ABB AppStudio: No-Code Robot Interface for Industrial Automation

An industrial robot is a great tool to leverage when you need consistent and repetitive motions in your assembly operation. A common problem with robots is the interface used to interact with them; it can be complex and clumsy, especially if the user doesn’t have much experience with industrial robots. The robot interface is how the user selects programs, jogs different axes or TCPs, and teaches different positions. ABB has recently released AppStudio, a programming tool that allows users to create custom interfaces for their robots using the OmniCore controller.

AppStudio being used to create a robot interface. Image used courtesy of ABB

No-Code Solution

The AppStudio software uses a no-code approach to develop intuitive robot interfaces that interact with virtually all of the robots in the ABB collection, provided they are configured to use ABB’s OmniCore controller. The software uses common drag-and-drop style programming, so learning the syntax of a new programming framework is unnecessary. A cloud-based library is provided to users so that pre-configured interfaces can be downloaded and installed within the OmniCore flex pendent in minutes. Special configurations can be made to applications so that the interface can be accessed virtually and on devices such as tablets or smartphones.

Advanced users of the AppStudio software can build customized interfaces and elements using JavaScript. This feature adds a high degree of customization not seen with other robot controllers. Allowing other devices, such as tablets and smartphones, to access custom robot interfaces opens many possibilities for maintenance, remote support, and debugging issues.

ABB Robot interface on the OmniCore flex pendant. Image used courtesy of ABB

Part Of A Larger Software Package

The AppStudio software is part of ABB’s robot programming software suite, which includes RobotStudio and Wizard Easy Programming tools. Once an interface is built, it can be deployed into RobotStudio so that an accurate digital twin of the robot cell can be built and operated virtually the same way as the physical cell.

Different devices accessing the robot interface. Image used courtesy of ABB

Programming Is Becoming A Thing Of The Past

Programming a robot requires extensive knowledge of coordinate systems, structured text programming languages, and trigonometry. Most smaller manufacturing facilities do not have staff capable of programming not only a robot but also the interface to manipulate the robot. Collaborative robots typically have a pre-built intuitive interface, but if your application cannot withstand the slower speeds of a collaborative robot and the application requires constant re-teaching or program selection, an interface will need to be built for the robot. By using ABB’s AppStudio, an integrator can quickly build an interface suitable for your application without having to learn a complex programming language.

With collaborative robots and now AppStudio, ABB is offering a complete solution that doesn’t require coding. This opens the possibility for smaller integrators and manufacturers to enter the world of industrial robotics.