Robot simulator, robot teaching device, and robot teaching method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015151431-A1
Application number	US-201514599546-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 19, 2015
Priority date	Jul 20, 2012
Publication date	Jun 4, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A robot simulator according to an aspect of an embodiment includes a display unit, an image generation unit, a display controller, and a simulation instruction unit. The display unit displays an image. The image generation unit generates a virtual image of a robot. The virtual image includes an operating handle capable of operating axes of a three-dimensional coordinate in which the origin is a certain control point of the robot. The display controller causes the display unit to display the virtual image. The simulation instruction unit acquires, when an operation on the operating handle by an operator is received, a displacement amount of the control point and a rotation amount of the three-dimensional coordinate axes based on the operation, and causes the image generation unit to regenerate the virtual image of the robot whose posture is changed according to the acquired displacement and rotation amounts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A robot simulator comprising:
a display unit; a generation unit that generates a virtual image of a robot, the virtual image including an operating handle that is capable of operating axes of a three-dimensional coordinate in which an origin is a certain control point of the robot; a display controller that causes the display unit to display the virtual image generated by the generation unit; and a simulation instruction unit that acquires, when an operation on the operating handle by an operator is received, an amount of displacement of the control point and an amount of rotation of the three-dimensional coordinate axes based on the operation, and causes the generation unit to regenerate the virtual image of the robot whose posture is changed in accordance with the acquired amount of displacement and the acquired amount of rotation.

2 . The robot simulator according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage unit that stores therein control point information that associates a type of a handling tool to be used by the robot with the control point set in advance in accordance with the type, wherein
the generation unit acquires the control point corresponding to the type of the handling tool assumed to be used by the robot from the control point information, and generates the virtual image based on the acquired control point.

3 . The robot simulator according to claim 1 , wherein the operating handle includes displacement handles each displacing the control point in a direction along a corresponding axis of the three-dimensional coordinate axes, and rotation handles each rotating a corresponding axis of the three-dimensional coordinate axes about the corresponding three-dimensional coordinate axis.

4 . The robot simulator according to claim 2 , wherein the operating handle includes displacement handles each displacing the control point in a direction along a corresponding axis of the three-dimensional coordinate axes, and rotation handles each rotating a corresponding axis of the three-dimensional coordinate axes about the corresponding three-dimensional coordinate axis.

5 . The robot simulator according to claim 3 , wherein the displacement handles each have a shape of a double-pointed arrow along the direction of the corresponding axis of the three-dimensional coordinate axes, and are each disposed at a position separated from the control point.

6 . The robot simulator according to claim 4 , wherein the displacement handles each have a shape of a double-pointed arrow along the direction of the corresponding axis of the three-dimensional coordinate axes, and are each disposed at a position separated from the control point.

7 . The robot simulator according to claim 3 , wherein the displacement handles each have a shape of a double-pointed arrow along the direction of the corresponding axis of the three-dimensional coordinate axes, and are disposed to intersect with each other at the control point.

8 . The robot simulator according to claim 4 , wherein the displacement handles each have a shape of a double-pointed arrow along the direction of the corresponding axis of the three-dimensional coordinate axes, and are disposed to intersect with each other at the control point.

9 . The robot simulator according to claim 2 , wherein
the storage unit further stores therein teaching point information that associates a posture of the robot in the virtual image with teaching points of the robot, the virtual image further includes an input button, and the robot simulator further comprises a registration unit that registers, when the input button is pushed by the operator, the posture of the robot as the teaching points in the teaching point information at time at which the input button is pushed.

10 . The robot simulator according to claim 1 , wherein the operating handle is operated by a drag operation by the operator.

11 . A robot teaching device comprising:
a display unit; a generation unit that generates a virtual image of a robot, the virtual image including an operating handle that is capable of operating axes of a three-dimensional coordinate in which an origin is a certain control point of the robot; a display controller that causes the display unit to display the virtual image generated by the generation unit; a simulation instruction unit that acquires, when an operation on the operating handle by an operator is received, an amount of displacement of the control point and an amount of rotation of the three-dimensional coordinate axes based on the operation, and causes the generation unit to regenerate the virtual image of the robot whose posture is changed in accordance with the acquired amount of displacement and the acquired amount of rotation; a storage unit that stores therein teaching point information that associates the posture of the robot in the virtual image at a certain time with teaching points of the robot; and a teaching unit that teaches the robot on the basis of the teaching point information stored in the storage unit.

12 . A robot teaching method comprising:
generating a virtual image of a robot, the virtual image including an operating handle that is capable of operating axes of a three-dimensional coordinate in which an origin is a certain control point of the robot; causing a display unit to display the virtual image generated at the generating; acquiring, when an operation on the operating handle by an operator is received, an amount of displacement of the control point and an amount of rotation of the three-dimensional coordinate axes based on the operation, and regenerating the virtual image of the robot whose posture is changed in accordance with the acquired amount of displacement and the acquired amount of rotation; storing teaching point information that associates the posture of the robot in the virtual image at a certain time with teaching points of the robot; and teaching the robot on the basis of the teaching point information stored at the storing.

Assignees

• Yaskawa Denki Seisakusho Kk

Inventors

• Suyama Takashi
• Umeno Makoto

Classifications

• Y10S901/05

  Machine driven lead through · CPC title

• G06N99/005

  Physics · mapped topic

• B25J9/1605 Primary

  Simulation of manipulator lay-out, design, modelling of manipulator · CPC title

• G05B2219/40311

  Real time simulation · CPC title

• B25J9/1671

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