Popularity of Do-It-Yourself robotics caused that many people have distorted

view on industrial robot programming. If you ask someone about

programming languages used in robotics you probably have heard of:
assembler/C/Java/I dont know.

Unlike computer programming in robotics there is no one common

language which could be used on any robot. Programmer who knows Java
or C could write programs for Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, and mobile
devices. In robotics each robot manufacturer developed his own language
which is incompatible with other controllers.
There is a short list of industrial robot programming languages:
ABB RAPID,
Kuka KRL (Kuka Robot Language),
Comau PDL2,
Yaskawa Inform,
Kawasaki AS,
Fanuc Karel,
Stubli VAL3,
Universal Robots URScript.

The good news is that those languages are quite similar to each other. All
have syntax based on BASIC, Pascal or C. If you know on of these
language you could learn quickly another on elementary level. Teaching new
positions on robot dont require weeks of manual studying. But if you need to
use some more advanced commands, then is required much more time to
learn.
Below you can see two programs performing the same robot movements in
Abb and KUKA syntax.

ABB RAPID:
MoveAbsJ jpHome,vmax,fine,GR01_W1_Tool\Wobj:=B01_02FX02;
MoveJ LHP005,vmax,z200,GR01_W1_Tool\Wobj:=B01_02FX02;
MoveJ LHP010,vmax,z200,GR01_W1_Tool\Wobj:=B01_02FX02;
! Drop position
MoveL LBH_02fx02,v500,fine,GR01_W1_Tool\Wobj:=B01_02FX02;
! Some logic instructions
KUKA KRL:
PTP HOME Vel= 100 % DEFAULT
PTP LHP005 CONT Vel= 100 % PDAT2 Tool[1]:GR01_W1_Tool
Base[1]:B01_02FX02
PTP LHP010 CONT Vel= 100 % PDAT3 Tool[1]:GR01_W1_Tool
Base[1]:B01_02FX02
; Drop position
LIN LBH_02fx02 Vel= 0.5 m/s CPDAT8 Tool[1]:GR01_W1_Tool
Base[1]:B01_02FX02
; Some logic instructions
Besides non standarization it is important to know that executing commands
in robot is depend from position where robot is. For example robot doesnt
execute line some logic instructions until reach LBH_02fx02 position.

History of robot programming

History of modern programming languages in robotics began in middle of
seventies. One of first was VAL (Victors Assembly Language) which was
developed in company belongs to Victora Scheiman. His company (Vicarm)
together with developed PUMA robot and new invented programming
language was bought in 1977 by Unimate. Actually VAL is used by Stubli
which bought in eighties a bankrupt Unimate.

Before robots receive their own programming language they were controlled
by system who replay movements which were teached earlier. All
informations was saved using magnetics tapes. If was very inconvenient, for
example there was no possibility to reuse part of existing robot program.

Operator cant simply checks what is recorded on tape. He have to play it

once to see what stored program really do. Magnetics tapes were unreliable,
and required to rewind after reaching end of tape. To reduce wasted time
controllers had two identical tapes. When robot executed program from first
one one the second was rewinded.

Today robot producers are trying to reinvent teaching by demonstration.

Using modern controllers operators could teach robot faster than with
traditional method.