A graphics simulator for a robotic arm

A graphics robot simulator designed for an IBM PC/XT/AT or PS/2 personal computer is presented. The simulator is a terminate-and-stay resident (TSR) program that runs in the background and intercepts commands that would normally go to the robot controller through the COM1 serial communication device. With the use of the simulator, students can develop and test robot control programs offline without a physical robot present, using the language of their choice. The status of the simulated robot is available through a 3-D graphics display and a one-line text window, each of which can be activated from the keyboard or from within a user program. Data files are used to specify the robot to be simulated and the environment or workcell within which it is to operate. Currently supported robots include the Rhino XR-3 educational robot and the Adept One and Inteledex 660 industrial robots. The workcell features an overhead camera and objects that can be sensed by the camera and manipulated by the robot.