ABB Robots Rock with Bon Jovi

Fiveof ABB's largest and most powerful robots that use inverse kinematics to createunique robotic motions are taking the stage with Bon Jovi for the band's CircleTour. Patented RoboScreen^(TM) technology with large LED video panels attached tothe robot's articulated arms delivers an unprecedented concert experience. Robotsare choreographed to be part of the show, using inverse kinematics and advancedmotion control to move in sync to the music.

The Bon Jovi concert experience has alwaysbeen a marvel of sight and sound, and The Circle Tour, which opened Feb. 19 inSeattle, has taken this production innovation to a new level. A primarycomponent of the visual intrigue of the show is five ABB IRB 7600 industrialrobots positioned toward the back of the stage, each with a 6 x 9 ft LED videopanel attached to their articulated arm.

The robots and screens are integral to theconcert production, moving to the rhythm and beat of the music while displayingreal-time video footage of the show and digital animations. At variousintervals the five robot arms move into a formation where the LED panels becomeone continuous five-panel screen.

RoboScreen is the creative concept that bringsthe robots to life on stage. It is a patented technology developed by inventorAndy Flessas, the founder and president of Robotic Arts of Las Vegas. Flessas'experience with robots began in the mid-1990s and reached elite status in 2006when he completed a robotic programming, design and operation certificationprogram. Along the way he developed the idea of mounting a graphic screen on arobotic arm to bring controlled movement to the visual media and create aunique viewer experience.

Now, Flessas says he is using inversekinematics in the same way a computer animator uses it, and teaching youngeranimators to use the robotics technology.

"Our goal is trying to create a choreographedlook to the way the six-axis robot is moving," says Flessas. He says thatmovements are coordinated at 30 frames per sec using a time code to synchronizemotion with a musical beat or frame of video.

"The big challenge was working with outsideart groups to bring them up to speed on using robots to create omnidirectionalvideo," Flessas says. "I needed to work with the outside animators andproducers to get them to a point where they could understand the potential usesof the technology, and then they are off and creating. The cool part iswatching what they did with that basic understanding."

The intelligence that allows therobots to be precisely choreographed with the music and onstage production isRobot Animator(TM), a software program extension that enables 3-D computeranimation. The proprietary software, developed by Flessas, provides a separateinterface to animate the movement of the ABB robots as if they were on-screencharacters. Once the desired movement is established, Robot Animator channelsthe code directly into ABB's IRC controller and the robots replicate themovement on stage.

EachIRB 7600 robot is entrusted with a custom-designed LED panel that weighs 700 lband is comprised of 24 individual sub-panels arranged in a six column by fourrow grid. The I-MAG or image magnification footage, approximately 85 percent ofwhat will appear on the screens during the show, is fed by multiple cameras setup throughout the concert venue. The animations that fill the balance of thescreen time are a combination of pre-programmed 3-D graphics and fullyrendered, real time computerized reactions to the beat of the music.