Haptic teach pendant
AssigneeFanuc America Corporation
InventorsGary Kowalski, Matthew F. Denio, H. Dean McGee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for providing haptic feedback to a teach pendant including a teach pendant having a housing and a processor disposed therein. The processor is in signal communication with a robot controller and is configured to monitor and control a robot. At least one haptic device is disposed on the teach pendant. The haptic device is in signal communication with the processor and configured for providing haptic feedback through the teach pendant to a user upon the occurrence of a haptic event.
Claims20
An apparatus for providing haptic feedback to a teach pendant comprising:
- a teach pendant having a housing and a processor disposed therein, the processor in signal communication with a robot controller, the robot controller configured to monitor, control, and program a robot;
- at least one haptic device disposed on the teach pendant, the at least one haptic device in signal communication with the processor and configured for providing a haptic feedback to a user of the teach pendant upon an occurrence of a haptic event;
- and
- a haptic software program executed by at least one of the processor and the robot controller for controlling the signal communication between the processor and the robot controller and the signal communication between the processor and the at least one haptic device, the haptic software program detecting the occurrence of the haptic event and controlling generation of the haptic feedback by the at least one haptic device, the haptic feedback based on a plurality of custom haptic patterns assigned to a plurality of conditions, the plurality of conditions including a robot tool approaching an interference zone or a robot limit, and a detection of an overly aggressive robot motion;
- wherein the haptic event is the robot tool approaching the interference zone or the robot limit, or the detection of the overly aggressive robot motion.
An apparatus for providing haptic feedback to a teach pendant comprising:
- a teach pendant having a housing and a processor disposed therein, the processor in signal communication with a robot controller, the robot controller configured to monitor and control a robot;
- at least one haptic device disposed on the teach pendant, the at least one haptic device in signal communication with the processor and configured for providing a haptic feedback to a user of the teach pendant upon an occurrence of a haptic event wherein the at least one haptic device is disposed in a strap of the teach pendant;
- and
- a haptic software program executed by at least one of the processor and the robot controller for controlling the signal communication between the processor and the robot controller and the signal communication between the processor and the at least one haptic device.
A method for providing haptic feedback on a teach pendant comprising the steps of:
- detecting multiple haptic events through a haptic software program configured for communication with a robot controller, the robot controller configured to monitor, control, and program a robot, each haptic event including a predetermined movement of the robot or a specific data entry by the user on the teach pendant;
- sending a signal to a haptic device disposed on the teach pendant, the signal individually varying for each of the multiple haptic events such that different custom haptic patterns are output for each of the multiple haptic events to differentiate between the multiple haptic events, the multiple haptic events including a robot tool approaching an interference zone or a robot limit, and a detection of an overly aggressive robot motion;
- and
- generating a haptic feedback through the teach pendant by the haptic device, the haptic feedback based on the signal received by the haptic device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.