Method and control means for controlling a robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9592606-B2
Application number	US-201214130168-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2012
Priority date	Jul 1, 2011
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

According to a method according to the invention for controlling a robot, in particular a human-collaborating robot, a robot- or task-specific redundancy of the robot is resolved, wherein, in order to resolve the redundancy, a pose-dependent inertia variable of the robot is minimized.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for controlling a robot having a plurality of successive links driven by motors actuated by a controller, wherein a robot-specific or task-specific redundancy of the robot is resolved, the method comprising:
minimizing a pose-dependent inertia variable of the robot in the controller for resolution of the redundancy; and
operating the robot with the controller at a speed that is higher than the operating speed of the robot prior to resolving the redundancy, or
operating the robot with the controller in a pose selected to reduce the consequences of a collision and at a speed that is equal to or higher than the operating speed of the robot prior to resolving the redundancy.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the inertia variable includes at least one of an effective mass, an effective moment of inertia, or a pseudo matrix of a kinetic energy of the robot.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the inertia variable is determined in advance or during operation.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising using the inertia variable as a quality criterion of a path plan.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a gradient of the inertia variable; and
varying a pose of the robot in a direction of the determined gradient.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the inertia variable for at least two redundant poses; and
selecting the redundant pose with the lower inertia variable.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
predefining a pose having a minimal inertia variable as a reference pose.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
varying one or more degrees of freedom of the robot for minimization of the inertia variable.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pose-dependent motion variable contains a product of the inertia variable and a power of a speed of the robot or derivative of a speed of the robot.

10. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the inertia variable is determined on the basis of at least one of joint coordinates or a predetermined direction.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the inertia variable is determined for at least one of a path or a spatial point.

12. A controller for controlling a human-collaborating robot, the controller comprising:
a processing unit; and
a memory unit operatively coupled to the processing unit and containing a program that, when executed by the processing unit, causes the controller to:
resolve a robot-specific or task-specific redundancy of the robot by minimizing a pose-dependent inertia variable of the robot; and
operate the robot with the controller at a speed that is higher than the operating speed of the robot prior to resolving the redundancy, or
operate the robot with the controller in a pose selected to reduce the consequences of a collision and at a speed that is equal to or higher than the operating speed of the robot prior to resolving the redundancy.

13. A computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium; and
a program stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium that, when executed by a processing unit, causes the processing unit to:
resolve a robot-specific or task-specific redundancy of the robot by minimizing a pose-dependent inertia variable of the robot; and
operate the robot with the controller at a speed that is higher than the operating speed of the robot prior to resolving the redundancy, or
operate the robot with the controller in a pose selected to reduce the consequences of a collision and at a speed that is equal to or higher than the operating speed of the robot prior to resolving the redundancy.

14. A method for controlling a robot having a plurality of successive links driven by motors actuated by a controller, wherein a robot-specific or task-specific redundancy of the robot is resolved, the method comprising:
minimizing a pose-dependent inertia variable of the robot in the controller for resolution of the redundancy; and
operating the robot with the controller at a speed that is higher than the operating speed of the robot prior to resolving the redundancy.

Assignees

• Rümping Jonas
• Sonner Christian
• Kuka Roboter Gmbh

Inventors

• Rümping Jonas
• Sonner Christian

Classifications

• Y10S901/49

  Protective device · CPC title

• G05B2219/39086

  Reduce impact effect by impact configuration of redundant manipulator · CPC title

• B25J9/1643 Primary

  redundant control · CPC title

• G05B2219/40369

  Generate all possible arm postures associated with end effector position · CPC title

• B25J9/1676

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title