Traditional industrial robot programming is complex and time-consuming, often requiring weeks or even months to complete. With the advancement of Industry 4.0, there is a growing demand for more adaptive and user-friendly automation solutions.
This research addresses these challenges by developing an Augmented Reality (AR)-enhanced interactive robot Programming by Demonstration system that supports multiple ABB robot platforms, including the IRB 1200 industrial robot and GoFa 5 collaborative robot. The system integrates AR and point cloud technology to enable intuitive, non-contact robot demonstration, allowing operators to demonstrate robots without entering the robot workspace.
Developed using the Design Science Research methodology, the system integrates four core modules: real-time robot control, immersive AR interaction, real-time environmental perception, and robot monitoring. Together, these modules address research questions on intuitive robot demonstration, AR interface design, environmental perception, and safety mechanisms. A comprehensive user study with five participants evaluated the impact of real-time environmental perception information with and without point cloud rendering on item completion accuracy, efficiency, and user confidence.
Results show that the point cloud-enhanced system achieved a System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 70.5, compared to 63.0 for the baseline system. Task performance analysis showed that point cloud rendering increased overall item completion by 28% and reduced major errors by 33%, especially for tasks requiring precise spatial alignment. This research advances intuitive and safe robot programming, with promising practical applications.
