Vision guided automatic robotic path teaching method
AssigneeFANUC Robotics North America, Inc.
InventorsLeonard H. Bieman, Gary J. Rutledge
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of controlling a robot system (20) includes using a camera (40) to generate a first, two-dimensional image of a marking (42) on a workpiece (32). A second, two-dimensional image of the marking (42) is generated from a second perspective. The two images are then used to generate a three-dimensional location of the marking in real space relative to the robot (22). Since the visible marking (42) corresponds to a desired path (48), the three-dimensional location information is used to automatically program the robot (22) to follow the desired path.
Claims22
A method of controlling a moveable robot arm that is supported by a robot base to move a tool supported on the robot arm along a path on a workpiece, comprising the steps of:
- (A) marking the workpiece with a visible marking indicating at least a portion of the path;
- (B) generating a first two-dimensional image of the marking from a first perspective;
- (C) generating a second two-dimensional image of the marking from a second perspective;
- (D) generating a three-dimensional location of the path relative to the robot base using the first and second images;
- and
- (E) moving the tool along the path using the three-dimensional location of the path from step (D).
A system for controlling a robot to move a tool along a path on a workpiece, comprising:
- a robot base;
- a moveable robot arm supported by said base and having a tool supported by said arm;
- a controller that controls movement of said arm;
- a marker that is adapted to make a visually detectable marking on the workpiece that corresponds to the path;
- a camera for obtaining a first image of the marking from a first perspective and a second image of the marking from a second perspective;
- means for determining a three-dimensional location of the path relative to said base from the first and second images;
- and
- programming means for generating a programmed path using the three-dimensional location of the path and for programming said controller with the programmed path so that the controller controls the robot arm to move the tool along the path.
A method of controlling a moveable robot arm that is supported by a robot base to move a tool supported on the robot arm along a path on a workpiece, comprising the steps of:
- (A) marking the workpiece with a visible marking indicating at least a portion of the path;
- (B) generating a two-dimensional image of the marking;
- (C) generating a three-dimensional image of the workpiece surface upon which the visible marking was marked;
- (D) generating a three-dimensional location of the path relative to the robot base using the two-dimensional image and the three-dimensional image;
- and
- (E) moving the tool along the path using the three-dimensional location of the path from Step (D).
A method of controlling a moveable robot arm that is supported by a robot base to move a tool supported on the robot arm along a path on a workpiece, comprising the steps:
- (A) marking the workpiece with a three-dimensional marking indicating at least a portion of the path;
- (B) generating a three-dimensional image of the workpiece surface upon which the markings were marked;
- (C) generating a three-dimensional location of the path relative to the robot base using the three-dimensional image;
- and
- (D) moving the tool along the path using the three-dimensional location of the path from Step (C).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.