Method and apparatus for robot control
AssigneeFanuc Corporation
InventorsHajimu Inaba, Shinsuke Sakakibara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A robot control method and apparatus of the type in which robot operations are taught in advance and the robot is subsequently actuated in accordance with the robot instruction data so taught. Areas in which the robot is forbidden to enter are established and the resulting information is stored in a memory. During the teaching of the robot operations the robot instruction data is created by moving the robot without regard to the forbidden areas. Thereafter, the robot instruction data so created is modified using the forbidden area information, the robot being controlled on the basis of the data so modified.
Claims11
A method of controlling a robot having predetermined forbidden areas of movement, wherein robot operations are stored as robot instruction data in a first memory and the robot is subsequently actuated in accordance with the stored robot instruction data, comprising the steps of:
- (a) storing in a second memory predetermined information indicative of the predetermined forbidden areas which the robot is forbidden to enter;
- (b) creating robot instruction data by moving the robot along a desired path to a target position during the storing of robot operations, without regard to said predetermined forbidden areas by storing in the first memory, robot instruction data representing the desired path;
- (c) modifying the robot instruction data in accordance with said predetermined information indicative of the predetermined forbidden areas;
- and
- (d) controlling the motion of the robot in accordance with the modified robot instruction data.
A method of controlling a robot having predetermined forbidden areas of movement, wherein robot operations are stored as robot instruction data in a first memory and the robot is subsequently actuated in accordance with the stored robot instruction data, comprising the steps of:
- (a) storing in a second memory predetermined information indicative of the predetermined forbidden areas;
- (b) creating robot instruction data by moving the robot along a desired path to a target position during the storing of robot operations, without regard to said predetermined forbidden areas;
- (c) detecting when the robot starts to enter a forbidden area in accordance with said stored robot instruction data;
- and
- (d) modifying the path of robot movement, when the robot is about to enter a forbidden area, in such a manner that the robot does not penetrate the forbidden area.
A robot control apparatus for actuating a robot having predetermined forbidden areas of movement, in accordance with predetermined, stored robot instruction data indicative of robot operations, said apparatus comprises:
- boundary storage means for storing information indicative of the boundaries of the predetermined forbidden areas of movement;
- a robot instruction data memory for storing said predetermined, stored robot instruction data created without regard to the information indicative of the boundaries of the predetermined forbidden areas of movement;
- a processing unit operatively connected to said boundary storage means and to said robot instruction data memory, for modifying the predetermined, stored robot instruction data using said information indicative of the boundaries of the forbidden areas of movement;
- and
- means for controlling the robot in accordance with the modified predetermined, stored robot instruction data.
A robot control apparatus for actuating a robot having predetermined forbidden areas of movement, in accordance with predetermined, stored robot instruction data, indicative of robot operations, said apparatus comprises:
- boundary storage means for storing information indicative of the boundaries of the predetermined forbidden areas of movement;
- a robot instruction data memory for storing said predetermined, stored robot instruction data created without regard to the information indicative of the boundaries of the predetermined forbidden areas of movement;
- a positional servo system operatively connected to said robot instruction data memory, for operating the robot as instructed by said predetermined, stored robot instruction data;
- current position storage means for storing the current position of the robot;
- discrimination means for discriminating whether the robot has started to enter a forbidden area and for providing a discrimination signal indicative of such, using the current position of the robot and said information indicative of the boundaries of the predetermined forbidden areas of movement;
- and
- means for modifying the path of robot movement in response to said signal from said discrimination means indicating that the robot has started to enter a forbidden area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.