Employing smartphones and Augmented Reality (AR), KUKA has launched its new KUKA.MixedReality software that allows users to visualize the environment of robot cells live on their smartphones to support robot startups. The mobile app displays tools and interference geometries for early detection of potential hazards that can then be eliminated before a robot even starts to work, the company says.
AR enables such robot startup assistance capability, connecting the real and virtual worlds of robotic cells with digital information. By detecting and correcting errors, facilities accelerate installation and boost safety, the company says.
For example, the software will simulate robot motion along with a virtual gripper and detect any potential collisions that arise in the AR environment. These are then resolved at an early stage in the real environment so that neither the robot nor the gripper is damaged.
"Augmented or mixed reality is a future-oriented topic that also offers promising opportunities in robotics,” says Roland Ritter, portfolio manager simulation at KUKA. “KUKA.MixedReality makes robot installation more user friendly and safe. This benefits customers at all levels of experience in the field of automation.”
The KUKA.MixedReality Assistant app graphically displays all relevant variables directly for the robot in real time, including Cartesian or violated monitoring spaces, safety-oriented tools and tool spheres, the company says. Users can also view the corresponding configuration parameters of the spaces or tools.
Connect With Us
