Layout generation device, layout generation method, and layout generation program

A layout generation method that is executed by at least one processor and generates a layout with a best evaluation value for an arrangement including a robot and an obstacle, wherein the method comprises:

• registering:
• (i) a waypoint that the robot needs to pass through or (ii) an interpolation method for interpolating an inter-waypoint section between two waypoints;
• generating arrangements including the robot and the obstacle, within a set range;
• generating an arrangement candidate list including the arrangements;
• evaluating an operation time of the robot that does not consider the obstacle for each of the arrangements in the arrangement candidate list, as a respective evaluation value;
• extracting an arrangement with a best evaluation value from among the evaluated arrangements in the arrangement candidate list;
• determining whether or not it is necessary for a robot operation via the waypoint to avoid the obstacle regarding the extracted arrangements in an arrangement list;
• generating, when determining that it is necessary to avoid the obstacle, an obstacle avoidance path for one section or a plurality of sections where obstacle avoidance is required, the obstacle avoidance path enabling to avoid the obstacle;
• and
• evaluating and updating the operation time of the robot to include the obstacle avoidance path as the evaluation value of a relevant arrangement, wherein
• the layout generation method
• extracts again the arrangement having the best evaluation value using the arrangement candidate list reflecting the updated evaluation value,
• determines whether or not the operation of the robot via the waypoint needs to avoid the obstacle regarding the arrangement having the best evaluation value, and
• repeats extraction until a specified number or more of arrangements that do not require avoidance of the obstacle are obtained.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a layout generation program for generating a layout having a best evaluation value for an arrangement including a robot and an obstacle, in which the program includes:

• registering:
• (i) a waypoint that the robot needs to pass through and (ii) an interpolation method for interpolating an inter-waypoint section between two waypoints;
• generating arrangements including the robot and the obstacle, within a set range;
• generating an arrangement candidate list including the arrangements;
• evaluating an operation time of the robot that does not consider the obstacle for each of the arrangements in the arrangement candidate list, as a respective evaluation value;
• extracting an arrangement with a best evaluation value from among the evaluated arrangements in the arrangement candidate list;
• determining whether or not it is necessary for a robot operation via the waypoint to avoid the obstacle regarding the extracted arrangement in an arrangement list;
• generating, when determining that it is necessary to avoid the obstacle, an obstacle avoidance path for one section or a plurality of sections where obstacle avoidance is required, the obstacle avoidance path enabling to avoid the obstacle;
• and
• evaluating and updating the operation time of the robot to include the obstacle avoidance path as the evaluation value of a relevant arrangement, wherein
• the program
• extracts again the arrangement having the best evaluation value using the arrangement candidate list reflecting the updated evaluation value,
• determines whether or not the operation of the robot via the waypoint needs to avoid the obstacle regarding the arrangement having the best evaluation value, and
• repeats extraction until a specified number or more of arrangements that do not require avoidance of the obstacle are obtained.

A layout generation device that generates a layout having a best evaluation value for an arrangement including a robot and an obstacle, the layout generation device comprising:

• a waypoint registration unit configured to register (i) a waypoint that the robot needs to pass through and (ii) an interpolation method for interpolating an inter-waypoint section between two waypoints;
• an arrangement generation unit configured to
• generate arrangements, within a set range, including the robot and the obstacle, and
• generate an arrangement candidate list including the arrangements;
• an arrangement evaluation unit configured to evaluate an operation time of the robot without considering the obstacle for each of the arrangements in the arrangement candidate list as a respective evaluation value;
• an arrangement extraction unit configured to
• extract an arrangement having a best evaluation value from the arrangement candidate list;
• a path determination unit configured to determine whether or not the operation of the robot via the waypoint needs to avoid the obstacle regarding the arrangement in an arrangement list extracted by the arrangement extraction unit;
• a path generation unit configured to generate, when the path determination unit determines that it is necessary to avoid the obstacle, an obstacle avoidance path, which enables to avoid the obstacle, for each of a plurality of sections where obstacle avoidance is required;
• and
• an arrangement evaluation update unit configured to evaluate and update the operation time of the robot related to the obstacle avoidance path generated by the path generation unit as an evaluation value of the arrangement, wherein
• the arrangement extraction unit configured to
• extract again the arrangement having the best evaluation value using the arrangement candidate list reflecting the updated evaluation value,
• the path determination unit configured to determine whether or not the operation of the robot via the waypoint needs to avoid the obstacle regarding the arrangement having the best evaluation value, and
• the arrangement extraction unit configured to repeat extraction of the arrangements until a specified number or more of the arrangements that do not require avoidance of the obstacle are obtained.