Planning and validating robot paths and sequencing is a vital yet tedious process. This developer hopes to change that.
Boston-based robot simulation developer Realtime Robotics has launched Resolver, a new cloud-based solution that dramatically accelerates the design and deployment of robotic workcells.
Robot path planning is a complex, with most workcells using multiple robots requiring tedious work to create interference zones and interlock signals that ensure there are no collisions during manufacturing.
Manually validating the mechanical design, planning robot paths, determining sequencing to hit optimal cycle time targets, and defining those interlocks can take a team well over 100,000 hours for a single project. This complexity often leads to failures in hitting cycle time targets, adding significant rework.
Resolver works by selecting and testing potential solutions tens to thousands of times faster than a human programmer. The goal is to quickly generate optimal, collision-free motion paths and interlock signals. This can accelerate workcell design from months to days.
The company says Resolver is essentially infinitely scalable robotic simulation power that can used to reduce the time required for many tasks, including:
- Generating accurate proposals
- Designing optimal tools and fixtures
- Producing optimal robot programs
- Adjusting for as-built deviations during commissioning
- Assessing and minimizing the impact of product design changes
“It is widely understood that the future of the manufacturing industry lies in robotics and automation. However, that future is slow to materialize because of the outdated, time-consuming, and inefficient processes commonplace in the industry,” said Peter Howard, CEO of Realtime Robotics. “Few manufacturers have the time or resources needed to enact real change. We’ve engineered Resolver to help manufacturers improve their engineering, programming and production processes – and drive greater value from their current and future investments in robots.”
How it works
Realtime Robotics’ Resolver supports path planning with any number of robots, at any phase of the workflow, generating results in minutes. The solution requires minimal onboarding and currently allows users to work directly within Siemens Process Simulate. Support for other leading simulation platforms will be rolled out later in the year, enabling teams to work directly within their preferred simulation tool.
“Resolver has the computational power to generate better motion paths than human programmers in both simple and complex workcells,” added Howard. “This is because Resolver searches the possibilities open to robotic arms, while humans tend to stay within the possibilities of the human arm.”
Users upload the workcell information, configure their sequencing and conditions, and execute a run. In minutes, Resolver will generate motion paths—including interlocks. The longer Resolver runs, the more options it provides, shortening the cycle time until the desired outcome is reached. The paths and interlocks can then be easily imported back into the simulation software for validation and operation.
Beyond determining optimal motion plans and interlocks, Resolver can help with fixture design, reachability validation, target sequencing, and robot task allocation. It can also be used to design the paths and interlocks for an entire manufacturing line from the start.
