Virtual tools with attributes for robotic based intermediate manufacturing processes

This paper describes an interactive system for specifying robotic tasks using virtual tools which allows an operator to reach into a live video scene and direct robots to use corresponding real tools in complex scenarios that involve integrating a variety of otherwise autonomous technologies. This attribute rich virtual tools concept provides a human-machine interface that is robust to unanticipated developments and tunable to the specific requirements of a particular task. This interactive specification concept is applied to intermediate manufacturing processes