Page 238 - Designing Autonomous Mobile Robots : Inside the Mindo f an Intellegent Machine

Programming Robots to Be Useful

In Cybermotion’s PathCAD programming environment, one of the many objects
that can be placed on the map is the location of radio equipment and interface
hardware. Dropping a radio symbol onto a map automatically shows the estimated
coverage areas. Moreover, there is a maintenance advantage to such data. Since
radios and interface equipment are often placed in equipment closets and in over-
head ceiling spaces, it can become an expensive Easter-egg hunt to try to find them
for maintenance. This kind of utility is only possible when using proper building
drawings.

As another example of data-management issues, destinations must be named in
logical ways for future reference. For a walk-behind programmer to logically assign
these names would require significant graphical interface with map-viewing software.

Coordination issues

Finally, there are issues of coordination. If robots become smart and dexterous
enough to open doors, punch in access codes, and operate elevators, then some of
the issues of coordination may be relieved, but others will always remain.

Today, most industrial customers will not accept stand-alone systems of any sort.
Some of the first questions asked during the sales cycle will usually involve integra-
tion methods. For example, a factory material-handling robot must be capable of
interfacing with pick up and drop-off points. If it depends on people at each end, it
will suffer significantly in efficiency. A security robot must be capable of responding
to fixed alarm systems, and disabling these alarms to avoid false alarms when it
moves into their protected zones.
Specifying these interfaces during walk-behind teaching is very problematic. For all
of these reasons, the only significant justification for this type of teaching involves
road following vehicles where the programmer can drive the vehicle during the
teaching process. The focus here will be on off-line programming methods.

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