Method and a robot system for handling objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10955828-B2
Application number	US-201616310011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2016
Priority date	Jun 14, 2016
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A computer implemented method and a system including at least one industrial robot arranged with a tool, and a conveyance path transferring a plurality of objects within a working area of the at least one robot. The computer implemented method includes obtaining position data indicating a position for each of the plurality of objects and applying a first strategy to the at least one robot. The first strategy includes: determining a value for each object within a certain area of the at least one robot, wherein the determination is based on the position data, and the value indicates a uniformity measure of the flow distribution in the direction of the conveyance path for the remaining objects within the certain area if the object, for which the value is determined for, was excluded from the conveyance path; determining a selected object within the working area of the at least one robot based on the determined values; and controlling the at least one robot to handle the selected object.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method for a system including at least one industrial robot arranged with a tool and a conveyance path transferring a plurality of objects within a working area of the at least one robot, wherein the computer implemented method includes obtaining position data indicating a position for each of the plurality of objects and applying a first strategy to the at least one robot, the first strategy including:
determining a value for each object within a certain area wherein the determination is based on the position data, and the value indicates a uniformity measure of the flow distribution in a direction of the conveyance path for the remaining objects within the certain area if the object, for which the value is determined for, was excluded from the conveyance path;
determining a selected object within the working area of the at least one robot based on the determined values;
controlling the at least one robot to handle the selected object.

2. The method according to claim 1 , including saving the position data and updating the position data when a selected object has been handled such that the position data always includes only the positions for objects not previously being handled.

3. The method according to claim 2 , including determining the selected object within the working area of the at least one robot to be the object whose exclusion gives the most uniform flow distribution in the direction of the conveyance path for the remaining objects within the certain area based on the determined values.

4. The method according to claim 2 , including repeatedly making the at least one robot perform the steps of the first strategy.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the system includes a most downstream robot in relation to the direction of the respective conveyance path, wherein the method includes applying a second strategy to the most downstream robot, the second strategy being different from the first strategy.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the determining a value for each object includes:
determining distances between objects in the direction of the respective conveyance path from the position data; and
calculating a variance of the distances for each object, if the object, for which the value is determined for, was excluded from the conveyance path; and wherein the determining the selected object includes:
comparing the plurality of values; and
determining the object with the lowest value to be the selected object.

7. The method according to claim 2 , including applying the first strategy separately to different conveyance paths for the same at least one robot.

8. The method according to claim 1 , including determining the selected object within the working area of the at least one robot to be the object whose exclusion gives the most uniform flow distribution in the direction of the conveyance path for the remaining objects within the certain area based on the determined values.

9. The method according to claim 1 , including repeatedly making the at least one robot perform the steps of the first strategy.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the system includes a most downstream robot in relation to the direction of the respective conveyance path, wherein the method includes applying a second strategy to the most downstream robot, the second strategy being different from the first strategy.

11. The method according to claim 10 , including always prioritizing the most downstream object in the working area of the most downstream robot.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining a value for each object includes:
determining distances between objects in the direction of the respective conveyance path from the position data; and
calculating a variance of the distances for each object, if the object, for which the value is determined for, was excluded from the conveyance path; and wherein the determining the selected object includes:
comparing the plurality of values; and
determining the object with the lowest value to be the selected object.

13. The method according to claim 1 , including applying the first strategy separately to different conveyance paths for the same at least one robot.

14. A system including at least one industrial robot arranged with a tool; a conveyance path arranged for transfer of a plurality of objects within a working area of the at least one robot; a control system including processing means and memory means; wherein the control system is arranged to obtain position data indicating a position for each of the plurality of objects wherein the control system is configured to execute the method according to claim 1 .

15. The system according to claim 14 , further including a sensor system arranged to monitor the conveyance path, generate sensor data indicating each of the plurality of objects, send the sensor data to the control system, wherein the control system is configured to determine positions for each of the plurality of objects based on the sensor data, and generate the position data indicating the positions.

16. The system according to claim 14 , including a robot controller with a processor and a memory, wherein the robot controller is configured to perform the steps of the first strategy.

17. The system according to claim 14 , including a robot controller with a processor and a memory, wherein the robot controller is configured to perform the steps of the first strategy.

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Lager Anders

Classifications

• B25J9/0093 Primary

  co-operating with conveyor means · CPC title

• G05B19/4182 Primary

  manipulators and conveyor only · CPC title

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title

• G05B2219/39102

  Manipulator cooperating with conveyor · CPC title

• B25J9/1664

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title