VTT develops new control system to shorten industrial robot programming time

The rapid control system developed by the Finnish National Technical Research Center (VTT) can greatly reduce the programming and design time of industrial robots and promote the use of automation in short-term production runs of individual products. With this new technology, the robot can be programmed in as little as a few minutes, compared with an hour or more using traditional programming methods. Tapio Heikkil, Chief Scientist at VTT, said: 'This new solution greatly increases the efficiency of production operations and opens up new opportunities for the use of robots.' The unique new control system includes two force/torque sensors use, while traditional robotic systems have only one or none of them. The purpose of the force/torque sensor is to identify the pressure on the tool. In VTT's scheme, the sensor can be connected to a wireless joystick, so that the robot can work through a step-by-step operation. The joystick and control system that operates in real time allows a human controller to work at the same work site as the robot and to manipulate the movement of the robot by directly using a joystick attached to the robot. Human-machine interaction becomes easier when human workers control robots over short distances. 'This interactive solution makes it possible to use the human observation ability to carry out the required tasks,' says Tapio Heikkil. With this interactive system, the robot can be guided for new tasks and continuous paths much faster than before. This is especially useful in the production of test pieces and individual products, since bulky objects or even entire assembly processes can be moved in a flexible manner. In traditional solutions, the robot's working path is intelligently programmed a little at a time, and the robot then repeats the predetermined task invariably. Reprogramming or small changes such as object positions can cause errors immediately.