ARCHIMEDES IS A PROTOTYPE MECHANICAL ASSEMBLY SYSTEM WHICH GENERATES ASSEMBLY PROGRAMS FROM A CAD MODEL INPUT. THE SYSTEM ADDRESSES THE UNREALIZED POTENTIAL FOR FLEXIBILITY IN ROBOTIC MECHANICAL ASSEMBLY APPLICATIONS BY AUTOMATING THE PROGRAMMING TASK. IMPUT IS A SOLID MODEL OF THE FINISHED ASSEMBLY. USING THIS MODEL, THIS SYSTEM DEDUCES GEOMETRIC ASSEMBLY CONSTRAINTS AND THEN PRODUCES AN ASSEMBLY PLAN THAT SATISFIES THE GEOMETRIC CONSTRAINTS, AS WELL AS OTHER CONSTRAINTS SUCH AS STABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY. A RETARGETABLE PLAN COMPILER CONVERTS THE GENERIC PLAN INTO ROBOT AND CELL SPECIFIC CODE, INCLUDING RECOGNITION ROUTINES FOR A VISION SYSTEM. IN THE PROTOTYPE SYSTEM, THE CODE IS EXECUTED IN A WORKCELL CONTAINING A ROBOT, A VISION SYSTEM, AND OTHER PARTS HANDLING EQUIPMENT.