Patent ID: 8260460

Claim:
A robotic system comprising: a robot having a plurality of integrated system components, including a plurality of robotic joints each being moveable using at least one of a plurality of actuators, wherein the robot includes a plurality of sensors adapted for measuring feedback data at a corresponding one of the integrated system components; and a distributed controller adapted for controlling the integrated system components by communicating control data over multiple high-speed communication networks, wherein the distributed controller includes: a command-level controller operable for transmitting a control signal commanding a performance of an automated task by the robot; multiple embedded low-level controllers each adapted for directly controlling a respective one of the integrated system components; a joint coordination-level controller adapted for coordinating control of the integrated system components in response to the control signal; a central data library (CDL) adapted for centralizing all of the control data and feedback data; a user interface in electrical communication with the CDL, and adapted for displaying a status of each of the robotic joints, actuators, and sensors using information from the CDL; wherein the distributed controller displays via the user interface a parameterized action sequence having a hierarchy of linked events, and wherein the user interface allows the user to modify the parameterized action sequence via the user interface to change the control data in real time.