# US 7,236,850 B2 · Working robot, actuator and control method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,236,850 B2 - Document ID: US7236850B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/504,369 - Filed: 2002-04-18 - Published: 2006-05-25 - Granted: 2007-06-26 - Earliest claimed: 2002-02-16 - Assignees: Korea Institute of Science and Technology - Inventors: Mun-Sang Kim; Sung-Chul Kang; Chang-Hyun Cho; Hyun-Oh Shin; Jea-Sun Kim; Yo-Ha Hwang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7236850B2 ## CPC - B25J 17/0208: {Compliance devices} - B25J 9/1015: {using additional, e.g. microadjustment of the end effector} - B25J 9/1633: {compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control} - B25J 9/1697: {Vision controlled systems} - B25J 19/0091: {Shock absorbers (in general F16F)} - G05B 2219/39527: Workpiece detector, sensor mounted in, near hand, gripper - G05B 2219/39577: Active electromechanical compliance for wrist - G05B 2219/40557: Tracking a tool, compute 3-D position relative to camera - G05B 2219/40609: Camera to monitor end effector as well as object to be handled - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A working robot, which is able to perform a required operation by locating a tool on a working position of a moving object, comprises a robot body moving with the object according to the movement of the object with more than one degree of freedom; an actuator mounted on a free end of the robot body and including a tool mounting unit, on which the tool is mounted, connected by a passive joint which reacts passively to small displacement of the object for locating the tool on the working position; and a control device for controlling the robot body, the actuator, and the tool. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A working robot comprising: a robot body for tracking a moving object of working; an actuator mounted on a free end of the robot body according to a displacement form and direction of said moving object of working and having a tool mounting unit on which a tool may be mounted, said actuator moving the tool mounting unit according to a displacement form and direction of said moving object of working so as to minimize a tracking error of the robot body; and a control device for controlling the robot body, the actuator, and the tool. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The working robot of claim 1, wherein the actuator includes: a frame mounted at the free end of the robot body; and a driving device on which the tool mounting unit is mounted, said driving device being installed at the frame according to a displacement form and direction of said moving object of working. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The working robot of claim 2, wherein the actuator includes the frame in which a guide for driving the driving device is installed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The working robot of claim 1, further comprising a location detection means for detecting a working position of the tool so as to control a working position of the tool. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The working robot of claim 4, wherein the location detection means detects a location of the tool by a camera, and when a distance from the object of working is less than a predetermined value, the location of the tool is detected by an external load detected by the passive joint. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The working robot of claim 1, wherein a velocity of the robot body is controlled by being synchronized with a moving velocity of the working object, and a location of the actuator is controlled so as to locate the tool. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The working robot of claim 1, wherein the tool mounting unit is connectedly mounted by a passive joint which passively responds to a small displacement generated by the working object. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The working robot of claim 7, wherein the passive joint responds to the small displacement by including an elastic member and a damping member for restoring a location of the tool and absorbing shocks when the tool is in contact with the working object. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The working robot of claim 8, wherein the passive joint is fixed to the driving device and includes: a frame having a guide along which the tool mounting unit moves; and an elastic member and a damping member for restoring a location of the tool mounting unit and absorbing shocks of the tool mounting unit. ### Claim 10 An actuator for a working robot comprising: a frame mounted at a free end of a working robot which tracks a moving object of working; a tool mounting unit installed at the frame according to a displacement form and direction of said moving object of working for mounting a tool for an operation; and a driving device on which the tool mounting unit is mounted for moving the tool mounting unit, said driving device being installed according to a displacement form and direction of said moving object of working. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The actuator of claim 10, wherein the actuator includes the frame in which a guide for moving the driving device is installed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The actuator of claim 10, wherein the tool mounting unit is connectedly installed by a passive joint which passively responds to a small displacement from the object of working. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The actuator of claim 12, wherein the passive joint responds to the small displacement by including an elastic member and a damping member for restoring a location of the tool and absorbing shocks when the tool is in contact with the object of working. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The actuator of claim 12, wherein the passive joint is fixed to the driving device and includes: a frame having a guide along which the tool mounting unit moves; and an elastic member and a damping member for restoring a location of the tool mounting unit and absorbing shocks of the tool mounting unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The actuator of claim 10, further comprising a location detection means for detecting a working position of the tool so as to control a working position of the tool. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The working robot of claim 15, wherein the location detection means detects a location of the tool by a camera and when a distance from the object of working is less than a predetermined value, the location of the tool is detected by an external load detected by the passive joint. ### Claim 17 A method for controlling a working robot, wherein a velocity of a robot body is controlled by being synchronized with a moving velocity of a moving object of working, an actuator including a tool mounting unit is mounted at a free end of the robot body according to a displacement form and direction of said moving object of working, the actuator is controlled so that the tool mounting unit is located according to a displacement form and direction of said moving object of working so as to minimize a tracking error of the robot body, and the robot body and the actuator are moved simultaneously. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein a location of the tool is detected by a camera and when the tool approaches to a constant distance of the object of working, the location of the tool is detected by a small displacement applied to the tool by the object of working, thereby controlling a location of the tool. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the location of the tool changes in accordance with a small displacement generated by a contact between the tool and the object of working. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein an elastic member and a damping member are used to restore the location of the tool and absorb shocks generated at the time when the tool is in contact with the object of working.