Kawasaki Example Program¶

This section introduces the example program provided with Mech-Center and the operations required to perform an actual pick-and-place task.

The example program mm_sample.as can be found in Mech-Center/mech_interface/kawasaki. It contains two parts: vision_sample_1 obtains vision results from Mech-Vision; vision_sample_2 obtains planned path from Mech-Viz.

Check the section corresponding to your own application setup:

Obtain Vision Results from Mech-Vision
Obtain Planned Path from Mech-Viz

Before running the program, please make sure that:

You have loaded the Standard Interface program onto the robot and can establish communcation with Mech-Center.
You have completed the extrinsic parameter calibration with the calibration program or by manually adding calibration points.
Mech-Vision and Mech-Viz projects are created and set to autoload.
The Project list in Mech-Center ‣ Deployment Settings ‣ Mech-Vision is synced by clicking on , and the order of Mech-Vision projects have been adjusted according to actual needs.
The TCP has been correctly specified.
The robot speed is set to a low value, so that the operator can notice any unexpected behavior before accidents occur.

Obtain Vision Results from Mech-Vision¶

.PROGRAM vision_sample_1()
;**********************************************************
;* FUNCTION:simple pick and place with Mech-Vision
;* mechmind, 2022-5-1
;**********************************************************
  accuracy 1 always
  speed 30 always
  TOOL gripper ;set TCP
  Home ;move robot home position
  lmove camera_capture ;move to camera capture position
  break
  pos_num = 0
  ;Set ip address of IPC
  call mm_init_skt(127,0,0,1,50000,60)
  twait 0.1
  ;Set vision recipe
  ;call mm_switch_model(1,1)
  ;Run vision project
  call mm_start_vis(1,1,2)
  twait 1
  call mm_get_visdata(1,pos_num,ret2)
  if ret2 <> 1100
      halt
  end
  call mm_get_pose(1,&pick[1],label[l],speed[1])
  LAPPRO pick[1],100
  LMOVE pick[1]
  break
  ;Add object grasping logic here.
  ldepart 100
  lmove waypoint[1]
  lappro drop[1],100
  lmove drop[1]
  ;Add object releasing logic here.
  ldepart 100
  HOME
.END

Program Logic¶

Move the robot to HOME position.
Move the robot to the image capturing pose.
Initialize communication with mm_init_skit.
If parameter recipes are used in the Mech-Vision project, the recipe to be used is set with mm_switch_model.
Run the Mech-Vision project with mm_start_vis.
Wait for 1 second. Under Eye-In-Hand, this TWAIT instruction is required to make sure the robot stays still until image acquisition is completed. Under Eye-To-Hand, this TWAIT instruction can be replaced with LMOVE or JMOVE.
Obtain the vision results from Mech-Vision.
Check if the returned status code indicates any error. If an error code is returned, the program is halted.
Move the robot to the picking pose and perform picking.
Move the robot to a waypoint between the picking pose and placing pose.
Move the robot to the set placing pose and perform placing.
Return the robot to HOME position.

The following parts should be modified according to your actual needs.

Define the TCP¶

Change the value of gripper in line 8 to the actual TCP values.

Teach the Image Capturing Pose¶

Record the image capturing pose in camera_capture in line 10.

Teach the Waypoint(s)¶

Waypoints are intermediate poses between the picking pose and placing pose. They are used to ensure that the robot doesn’t collide with the surrounding when moving between the picking and placing poses.

You can add one or more waypoints to waypoint[] in line 31.

Teach the Placing Pose¶

Record the placing pose in drop[1] in line 33.

Define Z-Offset from Picking/Placing Pose¶

Z-offset distances relative to the tool frame from the picking/placing pose are used to ensure collision doesn’t occur when the robot is approching or departing the picking/placing pose.

Adjust the following commands according to your actual needs.

LAPPRO pick[1],100 in line 26: the Z-offset when approching the picking pose is set to 100. Robot will move to 100 mm above the picking pose.
ldepart 100 in line 30: the Z-offset when departing the picking pose is set to 100. Robot will move to 100 mm above the picking pose.
lappro drop[1],100 in line 32: the Z-offset when approching placing pose is set to 100. Robot will move to 100 mm above the placing pose.
ldepart 100 in line 35: the Z-offset when departing the placing pose is set to 100. Robot will move to 100 mm above the placing pose.

Add Object Grasping and Releasing Logics¶

Add logic for controlling the tool action when picking the object to line 29.

Add logic for controlling the tool action when placing the object to line 34.

Define HOME position¶

The HOME position need to be set on the teach pendant in Aux. ‣ 4. Basic setting ‣ 2. Home Position beforehand.

Obtain Planned Path from Mech-Viz¶

.PROGRAM vision_sample_2()
;**********************************************************
;* FUNCTION:simple pick and place with Mech-Viz
;* mechmind, 2022-5-1
;**********************************************************
  accuracy 1 always
  speed 30 always
  TOOL gripper ;set TCP
  Home ;move robot home position
  LMOVE camera_capture ;move to camera_capture position
  break
  pos_num = 0
  ;Set ip address of IPC
  call mm_init_skt(127,0,0,1,50000,60)
  twait 0.1
  ;Set vision recipe
  ;call mm_switch_model(1,1)
  ;Run Viz project
  call mm_start_viz(1)
  twait 0.1
  ;set branch exitport
  ;call mm_set_branch(1,1)
  ;get planned path
  call mm_get_vizdata(2,pos_num,vispos_num,ret1)
  if ret1 <> 2100
      halt
  end
  for count=1 to pos_num
    call mm_get_pose(count,&movepoint[count],label[count],speed[count])
  end
  ;follow the planned path to pick
  for count =1 to pos_num
    speed speed[count]
    LMOVE movepoint[count]
    if count == vispos_num then
        ;add object grasping logic here
    end
  end
  ;go to drop location
  ldepart 100
  lmove waypoint[1]
  lappro drop[1],100
  lmove drop[1] ;drop point
  ;add object releasing logic here
  ldepart 100
  HOME
.END