‘New Lamps for Old!’ A Method to Rejuvenate Old Robots through the Use of a Simple Set of Microcontroller-Based Control Boards to Replace Outdated Control Systems

Abstract

The paper describes the design, development, testing and use of a microcontroller- and PC-based control system which was used to repair and enhance an ASEA IRB6 welding robot in the authors' laboratory. The principles described could be applied to any robot of similar age and to provide a low-cost route to revitalise any working robot hardware that is limited by an outdated control system. The proposed approach addresses a problem within many manufacturing systems operating in industry.