Robot-Conveyor Calibration Method, Robot System And Control System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020164518-A1
Application number	US-201716612955-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 22, 2017
Priority date	May 22, 2017
Publication date	May 28, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for calibrating a robot coordinate system of a robot with a conveyor coordinate system of a movable conveyor member, the method including providing a sensor configured to detect positions of the robot in a non-contact manner; detecting a position of the robot when the conveyor member is positioned at a first operating position; detecting a position of the robot and/or of the conveyor member by the sensor in the sensor coordinate system when the conveyor member is positioned at a second operating position different from the first operating position; and determining a relationship between the robot coordinate system and the conveyor coordinate system based on at least one detected position of the robot in the sensor coordinate system. A robot system and a control system are also provided.

First claim

1 . Method for calibrating a robot coordinate system of a robot with a conveyor coordinate system of a movable conveyor member, the method comprising:
providing a sensor configured to detect positions of the robot in a non-contact manner; detecting a position of the robot by the sensor in a sensor coordinate system of the sensor when the conveyor member is positioned at a first operating position; detecting a position of the robot and/or a position of the conveyor member by the sensor in the sensor coordinate system when the conveyor member is positioned at a second operating position different from the first operating position; and determining a relationship between the robot coordinate system and the conveyor coordinate system based on at least one detected position of the robot in the sensor coordinate system.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the robot includes a tool and wherein the position of the robot is a position of the tool.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further includes detecting positions of the robot in different poses by the sensor in the sensor coordinate system when the conveyor member is in the first operating position and/or when the conveyor member is in the second operating position.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is positioned on the conveyor member and wherein the method induces detecting a position of the robot by the sensor in the sensor coordinate system when the conveyor member is positioned at the first operating position and when the conveyor members is positioned at the second operating position.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining a movement direction of the conveyor member in the robot coordinate system based on the detected positions of the robot in the sensor coordinate system; and determining a relationship between the robot coordinate system and the conveyor coordinate system based on the determined movement direction of the conveyor member.

6 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the robot constitutes a first robot and wherein the method further comprises:
moving the conveyor member from the second operating position to a third operating position; detecting a position of a second robot by the sensor in the sensor coordinate system when the conveyor member is positioned at the third operating position; moving the conveyor member from the third operating position to a fourth operating position; detecting a position of the second robot by the sensor in the sensor coordinate system when the conveyor member is positioned at the fourth operating position; and determining a relationship between a robot coordinate system of the second robot and the conveyor coordinate system based on the detected positions of the second robot in the sensor coordinate system.

7 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the relationship between the sensor coordinate system and the conveyor coordinate system is known beforehand.

8 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the sensor is additionally configured to detect positions of the conveyor member in a non-contact manner.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
detecting a position of the conveyor member by the sensor in the sensor coordinate system; and determining a relationship between the sensor coordinate system and the conveyor coordinate system based on the detected position of the conveyor member in the sensor coordinate system.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is positioned on a stationary structure such that the conveyor member moves relative to the sensor and wherein the sensor is additionally configured to detect positions of the conveyor member in a non-contact manner.

11 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein at least one calibration marker is provided on the conveyor member for the detection of the position of the conveyor member.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein at least one calibration marker is provided on the conveyor member for the detection of the position of the conveyor member, and the method further comprises:
detecting a position of the at least one calibration marker by the sensor in the sensor coordinate system when the conveyor member is positioned at the first operating position; detecting a position of the at least one calibration markers by the sensor in the sensor coordinate system when the conveyor member is positioned at the second operating position; determining a movement direction of the conveyor member in the robot coordinate system based on the detected positions of the at least one calibration marker in the sensor coordinate system; and determining a relationship between the robot coordinate system and the conveyor coordinate system based on the determined movement direction of the conveyor member.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the position of the at least one calibration marker in the conveyor coordinate system is known beforehand.

14 . A robot system comprising at least one robot, a movable conveyor member and a sensor configured to detect positions of the robot in a non-contact manner, wherein the robot system is configured to carry out the method according to claim 1 .

15 . A control system for calibrating a robot coordinate system of a robot with a conveyor coordinate system of a movable conveyor member in a robot system comprising the robot, the conveyor member and a sensor configured to detect positions of the robot in a non-contact manner, the control system including a data processing device and a memory having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program having a program code which, when executed by the data processing device, causes the data processing device, to perform the steps of:
controlling the sensor to detect a position of the robot in a sensor coordinate system of the sensor when the conveyor member is positioned at a first operating position; controlling the sensor to detect a position of the robot and/or a position of the conveyor member in the sensor coordinate system when the conveyor member is positioned at a second operating position different from the first operating position; and determining a relationship between the robot coordinate system and the conveyor coordinate system based on at least one detected position of the robot in the sensor coordinate system.

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Lager Anders
• Holmberg Johnny
• Wahlström Magnus
• Stenbacka Michael

Classifications

• B25J9/0093 Primary

  co-operating with conveyor means · CPC title

• B25J9/1697

  Vision controlled systems · CPC title

• B25J9/1692 Primary

  Calibration of manipulator · CPC title