Software Interface for Authoring Robotic Manufacturing Process

Abstract

Example systems and methods allow for use of a graphical interface to cause one or more robotic devices to construct an output product. One example method includes causing a graphical interface to be displayed on a display device, receiving input data corresponding to one or more interactions with the graphical interface indicating at least one motion path and at least one sequence of tool actions to execute at one or more points within the at least one motion path for use in construction of an output product, generating a plurality of digital nodes including at least one robot node, at least one motion command node, and at least one tool command node, and providing instructions for the at least one robot actor to move according to the sequence of robot motion commands determined by the at least one motion command node and execute the sequence of tool commands determined by the at least one tool command node to construct the output product.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving first data representing a three-dimensional (3D) volume of a physical workcell that comprises one or more robot actors;   defining a variable safe zone, wherein the variable safe zone represents a particular volume within the 3D volume of the physical workcell, and wherein the particular volume is variable dependent on a state of the physical workcell; and   performing a safety check to determine, as the one or more robot actors move through a sequence of pre-programmed steps within the physical workcell, whether any robot actor exits the variable safe zone.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising receiving a 3D model that represents a 3D volume of a portion of the physical workcell that will be occupied through motion of the one or more robot actors as the one or more robot actors move through the sequence of pre-programmed steps. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein receiving the first data representing the 3D volume of the physical workcell comprises receiving image data representing the physical workcell. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein defining the variable safe zone comprises:
 receiving, as user entry, second data representing a fixed volume within the 3D volume of the physical workcell.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein defining the variable safe zone comprises:
 defining the variable safe zone based on a detected motion, jerk, velocity, or acceleration of an object in the variable safe zone.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein defining the variable safe zone comprises:
 defining, as the variable safe zone, a larger volume when the one or more robot actors are moving at a higher velocity.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein defining the variable safe zone comprises:
 receiving location data generated by a transponder device; and   updating the variable safe zone based on the location data.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the transponder device is attached to a robot actor, and wherein the variable safe zone is defined by a distance from the transponder device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the variable safe zone is defined prior to the execution of the sequence of pre-programmed steps by the one or more robot actors. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising visualizing the execution of the sequence of pre-programmed steps in software as if it were to actually occur within the physical world. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein visualizing the execution of the sequence of pre-programmed steps in software further comprises:
 providing a graphical representation of a potential conflict if it has been determined that a robot actor is going to collide with the variable safe zone.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising designating an additional volume that is within the physical workcell and outside of the variable safe zone as an unsafe zone. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising, after performing the safety check, transmitting commands to the one or more robot actors to execute the sequence of pre-programmed steps within the physical workcell. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the particular volume represented by the variable safe zone is a volume within which the one or more robot actors can move without colliding with one another or any unexpected objects while executing the sequence of pre-programmed steps. 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 one or more computers; and   a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more computers having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:   receiving first data representing a three-dimensional (3D) volume of a physical workcell that comprises one or more robot actors;   defining a variable safe zone, wherein the variable safe zone represents a particular volume within the 3D volume of the physical workcell, and wherein the particular volume is variable dependent on a state of the physical workcell; and   performing a safety check to determine, as the one or more robot actors move through a sequence of pre-programmed steps within the physical workcell, whether any robot actor exits the variable safe zone.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a 3D model that represents a 3D volume of a portion of the physical workcell that will be occupied through motion of the one or more robot actors as the one or more robot actors move through the sequence of pre-programmed steps. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein receiving the first data representing the 3D volume of the physical workcell comprises receiving image data representing the physical workcell. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein defining the variable safe zone comprises one or more of:
 receiving, as user entry, second data representing a fixed volume within the 3D volume of the physical workcell;   defining the variable safe zone based on a detected motion, jerk, velocity, or acceleration of an object in the variable safe zone; or   receiving location data generated by a transponder device and updating the variable safe zone based on the location data.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the transponder device is attached to a robot actor, and wherein the variable safe zone is defined by a distance from the transponder device. 
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving first data representing a three-dimensional (3D) volume of a physical workcell that comprises one or more robot actors;   defining a variable safe zone, wherein the variable safe zone represents a particular volume within the 3D volume of the physical workcell, and wherein the particular volume is variable dependent on a state of the physical workcell; and   performing a safety check to determine, as the one or more robot actors move through a sequence of pre-programmed steps within the physical workcell, whether any robot actor exits the variable safe zone.