Robot arm comprising an input module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10343277-B2
Application number	US-201415039602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2014
Priority date	Nov 28, 2013
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

The invention concerns a robotic arm ( 1 ) with at least two arm modules ( 41, 42 ) which are moveable relative to one another and at least one manually operable input module ( 11 ) for generating control signals for the control of the robotic arm ( 1 ) on the basis of a user input. Both arm modules ( 41, 42 ) have a first interface ( 38, 40 ) onto which the input module ( 11 ) can be selectively mounted.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A robotic arm having at least first and second robotic arm segments respectively, which are moveable relative to one another, and at least one manually operable robotic arm movement control element configured for generating robotic arm movement control signals for initiating and controlling the movement of the robotic arm on the basis of a user input supplied to the least one manually operable robotic arm movement control element, characterized in that said at least first and second robotic arm segments have a first arm module interface respectively onto which the manually operable robotic arm movement control element can be selectively mounted and wherein a movement of the robotic arm is effectuated, in at least one mode of operation, under control of said manually operable robotic arm movement control element and wherein the at least one manually operable robotic arm movement control element includes two interfaces and wherein one of said two input module interfaces is configured for being connected with the first robotic arm segment and the other of said two input module interfaces is configured for being connected with the second robotic arm segment.

2. The robotic arm according to claim 1 , further including a robotic arm movement controller configured to identify an arm module interface to which the manually operable robotic arm movement control element is mounted, and for utilizing the identification of the arm module interface for determining said control signals to be supplied by the manually operable robotic arm movement control element to said robotic arm movement controller, for the control of movement of the robotic arm.

3. The robotic arm according to claim 2 , characterized in that said robotic arm movement controller is configured to control a movement of the robotic arm in such a way that the arm module interface to which the manually operable robotic arm movement control element is mounted is moved in the direction of a force applied by a user to the manually operable robotic arm movement control element.

4. The robotic arm according to claim 1 , characterized in that the second robotic arm segment includes a second arm module interface which is configured for being connected with the first arm module interface of the first robotic arm segment.

5. The robotic arm according to claim 4 , characterized in that two arm module interfaces of the second robotic arm segment are moveable relative to one another in at least one degree of freedom.

6. The robotic arm according to claim 4 , characterized in that the first arm module interface is of a first type and the second interface is of a second type, structurally different from the first type, and wherein one of the two input module interfaces of the at least one manually operable robotic arm movement control element is of the first type and the other input module interface of the second type.

7. The robotic arm according to claim 1 , further including a third robotic arm segment configured for being mounted on the first interface of the second robotic arm segment.

8. The robotic arm according to claim 7 , characterized in that the third robotic arm segment is configured for being connected with an interface of the at least one manually operable robotic arm movement control element.

9. The robotic arm according to claim 7 , characterized in that an interface disposed on the third robotic arm segment is configured for being mounted selectively on one of the first interface of the second robotic arm segment or on the at least one manually operable robotic arm movement control element.

10. The robotic arm according to claim 7 , characterized in that the third robotic arm segment is one of a tool or an instrument.

11. The robotic arm according to claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one manually operable robotic arm movement control element has a base body around which extends a control element.

12. The robotic arm according to claim 11 , characterized in that the interfaces of the at least one manually operable robotic arm movement control element are located on two end faces of the base body separated from one another by a control element.

13. The robotic arm according to claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one manually operable robotic arm movement control element has two control elements, and wherein a first one of the two control elements controls a direction of movement of the robotic arm and the second one of the two control elements controls a speed of movement of the robotic arm.

14. The robotic arm according to claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one manually operable robotic arm movement control element has two control elements, and wherein one of the two control elements controls the direction of a movement of the robotic arm with a first speed, and the second one of the two control elements controls the direction of a movement of the robotic arm with a second speed.

15. The robotic arm according to claim 14 , characterized in that, on simultaneous operation of the control elements, only the control commands of one control element are executed.

16. The robotic arm according to claim 1 , characterized in that the at least one manually operable robotic arm movement control element includes a device which registers the accelerations acting on the at least one manually operable robotic arm movement control element.

Assignees

• Abb Gomtec Gmbh
• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Gombert Bernd
• Ries Michael
• Semsey Ákos

Classifications

• G05B2219/40304

  Modular structure · CPC title

• G05B2219/39335

  Independent joint control, decentralised · CPC title

• G05B2219/33105

  Identification of type of connected module, motor, panel · CPC title

• B25J9/1617

  Cellular, reconfigurable manipulator, e.g. cebot · CPC title

• G05B2219/39427

  Panel on arm, hand of robot, controlled axis · CPC title