Select Tools➔ Check collisions to turn collision detection On or Off. If collision detection is activated, all programs and robot movements will stop when a collision is detected. All objects, tools and robot links in a collision state will be highlighted in red when the simulation is in a collision state.

Follow these steps to safely check a program for collisions:

1.Right click a program.

2.Select Check path and Collisions (Shift+F5). This option quickly checks if the path is feasible (same as Check path – F5) and then validates that there are no collisions.

Collision Avoidance - Image 2

Important: The collision checking step defined in Tools➔Options➔Motion defines the step to safely check for collisions.

Tip: Make sure you accurately modelled the robot cell in RoboDK. It is also recommended to make the 3D geometry larger to safely anticipate collisions.

Note: If you prefer to continue simulating a program even if a collision is detected you can go to Tools➔Options➔Motion menu and uncheck the option Stop robot movements when a collision is detected.

Collision Map

You can specify if the interaction between any pair of objects needs to be checked for collisions.

Select Tools➔ Collision map to display the relationship between all moving objects in your cell and the collision check state. Double click a cell to activate or deactivate collision checking for that relationship. Select Set default selection to automatically set up a conservative selection.

By default, RoboDK checks collisions between all moving objects in the station, including all robot links, objects and tools. As an exception, consecutive robot joints are not checked for collisions as they may always in contact.

Tip: Double click the case in the diagonal to check/uncheck collisions for a specific object against all the other objects.

Tip: If the simulation slows down because of collision checking it may be better to reduce the number of checks to use less computer power for collision checking.

Collision Avoidance - Image 4

Faster Collision Detection

Collision detection speed highly depends on many factors.

1.The number of pairs of checks defined in the collision map. Having a collision map with less checks will be faster.

2.The robot step used for collision checking. The collision step can be modified in the Tools➔Options➔Motion menu. Linear movements use the step in millimeters and joint movements use the step in degrees. A larger step will provide faster collision checking but the result may be less accurate.

3.Computer power: more computer power (faster CPU) and more processing threads will allow you to have faster collision checking.

4.The complexity of the 3D files. Geometries with higher level of detail, such as rounded areas, usually require more computation power. Simplifying these geometries and reducing the number of triangles will help you speed up collision checking.

Tip: You can change the STEP/IGES object import settings to reduce the level of detail (in the Tools-Options-CAD menu). This will create lighter objects in your RoboDK project. A station with lighter objects will help you speed-up simulations and collision checking. You’ll also obtain smaller RDK files.

You should consider the following guidelines for better collision checking:

1.Choose STEP or IGES formats over STL files for better performance and compatibility.

2.Simplify geometry as much as possible.

3.Use the simplify mesh addin to automatically simplify complex geometry: https://robodk.com/addins.

4.To identify improperly grouped features, enable bounding box previews via Tools➔Options➔Other➔Draw bounding boxes (when collision check is activated). Ensure bounding boxes do not encompass multiple separate elements.

5.Avoid using the “Simplify Object…” feature found in Tools➔Options➔Display. It consolidates all surfaces into a single element, resulting in one extensive bounding box, which goes against the previous point.

6.Have collision-specific objects in the environment: duplicate objects and remove surfaces that cannot be reached, or import a version with simpler geometries (e.g., convex hulls). Use the original object for visual purposes only and exclude it from the collision map.

7.Using the API, dynamically update the collision map or set items invisible when they should not be part of the collision detection.