Motion teaching apparatus, robot system, and motion teaching method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11123864-B2
Application number	US-201916459622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2019
Priority date	Jul 2, 2018
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

A motion teaching apparatus includes a teaching motion detection device, a demonstration tool, and circuitry. A robot includes a leading end to move in a first coordinate system. A teaching motion detection device detects a position of the demonstration tool in a second coordinate system. The circuitry derives a relationship between the first and second coordinate system based on a position of the demonstration tool in the first coordinate system at at least one spot and based on the position of the demonstration tool in the second coordinate system at the at least one spot; obtains a transition of the position of the demonstration tool during the demonstration using the demonstration tool; and generates a motion command to control motion of the leading end of the robot based on the transition and the coordinate system relationship information.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A motion teaching apparatus comprising:
a demonstration device comprising:
a demonstration tool to perform a demonstration to teach a robot how to move, the robot comprising a leading end and a multi-articular arm which is configured to change a position of the leading end in a first coordinate system; and
a teaching motion detection device configured to detect a position of the demonstration tool in a second coordinate system different from the first coordinate system; and

circuitry configured to:
derive coordinate system relationship information indicating a relationship between the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system based on a position of the demonstration tool in the first coordinate system at at least one spot and based on the position of the demonstration tool in the second coordinate system detected by the teaching motion detection device at the at least one spot;
obtain a transition of the position of the demonstration tool detected by the teaching motion detection device during the demonstration using the demonstration tool; and
generate a motion command to control motion of the leading end of the robot based on the transition and based on the coordinate system relationship information.

2. The motion teaching apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the demonstration is performed with the demonstration tool holding a demonstration target to teach the robot to perform the motion with the leading end of the robot holding a worked-on object, the circuitry is configured to:
obtain a posture of the demonstration tool that corresponds to a predetermined posture of the demonstration target;
derive, based on the posture of the demonstration tool that have been obtained, posture information indicating a holding posture in which the demonstration target is to be held by the demonstration tool; and
generate the motion command for the leading end based on the coordinate system relationship information and the posture information.

3. The motion teaching apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the teaching motion detection device is configured to detect a plurality of positions and postures of the demonstration tool in a state in which a tool indication device provided at the demonstration tool stops, and
wherein the circuitry is configured to:
derive indication position information indicating a position of the tool indication device on the demonstration tool based on the plurality of positions and postures of the demonstration tool that have been detected; and
derive the coordinate system relationship information based on the position and the posture of the demonstration tool detected by the teaching motion detection device and based on the indication position information.

4. The motion teaching apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:
derive, based on postures of the robot respectively corresponding to a plurality of reference information obtaining spots at which a robot indication device of the robot is located, information indicating positions of the plurality of reference information obtaining spots in the first coordinate system; and
obtain information indicating positions and postures of the demonstration tool detected by the teaching motion detection device with a tool indication device of the demonstration tool in contact with a robot indication device located at the plurality of reference information obtaining spots.

5. The motion teaching apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the tool indication device is engageable with the robot indication device.

6. The motion teaching apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the tool indication device is configured to suck the robot indication device.

7. The motion teaching apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the teaching motion detection device comprises
a passive multi-articular arm connected to the demonstration tool and configured to operate based on the position and the posture of the demonstration tool, and
a sensor configured to detect a posture of the passive multi-articular arm.

8. The motion teaching apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:
obtain information indicating positions and postures of the demonstration tool detected by the teaching motion detection device with the tool indication device located at a plurality of coordinate system specified spots; and
set a third coordinate system different from the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system based on the information obtained by the circuitry.

9. The motion teaching apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tool indication device is attachable and detachable to and from the demonstration tool.

10. A robot system comprising:
a robot comprising:
a leading end; and
a multi-articular arm configured to change a position of the leading end in a first coordinate system; and

a motion teaching apparatus comprising:
a demonstration device comprising:
a demonstration tool to perform a demonstration to teach the robot how to move; and
a teaching motion detection device configured to detect a position of the demonstration tool in a second coordinate system different from the first coordinate system; and

circuitry configured to:
derive coordinate system relationship information indicating a relationship between the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system based on a position of the demonstration tool in the first coordinate system at at least one spot and based on the position of the demonstration tool in the second coordinate system detected by the teaching motion detection device at the at least one spot;
obtain a transition of the position of the demonstration tool detected by the teaching motion detection device during the demonstration using the demonstration tool; and
generate a motion command to control motion of the leading end of the robot based on the transition and based on the coordinate system relationship information.

11. A motion teaching method comprising:
performing a demonstration with a demonstration tool to teach a robot how to move, the robot including a leading end and a multi-articular arm which is configured to change a position of the leading end in a first coordinate system;
detecting a position of the demonstration tool in a second coordinate system different from the first coordinate system;
deriving coordinate system relationship information indicating a relationship between the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system based on a position of the demonstration tool in the first coordinate system at at least one spot and based on the position of the demonstration tool in the second coordinate system detected by the teaching motion detection device at the at least one spot;
obtaining a transition of the position of the demonstration tool detected by the teaching motion detection device during the demonstration using the demonstration tool; and
generating a motion command to control motion of the leading end of the robot based on the transition and based on the coordinate system relationship information.

12. The motion teaching apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the teaching motion detection device is configured to detect a plurality of positions and postures of the demonstration tool in a state in which a tool indication device provided at the demonstration tool stops, and
wherein the circuitry is configured to:
derive indication position information indicating a position of the tool indication device on the demonstration tool based on the plurality of

Assignees

• Yaskawa Electric Corp

Inventors

• Iwasa Toshihiro
• Nagai Ryoichi
• Mullennix Nathanael
• Ando Shingo
• Yasuda Kenichi

Classifications

• G05B19/42

  Recording and playback systems, i.e. in which the program is recorded from a cycle of operations, e.g. the cycle of operations being manually controlled, after which this record is played back on the same machine · CPC title

• B25J9/0081 Primary

  with leader teach-in means · CPC title

• B25J9/163 Primary

  learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control · CPC title

• B25J9/1664

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title

• B25J9/023

  Cartesian coordinate type · CPC title