Back to results
US 11,213,945 B2Granted
Robot simulator, robot system and simulation method
OwnerKoichi Kuwahara, Yoshifumi Onoyama +2inventors
InventorsKoichi Kuwahara, Yoshifumi Onoyama, Kenichi Yasuda, Wataru Watanabe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A robot simulator includes a storage device that stores model information related to the robot and an obstacle in the vicinity of the robot, and an acquisition device that obtains first input information defining a start position and an end position of operation of the robot. A processing device generates a path for moving the distal end portion of the robot from the start position to the end position while avoiding collisions between the robot and the obstacle based on the first input information and the model information. The processing device also generates image data including an illustration of the obstacle and an index indicating a via-point of the path.
Claims18
A robot simulator comprising:
- a storage device that stores model information related to a robot, one or more workpieces, and an obstacle in the vicinity of the robot;
- an acquisition device configured to obtain first input information defining a start position and an end position of operation of the robot, wherein a tool end of the robot is configured to operate on the one or more workpieces at the start position and at the end position;
- and a processing device configured to execute a plurality of operations comprising:
- generating a repositioning path including a plurality of automatically generated via-points for removing the tool end from the one or more workpieces at the start position and moving the tool end along the repositioning path to the end position while avoiding a collision between the robot and the obstacle based on the first input information and the model information;
- generating image data including an illustration of the obstacle and the repositioning path for moving the tool end that passes through the via-points on a user interface;
- receiving user input via the user interface to reposition at least one of the via-points of the repositioning path to a user-selected position as a modified via-point, wherein the tool end does not operate on the one or more workpieces at the modified via-point;
- obtaining accessibility input information defining a predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance to the robot;
- generating an outer shell model that substantially surrounds a surface of the robot with a minimum interval that is set to be equal to or greater than the predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance;
- automatically checking whether the modified via-point of the repositioning path satisfies a correction condition requiring that no collision occurs between the robot and the obstacle while the tool end is located at the modified via-point;
- in response, at least in part, to determining that the modified via-point satisfies the correction condition, correcting the repositioning path as a modified path for moving the tool end from the start position to the end position, the modified path passing through the modified via-point, wherein correcting the repositioning path comprises generating the plurality of automatically generated via-points for moving the tool end of the robot from the start position to the end position while avoiding a collision between the outer shell model of the robot and the obstacle by maintaining the predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance between the surface of the robot and the obstacle;
- generating image data including an illustration of the obstacle and the modified path that passes through the modified via-point;
- and
- transmitting the modified path to a robot controller to control the robot so as to move the tool end along the modified path.
10 more elements
A simulation method using a robot simulator, the method comprising:
- storing model information related to a robot and an obstacle in the vicinity of the robot;
- obtaining first input information defining a start position and an end position of operation of the robot, wherein a tool end of the robot is configured to operate on one or more workpieces at the start position and at the end position;
- generating a repositioning path including a plurality of automatically generated via-points for removing the tool end from the one or more workpieces at the start position and moving the tool end along the repositioning path to the end position while avoiding a collision between the robot and the obstacle based on the first input information and the model information;
- generating image data including an illustration of the obstacle and the repositioning path for moving the tool end that passes through the automatically generated via-points on a user interface;
- receiving user input via the user interface to reposition at least one of the via-points of the repositioning path to a user-selected position as a modified via-point, wherein the tool end does not operate on the one or more workpieces at the modified via-point;
- obtaining accessibility input information defining a predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance to the robot;
- generating an outer shell model that substantially surrounds a surface of the robot with a minimum interval that is set to be equal to or greater than the predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance;
- automatically checking whether the modified via-point of the repositioning path satisfies a correction condition requiring that no collision occurs between the robot and the obstacle while the tool end is located at the modified via-point;
- in response, at least in part, to determining that the modified via-point satisfies the correction condition, correcting the repositioning path as a modified path for moving the tool end from the start position to the end position, the modified path passing through the modified via- point, wherein correcting the path comprises generating the plurality of automatically generated via-points for moving the tool end of the robot from the start position to the end position while avoiding a collision between the outer shell model of the robot and the obstacle by maintaining the predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance between the surface of the robot and the obstacle;
- generating image data including an illustration of the obstacle and the modified path that passes through the modified via-point;
- and
- transmitting the modified path to a robot controller to control the robot so as to move the tool end along the modified path.
9 more elements
A robot simulator, comprising:
- a storage device that stores model information related to a robot and an obstacle in the vicinity of the robot;
- an acquisition device configured to obtain first input information defining a start position and an end position of operation of the robot, and to obtain accessibility input information defining a predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance to the robot;
- and
- a processing device configured to execute a plurality of operations comprising:
- generating a single outer shell model that substantially surrounds a surface of the robot with a minimum interval that is set to be equal to or greater than the predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance;
- generating a path for moving a tool end of the robot based on the first input information and the model information, wherein the path is generated by automatically generating a plurality of via-points for moving the tool end from the start position to the end position while avoiding a collision between the outer shell model of the robot and the obstacle by maintaining the predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance between the surface of the robot and the obstacle;
- and
- transmitting the path to a robot controller to control the robot so as to move the tool end along the path.
5 more elements
A non-transitory memory device having instructions stored thereon that cause a robot simulator to perform operations comprising:
- storing model information related to a robot and an obstacle in the vicinity of the robot;
- obtaining first input information defining a start position and an end position of operation of the robot;
- obtaining accessibility input information defining a predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance to the robot;
- generating a single outer shell model that substantially surrounds a surface of the robot with a minimum interval that is set to be equal to or greater than the predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance;
- generating a path for moving a distal end portion of the robot based on the first input information and the model information, the path including a plurality of automatically generated via-points for moving the distal end portion of the robot from the start position to the end position while avoiding a collision between the outer shell model of the robot and the obstacle by maintaining the predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance between the surface of the robot and the obstacle;
- generating image data including an illustration of the obstacle and the path that passes through the plurality of via-points;
- and
- transmitting the path to a robot controller to control the robot so as to move the distal end portion along the path.
5 more elements
A simulation method using a robot simulator, the method comprising:
- storing model information related to a robot and an obstacle in the vicinity of the robot;
- obtaining first input information defining a start position and an end position of operation of the robot;
- obtaining accessibility input information defining a predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance to the robot;
- generating a single outer shell model that substantially surrounds a surface of the robot with a minimum interval that is set to be equal to or greater than the predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance;
- generating a path for moving a distal end portion of the robot based on the first input information and the model information, the path including a plurality of automatically generated via-points for moving the distal end portion of the robot from the start position to the end position while avoiding a collision between the outer shell model of the robot and the obstacle by maintaining the predetermined non-zero minimum accessible distance between the surface of the robot and the obstacle;
- and
- transmitting the path to a robot controller to control the robot so as to move the distal end portion along the path.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.