering location using teach pendant (HERE
command)
• BEGINFILE DATA1
• Setting starting speed for execution (SPEED
• ENDFILE DATA1 command)

• System supervision, data processing and

communication also performed with monitor
command

Monitor mode command Monitor mode command

• To open new file for writing new program • LIST (program name)
• EDIT for editing an existing program • PRINT (program name)
• When program is finished EXIT command is • DIRECTORY (program name)
used – stores program and return to monitor • DELETE (program name)
mode • ERASE (program name)
• STORE(program name) is used to store • EXECUTE (program name) also called EX or EXEC
program in external storage device • ABORT or STOP is used to discontinue execution
• READ(program name) reads file from storage and stop robot motion

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