This article covers several ways of editing operations to avoid collisions for simultaneous multi-robot work areas. Procedure on how to rearrange and change path directions, moving the entry / exit point,
A dome shaped part requires edge following operations on five contours.
These operations will be distributed between two separate robots and processed simultaneously.
In some cases, the default robot trajectories may result in collisions between the robots.
There are many ways to solve collisions between robots. Let’s take a look at a few possible solutions.
Rearrange operations for a robot
One way of solving collisions is to change the sequence in which operations are executed for a given robot.
Here Robot_1 is executing operations 1 and 2, and Robot_2 is executing operations 3, 4, and 5.
Operations 1 and 3 are executed by different robots, and there is a collision between the joints of the robots. This is due to the proximity and timing of the two paths.
Instead the sequence of Robot_2 could be changed so that operation 4 is processed first. This would leave more space between Robot_1 and Robot_2 as the operations are processed, lessening the chance of collision.
Use the control handle to drag the operation to a different place in the sequence.
Select Calculate to see if the collision is cleared.
As you rearrange operations, the robot trajectories will be updated. Pay attention to these changes as the robots move between home positions and between operations.
Reassign operations to different robots
If the robots are performing the same application (for example, if they are both equipped with interchangeable deburring tools), reassigning operations to different robots can solve collisions.
When planning the sequence of operations in a multi-robot cell, consider required spacing between robots, how much room is available in the work cell, whether you need to include an additional buffer distance for safety.
Notes:
Rearranging operations in the Device > Operations pane.
Change sequence of operations within a given robot
Move operations from one robot to another
Move start point
One possible way to solve a collision is to move the entry / exit point on one of the paths. This can affect timing so that robots do not collide.
On the Device tab, in the Operations pane, right-click an operation and select Edit in task.
Select the path, then click the red ball at the entry/exit point.
Click a point along the path to move the entry/exit to a different location.
In the Task tab, select Apply and then OK to keep your changes.
In the Device tab, select Calculate.
Check to see if the collision still occurs.
Change path direction
For applications where it is possible to change the direction in which a path is processed, you can try reversing the path direction to solve collisions.
On the Device tab, in the Operations pane, right-click an operation and select Edit in task.
Right-click the path (be sure to right-click one of the vectors on the path), then select Path > Invert direction.
Confirm that the path direction is reversed.
In the Task tab, select Apply and then OK to keep your changes.
In the Device tab, select Calculate.