Robot system including force-controlled pushing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10423154-B2
Application number	US-201815877505-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2018
Priority date	Jan 24, 2017
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

A robot system including a force-controlled pushing device which causes, when a robot is guided and moved, an object provided at a tip end of the robot to be brought into appropriate contact with another object. The robot system includes the robot, the force-controlled pushing device, a robot operation input measuring part, a robot movement command calculating part, a pushing direction setting part, a target pushing force setting part, a force measuring part, and a force-controlled pushing device movement command calculating part. The pushing direction setting part sets a pushing direction of the force-controlled pushing device, based on at least one of: the position/orientation of the first object; a force-controlled pushing device movement command for moving the first object; the position/orientation of the movement mechanism part of the force-controlled pushing device; the position/orientation of the robot; and a robot movement command for moving the robot.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A robot system for causing a robot and a force-controlled pushing device provided at a tip end of the robot to control a force acting between a tool and a workpiece, so as to move the tool and the workpiece relative to each other, wherein the robot system comprises:
the robot;
the force-controlled pushing device comprising a movement mechanism part, which holds a first object being one of the tool and the workpiece, and moves the first object by controlling a force acting between the first object and a second object being the other of the tool and the workpiece, so as to push the first object, in a predetermined pushing direction, by a predetermined target pushing force;
a robot operation input measuring part for measuring a robot operation input for moving/operating the robot;
a robot movement command calculating part for calculating, based on the robot operation input measured by the robot operation input measuring part, a robot movement command being a movement command for the robot;
a force-controlled pushing device's pushing direction setting part for setting the pushing direction of the force-controlled pushing device;
a force-controlled pushing device's target pushing force setting part for setting the target pushing force of the force-controlled pushing device;
a force-controlled pushing device's force measuring part for measuring a force acting between the tool and the workpiece; and
a force-controlled pushing device movement command calculating part for calculating, based on the pushing direction set by the force-controlled pushing device's pushing direction setting part, the target pushing force set by the force-controlled pushing device's target pushing force setting part, and a force measured by the force-controlled pushing device's force measuring part, a force-controlled pushing device movement command being a movement command for the movement mechanism part of the force-controlled pushing device, wherein
the force-controlled pushing device's pushing direction setting part sets a pushing direction of the force-controlled pushing device, based on at least one of the position, orientation, or position and orientation of the first object, the force-controlled pushing device movement command for moving the first object, the position, orientation, or position and orientation of the movement mechanism part of the force-controlled pushing device, the position, orientation, or position and orientation of the robot, or the robot movement command for moving the robot, and
either (i) or (ii) below
(i) the robot operation input measuring part measures the robot operation input for moving/operating the robot by measuring a force acting on a main body portion of the robot, or a force acting on a tip end of the robot,
(ii) the robot system further comprises a robot guidance device, and the robot operation input measuring part measures the robot operation input for moving/operating the robot by measuring a force acting on the robot guidance device attached to the robot, or an input given by a non-contact robot guidance device.

2. A robot system for causing a robot and a force-controlled pushing device provided at a tip end of the robot to control a force acting between a tool and a workpiece, so as to move the tool and the workpiece relative to each other, wherein
the robot system comprises:
the robot;
the force-controlled pushing device comprising a movement mechanism part, which holds a first object being one of the tool and the workpiece, and moves the first object by controlling a force acting between the first object and a second object being the other of the tool and the workpiece, so as to push the first object, in a predetermined pushing direction, by a predetermined target pushing force;
a robot operation input measuring part for measuring a robot operation input for moving/operating the robot;
a robot movement command calculating part for calculating, based on the robot operation input measured by the robot operation input measuring part, a robot movement command being a movement command for the robot;
a force-controlled pushing device's pushing direction setting part for setting the pushing direction of the force-controlled pushing device;
a force-controlled pushing device's target pushing force setting part for setting the target pushing force of the force-controlled pushing device;
a force-controlled pushing device's force measuring part for measuring a force acting between the tool and the workpiece; and
a force-controlled pushing device movement command calculating part for calculating, based on the pushing direction set by the force-controlled pushing device's pushing direction setting part, the target pushing force set by the force-controlled pushing device's target pushing force setting part, and a force measured by the force-controlled pushing device's force measuring part, a force-controlled pushing device movement command being a movement command for the movement mechanism part of the force-controlled pushing device, wherein
the robot movement command calculating part adjusts the amount of movement in the robot movement command, or prevents the robot from moving, based on at least one of the position, orientation, or position and orientation of in an operable range of the movement mechanism part of the force-controlled pushing device, the pushing direction set by the force-controlled pushing device's pushing direction setting part, or a force measured by the force-controlled pushing device's force measuring part, and
either (i) or (ii) below
(i) the robot operation input measuring part measures the robot operation input for moving/operating the robot by measuring a force acting on a main body portion of the robot, or a force acting on a tip end of the robot,
(ii) the robot system further comprises a robot guidance device, and the robot operation input measuring part measures the robot operation input for moving/operating the robot by measuring a force acting on the robot guidance device attached to the robot, or an input given by a non-contact robot guidance device.

3. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein
the movement mechanism part moves the first object by controlling the force acting between the first object and the second object so as to push the first object, in the predetermined pushing direction set by the force-controlled pushing device's pushing direction setting part, by the predetermined target pushing force, and to push, in relation to one direction perpendicular to the predetermined pushing direction or two directions which are perpendicular to the predetermined pushing direction and are perpendicular to each other, the first object by an around-axis target pushing force being a predetermined force around an axis in the one direction or in each of the two directions,
the force-controlled pushing device's target pushing force setting part sets the target pushing force and the around-axis target pushing force, and
the force-controlled pushing device movement command calculating part calculates, based on the pushing direction set by the force-controlled pushing device's pushing direction setting part, the target pushing force and the around-axis target pushing force, which are set by the force-controlled pushing device's target pushing force setting part, and a force measured by the force-controlled pushing device's force measuring part, the force-controlled pushing device movement command.

4. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein
the force-controlled pushing device's pushing direction setting part sets, as the pushing direction of the force-controlled pushing device, a predetermined direction depending on at least one of the position, orientation, or position and orientation of the first object, the force-controlled pushing device mo

Assignees

• Fanuc Corp

Inventors

• Iwatake Takahiro

Classifications

• B25J9/1656

  characterised by programming, planning systems for manipulators · CPC title

• B25J9/0081 Primary

  with leader teach-in means · CPC title

• G05B19/423 Primary

  Teaching successive positions by walk-through, i.e. the tool head or end effector being grasped and guided directly, with or without servo-assistance, to follow a path · CPC title

• G05B2219/36429

  Power assisted positioning · CPC title

• B25J9/1633 Primary

  compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control · CPC title