Apparatus for controlling robot and control method thereof

• US 8,924,020 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Kyung Rock
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US13/756,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 700/258, 700/259, 382/100, 382/103, 901/46, 345/420
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/08 by means of sensing devices, e.g. viewing or touching devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/00 Programme-controlled manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/006 with kinematics chains of the type spherical-prismatic-universal
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/16 Programme controls programme controls in general G05B19/00, e.g. numerical pogramme controls G05B19/18; recording or playback systems G05B19/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a robot capable of controlling the motion of the arm of the robot, and a control method thereof, the apparatus including an image obtaining unit configured to obtain a three-dimensional image of a user, a driving unit configured to drive an arm of the robot that is composed of a plurality of segments, and a control unit configured to generate a user model that corresponds to a motion of the joint of the user based on the three-dimensional image, to generate a target model having a length of the segment that varies based on the user model, and to allow the arm of the robot to be driven based on the target model.

Claims

1. An apparatus of controlling a robot, the apparatus comprising:

an image obtaining unit configured to obtain a three-dimensional image of a user;

a driving unit configured to drive an arm of the robot that is composed of a plurality of segments; and

a control unit configured to generate a user model that corresponds to a motion of the joint of the user based on the three-dimensional image, to generate a target model having the plurality of segments of which the length varies based on the user model, and to allow the arm of the robot to be driven based on the target model.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the control unit is configured, at an initial position, to generate the target model such that the length of the segment of the target model is same as a length of the segment of the arm of the robot, and at a target position, to generate the target such that the length of the segment of the target model is same as a length of a segment of an arm of the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the control unit is configured to generate the target model such that the length of the segment of the target model varies according to a distance from a present position to the target position.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the control unit is configured to generate the target model such that the length of the segment of the target model varies according to a ratio of a remaining operation time to an entire operation time.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the control unit is configured to allow a position of a wrist joint of the robot to follow a position of a wrist joint of the target model.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the control unit is configured to allow an elbow joint of the robot to be positioned at lines of intersection of a plurality of spheres, the spheres each having a shoulder joint or the wrist joint of the robot as a center thereof while having the length of the segment of the arm of the robot as a radius thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the control unit is configured in a way that a first direction vector, which is aimed to an elbow joint of the target model from a central position of a circle that is formed by lines of intersection of a plurality of spheres, the spheres each having a position of a shoulder joint or a wrist joint of the target model as a center thereof while having the length of the segment of the target model as a radius thereof, is coincided with a second direction vector aimed to the elbow joint of the robot from a central position of a circle that is formed by the lines of intersection of the plurality of spheres, the spheres each having the shoulder joint or the wrist joint of the robot as the center thereof while having the length of the segment of the arm of the robot as the radius thereof.

8. A method of controlling a robot, the method comprising:

obtaining by a processor a three-dimensional image of a user;

generating by the processor a user model that corresponds to a motion of a joint of the user based on the three-dimensional image;

generating by the processor a target model having a plurality of segments of which a length varies based on the user model; and

driving an arm of the robot composed of a plurality of segments based on the target model.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the generating of the target model comprises generating, at an initial position, the target model such that the length of the segment of the target model is same as a length of the segment of the arm of the robot, and at a target position, generating the target model such that the length of the segment of the target model is same as a length of a segment of an arm of the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the generating of the target model comprises generating the target model such that the length of the segment of the target model varies according to a distance from a present position to the target position.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the generating of the target model comprises generating the target model such that the length of the segment of the target model to varies according to a ratio of a remaining operation time to an entire operation time.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the driving of the arm of the robot comprises allowing a position of a wrist joint of the robot to follow a position of a wrist joint of the target model.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a position of an elbow joint of the robot that is provided at lines of intersection of a plurality of spheres, the spheres each having a shoulder joint or the wrist joint of the robot as a center thereof while having the length of the segment of the arm of the robot as a radius thereof.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the determining of the position of the elbow joint of the robot comprises allowing a first direction vector, which is aimed to an elbow joint of the target model from a central position of a circle that is formed by lines of intersection of a plurality of spheres, the spheres each having a position of a shoulder joint or a wrist joint of the target model as a center thereof while having the length of the segment of the target model as a radius thereof, to be coincided with a second direction vector aimed to the elbow joint of the robot from a central position of a circle that is formed by the lines of intersection of the plurality of spheres, the spheres each having the shoulder joint or the wrist joint of the robot as the center thereof while having the length of the segment of the arm of the robot as the radius thereof.

15. A control method of a robot, the control method comprising:

obtaining by a processor a three-dimensional image of a user;

generating by the processor a user model based on the three-dimensional image;

generating by the processor a target model having a plurality of segments of which a length varies based on the user model; and

driving a plurality of segments of the robot based on the target model.

16. The control method of claim 15, wherein the generating of the target model comprises generating the target model such that the length of the plurality of segments of the target model varies according to a distance from a present position to a target position.

17. The control method of claim 16, wherein the generating of the target model comprises generating the target model such that the length of the plurality of segments of the target model varies according to a ratio of a remaining operation time to an entire operation time.

18. The control method of claim 17, further comprising determining a position of a joint between the plurality of segments of the robot that is provided at lines of intersection of a plurality of spheres, the spheres each having an adjacent joint as a center thereof while having the length of the plurality of segments of the robot as a radius thereof.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining of the position of the joint between the plurality of segments of the robot comprises allowing a first direction vector, which is aimed to a joint between the plurality of segments of the target model from a central position of a circle that is formed by lines of intersection of a plurality of spheres, the spheres each having a position of an adjacent joint of the target model as a center thereof while having the length of the plurality of segments of the target model as a radius thereof, to be coincided with a second direction vector aimed to the joint between the plurality of segments of the robot from a central position of a circle that is formed by the lines of intersection of the plurality of spheres, the spheres each having the adjacent joint of the robot as the center thereof while having the length of the segment of the robot as the radius thereof.