Robot software

Key takeaways

Robot software belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Robot software to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Robot software from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Robot software is the set of coded commands or instructions that tell a mechanical device and electronic system, known together as a robot, what tasks to perform. Robot software is used to perform autonomous tasks. Many software systems and frameworks have been proposed to make programming robots easier. Some robot software aims at developing intelligent mechanical devices. Common tasks include feedback loops, control, pathfinding, data filtering, locating and sharing data.

Introduction Robot software is a unique form of software that can be implemented in diverse ways. Each manufacturer uses their own proprietary software versions. While most software manipulates data causing on-screen results, robot software manipulates objects or tools in the real world.

Industrial robot software Software for industrial robots consists of data objects and lists of instructions, known as program flow (list of instructions). For example,

Go to Jig1

It is an instruction to the robot to go to positional data named Jig1. Of course, programs can also contain implicit data for example

Tell axis 1 move 30 degrees.

Data and program usually reside in separate sections of the robot controller memory. One can change the data without changing the program and vice versa. For example, one can write a different program using the same Jig1 or one can adjust the position of Jig1 without changing the programs that use it.

Examples of programming languages for industrial robots Due to the highly proprietary nature of robot software, most manufacturers of robot hardware also provide their own software. While this is not unusual in other automated control systems, the lack of standardization of programming methods for robots does pose certain challenges. For example, there are over 30 different manufacturers of industrial robots, so there are also 30 different robot programming languages required. There are enough similarities between the different robots that it is possible to gain a broad-based understanding of robot programming without having to learn each manufacturer's proprietary language. One method of controlling robots from multiple manufacturers is to use a Post processor and Off-line programming (robotics) software. With this method, it is possible to handle brand-specific robot programming language from a universal programming language, such as Python (programming language). however, compiling and uploading fixed off-line code to a robot controller doesn't allow the robotic system to be state aware, so it cannot adapt its motion and recover as the environment changes. Unified real-time adaptive control for any robot is currently possible with a few different third-party tools. Some examples of published robot programming languages are shown below. Task in plain English:

Move to P1 (a general safe position) Move to P2 (an approach to P3) Move to P3 (a position to pick the object) Close gripper Move to P4 (an approach to P5) Move to P5 (a position to place the object) Open gripper Move to P1 and finish

VAL was one of the first robot ‘languages’ and was used in Unimate robots. Variants of VAL have been used by other manufacturers including Adept Technology. Stäubli currently use VAL3. Example program:

PROGRAM PICKPLACE 1. MOVE P1 2. MOVE P2 3. MOVE P3 4. CLOSEI 0.00 5. MOVE P4 6. MOVE P5 7. OPENI 0.00 8. MOVE P1 .END

Example of Stäubli VAL3 program:

begin movej(p1,tGripper,mNomSpeed) movej(appro(p3,trAppro),tGripper,mNomSpeed) movel(p3,tGripper,mNomSpeed) close(tGripper) movej(appro(p5,trAppro),tGripper,mNomSpeed) movel(p5,tGripper,mNomSpeed) open(tGripper) movej(p1,tGripper,mNomSpeed) end

trAppro is cartesian transformation variable. If we use in with appro command, we do not need to teach P2 land P4 point, but we dynamically transform an approach to position of pick and place for trajectory generation. Epson RC+ (example for a vacuum pickup)

Function PickPlace Jump P1 Jump P2 Jump P3 On vacuum Wait .1 Jump P4 Jump P5 Off vacuum Wait .1 Jump P1 Fend

ROBOFORTH (a language based on FORTH).

(With Roboforth you can specify approach positions for places so you do not need P2 and P4.) Clearly, the robot should not continue the next move until the gripper is completely closed. Confirmation or allowed time is implicit in the above examples of CLOSEI and GRIP whereas the On vacuum command requires a time delay to ensure satisfactory suction.

Other robot programming languages

Visual programming language The LEGO Mindstorms EV3 programming language is a simple language for its users to interact with. It is a graphical user interface (GUI) written with LabVIEW. The approach is to start with the program rather than the data. The program is constructed by dragging icons into the program area and adding or inserting into the sequence. For each icon, you then specify the parameters (data). For example, for the motor drive icon you specify which motors and by how much they move. When the program is written it is downloaded into the Lego NXT 'brick' (microcontroller) for test.

Scripting languages A scripting language is a high-level programming language that is used to control the software application, and is interpreted in real-time, or "translated on the fly", instead of being compiled in advance. A scripting language may be a general-purpose programming language or it may be limited to specific functions used to augment the running of an application or system program. Some scripting languages, such as RoboLogix, have data objects residing in registers, and the program flow represents the list of instructions, or instruction set, that is used to program the robot.

Programming languages are generally designed for building data structures and algorithms from scratch, while scripting languages are intended more for connecting, or “gluing”, components and instructions together. Consequently, the scripting language instruction set is usually a streamlined list of program commands that are used to simplify the programming process and provide rapid application development.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Robot software

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Robot software claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Robot software before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Robot software ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Robot software

In research: Robot software appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Robot software in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Robot software is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Robotics software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Robot software outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Robot software in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Robot software means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Robot software out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Robot software in simple terms?

Robot software is the set of coded commands or instructions that tell a mechanical device and electronic system, known together as a robot, what tasks to perform. Robot software is used to perform autonomous tasks.

Why does Robot software matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Robot software?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Robot software.