Remote control of industry robots using mobile devices

Abstract

Remote control, monitoring, programming or even service of industrial robots intend to be standard solutions in contemporary industry. Remote methods and applications are comfortable and safe answers for industrial challenges providing additional functionality and improving effectiveness and efficiency. The paper presents a design, experiment results and implementation of remote controlling, programming and monitoring an industrial robot using a mobile device as an element of a human-machine interface. The shown solution is based on mobile devices such as a smartphone or a tablet computer. LabVIEW applications were used to perform a communication interface between various elements of a manufacturing cell. Communication between the operator and the robot was carried out indirectly through PLC Siemens S7-300 inside a flexible manufacturing system. The logic controller and the robot controller R30iA was linked and integrated within the ProfibusDP network. MPI protocol was used to establish the connection between the controller and LabVIEW application. A hardware communication protocol used by PLC was converted into the OPC protocol. User interface enables control from a distance and is alternative to the local methods of control by instructions.