Robot controller

A robot controller for controlling motion of a robot, the robot controller comprising:

• a motion control unit configured to control the motion of the robot in accordance with an operation program,
• a motion path storage unit configured to store a motion path of a predetermined movable part of the robot when the robot operates in accordance with the operation program,
• a restricted motion area generation unit configured to generate restricted motion area data representing a restricted motion area for restricting the motion of the robot based on the stored motion path,
• a motion restriction unit configured to restrict the motion of the robot in the restricted motion area based on the restricted motion area data,
• a motion prediction unit configured to predict whether or not the robot is supposed to enter into the restricted motion area based on the operation program, and
• an execution permission request unit configured to request an input operation as to whether or not entry of the robot into the restricted motion area is permitted when it is predicted by the motion prediction unit that the robot is supposed to enter into the restricted motion area, wherein
• the restricted motion area generation unit is configured to
• set an entry area which represents an area into which the predetermined movable part of the robot has entered when a tool attached to the robot has moved along the motion path, wherein the entry area is set by repeatedly executing the operation program for the robot while a position of the robot is corrected in response to a position deviation of a workpiece to be worked by the tool attached to the robot, the position deviation of the workpiece being detected based on an image obtained from a vision sensor in a position from which the workpiece handled by the robot is captured, and
• generate the restricted motion area outside the entry area, and
• when (i) entry of the robot into the restricted motion area is permitted and (ii) motion of the robot is completed normally for a motion path for which the entry into the restricted motion area has been permitted, the restricted motion area generation unit is configured to expand the entry area by excluding, from the restricted motion area, (a) the motion path of the predetermined movable part of the robot which has entered into the restricted motion area or (b) an area within the restricted motion area into which the robot has entered in the normally completed motion.