Multi-arm robot system interference check via three dimensional automatic zones
First Claim
1. A system for controlling collision avoidance in a workcell containing multiple robots, comprising:
- a controller adapted for connection to a source of power;
a first sequence of instructions residing on the controller for execution thereon, the first sequence of instructions including an interference check automatic zone method;
a first robot in communication with and controlled by the controller for movement in accordance with the first sequence of instructions;
a second robot in communication with and controlled by the controller or another controller for movement in accordance with a second sequence of instructions, wherein the first robot and the second robot are configured to selectively occupy at least one common space within the workcell; and
wherein the interference check automatic zone method forms for each of the first and second robots a separate voxel model representing a volume of the common space occupied by an associated one of the first and second robots during movement of the first and second robots in accordance with the first and second sequence of instructions respectively, wherein the common space is represented by a voxel model and has both an occupied portion defined by the volume of the common space occupied by the separate voxel models of the first and second robots and an unoccupied portion defined by a volume of the common space not occupied by the separate voxel models of the first and second robots, and wherein voxels of the separate voxel models are voxels in the voxel model of the common space.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for controlling avoiding collisions in a workcell containing multiple robots is provided. The system includes a sequence of instructions residing on a controller for execution thereon to perform an interference check automatic zone method. The interference check automatic zone method includes the steps of: determining a first portion of a common space that is occupied during a movement of a first robot along a first programmed path; determining a second portion of the common space that is occupied during a movement of a second robot along a second programmed path; comparing the first portion and the second portion to determine if an overlap exists therebetween; and moving the first robot and the second robot in response to whether or not the overlap exists.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for controlling collision avoidance in a workcell containing multiple robots, comprising:
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a controller adapted for connection to a source of power; a first sequence of instructions residing on the controller for execution thereon, the first sequence of instructions including an interference check automatic zone method; a first robot in communication with and controlled by the controller for movement in accordance with the first sequence of instructions; a second robot in communication with and controlled by the controller or another controller for movement in accordance with a second sequence of instructions, wherein the first robot and the second robot are configured to selectively occupy at least one common space within the workcell; and wherein the interference check automatic zone method forms for each of the first and second robots a separate voxel model representing a volume of the common space occupied by an associated one of the first and second robots during movement of the first and second robots in accordance with the first and second sequence of instructions respectively, wherein the common space is represented by a voxel model and has both an occupied portion defined by the volume of the common space occupied by the separate voxel models of the first and second robots and an unoccupied portion defined by a volume of the common space not occupied by the separate voxel models of the first and second robots, and wherein voxels of the separate voxel models are voxels in the voxel model of the common space. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of avoiding collisions in a workcell containing multiple robots, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing at least one common space within the workcell that is selectively occupied by a first robot and a second robot; determining a first portion of the common space that is occupied during a movement of the first robot along a first programmed path as a first voxel model; determining a second portion of the common space that is occupied during a movement of a second robot along a second programmed path as a second voxel model, wherein the common space is represented by a voxel model and has both an occupied portion defined by the volume of the common space occupied by the first and second voxel models of the first and second robots and an unoccupied portion defined by a volume of the common space not occupied by the first and second voxel models of the first and second robots, and wherein voxels of the first and second voxel models are voxels in the voxel model of the common space; comparing the first portion voxels and the second portion voxels to determine if an overlap exists therebetween; and one of; moving only one of the first robot along the first programmed path or the second robot along the second programmed path, if there is overlap between the first portion and the second portion of the common space; and moving the first robot along the first programmed path and moving the second robot along the second programmed path, if there is no overlap between the first portion and the second portion of the common space. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of avoiding collisions in a workcell containing multiple robots, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing at least one common space within the workcell that is selectively occupied by a first robot and a second robot, the first robot and the second robot in communication with at least one controller; determining a first portion of the common space that is occupied during a movement of the first robot along a first programmed path; representing the first portion as a first voxel model on the controller; determining a second portion of the common space that is occupied during a movement of a second robot along a second programmed path; representing the second portion as a second voxel model on the controller, wherein the common space is represented by a voxel model and has both an occupied portion defined by the volume of the common space occupied by the first and second voxel models of the first and second robots and an unoccupied portion defined by a volume of the common space not occupied by the first and second voxel models of the first and second robots, and wherein voxels of the first and second voxel models are voxels in the voxel model of the common space; comparing the first voxel model and the second voxel model to determine if an overlap exists therebetween; one of; moving only one of the first robot along the first programmed path or the second robot along the second programmed path, if there is overlap between the first voxel model and the second voxel model of the common space; and moving the first robot along the first programmed path and moving the second robot along the second programmed path, if there is no overlap between the first voxel model and the second voxel model of the common space; determining an unoccupied portion of the common space after at least one of the first robot has moved along the first programmed path and the second robot has moved along the second programmed path; and releasing the unoccupied portion of the common space for a further programmed path.
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Specification