Interface apparatus for dynamic positioning and orientation of a robot through real-time parameter modifications

An interface apparatus comprising:

• a plane designation unit to designate an arbitrary plane, on which a robot moves to be positioned, in a three-dimensional space;
• and
• a display unit to graphically display an image of the robot on the designated arbitrary plane for positioning the robot,
• wherein said plane designation unit designates the arbitrary plane by using a tangent plane in contact with a surface of a virtual sphere in the three-dimensional space and by arbitrarily changing a radius of the sphere and a position of a contact point of the tangent plane on the sphere.

An interface apparatus, comprising:

• a mapping unit to associate a plane, on which a robot moves to be positioned, in a three-dimensional space, with a display plane;
• a display unit to graphically display on the display plane an image of the robot on the plane in the three-dimensional space for positioning the robot;
• a plane designation unit to designate a parameter indicating an arbitrary position and an arbitrary orientation of the plane in the three-dimensional space;
• and
• a change unit to arbitrarily change the position and the orientation of the plane in the three-dimensional space by changing the parameter dynamically,
• wherein the plane designation unit designates the plane by using a tangent plane in contact with a surface of a virtual sphere in the three-dimensional space and by arbitrarily changing a radius of the sphere and a position of a contact point of the tangent plane on the sphere.

A computer-readable storage medium for storing a program used to direct a computer to perform operations comprising:

• setting an arbitrary plane, on which a robot moves to be positioned, in a three-dimensional space, by arbitrarily changing a position and an orientation of the plane in the three-dimensional space according to a parameter value that is changed dynamically;
• and
• graphically displaying an image of the robot on the set plane for positioning the robot,
• wherein the setting designates the arbitrary plane by using a tangent plane in contact with a surface of a virtual sphere in the three-dimensional space and by arbitrarily changing a radius of the sphere and a position of a contact point of the tangent plane on the sphere.

A computer-readable storage medium for storing a program used to direct a computer to perform operations comprising:

• associating a plane, on which a robot moves to be positioned, in a three-dimensional space with a display plane;
• graphically displaying on the display plane an image of the robot on the plane in the three-dimensional space for positioning the robot;
• setting a parameter indicating an arbitrary position and an arbitrary orientation of the plane in the three-dimensional space;
• and
• arbitrarily changing the position and the orientation of the plane in the three-dimensional space by amending the parameter dynamically,
• wherein the setting designates the plane by using a tangent plane in contact with a surface of a virtual sphere in the three-dimensional space and by arbitrarily changing a radius of the sphere and a position of a contact point of the tangent plane on the sphere.

An interface apparatus comprising:

• a plane designation unit to designate an arbitrary plane, on which a robot makes complex movements to be positioned, in a three-dimensional space, by arbitrarily changing a position and an orientation of the plane in the three-dimensional space according to a parameter value that is changed dynamically;
• and
• a display unit to graphically display an image of the robot on the designated arbitrary plane for positioning the robot,
• wherein the plane designation unit designates the arbitrary plane by using a tangent plane in contact with a surface of a virtual sphere in the three-dimensional space and by arbitrarily changing a radius of the sphere and a position of a contact point of the tangent plane on the sphere.

An interface apparatus comprising:

• a plane designation unit to designate an arbitrary plane, on which a robot makes complex movements to be positioned, in a three-dimensional space;
• and
• a display unit to graphically display an image of the robot on the designated arbitrary plane for positioning the robot,
• wherein the plane designation unit designates the arbitrary plane by using a tangent plane in contact with a surface of a virtual sphere in the three-dimensional space and by arbitrarily changing a radius of the sphere and a position of a contact point of the tangent plane on the sphere.

An interface apparatus, comprising:

• a mapping unit to associate a plane, on which a robot makes complex movements to be positioned in a three-dimensional space, with a display plane;
• a display unit to graphically display on the display plane an image of the robot on the plane in the three-dimensional space for positioning the robot;
• a plane designation unit to designate a parameter indicating an arbitrary position and an arbitrary orientation of the plane in the three-dimensional space;
• and
• a change unit to arbitrarily change the position and the orientation of the plane in the three-dimensional space by changing the parameter dynamically,
• wherein the plane designation unit designates the plane by using a tangent plane in contact with a surface of a virtual sphere in the three-dimensional space and by arbitrarily changing a radius of the sphere and a position of a contact point of the tangent plane on the sphere.

A computer-readable storage medium for storing a program used to direct a computer to perform operations comprising:

• setting an arbitrary plane, on which a robot makes complex movements to be positioned, in a three-dimensional space, by arbitrarily changing a position and an orientation of the plane in the three-dimensional space according to a parameter value that is changed dynamically;
• and
• graphically displaying an image of the robot on the set plane for positioning the robot,
• wherein the setting designates the arbitrary plane by using a tangent plane in contact with a surface of a virtual sphere in the three-dimensional space and by arbitrarily changing a radius of the sphere and a position of a contact point of the tangent plane on the sphere.

A computer-readable storage medium for storing a program used to direct a computer to perform operations comprising:

• associating a plane, on which a robot makes complex movements to be positioned, in a three-dimensional space with a display plane;
• graphically displaying on the display plane an image of the robot on the plane in the three-dimensional space for positioning the robot;
• setting a parameter indicating an arbitrary position and an arbitrary orientation of the plane in the three-dimensional space;
• and
• arbitrarily changing the position and the orientation of the plane in the three-dimensional space by amending the parameter dynamically,
• wherein the setting designates the plane by using a tangent plane in contact with a surface of a virtual sphere in the three-dimensional space and by arbitrarily changing a radius of the sphere and a position of a contact point of the tangent plane on the sphere.