New strategies of virtuality in programming of production technology.

Bozek, Pavol ; Mihok, Jozef ; Barborak, Oto 等

1. INTRODUCTION

Virtual industrial robot is for its simplicity of the operation and simplicity of user access to functions especially suitable for teaching control and programming robots on various education levels. It is also possible to use it to train and examine industrial robot operators and programmers. The modelling theory is the part of the larger project of a virtual robotized technology workplace in laboratory conditions. Additional automated workplaces dedicated to be the periphery of an industrial robot are be possible to be added to the virtual automated complex simulation (Bozek et al., 2007).

2. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF VIRTUAL ROBOTIZED WORKPLACE

The main aim of automated laboratory modelling is the simulation. It offers a wide range of industrial robots use possibilities, enables to use the whole kinematics which could not be used by a real robot because of the manipulation equipment damage risk (Novotny et al., 2008). The concept of a virtual laboratory automated workplace has the following advantages:

1--the decrease of risk in complicated and dangerous robot manipulations in contrast to the manual control,

2--more transparency in the robot control,

3--the elimination of the need to travel to the place of manipulation equipment and related expenses,

4--the access to the industrial robot control by the students without an access to the control with real equipment,

5--the building of fully functional application that amends manual control in a virtual form,

6--the possibility to make various simplifications in the control,

7--instant availability at any time,

8--the possibility to create components to expand the workplace periferies,

9--the possibility to work anywhere and anytime,

10--generating of various statistic results that can be processed from any time interval of virtual laboratory work,

11--setting of the work more easily in various working modes,

12--possibility of various perifery corrections and manipulations,

13--the exchange of gained knowledge and statistics between workers and the possibility of broader data execution,

14--the creation of own programming interface for more simplification (Strnad, 2007).

Creation of such a programmed automated laboratory control environment meeting all environmental, ergonomic and functional requirements represents another important positive.

3. DESIGN OF ACTIONS TO ACHIEVE PROJECT AIMS

One of additional aims is to create an interface between the virtual simulation application and software interface which can directly control the industrial robot by the means of a hardware interface.

In the first phase the concept of project implementation will be elaborated. Then the whole volume of work what and how to simulate will be defined. In the second phase the robotized workplace will be modeled. In this phase the current state analysis of manipulator modes will be built and new practical functions will be designed to bypass some older non practical robot controls. The final phase will be testing. After testing the virtual application will be used in teaching (Suriansky & Nascak, 2000).

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

The final application in Fig.1 contains the virtual scene with a robot in scale 1:10 and enables the robot control in modes: teaching (TIN), automatic run, step by step, editing. These modes offer full control of robot's whole kinematics.

4. APPLICATION INTERFACE DESIGN

In the design phase it is important to define the interface between the application and rthe user. Additional important condition of clear control is that the user is not biased with a lot of control elements. There should be few control elements and also function should be clear at the first sight. In the application of the virtual automated workplace there will be many control elements but they will be ordered and integrated in the environment so that the usability is clear and meets all the user requirements.

Communication interface: in particular project parts the following standards will be used. VRML 97 for virtual scene definition, COBRA 2.0 for assigning the server vs. client communication, JAVA for the programming of a platform independent application.

It is important to design such model parameters to be possible to expand it by adding parameters.

5. APPLICATION AND INTERFACE

Animation as a significant part of the application illustrates the current state of all units and parts of the robotic workplace. It is impressive not only by the manual control but also by the data processing.

The animation will be carried out by the means of object oriented Microsoft visual C+ with the use of graphic library Open GL, both providing wide possibilities of the use of a large number of orders and functions.

Library Open GL is compatible with Linux operation system and represents a standard in 3D graphics.

Iterface has to be compatible with the data processing generated from the virtual scene, then transformed into the real environment of a robotic workplace.

6. PROPOSAL OF THE BOUNDARY APPLICATION

In the phase of the proposal of the boundary application, it is essential to define the boundary between the application itself and the application user. The ergonomics of the boundary application is an important point, i.e. the simpler the control the better. Another important condition of an application control overview is represented by the smallest possible number of control units for the user.

[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]

In the simulation application in Fig. 2 of the virtual robotic workplace, there will be many control units but they will be arranged and implemented in such a way so that they are user friendly.

6.1 Application Control

It is necessary so that the application control is unified as a whole and that there is one control unit per function (Yakimovich et al., 2007). Individual control units will be called by names or abbreviations and the control will be assisted by a helper.

7. CONCLUSION

By keeping basic standards of information transmission and accepting sufficient transmission speed it is possible the student will train manipulation sequence on a remote workplace. It means finance saving, it is not necessary to build several robotized workplace physical models but only a model in the computer and the connection to software simulators.

On one hand, the various ways of environmental protection influence the economic structure, on the other hand, they are inevitable for future survival of a man. At the same time they are closely related to the environmental impact caused by the technologies in mechanical engineering (Bakos et al., 2005).Therefore, the gradual implementation of new virtual technologies is suitable as soon as in the phase of the production and technological processes begins. Now when the energy sources are limited, the mentioned technologies can win a reasonable share on the market.

The contribution was elaborated within the research project KEG A project No. 3-7285-09 Contents Integration and Design of University Textbook "Specialised Robotic Systems" in Print and Interactive Modules for University of Technology in Zvolen, Trencin University and Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava

The paper is also aimed at contributing to the vision of the Agenda 21 and Lisbon Strategy in the field of industrial pillars of sustainable development strategy at the Slovak University of Technology, Faculty of Materials Science and Technolgy research and pedagogical processes.

8. REFERENCES

Bakos, M. ; Zolotova, I. & Sarnovsky, J. (2005). Remote Labs --Web Based System to Support Education. 6th International Conference on Virtual University, Bratislava, pp. 233-237, ISBN 80-227-2336-3

Bozek, P.; Jahnatek, L. & Sakal, P. (2007). Virtual strategy environment in production systems designing. Nitra, ISBN 978-8069-968-0 pp. 215

Novotny, F. & Horak, M. (2008). Parallel Cooperation of Robots during Handling with Jumbo Glass Sheets. Advanced Material Research Vols. 39-40 Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland, pp. 465-468

Orfali, R. & Harkey, D. (1998) Client/server Programming with Java and Cobra. Whiley Computer Publishing, New York, ISBN 568-8570-658-04

Strnad, O. (2007). ISMS implementation methodology. International Experience Exchange TUV Nord, Essen, 2007, ISBN 80-86229-79-3

Suriansky, J. & Nascak, L. (2000). Measures systems with computer, TU Zvolen, ISBN 80-228-1017-7, pp. 79-80

Yakimovich B.A. ; Korshunov A.I. & Kuznecov A.P. (2007). Theoretical bases of is constructive-technological complexity of products and structures-strategy of industrial systems of mechanical engineering: the monograph.--Izhevsk: ISTU, 280 p