Industrial robot with controlled flexibility and simulated force for automated assembly
AssigneesABB Research Ltd., ABB Automation Technologies AB Robotics
InventorsHui Zhang, Zhongxue Gan, Torgny Brogardh, Jianjun Wang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An industrial robot that has uses a simulated force vector to allow a work piece held by the robot end effector to be mated with a work piece whose location and orientation is not precisely known to the robot. When the end effector makes contact with the location and orientation in which the other work piece is held the robot provides a velocity command to minimize the force of the contact and also provides a search pattern in all directions and orientations to cause the end effector to bring the work piece it is holding in contact with the other work piece. The search pattern and the velocity command are continued until the two work pieces mate.
Claims21
An industrial robot comprising:
- a robot controller,
- an end effector for holding a first work piece to be mated to a second work piece held at a location and orientation not precisely known to said robot controller,
- a predetermined number of articulated joints, each joint having its own actuation device and motion measurement device,
- said robot controller responsive to force measurements from said robot for superimposing on said force measurement at least one force vector that subjects said end effector to a force that causes said end effector to move said first work piece towards said location and orientation in which said second work piece is held.
A method for operating an industrial robot that has a robot controller, an end effector for holding a first work piece to be mated to a second work piece held at a location and orientation not precisely known to said robot controller, and a predetermined number of articulated joints, each joint having its own actuation device and motion measurement device, said method comprising:
- superimposing on a force measurement from said robot at least one force vector that subjects said end effector to a force that causes said end effector to move said first work piece towards said location and orientation in which said second work piece is held.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.