A digital twin approach for Denso VP-6242 manipulator using virtual reality

Abstract

The rise of Industry 4.0 has brought about a new age of technological advancement, with cutting-edge innovations like digital twins and virtual reality (VR) playing a pivotal role in transforming industrial landscapes. Within this context, the integration of these technologies into robotics has gained significant attention. Recently, there has been a growing focus on utilizing digital twins and VR to enhance various aspects of robotics, from design and simulation to training and operation. These advancements offer unprecedented opportunities for optimizing efficiency, safety, and overall performance within robotic systems. This paper proposes the development of a digital twin for the Denso VP-6242 manipulator, allowing users to interact with a robot through a teach pendant implemented in a virtual reality environment. To accomplish this, Coppelia Sim, a physics simulator, was employed for robot simulation, while the A-frame web-based virtual reality framework was utilized for environment creation. The intercommunication between these components was facilitated by MQTT, a lightweight and efficient messaging protocol commonly used in Internet of Things (IoT) devices and real-time communication systems.