robotocar - user manual

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RoboTocarUser Manual

Mathijs de Meijer ( [email protected] )Eric Feliksik ( [email protected] )

Created on: July 15, 2007

Last Changed: July 19, 2007

Revision: 66

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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Table of Contents0. Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 31. Installation and startup..................................................................................................................... 32. Main window....................................................................................................................................4

2.1 The Quit Button......................................................................................................................... 5

2.2 The enable/disable robot-arm button......................................................................................... 52.3 The enable/disable simulation button........................................................................................ 52.4 The enable/disable security button............................................................................................ 52.5 The Kinematics button...............................................................................................................62.6 The Settings button.................................................................................................................... 62.7 The Help button......................................................................................................................... 62.8 The Load button.........................................................................................................................62.9 The Save button......................................................................................................................... 62.10 The New Destination Command Button..................................................................................62.11 The New Configuration Command Button..............................................................................72.12 The New Gripper Command Button........................................................................................7

2.13 The New RoboTalk Command Button.................................................................................... 72.14 The Execute All Button........................................................................................................... 72.15 The Stop Button.......................................................................................................................72.16 The Reset Button..................................................................................................................... 72.17 The move up Button................................................................................................................ 72.18 The move up Button................................................................................................................ 82.19 The Remove All Button...........................................................................................................82.20 The log panel........................................................................................................................... 82.21 Destination Command............................................................................................................. 8

2.21.1 Errors and warning messages...........................................................................................82.22 Configuration Command......................................................................................................... 9

2.22.1 Errors and warning messages.........................................................................................102.23 Gripper Command................................................................................................................. 112.24 RoboTalk Command..............................................................................................................11

2.24.1 Errors and warning messages.........................................................................................112.25 Feasibility indicator............................................................................................................... 112.26 Security indicator...................................................................................................................112.27 The Execute Button............................................................................................................... 122.28 The remove command Button................................................................................................12

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0. IntroductionThis document describes the features and use of the RoboTocar Graphical User Interface (GUI) thatutilizes the Robot Control Library (RCL) to control the Mitsubishi RM-501 robot-arm and testcustom direct and inverse kinematics algorithms.

The RoboTocar program as well as the RM501 Robot Control Library (RCL) were written in 2007 by Mathijs de Meijer and Eric Feliksik, as a final project for their Bachelor of Science education atthe Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

There is a separate document for programmers that want to use the RCL. If you are a programmer and you consider modifying the source code of the RCL, feel free to send us e-mail.

We hope that the RoboTocar program and the Robot Control Library will be useful for the UMSS,and that it offers the flexibility needed to be used for a variety of educational programs. We arethankful to the UMSS and especially to Seor A. Arispe for giving us the opportunity to fulfill our

project in Cochabamba and to get to know Bolivia.

Chapter 1 explains the functions of the buttons in the main window. Chapter 2 explains the differentcommands that can be used to control the robot-arm and the error messages that can be displayed onthem. Chapter 3 explains the settings panel. Chapter 4 explains the use of the kinematics windowand chapter 5 explains the global errors that can occur while using RoboTocar.

1. Installation and startup1. Install the Java Runtime Environment 1.6 (see java.sun.com)

2. Copy the file rxtxSerial.dll to the /jre/bin directory of your JRE installation

3. Double-click roboTocar.jar or run run-robotocar.bat

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2. Main windowWhen RoboTocar is started the main window is opened, the RCL is initialized, the RCL is asked if the robot-arm, simulation and security are on and RoboTocar is ready to use.

The following image displays the main window with a destination, configuration, gripper and

robotalk command added. All relevant items are numbered and are their function is explained below.

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Illustration 1: The RoboTocar main window


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2.1 The Quit ButtonThis button exits RoboTocar.

2.2 The enable/disable robot-arm buttonThis button is used to enable or disable the robot-arm.

When the robot-arm is in the enabled state a green 'check' icon is displayed and all commands thatare executed are also executed on the robot-arm.

When the robot-arm is in the disabled state a red ' forbidden' icon is displayed and all commandsthat are executed are not executed on the robot-arm.

2.3 The enable/disable simulation buttonThis button is used to enable or disable the simulation.

When the simulation is in the enabled state a green 'check' icon is displayed and all commands thatare executed are also executed on the simulation.

When the simulation is in the disabled state a red ' forbidden' icon is displayed and all commandsthat are executed are not executed on the simulation.

2.4 The enable/disable security buttonThis button is used to enable or disable the security.

When the security is in the enabled state a green 'check' icon is displayed and all commands thatare found to be insecure are marked accordingly and are prevented from executing.

When the security is in the disabled state a red ' forbidden' icon is displayed and all commands thatare found to be insecure are marked accordingly but can be executed.

Warning: commands that are not secure may damage the robot-arm when executed!

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2.5 The Kinematics buttonThis button is used to show or hide the kinematics panel.

Custom kinematics algorithms written in Java can be loaded with this panel. Furthermore they can be enabled and disabled through the use of the button on the left.

For details on how to write a custom kinematics algorithm, see the RCL Programmers Manual.

2.6 The Settings buttonThis button is used to show or hide the settings panel.

2.7 The Help buttonThis button is used to open the help file.

2.8 The Load buttonThis button is used to load a list of commands from a file. Only files ending on .rm501 can beloaded.

Warning: when loading a command list, changes to the current command list will not besaved!

2.9 The Save buttonThis button is used to save the current command list to a file. A command list can only be savedwhen all commands are formatted correctly and within constraints.

2.10 The New Destination Command ButtonThis button is used to add a new destination command to the command list. Destination commandsare used to move the robot-arm to a position in 3d Cartesian space.

New commands van only be added when the application isn't executing another command.

See 2.21 for details about the destination command panel.

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Illustration 2: Use custom kinematics module screenshot


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2.11 The New Configuration Command ButtonThis button is used to add a new configuration command to the command list. Configurationcommands are used to change the angles of all robot-arm joints.


See 2.22 for details about the configuration command panel.

2.12 The New Gripper Command ButtonThis button is used to add a new gripper command to the command list. Gripper commands areused to open or close the gripper.


See 2.23 for details about the gripper command panel.

2.13 The New RoboTalk Command ButtonThis button is used to add a new robotalk command to the command list. Robotalk commands areused to send raw RM501 drive unit commands directly to the drive unit.


See 2.24

Warning: robotalk commands are never checked for security and thus may be dangerous toexecute. Also, certain commands can interfere with the functioning of the RCL andRoboTocar, use with care.

2.14 The Execute All ButtonThe execute all button is used to execute all commands in the command list in sequential order,starting at the first state in the list. The execution of all commands is only possible when all stateshave been found well formated, within constraints and feasible. If security is enabled you will beunable to execute all commands if one or more commands are insecure.

2.15 The Stop ButtonThe stop button is used to halt execution. Due to the functioning of the RM501's drive unitexecution will only stop after the command that is currently executing has finished.

2.16 The Reset ButtonThe reset button is used to reset the robot and send it to it's home position. It can be used to recover the robot from the error state (when the error LED on the drive unit is on). In effect this buttonsends RS and then NT to the robot-arm.

See the RM501 user manual from Mitsubishi for specifications of the RS and NT commands.

2.17 The move up ButtonThe move up button is used to move the selected state (colored light blue) on place up in thecommand list. When a state is moved up the state, the state below that and the state two places

below it are tested for path security again.

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2.18 The move up ButtonThe move down button is used to move the selected state (colored light blue) on place down in thecommand list. When a state is moved down the state, the state above it that and the state below itare tested for path security again.

2.19 The Remove All ButtonThe remove all button is used to clear the command list.

2.20 The log panel The log panel is used to output information about the status of RoboTocar, the RCL and the robot-arm.

2.21 Destination Command

2.21.1 Errors and warning messagesMoving to this position would harm the robot.

This message means that the the command is insecure; the position specified is either to close to the robot-arm center or would move the gripper through the table plane.

To execute this command anyway you can turn of the security.

... is malformed.This message means one of the input values is malformed. Only valid real numbers are accepted.

"Pitch not within constraints."This means that the value entered in the pitch field is either lower than the minimum or higher than the maximum

possible pitch angle.

"Roll not within constraints.This error means that the value entered in the roll field either lower than the minimum or higher than the maximum

possible pitch angle.

The robot-arm cannot reach this position: ...This means that the entered position is either to far away, or the maximum and minimum possible joint anlges of therobot-arm make it impossible to reach this position.

The movement between the preceding position in the list and this position would harm the robot-arm: ...This message means that the movement between this position and the position preceding it in the command list would

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Illustration 3: Destination command screenshot


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harm the robot. Either the gripper would move through the table, or would collide with the robot-arm itself.To execute this command anyway, disable the security.

The movement between the current position of the robot-arm and this position would harm the robot-arm: ...This message means that moving to this position immediately (without moving to another position first) would makeeither the gripper move through the table plane or would make the gripper collide with the robot-arm.To execute this command anyway, disable the security.

2.22 Configuration Command

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Illustration 4: Configuration panel screenshot


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2.24.1 Errors and warning messagesInput field is empty

This message means that the input field is empty and thus nothing can be send to the robot-arm.

2.25 Feasibility indicator This indicator shows if the command is

feasibleinfeasiblenot checked

When a command is infeasible it means that the robot-arm cannot reach the given position becauseit is either to far away or it is limited by the maximum and minimum angels of the joints.

2.26 Security indicator This indicator shows if the command is

secureinsecurenot checked .

When a command is insecure it means either that this position would move the robot-arm throughthe table or make it collide with itself.

2.27 The Execute ButtonThis button executes the command. A command can only be executed if the input values are wellformatted, the input values are within constraints and the state is feasible and either it is secure or itis insecure and the security is turned of.

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Illustration 6: RoboTalk panel screenshot


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2.28 The remove command ButtonThis removes the command from the command list. After a command is removed the state directly

below it is checked for security again.

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