Method and a system for programming an industrial robot

• US 7,236,854 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2004
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Skourup, Charlotte, Pretlove, John, Pettersen, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc; McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US10/751,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/259, 700/264, 700/246, 318/568.2
• US Class Current: 700/246
• 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 19/42 Recording and playback systems, i.e. in which the programme is recorded from a cycle of operations, e.g. the cycle of operations being manually controlled, after which this record is played back on the same machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35487 Display and voice output incorporated in safety helmet of operator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35506 Camera images overlayed with graphics, model
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36436 Arm follows movement of handheld device, camera detects, analyses motion
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39449 Pendant, pda displaying camera images overlayed with graphics, augmented reality
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40311 Real time simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40392 Programming, visual robot programming language
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40479 Use graphic display, layout of robot path, obstacles to indicate interference

Abstract

A method and a system for use in connection with programming of an industrial robot. The programming includes teaching the robot a path having a number of waypoints located on or in the vicinity of an object to be processed by the robot. The system includes elements for obtaining information about the waypoints of the path in relation to the object, a storage unit for storing the obtained information, a simulation unit for simulating the robot path based on the obtained information about the waypoints and a model of the robot, a graphics generator for generating a graphical representation of the simulated robot path, and a display member for displaying a view comprising the object and the graphical representation of the robot path projected on the object.

Claims

1. A method in connection with programming of an industrial robot, comprising teaching the robot a path having a number of waypoints located on or in the vicinity of an object to be processed by the robot, the method comprising:

obtaining information about the position of the waypoints in relation to the object,

determining whether a point on the robot path is within the working range of the robot, and notifying the operator if the point is outside the working range of the robot,

storing the information about the position of the waypoints,

simulating the robot path based on the received information about the waypoints and a model of the robot,

generating a graphical representation of the robot path based on the simulated robot path, and

displaying a view comprising the object and said graphical representation of the robot path projected on the object.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information about tool orientations in the waypoints, and

generating a graphical representation of the tool orientations in the waypoints.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information about the process to be performed by the robot in connection with the robot path,

simulating the result of the process based upon the obtained information about the waypoints, the obtained information about the process and a model of the process,

generating a graphical representation of the simulated result of the process, and

displaying a view showing the graphical representation of the simulated result of the process projected on the object.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

obtaining information about which tool to be used to perform the process and about the orientation of the tool in the way-points,

simulating the tool performing the process,

generating a graphical representation of the tool performing the process along the robot path based upon the obtained information about the position of the waypoints, the orientation of the tool, and

displaying a view showing the tool moving along the robot path performing the process, based on the generated graphical representation of the simulation of the tool performing the process.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

simulating the quality of the result of the process based on one or a plurality of predefined quality parameters and the model of the process,

generating a graphical representation of the quality of the result of the process, and displaying the view based on the generated graphical representation of the simulation of the quality of the result of the process.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

estimating whether the quality of the result does not meet one or several quality requirements, based on said simulation of the quality of the result of the process, and

generating said graphical representation with a visual warning to the operator where the process quality is estimated not to meet the quality requirements.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the view is displayed as a function of time and it is displayed proportional to the robot movements in real-time.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

receiving information about a desired speed of the displaying of the view, and

displaying the view in accordance with the desired speed.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein it comprises obtaining an image of the object, registering the generated graphical representation to the image of the object to provide a composite augmented reality image and displaying said view based on the composite augmented reality image.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the image of the object is obtained by means of a camera.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps obtaining and storing information about the position of the waypoints in relation to the object further comprise:

obtaining information about the position of a pointing member pointing at points on or in the vicinity of the object,

determining the position of the points in relation to the object based upon said obtained information,

storing the point being presently pointed out by the pointing member as a waypoint upon receiving a recording signal.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information about the position of a display member in relation to the object and displaying said view in dependence of the position of the display member in relation to the object.

13. A method in connection with programming of an industrial robot, comprising teaching the robot a path having a number of waypoints located on or in the vicinity of an object to be processed by the robot, the method comprising:

obtaining information about the position of the waypoints in relation to the object;

storing the information about the position of the waypoints;

simulating the robot path based on the received information about the waypoints and a model of the robot;

generating a graphical representation of the robot path based on the simulated robot path;

displaying a view comprising the object and said graphical representation of the robot path projected on the object;

obtaining information about a process to be performed by the robot in connection with the robot path;

simulating the result of the process based upon the obtained information about the waypoints, the obtained information about the process and a model of the process;

generating a graphical representation of the simulated result of the process;

displaying a view showing the graphical representation of the simulated result of the process projected on the object;

simulating the quality of the result of the process based on one or a plurality of predefined quality parameters and the model of the process;

generating a graphical representation of the quality of the result of the process; and

displaying the view based on the generated graphical representation of the simulation of the quality of the result of the process.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

estimating whether the quality of the result does not meet one or several quality requirements, based on said simulation of the quality of the result of the process, and

generating said graphical representation with a visual warning to the operator where the process quality is estimated not to meet the quality requirements.

15. A method in connection with programming of an industrial robot, comprising teaching the robot a path having a number of waypoints located on or in the vicinity of an object to be processed by the robot, the method comprising:

obtaining information about the position of the waypoints in relation to the object;

storing the information about the position of the waypoints;

simulating the robot path based on the received information about the waypoints and a model of the robot;

generating a graphical representation of the robot path based on the simulated robot path;

displaying a view comprising the object and said graphical representation of the robot path projected on the object; and

obtaining information about the position of a display member in relation to the object and displaying said view in dependence of the position of the display member in relation to the object.