Robot arm control apparatus, robot arm control method, robot, robot arm control program, and integrated electronic circuit

A robot arm control method controlling an operation of a robot arm performing work by being touched and manipulated by a user, the robot arm including an end effector attached to a body of the robot arm, and a grip part attached to the body of the robot arm as being separated from the end effector to form a clearance of a prescribed interval between the end effector and the grip part, the grip part being capable of relatively shifting to the end effector and being capable of being gripped by the user during a manipulation, the method comprising:

• acquiring, by a relative position information acquiring unit, relative position information of the grip part to the end effector during the manipulation;
• obtaining, by a tracking control unit, a shift amount of the robot arm for tracking control causing the robot arm to shift in accordance with a change amount of the interval of the clearance between the end effector and the grip part, such that the relative position information acquired by the relative position information acquiring unit falls within a prescribed threshold value range;
• outputting, by a tracking control switch control unit, tracking control information switching the tracking control such that the tracking control unit exerts the tracking control when the grip part is in contact with any other object than the end effector, and that the tracking control unit does not exert the tracking control when the grip part is out of contact with the other object;
• and
• controlling, based on the tracking control information from the tracking control switch control unit, shifting of the robot arm in accordance with the change amount of the interval of the clearance between the end effector and the grip part based on the shift amount of the robot arm obtained by the tracking control unit when the tracking control unit exerts the tracking control, whereas the control unit controls shifting of the robot arm irrespective of the shift amount of the robot arm obtained by the tracking control unit when the tracking control unit does not exert the tracking control, wherein
• in the outputting of the tracking control information from the tracking control switch control unit,
• acquiring, by a contact information acquiring unit, information as to an occurrence of contact between the grip part and any other object,
• detecting, by a grip detecting unit, grip information indicative of information as to an occurrence of gripping of the user to the grip part and information of one of position and magnitude of force of the user's gripping, based on the information as to the contact acquired by the contact information acquiring unit, and
• outputting, by a tracking control switching unit, tracking control information for changing a tracking speed in accordance with one of the position and the magnitude of force of the user's gripping to the grip part, based on the grip information detected by the grip detecting unit.

A computer-readable recording medium including a robot arm control program for controlling an operation of a robot arm performing work by being touched and manipulated by a user, the robot arm including an end effector attached to a body of the robot arm, and a grip part attached to the body of the robot arm as being separated from the end effector to form a clearance of a prescribed interval between the end effector and the grip part, the grip part being capable of relatively shifting to the end effector and being capable of being gripped by the user during a manipulation,

• the robot arm control program causing a computer to perform steps of:
• acquiring, by a relative position information acquiring unit, relative position information of the grip part to the end effector during the manipulation;
• obtaining, by a tracking control unit, a shift amount of the robot arm for tracking control causing the robot arm to shift in accordance with a change amount of the interval of the clearance between the end effector and the grip part, such that the relative position information acquired by the relative position information acquiring unit falls within a prescribed threshold value range;
• outputting, by a tracking control switch control unit, tracking control information switching the tracking control such that the tracking control unit exerts the tracking control when the grip part is in contact with any other object than the end effector, and that the tracking control unit does not exert the tracking control when the grip part is out of contact with the other object;
• and
• controlling, based on the tracking control information from the tracking control switch control unit, shifting of the robot arm in accordance with the change amount of the interval of the clearance between the end effector and the grip part based on the shift amount of the robot arm obtained by the tracking control unit when the tracking control unit exerts the tracking control, whereas the control unit controls shifting of the robot arm irrespective of the shift amount of the robot arm obtained by the tracking control unit when the tracking control unit does not exert the tracking control, wherein
• in the outputting of the tracking control information from the tracking control switch control unit,
• acquiring, by a contact information acquiring unit, information as to an occurrence of contact between the grip part and any other object,
• detecting, by a grip detecting unit, grip information indicative of information as to an occurrence of gripping of the user to the grip part and information of one of position and magnitude of force of the user's gripping, based on the information as to the contact acquired by the contact information acquiring unit, and
• outputting, by a tracking control switching unit, tracking control information for changing a tracking speed in accordance with one of the position and the magnitude of force of the user's gripping to the grip part, based on the grip information detected by the grip detecting unit.

A robot arm-use integrated electronic circuit controlling an operation of a robot arm performing work by being touched and manipulated by a user, the robot arm including an end effector attached to a body of the robot arm, and a grip part attached to the body of the robot arm as being separated from the end effector to form a clearance of a prescribed interval between the end effector and the grip part, the grip part being capable of relatively shifting to the end effector and being capable of being gripped by the user during a manipulation, the integrated electronic circuit comprising:

• a relative position information acquiring unit that acquires relative position information of the grip part to the end effector during the manipulation;
• a tracking control unit that obtains a shift amount of the robot arm for tracking control causing the robot arm to shift in accordance with a change amount of the interval of the clearance between the end effector and the grip part, such that the relative position information acquired by the relative position information acquiring unit falls within a prescribed threshold value range;
• a tracking control switch control unit that outputs tracking control information switching the tracking control such that the tracking control unit exerts the tracking control when the grip part is in contact with any other object than the end effector, and that the tracking control unit does not exert the tracking control when the grip part is out of contact with the other object;
• and
• a control unit that controls, based on the tracking control information from the tracking control switch control unit, shifting of the robot arm in accordance with the change amount of the interval of the clearance between the end effector and the grip part based on the shift amount of the robot arm obtained by the tracking control unit when the tracking control unit exerts the tracking control, whereas the control unit controls shifting of the robot arm irrespective of the shift amount of the robot arm obtained by the tracking control unit when the tracking control unit does not exert the tracking control, wherein
• the tracking control switch control unit includes:
• a contact information acquiring unit that acquires information as to an occurrence of contact between the grip part and any other object;
• a grip detecting unit that detects grip information indicative of information as to an occurrence of gripping of the user to the grip part and information of one of position and magnitude of force of the user's gripping, based on the information as to the contact acquired by the contact information acquiring unit;
• and
• a tracking control switching unit that outputs tracking control information for changing a tracking speed in accordance with one of the position and the magnitude of force of the user's gripping to the grip part, based on the grip information detected by the grip detecting unit.