Learning to talk to machines has been one of the main challenges for the robotics engineers in recent decades. And the same goes the other way around: how to give a voice to these intelligent companions. programming languages have a lot to do with it all! Programming a robot is a fundamental part of the work of the industrial robotics, a discipline that deals with creating, designing, developing and manufacturing industrial robots to automate people's work.
Do you want to know all the details about what is robot programming and what the programming languages in roboticsWe'll show you in this article!
What is robot programming?
The robot programming is the set of techniques and processes necessary to designing, configuring, creating and developing the instructions that a robot follows to perform specific tasks. Robot programming always involves the algorithm creation that control the movement and decision-making of these machines.
Normally, the robot programming will be different depending on the needs or purpose for which the robot is created. Thus, a robot that will work in a parts company is not programmed in the same way as a robot dedicated to assisting the elderly. In this sense, the security is always one of the pillars of robot programming.
How are robots programmed?
For programming a robot, The first step is always to consider the purpose of the machine. However, there are some stages that are common to all machines. robot programming processes. We show them to you below!
- Robot requirements analysis, The tasks to be carried out and the objectives to be achieved should be defined.
- Algorithm design that will guide the robot's actions and reasoning.
- Codingit is imperative to implement the above algorithm in a programming language suitable for the purpose and objectives. At this point, it is key to choose the right programming language, as not all have the same objectives and effectiveness, although we will talk about this later.
- SimulationTesting the above code in certain scenarios and virtual environments before the final development of the machine is carried out. In particular, we refer to development environments, where it is likely to test and debug the chosen programs.
- OptimisationBased on the bugs and errors of the previous phase, the robotics engineers will have to modify the code and improve the robot's performance.
- Implementation and monitoring. The last step will be to implement the above modifications, control the operation of the robot and monitor its actions over an extended period of time.
In this regard, you should know that there are numerous types of programming of robots The different types of machines and that, depending on the objectives and purposes of these machines, one or the other will have to be implemented. This is where the robot programming languages. Let's see!
Robot programming languages
As we have already mentioned, one of the essential steps in the process of developing and programming robots is that of the coding. The coding in robotics is to convert algorithms into written instructions that a robot can read, interpret and execute. But to do so, it is necessary to have a programming language.
There are many, many programming languages different, although the most common ones in the field of robotics are C++, Python, Java and MATLAB. It all depends on the purpose of the robot! For example, in the industrial robotics sector, the most common programming language is C++, while many technology companies use their own programming languages for robots.
Robot programming methods
In addition to the robot programming languages, it is important to mention the robot programming methods. And no, it's not the same thing!
Here are the main methods available:
Textual programming method. This is the more traditional method using written code. The robotics programmer manually enters the instructions for the robot with an appropriate programming language and the robot deciphers it before starting its tasks.
Demonstration programming method. In this case, the robotics programmer physically guides the robot, teaching it the movements to perform. The robot will learn them and then perform them on its own.
Visual programming method. It is characterised by the use of visual expressions, such as graphics or icons, to “programme” the robot to learn about its movements and actions.
Offline programming method. This method of robot programming consists of programming robots in a simulation environment without the need for the robot to be present. In this case, simulation programs are key.
Online programming method. Movements or actions to perform all of the above is that, in this case, the robot must be present and connected in order to learn the movements or actions to perform.
Ranking of programming languages in industrial robotics
Do you want to know our ranking of programming languages in industrial robotics?
Bear in mind that the needs and purposes of each company or sector should determine which programming language is the most appropriate. Each programming language has its own specific advantages in terms of flexibility and ease of use. Check them out and choose the one that suits you best!
C++
No doubt about it, one of the leading leaders in programming languages for robots. The main reason is its maximum performance and high real-time capabilities, especially in hardware control. It is the most widely used in high-precision robotics applications.
Among its main advantages are the high performance and efficiency, The extensive control over the hardware, which is widely used in robotics in conjunction with systems such as Robot Operating System (ROS). The main reasons are that the code is translated directly into machine language. On the other hand, in terms of disadvantages, engineers and programmers need more learning time than in other programming languages and it is not as intuitive.
Python
It is one of the programming languages It has a simple syntax and a large ecosystem of libraries, making it essential for robot automation and control tasks. It has a simple syntax and a large ecosystem of libraries, making it essential for robot automation and control tasks.
Among its main advantages are the ease of use and versatility to create simulations, as well as its wide-ranging ability to apply the artificial intelligence y machine learning. Among its disadvantages, it is not the most efficient for critical and complex tasks.
Manufacturer-specific programming languages
There are many manufacturers that use their own programming languages, such as KRL (for KUKA robots), RAPID (for ABB robots) or Karel (for FANUC robots). They are essential in specific industrial environments and therefore have much more specific characteristics.
JAVA
It is a very common programming language in some enterprise systems, although it is not as popular as the previous ones. It is ideal for environments where you want to developing cross-platform applications.
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