Real-time open-platform-based control of cooperating industrial robotic manipulators

The real-time control of multiple robots requires the design and implementation of innovative techniques to overcome the inherent complexities of a multi-agent closed kinematic system. This paper presents an application of software based control as a means for utilizing novel control algorithms on real-world multiple robotic systems. The configuration and motivation of the robotic system definition, application notes, and results are included. Remote real-time computer control allows software-enabled controllers to handle tasks with far greater computational complexity than through currently available industrial controllers. The methodology is based upon hierarchical interfaces defined by timing and complexity constraints. A supervisory control interface abstracts the control algorithms from the hardware, allowing new tools to be added, removed, or upgraded with minimum system downtime and reconfiguration. In order to demonstrate a real time control task, two industrial 6-axis robots are used to manipulate a common heavy load. The hierarchical control scheme used is devised to manage the interfaces between the manipulators, robot controllers, and a supervisory computer controller. This control system is developed in Mathworks Simulink control environment as a combination of high-level control modules, middleware interface functions, and low-level software drivers.