Marina Olson ABB Business Services Sp. z o.o. Kraków, Poland, marina.olson@pl.abb.com
With more than 500,000 robot applications installed across multiple industries since 1974, ABB has impeccable credentials as a pioneer of robotics in industrial automation. Indeed, among its comprehensive range of digital offerings, ABB supplies the world’s most-used simulation and offline programming tool for robotics, RobotStudio. This tool enables robot programming to be performed on a PC in the office, away from the production floor. RobotStudio provides the means to increase the profitability of that customers can gain from their robot systems, by allowing them to perform tasks such as training, programming and optimization, without disturbing production. The tool is built on an exact copy of the ABB Virtual Controller software that runs ABB production robots. This aspect allows very realistic simulations to be performed, using actual robot programs and configuration files identical to those used on the shop floor. RobotStudio comes with a full package of features and add-ons allowing for complete offline simulation, thus reducing risk, speeding start-up, shortening tool change-overs and, ultimately, increasing productivity.
To maximize the benefits that can be derived from the RobotStudio desktop application, ABB has now added the RobotStudio AR Viewer application to the PC-based RobotStudio offline programming software line-up.
RobotStudio AR Viewer
RobotStudio AR Viewer is an AR application for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, that visualizes, in the real-world environment, the industrial robots created beforehand in the RobotStudio desktop application →01. The RobotStudio AR Viewer can be used to test any model created in RobotStudio →02. The AR features enable precise positioning of a robot on the shop floor, which contributes to a better understanding of how it will fit into the space. It thereby accelerates the planning of manufacturing.
With RobotStudio AR Viewer, customers are presented with an exact copy of the ABB robot in a 3-D visualization in which the robot’s movements are accurately reflected →03. Additionally, it is possible to resize the robot to the desired dimensions, adjust station rotation to see it from every angle and joint-jog (ie, move incrementally) robot parts →04. A timeline feature makes it possible to go quickly to a certain point in time in the animation, enabling the user to find ways to enhance performance or pinpoint a potential issue.
RobotStudio AR Viewer provides a quick and convenient way of using a smartphone or tablet to visualize where and how robotic automation could fit into a customer process. The AR Viewer is ideal for companies that are new to robotic automation or for those who have previously lacked the time or resources to start planning an installation.
The AR Viewer tool makes it even easier for customers to access the extensive capabilities of RobotStudio, helping them see how robots can be introduced into their production and how automation can improve the productivity and flexibility of the existing process before they commit to any investment. The app provides a low-cost, safe and easy way for individuals or groups to visualize an installation, with none of the potential concerns over complexity, hygiene, or nausea that can occur with virtual reality-based alternatives.
The app is available free of charge on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
As part of its mission to pioneer and innovate in automation digitalization and help customers embrace and apply digitalization when and where it is needed, ABB is adding features to the app on an ongoing basis. A significant upcoming new functionality is the possibility to add a 3-D scanning capability so the mobile device can capture and record the topology and features of the prospective robot location. Such functionality will be especially beneficial for customers who want to replace a robot in an existing installation or integrate a new robot solution into a brownfield project.
