Robot system

• US 10,525,592 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2018
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Inventors: Sugio, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kira
• Application Number:
  US15/980,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20180333849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• 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: G05B 19/4182 manipulators and conveyor only
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39102 Manipulator cooperating with conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/09 Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement

Abstract

Provided is a robot system includes a conveyor; a conveyor speed detection unit for detecting a movement speed of the conveyor; a robot for performing a task on the workpiece; a worker state input unit for inputting a collaboration state of a worker; and a control unit for controlling the robot based on the movement speed and the collaboration state of the worker. The control unit calculates a first speed based on the movement speed of the conveyor, calculates a second speed of a distal end of an arm of the robot, in a direction intersecting a direction of the first speed, causes the distal end of the arm to move at a speed combining the first speed and the second speed, and limits the second speed, when the collaboration state of the worker is input.

Claims

1. A robot system comprising:

a conveyor for conveying a workpiece;

a conveyor speed detection unit for detecting a movement speed of the conveyor;

a robot, disposed near the conveyor, for performing a task on the workpiece being conveyed by the conveyor;

a worker state input unit for inputting a collaboration state of a worker; and

a control unit for controlling the robot based on the movement speed of the conveyor detected by the conveyor speed detection unit and the collaboration state of the worker input by the worker state input unit, wherein

the control unit includes

a tracking speed calculation unit for calculating a first speed in a conveying direction, at which the robot is caused to follow the conveyor, based on the movement speed of the conveyor detected by the conveyor speed detection unit,

a relative movement speed calculation unit for calculating a second speed, of a distal end of an arm of the robot, in a direction intersecting a direction of the first speed,

a movement command generation unit for commanding the robot to move the distal end of the arm at a speed combining the first speed and the second speed, and

a speed limit switching unit for limiting the second speed calculated by the relative movement speed calculation unit, when an input is performed by the worker state input unit to an effect that the worker is in the collaboration state.

2. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein the movement command generation unit commands the robot to move a control point set at the distal end of the arm of the robot.

3. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein the speed limit switching unit limits the second speed in such a way that a speed of a focused-on portion, of the robot, set in advance falls to a predetermined threshold or below.

4. The robot system according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit for issuing, in a case where the distal end of the arm, for which a command was issued by the movement command generation unit based on the second speed limited by the speed limit switching unit, is determined to move out of a movement range of the robot during the task, a notification to an effect.

5. The robot system according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit for issuing, in a case where a speed of the conveyor detected by the conveyor speed detection unit is at or above a threshold, a notification to an effect.