Robot control device, robot system, and robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059001-B2
Application number	US-201414527106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2014
Priority date	Oct 31, 2013
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

An image acquisition unit acquires an image including an object, and a controller starts a visual servo using the acquired image, on the basis of at least one of an error in calibration, an error in installation of a robot, an error resulting from the rigidity of the robot, an error of a position where the robot has gripped the object, an error regarding imaging, and an error regarding a work environment. Additionally, the controller starts the visual servo when the distance between one point of a working unit of the robot and the object is equal to or greater than 2 mm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot system configured to operate in a work environment, the robot system comprising:
a robot having an arm and an actuator; and
a robot control device, wherein the robot control device includes:
an image acquisition unit that acquires an image including an object, and
a motion controller configured to (i) control the robot using a first command input that is not received from a visual servo and (ii) control a start timing at which control of the robot switches to the visual servo, wherein switching to the visual servo includes controlling the robot using a second command input received from the visual servo instead of the first command input, and wherein the motion controller is configured to determine the start timing at which the control of the robot switches to the visual servo in accordance with an installation error caused by movement of the robot.

2. The robot system according to claim 1 ,
Wherein, to control the start timing, the motion controller starts the visual servo in response to a determination that a distance between a terminal point of a working unit of the robot and the object is from 2 mm to 300 mm.

3. The robot system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the visual servo is a control that makes the image acquisition unit image the object multiple times while the robot moves from a first posture to a second posture that is different from the first posture.

4. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein, to control the start timing of the visual servo, the motion controller is further configured to determine the start timing further based on whether at least one of an illuminance of a work environment in which the object is present and reflectivity of an object indicate an error in the work environment.

5. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the robot includes (i) at least one caster configured to allow movement of the robot when the robot is in a first, moveable configuration and (ii) at least one adjustment foot configured to maintain the robot in a second, fixed configuration, wherein the robot is adjustable between the first, moveable configuration and the second, fixed configuration; and
the installation error corresponds to an error caused by movement of the robot in the first, moveable configuration.

6. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein:
to control the start timing of the visual servo, the motion controller is configured to switch the control of the robot to the visual servo in response to a determination that a distance between a terminal point of a working unit of the robot and the object is between a first predetermined distance and a second predetermined distance; and
wherein at least one of the first distance and the second distance is determined in accordance with the installation error.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Miyazawa Hiroshi
• Yamaguchi Yukihiro
• Karito Nobuhiro

Classifications

• Y10S901/47

  Optical · CPC title

• B25J9/1697 Primary

  Vision controlled systems · CPC title

• G05B2219/39016

  Simultaneous calibration of manipulator and camera · CPC title

• Y10S901/03

  Teaching system · CPC title

• G05B2219/39394

  Compensate hand position with camera detected deviation, new end effector attitude · CPC title