Virtual Reality Robotic Workspaces
Overview
Although the deployment of robots continues to rise, the task of
determining the feasibility of using a new robotic component,
either in a novel work environment or adding more robots to
collaborate within an existing infrastructure, remains extremely
difficult. Acquiring and implementing capable industrial robots is
often undesirable for small and medium-sized enterprises. This is
due to high initial investment costs and a nontrivial integration
process that requires expert knowledge with no guarantee of
profitable returns. On the other hand, the expanding virtual,
augmented, and mixed reality (VAMR) industry has yielded incredibly
useful tools and techniques to enhance the robotic development
process. VAMR provides an intuitive understanding of 3D space
while simultaneously providing additional information to the
operator. This leads to an overall enhanced operator experience and
encourages a hands-on approach to robot programming.
Contributions
- We developed a purely virtual simulation of a robotic system that provides a visually immersive representation of the workspace