SIMULATION APPARATUS FOR ROBOT SYSTEM

• US 20160199981A1
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
• Inventors: ATOHIRA, Hiroyuki, NAGATSUKA, Yoshiharu
• Granted Patent: US 9,796,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1605 Simulation of manipulator lay-out, design, modelling of manipulator
• 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: B25J 9/1682 Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/09 Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement

Abstract

A simulation apparatus includes: a robot model arranging unit that arranges a robot model on a virtual space; a configuration information storage unit that stores configuration information of a robot system; a transport device arrangement position calculating unit that calculates a transport device arrangement position based on a follow-up operation reference coordinate system related to a follow-up operation of a robot, included in the configuration information; and a detection unit arrangement position calculating unit that calculates a detection unit arrangement position based on the follow-up operation reference coordinate system.

Claims

1. A simulation apparatus for performing, based on an output from a detection unit that detects a workpiece transported along a transport device, a simulation of a robot system including a robot that performs a follow-up operation with respect to the workpiece, the simulation apparatus for the robot system comprising:

a robot model arranging unit that arranges a three-dimensional robot model of the robot on a virtual space;

a configuration information storage unit that stores configuration information of the robot system;

a transport device arrangement position calculating unit that calculates a transport device arrangement position of the transport device on the virtual space based on a follow-up operation reference coordinate system related to the follow-up operation of the robot, included in the configuration information; and

a detection unit arrangement position calculating unit that calculates a detection unit arrangement position of the detection unit on the virtual space based on the follow-up operation reference coordinate system.

2. The simulation apparatus for the robot system according to claim 1, further comprising a workpiece feeding method determining unit that determines a workpiece feeding method based on information of the workpiece feeding method comprising a feeding position, a feeding amount, and a feeding speed of the workpiece, included in the configuration information.

3. The simulation apparatus for the robot system according to claim 1, further comprising a parameter setting unit that sets up a parameter for a model of the robot system based on parameter information of the robot system, included in the configuration information.

4. The simulation apparatus for the robot system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a model storage unit that stores a plurality of three-dimensional transport device models of the transport device;

a model selecting unit that selects one transport device model from the plurality of transport device models stored in the model storage unit; and

a transport device model arranging unit that arranges the one transport device model selected by the model selecting unit at the transport device arrangement position calculated by the transport device arrangement position calculating unit.

5. The simulation apparatus for the robot system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a model determining unit that determines a three-dimensional detection unit model of the detection unit based on information of the detection unit, included in the configuration information; and

a detection unit model arranging unit that arranges the detection unit model determined by the model determining unit at the detection unit arrangement position calculated by the detection unit arrangement position calculating unit.

6. The simulation apparatus for the robot system according to claim 4, further comprising:

an arrangement reference coordinate system setting unit that sets up an arrangement reference coordinate system in which the transport device is arranged;

a calculation unit that calculates an upstream side length from the follow-up operation reference coordinate system to an upstream end of the transport device and a downstream side length from the follow-up operation reference coordinate system to a downstream end of the transport device based on a follow-up operation upstream end and a follow-up operation downstream end of the follow-up operation of the robot in the follow-up reference coordinate system, included in the configuration information; and

a changing unit that changes a width and a length of the transport device model based on the width of the transport device included in the configuration information, and the upstream side length and the downstream side length of the transport device calculated by the calculation unit,

wherein the transport device arrangement position calculating unit calculates the transport device arrangement position based on the follow-up operation reference coordinate system, the arrangement reference coordinate system, and the width, the upstream side length and the downstream side length of the transport device.

7. The simulation apparatus for the robot system according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit arrangement position calculating unit calculates the detection unit arrangement position based on a position of the detection unit in the follow-up operation reference coordinate system.

8. The simulation apparatus for the robot system according to claim 1, wherein when the robot system includes at least one additional robot that performs a follow-up operation with respect to the workpiece, the configuration information includes an additional follow-up operation reference coordinate system related to the follow-up operation of the additional robot,

the simulation apparatus for the robot system further comprising:

an additional robot arrangement position calculating unit that calculates an additional robot arrangement position of the additional robot on the virtual space based on the additional follow-up operation reference coordinate system and the follow-up operation reference coordinate system; and

an additional robot model arranging unit that arranges a three-dimensional additional robot model of the additional robot on the virtual space based on the additional robot arrangement position.

9. The simulation apparatus for the robot system according to claim 2, further comprising a simulation performing unit that performs a simulation of the robot system based on the arrangement position of the robot arranged by the robot model arranging unit, the detection unit arrangement position, the transport device arrangement position, the parameter information of the robot system included in the configuration information, and the workpiece feeding method determined by the workpiece feeding method determining unit.