Ergonomic and Efficient Software Alternatives
for High Cost Manipulators - Direct, Wireless
and Networked Control Techniques
December 2001
by: Tarek Sobh, Raul Mihali
High Cost Manipulators

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deciding-on and purchasing the right
manipulator(s) for a predetermined task
(budget, purchasing time)
educational institutions (diversity of
software / hardware controlling
techniques; possibility of becoming
victims of abusive usage)
Ergonomic and Efficient Software Alternative






software simulation and control package
standalone simulator
networked simulator
“virtual” manipulator
remote automation / distance learning
cell phone based control
The Manipulator Used in the Implementation
Mitsubishi, RV-M1
(Movemaster EX)

general purpose
commercial arm


5 DOF
The Simulator: Design Consideration
...simple interface, user friendly front end
The Simulator: Kinematics
IK/DK control, workspace-safe, real-time, CAD/robot
The Simulator: Trajectory Control
real-time trajectory modeling and testing, CAD/robot
The Simulator: Robot Connectivity Control
IK tolerance, home positioning, gripper force, defaults
The Simulator: Networking Model
client simulator
client/server simulator
client/server simulator
server/robot simulator

direct serial link connectivity
actual robot
pipelined TCP/IP connectivity, allowing for effective
distance learning methods and flexible remote automation
and control

The Simulator: Networking Model Scenario
controlling the robot through 2 pipelined simulators
The Simulator: Cell Phone Server Mode
in cell phone server mode, the simulator allows
direct control over the manipulator or a pipeline of
simulators, through a web enabled cell phone