Abstract
The MatlabKK-Robotic-Visualization Tbx has been developed by the research group Computational Engineering and Automation at Hochschule Wismar, University of Applied Sciences. It offers a 3D-visualization of several industrial robots in Matlab controlled by the MatlabKK-Robotic Tbx.
The development of robot application can be realized within Matlab by using the MatlabKK-Robotic Tbx, which offers an easy to use, homogeneous software environment for different robot types using a uniform instruction set.
The MatlabKK-Robotic-Visualization Tbx is an extension of the MatlabKK-Robotic Tbx and it supports the throughout development of robot application on common PCs using only Matlab. In detail the Visualization Tbx interprets control commands generated by the MatlabKK-Robotic Tbx and performs all associated movements and reaction within a 3D-visualization. Common PCs can visualize up to 5 robots with adequate performance. Currently the robot types KUKA-KR3 and Kawasaki-FS003N are supported by both toolboxes. Please have a look on our three demo-videos: video1, video2, video3.
The MatlabKK-Robotic Tbx uses TCP/IP for the communication between the MATLAB-based control application on the PC (control-PC) and real robot controllers and visualized (virtual) robots. Visualized robots can either be located and executed at the control-PC or be distributed over different PCs in a local network. Figure 1 shows the control of six robots (Server 1-6) distributed over two PCs.
Fig. 1: Control of six virtual robots distributed over two PCs
PC 1 executes the MATLAB-based control application using the MatlabKK-Robotic Tbx. and it visualizes the behaviour of three virtual robots using the MatlabKK-Robotic-Visualization Tbx. Moreover, three additional virtual robots are visualized on PC 2.
It is possible to control visualized robots and real robots at the same time with the MatlabKK-Robotic Tbx. Therefor visualized and real robots can be substituted at will.
The MatalbKK-Robotik-Visualization Toolbox offers the following advantages:
- distributed 3D-visualization of up to 99 robots (up to 5 per PC) in Matlab
- interactive control of visualized robots by the MatlabKK-Robotik Tbx
- safe development, testing and debugging of robot application
- possibility to integrate robot's environment into the 3D-visualization
The toolbox is not public domain. You can download the latest release of the MatlabKK-Robotic-Visualization Toolbox from here. First, please contact the project supervisor (birger.freymann[at]hs-wismar.de) for the required download authorisation.
Note:
The install instructions are based upon a former successful Matlab R2007b (or higher) installation. In addition the Instrument-Control-Toolbox has to be installed because Matlab has to act as client. The software is tested with 32/64 bit Windows 7 and Ubuntu 10.04 but should also work with other operating systems.
For using see the following documentation.
- At first the MatlabKK-Robotic Tbx has to be installed on your computer. Please download the MatlabKK-Robotic Tbx and perform following instructions.
- At second the MatlabKK-Robotic-Visualization Tbx has to be installed on your computer. Unzip the downloaded file and copy it to your harddisk into a specified folder. Add the folder including any subfolders to the path variable within Matlab (Menue: File -> Set Path -> Add with subfolders).
Please report bugs to the project supervisor by email (thorsten.pawletta[at]hs-wismar.de).
List of institutions of registered users
List of relevant publications of the RG CEA in this field
Here some more demos and add-ons (work in progress)