National Instruments and MobileRobots collaborate.
In an initiative aimed at helping engineers rapidly deploy service robot applications, National Instruments is collaborating with MobileRobots to offer NI LabVIEW graphical system design software for use with MobileRobots’ indoor autonomous mobile platforms.
Fragmented landscape
Engineers working on robotics applications are often challenged to assemble a solution from software and hardware tools that offer niche functionality and limited or no integration with other platforms.
According to John Pasquarette, vice president of product marketing for software at National Instruments, “Collaborations like the one between National Instruments and MobileRobots are a clear demonstration of how LabVIEW can provide that common architecture to help engineers simplify robotic design as well as integrate with other platforms for increased functionality.”
Robotic platform
MobileRobotsindoors is a general-purpose platform that helps non-programmers quickly customise and install autonomous robots for applications such as couriers, guides, kiosks and inspectors. The robots also offer easy interoperability with third-party vendor solutions. MobileRobotsindoors technology is the basis for numerous robotics companies’ autonomous robotics solutions, and robots using this technology drive millions of kilometres each year in factories, hospitals and offices around the world.
Programming environment
LabVIEW delivers a sophisticated and robust graphical programming environment that makes it easy to add accessories, including manipulators, sensors and other task-specific components, to robots with MobileRobotsindoors technology and to rapidly integrate these robots or robot fleets into an automation environment such as factories, clinical labs or facility security systems. LabVIEW simplifies application development by abstracting the underlying code, making it ideal for robotics engineers, who often have experience with mechanical or electrical engineering but limited or no software programming knowledge. The performance, ease of use and flexibility of the software have resulted in its adoption in numerous applications, from robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery to spider robots used in lifesaving rescue missions.
Integration
The seamless integration between LabVIEW and MobileRobotsindoors is made possible by a set of LabVIEW VIs, which is available at www.ni.com. Using MobileRobots’ TCP/IP-based protocol, engineers can connect to MobileRobots platforms and program them with LabVIEW to add custom capabilities such as speed and directional changes. Engineers can also use the VIs to take advantage of the Mobile SimBank at the MobileRobots headquarters to remotely test their simulations for both single robot designs and more complex fleet applications to reduce disruption when the robots are installed in a factory or other location.
Core components
“Engineers use MobileRobotsindoors autonomy to keep from re-inventing the wheel and to jump-start solutions with tested foundation technology,” said MobileRobots’ CEO and cofounder Jeanne Dietsch, speaking at the NIWeek 2009 Robotics Summit. “The combination of MobileRobotsindoors and LabVIEW provides the industry with a complete set of core components and tools for quickly creating robotics applications. They also form the first general-purpose system designed to run robotics solutions from multiple vendors.”
Expandability
In addition to software customisation, the collaboration between the two companies makes it possible for engineers to add NI hardware such as NI CompactRIO, NI Single-Board RIO and NI Smart Cameras to MobileRobots intelligent mobile bases and autonomous navigation systems. Using NI hardware with the robots, engineers can add more complex manipulators and stereo vision.
For more information visit www.ni.com/robotics or contact National Instruments, +27 (0)11 805 8197, [email protected], www.ni.com/southafrica
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