Robot with tactile sensor device

• US 20040078114A1
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FSI International, Inc. (Tokyo Electron Limited)
• Original Assignee: FSI International, Inc. (Tokyo Electron Limited)
• Inventors: Cordell, Andrew W., Redding, Keith W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,996,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/258
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1692 Calibration of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/425 Teaching successive positions by numerical control, i.e. commands being entered to control the positioning servo of the tool head or end effector
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40625 Tactile sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45063 Pick and place manipulator

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for calibrating and teaching a robot to accurately work within a work environment. The present invention preferably provides one or more tactile sensor devices that may be operatively coupled with a robot or positioned at one or more desired locations within a work environment of the robot. In one aspect of the present invention a method comprises the steps of providing a touch sensitive surface in the work environment, causing the touch sensitive surface to contact an object, generating a signal indicative of the position of the contact with respect to the touch sensitive surface, and using information comprising the generated signal to teach the robot the location of the contact in the work environment.

Claims

1. A method of teaching a robot a position within a work environment of the robot, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a touch sensitive surface in the work environment of the robot;

causing the touch sensitive surface to contact an object in the work environment of the robot;

generating a signal indicative of the position of the contact with respect to the touch sensitive surface; and

using information comprising the generated signal to teach the robot the location of the contact in the work environment of the robot.

2. A method of teaching a robot a position within a work environment, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a tactile sensor device having a frame of reference on a moveable component of a robot having a frame of reference and being positioned within a work environment;

determining positional information within the frame of reference of the tactile sensor device by moving the moveable component of the robot so that the tactile sensor device contacts at least a portion of the work environment indicative of the position to be taught; and

using the positional information within the frame of reference of the tactile sensor device to determine positional information within the frame of reference of the robot.

3. A method of calibrating a tactile sensor device positioned on a moveable component of a robot, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a tactile sensor device having a frame of reference on a moveable component of a robot having a frame of reference;

determining positional information within the frame of reference of the tactile sensor device by contacting a plurality of locations on the tactile sensor device with a reference structure; and

using the determined positional information within the frame of reference of the tactile sensor device to calibrate the frame of reference of the robot to the frame of reference of the tactile sensor device.

4. A tactile sensor system for providing positional information about a moveable component of a robot in a work environment of the robot, the tactile sensor system comprising:

a tactile sensor device including at least one touch sensitive zone capable of providing positional information in a frame of reference of the touch sensitive zone about an object contact between the touch sensitive zone and a structure wherein the positional information comprises data indicative that a contact occurred and indicative of the location in the frame of reference of the touch sensitive zone where the contact occurred; and

a control system that uses information comprising information from the tactile sensor device to determine the position of the moveable component of the robot in the work environment of the robot.

5. A touch sensitive robot, the robot comprising;

at least one component capable of being controllably moved within a work environment of the robot;

a tactile sensor device positioned at least partially on the movable component of the robot, which tactile sensor device outputs a signal indicative of a contact on the tactile sensor device when contacting at least a portion of the work environment.

6. A tactile sensor device, the tactile sensor device comprising:

a substrate; and

one or more touch sensitive zones positioned on the substrate and configured to simultaneously engage a corresponding number of reference structures positioned in a work environment of a robot.

7. A robotic system, the robotic system comprising;

a work environment;

a robot positioned at least partially within the work environment and having at least one moveable component for interacting with the work environment;

a tactile sensor device positioned at least partially within the work environment capable of providing information indicative of the position of at least a portion of the moveable component of the robot in the work environment.