Control apparatus and control method for master slave robot, robot, control program for master slave robot, and integrated electronic circuit for control of master slave robot

• US 9,329,587 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2014
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fudaba, Yudai, Tsusaka, Yuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US14/475,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20150073596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/259, 901/8, 901/47
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 3/04 involving servo mechanisms servo-actuated heads B25J15/02
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/08 Robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

A master slave robot is that receives force presentation according to a picture watched by an operator operating the master slave robot. The control apparatus for the master slave robot causes a force information correcting unit to correct force information in accordance with magnification percentage information acquired by a displayed information acquiring unit such that the force information is increased accordingly as the magnification percentage information is larger. An operator can thus apply appropriate force while watching the picture projected on a display to perform a task.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for controlling a master slave robot to perform an assembly task while a state of the assembly task imaged by an imaging device is displayed on a display unit, the master slave robot including a slave arm and a master arm, the control apparatus comprising:

a slave arm control apparatus that controls operation of the slave arm so as to perform the assembly task to a rigid target object; and

a master arm control apparatus that controls operation of the master arm that remotely operates the slave arm when the master slave robot is used,

wherein the slave arm control apparatus includes a force information acquiring unit that acquires force information on force externally applied to the slave arm,

wherein the master arm control apparatus includes;

a displayed information acquiring unit that acquires magnification percentage information on a picture displayed by the display unit displaying the state of the assembly task;

a force information correcting unit that generates corrected force information such that the force information acquired from the force information acquiring unit is corrected to be increased accordingly as the magnification percentage information acquired from the displayed information acquiring unit is larger;

a force information presentation unit that presents, to the master arm, the corrected force information generated by the force information correcting unit;

a size information calculation unit that (i) calculates length information or area information on the rigid target object displayed in the picture displayed by the display unit from imaged picture information acquired from the displayed information acquiring unit and (ii) outputs the calculated length information or the calculated area information on the rigid target object as size information on the rigid target object displayed in the picture displayed by the display unit;

a magnification percentage information calculation unit that (i) calculates magnification percentage information from the size information received from the size information calculation unit and actual size information on the rigid target object and (ii) transmits the calculated magnification percentage information to the force information correcting unit; and

a target object information storage unit that (i) stores the actual size information on the rigid target object and (ii) transmits the actual size information on the rigid target object stored therein to the magnification percentage information calculation unit,

wherein the magnification percentage information calculation unit (i) divides the size information (Sd) acquired from the size information calculation unit by the actual size information (Sr) on the rigid target object that is acquired from the target object information storage unit and (ii) transmits a division result (Sd/Sr) to the force information correcting unit as the magnification percentage information, and

wherein the force information correcting unit multiplies the magnification percentage information acquired from the size information calculation unit and a correction coefficient to generate the corrected force information.

2. The control apparatus for the master slave robot according to claim 1,

wherein the size information calculation unit (i) calculates the length information on the rigid target object displayed in the picture displayed by the display unit and (ii) outputs the length information on the rigid target object as the size information on the rigid target object displayed in the picture displayed by the display unit.

3. The control apparatus for the master slave robot according to claim 1,

wherein the size information calculation unit (i) calculates the area information on the rigid target object displayed in the picture displayed by the display unit and (ii) outputs the area information on the rigid target object as the size information on the rigid target object displayed in the picture displayed by the display unit.

4. A control apparatus for controlling a master slave robot to perform an assembly task while a state of the assembly task imaged by an imaging device is displayed on a display unit, the master slave robot including a slave arm and a master arm, the control apparatus comprising:

a slave arm control apparatus that controls operation of the slave arm so as to perform the assembly task to a rigid target object; and

a master arm control apparatus that controls operation of the master arm that remotely operates the slave arm when the master slave robot is used,

wherein the slave arm control apparatus includes a force information acquiring unit that acquires force information on force externally applied to the slave arm,

wherein the master arm control apparatus includes;

a displayed information acquiring unit that acquires magnification percentage information on a picture displayed by the display unit displaying the state of the assembly task;

a force information correcting unit that generates corrected force information such that the force information acquired from the force information acquiring unit is corrected to be increased accordingly as the magnification percentage information acquired from the displayed information acquiring unit is larger; and

a force information presentation unit that presents, to the master arm, the corrected force information generated by the force information correcting unit, and

wherein the force information correcting unit corrects, when updating the force information in a predetermined period for correction of the force information, a period for updating the force information by extending the predetermined period.

5. A control apparatus for controlling a master slave robot to perform an assembly task while a state of the assembly task imaged by an imaging device is displayed on a display unit, the master slave robot including a slave arm and a master arm, the control apparatus comprising:

a slave arm control apparatus that controls operation of the slave arm so as to perform the assembly task to a rigid target object; and

a master arm control apparatus that controls operation of the master arm that remotely operates the slave arm when the master slave robot is used,

wherein the slave arm control apparatus includes a force information acquiring unit that acquires force information on force externally applied to the slave arm,

wherein the master arm control apparatus includes;

a displayed information acquiring unit that acquires magnification percentage information on a picture displayed by the display unit displaying the state of the assembly task;

a force information correcting unit that generates corrected force information such that the force information acquired from the force information acquiring unit is corrected to be increased accordingly as the magnification percentage information acquired from the displayed information acquiring unit is larger;

a force information presentation unit that presents, to the master arm, the corrected force information generated by the force information correcting unit;

a view angle information acquiring unit that acquires view angle information on a person watching the display unit displaying the state of the assembly task; and

a selector that selects one of the magnification percentage information on the picture acquired by the displayed information acquiring unit and the view angle information acquired by the view angle information acquiring unit, and

wherein the force information correcting unit generates corrected force information in accordance with the information selected by the selector such that the force information acquired from the force information acquiring unit is corrected to be increased accordingly as the selected information is larger.

6. The control apparatus for the master slave robot according to claim 5,

wherein the master arm control apparatus includes:

a display unit position information acquiring unit that acquires position information, orientation information, and size information on the display unit;

a person position information acquiring unit that acquires position information and sight line information on the person; and

a view angle information calculation unit that calculates the view angle information from tithe position information, the orientation information, and the size information on the display unit acquired from the display unit position information acquiring unit and (ii) the position information and the sight line information on the person acquired from the person position information acquiring unit, and

wherein the view angle information acquiring unit acquires the view angle information calculated by the view angle information calculation unit.

7. The control apparatus for the master slave robot according to claim 5,

wherein the master arm control apparatus includes:

a target object size information calculation unit that calculates size information on the rigid target object displayed in the picture displayed by the display unit;

a display unit position information acquiring unit that acquires position information, orientation information, and size information on the display unit;

a person position information acquiring unit that acquires position information and sight line information on the person; and

a target object view angle information calculation unit that calculates the view angle information from (i) the position information, the orientation information, and the size information on the display unit acquired from the display unit position information acquiring unit, (ii) the position information and the sight line information on the person acquired from the person position information acquiring unit, and (iii) the size information on the rigid target object acquired from the target object size information calculation unit, and

wherein the view angle information acquiring unit acquires the view angle information calculated by the target object view angle information calculation unit.

8. A robot comprising:

a slave arm;

a master arm; and

a control apparatus for controlling the slave arm and the master arm to perform an assembly task while a state of the assembly task imaged by an imaging device is displayed on a display unit,

wherein the control apparatus includes;

a slave arm control apparatus that controls operation of the slave arm so as to perform the assembly task to a rigid target object; and

a master arm control apparatus that controls operation of the master arm that remotely operates the slave arm when the robot is used,

wherein the slave arm control apparatus includes a force information acquiring unit that acquires force information on a force externally applied to the slave arm,

wherein the master arm control apparatus includes;

a displayed information acquiring unit that acquires magnification percentage information on a picture displayed by the display unit displaying the state of the assembly task;

a force information correcting unit that generates corrected force information such that the force information acquired from the force information acquiring unit is corrected to be increased accordingly as the magnification percentage information acquired from the displayed information acquiring unit is larger;

a force information presentation unit that presents, to the master arm, the corrected force information generated by the force information correcting unit;

a size information calculation unit that (i) calculates length information or area information on the rigid target object displayed in the picture displayed by the display unit from imaged picture information acquired from the displayed information acquiring unit and (ii) outputs the calculated length information or the calculated area information on the rigid target object as size information on the rigid target object displayed in the picture displayed by the display unit;

a magnification percentage information calculation unit that (i) calculates magnification percentage information from the size information received from the size information calculation unit and actual size information on the rigid target object and (ii) transmits the calculated magnification percentage information to the force information correcting unit; and

a target object information storage unit that (i) stores the actual size information on the rigid target object and (ii) transmits the actual size information on the rigid target object stored therein to the magnification percentage information calculation unit,

wherein the magnification percentage information calculation unit (i) divides the size information (Sd) acquired from the size information calculation unit by the actual size information (Sr) on the rigid target object that is acquired from the target object information storage unit and (ii) transmits a division result (Sd/Sr) to the force information correcting unit as the magnification percentage information, and

wherein the force information correcting unit multiplies the magnification percentage information acquired from the size information calculation unit and a correction coefficient to generate the corrected force information.

9. A control method for controlling a master slave robot to perform an assembly task while a state of the assembly task imaged by an imaging device is displayed on a display unit, the master slave robot including a slave arm and a master arm, the control method comprising:

controlling operation of the slave arm so as to perform the assembly task to a rigid target object; and

controlling operation of the master arm that remotely operates the slave arm when the master slave robot is used,

wherein the controlling operation of the slave arm includes acquiring, by a force information acquiring unit, force information on force externally applied to the slave arm,

wherein the controlling operation of the master arm includes;

acquiring, by a displayed information acquiring unit, magnification percentage information on a picture displayed by the display unit displaying the state of the assembly task;

generating, by a force information correcting unit, corrected force information such that the force information acquired from the force information acquiring unit is corrected to be increased accordingly as the magnification percentage information acquired from the displayed information acquiring unit is larger;

presenting, by a force information presentation unit, to the master arm, the corrected force information generated by the force information correcting unit;

(i) calculating, by a size information calculating unit, length information or area information on the rigid target object displayed in the picture displayed by the display unit from imaged picture information acquired from the displayed information acquiring unit and (ii) outputting, by the size information calculating unit, the calculated length information or the calculated area information on the rigid target object as size information on the rigid target object displayed in the picture displayed by the display unit;

(i) calculating, by a magnification percentage information calculation unit, magnification percentage information from the size information received from the size information calculation unit and actual size information on the rigid target object and (ii) transmitting, by the magnification percentage information calculation unit, the calculated magnification percentage information to the force information correcting unit; and

(i) storing, by a target object information storage unit, the actual size information on the rigid target object and (ii) transmitting, by the target object information storage unit, the actual size information on the rigid target object stored therein to the magnification percentage information calculation unit,

wherein the calculating the magnification percentage includes (i) dividing the size information (Sd) acquired from the size information calculation unit by the actual size information (Sr) on the rigid target object that is acquired from the target object information storage unit and (ii) transmitting a division result (Sd/Sr) to the force information correcting unit as the magnification percentage information, and

wherein the generating the corrected force information includes multiplying the magnification percentage information acquired from the size information calculation unit and a correction coefficient to generate the corrected force information.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium including a control program for controlling a master slave robot to perform an assembly task while a state of the assembly task imaged by an imaging device is displayed on a display unit, the master slave robot including a slave arm and a master arm, wherein, when executed, the control program causing a computer to perform:

controlling operation of the slave arm so as to perform the assembly task to a rigid target object; and

controlling operation of the master arm that remotely operates the slave arm when the master slave robot is used,

wherein the controlling operation of the slave arm includes acquiring, by a force information acquiring unit, force information on force externally applied to the slave arm, and

wherein the controlling operation of the master arm includes;

acquiring, by a displayed information acquiring unit, magnification percentage information on a picture displayed on the display unit displaying the state of the assembly task;

generating, by a force information correcting unit, corrected force information such that the force information acquired from the force information acquiring unit is corrected to be increased accordingly as the magnification percentage information acquired from the displayed information acquiring unit is larger;

presenting, by a force information presentation unit, to the master arm, the corrected force information generated by the force information correcting unit;

(i) calculating, by a size information calculating unit, length information or area information on the rigid target object displayed in the picture displayed by the display unit from imaged picture information acquired from the displayed information acquiring unit and (ii) outputting, by the size information calculating unit, the calculated length information or the calculated area information on the rigid target object as size information on the rigid target object displayed in the picture displayed by the display unit;

(i) calculating, by a magnification percentage information calculation unit, magnification percentage information from the size information received from the size information calculation unit and actual size information on the rigid target object and (ii) transmitting, by the magnification percentage information calculation unit, the calculated magnification percentage information to the force information correcting unit; and

(i) storing, by a target object information storage unit, the actual size information on the rigid target object and (ii) transmitting, by the target object information storage unit, the actual size information on the rigid target object stored therein to the magnification percentage information calculation unit,

wherein the calculating the magnification percentage includes (i) dividing the size information (Sd) acquired from the size information calculation unit by the actual size information (Sr) on the rigid target object that is acquired from the target object information storage unit and (ii) transmitting a division result (Sd/Sr) to the force information correcting unit as the magnification percentage information, and

wherein the generating the corrected force information includes multiplying the magnification percentage information acquired from the size information calculation unit and a correction coefficient to generate the corrected force information.