Target position detection apparatus for robot

• US 8,121,732 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2008
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Yasuhiko, Shimomura, Nobuyasu, Yamaguchi, Takao, Yoshida, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US12/232,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20090093908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 700/37, 700/45, 700/52, 700/213, 700/245, 700/246, 700/250, 700/254, 700/255, 700/258, 700/260, 700/261, 318/41, 318/567, 318/568.1, 318/568.11, 318/568.12, 318/568.13, 318/568.16, 318/568.17, 318/568.18, 318/568.22, 318/569, 318/99, 318/640, 901/2, 901/5, 901/9, 901/15, 901/16, 901/30, 901/33, 901/46, 324/156, 324/501, 324/750.02, 324/754.19, 324/760.01, 219/109, 219/110, 219/121.61, 219/121.69, 219/124.34, 250/443.1, 250/559, 414/217, 414/811, 455/8, 455/11, 606/130, 356/244, 378/207, 348/159, 349/192
• US Class Current: 700/260
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1692 Calibration of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37411 Measure contact from force and velocity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39013 Locate movable manipulator relative to object, compare to stored gridpoints
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39041 Calibrate only for end position
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39413 Robot self diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67259 Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67766 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67778 involving loading and unloading of wafers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68 for positioning, orientation or alignment

Abstract

A target position detection apparatus for a robot includes: a robot including an arm configured to be freely moved in at least two directions of X and Y axes, the arm having a wrist axis provided at a distal end of the arm and configured to be freely moved in a horizontal direction, and the wrist axis being provided with an end effector; and a control unit adapted for driving a memory to store a teaching point therein and controlling an operation of the robot such that the end effector will be moved toward the teaching point stored in the memory. The control unit is further adapted for changing a pressing force of the end effector against a target by changing a control loop gain, and bringing the end effector into contact with the target, while setting the control loop gain of the wrist axis lower than a predetermined value at least from a position adjacent to the teaching point at which the target is located, so as to capture a position in a state in which the end effector is in contact with the target, thereby detecting the position of the target.

Claims

1. A target position detection apparatus for a robot, comprising:

a robot including an arm configured to be freely moved in at least two directions of X and Y axes, the arm having a wrist axis provided at a distal end of the arm and configured to be freely moved in a horizontal direction, and the wrist axis being provided with an end effector; and

a control unit adapted for driving a memory to store a teaching point therein and controlling an operation of the robot such that the end effector will be moved toward the teaching point stored in the memory,

wherein the control unit is further adapted for changing a pressing force of the end effector against a target by changing a control loop gain, and bringing the end effector into contact with the target, while setting the control loop gain of the wrist axis lower than a predetermined value at least from a position adjacent to the teaching point at which the target is located, so as to capture a position in a state in which the end effector is in contact with the target, thereby detecting the position of the target.

2. The target position detection apparatus for the robot according to claim 1, wherein a driving unit for driving the wrist axis is configured to detect a position with a predetermined accuracy.

3. The target position detection apparatus for the robot according to claim 1

wherein the control unit is adapted for:

driving the memory to store a shape of the end effector therein; and

calculating the position of the target in an X-Y plane, based on the shape of the end effector stored in the memory as well as on the position captured.

4. The target position detection apparatus for the robot according to claim 3,

wherein the end effector has a V-like shape in the X-Y plane, and

wherein the control unit is adapted for moving the distal end of the arm to a plurality of positions in the X-Y plane, and bringing two points located on an inside of the end effector into contact with the target by swaying the wrist axis at each of the plurality of positions, thereby capturing each position in the state in which the end effector is in contact with the target.

5. The target position detection apparatus for the robot according to claim 3,

wherein the end effector has a shape that is changed with respect to a radial direction of the wrist axis, and

wherein the control unit is adapted for capturing the position in the state in which the end effector is in contact with the target, while moving the distal end of the arm in the X-Y plane with the end effector being in contact with the target.

6. The target position detection apparatus for the robot according to claim 1

wherein the distal end of the arm of the robot is configured to be freely moved in three axial directions of X, Y and Z axes,

wherein the target has a shape that is changed with respect to the Z axial direction, and

wherein the control unit is adapted for:

driving the memory to store the shape of the target therein; and

calculating the position of the target in the Z axial direction, based on the shape of the target stored in the memory as well as on the position captured.

7. The target position detection apparatus for the robot according to claim 1

wherein the arm is composed of a SCARA-type horizontal articulated arm having a plurality of joints, and

wherein the control unit is adapted for bringing the end effector into contact with the target, while setting the control loop gain of each of the wrist axis and an arm axis lower than a predetermined value at least from a position adjacent to the teaching point at which the target is located, so as to capture the position in the state in which the end effector is in contact with the target, thereby detecting the position of the target.

8. The target position detection apparatus for the robot according to claim 7, wherein a driving unit adapted for driving the arm axis is configured to detect a position with a predetermined accuracy.

9. The target position detection apparatus for the robot according to claim 1,

wherein the robot includes a flip axis provided at the wrist axis,

wherein the end effector has a distal end spaced away from the flip axis in a direction perpendicular to the flip axis, and

wherein the control unit is adapted for bringing the distal end of the end effector into contact with the target, while setting the control loop gain of the flip axis lower than a predetermined value at least from a position adjacent to the teaching point at which the target is located, and swaying the flip axis, so as to capture the position in a state in which the distal end of the end effector is in contact with the target, thereby detecting the position of the target in a Z axial direction.

10. The target position detection apparatus for the robot according to claim 9,

wherein the end effector has a pair of distal ends, each of the distal ends being symmetrically positioned about an imaginary plane including the flip axis,

wherein the target is an opening-forming part in which an opening extending perpendicularly to the Z axial direction is formed, and

wherein the control unit is adapted for moving each distal end of the end effector so as to be positioned in the opening, shifting the distal end of the arm in the Z axial direction such that a swaying angle of the flip axis will be maximum, thereby detecting a position of such a maximum swaying angle as a central position in the Z axial direction of the opening.

11. A self-diagnosis apparatus for a robot, comprising:

a robot including an arm configured to be freely moved in at least two directions of X and Y axes, the arm having a wrist axis provided at a distal end of the arm and configured to be freely moved in a horizontal direction, and the wrist axis being provided with an end effector; and

a control unit adapted for driving a memory to store a teaching point therein and controlling an operation of the robot such that the end effector is moved toward the teaching point stored in the memory,

wherein the control unit is further adapted for;

changing a pressing force of the end effector against a target by changing a control loop gain;

setting the control loop gain of the wrist axis lower than a predetermined value in a state in which an angular displacement of the end effector about the wrist axis is prevented by the target, and first changing an instruction value to the wrist axis such that the end effector will be moved in one circumferential direction of the wrist axis, thereby capturing a position after changing the instruction value, and then changing the instruction value to the wrist axis such that the end effector will be moved in an other circumferential direction of the wrist axis, thereby capturing a position after changing the instruction value; and

judging a state of the robot based on a difference between the positions captured.

12. The self-diagnosis apparatus for the robot according to claim 11,

wherein the arm is composed of a SCARA-type horizontal articulated arm having a plurality of joints, and

wherein the control unit is adapted for:

setting the control loop gain of an arm axis to be diagnosed lower than a predetermined value in a state in which the angular displacement of the end effector about the arm axis is prevented by the target, and first changing an instruction value to the arm axis such that the end effector will be moved in one circumferential direction of the arm axis, thereby capturing a position after changing the instruction value, and then changing the instruction value to the arm axis such that the end effector will be moved in an other circumferential direction of the arm axis, thereby capturing a position after changing the instruction value; and

judging the state of the robot based on the difference between the positions captured.