System, manufacturing method, controlling method, program, and recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12403598-B2
Application number	US-202217666328-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2022
Priority date	Feb 10, 2021
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

In a system including a robot and a controller controlling the robot, the controller switches the robot from a first state to a second state in which orientation change in accordance with external force applied to the robot is more tolerated than the first state based on detection of contact of an object with the robot. The controller switches the robot from the second state to a third state in which the orientation change in accordance with the external force is more restricted than the second state after the orientation change in accordance with the external force applied to the robot is started and while the external force is being applied to the robot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a robot; and
a controller configured to control the robot,
wherein the controller is configured to switch the robot from a first state to a second state in which orientation change in accordance with external force applied to the robot is more tolerated than the first state based on detection of contact of an object with the robot, and
wherein the controller is configured to switch the robot from the second state to a third state in which the orientation change in accordance with the external force applied to the robot is more restricted than the second state after the orientation change in accordance with the external force is started and while the external force is being applied to the robot,
wherein the controller is configured to switch the robot in the third state to a fourth state in which the orientation change in accordance with the external force is more restricted than the third state.

2. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to stop the robot performing the orientation change if the robot is performing the orientation change when the controller detects the contact with the robot.

3. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to detect the contact if the external force of a first magnitude is detected, and
wherein the robot is configured to continue in the first state if the external force of a second magnitude smaller than the first magnitude is detected.

4. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the robot is configured to perform the orientation change based on a teaching operation and perform the orientation change in accordance with the external force between completion of the teaching and switching from the second state to the third state.

5. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to switch the robot from the second state to the third state if a distance between the robot in the state in which the orientation change in accordance with the external force is performed and an obstacle in a movable area of the robot, which is detected by an obstacle detection sensor, or a distance between the robot in the state in which the orientation change in accordance with the external force is performed and a singular point of the robot, is a second distance that is shorter than a first distance and that is greater than zero.

6. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to switch the robot in the second state to the third state in which the orientation change in accordance with the external force is more restricted than the second state if the robot performs the orientation change in accordance with the external force at a first speed and continue the second state if the robot performs the orientation change in accordance with the external force at a second speed slower than the first speed.

7. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to acquire information about an obstacle existing in a movable area of the robot, which is detected by an obstacle detection sensor, while the robot is changing the orientation in accordance with the external force.

8. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to start the orientation change of the robot in accordance with the external force if the external force of a first magnitude is detected and keeps the orientation of the robot if the external force of a second magnitude smaller than the first magnitude is detected.

9. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an operation device configured to be connected to the controller,
wherein the robot performs the orientation change based on an instruction with the operation device and wherein the controller includes a unit that indicates that the robot is changing the orientation.

10. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller instructs the robot to perform a return operation from a position after the orientation change of the robot to a return position recorded in the controller, the return operation includes an operation along a trajectory resulting from inversion of a trajectory of the orientation change.

11. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller instructs the robot to perform a return operation from a position after the orientation change of the robot to a return position recorded in the controller, the controller updates information about an obstacle existing in a movable area of the robot during the return operation.

12. A method of manufacturing an article, the method comprising:
manufacturing an article in cooperation between a robot and a manufacturer of the article using the system according to claim 1 ,
wherein after detecting the contact of the manufacturer with the robot changing an orientation, the robot changes the orientation in accordance with external force applied to the robot by the manufacturer,
wherein the robot performs orientation change in accordance with external force, and
wherein the robot is restricted, while the external force is being applied to the robot, to change orientation in accordance with external force applied to the robot more than during changing orientation in accordance with external force applied to the robot.

13. A method comprising:
controlling a robot,
wherein at least one of rigidity and viscosity in impedance control in the robot is decreased based on detection of contact of an object with the robot, and
wherein at least one of the rigidity and the viscosity in the impedance control is increased while external force is being applied to the robot,
wherein a controller is configured to switch the robot in the third state to a fourth state in which the orientation change in accordance with the external force is more restricted than the third state.

14. The method according to claim 13 ,
wherein the controller switches the robot from a first state to a second state in which orientation change in accordance with external force applied to the robot is more tolerated than the first state based on detection of contact of an object with the robot by decreasing at least one of rigidity and viscosity in impedance control in the robot,
wherein the robot performs orientation change in accordance with external force, and
wherein the controller switches the robot from the second state to a third state in which orientation change in accordance with external force applied to the robot is more restricted than the second state based on detection of contact of an object with the robot by increasing at least one of rigidity and viscosity in the impedance control after the orientation change in accordance with the external force is started and while the external force is being applied to the robot.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program causing a computer to perform the method according to claim 13 .

16. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein, after the contact of an obstacle with the robot has been detected, the robot being under the orientation change stops the orientation change.

17. The system according to claim 11 ,
wherein the return operation includes an operation along a trajectory resulting from inversion of a trajectory of the orientation change.

18. A system comprising:
a robot; and
a controller configured to control the robot,
wherein the controller is configured to switch the robot from a first state to a second state in which orientation change in accordance with external force applied to the

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Ibi Toshio

Classifications

• B25J19/02

  Sensing devices · CPC title

• B25J13/085

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

• G05B2219/40599

  Force, torque sensor integrated in joint · CPC title

• G05B2219/40201

  Detect contact, collision with human · CPC title

• B25J9/1602

  characterised by the control system, structure, architecture · CPC title