AN "OFF-LINE" PROGRAMMING SYSTEM FOR INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS

The research presented in this paper explores the development of a system for programming robots directly from CAD based geometric models. The system requires the interaction between several different software systems 1) to define paths to be followed, 2) to obtain the inverse kinematics of the robots, and 3) to translate the paths in to a procedural language for programming robots. The concepts were tested using a computer model of a PUMA 560 robot to follow a desired path over a B-spline surface. The Cartesian position, velocities, and accelerations were calculated and analyzed prior to running the control program on the actual robot.