A TASK-LEVEL PROGRAMMING PROCEDURE FOR ROBOTS

DIFFICULTIES IN PROGRAMMING AUTONOMOUS ROBOTS CONTINUE TO IMPEDE WIDESPREAD APPLICATIO OF AUTOMATION. HIGH LEVEL PROGRAMMING CAPABILITY THAT PERMITS THE USER TO THINK IN TERMS OF THE COMPLETE TASK AS OPPOSED TO THE INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENTS REQUIRED OF THE ROBOT DOES NOT YET EXIST. IN RESPONSE TO THIS PROGRAMMING DIFFICULTY, A PROCEDURE IS BEING STUDIED THROUGH WHICH A ROBOT IS PROGRAMMED, IN A USER-FRIENDLY MANNER, AS THE OPERATOR OR PROGRAMMER PHYSICALLY DEMONSTRATES SEVERAL STRATEGIES FOR ACCOMPLISHING THE TASK. AFTER A SMALL NUMBER OF DEMONSTRATIONS, THE ROBOT CONTROLLER IS THEN CAPABLE OF PERFORMING THE TASK AUTONOMOUSLY, DRIVEN BY ITS UNIQUE, INTERNALLY DEVELOPED PROGRAM. IN ESSENCE, THE UPGRADE PATH FROM PURE TEACH PENDANT PROGRAMMING OR MASTER/SLAVE OPERATION OCCURS INVISIBLY TO THE USER AND DOES NOT REQUIRE A CONVENTIONAL PROGRAM TO BE WRITTEN BY THE USER FOR THE AUTONOMOUS SUBTASK.