A Projection-based User Interface for Industrial Robots

This paper presents a novel spatial user interface system for industrial robots, which relies on interactive projection in conjunction with a handheld stylus as the central medium for user-interaction. This way, complex spatial trajectories and other information can be edited directly in the workspace of the robot. Calibration mechanisms, interaction metaphors and methods for multi-projector-setups will be discussed. The system relies on an active optical tracking system, with a dedicated handheld probe that is suitable for robot teaching and the implied handling in six degrees-of-freedom. Both, laser projectors and video beamers have been incorporated into the system and will be evaluated for their specific properties in the context of a spatial user interface. Interaction mechanisms and metaphors include e. g. free editing, drag-and-drop for 3D-trajectories on workpiece surfaces, virtual menus projected into the workspace and interactive modeling of collision geometries and workpiece shapes.