Robot and method for calculating level of liquid in the liquid container
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsSung Gil Park, Changwoo Son, Seyul Son, Taeyoung Choi, Seukwoo Ryu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided are a robot that calculates a level of liquid contained in a liquid container and a method for calculating such liquid level. The robot includes a robot arm to which a tool is attached to an end of the robot arm, a torque sensor disposed on the robot arm and measuring a torque value of the robot arm, and a processor that controls the robot arm and receives the torque value from the torque sensor and calculates information related to the torque value, and calculates the level value of liquid contained in the liquid container based on the information related to the torque value.
Claims20
A robot, comprising:
- a robot arm having an end and configured to allow a tool to be attached to the end of the robot arm;
- a torque sensor disposed on the robot arm and configured to measure a torque value of the robot arm;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- control the robot arm to move the tool inside of a liquid container,
- receive the torque value from the torque sensor,
- calculate first information and second information related to the torque value, and
- calculate a first liquid level value of liquid contained in the liquid container based on the first information and the second related to the torque value, wherein the first information is related to a first torque value measured by the torque sensor when a lower end of the tool contacts a surface of the liquid, and the second information is related to a second torque value measured by the torque sensor when the lower end of the tool contacts a bottom surface of the liquid container.
A robot, comprising:
- a robot arm having an end and configured to allow a tool to be attached to the end of the robot arm;
- a torque sensor disposed on the robot arm and configured to measure a torque value of the robot arm;
- a memory configured to store a height of a liquid container,
- a processor configured to:
- control the robot arm to move the tool downward from a starting point, wherein the starting point is an upper end of the liquid container,
- receive a first torque value from the torque sensor, wherein the first torque value is measured when a lower end of the tool contacts a surface of liquid contained in the liquid container, calculate a moving distance of the robot arm based on a first position of the end of the robot arm and a second position of the end of the robot arm, wherein the first position corresponds a position of the end of the robot arm when a lower end of the tool is disposed at the upper end of the liquid container and the second position corresponds to a position of the end of the robot when the first torque value is measured, and calculate a liquid level value based on the moving distance and the height of the liquid container.
A method for calculating a liquid level, by a robot, the robot including a processor, a torque sensor, and a robot arm having an end, the end of the robot arm configured to be attached to a tool, the method comprising:
- driving, by the processor, the robot arm to move the tool downward inside a liquid container;
- measuring, by the torque sensor, a first torque value with respect to a first impulse generated when the tool contacts a surface of the liquid;
- measuring, by the torque sensor, a second torque value with respect to a second impulse generated when a lower end of the tool contacts a bottom surface of the liquid container;
- and
- calculating, by the processor, a first liquid level value based on first information related to the first torque value and second information related to the second torque value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.