A configurable system for automation programming and control

This paper discusses an environment for configuration, programming, and control of robot workcells. The controller is intended to support research in automation programming and motion control, and to provide a vehicle for conveniently integrating new sensors and other devices into a workcell in a useful way. The system consists of an interactive Programming System connected through a shared memory to a multiple-processor Real Time System that performs time-critical operations. The Programming System executes programs written in an enhanced version of AML and transmits high level commands, called verbs, to the Real Time System for execution. Verbs may either be simple, consisting essentially of a process specification and termination conditions, or they may be compositions of other verbs. The processes themselves are specified in terms of lower level entities called real time application subroutines, state vector variables, and data flow graphs which describe computations to be performed in the Real Time System.