Programming industrial robots using advanced input-output devices: test-case example using a CAD package and a digital pen based on the Anoto technology

Abstract

Interaction with robot systems for specification of manufacturing tasks and motions needs to be simple, to enable wide-spread use of robots in SMEs. In the best case, existing practices from manual work could be used, to smoothly let current employees start using robot technology as a natural part of their work. Our aim is to simplify the robot programming task by allowing the user to simply make technical drawings on a sheet of paper. Craftsman use paper and raw sketches for several situations; to share ideas, to get a better imagination or to remember the customer situation. Currently these sketches have either to be interpreted by the worker when producing the final product by hand, or transferred into CAD file using an according tool. The former means that no automation is included, the latter means extra work and much experience in using the CAD tool.

Our approach is to use the digital pen and paper from Anoto as input devices for SME robotic tasks, thereby creating simpler and more user friendly alternatives for programming, parameterization and commanding actions.

To this end, the basic technology has been investigated and fully working prototypes have been developed to explore the possibilities and limitation in the context of typical SME applications. Based on the encouraging experimental results, we believe that drawings on digital paper will, among other means of human-robot interaction, play an important role in manufacturing SMEs in the future.

Index Terms — CAD, Human machine interfaces, Industrial Robots, Robot programming.