Visual Programming of Robot Processes

In order to visually program a robot process in the ReconCell, you need to employ the VEROSIM Model Library and the ActionBlock Process Editor. This tutorial also assumes that your model already includes a robot that was included from the VEROSIM model library and a taught robotics movement path for this robot.

  • Open the Model Library and the Process Editor by using the corresponding Actions in the “MODELING” Menu.

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Initial Preparation of Your Model to Make it Work With ActionBlocks

Now, you have to take a preparatory action that created an ActionBlock Parameter from the taught movement path.

  • Add a “Auto Movement Target From Pose Path” object from the Model Library by selecting it and then clicking “Add to Model”

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  • Expand the added Auto Movement Target From Pose Path, then right click “myPosePath”, select “Choose Element”.
  • In the opened Dialog, double click on the existing Robot Path.

Creation of a Simple Process

Now, you can add the process steps that you want to add to your process. You can find them in the VEROSIM Model Library under “ActionBlocks.”

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  • For this Example, add 4 “Move To Pose”-ActionBlocks, one “Grip Closest Touch Point” and one “Release Grip”.

The ActionBlocks are added to the Process Flow Editor. It may happen that they appear on top of another, so try to move them around and separate them.

  • Order the process steps to a process similar to the one on the image below. You can edit their names by clicking on the name text, if you like.
  • Also, connect them to a process by executing a click-and-draw action from the gray circle at the right side of an ActionBlock to the one on the left side of its successor.

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Configuration of ActionBlocks

The Process cannot be executed yet: The ActionBlocks need to have an Agent (“who moves and picks?”) and a Target (“where does the agent move to?”).

  • Expand the first ActionBlock by clicking the Expand Button below the yellow line.
  • Select the Agent and Target (there should be only one available option for each drop-down menu).

The Agent is automatically assigned to all the ActionBlocks in your sequence. The movement Target is assigned to the next movement ActionBlock. The correctly configured ActionBlocks appear blue instead of yellow.

  • Assign the same Target to the “ApproachPlace”-ActionBlock to configure the second movement part of the process.

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Creation of Sub-Processes

To keep your process neat and clear, you can combine some ActionBlocks to a Sub-Process and hide the Sub-Process internal structure.

  • Draw a rectangle around the first 3 ActionBlocks in the Process Flow Editor. Then click “Create Element Container”. Rename the resulting Sub-Process to “Picking Process”
  • Similarly, Combine the last 3 ActionBlocks and name the new Sub-Process “Placing Process”.

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  • You can collapse the Sub-Processes by clicking on the triangular button below their blue “Ready”-indicator.

Now, you have a higher-level view of your process.

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