Absolute Motion and Relative Motion

Absolute Motion

An absolute motion is a motion to move a taught position.

An absolute motion always moves to a taught position without being affected by the previous motion.

Relative Motion

A relative motion is a motion to move by a taught distance from the current position.

Since a relative motion sets its reference to the current position of the result of executing the previous motion command, the previous motion command affects the motion.

Absolute Motion and Relative Motion Examples

Here are two example programs to move the robot from the current position P1 to point P3 through point P2.

“MOVEMENT1” is expressed with an absolute motion.

“MOVEMENT2” is expressed with an absolute motion and a relative motion. Both programs, when executed, perform the same motion, as shown in the figure below.

Sub MOVEMENT1
	TakeArm Keep = 1

	'Absolute motion command
	Move L, P[2]

	'Absolute motion command
	Move L, P[3]
End Sub

Sub MOVEMENT2
	TakeArm Keep = 1

	'Absolute motion command
	Move L, P[2]

	'Relative motion command
	V3 is the relative distance of P2 and P3.
	Draw L, V[3]	
End Sub

If the first motion instruction “MOVE P, P2” is deleted from “MOVEMENT1” and “MOVEMENT2”, their motions change, as shown in the following figure.

With “MOVEMENT1,” the robot moves to point P3 with an absolute motion, however, ”MOVEMENT2” moves by V3 from the current position with a relative motion.