An object-oriented user interface for controlling a multi-purpose robot cell

Until the 1970s, the common control interface for automatic machinery was a hard-wired interface. After that time, command-line interfaces have been used to control the systems. It is now possible to create a general, object-oriented interface for most manufacturing systems that is easy to use, learn how to use, and modify. Such an interface can benefit the user in terms of savings in time and money. The object oriented interface used for multi-purpose robot cell application, designed and implemented in the Center for Integrated Electronics and Electronics Manufacturing (CIEEM) at Rensselaer, is a flexible object oriented interface. This paper includes a description of the fully-automated robot cell created at Rensselaer and describes the user interface development and its final structure