Visual interface for hybrid programming of the industrial robot

Most of the modern robots could be programmed using only the operator’s panel, but the older machines often have very simple panels that do not cover advanced programming features. An example of such a robot is Mitsubishi Movemaster RV-M1, which is located in our laboratory. It is a small, five-axis robot which can be programmed only by using computer, while the panel is used only for storing current coordinates in memory. Due to the simplicity of programming language and very simple method of assembling the connection between the computer and the robot, the programming process does not require any dedicated communication software – it is enough to have the editor operating in text mode. On the other hand, modern computers and operating systems provide big opportunity in term of building graphical interfaces. In this way the rough manner of programming could be replaced with a modern interface, which mimics the real panel. The one has been implemented for RV-M1 robot with a possibility of using the interface on mobile devices. The software could be also customized for other robots without the need of sources recompilation. An important advantage of the interface is the considerable reduction of the programming effort in comparison with the method of text editing, mainly due to the ability to use code snippets with one click.