Method of an apparatus for determining working original point for multi-joint manipulator

An apparatus for determining a working original point of a multi-joint manipulator, comprising:

• means for storing a working point where a hand mounted at a distal end of the multi-joint manipulator works and a working region of the hand needed for a work, said working region including the working point;
• means for calculating a set of positions of the working original point where the hand of the multi-joint manipulator may reach the working region and where at least one degree of freedom of a proximal end of said multi-joint manipulator is situated, and for calculating values of evaluation functions representative of preference of working characteristics of the multi-joint manipulator with respect to the respective positions of said set;
• and
• means for comparing the values of said evaluation functions and for selecting from said set a position of the working original point at which the working characteristics of the multi-joint manipulator are optimum.

A multi-joint manipulator apparatus comprising:

• a running carriage movable close to or away from an object to be worked;
• a multi-joint manipulator mounted on said carriage, said multi-joint manipulator having at its distal end a hand for carrying out a work;
• means for driving respective arms of said multi-joint manipulator;
• means for controlling a movement of said running carriage and a drive of each arm of said multi-joint manipulator under a remote control;
• and
• means for determining a working original point at which working characteristics of said multi-joint manipulator are optimum and at which at least one degree of freedom of a proximal end of said multi-joint manipulator is situated;
• said working original point determining means including:
• a data input section connected to said control means;
• a hand operative pattern memory for storing a working point at which a hand mounted on a distal end of said multi-joint maniuplator works and a working region of the hand needed for the work, said working region including said working point, said working point and said working region being inputted into said hand operative pattern memory through said data input section;
• a manipulator data memory for storing a region that each arm of said multi-joint manipulator may sweep and a present position of said arm;
• an obstacle three-dimensional configuration memory for storing three-dimensional configurations of obstacles located around said each working point;
• an evaluation function arithmetic section;
• and an optimum working original point position-coordinate data output section;
• wherein said evaluation function arithmetic section is adapted to calculate, on the basis of data of three said memories, a set of positions of the working original point at which the hand may reach said working region, to calculate values of evaluation functions representative of preference of the working characteristics of said multi-joint manipulator, to comparing the values of the evaluation functions, and to select a position of the working original point at which the working characteristics of said multi-joint manipulator are at optimum, said data output section is adapted to output the selected working original point position to said control means, whereby said multi-joint manipulator is moved so that its working original point is located at the selected position.