Online and offline robot programming via augmented reality workspaces

Current robot programming methods for industrial robots are time consuming and often require operators to have a certain degree of knowledge in robotics and programming. To reduce costs associated with reprogramming, various interfaces using Augmented Reality (AR) have recently been proposed to provide users with more intuitive means of controlling robots in real-time and programming them without having to write any code. However, most solutions require the operator to be close to the real robot's workspace which would imply either removing it from the production line or shutting down the whole production line due to safety hazards.

In this paper, we propose a novel augmented reality interface providing the users with the ability to model a virtual representation of a workspace which can be saved and reused to program new tasks or adapt old ones without having to be co-located with the real robot. Similar to previous interfaces, the operators then have the ability to program robot tasks or control the robot in real-time by manipulating a virtual robot.

We evaluate the intuitiveness and usability of the proposed interface with a user study where participants (N=18) programmed a robot manipulator for a disassembly task.