Reduction
in workload
Reduction
in wiring
Single-platform
concept
ROBOTstar VII platform concept
The ROBOTstar VII is no longer a traditional robot controller; rather, it is based on a platform concept. This naturally raises the questions: What does this actually mean? What advantages does it offer?
Traditional robot controllers
Traditional robot control systems are usually based on manufacturer-specific controllers, which often require time-consuming integration into the overall system via interfaces and couplers. With some manufacturers, seamless integration with third-party systems is virtually impossible.
However, these offer the advantage that specialist expertise, such as path planning or dynamic optimisation, is already deeply and ‘out-of-the-box’ integrated. This means they are ready for use without the need for deep integration of the IT infrastructure.
Classic platform controls
With traditional platforms, open standards enable seamless integration into the overall system. However, these often require highly specialised IT expertise involving open interfaces, which can lead to security risks. Alternatively, they may not deliver the desired performance, as they are not optimised for robotic applications (cf. PLC controllers).
ROBOTstar VII
What if a single control system could combine all these advantages on a single platform? This is where our ROBOTstar VII comes in. It combines the technological advantages of our well-known ROBOTstar control system with those of an open platform.
A ROBOTstar VII includes not only the ROBOTstar software but also a software-based PLC from Siemens. The ROBOTstar component handles all motion control. The two components run together on an industrial PC and communicate with each other via real-time Linux. They thus put the ‘single-platform’ concept into practice. This reduces not only the hardware but also the software workload for users.