Robot apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorShinsuke Iizuka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plurality of robot arms are each provided with indication devices that have indicators which indicate operability states of at least one other robot arm different from the robot arm on which the indication device is provided. Alternatively or in addition, the indication devices have indicators which indicate operability states of a respective robot arm upon which the indication devices are provided. Robot control devices which control operations of the robot arms communicate through a local area network (LAN) to share information regarding the states of the robot arms. Indication drive signals for the indication devices are generated based on states of servo control signals and/or brake control signals for the robot arms.
Claims21
A robot arm that operates in cooperation with another robot arm, the robot arm comprising:
- a tip part;
- and
- an indication device provided on the tip part of the robot arm and configured to indicate a state of the another robot arm;
- wherein a plurality of indication devices, including the indication device, is provided around the tip part;
- wherein the plurality of indication devices are provided across at least a half circumference of the tip part.
An indication device attachable to a tip part of a robot arm or to a tool mounted on the tip part of the robot arm and configured to indicate a state of another robot arm different from the robot arm;
- wherein a plurality of indication devices, including the indication device, is provided around the tip part;
- wherein the plurality of indication devices are provided across at least a half circumference of the tip part.
A robot system, comprising:
- a first robot arm and a second robot arm configured to operate in cooperation with each other;
- a first indication device provided on a first tip part of the first robot arm and configured to indicate a state of the second robot arm, the first tip part being configured to rotate in a first rotation direction;
- and
- a second indication device provided on a second tip part of the second robot arm and configured to indicate a state of the first robot arm, the second tip part being configured to rotate in a second rotation direction;
- wherein a plurality of first indication devices, including the first indication device, is provided around the first tip part, and
- wherein a plurality of second indication devices, including the second indication device, is provided around the second tip part,
- wherein the plurality of first indication devices are provided across at least a half circumference of the first tip part, and
- wherein the plurality of second indication devices are provided across at least a half circumference of the second tip part.
A control method for controlling a robot arm configured to operate in cooperation with another robot arm, the robot arm including a tip part, and an indication device provided on the tip part of the robot arm and configured to indicate a state of the another robot arm, wherein a plurality of indication devices, including the indication device, is provided around the tip part, the control method comprising:
- indicating the state of the another robot arm by using the indication device by a control device configured to control the robot arm;
- wherein the plurality of indication devices are provided across at least a half circumference of the tip part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.