Method and apparatus for analyzing the feasibility of performing a programmed sequence of motions with a robot

Claim 1

Automation feasibility analyzing apparatus for analyzing the feasibility of performing a sequence of motions with a work robot, comprising: a work robot at a first location having a plurality of power-driven, signal-controlled links interconnected to permit relative motion therebetween to define plural degrees of freedom, at least some of said links being relatively massive, said work robot having a given mechanical response characteristic for positioning said links in response to position signals input to each link at a rate of N signals per link per second; a plurality of work robot link position transducers, a different work robot link position transducer being associated with each of said work robot links for generating an actual position signal representative of the actual position of the associated work robot link; a portable, relatively lightweight, manually manipulable simulator robot at a second location remote from said first location, said simulator robot having a plurality of interconnected links adapted for manual movement in different degrees of freedom for setting a program of desired mechanical responses, said links and degrees of freedom of said simulator robot simulating those of said work robot; a plurality of simulator robot link position transducers, a different simulator robot link position transducer being associated with each of said simulator robot links for generating a signal representative of the position of its associated simulator robot link; signal recording means at said second location responsive to said simulator robot link position transducers for storing the signals generated thereby representative of a program of desired mechanical responses; work robot control means at said first location responsive to said stored position signals generated by said plurality of simulator robot link position transducers for manipulating the work robot links for performing movements corresponding to the program of desired mechanical responses limited only by said given mechanical response characteristic of said work robot; analyzer means responsive to a) said actual position signals generated by said plurality of work robot link position transducers when said.work robot control means is input with stored position signals and b) said stored position signals generated by said simulator robot transducers, for generating error signals correlated to the --extent to which said work robot is capable of performing the program of desired mechanical responses manually imparted to said simulator robot; and indicating means responsive to said error signals for providing a humanly perceptible indication of the feasibility of said work robot for performing the program of desired mechanical responses imparted to said simulator robot.

Claim 8

A method of analyzing at a first location the feasibility.of performing a sequence of motions with a work robot having a given mechanical response characteristic located at a second location remote from first location, which.work robot has a plurality of different, power-driven, signal-controlled links interconnected to permit relative motion therebetween to define plural degrees of freedom, at least some of said links being relatively massive, said method comprising the steps of: manually manipulating at the second location a portable, relatively lightweight, simulator robot having links and degrees of freedom simulating those of the work robot, for setting a program-of desired mechanical responses; generating at least N signals per link per second with position transducers associated with the simulator robot links representative of the position of the simulator robot links during setting of the program of desired mechanical responses; storing in a recorder the signals generated during manipulation of the simulator robot to thereby store the program of desired mechanical responses; driving the work robot at the second location with the recorded position signals for performing work robot link movements corresponding to the program of desired mechanical responses limited only by the mechanical response characteristic of the work robot; generating from position transducers associated with the work robot links actual position signals representative of the actual position of the work robot links while driving the work robot with the recorded position signals representative of the program of desired mechanical responses; deriving from said actual position signals and said recorded simulator robot position signals, error signals correlated to the extent to which the work robot is capable of performing the program of desired mechanical responses manually imparted to the simulator robot; and deriving, in response to the error signals, a humanly perceptible indication of the feasibility of the work robot for performing the program of desired mechanical responses imparted to the simulator robot.

Claim 9

A method of analyzing at a first location the feasibility.of performing a sequence of motions with a work robot having a given mechanical response characteristic located at a second location remote from first location, which.work robot has a plurality of different, power-driven, signal-controlled links interconnected to permit relative motion therebetween to define plural degrees of freedom, at least some of said links being relatively massive, said method comprising the steps of: manually manipulating at the second location a portable, relatively lightweight, simulator robot having links and degrees of freedom simulating those of the work robot, for setting a program-of desired mechanical responses; generating at least N signals per link per second with position transducers associated with the simulator robot links representative of the position of the simulator robot links during setting of the program of desired mechanical responses; storing in a recorder the signals generated during manipulation of the simulator robot to thereby store the program of desired mechanical responses; driving the work robot at the second location with the recorded position signals for performing work robot link movements corresponding to the program of desired mechanical responses limited only by the mechanical response characteristic of the work robot; generating from position transducers associated with the work robot links actual position signals representative of the actual position of the work robot links while driving the work robot with the recorded position signals representative of the program of desired mechanical responses; deriving from said actual position signals and said recorded simulator robot position signals, error signals correlated to the extent to which the work robot is capable of performing the program of desired mechanical responses manually imparted to the simulator robot; and deriving, in response to the error signals, a humanly perceptible indication of the feasibility of the work robot for performing the program of desired mechanical responses imparted to the simulator robot.