Method for checking a safety area of a robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11731283-B2
Application number	US-202117151259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2021
Priority date	Feb 5, 2020
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A method for checking a safety area of a robot with an augmented reality human machine interface (AR-HMI) that comprises a display and a video camera. The method includes: acquiring, at the AR-HMI, a robot type of the robot, displaying, in the display of the AR-HMI, a virtual robot image of at least part of a robot of the robot type in a manner such that the virtual robot image overlays an actual robot image of the robot of the robot type in the video camera of the AR-HMI, aligning a position of the virtual robot image with a position of the actual robot image by moving the AR-HMI in three-dimensional space, confirming the alignment of the position between the virtual robot image and the actual robot image, and displaying a virtual first safety cell area around the virtual robot image in the confirmed position as an overlay of the actual robot image in the display of the AR-HMI.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for checking a safety area of a robot with an augmented reality human machine interface (AR-HMI) that comprises a display and a video camera, the method comprising:
acquiring, at the AR-HMI, a robot type;
displaying, in the display of the AR-HMI, a virtual robot image of at least part of a robot of the acquired robot type in a manner such that the virtual robot image overlays an actual robot image of the robot of the acquired robot type in the video camera of the AR-HMI;
aligning a position of the virtual robot image with a position of the actual robot image by moving the AR-HMI in three-dimensional space;
confirming the alignment of the position between the virtual robot image and the actual robot image;
displaying, in response to confirming the alignment of the position, a virtual first safety cell area around the virtual robot image in the confirmed position as an overlay of the actual robot image in the display of the AR-HMI for positioning a reference coordinate system in a base of the robot;
displaying a virtual second safety cell area around the virtual robot image in the confirmed position as an overlay of the real or actual image in the display of the AR-HMI for positioning the reference coordinate system in the base of the robot; and
displaying a working space and a protected space, taking into consideration at least one current axis position of the robot, for positioning the reference coordinate system in the base of the robot.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual first safety cell area has a shape of a cube, or a cuboid, or a prism.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein acquiring the robot type comprises capturing a physical identifier of the robot type with the video camera of the AR-HMI, the physical identifier of the robot type comprising an alphanumeric label of the robot type.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual second safety cell area has a defined distance from the virtual first safety cell area.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before displaying the virtual first safety cell area and/or the virtual second safety cell area, reading, by the AR-HMI, a planned safety configuration from a data memory, and then displaying the virtual first safety cell area and/or the virtual second safety cell area based on the planned safety configuration.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before displaying the virtual first safety cell area and/or the virtual second safety cell area, transmitting to the AR-HMI a planned safety configuration, and then displaying the virtual first safety cell area and/or the second safety cell area based on the planned safety configuration.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the AR-HMI further comprises at least one stationary computer and at least one mobile computer, and
the at least one mobile computer comprises the display and the video camera.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one mobile computer comprises as augmented reality (AR) glasses.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising acquiring current axis positions of the robot, via transmission from the robot to the AR-HMI, or via the video camera of the AR-HMI.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining, using the current axis positions, a flange centre point via forward transformation.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising displaying at least one virtual safe tool space, having a spherical shape, around the flange centre point as an overlay of the actual robot image in the display of the AR-HMI.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying at least one working space in the display of the AR-HMI.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying at least one protected space in the display of the AR-HMI.

14. The method of claim 3 , wherein the physical identifier of the robot type comprises a QR code.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein acquiring the robot type comprises a user selecting the robot type at the AR-HMI.

16. A method for checking a safety area of a robot, the method comprising:
acquiring a robot of a specific robot type via an augmented reality human machine interface (AR-HMI) that comprises a display and a video camera;
displaying, in the display of the AR-HMI, a virtual robot image of an area of a base of the acquired robot in a manner such that the virtual robot image overlays an actual robot image of the acquired robot in the video camera of the AR-HMI;
aligning a position of the virtual robot image with a position of the actual robot image by moving the AR-HMI in three-dimensional space;
confirming the alignment of the position between the virtual robot image and the actual robot image;
displaying a virtual first safety cell area and a virtual second safety cell area around the virtual robot image in the confirmed position as an overlay of the actual robot image in the display of the AR-HMI for positioning a reference coordinate system in a base of the acquired robot;
displaying a working space and a protected space, taking into consideration at least one current axis position of the acquired robot, for positioning the reference coordinate system in the base of the acquired robot.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein acquiring the robot type comprises capturing a physical identifier of the robot type with the video camera of the AR-HMI, the physical identifier of the robot type comprising an alphanumeric label of the robot type.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the physical identifier of the robot type comprises a QR code.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein acquiring the robot type comprises a user selecting the robot type at the AR-HMI.

Assignees

• Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik Ag & Co Kg
• Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Huber Andreas
• Kukovec Tomaz
• Monschein Christoph

Classifications

• B25J13/06 Primary

  Control stands, e.g. consoles, switchboards · CPC title

• B25J9/1666

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title

• G06T11/00

  Two-dimensional [2D] image generation · CPC title

• G06V20/10

  Terrestrial scenes (scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59) · CPC title

• B25J9/1671 Primary

  characterised by simulation, either to verify existing program or to create and verify new program, CAD/CAM oriented, graphic oriented programming systems · CPC title