Apparatus and method for use with robot

A method for a controller to determine a position of a target object in a robot coordinate system for use with a robot, the method comprising:

• causing a reflective photoelectric sensor arranged on a gripper of the robot and electrically communicable with the controller to scan over a target object with a light beam;
• monitoring changes in an output signal from the reflective photoelectric sensor based on a light intensity of a reflected light beam;
• for each detected change in the output signal exceeding a threshold, determining a coordinate of a gripping component on the gripper in a robot coordinate system, to obtain a set of coordinates;
• causing the gripping component to grip the target object;
• causing a camera to capture an image containing the reflective photoelectric sensor and the target object gripped by the gripping component;
• determining, from the image, an actual offset value between the reflective photoelectric sensor and the target object gripped by the gripping component;
• store the actual offset value as a predefined offset value;
• determining a position of the target object in the robot coordinate system based on the set of coordinates and the predefined offset value between the reflective photoelectric sensor and the gripping component;
• and
• storing the position of the target object in a memory and outputting the store position to the robot for future use in assembling objects;
• wherein the camera is located remotely from the gripper of the robot.

A robot comprising:

• a reflective photoelectric sensor arranged on a gripper of the robot;
• and
• a controller electrically communicable with the reflective photoelectric sensor and configured to:
• cause the reflective photoelectric sensor to scan over a target object by emitting a light beam and generating an output signal based on a light intensity of a reflected light beam;
• monitor changes in the output signal from the reflective photoelectric sensor;
• for each detected change in the output signal exceeding a threshold, determine a coordinate of a gripping component on the gripper in a robot coordinate system, to obtain a set of coordinates;
• causing the gripping component to grip the target object;
• causing a camera to capture an image containing the reflective photoelectric sensor and the target object gripped by the gripping component;
• determining, from the image, an actual offset value between the reflective photoelectric sensor and the target object gripped by the gripping component;
• store the actual offset value as a predefined offset value;
• determine a position of the target object in the robot coordinate system based on the set of coordinates and the predefined offset value between the reflective photoelectric sensor and the gripping component;
• and
• store the position of the target object in a memory and output the stored positions to the robot for future use in assembling objects;
• wherein the camera is located remotely from the gripper of the robot.

A computer program product tangibly stored in a non-transient computer readable medium and including machine executable instructions which, when executed, result in:

• causing a reflective photoelectric sensor arranged on a gripper of a robot to emit a light beam to scan over a target object and generate an output signal based on a light intensity of a reflected light beam;
• monitoring changes in the output signal from the reflective photoelectric sensor;
• for each detected change exceeding a threshold, determining a coordinate of a gripping component on the gripper in a robot coordinate system, to obtain a set of coordinates;
• causing the gripping component to grip the target object;
• causing a camera to capture an image containing the reflective photoelectric sensor and the target object gripped by the gripping component;
• determining, from the image, an actual offset value between the reflective photoelectric sensor and the target object gripped by the gripping component;
• store the actual offset value as a predefined offset value;
• determining a position of the target object in the robot coordinate system based on the set of coordinates and the predefined offset value between the reflective photoelectric sensor and the gripping component;
• and
• storing the position of the target object in the computer readable medium and outputting the stored positions to the robot for future use in assembling objects;
• wherein the camera is located remotely from the gripper of the robot.