SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GRAPHICALLY ALLOCATING ROBOT'S WORKING SPACE

• US 20090143912A1
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Lin, Yen-Chun, Wang, Wei-Han, Tsai, Ya-Hui
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1671 characterised by simulation, either to verify existing program or to create and verify new program, CAD/CAM oriented, graphic oriented programming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39065 Calculate workspace for end effector, manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40089 Tele-programming, transmit task as a program, plus extra info needed by robot
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40095 Modify tasks due to modular tooling, other fixture configuration, environment
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40099 Graphical user interface for robotics, visual robot user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40607 Fixed camera to observe workspace, object, workpiece, global
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0033 by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

System and method for graphically allocating robot'"'"'s working space are provided. The system includes an image extractor, a task-allocating server and a robot. A graphic user interface (GUI) of the task-allocating server includes a robot'"'"'s working scene area, a space attribute allocating area and a robot'"'"'s task area. Thus, a user assigns one certain space area in the robot'"'"'s working scene area with a “wall” attribute, or another space area with a “charging station” attribute. Meanwhile, by using the GUI, the user directly assigns the robot to execute a specific task at a certain area. Hence, the user or remote controller facilitates the robot to provide safer and more effective service through his/her environment recognition.

Claims

1. A system for graphically allocating robot'"'"'s working space, comprising:

an image extractor, a task-allocating server and a robot, wherein each of the image extractor, the task-allocating server and the robot has a communication unit and a memory unit;

the task-allocating server further comprises a graphic user interface (GUI), and the GUI further comprises a robot'"'"'s working scene area, a space attribute area, and a task area;

wherein after the image extractor extracts an image of an environmental space, the image is transmitted to the task-allocating server by the communication unit and displayed on the robot'"'"'s working scene area in the GUI;

the robot'"'"'s working scene area defines at least one area for the image of the environmental space;

the space attribute area defines an attribute of the area in the robot'"'"'s working scene area, and the task-allocating server records the attribute of the area in a memory unit thereof;

the task area defines a specific task to be executed matching with the attribute of the area, and the task-allocating server converts the specific task into a control command for being transmitted to the robot through the communication unit, such that the robot executes the specific task in the area of the environmental space defined with the space attribute area.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein a projection device is further mounted in the environmental space, for projecting a grid pattern;

the grid pattern is extracted by the image extractor, then transmitted to the task-allocating server, and then displayed in the GUI of the task-allocating server;

the task-allocating server takes the grid pattern displayed in the GUI as a reference for calculating a distance, that is, evaluating an actual space size or object size from the size of the grid pattern and number of pixels occupied by the pattern in a frame, and storing a result in the memory unit thereof.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of image extractors are adopted, and the image extractors are mounted at different positions of the environmental space, for extracting images of the environmental spaces, and transmitting the images to the task-allocating server, and the images are displayed on a plurality of robot'"'"'s working scene areas in the GUI.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user independently defines types and quantities of the space attribute area and task area in the GUI.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user sets the space attribute area in the GUI as a boundary of the robot'"'"'s working space.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user sets the space attribute area in the GUI as the robot'"'"'s moving path.

7. The system according to claim 3, wherein frames of the plurality of robot'"'"'s working scene areas in the GUI have different sizes.

8. The system according to claim 3, wherein a displaying manner of the plurality of robot'"'"'s working scene areas in the GUI is in a single frame, but each frame is switched manually or automatically.

9. A method for graphically allocating robot'"'"'s working space, at least comprising:

using an image extractor to extract an image of an environmental space, transmitting the image to a task-allocating server, and then displaying the image on a robot'"'"'s working scene area in a GUI of the task-allocating server;

selecting at least one specific area in the robot'"'"'s working scene area, and defining an attribute of the specific area through a space attribute area in the GUI, wherein the task-allocating server records the attribute of the specific area in a memory unit thereof;

defining a specific task matching with the attribute of the specific area through a task area in the GUI; and

converting the specific task into a control command and transmitting the control command to the robot through the task-allocating server, such that the robot begins to execute the specific task in the specific area.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein a projection device is further mounted in the environmental space, for projecting a grid pattern;

the grid pattern is extracted by the image extractor, then transmitted to the task-allocating server, and then displayed in the GUI of the task-allocating server;

the task-allocating server takes the grid pattern displayed in the GUI as a reference for calculating a distance, that is, evaluating an actual space size or object size from the size of the grid pattern and number of pixels occupied by the pattern in a frame, and storing a result in the memory unit thereof.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of image extractors are adopted, and the image extractors are mounted at different positions of the environmental space, for extracting images of the environmental spaces, and transmitting the images to the task-allocating server, and the images are displayed on a plurality of robot'"'"'s working scene areas in the GUI.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the user independently defines types and quantities of the space attribute area and task area in the GUI.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the space attribute area in the GUI is set as a boundary of the robot'"'"'s working space.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the space attribute area in the GUI is set as the robot'"'"'s moving path.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein frames of the plurality of robot'"'"'s working scene areas in the GUI have different sizes.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein a displaying manner of the plurality of robot'"'"'s working scene areas in the GUI is in a single frame, but each frame is switched manually or automatically.

17. The method according to claim 9, wherein defining the attribute of the specific area through the space attribute area in the GUI is achieved by dragging and then dropping the space attribute area of the GUI into the specific area.

18. The method according to claim 9, wherein defining the task of the specific area through the task area in the GUI is achieved by dragging and then dropping the task area of the GUI into the specific area.