DETECTION DEVICE AND DETECTION METHOD

• US 20160279797A1
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KUKA Systems GmbH (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: KUKA Systems GmbH (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Inventors: ZUNKE, Richard, DOMKE, Andreas, WIRTH, Konrad, RAU, Thomas, STOCKSCHLDER, Julian
• Granted Patent: US 9,962,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/085 Force or torque sensors B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/0095 Means or methods for testing manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1676 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1692 Calibration of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/12 with means, e.g. feelers, which in case of the presence of a body part of a person in or near the danger zone influence the control or operation of the machine F16P3/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/008 Force sensors integrated in an article or a dummy workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/423 Teaching successive positions by walk-through, i.e. the tool head or end effector being grasped and guided directly, with or without servo-assistance, to follow a path
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37205 Compare measured, vision data with computer model, cad data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39013 Locate movable manipulator relative to object, compare to stored gridpoints
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39031 Use of model for robot and for measuring device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39319 Force control, force as reference, active compliance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40226 Input control signals to control system and to model, compare their outputs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/42288 Limit, stop drive current if axis obstructed, blocked, force against stop
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49162 On collision, obstruction reverse drive, accelerate, cancel inertia

Abstract

A detection device and a detection method are provided for robot-induced loads that can act upon the human body in contact with the robot during a working process. The robot-induced loads, in particular forces, are measured by the measuring device (16) of an external sensing device (2). The measuring device (16) is suitably positioned and oriented in this process in the working area of an industrial robot (3) by means of a positioning device (15).

Claims

1. A detection device for robot-induced loads, which may act on the human body in a working process in case of physical contact of the robot with the human body in a robot work area, the detection device comprising:

a measuring device for the external detection of robot-induced forces; and

a positioning device for correctly positioning and orienting the measuring device for the working process in the work area of an industrial robot.

2. A detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the detection device has an analysis unit for the signals of the measuring device.

5. A detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the analysis unit synchronously analyzes and compares the forces detected externally by the measuring device with the forces detected by an internal sensor system of the industrial robot in case of a contact.

7. A detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the measuring device comprises a measuring unit comprising a sensor and a collision element, which is connected to it movably and such that it is able to yield elastically, for the contact with a collision point at an industrial robot.

8. A detection device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a yielding and guide device with at least one yield axis arranged between the collision element and the measuring unit whereby the yielding and guide device has a spring characteristic or a damping characteristic or both a spring characteristic and a damping characteristic adapted to the body part in question.

10. A detection device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the yielding and guide device has a spring clamped between the collision element and the measuring unit and a straight guide, for the collision element.

3-4. -4. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

11-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A working device comprising:

an industrial robot, which carries a process tool and which is configured as an HRC robot suitable for human-robot cooperation or collaboration; and

a detection device, which detects robot-induced loads, which may act on the human body in the working process in case of physical contact with the industrial robot or with the process tool or with both the industrial robot and the process tool, is arranged in a robot work area of the industrial robot.

23. A working device in accordance with claim 21, wherein the industrial robot is configured as a tactile and multiaxial industrial robot with a plurality of links.

25. A working device in accordance with claim 21, wherein the industrial robot has at least one flexible robot axis (I-VII) with a flexibility regulation comprising a simple force regulation or a combination of position regulation and force regulation.

26. A working device in accordance with claim 21, wherein the industrial robot has an integrated sensor system with one or more force or torque sensors, at one or more robot axes.

28. A working device in accordance with claim 26, wherein the detection device is configured as a calibrating device for the industrial robot and the associated integrated sensor system.

22. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

30. A method for detecting robot-induced loads, which may act on the human body in a working process in case of physical contact with an industrial robot or the process tool thereof, the method comprising the steps of measuring the robot-induced forces with a measuring device of an external detection device, wherein the measuring device is positioned and oriented correctly for the process in a work area of an industrial robot by means of a positioning device.

31. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein the load detection takes place under realistic conditions, while the industrial robot is moving along a programmed path and comes into physical contact or collides with a collision point at a process tool thereof or at another robot part with the detection device.

32. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein the forces detected externally by the measuring device in case of contact are synchronously analyzed and compared by an internal sensor system of the industrial robot.

33. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein the industrial robot and an internal sensor system thereof are calibrated by means of the external detection of the robot-induced loads.

34. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein a body surface is simulated with a collision element of the measuring device, said collision element being connected to a measuring unit of the measuring device movably and such that said collision element is able to yield elastically.

35. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein the HRC suitability of the industrial robot and of the working device is validated and proven by means of the detection of the robot-induced loads.

36. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein the working device, the industrial robot and the process to be performed are configured by means of the detection of the robot-induced loads.

38. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein when configuring the working device, the industrial robot and the process to be carried out, the limit value that is decisive for the particular body region affected is taken from a body model.

39. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein the location of a collision point at the industrial robot or at the process tool and the shape of said collision point are detected by programming the robot.

37. (canceled)