AN OFF-LINE ROBOT PROGRAMMING SYSTEM INCLUDING WORKCELL AND ROBOT CALIBRATION

摘要

Abstract. Off-line programming provides an essential link for CAD/CAM. The implementation of off-line programming encounters problems in: a) generalized programming systems that are independent of both robots and robot applications, b) incompatibility between robots and programming systems, c) accounting for errors and inaccuracies that exist in the real world. Errors can be reduced substantially by using proper robot calibration. Robot Calibration is a term applied to the procedures used in determining actual values that describe the geometric dimensions and mechanical characteristics of a robot or multi-body structure. A robot calibration system must consist of appropriate robot modeling techniques, accurate measurement equipment, and reliable model parameter determination methods. For practical improvement of a robot’s absolute accuracy, error compensation methods are required that use calibration results. The objective of this article is to discuss a method to construct kinematic models for robot calibration assuring model continuity and to present a computer program to carry out this task automatically before the identification step as part of an off-line programming system. It is also discussed the inclusion of robot calibration results in the off-programming system aiming at improving the robot global accuracy through re-calculation of spatial world coordinates.