Method for Editing Movements of a Robot

• US 20100198403A1
• Filed: 07/01/2008
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SoftBank Robotics Europe SAS
• Original Assignee: Aldebaran Robotics S.A. (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Maisonnier, Bruno, Monceaux, Jerome
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/250
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1671 characterised by simulation, either to verify existing program or to create and verify new program, CAD/CAM oriented, graphic oriented programming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40392 Programming, visual robot programming language
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40395 Compose movement with primitive movement segments from database

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of editing movements of a robot (1, 6) on the basis of computer equipment (2) able to communicate with the robot, the method comprising steps in which:—a plurality of reference positions (10) of the robot are generated;—at least one time sequence of positions (9a, 9b) is generated, the time sequence of positions comprising the plurality of reference positions (10), and transitional movements (11) between two successive reference positions; and the robot is made interdependent with the displacement means (7a, 7b, 7c) included in the computer equipment and causing the displacement of the robot. The robot is a real robot and/or a virtual robot displayed on a screen of the computer equipment.

Claims

1. A method for editing movements of a robot from a computing device suitable for communicating with the robot, the method comprising steps in which:

a plurality of reference positions of the robot are generated;

at least one temporal sequence of positions is generated, the temporal sequence of positions including the plurality of reference positions, and transition movements between two successive reference positions;

an interdependence being created between the robot and movement means included in the computing device and instigating the movement of the robot,

and in that the robot is a real robot and/or a virtual robot displayed on a screen of the computing device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step consisting in generating the plurality of reference positions includes a step in which a reference position of the temporal sequence of positions is generated by movement means included in the computing device, the movement means instigating the movement of the robot, in such a way as to define the reference position.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step consisting in generating the plurality of reference positions furthermore includes a step in which:

the reference position is furthermore generated by moving the robot into a required position;

characteristics of the required position are recorded on the computing device,

the reference position is defined on the basis of characteristics of the required position.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step consisting in generating the plurality of reference positions furthermore includes a step in which:

a graphical representation is displayed of the temporal changes in the characteristics of at least one joint of the robot according to the temporal sequence of positions;

the graphical representation of the temporal changes is modified in such a way as to modify the temporal sequence of positions;

a new temporal sequence of positions is generated according to modifications of the graphical representation.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the robot includes a plurality of joints, and in which

a plurality of temporal sequences of positions are generated, each of the temporal sequences of positions including reference positions corresponding to positions of some of the joints from the plurality of joints.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the temporal sequences of positions of the plurality of temporal sequences of positions are read simultaneously, in such a way as to instigate a movement of the robot for the plurality of joints.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the virtual robot is generated on the basis of a real robot and a simulator, the simulator being designed in such a way that each movement of the real robot is capable of instigating the same movement for the virtual robot, and each movement of the virtual robot is capable of instigating the same movement for the real robot.

14. A computer program which, when executed, if it is loaded onto a computing device suitable for communicating with the robot, enables the editing of movements of the robot according to claim 1.

8. A system for editing movements of a robot, including a computing device suitable for communicating with the robot, the system including:

first means to generate a plurality of reference positions of the robot;

second means to generate a temporal sequence of positions, the sequence including the plurality of reference positions, the movement of the robot between two reference positions being generated on the basis of an interpolation;

movement means suitable for instigating a movement of the robot, interdependent with the robot,

the robot being a real robot and/or a virtual robot displayed on a screen of the computing device.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, further including third means to generate a reference position of the temporal sequence of positions on the basis of the movement means included in the computing device in such a way as to define the reference position.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8, further including fourth means for furthermore generating the reference position by moving the robot into a required position, to record, on the computing device, the characteristics of the required position, and to define the reference position on the basis of the characteristics of the required position.

11. The system as claimed in claim 8, including means to display a graphical representation of the temporal changes in the characteristics of at least one motor of the robot according to the temporal sequence of positions;

means to modify the graphical representation of the temporal changes in such a way as to modify the temporal sequence of positions, and means to modify a new temporal sequence of positions according to the modifications of the graphical representation.

12. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the robot includes a plurality of joints, and in which the system includes means to generate a plurality of temporal sequences of positions, each of the temporal sequences of positions including reference positions corresponding to positions of some of the joints from the plurality of joints.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, including means to read simultaneously the temporal sequences of positions of the plurality of temporal sequences of positions in such a way as to instigate a movement of the robot according to the plurality of joints.