Robot teaching apparatus

• US 20030078694A1
• Filed: 12/05/2001
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Inventors: Terada, Akihiro, Takizawa, Katsutoshi, Ban, Kazunori, Watanabe, Atsushi, Yamada, Makoto, Kosaka, Tetsuya, Warashina, Fumikazu, Okuda, Mitsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,763,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4202 preparation of the programme medium using a drawing, a model
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35506 Camera images overlayed with graphics, model
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36415 Adjust path and attitude tool by detecting path, line with a photosensor, laser
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37288 Tracking lasers follow object, reflection gives 3-D position
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37571 Camera detecting reflected light from laser
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37572 Camera, tv, vision
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40005 Vision, analyse image at one station during manipulation at next station

Abstract

An image of a reference work is captured using a camera and the image is displayed on an image display device. A measurement starting point is pointed by an image position pointing device. A corresponding view line is obtained using a position on the image and a position and a direction of the camera, a robot approaches to the reference work such that it does not deviate from a projecting direction to move to a position suitable for measurement. A slit light is projected and measurement of an inclination of a face in the vicinity of a measuring point is started. An image including a bright line image on the reference work is photographed and 3-dimensional positions of points sequentially measured along a working line. A movement path of a robot is created using these positions as teaching points.

Claims

1. A teaching apparatus which uses a teaching robot provided with projecting means for projecting a slit light or a spot light on an object as a pattern light and a camera to obtain teaching points for a working robot for performing working along a working line on the object, comprising:

means for, from an image of the camera about a face of the object on which the pattern light is projected, obtaining a 3-dimensional position and an attitude of the face;

means for specifying points constituting the working line on the image of the camera; and

means for obtaining 3-dimensional positions of the specified points constituting the working line on the basis of the 3-dimensional position and the attitude of the face, and the positions of the points constituting the working line on the image of the camera.

2. The teaching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a single robot is used both as the working robot and the teaching robot.

3. The teaching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said specifying of the points constituting the working line is performed on an image of another camera mounted on another teaching robot or a moving device provided separately of the working robot, or on an image of another camera mounted in a fixing manner separately of the teaching robot.

4. The teaching apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

display means for displaying an image of the camera; and

position pointing means for pointing a point on an image displayed on the display means,

wherein said means for specifying points constituting the working line specifies a point on the image of the camera displayed on the display means according to a pointing of said position pointing means.

5. The teaching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein marking of information about a position or a locus where the working robot is to operate is performed on the object in advance, and said means for specifying points constituting the working line detects the position of the marking on the image of the camera.

6. The teaching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for specifying the points constituting the working line performs image processing for detecting a line section along the working line on an image of the camera to specify the points constituting the working line.

7. The teaching apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

display means for displaying the points constituting the working line together with the image of the camera,

wherein, when the specified point is different from a point to be recognized, a point to be recognized on the image of the camera can be pointed by an operator for specifying the point again.

8. The teaching apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, when the point to be recognized is specified on the image, a feature for detecting the point by image processing from the image is recorded, and

the teaching robot moves along the working line and the teaching robot specifies the points constituting the working line by image processing from the recorded feature.

9. The teaching apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image processing is performed on the working line on the image of the camera on the basis of the shape of the working line specified by the operator so that specifying of the points constituting the working line is performed.

10. The teaching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the teaching robot moves from the current image taking-in position to the next image taking-in position, the next image taking-in position is obtained on the basis of 3-dimensional positions of a plurality of points which have been obtained until the current time.

11. The teaching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the teaching robot moves from the current image taking-in position to the next image taking-in position, the next image taking-in position is obtained on the basis of 2-dimensional positions of a plurality of points constituting the working line which has been specified until the current time on the image, and the attitude of the face.

12. The teaching apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, when the next image taking-in position is obtained, the next image taking-in position is obtained further on the basis of the shape of the working line.

13. The teaching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, from a position of a measuring portion on the image of the camera and a position of the camera at a time of the image taking-in, a straight line (a view line of the camera) within a space connecting the measuring portion and the camera is obtained, an attitude of the camera or the projector is determined such that the measuring portion existing on the straight line can be measured, and the camera or the projecting means approach to the object to be moved up to a position where 3-dimensional information can be measured.

14. A teaching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the projecting means and the camera are mounted on the robot at a time of teaching and are detached therefrom at a time of working.

15. A teaching apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for creating a working program for the working robot from 3-dimensional positions of the specified point constituting the working line.