KIPS Transactions on Software and Data Engineering (정보처리학회논문지:소프트웨어 및 데이터공학)

Korea Information Processing Society (한국정보처리학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

A Visual Programming Environment on Tablet PCs to Control Industrial Robots

산업용 로봇 제어를 위한 태블릿 PC 기반의 비주얼 프로그래밍 연구

  • 박은지 (고려대학교 컴퓨터정보학과) ;
  • 서경은 (고려대학교 컴퓨터정보학과) ;
  • 박태곤 ((주)프레스토솔루션) ;
  • 선덕한 ((주)프레스토솔루션) ;
  • 조현중 (고려대학교 컴퓨터정보학과)
  • Received : 2015.08.24
  • Accepted : 2016.01.11
  • Published : 2016.02.29
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Industrial robots have been usually controlled using text-based programming languages provided by each manufacturer with its button-based TP(Teaching Pendent) terminal. Unfortunately, when we consider that people who manipulate TPs in manufacturing sites are mostly unskilled with no background knowledge about computer programming, these text-based programming languages using button-based interaction on manufacturing sites are too difficult for them to learn and use. In order to overcome the weaknesses of the text-based programming language, we propose a visual programming language that can be easily used on gesture-enabled devices. Especially, in our visual programming environment, each command is represented as a block and robots are controlled by stacking those blocks using drag-and-drop gestures, which is easily learnable even by beginners. In this paper, we utilize a widely-spread device, Tablet PC as the gesture-enabled TP. Considering that Tablet PC has limited display space in contrast to PC environments, we designed different kinds of sets of command blocks and conducted user tests. Based on the experiment results, we propose an effective set of command blocks for Tablet PC environment.

산업용 로봇 제어는 버튼 기반의 TP(Teaching Pendant) 단말기를 통해 제조사가 제공하는 텍스트 기반의 프로그래밍 언어를 사용하여 이루어진다. 그러나 제조 현장에서 TP를 조작하는 사용자가 주로 언어의 배경지식이 없는 비전공자임을 고려할 때, 버튼 기반의 TP에서의 텍스트 기반의 프로그래밍 언어는 학습과 사용의 어려운 단점이 있다. 텍스트 기반의 프로그래밍 언어의 단점을 극복하기 위해 비숙련 사용자들도 쉽게 프로그래밍을 할 수 있는 그래픽 기반의 비주얼 프로그래밍 환경이 제안되었으며, 특히 명령 블록을 사용한 비주얼 프로그래밍 환경은 드래그 앤 드롭 기반으로 조립할 수 있는 블록 형태의 명령어를 지원해주므로 초보자가 쉽게 프로그래밍을 할 수 있다. 본 논문에서는 태블릿 PC를 로봇 제어를 위한 TP로 활용하고, 이를 기반으로 블록을 이용한 비주얼 프로그래밍 개발 환경을 제공하여 비숙련 사용자도 드래그 앤 드롭으로 쉽게 프로그래밍하는 환경을 제안한다. 또한, 사용 환경이 PC 환경 대신, 한정된 디스플레이 공간을 가지고 있는 태블릿PC 환경에 적용된 점을 고려하여 총 3가지의 서로 다른 명령어의 범위를 포함하고 있는 블록을 디자인하여 사용자 실험을 진행했다. 실험 결과를 바탕으로 한정된 디스플레이 공간인 태블릿 PC 환경에서의 효과적인 명령 블록들을 제안한다.

Keywords

References

  1. Carlos Mateo, Alberto Brunete, Ernesto Gambao, and Miguel Hernando, "Hammer: An Android Based Application for End-User Industrial Robot Programming," in Mechatronic and Embedded Systems and Applications(MESA), 2014.
  2. Yasir Jan, Syed Hassan, Sanghun Pyo, and Jungwon Yoon, "Smartphone Based Control Architecture of Teaching Pendant for Inustrial Manipulators," in International Conference on Intelligent Systems, Modelling and Simulation, 2013.
  3. W. G. Ji and B. J. Park, "Visual Programming Tool Based on Blocks," The Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences(KICS), 2013(in Korean).
  4. H. L. Kim, E. K. Park, H. J. Kim, and J. M. Bae, "An Integrated C Programming Environment for Novices Based on Visuals," The Journal of Korean Association of Computer Education, Vol.16, No.6, pp.111-120, 2013(in Korean).
  5. David J. Malan, and Henry H. Leitner, "Scratch for Budding Computer Scientists," 2007.
  6. Adiel Ashrov, Assaf Marron, Gera Weiss, Guy Wiener, "A use-case for behavioral programming: An architecture in JavaScript and Blockly for interactive applications with cross-cutting scenarios," Science of Computer Programming, Vol.98, Pt.2, pp.268-292, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scico.2014.01.017
  7. Jesus S. Cepeda, Luiz Chaimowicz, and Rogelio Soto, "Exploring Microsoft Robotics Studio as a Mechanism for Service-Oriented Robotics," IEEE, pp.7-12, October, 2010.
  8. Nesimi Ertugrul, "Towards Virtual Laboratories: a Survey of LabView based Teaching/Learning Tools and Future Trends," The International Journal of Engineering Education, Vol.16, No.3, pp.171-180, 2000.
  9. B. W. Choi, "A Review and Outlook of Robotic Software Frameworks," Korea Robotics Society, Vol.5, No.2, pp.169-176, 2010(in Korean).
  10. B. Y. Lee, Y. J. Lee, and S. J. Choi, "Basic Engineering Experiment using the LabView," Ohm, 2006(in Korean).
  11. D. Y. Gwak "A computer-based instrumentation and control," Ohm, 2006(in Korean).
  12. J. Y. Park, "An Investigation of the Structural Relationships among Students' Characteristics, Flow, and Learning Effects in a SCRATCH Programming Course for Elementary School Students," The graduate school of Ewha womans university, 2015(in Korean).
  13. I. Iturrate, G. Martin, J. Garcia-Zubia, I. Angulo, O. Dziabenko, P. Orduna, G. Alves, and A. Fidalgo, "A mobile robot platform for open learning based on serious games and remote laboratories," 2013 1st International Conference of the Portugese Society for Engineering Education(CISPEE), pp.1-7, October, 2013.
  14. H. J. Lee, "A Study on the Improvement of Usability in PDA Website Based on User Activity Analysis," HCI KOREA 2013, pp.599-604, 2003.(in Korean).
  15. Mokhtar, Shamsul Anuar, and Siti Mashitah Shamsul Anuar. "Learning application for Malaysian sign language: content design, user interface and usability," Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Management and Communication, ACM, 2015.