Robot arm control device and control method, robot, and control program

• US 7,751,938 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okazaki, Yasunao, Tsusaka, Yuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAMPLE, JONATHAN L
• Application Number:
  US12/525,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 700/250, 700/90, 700/245, 700/253, 700/257, 700/264, 382/153
• US Class Current: 700/250
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1661 characterised by task planning, object-oriented languages
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40411 Robot assists human in non-industrial environment like home or office

Abstract

There is provided a control device for a robot arm which includes an operation procedure information acquisition means for acquiring information on the procedure of a domestic operation, a progress management means for managing information on the progress of the operation, and a control parameter setting means for setting a control parameter for the robot arm based on the operation procedure information and the progress information, whereby the control device controls an operation of the robot arm based on the control parameter from the control parameter setting means.

Claims

1. A robot arm control device, comprising:

an operation procedure information acquisition means for acquiring information on a procedure of a domestic operation including a plurality of processes in which a person and a robot arm cooperate with each other, the domestic operation procedure information including operation information for identifying whether each of the processes is (i) an operation process performed by only the robot arm or (ii) an operation process performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other;

a progress management means for managing information on progress of the domestic operation performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other, based on the domestic operation procedure information which has been acquired by the operation procedure information acquisition means;

a control parameter setting means for setting a control parameter for the robot arm, based on the domestic operation progress information from the progress management means, in such a way as to (i) control the robot arm in a position control mode in a case of the operation process performed by only the robot arm, and to (ii) control the robot arm in a control mode for causing the robot arm to move according to force of the person in a case of the operation process performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other; and

a control means for controlling an operation of the robot arm based on the control parameter set by the control parameter setting means.

2. The robot arm control device according to claim 1, wherein

the domestic operation procedure information is information on a procedure of a cooking operation which describes a cooking method and includes information on a procedure of the cooking method and information on ingredients to be subjected to the cooking operation in the cooking method, and

the control parameter setting means sets a viscosity and a rigidity of mechanical impedance values for the robot arm in a case where the information on the ingredients to be subjected to the cooking operation indicates an ingredient that is prone to crush or has viscosity, to be larger than a viscosity and a rigidity of the mechanical impedance values for the robot arm in a case where the information on the ingredient to be subjected to the cooking operation indicates an ingredient that is less prone to crush or has less viscosity, based on the cooking operation progress information, when the robot arm is controlled in the control mode for causing the robot arm to move according to the force of the person.

3. The robot arm control device according to claim 1, wherein an operation of a robot arm that is different from the robot arm is controlled independently of the robot arm, by the control parameter setting means and the control means, wherein

the domestic operation procedure information is cooking operation procedure information describing a cooking method, and also the cooking operation procedure information includes information on whether or not each of the plurality of robot arms is to be operated, and

the control parameter setting means sets a viscosity and a rigidity of mechanical impedance values for the robot arm which is not to be operated, to be larger than a viscosity and a rigidity of mechanical impedance values for the robot arm to be operated, in a case where the robot arm is controlled in the control mode for causing the robot arm to move according to the force of the person and also one robot arm of the plurality of robot arms is a robot arm to be operated and other robot arm is a robot arm which is not to be operated.

4. The robot arm control device according to claim 1, wherein

the domestic operation procedure information is cooking operation procedure information describing a cooking method, and progress information of the cooking operation procedure information includes information on elapsed periods of a plurality of cooking processes included in the procedure information, and

the control parameter setting means sets magnitudes of a viscosity and a rigidity of the mechanical impedance values for the robot arm, in proportion to a magnitude of a total sum value of the elapsed periods, when the robot arm is controlled in the control mode for causing the robot arm to move according to the force of the person.

5. The robot arm control device according to claim 1, wherein

the operation procedure information acquisition means acquires operation condition information which is information on a state of the domestic operation of the person who cooperates with the robot arm, in addition to the domestic operation procedure information including the operation information and the domestic operation progress information, in a case where the operation information indicates an operation process performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other, and

the control parameter setting means sets the control parameter, based on the domestic operation procedure information, the domestic operation progress information, and the operation condition information.

6. The robot arm control device according to claim 5, wherein

the operation condition information includes information on a position of the person, information on a dominant arm of the person, information on a state of grasping by a hand of the dominant arm of the person, or skill information indicative of an ability of the person to carry out the domestic operation, and

the control parameter setting means sets the control parameter in such a way as to cause the robot arm to move in a direction toward the dominant arm of the person, further the control parameter setting means makes setting for causing the robot arm to move in a direction toward the person'"'"'s arm grasping nothing, based on the state of grasping by the hand of the dominant arm of the person, and further, the control parameter setting means makes a viscosity and a rigidity of the mechanical impedances of the robot arm when the skill information indicates a lower skill, to be larger than those when the skill information indicate a higher skill.

7. The robot arm control device according to claim 5, wherein

the operation condition information includes information on force which the person has applied to the robot arm when performing the domestic operation in cooperation with the robot arm and a position of the hand of the robot arm which has been moved according to the force, and

further comprising a comparison means for making a comparison, in a chronological order, between the information on the force and the position of the hand of the robot arm and current information on the force of the person and the position of the hand of the robot arm,

when the comparison means determines agreement thereof, the control parameter setting part changes over a control mode of the robot arm to a position control mode from a mode for causing the robot arm to move according to the force of the person.

8. A method for controlling a robot arm, comprising:

acquiring information on a procedure of a domestic operation including a plurality of processes in which a person and the robot arm cooperate with each other, by an operation procedure information acquisition means, the domestic operation procedure information including operation information for identifying whether each of the processes is (i) an operation process performed by only the robot arm or (ii) an operation process performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other, and managing information on progress of the domestic operation performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other, by a progress management means, based on the domestic operation procedure information acquired by the operation procedure information acquisition means;

setting a control parameter for the robot arm, based on the domestic operation progress information from the progress management means, by a control parameter setting means, in such a way as to (i) control the robot arm in a position control mode in a case of the operation process performed by only the robot arm and to (ii) control the robot arm in a control mode for causing the robot arm to move according to force of the person in a case of the operation process performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other; and

controlling an operation of the robot arm based on the control parameter set by a control means.

9. A robot comprising:

a robot arm; and

a robot arm control device, for controlling the operation of the robot arm, wherein the robot arm control device further comprises;

an operation procedure information acquisition means for acquiring information on a procedure of a domestic operation including a plurality of processes in which a person and the robot arm cooperate with each other, the domestic operation procedure information including operation information for identifying whether each of the processes is (i) an operation process performed by only the robot arm or (ii) an operation process performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other;

a progress management means for managing information on progress of the domestic operation performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other, based on the domestic operation procedure information which has been acquired by the operation procedure information acquisition means;

a control parameter setting means for setting a control parameter for the robot arm, based on the domestic operation progress information from the progress management means, in such a way as to (i) control the robot arm in a position control mode in a case of the operation process performed by only the robot arm, and to (ii) control the robot arm in a control mode for causing the robot arm to move according to force of the person in a case of the operation process performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other; and

a control means for controlling an operation of the robot arm based on the control parameter set by the control parameter setting means.

10. A program for controlling a robot arm, which program is executable by a computer, comprising steps of:

acquiring information on a procedure of a domestic operation including a plurality of processes in which a person and the robot arm cooperate with each other, the domestic operation procedure information including operation information for identifying whether each of the processes is (i) an operation process performed by only the robot arm or (ii) an operation process performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other;

managing information on progress of the domestic operation performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other, based on the acquired domestic operation procedure information;

setting a control parameter for the robot arm, based on the domestic operation based on the domestic operation progress information of the progress information managing step, in such a way as to (i) control the robot arm in a position control mode in a case of an operation process performed by only the robot arm and to (ii) control the robot arm in a control mode for causing the robot arm to move according to force of the person in a case of an operation process performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other; and

controlling an operation of the robot arm based on the set control parameter.

11. An integrated electronic circuit which controls a robot arm, comprising:

an operation procedure information acquisition means for acquiring information on a procedure of a domestic operation including a plurality of processes in which a person and the robot arm cooperate with each other, the domestic operation procedure information including operation information for identifying whether each of the processes is (i) an operation process performed by only the robot arm or (ii) an operation process performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other;

a progress management means for managing information on progress of the domestic operation performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other, based on the domestic operation procedure information acquired by the operation procedure information acquisition means;

a control parameter setting means for setting a control parameter for the robot arm, based on the domestic operation progress information from the progress management means, in such a way as to (i) control the robot arm in a position control mode in a case of the operation process performed by only the robot arm and to (ii) control the robot arm in a control mode for causing the robot arm to move according to force of the person in a case of the operation process performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other; and

a control means for controlling an operation of the robot arm based on the control parameter set by the control parameter setting means.

12. A robot comprising:

a robot arm; and

a robot arm control device, for controlling the operation of the robot arm, wherein the robot arm control device further comprises;

an operation procedure information acquisition means for acquiring information on a procedure of a domestic operation including a plurality of processes in which a person and the robot arm cooperate with each other, the domestic operation procedure information including operation information for identifying whether each of the processes is (i) an operation process performed by only the robot arm or (ii) an operation process performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other, and wherein the domestic operation procedure information is information on a procedure of a cooking operation which describes a cooking method and includes information on a procedure of the cooking method and information on ingredients to be subjected to the cooking operation in the cooking method;

a progress management means for managing information on progress of the domestic operation performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other, based on the domestic operation procedure information which has been acquired by the operation procedure information acquisition means;

a control parameter setting means for setting a control parameter for the robot arm, based on the domestic operation progress information from the progress management means, in such a way as to (i) control the robot arm in a position control mode in a case of the operation process performed by only the robot arm, and to (ii) control the robot arm in a control mode for causing the robot arm to move according to force of the person in a case of the operation process performed by the person and the robot arm in cooperation with each other, and wherein the control parameter setting means sets a viscosity and a rigidity of mechanical impedance values for the robot arm in a case where the information on the ingredients to be subjected to the cooking operation indicates an ingredient that is prone to crush or has viscosity, to be larger than a viscosity and a rigidity of the mechanical impedance values for the robot arm in a case where the information on the ingredient to be subjected to the cooking operation indicates an ingredient that is less prone to crush or has less viscosity, based on the cooking operation progress information, when the robot arm is controlled in the control mode for causing the robot arm to move according to the force of the person; and

a control means for controlling an operation of the robot arm based on the control parameter set by the control parameter setting means.