# US 9,102,059 B2 · Robot control method, robot control device, robot, and robot system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,102,059 B2 - Document ID: US9102059B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/161,990 - Filed: 2014-01-23 - Published: 2014-07-31 - Granted: 2015-08-11 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-30 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Takashi Nammoto; Kazuhiro Kosuge; Kengo Yamaguchi; Yasuhisa Hirata - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9102059B2 ## CPC - B25J 9/1653: {parameters identification, estimation, stiffness, accuracy, error analysis} - B25J 9/1612: {characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control} - B25J 15/06: with vacuum or magnetic holding means - G05B 2219/39478: Control force and posture of hand - G05B 2219/39505: Control of gripping, grasping, contacting force, force distribution - G05B 2219/39514: Stability of grasped objects - G05B 2219/39536: Planning of hand motion, grasping - G05B 2219/39542: Plan grasp points, grip matrix and initial grasp force - 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 robot control method includes a first step of selecting a holding form in which a robot holds an object and a second step of determining whether the object can continue to be stably held when a predetermined external force is applied to the object in the selected holding form. In the second step, it is determined that the object can continue to be stably held when a force which should be generated by a contact portion to generate resistance to the predetermined external force is included in a friction cone of a force generated by driving the contact portion and enlarged by a suction force from the suction mechanism. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot control method of a robot that has a suction mechanism for at least one contact portion coming in contact with an object to hold the object and that holds the object, the robot control method comprising: selecting a holding form in which at least a position on the object coming in contact with the at least one contact portion is specified as a holding form in which the robot holds the object; and determining in advance whether the object can continue to be stably held when a predetermined external force is applied to the object in the selected holding form, wherein it is determined that the object can continue to be stably held when a force which should be generated by the at least one contact portion to generate resistance to the predetermined external force is included in a friction cone of a force generated by driving the at least one contact portion and enlarged by a suction force from the suction mechanism; and generating a control signal for controlling the robot so that the robot holds the object in the determined holding form. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot control method according to claim 1, wherein the suction force of the suction mechanism is set to a value based on an angle formed by a contact surface of the object coming in contact with the suction mechanism and the suction mechanism. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robot control method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting the holding form in which a predetermined friction coefficient is the minimum out of the holding forms in which it is determined that the object can continue to be stably held when the selecting of the holding form and the determining of whether the object can continue to be stably held are performed with the predetermined friction coefficient set to a value in a predetermined range. ### Claim 4 A robot control device controlling a robot that has a suction mechanism for at least one contact portion coming in contact with an object to hold the object and that holds the object, the robot control device comprising: a holding form determining unit that determines a holding form in which at least a position on the object coming in contact with the at least one contact portion is specified in advance as the holding form in which the object can continue to be stably held even when a predetermined external force is applied to the object; and a robot control signal generating unit that generates a signal for controlling the robot so that the robot holds the object in the determined holding form, wherein the holding form determining unit determines that the object can continue to be stably held even when the predetermined external force is applied to the object, when a force which should be generated by the at least one contact portion to generate resistance to the predetermined external force is included in a friction cone formed by a friction coefficient and a suction force from the suction mechanism. ### Claim 5 A robot that has a suction mechanism for at least one contact portion coming in contact with an object to hold the object and that holds the object, the robot comprising: a holding form determining unit that determines a holding form in which at least a position on the object coming in contact with the at least one contact portion is specified in advance as the holding form in which the object can continue to be stably held even when a predetermined external force is applied to the object; and a robot control signal generating unit that generates a signal for controlling the robot so that the robot holds the object in the determined holding form, wherein the holding form determining unit determines that the object can continue to be stably held even when the predetermined external force is applied to the object, when a force which should be generated by the at least one contact portion to generate resistance to the predetermined external force is included in a friction cone formed by a friction coefficient and a suction force from the suction mechanism. ### Claim 6 A robot system comprising: a robot that has a suction mechanism for at least one contact portion coming in contact with an object to hold the object and that holds the object; and a control device that controls the robot, wherein the control device includes a holding form determining unit that determines a holding form in which at least a position on the object coming in contact with the at least one contact portion is specified in advance as the holding form in which the object can continue to be stably held even when a predetermined external force is applied to the object, and a robot control signal generating unit that generates a signal for controlling the robot so that the robot holds the object in the determined holding form, and the holding form determining unit determines that the object can continue to be stably held even when the predetermined external force is applied to the object, when a force which should be generated by the at least one contact portion to generate resistance to the predetermined external force is included in a friction cone of a force by driving the at least one contact portion and enlarged by a suction force from the suction mechanism.