Process for protecting a robot from collisions

• US 20050273200A1
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Inventors: Weiss, Martin, Hietmann, Gerhard
• Application Number:
  US11/147,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20050273200A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1666 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4061 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36468 Teach and store intermediate stop position in moving route to avoid collision
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39099 Interlocks inserted in movement process if necessary to avoid collision
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39135 For multiple manipulators operating at same time, avoid collision
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40317 For collision avoidance and detection
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40442 Voxel map, 3-D grid map
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40492 Model manipulator by spheres for collision avoidance

Abstract

A process for protecting at least two robots is provided, especially multiaxial industrial robots, from collisions, in which movements of a robot are automatically checked for possible collisions. Interlocks are automatically inserted in the movement process.

Claims

1. A process for protecting at least one robot, from collision, the process comprising the steps:

checking the movements of the at least one robot automatically checked for possible collisions; and

determining if interlocks are necessary and if so automatically inserting interlocks in the movement process.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein program movements of the at least one robot are automatically checked for possible collisions before the program is carried out, and that interlock statements are automatically inserted into the program text generating the movement process.

3. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein permissible interlock points are automatically determined before an interlock is inserted or before the check for possible collisions is carried out.

4. A process in accordance with claim 3, wherein sentence limits are determined as possible interlock points.

5. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein bounding volumes of the robots or robot parts, which are checked for collisions, are generated for determining collisions.

6. A process in accordance with claim 5, wherein hierarchies of bounding volumes are generated.

7. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the intersection of the bounding volumes of at least two robots is determined.

8. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the minimum distance of the bounding volumes is determined.

9. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the working space of the robots is divided into disjunct partial volumes and the information showing for which sentences each robot will occupy the particular partial volume is entered in an associated table for each partial volume.

10. A process in accordance with claim 9, wherein the working space of the robots is divided into disjunct cubes and that the information showing for which sentences each robot will occupy the particular cube is entered in an associated table for each cube.

11. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein consecutive interlocks are merged with one another.

12. A process for protecting a multiaxial industrial robots from collision, the process comprising the steps:

automatically checking the programed movement process of a first industrial robot and the programed movement process of a second industrial robot for possible collisions; and

determining if interlocks are necessary and if so automatically inserting interlocks in each movement process.

13. A process in accordance with claim 12, wherein permissible interlock points are automatically determined before an interlock is inserted or before the check for possible collisions is carried out.

14. A process in accordance with claim 13, wherein each programed movement process includes sentences with sentence limits and sentence limits are determined as possible interlock points.

15. A process in accordance with claim 12, wherein bounding volumes of the robots or robot parts, which are checked for collisions, are generated for determining collisions.

16. A process in accordance with claim 15, wherein hierarchies of bounding volumes are generated.

17. A process in accordance with claim 12, wherein the intersection of the bounding volumes of at least two robots is determined.

18. A process in accordance with claim 12, wherein the minimum distance of the bounding volumes is determined.

19. A process in accordance with claim 14, wherein the working space of the robots is divided into disjunct partial volumes and the information showing for which sentences each robot will occupy the particular partial volume is entered in an associated table for each partial volume.

20. A process in accordance with claim 19, wherein the working space of the robots is divided into disjunct cubes and that the information showing for which sentences each robot will occupy the particular cube is entered in an associated table for each cube.