KUKA Automatic Calibration
This topic introduces the process of automatic calibration via Standard Interface communication between the KUKA robot and Mech-Mind Vision System.
Preparation before Calibration
Make preparation before calibration according to the camera mounting method.
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If the camera is mounted in the Eye to Hand method, see Preparation before Calibration in Automatic Calibration in the Eye-to-Hand Setup.
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If the camera is mounted in the Eye in Hand method, see Preparation before Calibration in Automatic Calibration in the Eye-in-Hand Setup.
Pre-calibration Configuration
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Open Mech-Vision, and click the Camera Calibration button in the toolbar. The Configuration before Calibration window will be prompted.
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Confirm that the checks are performed, click I’ve finished all checks, and then click Next.
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In the Select how to calibrate window, select the New calibration radio button, and then click the Next button.
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In the Select calibration task window, select Hand-eye calibration for listed robot from the drop-down list box, click the Select robot model button to select the robot model used by the project, and then click the Next button.
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In the Select camera setup window, select the camera mounting method in this project, and then click the Next button.
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In the Calibration method and robot control window, select Automatic and Standard Interface, and then click the Calibrate button to go to the Calibration window.
Calibration Procedure
Conduct calibration according to the camera mounting method.
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If the camera is mounted in the Eye to Hand method, see Calibration Procedure in Automatic Calibration in the Eye-to-Hand Setup.
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If the camera is mounted in the Eye in Hand method, see Calibration Procedure in Automatic Calibration in the Eye-in-Hand Setup.
Precautions
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When you proceed to the third calibration step (connecting the robot) and you click Start interface service button in the Connect the robot window, the button will change to Waiting for the robot to connect.... If the interface service is already started, you do not need to perform this operation.
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When the button displays Waiting for the robot to connect..., perform the following steps on the robot side. Then, continue the calibration in the software.
1. Select the Calibration Program
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Switch to the Administrator mode following the instruction on switching to the Expert mode.
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On the teach pendant, open the
KRC:\R1\mmfolder, select mm_module.src, and then press Select.
2. Teach Calibration Start Point
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Move the robot to the start point for calibration.
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Select the line containing “PTP P0 Vel=100 % PDAT0 Tool[1]:Tool1 Base[0]” and move the cursor to this line. Select Block selection. When the cursor appears in the front of the line, select Touch-Up.
If the Touch-Up button does not work and an error occurs, try deleting the current motion command and then recreate the motion command. 
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Press Yes in the pop-up window to finish teaching the start point for calibration.
3. Run Calibration Program
Before starting, learn how to switch the running mode following the instruction below:
Turn the key switch to horizontal, select the running mode, for example, T1 or AUT, in the pop-up dialog box on the screen. Then, turn the switch back to vertical.
| T1 stands for the Manual Reduced Velocity mode, and AUT stands for the Automatic mode. |
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Switch to the T1 mode following the instruction above.
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Select R on the teach pendant. Select Reset program in the pop-up menu.
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Select O. Then, select I in the pop-up window to switch the status of Drives to I. Skip this step if the status of Drives is I in the first place.
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Adjust the value of Program override to a proper speed. Watch the robot’s motion when the program is running.
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Switch to the AUT mode following the instruction above.
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Press and hold the green run button on the front of the teach pendant until the arrow moves to the line “PTP P0 Vel=100 % PDAT0 Tool[1]:Tool1 Base[0]”, which stands for the calibration start point. The message “Programmed path reached (BCO)” will prompt on the top of the screen.
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Then, press the run button to continue to execute the program. (The R button turns green when the program is running.)
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When, in the Configuration window in Mech-Vision, the current status changes to connected and the button Waiting for the robot to connect changes to Disconnect robot, click Next. Next, proceed to the fourth step of the calibration process (i.e. setting the movement path).
Change the Extrinsic Parameter File
If the camera’s extrinsic parameter file has been used by a Mech-Vision project, you need to change the extrinsic parameter file used by the Mech-Vision project to a new one after you finish the hand-eye calibration.
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Select the Capture Images from Camera Step.
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In the Step Parameters panel, click
of the Calibration Parameter Group parameter, and select the newly calibrated extrinsic parameter file.
Calibration-Related Status Codes
During automatic calibration via Standard Interface communication, the vision system returns data together with the status code to the robot. Status codes, which are categorized into error codes and normal status codes, indicate the command execution status. Calibration related status codes are listed in the tables below.