ROBOT POSITIONING

• US 20140343727A1
• Filed: 05/15/2013
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: New River Kinematics, Inc. (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Calkins, Joseph M., Salerno, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,452,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1692 Calibration of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39019 Calibration by cmm coordinate measuring machine over a certain volume
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39031 Use of model for robot and for measuring device

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a robot positioning device includes a first interface configured to communicate with a robot and a second interface configured to communicate with a location measuring system. The robot positioning device includes a calibrator, a modeler, and an instructor. The calibrator is configured to direct the location measuring system to determine robot calibration locations when robot joints are positioned in calibration joint positions. The modeler is configured to create a calibrated model relating robot joint positions to robot locations based at least in part on the robot calibration locations received from the location measuring system and associated calibration joint positions of the robot joints. The instructor is configured to receive a goal location from the robot. The instructor is further configured to transmit goal joint positions to the robot, the goal joint positions based at least in part on the goal location and the calibrated model.

Claims

1. A robot positioning device for determining and providing joint positions to robots in an operation environment of the robots such that the robots will be positioned at a goal location when joints of the robots are positioned in the provided joint positions, the robot positioning device comprising:

a first interface configured to communicate with a first robot;

a second interface configured to communicate with a location measuring system;

a calibrator configured to direct the location measuring system via the second interface to determine a plurality of calibration locations of the first robot when joints of the first robot are positioned in a plurality of calibration joint positions;

a modeler configured to create a first calibrated model relating joint positions of the first robot to locations of the first robot, the first calibrated model based at least in part on the plurality of calibration locations of the first robot received from the location measuring system and associated calibration joint positions of the joints of the first robot; and

an instructor configured to;

receive a first goal location from the first robot via the first interface, and

transmit a first plurality of goal joint positions to the first robot via the first interface, the first plurality of goal joint positions based at least in part on the first goal location and the first calibrated model.

2. The robot positioning device of claim 1, wherein the calibrator is further configured to:

direct the first robot via the first interface to position the joints of the first robot in the plurality of calibration joint positions, and

direct the location measuring system to determine the plurality of calibration locations of the first robot when the joints of the first robot are positioned in the plurality of calibration joint positions of the first robot.

3. The robot positioning device of claim 2, wherein the calibrator is configured to:

direct the first robot via the first interface to position the joints of the first robot in the plurality of calibration joint positions, and

direct the location measuring system to determine the plurality of calibration locations of the first robot when the joints of the first robot are positioned in the plurality of calibration joint positions of the first robot, in response to an input from a user.

4. The robot positioning device of claim 1, wherein:

the instructor is further configured to receive a plurality of current joint positions from the first robot via the first interface, and

the first plurality of goal joint positions are further based at least in part on the plurality of current joint positions.

5. The robot positioning device of claim 1, wherein the first interface is configured to communicate with the first robot via a native control language of the first robot.

6. The robot positioning device of claim 1, wherein the goal location includes a goal instrument location transformation of an instrument of the first robot.

7. The robot positioning device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of calibration locations of the first robot include a plurality of instrument calibration locations of an instrument of the first robot.

8. The robot positioning device of claim 1, wherein the first interface is a radio interface.

9. The robot positioning device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third interface configured to communicate with a second robot,

the calibrator further configured to direct the location measuring system via the second interface to determine a plurality of calibration locations of the second robot when the joints of the second robot are positioned in a plurality of calibration joint positions;

the modeler further configured to create a second calibrated model relating the joint positions of the second robot to the locations of the second robot, the second calibrated model based at least in part on the plurality of calibration locations of the second robot received from the location measuring system and associated calibration joint positions of the joints of the second robot; and

the instructor further to;

receive a second goal location from the second robot via the third interface, and

transmit a second plurality of goal joint positions to the second robot via the third interface, the second plurality of goal joint positions based at least in part on the second goal location and the second calibrated model.

10. A system for directing a robot to accurate locations in an operation environment, the system comprising:

a robot positioning device including;

a first interface configured to communicate with the robot;

a second interface configured to communicate with a location measuring system;

a calibrator configured to direct the location measuring system via the second interface to determine a plurality of calibration locations of the robot when joints of the robot are positioned in a plurality of calibration joint positions;

a modeler configured to create a calibrated model relating the joint positions of the robot to the locations of the robot, the calibrated model based at least in part on the plurality of calibration locations of the robot received from the location measuring system and an associated plurality of calibration joint positions of the joints of the robot; and

an instructor configured to;

receive a goal location from the robot via the first interface, and

transmit goal joint positions to the robot via the first interface, the goal joint positions based at least in part on the goal location and the calibrated model.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

the robot including;

a plurality of joints, each joint of the plurality of joints being movable through a range of joint positions, and

a robot controller having a native control language, the controller configured to;

instruct the plurality of joints to move to a plurality of calibration joint positions,

determine a plurality of current joint positions of the plurality of joints,

communicate the goal location to the device via the first interface,

receive the goal joint positions from the device, and

instruct each joint of the plurality of joints to move to an associated goal joint position of the goal joint positions received from the device.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

the location measuring system, including;

a location measuring controller configured to receive instructions via the second interface directing the location measuring system to determine the plurality of calibration locations of the robot when the joints of the robot are positioned in the plurality of calibration joint positions, and

a location measuring device configure to determine the plurality of calibration locations of the robot when the joints of the robot are positioned in the plurality of calibration joint positions.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the location measuring device includes a laser tracker.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the calibrator is further configured to direct the robot via the first interface to position the joints of the robot in the plurality of calibration joint positions.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the instructor is further configured to receive current joint positions from the robot via the first interface, and

the goal joint positions are further based at least in part on the current joint positions.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the goal location includes a goal instrument location transformation of an instrument of the robot.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of locations of the robot include a plurality of instrument locations of an instrument of the robot.

18. A method of providing joint positions based on a calibrated kinematic model to a robot in an operation environment of the robot such that the robot will be positioned at a goal location when joints of the robot are positioned in the provided joint positions, the method comprising:

directing a location measuring system to determine a plurality of calibration locations of the robot when the joints of the robot are positioned in a plurality of calibration joint positions;

creating the calibrated kinematic model relating the joint positions of the robot to the locations of the robot, the calibrated kinematic model based at least in part on the plurality of calibration locations of the robot received from the location measuring system and an associated plurality of calibration joint positions of the joints of the robot;

receiving a goal location from the robot; and

transmitting a plurality of goal joint positions to the robot, the plurality of goal joint positions based at least in part on the goal location and the calibrated kinematic model.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving a plurality of current joint positions from the robot, wherein the plurality of goal joint positions are further based at least in part on the plurality of current joint positions.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the goal location includes a goal instrument location transformation of an instrument of the robot.