Articulated robot arm and method of moving same
AssigneeWestern Electric Company, Inc.
InventorJohn P. W. Flemming
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An articulated robot arm (10) comprises n arm sections (13, 16, 18, 21) pivotally mounted one to the other. A plurality of independently controlled servomotors (12, 14, 17, 19) at each of the arm joints moves the tip (22) of the arm towards the desired location. All arm angles are measured with respect to a common reference plane, e.g. the horizon.
Claims7
A method of moving the extremity of an articulated, robot arm from a first to a second location, said arm including n arm sections pivotally mounted one to the other thereby defining n arm joints, said method comprising the steps of:
- measuring the angle that each of said arm sections makes with respect to a common, fixed reference plane;
- and then
- rotating m of said joints to move said extremity towards said second location, 1.ltoreq.m.ltoreq.n, the rotation of each joint being made proportional to the desired change in the corresponding angle.
An articulated robot arm, said arm having a mechanical hand at one extremity thereof for manipulating a workpiece, which comprises:
- a base member;
- n arm sections, the proximal end of the first of said arm sections being rotatably mounted to aid base, the proximal end of the second of said arm sections being rotatably mounted to the distal end of said first arm section and so on, the distal end of the nth arm section supporting said hand;
- means for sensing the angle that each of said arm sections makes with respect to a common, fixed reference plane;
- and
- means, responsive to a command signal from an external source, for altering the angle that m of said arm sections make with respect to said reference plane, 1.ltoreq.m.ltoreq.n, thereby to move said hand from a first to a second location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.