Robot control system

• US 7,813,837 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shibuya Kogyo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Shibuya Kogyo Company Limited
• Inventors: Furubo, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): KING, RODNEY P
• Application Number:
  US11/438,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20070005189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 356/3, 356/138, 356/147, 606/1, 600/426
• US Class Current: 700/251
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/427 Teaching successive positions by tracking the position of a joystick or handle to control the positioning servo of the tool head, master-slave control G05B19/423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36162 Pendant control box
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40175 Inclination, tilt of operator seat, chair serves as control command, like handle

Abstract

A robot control system for controlling a position and an attitude of a robot head is provided with an operating head held by an operator and a sensor for detecting a position and an attitude of the operating head.

An attitude recognition portion of the control means recognizes an initial attitude of the operating head when a control switch provided at the operating head is turned on, and acquires a displacement vector from the initial attitude by a change in the attitude of the operating head.

An attitude conversion portion converts the displacement vector from the initial attitude to a displacement vector from the reference attitude corresponding to a predetermined reference attitude, and the control means makes the attitude of the robot head follow the displacement vector from the reference attitude.

In whatever attitude the operator holds the operating head, the position and the attitude of the robot head can follow the change in the position and the attitude of the operating head.

Claims

1. A robot control system comprising:

control means for controlling operation of a robot having a robot head in a robot coordinate system consisting of orthogonally-related X-, Y- and Z-axes;

an operating head held by an operator, the operating head including a control switch manipulated by the operator; and

a 6-degree of freedom magnetic sensor for detecting a position and an attitude of the operating head in a reference coordinate system consisting of X-, Y- and Z-axes in parallel with the robot coordinate system,

wherein the control means recognizes a position and an attitude of the operating head in the reference coordinate system through the sensor while the control switch is turned on so that a position and an attitude of the robot head in the robot coordinate system follow a change in the position and the attitude of the operating head,

the control means sets a predetermined attitude of the operating head as a reference attitude of the operating head in the reference coordinate system, recognizes an attitude vector of an initial attitude of the operating head when the control switch is turned on through the sensor, recognizes an attitude vector of a changed attitude of the operating head resulting from movement of the operating head from the initial attitude after a predetermined time interval has elapsed, acquires a first displacement vector representing a change in the attitude from the initial attitude based on a difference between the attitude vector of the initial attitude and the attitude vector of the changed attitude caused immediately after the control switch is turned on, and converts the first displacement vector to a second displacement vector representing the change in the attitude from the reference attitude in the reference coordinate system by subtracting the attitude vector of the initial attitude from a sum of the first displacement vector and the attitude vector of the initial attitude so that the attitude of the robot head follows the second displacement vector until the control switch is turned off, to thereby recognize, in whatever attitude the operator holds the operating head and turns on the operating switch, the operating head on the basis of the change in attitude from the reference attitude instead of the change in attitude from the initial attitude so that the attitude of the robot head follows the change in attitude of the operating head.