ROBOT MOTION PROGRAM GENERATING METHOD AND ROBOT MOTION PROGRAM GENERATING APPARATUS

• US 20170336776A1
• Filed: 12/26/2014
• Published: 11/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: WATANABE, Masayuki, YOSHIMURA, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,635,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/161 Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1682 Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1687 Assembly, peg and hole, palletising, straight line, weaving pattern movement
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/409 characterised by using manual data input [MDI] or by using control panel, e.g. controlling functions with the panel; characterised by control panel details or by setting parameters G05B19/408, G05B19/4093 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/425 Teaching successive positions by numerical control, i.e. commands being entered to control the positioning servo of the tool head or end effector
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34202 Reusable software, generic resource model library
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40099 Graphical user interface for robotics, visual robot user interface
• 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 purpose is to enable an instructor who does not know any programming language to easily teach robot movements and operation content to a robot without using a teach pendant. This method for generating a robot operation program includes a step, using a GUI, for sequentially executing in a plurality of template element operation programs the feature of displaying a variable specification screen for specifying a variable of a certain template element operation program, and then storing the template element operation program for which the variable was specified in a storage unit as a custom element operation program. The plurality of template element operation programs is configured so that: one or more finger position coordinates specifying a robot motion required for the element operation corresponding to the program are included as variables; and the one or more finger position coordinates are all specified, thereby specifying the robot motion.

Claims

1. A robot motion program generating method of generating a whole motion program that causes a robot including an arm to perform whole work that is an entirety of work to be performed by the robot, the method generating the whole motion program by using a program generating apparatus including:

a GUI controller configured to display a GUI (graphical user interface) on a predetermined screen and receive a user input;

a storage unit; and

a program generator, wherein

a plurality of template elemental motion programs, which correspond to a plurality of pieces of elemental work forming the whole work, respectively, and each of which contains one or more parameters, are stored in the storage unit in advance, and each template elemental motion program is configured such that when all of the one or more parameters are specified, the corresponding piece of elemental work is performable by the robot,

the method comprising;

a step A of performing operations for each of the plurality of template elemental motion programs stored in the storage unit sequentially, the operations including displaying a parameter specifying screen by using the GUI, the parameter specifying screen being a screen for specifying all of the one or more parameters of a particular template elemental motion program, and thereafter causing the storage unit to store the particular template elemental motion program as a custom elemental motion program when the one or more parameters of the particular template elemental motion program are specified by using the parameter specifying screen; and

p1 a step B of generating the whole motion program by the program generator based on a plurality of the custom elemental motion programs stored in the storage unit, the whole motion program containing the plurality of the custom elemental motion programs, wherein

the plurality of template elemental motion programs include a template elemental motion program that contains, at least, for its corresponding piece of elemental work, one or more sets of hand end position coordinates as the one or more parameters, the one or more sets of hand end position coordinates defining a necessary movement of the robot for the corresponding piece of elemental work, the template elemental motion program being configured such that the movement of the robot is specified when all of the one or more sets of hand end position coordinates are specified.

2. The robot motion program generating method according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of template elemental motion programs further include a template elemental motion program that contains one or more parameters defining a content of elemental work corresponding to the program and that is configured such that the content of the elemental work is specified when all of the one or more parameters are specified.

3. The robot motion program generating method according to claim 1, wherein

the step A includes a step of displaying a program selection screen by using the GUI, the program selection screen being a screen for selecting one of the plurality of template elemental motion programs, wherein

the one template elemental motion program, which is selected by using the program selection screen in the program selection screen displaying step, is the particular template elemental motion program.

4. The robot motion program generating method according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of pieces of whole work corresponding to a plurality of robots, respectively, are stored in the storage unit in association with the plurality of robots, respectively, and the plurality of template elemental motion programs corresponding to each piece of whole work are stored in the storage unit in association with a corresponding one of the plurality of robots,

the method comprising a step of displaying a robot selection screen by using the GUI, the robot selection screen being a screen for selecting one of the plurality of robots, wherein

the step A and the step B are performed for the one robot, which is selected by using the robot selection screen in the robot selection screen displaying step.

5. The robot motion program generating method according to claim 1, wherein

the storage unit is layered and includes a layer for the robot, a layer for the whole work, and a layer for the elemental work, which are arranged in this order such that, among the layers, the layer for the robot or the plurality of robots is a top layer and the layer for the elemental work is a bottom layer,

each robot, each piece of whole work, and each piece of elemental work, which are constituents of the respective layers, are assigned identification names so as to be identifiable from one another, and

the storage unit stores the plurality of template elemental motion programs, such that the plurality of template elemental motion programs correspond to the plurality of pieces of elemental work of the bottom layer, respectively.

6. The robot motion program generating method according to claim 1, wherein

the robot is configured to output current hand end position coordinates, and

the step A includes inputting a value obtained from the outputted hand end position coordinates to the parameter specifying screen, which is a screen for specifying hand end position coordinates as the one or more parameters, to specify the outputted hand end position coordinates as the one or more parameters.

7. The robot motion program generating method according to claim 1, wherein

the robot includes a plurality of arms configured to work in cooperation with each other,

the whole work (hereinafter referred to as cooperative whole work) is an entirety of work to be performed by the plurality of arms working in cooperation with each other,

the plurality of pieces of elemental work (hereinafter referred to as a plurality of pieces of cooperative elemental work) form the cooperative whole work,

the template elemental motion programs (hereinafter referred to as template cooperative elemental motion programs) correspond to the respective pieces of cooperative elemental work,

the custom elemental motion programs (hereinafter referred to as custom cooperative elemental motion programs) correspond to the respective template cooperative elemental motion programs,

the whole motion program (hereinafter referred to as a cooperative whole motion program) corresponds to the custom cooperative elemental motion programs, and

the template cooperative elemental motion programs include a template cooperative elemental motion program that contains, at least, for its corresponding piece of cooperative elemental work, one or more sets of hand end position coordinates of each of the plurality of arms of the robot as the one or more parameters, the one or more sets of hand end position coordinates defining a necessary movement of each arm for the corresponding piece of cooperative elemental work, the template cooperative elemental motion program being configured such that the movements of the plurality of respective arms of the robot are specified when all of the one or more sets of hand end position coordinates of each arm are specified.

8. The robot motion program generating method according to claim 7, further comprising a step of generating a plurality of the whole motion programs for the respective arms of the robot including the plurality of arms, each whole motion program corresponding to an independent motion of one of the plurality of arms, and

the cooperative whole motion program corresponding to cooperative motions of the plurality of arms, and the whole motion programs each corresponding to an independent motion of one of the plurality of arms, are switched with each other in response to a predetermined action serving as a trigger.

9. The robot motion program generating method according to claim 8, wherein

the cooperative motions include a motion for rotating or translating a workpiece.

10. The robot motion program generating method according to claim 1, wherein

the one or more parameters contain a motion speed, a position shifting technique, and a waiting time of the robot.

11. The robot motion program generating method according to claim 1, wherein

the program generating apparatus is a smartphone or a tablet personal computer.

12. The robot motion program generating method according to claim 1, wherein

the robot is a robot for use in product assembly,

the whole work is product assembling work, and

each piece of elemental work is one of work processes forming the product assembling work.

13. A robot motion program generating apparatus for generating a whole motion program that causes a robot including an arm to perform whole work that is an entirety of work to be performed by the robot,

the apparatus comprising:

a GUI controller configured to display a GUI (graphical user interface) on a predetermined screen and receive a user input;

a storage unit;

a program generator; and

a customizer, wherein

a plurality of template elemental motion programs, which correspond to a plurality of pieces of elemental work forming the whole work, respectively, and each of which contains one or more parameters, are stored in the storage unit in advance, and each template elemental motion program is configured such that when all of the one or more parameters are specified, the corresponding piece of elemental work is performable by the robot,

the customizer is configured to perform operations for each of the plurality of template elemental motion programs stored in the storage unit sequentially, the operations including displaying a parameter specifying screen by using the GUI, the parameter specifying screen being a screen for specifying all of the one or more parameters of a particular template elemental motion program, and thereafter causing the storage unit to store the particular template elemental motion program as a custom elemental motion program when the one or more parameters of the particular template elemental motion program are specified by a user by using the parameter specifying screen,

the program generator is configured to generate the whole motion program based on a plurality of the custom elemental motion programs stored in the storage unit, the whole motion program containing the plurality of the custom elemental motion programs, and

the plurality of template elemental motion programs include a template elemental motion program that contains, at least, for its corresponding piece of elemental work, one or more sets of hand end position coordinates as the one or more parameters, the one or more sets of hand end position coordinates defining a necessary movement of the robot for the corresponding piece of elemental work, the template elemental motion program being configured such that the movement of the robot is specified when all of the one or more sets of hand end position coordinates are specified.