Robot system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10875180-B2
Application number	US-201815893680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2018
Priority date	May 16, 2017
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

Provided is a highly safe robot system. A robot system includes: an arm operation control unit that controls operations of an arm; and a storage unit that records hazardous part information related to at least any one of a grip unit of the arm and a work target gripped with the grip unit, and the arm operation control unit causes the arm to operate such that the hazardous direction of the hazardous part is different from a moving direction of the grip unit on the basis of the hazardous part information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot system comprising:
an arm operation control unit that controls operations of an arm; and
a storage unit that records hazardous part information related to a first position of a first hazardous part and a first hazardous direction of a grip unit of the arm and a second position of a second hazardous part and a second hazardous direction of a work target gripped by the grip unit, wherein the first hazardous part comprises a first protrusion having a first tip and the first hazardous direction is a direction to which the first tip of the first protrusion faces to,
wherein in response to determining that the first hazardous part of the grip unit is oriented to have the first hazardous direction that faces a moving direction of the grip unit, the arm operation control unit causes the arm to operate in a manner that the first hazardous direction of the first hazardous part is different from the moving direction of the grip unit on the basis of the hazardous part information.

2. The robot system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an information input unit that receives the hazardous part information.

3. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein
the second hazardous part comprises a second protrusion having a second tip and the second hazardous direction is a direction to which the second tip of the second protrusion faces to, and
in response to determining that the second hazardous part of the work target is oriented to have the second hazardous direction that faces the moving direction of the grip unit, the arm operation control unit causes the arm to operate in a manner that the second hazardous direction of the second hazardous part of the work target is different from the moving direction of the grip unit on the basis of the hazardous part information.

4. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein
the hazardous part information comprises the second position of the second hazardous part and the second hazardous direction corresponding to a plurality of types of the work target,
the arm operation control unit causes the arm to operate in a manner that the the second hazardous direction of the second hazardous part is different from the moving direction of the grip unit on the basis of the hazardous part information in corresponding to a type among the plurality of types of the work target that the grip unit is gripping.

5. The robot system according to claim 1 ,
wherein an operation direction leading unit is provided at a predetermined location of the arm, and
the arm operation control unit causes the arm to operate in a manner of the operation direction leading unit leads and the grip unit follows the operation direction leading unit in the moving direction of the grip unit.

6. The robot system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a position detection unit that detects a position of an operator near the robot system,
wherein the arm operation control unit stops operations of the arm or causes the arm to operate at a low speed when the position of the operator detected by the position detection unit is within a moving direction region set in accordance with the moving direction of the grip unit.

7. The robot system according to claim 6 , wherein after the operations of the arm are stopped or the arm is caused to operate at the low speed, the arm operation control unit restarts the operations of the arm or causes the arm to operate at an ordinary speed when the position detection unit does not detect the operator in the moving direction region.

8. The robot system according to claim 2 , wherein
the hazardous part information comprises the second position of the second hazardous part and the second hazardous direction corresponding to a plurality of types of the work target,
the arm operation control unit causes the arm to operate in a manner that the the second hazardous direction of the second hazardous part is different from the moving direction of the grip unit on the basis of the hazardous part information corresponding to a type among the plurality of types of the work target that the grip unit is gripping.

9. The robot system according to claim 3 , wherein
the hazardous part information comprises the second position of the second hazardous part and the second hazardous direction corresponding to a plurality of types of the work target,
the arm operation control unit causes the arm to operate in a manner that the the second hazardous direction of the second hazardous part is different from the moving direction of the grip unit on the basis of the hazardous part information corresponding to a type among the plurality of types of the work target that the grip unit is gripping.

10. The robot system according to claim 2 ,
wherein an operation direction leading unit is provided at a predetermined location of the arm, and
the arm operation control unit causes the arm to operate in a manner of the operation direction leading unit leads and the grip unit follows the operation direction leading unit in the moving direction of the grip unit.

11. The robot system according to claim 3 ,
wherein an operation direction leading unit is provided at a predetermined location of the arm, and
the arm operation control unit causes the arm to operate in a manner of the operation direction leading unit leads and the grip unit follows the operation direction leading unit in the moving direction of the grip unit.

12. The robot system according to claim 4 ,
wherein an operation direction leading unit is provided at a predetermined location of the arm, and
the arm operation control unit causes the arm to operate in a manner of the operation direction leading unit leads and the grip unit follows the operation direction leading unit in the moving direction of the grip unit.

13. The robot system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a position detection unit that detects a position of an operator near the robot system,
wherein the arm operation control unit stops operations of the arm or causes the arm to operate at a low speed when the position of the operator detected by the position detection unit is within a moving direction region set in accordance with the moving direction of the grip unit.

14. The robot system according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a position detection unit that detects a position of an operator near the robot system,
wherein the arm operation control unit stops operations of the arm or causes the arm to operate at a low speed when the position of the operator detected by the position detection unit is within a moving direction region set in accordance with the moving direction of the grip unit.

15. The robot system according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a position detection unit that detects a position of an operator near the robot system,
wherein the arm operation control unit stops operations of the arm or causes the arm to operate at a low speed when the position of the operator detected by the position detection unit is within a moving direction region set in accordance with the moving direction of the grip unit.

16. The robot system according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a position detection unit that detects a position of an operator near the robot system,
wherein the arm operation control unit stops operations of the arm or causes the arm to operate at a low speed when the position of the operator detected by the position detection unit is within a moving direction region set in accordance with the moving direction of the grip unit.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Higuchi Toshiyuki
• Tani Yoshiharu
• Osako Kazunori
• Hashimoto Minoru
• Kamisono Daichi
• Fujita Masaki

Classifications

• B25J9/1676 Primary

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title

• G05B2219/40199

  Soft material covers links, arms for shock and pain attenuation · CPC title

• G05B2219/43203

  Limitation of speed, permissible, allowable, maximum speed · CPC title

• G05B2219/40202

  Human robot coexistence · CPC title

• G05B2219/40559

  Collision between hand and workpiece, operator · CPC title