Optimizing the Robot Arm Movement Time Using Virtual Reality Robotic Teaching System

Robots play an important role in performing operations such as welding, drilling and screwing parts in manufacturing. Optimizing the robot arm movement time between different points is an important task which will minimize the make-span and maximize the production rate. But robot programming is a complex task whereby the user needs to teach and control the robot in order to perform a desired action. In order to address the above problem, an integrated 3-dimensional (3D) simulation software and virtual reality (VR) system is developed to simplify and speed up tasks and therefore enhance the quality of manufacturing processes. This system has the capability to communicate, transfer, optimize and test the data obtained from the VR and 3D environment to the real robot in a fast and efficient manner. In addition, this system eliminates the need for robot programming, and thus it is easily implemented by users with limited engineering knowledge. The optimization model is tested on a test case, in which the data are extracted from the VR system. The results show an increase in production rate and a decrease in cycle time when the make-span is minimized. The virtual reality robotic teaching system (VRRTS) offers several benefits to users, and will therefore surpass complex and time-intensive conventional robot programming methods. (Received in November 2013, accepted in June 2014. This paper was with the authors 1 month for 1 revision.)