October 17, 2019 – Energid released version 5.5 of the Actin software development kit (SDK), a version of the real-time adaptive robotic motion control and path planning toolkit. Actin version 5.5 adds Actin Viewer enhancements, Motion Script updates and G-code support, for robotic systems developers to focus on the robot’s tasks rather than joint movement and paths.
Traditionally, developers of robotic systems would have to program many intermediate waypoints to avoid collisions with the environment and would have to hand tune paths to avoid collisions, singularities and joint limits for process-related tasks. Actin automatically finds optimal paths in real time, responding to sensory input and then directing robots on the most efficient path while avoiding collisions. The robot motion is updated dynamically without requiring reprogramming, even in dynamic, mission-critical environments.
Actin 5.5 adds to the software’s capabilities with:
- Edit Motion Scripts in Actin Viewer:Actin 5.5 provides an IDE to create Motion Scripts.
- Updates to Motion Script: Developers can now write custom functions in Motion Script, with a list of Motion Script variables able to be passed to the function by value or reference.
- G-code support: Actin 5.5 supports toolpaths defined in G-code, an industry standard adopted by manufacturers that are familiar with CNC machining.
Developers can also use the motion script GUI plugin to more easily create motion scripts to task an Actin model.
The interface now has file save, save as, and open options, as well as syntax highlighting, icons and layout, a toolbar quick-access button, as well as context menu options to insert motion scripts from the current state of the model.
Developers can now create a Motion Script composed of multiple files. build more modular programs to create a Motion Script composed of multiple files.
This lets developers compose more complex scripts, reuse scripts in more advanced applications, and iterate when setting up new applications with Actin.
A toolpath defines the tool orientation, trajectory, speed (or feed rate), and travel direction.
The toolpath files can be generated in third-party CAD/CAM software packages based on part models.
Actin will convert imported toolpath files into robot motion automatically.
