Control system and method for applying force to grasp a brake lever

• US 10,272,573 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2016
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Tan, Huan, Lizzi, John Michael, Forman, Douglas, Theurer, Charles Burton, Al Assad, Omar, Patrick, Romano, Kannan, Balajee, Gefen, Yonatan
• Primary Examiner(s): Oh, Harry Y
• Application Number:
  US15/058,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20170173790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 700253
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/00 Manipulators not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/003 by means of an audio-responsive input audible safety signals B25J19/061
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/085 Force or torque sensors B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/021 Optical sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1612 characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1661 characterised by task planning, object-oriented languages
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1666 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1679 characterised by the tasks executed
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 15/048 Controlling pressure brakes of railway vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 15/54 for controlling exhaust from triple valve or from brake cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/16 operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40039 Robot mounted or sliding inside vehicle, on assembly line or for test, service
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40586 6-DOF force sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40613 Camera, laser scanner on end effector, hand eye manipulator, local
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 : Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for an automation system. The systems and methods calculate a motion trajectory of a manipulator and an end-effector. The end-effector is configured to grasp a target object. The motion trajectory defines successive positions of the manipulator and the end-effector along a plurality of via-points toward the target object. The systems and methods further acquire force/torque (F/T) data from an F/T sensor associated with the end-effector, and adjusts the motion trajectory based on the F/T data.

Claims

1. An automation system comprising:

an end-effector comprising a plurality of arms, wherein the end-effector is configured to grasp a brake lever by one or more of the plurality of arms based on a motion trajectory and feedback from at least one sensor to one or more of position or orient the end-effector;

a manipulator comprising one or more joints, the end-effector coupled to the manipulator, wherein the one or more joints are configured to move the end-effector relative to the brake lever based on the motion trajectory;

a force/torque (F/T) sensor coupled to the end-effector and configured to acquire F/T data associated with the end-effector; and

a controller circuit coupled to the F/T sensor and configured to receive the F/T data, wherein the controller circuit adjusts the motion trajectory based on the F/T data, and wherein the controller circuit is further coupled to the end-effector and the manipulator and configured to dynamically control amount of forces exerted along horizontal, vertical directions and torque on at least one of the end-effector and the manipulator based on an adjusted motion trajectory, and wherein the controller is configured to determine a confidence value or an index based on a difference between predicted values and the force/torque F/T data acquired from the F/T sensor for validating release of the brake lever.

2. The automation system of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit adjusts the motion trajectory at a rate of ten to one hundred hertz.

3. The automation system of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit receives the F/T data at a rate of one kilohertz.

4. The automation system of claim 1, further comprising a peripheral sensor that acquires visual information of a task space, the controller circuit receiving the visual information and adjusts the motion trajectory based on the visual information.

5. The automation system of claim 1, further comprising a peripheral sensor that acquires visual information of a task space, wherein the controller circuit defines the motion trajectory based on the visual information.

6. The automation system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of arms form an opening based on the motion trajectory, the opening configured to receive the brake lever within the end-effector by positioning the brake lever between the plurality of arms.

7. The automation system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the F/T data is acquired when at least one of the manipulator or the end-effector is changing a position.

8. The automation system of claim 1, further comprising a movable base housing the controller circuit, wherein the manipulator is mounted on the movable base.

16. The automation system of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit is further configured to control an orientation comprising a roll, pitch, and yaw of the end effector based on the adjusted motion trajectory.

9. A method for controlling an automation system, the method comprising:

calculating, by a controller circuit, a motion trajectory of a manipulator and an end-effector, the end-effector configured to grasp a brake lever, wherein the motion trajectory defines successive positions of the manipulator and the end-effector along a plurality of via-points toward the brake lever;

acquiring force/torque (F/T) data from a F/T sensor associated with the end-effector;

adjusting, by the controller circuit, the motion trajectory based on the F/T data;

dynamically controlling, by the controller circuit, amount of forces exerted along horizontal, vertical directions and torque on at least one of the end-effector and the manipulator based on an adjusted motion trajectory; and

determining a confidence value or an index based on a difference between predicted values and the force/torque F/T data acquired from the F/T sensor for validating release of the brake lever.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the motion trajectory further defines a force distribution and a torque predetermined value.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising calculating an error value of the error based on the F/T data and at least one of the force distribution or the torque predetermined value, wherein the motion trajectory is adjusted to reduce the error value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the error value is further based on the brake lever.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising acquiring visual information of a task space from a peripheral sensor, wherein the motion trajectory is further adjusted based on the visual information.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising acquiring visual information of a task space from a peripheral sensor, wherein the motion trajectory is defined based on the visual information.

15. The method claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the F/T data is acquired when at least one of the manipulator or the end-effector is moving to a succeeding position.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising controlling, by the controller circuit, an orientation comprising a roll, pitch, and yaw of the end effector based on the adjusted motion trajectory.