Automated curvilinear path interpolation for industrial robots

摘要

A method for generating a path to be followed by the end effector of an industrial robot includes defining the location of points on the path, recording the coordinates of the points in cartesian space, determining the slope of the path at each of the taught points with reference to a code that defines the nature of the path in the vicinity of each point, calculating the direction vector representing the slope at each taught point, locating the position and slope of a point midway between successive taught points, connecting the taught points and the midpoints with a circular arc whose slope is equal to the slope at the taught points and midpoints, and generating points between the taught points with reference to the desired velocity of the end effector at each of the generated points on the path to be traversed.