Robot, robot system, control device, and control method

• US RE47,553 E1
• Filed: 04/20/2018
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nammoto, Takashi, Kosuge, Kazuhiro, Hashimoto, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Clarke, Sara S
• Application Number:
  US15/958,518
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• CPC Class Codes: N/A

Abstract

Provided is a robot including a hand and a control unit that operates the hand. The control unit rotates a first object around a predetermined position of the first object with the hand and moves the first object with respect to a second object, based on a captured image including the hand and the first object.

Claims

1. A robot comprising:

a hand; and

a control unit configured to operate the hand,

wherein the control unit is configured to move a first object toward a second object and is configured to operate the hand to control a position and a posture of the first object relative to a predetermined position based on a captured image including the hand and the first object, and

wherein the control unit includes;

a rotation center position calculation unit that detects a current position and a current posture of the first object, and calculates a rotation center position and a rotation center posture based on the current position and the current posture of the first object;

a target derivation unit that detects a position and a posture of the second object based on the captured image acquired by an image acquisition unit and determines a target position and a target posture of the first object based on the captured image and the position and the posture of the second object;

a movement operation amount calculation unit that determines a target operation amount of the first object, the target operation amount being an amount the first object is moved by the hand to match the target position and the target posture; and

a robot control unit that calculates a target position and a target posture to which a force sensor is to move based on the target operation amount of the first object and moves the force sensor by way of the hand so that the position and the posture of the force sensor match the target position and the target posture of the force sensor.

2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined position is a coordinate origin that moves with the first object, and

the control unit is configured to translate and rotate the first object.

3. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to perform visual servo control based on the captured image.

4. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to perform compliant motion control according to a motion characteristic set in the predetermined position and each axial direction.

5. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to derive a relative positional relationship between a position set in the hand and a position set in the first object based on the captured image, and update the predetermined position based on the derived positional relationship.

6. The robot according to claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to update the predetermined position based on the derived positional relationship, and a relative positional relationship between the position set in the first object and the predetermined position.

7. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising:

a marker indicating a position set in the hand,

wherein the captured image further includes the marker, and

the control unit is configured to derive a relative positional relationship between a position set in the hand and the predetermined position based on the position of the marker detected from the captured image, and update the predetermined position based on the derived relative positional relationship between the position set in the hand and the predetermined position.

8. The robot according to claim 7, wherein,

if the control unit detects the marker and the position and the posture of the first object, the control unit is configured to update the predetermined position based on a first captured image including the imaged marker, a second captured image including the imaged first object, and a relative positional relationship between a first camera capturing the first captured image and a second camera capturing the second captured image.

9. The robot according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is configured to derive a relative positional relationship between the position set in the hand and the predetermined position based on the position in an initial state set in the hand, and update the predetermined position based on the derived relative positional relationship between the position set in the hand and the predetermined position.

10. A robot system comprising:

a robot including a hand; and

an imaging unit that images the hand and a first object,

wherein the robot is configured to move the first object toward a second object and is configured to operate the hand to control a position and a posture of the first object relative to a predetermined position based on a captured image including the hand and the first object captured by the imaging unit, and

wherein the robot includes;

a rotation center position calculation unit that detects a current position and a current posture of the first object, and calculates a rotation center position and a rotation center posture based on the current position and the current posture of the first object;

a target derivation unit that detects a position and a posture of the second object based on the captured image acquired by an image acquisition unit and determines a target position and a target posture of the first object based on the captured image and the position and the posture of the second object;

a movement operation amount calculation unit that determines a target operation amount of the first object, the target operation amount being an amount the first object is moved by the hand to match the target position and the target posture; and

a robot control unit that calculates a target position and a target posture to which a force sensor is to move based on the target operation amount of the first object and moves the force sensor by way of the hand so that the position and the posture of the force sensor match the target position and the target posture of the force sensor.

11. A control device for operating a robot including a hand,

wherein the control device is configured to cause the robot to move a first object toward a second object and is configured to operate the hand to control a position and a posture of the first object relative to a predetermined position based on a captured image including the hand and the first object, and

wherein the control device includes:

a rotation center position calculation unit that detects a current position and a current posture of the first object, and calculates a rotation center position and a rotation center posture based on the current position and the current posture of the first object;

a target derivation unit that detects a position and a posture of the second object based on the captured image acquired by an image acquisition unit and determines a target position and a target posture of the first object based on the captured image and the position and the posture of the second object;

a movement operation amount calculation unit that determines a target operation amount of the first object, the target operation amount being an amount the first object is moved by the hand to match the target position and the target posture; and

a robot control unit that calculates a target position and a target posture to which a force sensor is to move based on the target operation amount of the first object and moves the force sensor by way of the hand so that the position and the posture of the force sensor match the target position and the target posture of the force sensor.

12. A control method for operating a robot including a hand, comprising:

acquiring a captured image including the hand and a first object;

detecting a current position and a current posture of the first object, and calculating a rotation center position and a rotation center posture based on the current position and the current posture of the first object;

detecting a position and a posture of the second object based on the captured image acquired by an image acquisition unit and determining a target position and a target posture of the first object based on the captured image and the position and the posture of the second object;

determining a target operation amount of the first object, the target operation amount being an amount the first object is moved by the hand to match the target position and the target posture;

calculating a target position and a target posture to which a force sensor is to move based on the target operation amount of the first object and moving the force sensor by way of the hand so that the position and the posture of the force sensor match the target position and the target posture of the force sensor; and

moving the first object toward a second object and operating the hand to control a position and a posture of the first object relative to a predetermined position based on the captured image, the rotation center position and the rotation center posture.