University of Engineering & Technology Taxila

LAB MANUAL
Robotics

COURSE CODE : MTE -411

LAB INSTRUCTOR : Engr Shahbaz Ahmed

STUDENT NAME : Dania Shakeel

REGISTRATION NO : 19-MCT-26

SEMESTER : 7TH

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS
ENGINEERING
 Experiment 01
SCARA Robot
Objective:
To study various parts, joints and mechanisms of SCARA Robot.

Apparatus:
 SCARA Robot

Description:
SCARA acronym stands for “Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm” or
“Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm”. SCARA robots are defined as multi-
functional manipulators designed to move parts through various programmed motions. These
robots provides consistent reliable performance, repetitive accuracy and are able to handle
heavy workloads and perform in harsh environments.
SCARA robot is an industrial robot most commonly used for pick-and-place or
assembly operations where high speed and high accuracy is required. A SCARA robot can
operate at higher speed and with optional cleanroom specification.

Shoulder rotation
Wrist rotation
Vertical travel Elbow rotation

Limit switch

Elbow

Shoulder
Gripper

Figure 1 SCARA Robot

Degree of Freedom:
SCARA robot has four joints which means it will have four degree of freedom;
 Three rotary joints on shoulder, elbow and wrist
 One prismatic joint on the gripper of robot

Mechanism:
SCARA robot contains two kind of mechanisms;
 Chain mechanism to translate rotary shaft
 Rack and Pinion mechanism to transmit power from rotary to linear motion

Drive Mechanism of Robot:

DC servo motors are used in SCARA robot because they provide feedback of the system,
as DC Servo motors are combination of simple DC motors with rotary encoders. A rotary
encoder is also called a “Shaft Encoder” which is an electromechanical device that converts
the angular position or motion of a shaft or axle to an analogue or digital code.

Positioning System:
Two types of positioning system is there in the SCARA Robot;
 Absolute Positioning uses origin as a reference.
 Incremental Positioning uses prior point as reference.
Work Envelope:
A robot work envelop is its range of movement. It is the shape created when a
manipulator reaches forward, backward, up and down. These distances are determined by the
length of robotic arm and the design of its axis.
Each axis contributes its own range of motion. A robot can only perform within
confined of its work envelop.

Pay load:
Maximum load that a manipulator or a vehicle can bear without being damage is pay
load.

Specifications:

Length 24 inches
Height 18.75 inches
Width 6 inches.
Drivers 5 servo motors with integral gear box, incremental optimal encoder for
real time closed loop operation.
Controller Mark Ⅲ or Mark IV for Rhino (optional).
Payload 2.2 pounds (1 kg).
Speed Gripper 1 sec to open; 2 sec to close.
Speed (Axis) Programmable (varies).
Repeatability 0.125 inches.
Weight 17 pounds (7.7 kg), Without Base = 10 pounds.
Reach 18 inches.
 Work Envelop Outside Radius = 18” (457.2mm)
Inside Radius = 9” (228.6mm)
Motor Rotation  Motor ‘E’ Shoulder rotation = 220 °
 Motor ‘D’ Elbow rotation = 220°
 Motor ‘C’ Vertical travel = 3.75 inches
 Motor ‘B’ Wrist rotation = 275°
Standard 1 – ¼ inch (3.175 mm), Opening for position 1.
gripper 2 - 1/2 inch (63.5mm), Opening for position 2.
Configuration 4-axis plus gripper. All axis are completely independent, can be
controlled simultaneously
Application Education, research, training

Gantry Robot:
Gantry robot consists of a manipulator mounted onto an overhead system that allows
movement across horizontal plane. Gantry robots are also called Cartesian or Linear robot.
They are usually large system that perform pick and place operations, but can also be used in
welding & other applications.

Applications of SCARA:
SCARA robots are very useful for high speed operations and confined workspace such as;
 Pick and place operations
 Assembly and packaging application.
 Education, training and research.

Conclusion:
Various parts, joints, mechanism and specifications of SCARA robot is studied and
observed.
 Experiment 02
Teach Pendant
Objective:
Control of various functions of SCARA using Teach Pendant

Apparatus:
 Teach Pendant Mark Ⅳ controller
 IBM Compatible computer
 XR4 Robotic arm & standard gripper
 Aluminum Base

Description:
Teach pendants are handheld devices that may be wired or wireless which provides a
robot operator the ability to program applications and to control the robot’s motion remotely.
The pendant capability allows operators to program or control robots safely out of reach of
their workspace or hazardous environments. In addition to programming and controlling
robots, pendants can be used for testing and troubleshooting robotic systems.

Figure 2 Teach Pendant

Teach Pendant commands:

Arrow head Moves direction of joints

+/- Indicates motor direction
Open Opens the gripper
Close Closes the gripper
 Alphabets Selects the specific motor
Escape Unselect the command
Enter Completes the command
Go to Soft Home Return all joints to initial position
Description of motors in SCARA:

Joint Motor Mechanism

Shoulder ±E Chain Mechanism
Elbow ±D Chain Mechanism
Wrist ±C Chain Mechanism
Wrist Rotation ±B Gear Mechanism
Gripper ±A Lever Mechanism

Procedure:
 Connect Teach-pendant with the Interface box.
 Verify the setup and electrical components to power up RHINO controller.
 Turn the power on, led of controller will power up.
 Set the mode of RHINO to ‘PLAY’ mode to operate the robot.
 Press the motion and arrow key and observe the joint motion.
 Press the “Enter” key for any kind of instruction/movement.
 Teach-pendant’s display shows motor movement and error if any.

Observation:
Following motor movement was observed to pick and place an object from and on a
desired point.
 Home position
 Motor C (downward) -343
 Motor A (close)
 Motor D (right) +1612
 Motor E (left) +397
 Motor A (open)

Conclusion:
Various functions of SCARA robot is observed using a teach pendant. Working of
joints of SCARA was observed using different command of teach pendant.

Safety precautions:
 Do not operate the robot higher than its work envelop as joints may get stuck.
 Do not make the robot lift loads more than the robots payload.
 Connect the cables between the Controller and the Teach Pendant properly.
 Do not shock the Teach Pendant physically or place any object on Teach Pendant.
 Experiment 03
Rhino Robo Talk Software and Mark IV Controller
Objective:
To find out that:
 Different functions of Mark Ⅳ controller
 Introduction to ROBOTALK Software
 Different commands to be used in the software

Apparatus:
 Mark IV controller
 IBM Compatible computer
 XR4 Robotic arm & standard gripper
 Aluminum Base

Description:
To operate the XR-4 robotic arm, a Mark IV controller was used. The Mark IV
controller features an open system suitable for both teaching and experimentation. Mark IV is
speedtronic control system which contains a number of control, protection and sequencing
systems designed for reliable and safe operation.
The Mark IV consists of their own software which is Rhino robo talk software, which
programs the robotic arm for operation or to perform tasks.

Figure 3 Rhino Robotalk software Figure 4 Mark IV controller

Working on Robotalk:
 Go to the ‘File’ menu, then make a new file or save the file that is currently in work.
 We are working on to edit so, go to the ‘Edit’ menu and edit or make changes into the
file.
 To control robot through computer connect to ‘Host’ should be marked.
 We can ‘Run’, ‘Pause’ or ‘Stop’ the real time simulation of program in the same
manner
  Select “COM1” port which is connected to the Host of “Mark Ⅳ” controller.
 Use I/O module mode to shift control from computer (online mode) to teach pendant
(offline mode).
 Controller type mode is selected as per specification shown below the motor position
and the ports status shown ON/OFF will be shown when the controller will be on or
off.

Commands used:

HOME Moves the robot to home position

CLOSE Closes the gripper of robot completely
CLOSE 30 Closes the gripper of robot up to 30mm
OPEN Opens the gripper of robot completely
PAUSE 30 Causes a delay of 3 sec in performing functions
MOVE Moves the specific motor. To move motor C we write 0,C,0,0,0
B,C,D,E,F
MOVE TO Moves the robot to exact position

Procedure:
 Turn the Power and Host button ON.
 Connect Mark Ⅳ controller and Host.
 Check the connections of cables.
 Connect the software with the computer.
 Compile your code using the commands to perform operation.
 Observe the movement of robot.
 After operation bring the robot to HOME position using HOME command.

Figure 5 Code compiled

Observation:
Following action was observed by running the code compiled to pick and place an
object from and on a desired point.
 Motor C (downward) -400
 Motor A (close)
 Motor D (right) +1580
 Delay of 3 sec
 Motor E (left) +440
 Motor A (open)
 Home position

Conclusion:
Various movement of SCARA robot was observed using the robotalk software.

Safety precautions:
 Do not operate the robot higher than its work envelop as joints may get stuck.
 Do not make the robot lift loads more than the robot’s payload.
 Connect the cables of the Controller properly.
 Do not operate more than one motor at a same time.
 Experiment 04
Pick and Place Program
Objective:
To control the robot using commands and to program it to pick and place objects.

Apparatus:
 Mark Ⅳ controller
 IBM Compatible computer
 XR-4 Robotic arm
 Standard gripper
 Aluminum Base
 Object piece (Pen)

Description:
To perform the operation a Mark IV controller and robotalk software is used. Pick and
place program implements a simple pick and place task, where gripper is used to pick objects
from a given region and place them in a specified dropoff location. No assumptions are made
on how objects are laid out in the detection region, so the program is a good starting point to
build a wide range of applications. In our program we use GOTO function which creates a
loop and performs the action continuously.

Commands used:
HOME Moves the robot to home position
CLOSE Closes the gripper of robot completely
CLOSE 30 Closes the gripper of robot up to 30mm
OPEN Opens the gripper of robot completely
PAUSE 30 Causes a delay of 3 sec in performing functions
MOVE Moves the specific motor. To move motor C we write 0,C,0,0,0
B,C,D,E,F
MOVE TO Moves the robot to exact position
GO TO Creates loop action
IF SIG Input signal for Mark IV controller
OUT SIG Output signal for Mark IV controller

IF-SIG Table:
IF SIG value LED ON LED OFF
1. +1 -09
2. +2 -10
3. +3 -11
4. +4 -12
5. +5 -13
6. +6 -14
7. +7 -15
8. +8 -16
OUT-SIG Table:

OUT SIG value LED ON LED OFF

1. +1 -1
2. +2 -2
3. +3 -3
4. +4 -4
5. +5 -5
6. +6 -6
7. +7 -7
8. +8 -8

Procedure:
 Turn the Power and Host button ON.
 Connect Mark Ⅳ controller and Host.
 Check the connections of cables.
 Connect the software with the computer.
 Compile your code using the commands to perform pick and place operation.
 Apply loop to repeat the command using GOTO command.
 Observe the movement of robot.
 After operation bring the robot to HOME position using HOME command.

Figure 6 Code Compiled

Code:
Following is the code used in pick and place operation;
1 HOME
MOVE 0,0,0,2160,0
MOVE 0,0,854,0,0
 MOVE -336,0,0,0,0
MOVE 0, -625,0,0,0
PAUSE 20
CLOSE
MOVE 0, +625,0,0,0
MOVE TO 0,0, -150, -1003,0
MOVE 380,0,0,0,0
MOVE 0, -625,0,0,0
OPEN
MOVE 0,625,0,0,0
GOTO 1

Observation:
Following action was observed by running the code compiled to pick and place an
object from and on a desired point.
 Home position
 Motor E (right) 2160
 Motor D (right) +854
 Motor B (anticlockwise) -336
 Motor C (downward) -625
 Delay of 2 sec
 Motor C (upward) +625
 Motor D (left) -150
 Motor E (left) -1003
 Motor B (clockwise) 380
 Motor C (downward) -625
 Motor A (open)
 Motor C (upward) 625
 Loop action at command home

Conclusion:
Pick and place movement of SCARA robot was observed using the code in robotalk
software.

Safety precautions:
 Do not operate the robot higher than its work envelop as joints may get stuck.
 Do not make the robot lift loads more than the robot’s payload.
 Connect the cables of the controller properly.
Do not operate more than one motor at a same time.
 Experiment 05
Repetitive Tasks and Loops
Objective:
To control the robot for performing repetitive tasks using different commands.

Apparatus:
 Mark Ⅳ controller
 IBM Compatible computer
 XR-4 Robotic arm
 Standard gripper
 Aluminum Base
 Object piece (Pen)

Description:
To perform the operation a Mark IV controller and robotalk software is used. Loop
program helps in executing one or more statements up to a desired number of times. In our
code we use for loop to perform repetitive task. For loop is a repetition control structure that
allows us to efficiently write a loop that needs to execute a specific number of times.

Commands Used:
SetX = I To declare an object of variable nature.
For A = 0 to 10 Conditional statement for start to end point.
Type A; Monitoring loop cycle for A in rows.
NEXT Shifting the loop Until ending.
Procedure:
 Turn the Power and Host button ON.
 Connect Mark Ⅳ controller and Host.
 Connect the software with the computer.
 Compile your code using the commands to perform repetitive tasks.
 First set the variable’s starting point
 Now made a loop by using FOR command.
 Move the desired motor for operation.
 Shift the command to perform loop action using NEXT command.
 Complete the task using END command.
 Observe the movement of robot.

Figure 7 Repetitive task code

Code:
Following is the code used in the operation;
SETI U = 0
SETI V = 0
For U = 0 TO 2
MOVE TO 0,0, 150,0,0
TYPE U;
FOR V = 3 TO 6
MOVE TO 0,0, -150,0,0
TYPE V;
NEXT
NEXT
HOME
END

Observation:
By compiling the code loop action was observed. Task was repeated, the desired
number of times.

Conclusion:
Repetitive movement of SCARA robot was observed using the code in robotalk
software.

Safety precautions:
 Do not operate the robot higher than its work envelop as joints may get stuck.
 Do not make the robot lift loads more than the robot’s payload.
 Connect the cables of the controller properly.
 Do not operate more than one motor at a same time.
 Carefully generates the for loop as while repeating the action motor may get stall.
 Experiment 06
User Interference
Objective:
Assigning repetitive tasks and loops to have input user.

Apparatus:
 Mark Ⅳ controller
 IBM Compatible computer
 XR-4 Robotic arm
 Standard gripper
 Aluminum Base
 Object piece (Marker)

Description:
The user interface is the human-computer interaction and communication in a device.
It is also the way through which a user interacts with an application or a website. The
interface allows the user to control the machine for effective operation and obtain feedback
from the machine.
For this we use an input value C and use if condition to complete the operation. The
value of C was given by the user.

Procedure:
In the previous activity we just checked some of the commands to make loops but this
time we will have a user interface. Following are the steps to do so;
 First we simply made a loop by using respective commands.
 It worked only for one time by using commands or for certain number of loops.
 By using following commands:
Input C
If C > 5 THEN GO TO 10
IF C<5 GO TO HOME
 We manage to have a loop that will ask number to user.
 If first condition satisfies it moves on LABEL SAY to LABEL 10.
 If second condition satisfies it moves on LABEL SAY to HOME in second condition.

Figure 8 UI code
Code:
SETI X = 0
SETI Y = 0
SETI A = 0
INPUT C
IF C > 5 THEN GOTO 10
IF C< 5 THEN GOTO 20
IF C = 5 THEN GOTO 40
For A = 0 to 3
MOVE 0,0,0,150,0
NEXT
10 FOR Y=0 to 3
MOVE 0,0,0, -150,0
NEXT
20 HOME
40 OUTSIG 1, 2, 3
PAUSE 30
30 END

Observation:
By compiling the code system asks for the input value on the basis on which one of
the condition was satisfied and loop action was observed. Task was repeated, the desired
number of times.

Conclusion:
Repetitive movement and user interface of SCARA robot was observed using the
code in robotalk software.

Safety precautions:
 Do not operate the robot higher than its work envelop as joints may get stuck.
 Do not make the robot lift loads more than the robot’s payload.
 Connect the cables of the controller properly.
 Do not operate more than one motor at a same time.
 Carefully generates the for loop as while repeating the action motor may get stall.
 Experiment 07
Making Robot Intelligent With the Use of Input Panel

Objective:
To control the robot using commands and the use of input ports of Mark IV controller.

Apparatus:
 Mark Ⅳ controller
 IBM Compatible computer
 XR-4 Robotic arm
 Standard gripper
 Aluminum Base
 Object piece (Marker)

Description:
We can make a robot intelligent by making it able to take actions and make choices.
To perform the operation a Mark IV controller and robotalk software is used. Choices to be
made by an intelligent robot are connected to the intelligence built into it through the
program as well as inputs received by the robot from the input ports of controller.

Commands used:
HOME
CLOSE
OPEN
PAUSE 30
MOVE
B,C,D,E,F
MOVE TO
GO TO
IF SIG
OUT SIG
IF-SIG Table:
IF SIG value LED ON LED OFF
1. +1 -09
2. +2 -10
3. +3 -11
4. +4 -12
5. +5 -13
6. +6 -14
7. +7 -15
8. +8 -16
OUT-SIG Table:

OUT SIG value LED ON LED OFF

1. +1 -1
2. +2 -2
3. +3 -3
4. +4 -4
5. +5 -5
6. +6 -6
7. +7 -7
8. +8 -8

Procedure:
 Turn the Power and Host button ON.
 Connect Mark Ⅳ controller and Host.
 Check the connections of cables.
 Connect the software with the computer.
 Compile your code using the commands to operation.
 Use IF SIG, OUT SIG and GOTO command to make the robot intelligent.
 Turn the switches of the controller ON or OFF according to your code.
 Observe the movement of robot.
 After operation bring the robot to HOME position using HOME command.

Figure 9 Code compiled

Code:
Following is the code used in operation;
IFSIG 1 THEN GOTO 3
IFSIG -9 THEN GOTO 4
3 OUTSIG 1
 MOVE TO 0,0,0,2160,0
MOVE 0, -625,0,0,0
PAUSE 20
CLOSE
MOVE TO -336,0,0,0,0
PAUSE 30
4 OUTSIG 8
PAUSE 30
MOVE 0, +625,0,0,0
MOVE TO 0,0, -150, -1003,0
MOVE 380,0,0,0,0
MOVE 0, -625,0,0,0
OPEN
MOVE 0,625,0,0,0
HOME

Observation:
By compiling the code system observes the switching of signal. If signal 1 is ON LED
1 turns on and line 3 code is executed, if signal 1 is OFF LED 8 turns on and line 4 code is
executed

Conclusion:
Robot movement and output signal was observed on the basis of different input signal
given by the user.

Safety precautions:
 Do not operate the robot higher than its work envelop as joints may get stuck.
 Do not make the robot lift loads more than the robot’s payload.
 Connect the cables of the controller properly.
 Do not operate more than one motor at a same time.
 Carefully compile the code as while repeating the action motor may get stall.