High level language-based robotic control system

A high level language-based control system for a robot which performs a set of movement functions comprising:

• a) a digital control computer operably connected to the robot to control the movement functions thereof, said digital control computer including program execution means for executing control programs;
• b) means for inputting said control programs into said digital control computer for execution thereby;
• and
• c) translator means for reading a set of robot control statement sequences and for generating control programs therefrom defining a set of robot control sequences, said translator means comprising,
• c1) first translator means for accepting as inputs thereto statements in a high level spatial operator algebra language and for outputting machine language sequences reflecting said inputs to said first translator means and executable by said digital control computer, and
• c2) second translator means for accepting as inputs thereto statements in a high level robot applications language and for outputting to said first translator means statements in said high level spatial operator algebra language reflecting said inputs to said second translator means.

In a computer-controlled robot having at least one gripping arm with a plurality of degrees of freedom for performing a set of movement functions wherein a digital control computer executing control programs contained therein is operably connected to the robot to control the movement functions thereof whereby said robot is a computer-controlled robot, an improvement for improving ease of programming the digital control computer and for improving operation of the robot comprising:

• b) translator means for reading a set of robot control statement sequences and for generating control programs therefrom defining a set of robot control sequences, said translator means comprising:
• a) translator means for reading a set of robot control statement sequences and for generating control programs for the digital control computer therefrom defining a set of robot control sequences, said translator means comprising:
• (1) first translator means for accepting as inputs thereto statements in a high level spatial operator algebra language and for outputting machine language sequences reflecting said inputs to said first translator means and executable by said digital control computer, and
• (2) second translator means for accepting as inputs thereto statements in a high level robot applications language and for outputting said first translator means statements in said high level spatial operator algebra language reflecting said inputs to said second translator means;
• b) means for inputting said control programs into the digital control computer for execution thereby;
• and
• c) robot simulation means operably connected to the digital control computer for executing said control programs in a fast simulation mode prior to executing them to control the robot and for preventing said digital control computer from executing said control programs to control the robot if a problem is detected in said simulation mode.

A high level language-based control system for programming and controlling a multiple-armed robot having multiple degrees of freedom for performing a set of movement functions, comprising:

• a) a digital control computer operably connected to the multiple-armed robot to control the movement functions thereof, said digital control computer including program execution means for executing control programs;
• b) means for inputting said control programs into said digital control computer for execution thereby;
• and
• c) translator means for reading a set of robot control statement sequences and for generating control programs therefrom defining a set of robot control sequences, said translator means comprising,
• c1) first translator means for accepting as inputs thereto statements in a high level spatial operator algebra language and for outputting machine language sequences reflecting said inputs to said first translator means and executable by said digital control computer, said first translator means including embedded algorithms defining standard robot movements and actions whereby execution time of said machine language sequences is minimized, and
• c2) second translator means for accepting as inputs thereto statements in a high level robot applications language comprising operators for standard robot movement of multiple arms moving in cooperation such as MOVE, SQUEEZE, GRIP and for outputting to said first translator means statements in said high level spatial operator algebra language reflecting said inputs to said second translator means.

A system for controlling a multi-link, multi-joint robot with a processor controlling joint servos and responsive to joint sensors for executing arithmetic instructions, said system comprising:

• first compiler means for translating each one of a selected sequence of plural low level spatial operators to a corresponding sequence of arithmetic instructions and transmitting said sequence of arithmetic instructions to said processor, said set of said low level operators comprising a first type of operator for performing a coordinate transformation to a frame of reference of a current robot link, a second type of operator for propagating vector quantities across at least one of said current robot link and a corresponding robot joint, a third type of operator comprising a combination of operators of said second type, a fourth type of operator for performing a recursion of plural operators of said third type across plural robot links of a robot member, a fifth type of operator including operators produced from operators of said fourth type, and a sixth type of operator for combining operators of said fifth type;
• second compiler means for translating each one of a set of plural high level operators to a corresponding sequence of at least some of said low level operators and transmitting said sequence of low level operators to said first compiler means as said selected sequence, said sequence of low level operators comprising plural iterations associated with plural discrete points in time, each iteration comprising a first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth levels comprising, respectively, low level operators of said first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth types, whereby each high level operator comprises a modular assembly of ones of said low level operators.

A method for controlling a multi-link, multi-joint robot with a processor controlling joint servos and responsive to joint sensors for executing arithmetic instructions, said method comprising:

• compiling each one of a selected sequence of plural low level spatial operators to a corresponding sequence of arithmetic instructions and transmitting said sequence of arithmetic instructions to processor, said set of said low level operators comprising a first type of operator for performing a coordinate transformation to a frame of reference of a current robot link, a second type of operator for propagating vector quantities across at least one of said current robot link and a corresponding robot joint, a third type of operator comprising a combination of operators of said second type, a fourth type of operator for performing a recursion of plural operators of said third type across plural robot links of a robot member, a fifth type of operator including operators produced from operators of said fourth type, and a sixth type of operator for combining operators of said fifth type;
• translating each one of a set of plural high level operators to a corresponding sequence of at least some of said low level operators and transmitting said sequence of low level operators as said selected sequence for said compiling step, said sequence of low level operators comprising plural iterations associated with plural discrete points in time, each iteration comprising a first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth levels comprising, respectively, low level operators of said first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth types, whereby each high level operator comprises a modular assembly of ones of said low level operators.