PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a CAD‐based human‐robot interface that allows non‐expert users to teach a robot in a manner similar to that used by human beings to teach each other.Design/methodology/approachIntuitive robot programming is achieved by using CAD drawings to generate robot programs off‐line. Sensory feedback allows minimization of the effects of uncertainty, providing information to adjust the robot paths during robot operation.FindingsIt was found that it is possible to generate a robot program from a common CAD drawing and run it without any major concerns about calibration or CAD model accuracy.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation of the proposed system has to do with the fact that it was designed to be used for particular technological applications.Practical implicationsSince most manufacturing companies have CAD packages in their facilities today, CAD‐based robot programming may be a good option to program robots without the need for skilled robot programmers.Originality/valueThe paper proposes a new CAD‐based robot programming system. Robot programs are directly generated from a CAD drawing “running” on a commonly available 3D CAD package (Autodesk Inventor) and not from a commercial, computer aided robotics (CAR) software, making it a simple CAD integrated solution. This is a low‐cost and low‐setup time system where no advanced robot programming skills are required to operate it. In summary, robot programs are generated with a high‐level of abstraction from the robot language.