Method and device for controlling a robot

• US 6,522,951 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2000
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KUKA Laboratories GmbH (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Inventors: Born, Hans, Koeppe, Ralf, Bunsendahl, Jens, Stelter, Johannes, Steinmetz, Bernhard-Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel, Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US09/733,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20020002424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/11, 700/56, 700/83, 700/86, 700/245, 700/253, 700/249, 700/250, 700/251, 700/259, 700/260, 700/264, 700/192, 700/186, 700/257, 318/568.1, 318/268.2, 318/573, 701/23, 701/4, 701/29, 901/15, 901/19, 703/18, 703/20, 340/870.16, 340/870.31
• US Class Current: 700/258
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/408 characterised by data handling or data format, e.g. reading, buffering or conversion of data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39059 Sensor adaptation for robots by software
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40414 Man robot interface, exchange of information between operator and robot

Abstract

A method and a device for controlling a robot on the basis of data from sensors with their own sensor data structures. For solving the problem of adapting to different sensors and their data structures and consequently permitting in simple manner the use of different sensors without intervening in the actual robot control program, according to the system the sensor data are processed to robot control data with a control data structure usable by a system control program and a processing device suitable for the same is provided.

Claims

1. Method for controlling a robot on the basis of sensor data from sensors with their own sensor data structures, characterized in that the sensor data are processed into robot control data of a control data structure usable by a control program.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor data are converted into check data with a standardized data structure.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the check data are processed by suitable processing operations to actuator data.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the actuator data are checked and possibly limited and transferred as robot control data to the robot control program.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that internal data of the robot control are converted into check data with a standardized data structure.

6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that sensor, check, actuator and/or robot control data are processed with different clock cycles.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that when processing the sensor, check, actuator and/or robot control data an averaging and/or filtering is performed.

8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that sensor data of several sensors are processed in parallel.

9. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that data of one sensor are evaluated in parallel by means of different evaluation strategies.

10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the data obtained according to a specific evaluation strategy are transferred to the control program for use thereon as a function of specific events.

11. Device for controlling a robot on the basis of sensor data from sensors with their own sensor data structures, characterized in that a processing means is provided for processing the sensor data to robot control data of a control data structure usable by a control program.

12. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that there is a device for converting the sensor data into check data with a standardized data structure.

13. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that a control unit is provided for processing check data by suitable processing operations to actuator data.

14. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that an actuator means is provided for checking the actuator data, optionally for limiting the same and for transfer as robot control data to the robot control program.

15. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that devices are provided for converting internal data of the robot control into check data with a standardized data structure.

16. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that timers are provided with mutually independent output clock cycles for the individual processing means.

17. Device according to claim 11, characterized by devices for averaging and/or filtering the sensor, check, actuator and/or robot control data, particularly when processing the same with different clock cycles.

18. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that several processing paths are provided for the parallel processing of sensor data of several sensors.

19. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that several processing paths are provided for the parallel processing of sensor data of one sensor by means of different evaluation strategies.

20. Device according to claim 11, characterized by hierarchically constructed control modules.

21. Device according to claim 20, characterized by a plane of modules for the selection of a virtual sensor type.

22. Device according to claim 20, characterized in that modules are provided having actions to be monitored by a virtual sensor.

23. Device according to claim 20, characterized by modules for fixing the actions of implementing parameters.

24. Device according to claim 11, characterized by an operator surface constructed in hierarchic and modular manner.

25. Device, characterized by a switching means (9) for activating or deactivating processing paths as a function of one or more conditions.