Modelling Robot Manipulators in a CAD Environment Using B-Splines

A major aim of robotics research is the provision of systems which simplify the programming of robots, enabling experienced designers and engineers to implement robotic devices as part of a larger systems without the need to become expert programmers. Also in the quest for a flexible industrial production system is it desirable to be able to reprogram robots offline, so that they can be doing one task whilst being prepared for another. This paper describes the mathematical and computational background to a system which enables the development and testing of robot programs in a CAD environment in a way that is simple to use and compatible with existing methods used in CAD systems.