Integrating collaborative UR5 robot and MATLAB graphical user interface environment for real-time trajectory planning

Abstract

This study seeks to keep moving forward technologies that improve collaboration and safety between industrial robots and human operator. When working in a collaborative environment, robots need to adapt their path to avoid collision and maintain safe operation. However, changing trajectory in real-time comes with a high level of mathematical computations. However, most industrial robots are equipped with controlling unit and software that can only compute simple mathematical operations to execute pre-selected trajectories in static environments. In order to operate in a dynamic environment, a higher-level mathematical operations and real-time trajectory planning system are required. MATLAB has been widely used in the research community due to its ability to handle high-level of mathematical computations. Therefore, establishing a communication with MATLAB and a Universal Robot 5 (UR5) can close the gap between application and computations. In this study, a MATLAB Graphical User Interface (GUI) has been designed, capable of modeling any type of articulated industrial robot, given the proper geometry parameters. Preliminary work has been carried to evaluate the simulation of robot motion by recreating joint values from actual robot position. Other type of calculations can be included in order to satisfy industrial applications. Previous work has already accomplished offline integration of data provided by a laser scanner and the UR5, in order to perform a 3D recreation of an object as a mean for quality control.