Work support device, work support method, computer program product, and work support system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11865719-B2
Application number	US-202017005365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2020
Priority date	Dec 9, 2019
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

According an embodiment, a work support device includes an arm unit, a brake unit, a state determination unit, and a brake control unit. The arm unit includes a grasping part configured to grasp an object, a plurality of joint parts, and a plurality of link parts actuatably coupled through each joint part. The brake unit is provided to at least one of the joint parts to restrict actuation of the arm unit. The state determination unit determines the state of the arm unit. The brake control unit controls the brake unit to restrict actuation of the arm unit in accordance with the state of the arm unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A work support device comprising:
an arm including a grasping part that grasps an object, a plurality of joint parts, and a plurality of link parts actuatably coupled through each joint part;
a brake provided to at least one of the joint parts that restricts actuation of the arm;
a linear movement slider that is provided to a scaffold capable of accommodating a worker and that supports the arm;
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
determine a state of the arm; and
control the brake to restrict the actuation of the arm in accordance with the state of the arm,

wherein
the grasping part and one of the link parts are coupled with each other through one of the joint parts, and the link parts are coupled with each other through one of the joint parts,
the brake restricts actuation of the arm by restricting actuation of the at least one of the joint parts, and

the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
derive a target angle that is a joint angle of each joint part when the grasping part is positioned at a target position,
determine, as the state, whether at least one of the joint parts has reached the target angle, and
control the brake to restrict the actuation of the arm by restricting the actuation of the joint part determined to have reached the target angle.

2. The work support device according to claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
determine, as the state, whether the grasping part is positioned at the target position, and
control the brake to restrict the actuation of the arm when the grasping part is determined to be positioned at the target position.

3. The work support device according to claim 2 , wherein
the arm includes a detector that detects the target position, and
the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
determine whether the grasping part is positioned at the target position based on a result of detection by the detector.

4. The work support device according to claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
determine, as the state, whether at least a partial region of the arm is likely to protrude from inside of a set spatial region to outside of the set spatial region, and
control the brake to restrict the actuation of the arm when the partial region of the arm is determined to be likely to protrude to the outside of the set spatial region.

5. The work support device according to claim 1 , wherein
the arm includes an obstacle sensing unit that senses an obstacle, and
the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
determine, as the state, whether at least a part of the arm is in a close state in which the part of the arm is close to the obstacle based on a result of sensing by the obstacle sensing unit, and
control the brake to restrict the actuation of the arm when the part of the arm is determined to be in the close state.

6. The work support device according to claim 5 , wherein
the arm includes a force sensor that detects the direction of pressure applied to the arm, and
the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
determine whether the part of the arm is in the close state based on a result of detection by the force sensor and a result of the sensing by the obstacle sensing unit.

7. The work support device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the joint parts is horizontally rotatable, and at least one of the joint parts is vertically rotatable.

8. The work support device according to claim 1 , wherein
one of the link parts and the grasping part are coupled with each other through one of the joint parts, and
the joint part is horizontally and vertically rotatable.

9. The work support device according to claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
move the grasping part of the arm to a target position;
receive a switching instruction to perform switching between a manual mode in which the arm is manually moved and an automatic mode in which the arm is moved to the target position under control of the processor; and
when a switching instruction to the automatic mode is received, control a drive unit configured to drive the joint parts of the arm to move the grasping part to the target position.

10. The work support device according to claim 9 , wherein a plurality of the drive units is provided to the respective joint parts.

11. The work support device according to claim 1 , wherein the linear movement slider is provided to an outer frame member of the scaffold and movably supports the arm.

12. A work support method executed by a work support device including an arm including a grasping part that grasps an object, a plurality of joint parts, and a plurality of link parts actuatably coupled through each joint part, and a brake provided to at least one of the joint parts that restricts actuation of the arm, the method comprising:
determining the state of the arm; and
controlling the brake to restrict the actuation of the arm in accordance with the state of the arm,
wherein
the arm is supported by a linear movement slider that is provided to a scaffold capable of accommodating a worker,
the grasping part and one of the link parts are coupled with each other through one of the joint parts, and the link parts are coupled with each other through one of the joint parts,
the brake restricts actuation of the arm by restricting actuation of the at least one of the joint parts, and

the method further comprises:
deriving a target angle that is a joint angle of each joint part when the grasping part is positioned at a target position,
determining, as the state, whether at least one of the joint parts has reached the target angle, and
controlling the brake to restrict the actuation of the arm by restricting the actuation of the joint part determined to have reached the target angle.

13. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium including programmed instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer configured to control a work support device including an arm including a grasping part that grasps an object, a plurality of joint parts, and a plurality of link parts actuatably coupled through each joint part, and a brake provided to at least one of the joint parts that restricts actuation of the arm, cause the computer to perform:
determining the state of the arm; and
controlling the brake to restrict the actuation of the arm in accordance with the state of the arm,
wherein
the arm is supported by a linear movement slider that is provided to a scaffold capable of accommodating a worker,
the grasping part and one of the link parts are coupled with each other through one of the joint parts, and the link parts are coupled with each other through one of the joint parts,
the brake restricts actuation of the arm by restricting actuation of the at least one of the joint parts, and

the instructions further cause the computer to perform:
deriving a target angle that is a joint angle of each joint part when the grasping part is positioned at a target position,
determining, as the state, whether at least one of the joint parts has reached the target angle, and
controlling the brake

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Nakamoto Hideichi
• Ogawa Akihito
• Ooga Junichiro
• Ogawa Hideki
• Eto Haruna
• Higo Ryosuke

Classifications

• B25J9/1651 Primary

  acceleration, rate control · CPC title

• B25J9/04

  by rotating at least one arm, excluding the head movement itself, e.g. cylindrical coordinate type or polar coordinate type · CPC title

• B25J9/1674 Primary

  characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic · CPC title

• B25J9/1694

  characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion · CPC title

• B25J13/085

  Force or torque sensors (B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence) · CPC title