Robot

• US 4,385,358 A
• Filed: 10/10/1980
• Issued: 05/24/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokico Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Tokico Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ito, Yoshimasa, Hashizume, Junji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wise, Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US06/195,947
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 364/513, 364/577, 318/573, 318/559
• US Class Current: 700/252
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means
• 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

Abstract

A robot is disclosed having a robot manipulator, detectors for detecting the positions between each of the movable members of the manipulator, a memory unit for successively storing positional signals supplied from the detectors upon teaching operation, interpolating operation circuits for executing interpolating operation based on two positional signals which are read out from the memory unit in order to determine required number of positions between the two positional signals thus read out upon playback operation, and servo circuits for positioning each of the movable members of the manipulator by the operation result signals from the interpolating operation circuits.

Claims

1. A robot comprising:

a manipulator having a plurality of movable members, each member connected to its adjacent member with a joint;

means for detecting the relative positions of adjacent movable members with respect to each other;

means for automatically generating positional signals from the detecting means upon teaching operation;

memory means for successively storing the positional signals from the generating means;

means for executing interpolating operation based on two positional signals which are read out from the memory means in order to determine required number of positions between the position corresponding to the two read out positional signals upon playback operation; and

means for positioning each of the movable members of the manipulator, referring to the operation result signals from the interpolating operation means as command values and based on the positional signals from the detecting means as present values.

2. The robot of claim 1, which further comprises setting means capable of optionally adjusting an interval for the position generating operation in the automatic generating means, the positional signals being successively stored in the memory means at the interval set by the setting means.

3. The robot of claim 2, in which the automatic generating means comprises means for producing a series of pulses, means for counting supplied pulses thereto from the producing means, and means for comparing the counted value in the counting means with the value set by the setting means, the positional signals from the detecting means being generated by the automatic generating means and stored in the memory means when the comparison means detects coincidence between the counted value and the value set by the setting means.

4. The robot of claim 3, in which the producing means generates the pulse in synchronism with the movement of a work piece.

5. The robot of any one of claims 2 to 4, in which the number of positions between two positions determined by the interpolating operation of the interpolating operation means are defined by the value set by the setting means.

6. The robot of claim 1, in which the memory means having first and second memory regions, the positional signals generated by the automatic generating means being stored in the first memory region, and which further comprises means for manually generating the positional signals read out from the first memory region upon an operation for data compression, the positional signals generated by the manual generating means being re-stored in the second memory region of the memory means upon the operation for data compression, the interpolating operation means executing the interpolating operation based on successive two positional signals read out from the second memory region upon the playback operation.

7. The robot of claim 6, in which the automatic generating means comprises means for producing a series of pulses, means for counting supplied pulses thereto from the producing means, and means for comparing the counted value in the counting means with a predetermined value, the positional signals from the detecting means being generated by the automatic generating means and stored in the first memory region of the memory means when the comparison means detects a coincidence between the counted value and the predetermined value.

8. The robot of claim 7, which further comprises setting means capable of optionally adjusting the value compared with the counted value in the counting means by the comparing means, the number of positions between two positions determined by the interpolating operation of the interpolating operation means being defined by the value set by the setting means.

9. The robot of any one of claims 6 to 8, in which the manual generating means comprises a switch, the positional signals read out form the first memory region of the memory means being generated by the manual actuation of the switch and restored in the second memory region of the memory means.

10. The robot of claim 1, which further comprises means for comparing first positional signals at first teaching position designated by the automatic generating means with second positional signals at second teaching position succeeding to the first teaching position generated by the automatic generating means in the teaching operation, and the second positional signals at the second teaching position are stored in the memory means as the positional signals for the playback operation upon detection of predetermined changes between the first and second positional signals by the comparing means.

11. The robot of claim 10, in which the comparing means has a circuit for detecting the difference between the positional signals.

12. A teaching-playback type robot, comprising:

memory means for storing actuation information for the playback operation to a robot manipulator;

means for comparing first actuation information at first teaching position with second actuation information at second teaching position succeeding to the first teaching position in the teaching operation, the second actuation information at the second teaching position being stored in the memory means as the information for the playback operation upon detection of predetermined changes between the first and second actuation information by the comparing means; and

means for actuating a robot manipulator in accordance with the actuation information read out from the memory means.

13. The teaching-playback type robot of claim 12, in which the first and second actuation information include positional signals for positioning the manipulator, respectively, and the comparing means has a circuit for detecting a difference between the positional signals of the first and second actuation information.

14. The teaching-playback type robot of claim 12 or 13, in which the actuation information includes ON-OFF signals for operating a tool mounted on the manipulator, respectively, and the comparing means has a circuit for detecting a difference between the ON-OFF signals of the first and second actuation information.

15. A manipulator apparatus, comprising:

a manipulator having a plurality of movable member, each member connected movably to its adjacent member through joint mechanisms, and being provided with a tool on the free end thereof;

means for detecting the relative positions of adjacent movable members with respect to each other;

means for automatically generating positional signals issued from said detecting means upon teaching operation;

means for comparing positional signals of first taught position generated by said generating means with positional signals of second taught position succeeding to said first taught position generated by said generating means upon the teaching operation;

memory means for successively storing said positional signals of the second taught position in the case where said comparing means detects the predetermined change between said positional signals of the first and second taught positions; and

means for positioning each of said movable members in accordance with a comparison of positional signals produced on the basis of the positional signals from said memory means as command signals and positional signals issued from said detecting means as present positional signals, upon playback operation.

16. A manipulator apparatus according to claim 15, which further comprises:

means for executing an interpolating operation on the basis of successive two positional signals read out from said memory means to interpolate positions between the positions corresponding to said successive two positional signals upon playback operation; and

positional signals corresponding to said interpolated position being supplied to said positioning means as said command signals.

17. A manipulator apparatus according to claim 16, which further comprises:

means for manually adjusting the intervals for the generating operation of said automatic generating means, said positional signals from the detecting means being generated by said automatic generating means at intervals having a value set by said manual adjusting means; and

said set value defining the number of said positions to be interpolated upon playback operation.

18. A manipulator apparatus according to claim 17, in which said automatic generating means comprises:

means for producing electric pulses in synchronism with the movement of a workpiece;

means for counting the supplied pulses thereto from said pulse producing means; and

a second comparison means for comparing the counted value of said counting means with the value set by said manual adjusting means, the positional signals from said detecting means being generated by said automatic generating means when said second comparing means detects coincidence between the counted value and the value set by the manual adjusting means.

19. A manipulator apparatus according to claim 17, in which said automatic generating means comprises:

means for producing electric pulses at time intervals independently of the position of a workpiece;

means for counting the supplied pulses thereto from said pulse producing means; and

a second comparing means for comparing the counted value of said counting means with the value set by said manual adjusting means,

the positional signals from said detecting means being generated by said automatic generating means when said second comparing means detects coincidence between the counted value and the value set by the manual adjusting means.