# US 2015/0105907 A1 · Robot controller, robot system, robot, robot control method, and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2015/0105907 A1 - Document ID: US20150105907A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/510,591 - Filed: 2014-10-09 - Published: 2015-04-16 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-10 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Seiji AISO; Hiroshi HASEGAWA; Mitsuhiro INAZUMI; Nobuhiro KARITO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20150105907A1 ## CPC - B25J 9/1697: {Vision controlled systems} - B25J 9/1633: {compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control} - G05B 2219/39325: External force control, additional loop comparing forces corrects position - G05B 2219/39391: Visual servoing, track end effector with camera image feedback - G05B 2219/40307: Two, dual arm robot, arm used synchronously, or each separately, asynchronously - Y10S 901/09: Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement - Y10S 901/47: Optical - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A robot includes a control unit that controls a movable unit of the robot to move an endpoint of the movable unit closer to a target position, and an image acquisition unit that acquires a target image as an image containing the end point when the end point is in the target position, and a current image as an image containing the end point when the end point is in a current position. The control unit controls movement of the movable unit based on the current image and the target image and output from a force detection unit that detects a force acting on the movable unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot controller comprising: an image acquisition unit that acquires a target image as an image containing an end point of a movable unit of a robot when the end point is in a target position, and a current image as an image containing the end point when the end point is in a current position; a first control unit that generates a command value for moving the end point from the current position to the target position based on the current image and the target image; a second control unit that generates a command value for moving the end point based on output from a force detection unit that detects a force acting on the movable unit; and a third control unit that moves the movable unit using the command value generated by the first control unit and the command value generated by the second control unit. ### Claim 2 A robot controller comprising: a control unit that controls a movable unit of a robot to move an end point of the movable unit closer to a target position; and an image acquisition unit that acquires a target image as an image containing the end point when the end point is in the target position, and a current image as an image containing the end point when the end point is in a current position, wherein the control unit controls movement of the movable unit based on the current image and the target image and output from a force detection unit that detects a force acting on the movable unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robot controller according to claim 1, wherein the third control unit moves the movable unit using a command value obtained by summing the command value generated by the first control unit and the command value generated by the second control unit with respective predetermined weights. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The robot controller according to claim 3, further comprising an input unit that accepts setting of the predetermined weights from a user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The robot controller according to claim 3, wherein the third control unit determines the predetermined weights based on a distance between the current position and the target position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The robot controller according to claim 5, wherein the third control unit determines the distance based on the images acquired by the image acquisition unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The robot controller according to claim 5, wherein the third control unit sets the predetermined weight corresponding to the command value generated by the second control unit to be larger as the distance is smaller. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The robot controller according to claim 5, wherein the third control unit sets the predetermined weight corresponding to the command value generated by the second control unit to be zero when the distance is larger than a predetermined value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A robot comprising: the robot controller of claim 1; the movable unit; and the force detection unit that detects the force acting on the movable unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) A robot comprising: the robot controller of claim 2; the movable unit; and the force detection unit that detects the force acting on the movable unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A robot system comprising: the robot controller of claim 1; and a robot having the movable unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) A robot system comprising: the robot controller of claim 2; and a robot having the movable unit. ### Claim 13 A robot control method comprising: an image acquisition step of acquiring a target image as an image containing an end point of a movable unit of a robot when the end point is in a target position, and a current image as an image containing the end point when the end point is in a current position; a first control step of generating a command value for moving the end point from the current position to the target position based on the current image and the target image; a second control step of generating a command value for moving the end point based on output from a force detection unit that detects a force acting on the movable unit; and a third control step of moving the movable unit using the command value generated at the first control step and the command value generated at the second control step. ### Claim 14 A robot control method comprising: a control step of controlling a movable unit of a robot to move an end point of the movable unit closer to a target position; and an image acquisition step of acquiring a target image as an image containing the end point when the end point is in the target position, and a current image as an image containing the end point when the end point is in a current position, wherein the control step controls movement of the movable unit based on the current image and the target image and output from a force detection unit that detects a force acting on the movable unit. ### Claim 15 (canceled)