Development and evaluation of a virtual training environment for on-line robot programming

Nathanael, Dimitris; Mosialos, Stergios; Vosniakos, George–Christopher

doi:10.1016/j.ergon.2016.02.004

Cited by 15 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The AR interfaces allow the operator to modify (erase and scale) the proposed paths and directly control the robot's joints movements. The study in Nathaneal et al [33], compares performance metrics over different user groups programming a robot by means of a traditional teach pendant, a non-immersive virtual environment and a virtual-augmented system. The user performance evaluation focuses on timing, the number of coordinate axis changes, and optimal piece positioning with the end effector.…”

Section: Robot Programmingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital Twin as Industrial Robots Manipulation Validation Tool

et al. 2022

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The adoption of Digital Twin (DT) solutions for industrial purposes is increasing among small- and medium-sized enterprises and is already being integrated into many large-scale companies. As there is an increasing need for faster production and shortening of the learning curve for new emerging technologies, Virtual Reality (VR) interfaces for enterprise manufacturing DTs seem to be a good solution. Furthermore, with the emergence of Industry 5.0 (I5.0) paradigm, human operators will be increasingly integrated in the systems interfaces though advanced interactions, pervasive sensors, real time tracking and data acquisition. This scenario is especially relevant in collaborative automated systems where the introduction of immersive VR interfaces based on production cell DTs might provide a solution for the integration of the human factors in the modern industrial scenarios. This study presents experimental results of the comparison between users controlling a physical industrial robot system via a traditional teach pendant and a DT leveraging a VR user interface. The study group involves forty subjects including experts in robotics and VR as well as non-experts. An analysis of the data gathered in both the real and the virtual use case scenario is provided. The collected information includes time for performing a task with an industrial robot, stress level evaluation, physical and mental effort, and the human subjects’ perceptions of the physical and simulated robots. Additionally, operator gazes were tracked in the VR environment. In this study, VR interfaces in the DT representation are exploited to gather user centered metrics and validate efficiency and safety standards for modern collaborative industrial systems in I5.0. The goal is to evaluate how the operators perceive and respond to the virtual robot and user interface while interacting with them and detect if any degradation of user experience and task efficiency exists compared to the real robot interfaces. Results demonstrate that the use of DT VR interfaces is comparable to traditional tech pendants for the given task and might be a valuable substitute of physical interfaces. Despite improving the overall task performance and considering the higher stress levels detected while using the DT VR interface, further studies are necessary to provide a clearer validation of both interfaces and user impact assessment methods.

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Section: Robot Programmingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital Twin as Industrial Robots Manipulation Validation Tool

et al. 2022

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“…Virtools allows authoring of scenarios which constitute essentially a composite behaviour diagram. The scenario constructed in this case pertains to the robot grasping a part from a pallet and loading it in the chuck of the plasma spraying booth, as well as grasping the part from the chuck, after its presumed completion of processing and unloading it to the pallet.The path of the robot is specified by teaching, namely the user operates a normal keyboard on which specific keys have been reserved, instead of using a pendant, as is done in reality, or a pendant-like device as has been done in Nathanael et al 20 More specifically, the user can (a) select a joint and command it to rotate as desired, thereby implementing forward kinematics (b) translate/rotate the endeffector along/about the global x, y, z axes respectively. In both case the joint coordinates are displayed to the user.…”

Section: Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The scenario constructed in this case pertains to the robot grasping a part from a pallet and loading it in the chuck of the plasma spraying booth, as well as grasping the part from the chuck, after its presumed completion of processing and unloading it to the pallet.The path of the robot is specified by teaching, namely the user operates a normal keyboard on which specific keys have been reserved, instead of using a pendant, as is done in reality, or a pendant-like device as has been done in Nathanael et al. 20…”

Section: Scenariomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…18 VR can interface on-line with off-line programming, allowing the user to manipulate a digital model and at the same time providing him/her enlightening information, 19 including better user-centric perception. 20 For instance, 21 draw on modifiable marker-based collision detection for the robot arm, as well as integration with object manipulation to pick and place a virtual object around the environment. Intuitive approaches are pursued with highly multimodal interaction with the user.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding industrial robot programming by aid of a virtual reality environment

Manou

Vosniakos

Matsas

2018

International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education

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This paper reports on the construction of a virtual environment on top of a commercially available authoring platform that simulates an industrial robotic arm in pick-andplace movement scenarios. The user interface constructed follows in functionality the well-known teach pendants but exploits just a normal PC keyboard. However, both forward and inverse kinematics is served allowing the user to command movements in either the joint or the tool coordinate system. Perception pertaining to picking and placing movements and in particular the subtle docking positions was enhanced by adding so-called perceptual aids consisting of auxiliary objects with collision detection capabilities. The application was put to test by a group of practitioner-trainees who reported favourably, using a structured questionnaire, on its merits in enhancing their understanding of the robot's capabilities, its kinematics, as well as the task performance strategy. Thus, confidence is increased regarding the ability of Virtual Reality-based platforms to contribute to successful training regarding programming and manipulation of industrial equipment.

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“…Its use in professional training, which emphasizes mastering the complex skills essential for applying learned principles in real-world vocational and professional contexts, stands out as a notable application (Renganayagalu et al, 2021). Various industries, including aviation, processing, healthcare, energy, space, industrial robotics programming, and seafarer training, have enthusiastically adopted VR for professional training (Kaplan et al, 2021;Mallam et al, 2019;Moglia et al, 2016;Nathanael et al, 2016;Nazir et al, 2015). This shift has prompted research to explore new VR technologies and features to enhance their efficiency in various professional training contexts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systematic Review of Virtual Reality Features for Skill Training

Tusher,

Mallam,

Nazir

2024

Tech Know Learn

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The evolving complexity of Virtual Reality (VR) technologies necessitates an in-depth investigation of the VR features and their specific utility. Although VR is utilized across various skill-training applications, its successful deployment depends on both technical maturity and context-specific suitability. A comprehensive understanding of advanced VR features, both technical and experiential, their prospective impact on designated learning outcomes, and the application of appropriate assessment methodologies is essential for the effective utilization of VR technologies. This systematic literature review explored the inherent associations between various VR features employed in professional training environments and their impact on learning outcomes. Furthermore, this review scrutinizes the assessment techniques employed to gauge the effects of VR applications in various learning scenarios. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method was used to systematically select 50 empirical VR studies sourced from three (03) academic databases. The analysis of these articles revealed complex, context-dependent relationships between VR features and their impact on professional training, with a pronounced emphasis on skill-based learning outcomes over cognitive and affective ones. This review also highlights the predominantly subjective nature of the assessment methods used to measure the effects of VR training. Additionally, the findings call for further empirical exploration in novel skill training contexts encompassing cognitive and affective learning outcomes, as well as other potential external factors that may influence learning outcomes in VR.

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Development and evaluation of a virtual training environment for on-line robot programming

Cited by 15 publications

References 19 publications

Digital Twin as Industrial Robots Manipulation Validation Tool

Digital Twin as Industrial Robots Manipulation Validation Tool

Understanding industrial robot programming by aid of a virtual reality environment

A Systematic Review of Virtual Reality Features for Skill Training

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