Information processing method, apparatus, and computer readable medium

• US 8,600,552 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Ryo, Kamachi, Hideari, Fujii, Gentoku
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US12/913,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 700/45, 700/47, 700/48, 700/49, 700/50, 700/56, 700/59, 700/61, 700/62, 700/64, 700/87, 700/88, 700245-264
• US Class Current: 700/253
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/163 learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39338 Impedance control, also mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39391 Visual servoing, track end effector with camera image feedback
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/03 Teaching system

Abstract

An apparatus executes movement control that causes a robot arm equipped with a camera to move up to an object, thereby enabling a manipulator to move to an object quickly, accurately, and stably as a control system. Specifically, when the object is not detected, the apparatus executes teaching playback control to cause a manipulator to move along a path up to a target position set in advance based on a position of the object. When the object is detected, the apparatus defines a position closer to the object than the target position as a new target position, sets a new path up to the new target position, executes teaching playback control to cause the manipulator to move along the new path until a switching condition for switching the movement control is fulfilled. When the switching condition is fulfilled, the apparatus executes visual servo control.

Claims

1. An information processing method performed by an information processing apparatus for executing movement control that causes a manipulator to move to an object, the manipulator being provided with a viewing device capable of visually recognizing the object, the method comprising:

a first step of, beginning when the object is not visually recognized by the viewing device, executing teaching playback control that causes the manipulator to move along a path toward a target position set in advance based on a position of the object, until the object is visually recognized by the viewing device;

a second step of, once the object is visually recognized by the viewing device following the first step, defining a position closer to the object than the target position as a new target position, setting a new path to the new target position, and executing the teaching playback control that causes the manipulator to move along the new path until a switching condition for switching the movement control is fulfilled; and

a third step of, when the switching condition is fulfilled following the second step, acquiring position information of the object visually recognized by the viewing device, and executing visual servo control that causes the manipulator to move to the object using the position information as feedback information.

4. An information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the switching condition includes a condition that a velocity of the manipulator is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

5. An information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the switching condition includes a condition that deviation between positions of the manipulator and the object is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

2. An information processing method performed by an information processing apparatus for executing movement control that causes a manipulator to move up to an object, the manipulator being provided with a viewing device capable of visually recognizing the object, the method comprising:

a first step of, in a case that the object is not visually recognized by the viewing device, executing teaching playback control that causes the manipulator to move along a path up to a target position set in advance based on a position of the object;

a second step of, in a case that the object is visually recognized by the viewing device, defining a position closer to the object than the target position as a new target position, setting a new path up to the new target position, and executing the teaching playback control that causes the manipulator to move along the new path until a switching condition for switching the movement control is fulfilled; and

a third step of, in a case that the switching condition is fulfilled, acquiring position information of the object visually recognized by the viewing device, and executing visual servo control that causes the manipulator to move up to the object using the position information as feedback information,

wherein the second step includes;

a candidate setting step of setting at least one candidate for the new target position and at least one candidate for the new path;

a path setting step of setting the new path based on at least a part of the at least one candidate for the new target position and the at least one candidate for the new path;

a determining step of determining whether the switching condition is fulfilled;

a moving step of, in a case that the switching condition is not fulfilled, causing the manipulator to move along the new path by way of the teaching playback control; and

a switching step of, in a case that the switching condition is fulfilled, switching the movement control from the teaching playback control to the visual servo control.

3. An information processing method according to claim 2, wherein

the candidate setting step includes:

an object detecting step of detecting a position of the object visually recognized by the viewing device;

a manipulator detecting step of detecting a position of the manipulator;

a candidate target position setting step of setting one candidate for the new target position based on the position of the object and the position of the manipulator; and

a candidate path setting step of setting, as one candidate for the new path, a path up to the candidate for the new target position set by way of a process of the candidate target position setting step,

wherein the at least one candidate for the new target position and the at least one candidate for the new path are set by executing at least one time a series of processes of the object detecting step to the candidate path setting step.

6. An information processing apparatus for executing movement control to cause a manipulator to move to an object, the manipulator being provided with a viewing device capable of visually recognizing the object, the apparatus comprising:

a teaching playback control means for executing a teaching playback control that causes the manipulator to move along a path;

a visual processing means for detecting the object based on output information from the viewing device;

a visual servo control means for executing visual servo control that causes the manipulator to move to the object using position information detected by the visual processing means as feedback information; and

a switching means for switching the movement control from the teaching playback control to the visual servo control when a predetermined switching condition is fulfilled,

wherein the teaching playback control means, when the object is not visually recognized by the viewing device, executes the teaching playback control that causes the manipulator to move along a path toward a target position set in advance based on a position of the object, until the object is recognized by the viewing device, and

once the object is recognized by the viewing device, defines a position closer to the object than the target position as a new target position, sets a new path to the new target position, and executes the teaching playback control that causes the manipulator to move along the new path until the switching condition is fulfilled.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined switching condition includes a condition that a velocity of the manipulator is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

9. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined switching condition includes a condition that deviation between the positions of the manipulator and the object is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein a program executable by a computer for executing a movement control that causes a manipulator to move to an object, the manipulator being provided with a viewing device capable of visually recognizing the object, the program causing the computer to perform:

a first step of, beginning when the object is not visually recognized by the viewing device, executing teaching playback control that causes the manipulator to move along a path toward a target position set in advance, based on a position of the object, until the object is visually recognized by the viewed device;

a second step of, once the object is visually recognized by the viewing device following the first step, defining a position closer to the object than the target position as a new target position, setting a new path to the new target position, and executing the teaching playback control that causes the manipulator to move along the new path until a switching condition for switching the movement control is fulfilled; and

a third step of, when the switching condition is fulfilled following the second step, acquiring position information of the object visually recognized by the viewing device, and executing visual servo control that causes the manipulator to move to the object using the position information as feedback information.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the switching condition includes a condition that a velocity of the manipulator is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the switching condition includes a condition that deviation between the positions of the manipulator and the object is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

12. An information processing apparatus for executing movement control to cause a manipulator to move to an object, the manipulator being provided with a viewing device capable of visually recognizing the object, the apparatus comprising:

a teaching playback control means for executing a teaching playback control that causes the manipulator to move along a path;

a visual processing means for detecting the object based on output information from the viewing device;

a visual servo control means for executing visual servo control that causes the manipulator to move up to the object using position information detected by the visual processing means as feedback information; and

a switching means for switching the movement control from the teaching playback control to the visual servo control when a predetermined switching condition is fulfilled,

wherein the teaching playback control means executes the teaching playback control that causes the manipulator to move along a path up to a target position set in advance based on a position of the object, until the object is detected by the viewing device, and

when the object is detected by the viewing device, defines a position closer to the object than the target position as a new target position, sets a new path up to the new target position, and executes the teaching playback control that causes the manipulator to move along the new path until the playback control means determines that the switching condition is fulfilled,

wherein the teaching playback control means sets the new target position and the new path by setting at least one candidate for the new target position and at least one candidate for the new path, and setting the new path based on at least a part of the at least one candidate for the new target position and the at least one candidate for the new path.

13. An information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined switching condition includes a condition that a velocity of the manipulator is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

14. An information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined switching condition includes a condition that deviation between the positions of the manipulator and the object is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein a program executable by a computer for executing a movement control that causes a manipulator to move up to an object, the manipulator being provided with a viewing device capable of visually recognizing the object, the program causing the computer to perform:

a first step of, in a case that the object is not visually recognized by the viewing device, executing teaching playback control that causes the manipulator to move along a path up to a target position set in advance, based on a position of the object;

a second step of, in a case that the object is visually recognized by the viewing device, defining a position closer to the object than the target position as a new target position, setting a new path up to the new target position, and executing the teaching playback control that causes the manipulator to move along the new path until a switching condition for switching the movement control is fulfilled; and

a third step of, in a case that the switching condition is fulfilled, acquiring position information of the object visually recognized by the viewing device, and executing visual servo control that causes the manipulator to move up to the object using the position information as feedback information,

wherein the second step includes;

a candidate setting step of setting at least one candidate for the new target position and at least one candidate for the new path;

a path setting step of setting the new path based on at least a part of the at least one candidate for the new target position and the at least one candidate for the new path;

a determining step of determining whether the switching condition is fulfilled;

a moving step of, in a case that the switching condition is not fulfilled, causing the manipulator to move along the new path by way of the teaching playback control; and

a switching step of, in a case that the switching condition is fulfilled, switching the movement control from the teaching playback control to the visual servo control.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein

the candidate setting step includes:

an object detecting step of detecting a position of the object visually recognized by the viewing device;

a manipulator detecting step of detecting a position of the manipulator;

a candidate target position setting step of setting one candidate for the new target position based on the position of the object and the position of the manipulator; and

a candidate path setting step of setting, as one candidate for the new path, a path up to the candidate for the new target position set by way of a process of the candidate target position setting step,

wherein the at least one candidate for the new target position and the at least one candidate for the new path are set by executing at least one time a series of processes of the object detecting step to the candidate path setting step.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the switching condition includes a condition that a velocity of the manipulator is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the switching condition includes a condition that deviation between the positions of the manipulator and the object is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.