EP0208406A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of detecting and controlling work start point of robot
Assignee: Yaskawa Electric Corp
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Filing: 1986-05-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-05-30
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a method of detecting and controlling a work start point of a robot of the preprogrammed control type having the interpolating function and responding function to a position sensor, whereby a work tool attached to the robot wrist is accurately positioned to the work start point of a workpiece. The method comprises the following steps. A shadow (17) of the work tool (11) is produced by the illumination source (16). The work line (4') of the workpiece, working tool, and shadow thereof are image-recognized by a visual sensor (14). The visual sensor generates the position correcting signals along the first and second correcting directions on the basis of the image recognized. The edge of the work tool is moved along the first correcting direction in response to the position correcting signal so as to reduce the distance between the work line (4') and the edge of the work tool (11) on the image recognized. The edge of the work tool (11) is moved along the second correcting direction in response to the position correcting signal so as to reduce the distance between the work tool edge and the edge of the shadow (17) of the work tool on the image recognized. The operations to move the work toot edge in the first and second correcting directions are repeated until the work line, the work tool edge, and the edge of the shadow thereof all coincide on the image recognized.
Inventors
- 👤 Satoru Nio
- 👤 Hitoshi Wakisako
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 15:38
CPC Classifications
B; B25; B25J; B25J9/00; B25J9/16; B25J9/1679; B25J9/1684
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
262 words
A method of detecting a work start point of a robot of the teaching playback control type having an interpolating function and in which a work tool is attached to an edge of an arm and an illumination source and a visual sensor are provided for the wrist portion of said arm, whereby a plurality of drive shafts constituting the robot are controlled in response to position correcting signals from said visual sensor, thereby adjusting the position of said tool, said method being characterised by the steps of: (1) producing a shadow of said tool by said illumination source; (2) image-recognizing a work line of a workpiece, said tool, and the shadow of said tool by said visual sensor; (3) generating said position correcting signals along first and second correcting directions from said visual sensor on the basis of said image recognition by the visual sensor; (4) moving the edge of said tool along said first correcting direction in response to said position correcting signal in order to reduce the distance between said work line and the edge of said tool on said recognized image; (5) moving the edge of said tool along said second correcting direction in response to said position correcting signal in order to reduce the distance between the edge of the tool and the edge of the shadow of the tool on said recognized image; and (6) repeating said steps (4) and (5) until said work line, the edge of said work tool, and the edge of the shadow of the work tool all coincide on said recognized-image.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
262 words
A method of detecting a work start point of a robot of the teaching playback control type having an interpolating function and in which a work tool is attached to an edge of an arm and an illumination source and a visual sensor are provided for the wrist portion of said arm, whereby a plurality of drive shafts constituting the robot are controlled in response to position correcting signals from said visual sensor, thereby adjusting the position of said tool, said method being characterised by the steps of: (1) producing a shadow of said tool by said illumination source; (2) image-recognizing a work line of a workpiece, said tool, and the shadow of said tool by said visual sensor; (3) generating said position correcting signals along first and second correcting directions from said visual sensor on the basis of said image recognition by the visual sensor; (4) moving the edge of said tool along said first correcting direction in response to said position correcting signal in order to reduce the distance between said work line and the edge of said tool on said recognized image; (5) moving the edge of said tool along said second correcting direction in response to said position correcting signal in order to reduce the distance between the edge of the tool and the edge of the shadow of the tool on said recognized image; and (6) repeating said steps (4) and (5) until said work line, the edge of said work tool, and the edge of the shadow of the work tool all coincide on said recognized-image.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
87 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, characterised by the additional step of: (7) repeating said steps (4) and (5) until said visual sensor detects a sharp bend in the work line on said image recognized while tracing an extension of a straight line connecting a point at which the taught work end point is displaced by the vector between the coincident point derived in said step (6) and the taught work start point to said coincident point in the direction opposite to the taught work direction.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
268 words
A method of detecting a work start point of a robot of the teaching playback control type having an interpolating function in which a working tool is attached to an edge of an arm and an illumination source and a visual sensor are provided for the wrist portion of said arm, whereby a plurality of drive shafts constituting the robot are controlled in response to position correcting signals from said visual sensor, thereby adjusting the position of said working tool, said method being characterised by the steps of: (1) producing a shadow of said work tool by said illumination source; (2) image-recognizing a work line of a work, said work tool, and the shadow of. said work tool by said visual sensor; (3) generating said position correcting signals along first and second correcting direction from said visual sensor on the basis of said image recognized by the visual sensor; (4) moving the edge of said work tool along said first correcting direction in response to said position correcting signal until said work line and the edge of said work tool coincide on said recognized image; and (5) moving the edge of the work tool along said second correcting direction in response to said position correcting signal until the edge of said work tool and the edge of the shadow of the work tool coincide on said recognized image and, at the same time, correcting the position of the edge of the work tool along said first correcting direction in order to reduce the displacement between said work line and the edge of said work tool on said image.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
268 words
A method of detecting a work start point of a robot of the teaching playback control type having an interpolating function in which a working tool is attached to an edge of an arm and an illumination source and a visual sensor are provided for the wrist portion of said arm, whereby a plurality of drive shafts constituting the robot are controlled in response to position correcting signals from said visual sensor, thereby adjusting the position of said working tool, said method being characterised by the steps of: (1) producing a shadow of said work tool by said illumination source; (2) image-recognizing a work line of a work, said work tool, and the shadow of. said work tool by said visual sensor; (3) generating said position correcting signals along first and second correcting direction from said visual sensor on the basis of said image recognized by the visual sensor; (4) moving the edge of said work tool along said first correcting direction in response to said position correcting signal until said work line and the edge of said work tool coincide on said recognized image; and (5) moving the edge of the work tool along said second correcting direction in response to said position correcting signal until the edge of said work tool and the edge of the shadow of the work tool coincide on said recognized image and, at the same time, correcting the position of the edge of the work tool along said first correcting direction in order to reduce the displacement between said work line and the edge of said work tool on said image.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
89 words
A method as claimed in claim 3, characterised by the additional step of: (6) repeating said steps (4) and (5) until said visual sensor detects a sharp bend in point of said working line on said recognized image while tracing an extension of a straight line connecting a point which - the taught work end point is displaced by deviation vector between the coincident point derived in said step (5) and the taught work start point to said coincident point in the direction opposite to the taught work direction.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
251 words
A method of detecting a work start point in a robot of the teaching playback control type having an interpolating function in which a work tool is attached to an edge of an arm and a visual sensor is provided for the wrist portion of said arm and a contact sensor for generating a contact signal when the edge of said work tool comes into contact with an object to be worked is further provided, whereby a plurality of driven shafts constituting the robot are controlled in response to position correcting signals from said visual sensor, thereby adjusting the position of said work tool, said method comprising the steps of: (1) image-recognizing a working line of a work object and said work tool by said visual sensor; (2) generating a position correcting signal along a first correcting direction from said visual sensor on the basis of said image recognized by said visual sensor; (3) moving the edge of said work tool along said first correcting direction in response to said position correcting signal until said work line and the edge of said work tool coincide on said recognized image; (4) moving the edge of the work tool by a predetermined amount along the axial direction of said work tool in the direction such that said contact sensor generates the contact signal; and (5) repeating said steps (3) and (4) until said working line and the edge of said work tool coincide on said recognized image and a contact signal is generated.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
251 words
A method of detecting a work start point in a robot of the teaching playback control type having an interpolating function in which a work tool is attached to an edge of an arm and a visual sensor is provided for the wrist portion of said arm and a contact sensor for generating a contact signal when the edge of said work tool comes into contact with an object to be worked is further provided, whereby a plurality of driven shafts constituting the robot are controlled in response to position correcting signals from said visual sensor, thereby adjusting the position of said work tool, said method comprising the steps of: (1) image-recognizing a working line of a work object and said work tool by said visual sensor; (2) generating a position correcting signal along a first correcting direction from said visual sensor on the basis of said image recognized by said visual sensor; (3) moving the edge of said work tool along said first correcting direction in response to said position correcting signal until said work line and the edge of said work tool coincide on said recognized image; (4) moving the edge of the work tool by a predetermined amount along the axial direction of said work tool in the direction such that said contact sensor generates the contact signal; and (5) repeating said steps (3) and (4) until said working line and the edge of said work tool coincide on said recognized image and a contact signal is generated.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
256 words
A method of detecting a work start point in a robot of the teaching playback control type having an interpolating function in which a work tool is attached to an edge of an arm and a visual sensor is provided for the wrist portion of said arm and a contact sensor for generating a contact signal when the edge of said working tool is come into contact with an object to be worked is further provided, whereby a plurality of drive shafts constituting the robot are controlled in response to position correcting signals from said visual sensor, thereby adjusting the position of said work tool, said method comprising the steps of: (1) image-recognizing a working line of said work object worked and said work tool by said visual sensor; (2) generating said position correcting signal along a first correcting direction from said visual sensor on the basis of said image recognized by said visual sensor; (3) moving the edge of said work tool along said first correcting direction in response to said position correcting signal until said work line and the edge of said work tool coincide on said recognized image; and (4) moving the edge of said work tool along the axial direction of the work tool until said contact sensor generates the contact signal and, at the same time, correcting the position of the edge of said work tool along said first correcting direction in order to reduce the displacement between said work line and the edge of the work tool on said image.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
256 words
A method of detecting a work start point in a robot of the teaching playback control type having an interpolating function in which a work tool is attached to an edge of an arm and a visual sensor is provided for the wrist portion of said arm and a contact sensor for generating a contact signal when the edge of said working tool is come into contact with an object to be worked is further provided, whereby a plurality of drive shafts constituting the robot are controlled in response to position correcting signals from said visual sensor, thereby adjusting the position of said work tool, said method comprising the steps of: (1) image-recognizing a working line of said work object worked and said work tool by said visual sensor; (2) generating said position correcting signal along a first correcting direction from said visual sensor on the basis of said image recognized by said visual sensor; (3) moving the edge of said work tool along said first correcting direction in response to said position correcting signal until said work line and the edge of said work tool coincide on said recognized image; and (4) moving the edge of said work tool along the axial direction of the work tool until said contact sensor generates the contact signal and, at the same time, correcting the position of the edge of said work tool along said first correcting direction in order to reduce the displacement between said work line and the edge of the work tool on said image.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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