Automatic error recovery in robot assembly operations using reverse execution

Robotic assembly tasks are in general difficult to program and require a high degree of precision. As the complexity of the task increases it becomes increasingly unlikely that tasks can always be executed without errors. Preventing errors beyond a certain point is economically infeasible, in particular for small-batch productions. As an alternative, we propose a system for automatically handling certain classes of errors instead of preventing them. Specifically, we show that many operations can be automatically reversed. Errors can be handled through automatic reverse execution of the control program to a safe point, from which forward execution can be resumed. This paper describes the principles behind automatic reversal of robotic assembly operations, and experimentally demonstrates the use of a domain-specific language that supports automatic error handling through reverse execution. Our contribution represents the first experimental demonstration of reversible computing principles applied to industrial robotics.