Novel Gesture-Based Robot Programming Approach with the Ability of Code Reuse

Nowadays, there is a worldwide demand to create new, simpler, and more intuitive methods for the manual programming of industrial robots. Gestures can allow the operator to interact with the robot more simply and naturally, as gestures are used in everyday life. The authors have developed and tested a gesture-based robot programming approach for part-handling applications. Compared to classic manual programming methods using jogging and lead-through, the gesture control method reduced wasted time by up to 70% and reduced the probability of operator error. In addition, the proposed method compares favorably with similar works in that the proposed approach allows one to write programs in the native programming language of the robot’s controller and allows the operator to control the gripper of an industrial robot.