Apparatus and method for robot handling control
AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorsShusasku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Yasunao Okazaki, Takashi Anezaki, Tamao Okamoto
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Abstract
A robot arm is provided with an end effecter for grasping an object and a force sensor for detecting a force acted upon the end effecter. In the state in which end effecter grasps an object, when there is a change in the force acting on the end effecter detected by the force sensor, outputted is a signal for releasing the force of the end effecter grasping the object. The object grasped by the end effecter can be taken out as if the object were handed from person over to person.
Claims8
A method for controlling robot handling comprising:
- a) determining a direction of an external force acting upon an object, the external force exclusive of a grasp force by a robot grasping the object;
- b) determining, when a change in the external force in said direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, if the change in the external force in said direction is i) caused by a person taking away the object and due to a first condition which is a delivery of the grasped object or ii) caused by a force resulting from an other cause and due to a second condition which is a non-delivery of the grasped object;
- and
- c) outputting a grasp-force relaxing signal for releasing the grasped object when the change in the external force in said direction is due to the first condition and a grasp-force strengthening signal for strengthening the grasp force on the grasped object when the change in the external force in said direction is due to the second condition.
Apparatus for controlling robot handling comprising:
- means for determining a direction of an external force acting upon an object, the external force exclusive of a grasp force by a robot grasping the object;
- an object grasping unit for grasping the object with the grasp force;
- an external force detector for determining a change in an external force in said direction acting upon the object grasped with the grasp force;
- a determining unit for determining, when the change in the external force in said direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, if the change in the external force in said direction is i) caused by a person taking away the object and due to a first condition which is a delivery of the grasped object or ii) caused by a force resulting from an other cause and due to a second condition which is a non-delivery of the grasped object;
- and
- a grasp-force controller for outputting a grasp-force relaxing signal for releasing the grasped object when the change in the external force in said direction is due to the first condition and a grasp-force strengthening signal for strengthening the grasp force on the grasped object when the change in the external force in said direction is due to the second condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.