Robot operation apparatus, robot system, and robot operation program

A robot system comprising:

• a four-axis horizontal articulated robot having four driving axes;
• a controller that controls motion of the robot;
• and
• a robot operation apparatus comprising:
• a touch panel that receives a touch operation inputted from a user;
• a touch operation detector that detects the touch operation in a planar direction of the touch panel inputted from the user;
• a motion command generator that generates a motion command to operate the robot based on a detection result of the touch operation detector;
• a selection operation detector that is integrally or separately provided with the touch panel and detects a selection operation in the touch panel inputted from the user,
• the motion command generator being configured to perform:
• a selection process to select, based on the detection result of the touch operation detector, one of combinations of the driving axes as an operation object from among preset combinations of the driving axes including at least one of:
• i) a first driving axis of the robot associated with a drag operation in a first direction for the touch panel;
• or ii) a second driving axis of the robot associated with a drag operation in a second direction intersecting with the first direction;
• an operation determination process to determine whether a direction of the drag operation is the first direction or the second direction, if the touch operation detected by the touch operation detector is the drag operation;
• a first motion command generation process to generate, if the direction of the drag operation is the first direction, a first motion command to drive the first driving axis of the robot associated with the drag operation in the first direction among the combinations of driving axes selected in selection process;
• and
• a second motion command generation process to generate, if the direction of the drag operation is the second direction, a second motion command to drive the second driving axis of the robot associated with the drag operation in the second direction among the combinations of driving axes selected in selection process.

A robot system comprising:

• a six-axis vertical articulated robot having six driving axes;
• a controller that controls motion of the robot;
• and
• a robot operation apparatus comprising:
• a touch panel that receives a touch operation inputted from a user;
• a touch operation detector that detects the touch operation in a planar direction of the touch panel inputted from the user;
• a motion command generator that generates a motion command to operate the robot based on a detection result of the touch operation detector;
• a selection operation detector that is integrally or separately provided with the touch panel and detects a selection operation in the touch panel inputted from the user,
• the motion command generator being configured to perform:
• a selection process to select, based on the detection result of the touch operation detector, one of combinations of the driving axes as an operation object from among preset combinations of the driving axes including at least one of:
• i) a first driving axis of the robot associated with a drag operation in a first direction for the touch panel;
• or ii) a second driving axis of the robot associated with a drag operation in a second direction intersecting with the first direction;
• an operation determination process to determine whether a direction of the drag operation is the first direction or the second direction, if the touch operation detected by the touch operation detector is the drag operation;
• a first motion command generation process to generate, if the direction of the drag operation is the first direction, a first motion command to drive the first driving axis of the robot associated with the drag operation in the first direction among the combinations of driving axes selected in selection process;
• and
• a second motion command generation process to generate, if the direction of the drag operation is the second direction, a second motion command to drive the second driving axis of the robot associated with the drag operation in the second direction among the combinations of driving axes selected in selection process.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a robot operation program performed by a computer embedded in a robot operation apparatus for operating a robot,

• the robot operation apparatus comprising:
• a touch panel that receives a touch operation inputted from a user;
• a touch operation detector that detects the touch operation in a planar direction of the touch panel inputted from the user;
• a motion command generator that generates a motion command to operate an articulated robot having a plurality of driving axes based on a detection result of the touch operation detector;
• a selection operation detector that is integrally or separately provided with the touch panel and detects a selection operation in the touch panel inputted from the user,
• the robot operation program enabling a computer embedded in the robot operation apparatus to execute:
• a selection process to select, based on the detection result of the touch operation detector, one of combinations of the driving axes as an operation object from among preset combinations of the driving axes including at least one of:
• i) a first driving axis of the robot associated with a drag operation in a first direction for the touch panel;
• or ii) a second driving axis of the robot associated with a drag operation in a second direction intersecting with the first direction;
• an operation determination process to determine whether a direction of the drag operation is the first direction or the second direction, if the touch operation detected by the touch operation detector is the drag operation;
• a first motion command generation process to generate, if the direction of the drag operation is the first direction, a first motion command to drive the first driving axis of the robot associated with the drag operation in the first direction among the combinations of driving axes selected in selection process;
• and
• a second motion command generation process to generate, if the direction of the drag operation is the second direction, a second motion command to drive the second driving axis of the robot associated with the drag operation in the second direction among the combinations of driving axes selected in selection process.