Restricting movement on certain axes in Freemode/Teachmode

ChrisD

I'm using a UR3e robot and I would like a part of my program to incorporate operator movement to direct the robot to the start locations. I used teach_mode() to enable teach mode, but I would like for the teachmode movement to be restricted from changing the rX, rY, and rZ values. I tried downloading Artiminds Essentials URCap to accomplish this since it has the capabilities I'm looking for, but it didn't work with my UR3e. Artimind Essentials simply just didn't let me move the robot when I tried to follow the instructions to limit certain axes movement.  Anyone know how to know limit freemode movement to change in the x,y, and axes, but not the rX, rY, and rZ? 

MarcAntoine_Gauthier

Hello @ChrisD ,

The Robotiq Force Copilot software has that capability.
Using the Active Drive ToolBar from the software, you will be able lock some axis. In your case, you would need the "Translation" mode.

You could then use the Path Recording node from the same Software (Force Copilot) and record every movements from the operator. When you will start the program, it will replicate every movements that you have recorded.


Hope this helps. Let me know if you have further questions.

Regards.
Marc-Antoine Gauthier

matthewd92

@ChrisD do you mean while the robot program is playing you are entering free drive / teach mode programmatically?  If so, I don’t know if any URCaps that will work while the program is playing. You might have to write your own script for this, it wouldn’t be that hard to do actually if you are trying to restrict to just a planar motion. You just wouldn’t use the built in free drive method that you are currently calling, you’d write your own method and call it. 

ChrisD

matthewd92 said:

@ChrisD do you mean while the robot program is playing you are entering free drive / teach mode programmatically?  If so, I don’t know if any URCaps that will work while the program is playing. You might have to write your own script for this, it wouldn’t be that hard to do actually if you are trying to restrict to just a planar motion. You just wouldn’t use the built in free drive method that you are currently calling, you’d write your own method and call it. 

What functions would I incorporate to restrict certain axes from being moved? I tried looking through the URScript manual, but I couldn't find any that I could utilize in a custom freemode method

matthewd92

@ChrisD you can't restrict free drive mode per se, you would need to create your own function using either the built-in force wizard or using force feedback from an FT sensor you would just respond to what the user is doing.  For instance if they push on the +X side of the FT sensor you would move in the -X direction relative to the current position, that would emulate what the freedrive mode is doing.  This way you could restrict motion to only the X and Y direction.  

I will try to get a little time later this afternoon or tomorrow morning and will do more of a writeup around this with a demonstration of what I am referring to.

matthewd92

@ChrisD you can find the write-up I did on how to use the speedl command to achieve this in this blog post.  There is a link in the post with the script file that we developed.  It is definitely not completely fine tuned but it does work and you can see how we were able to use the command and emulate free drive mode but restrict to certain axes.