Robot programming by demonstration: a novel system for robot trajectory programming based on robot operating system

In this article, a new trajectory programming system that allows non-expert users to intuitively and efficiently program trajectories for robots is proposed. The system tracks a pen-shaped marker and obtains its position and orientation by processing the point cloud data of the workspace. A graphical user interface, which enables users to save and execute the acquired trajectory immediately after performing trajectory demonstration, is designed and developed for the system. The performance of the developed system is experimentally evaluated by using it to program trajectories for a UR5 robot. The results indicate that compared with traditional kinesthetic programming, the developed system has the potential of significantly reducing the ergonomic stress and workload of users. The system is developed based on the robot operating system, which facilitates its integration with different robot control systems.