Calibration and programming of robots

1. A method for making a working program for a first robot usable with a second robot, each of the first robot and the second robot having joints connecting two flanges, the two flanges comprising a base flange and a tool flange, the method comprising:

obtaining the working program for the first robot;

selecting positions or angles based on the working program for the first robot;

moving the second robot to the positions or angles to produce a position pair data set;

estimating kinematic models of the first robot and the second robot based on a base flange offset and a tool flange center point offset between the first robot and the second robot using the position pair data set; and

performing a conversion operation on the working program based on the kinematic models.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

making a determination about whether the working program is runnable on the second robot within one or more defined tolerances.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein making the determination comprises making a determination that the working program is not runnable on the second robot within the one or more defined tolerances; and

wherein, when the working program is not runnable on the second robot within the one or more predefined tolerances, the method further comprises:

selecting additional positions based on the working program;

moving the second robot to the additional positions to produce an extended position pair data set;

estimating revised kinematic models of the first robot and the second robot using the extended position pair data set; and

performing a conversion operation on the working program based on the revised kinematic models.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing a conversion operation on a second working program based on the kinematic models.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the conversion operation comprises:

applying forward kinematics to first position pair data in the working program for a first kinematic model associated with the first robot to produce a first program;

applying inverse kinematics to the first program using a second kinematic model for the second robot to produce second position pair data; and

completing the conversion operation by replacing the first position pair data in the first working program with the second position pair data to produce a converted working program that is usable with the second robot.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the kinematic models are based on parameters defining transformations.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the kinematic models are based on three types of Denavit-Hartenberg parameters.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the three types of Denavit-Hartenberg parameters comprise Schilling parameters, Parallel variant parameters, and RPY parameters.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein RPY parameters are usable to modulate a last joint of each of the first robot and the second robot.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the kinematic models are estimated using predetermined models as a starting point.

11. Non-transitory machine-readable data storage storing instructions that are executable to make a working program for a first robot usable with a second robot, each of the first robot and the second robot having joints connecting two flanges, the two flanges comprising a base flange and a tool flange, the instructions being executable to perform operations comprising:

obtaining the working program for the first robot;

selecting positions or angles based on the working program for the first robot;

causing the second robot to move to the positions or angles to produce a position pair data set;

estimating kinematic models of the first robot and the second robot based on a base flange offset and a tool flange center point offset between the first robot and the second robot using the position pair data set; and

performing a conversion operation on the working program based on the kinematic models.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable data storage of claim 11 , wherein the operations comprise:

making a determination about whether the working program is runnable on the second robot within one or more defined tolerances.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable data storage of claim 12 , wherein making the determination comprises making a determination that the working program is not runnable on the second robot within the one or more defined tolerances; and

wherein the operations comprise, when the working program is not runnable on the second robot within the one or more predefined tolerances:

selecting additional positions based on the working program;

causing the second robot to move to the additional positions to produce an extended position pair data set;

estimating revised kinematic models of the first robot and the second robot using the extended position pair data set; and

performing a conversion operation on the working program based on the revised kinematic models.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable data storage of claim 11 , wherein the operations comprise:

performing a conversion operation on a second working program based on the kinematic models.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable data storage of claim 11 , wherein performing the conversion operation comprises:

applying forward kinematics to first position pair data in the working program for a first kinematic model associated with the first robot to produce a first program;

applying inverse kinematics to the first program using a second kinematic model for the second robot to produce second position pair data; and

completing the conversion operation by replacing the first position pair data in the first working program with the second position pair data to produce a converted working program that is usable with the second robot.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable data storage of claim 11 , wherein the kinematic models are based on parameters defining transformations.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable data storage of claim 16 , wherein the kinematic models are based on three types of Denavit-Hartenberg parameters.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable data storage of claim 17 , wherein the three types of Denavit-Hartenberg parameters comprise Schilling parameters, Parallel variant parameters, and RPY parameters.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable data storage of claim 16 , wherein RPY parameters are usable to modulate a last joint of each of the first robot and the second robot.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable data storage of claim 11 , wherein the kinematic models are estimated using predetermined models as a starting point.