A force control assisted robot path generation system

This paper presents a force control assisted path generation system that can significantly reduce the time, effort and expertise requirements for programming complex paths in a typical industrial environment. The basic idea is to let the user first teach a few approximate positions along the desired path using a force control lead through method, and then the robot executes a force feedback contour following task with the guidance of the approximate points. The actual tool path is recorded during the contour tracking process. Post processing algorithms are applied to make additional adjustments to the recorded path if needed. Tests using real life applications have demonstrated the robustness and effectiveness of the presented system in industrial settings.