A Robot Interface Using Virtual Reality and Automatic Kinematics Generator

摘要

This paper describes an innovative user interface for high-level control of robot manipulators.The interface uses virtual reality to provide the user with an interactive 3D graphical representation of the manipulator.The interface is designed to give a novice user an intuitive tool to control any kind of mechanical structure (serial, parallel or hybrid) without requiring any programming skill.The user simply describes the geometric properties of the manipulator and then inverse kinematics are automatically calculated in real time, in order to move any part of the robot through 3D input devices.The interface is also designed to provide the user decision capabilities when problems, like singularities, are encountered.Lastly, to enhance the intuitive use of the interface, a new mechanical input device with force-feedback is being developed.This interface is currently in use at EPFL-ISR (Lausanne, Switzerland) and NASA-Ames (Moffett Field, California) to control a variety of industrial and research manipulators as well as to study new designs.* On a Silicon Graphics High Impact 250MHz R4400 processor.The graphics of all robots were simplified to obtain a 60Hz frame rate with the inverse kinematic algorithm disabled.(Frame rates are discrete).** For a RAFF trained user.Including the search of Kleinfinger parameters and common mistakes.Without the time to draft the CAD files.