Industrial robot with improved safety control performance and control method thereof

By independently detecting joint position and velocity in industrial robots using speed or acceleration sensors and motor encoders, and calculating joint torque information, the problem of insufficient collision detection sensitivity in the existing technology is solved, the safety performance of the robot is improved, and human-machine collaboration is ensured security.

CN113771026BActive Publication Date: 2024-12-13SUZHOU ELITE ROBOTICS CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202010522986.4
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2020-06-10
Publication Date
2024-12-13
Estimated Expiration
2040-06-10

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

When existing industrial robots detect collisions between humans and robots, the sensitivity of collision detection is insufficient, resulting in limited safety performance.

Method used

The speed or acceleration sensor and motor encoder are used to obtain joint position and speed information through the control module, calculate joint torque information, and realize independent detection and acquisition of safety information to ensure that the robot performs safe actions when inconsistencies are detected.

Benefits of technology

It improves the safety performance of industrial robots, ensures timely and safe responses when humans collide with robots, and enhances the safety of human-machine collaboration.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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    Figure CN113771026B_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The present invention relates to an industrial robot and a control method thereof for improving safety control performance. The industrial robot comprises: a base; a mechanical arm; a joint connecting two adjacent mechanical arm parts; an execution end, one end of which is connected to the mechanical arm and the other end of which can be connected to a tool; a speed or acceleration sensor, which is arranged at the joint, or at the joint and the execution end; a motor encoder, which is arranged at the transmission device of the joint, and a control module. The first control module and the second control module of the control module respectively obtain the first safety information and the second safety information, and when the two are inconsistent, the robot is controlled to perform a safety action. The beneficial effects of the present invention are: the industrial robot has good safety and low cost.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of industrial robots, and in particular to an industrial robot with improved safety control performance and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the development of society, robots have been widely used in various fields, including household robots, industrial robots, etc. Among them, collaborative robots, as lightweight robots among industrial robots, can assist people to complete work efficiently and can complete work in dangerous environments with high precision and efficiency, so they are widely favored.

[0003] Collaborative robots may need to interact with humans at close range during work. In order to better achieve human-machine collaboration and at the same time ensure the personal safety of users, the safety performance of collaborative robots is an important indicator.

[0004] Conventional robot systems have a collision detection function, which detects the collision of the robot with its environment through the abnormal torque generated at the robot's manipulator parts, and when a collision is detected, the robot system performs control to stop the operation of the robot or otherwise mitigate the collision with the environment. In this collision detection method, the sensitivity of the collision detection is crucial, but it is difficult to detect the collision between humans and robots based on the torque of the robot's manipulator parts with high accuracy, so this method is not reliable enough to detect the collision between humans and robots.

[0005] In the prior art, some people have adopted the method of adding capacitive sensors to detect the capacitance changes caused by the proximity of objects and humans, so as to judge the proximity of robots and objects or humans. However, the materials detected by capacitive sensors are limited, so the safety performance achieved is also very limited.

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to design an industrial robot with good safety performance and its control method. Summary of the invention

[0007] In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide an industrial robot with good safety performance and a control method thereof.

[0008] The present invention can adopt the following technical scheme: an industrial robot comprises: a base for carrying the industrial robot; a mechanical arm connected to the base, the mechanical arm comprising two or more mechanical arm parts; a joint for connecting adjacent mechanical arm parts, the joint comprising a transmission device; an execution end, one end of which is connected to the mechanical arm, and the other end of which can be connected to a tool so that the tool can be driven by the mechanical arm to perform a work task; the characteristic is that the industrial robot also comprises: a speed or acceleration sensor, which is arranged at the joint, or at the joint and the execution end, and is used to detect at least one of the position and speed of the joint; a motor encoder, which is arranged at the transmission device, and is used to detect at least one of the position and speed of the joint of the industrial robot; a control module, which comprises a first control module and a second control module, the first control module is electrically connected to the speed or acceleration sensor, and is used to obtain first safety information; the second control module is electrically connected to the motor encoder, and is used to obtain second safety information; when the control module compares the first safety information and the second safety information and finds that they are inconsistent, the industrial robot is controlled to perform a safety action.

[0009] Furthermore, the first control module calculates the torque information of the joint according to the detection of the velocity or acceleration sensor, and the first safety information includes the torque information.

[0010] Furthermore, the industrial robot includes a current sensor, the second control module obtains joint torque information according to the current sensor, and the second safety information includes the joint torque information obtained according to the current sensor.

[0011] Furthermore, when at least one of the first safety information or the second safety information fails to meet a preset safety requirement, the control module controls the industrial robot to perform a safety action.

[0012] Furthermore, the velocity or acceleration sensor includes at least one of an inertial measurement unit, a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis magnetometer, a gyroscope, and a three-axis velocity sensor.

[0013] Furthermore, the first safety information and the second safety information respectively include joint position information, joint velocity information, and joint torque information.

[0014] Furthermore, the joint includes an elbow joint, which is used to connect two relatively long adjacent robot arm parts. The first safety information and the second safety information also respectively include information obtained based on at least one of the joint speed, joint position, and joint torque. The information includes: tool position, tool orientation, tool speed, tool force, elbow joint position, elbow joint speed, elbow joint force, robot power, robot momentum, robot stopping distance, robot stopping time, emergency stop, protection stop, robot movement digital output, robot non-stop digital output, and mode area reduction.

[0015] The present invention may also adopt the following technical scheme: a control method for an industrial robot, the industrial robot comprising: a base for carrying the industrial robot; a mechanical arm connected to the base, the mechanical arm comprising two or more mechanical arm parts; a joint for connecting adjacent mechanical arm parts, the joint comprising a transmission device; an execution end, one end of which is connected to the mechanical arm and the other end of which can be connected to a tool so that the tool can be driven by the mechanical arm to perform a work task; a speed or acceleration sensor, which is arranged at the joint, or at the joint and the execution end; a motor encoder, which is arranged at the transmission device; a control module, the control module comprising a first control module and a second control module, the first control module being electrically connected to the speed or acceleration sensor, and the second control module being electrically connected to the motor encoder; characterized in that the control method comprises: the speed or acceleration sensor detects at least one of the joint position and speed of the industrial robot; the motor encoder detects at least one of the joint position and speed of the industrial robot; the first control module obtains the first safety information; the second control module obtains the second safety information; when the control module compares the first safety information and the second safety information and finds that they are inconsistent, the industrial robot is controlled to perform a safety action.

[0016] Furthermore, the control method includes: the first control module calculates joint torque information according to detection of the velocity or acceleration sensor, and the first safety information includes the joint torque information.

[0017] Furthermore, the industrial robot includes a current sensor, and the control method includes: the second control module obtains joint torque information according to the current sensor, and the second safety information includes the joint torque information obtained according to the current sensor.

[0018] Furthermore, the control method includes: when at least one of the first safety information or the second safety information cannot meet the preset safety requirement, the control module controls the industrial robot to perform a safety action.

[0019] Furthermore, the velocity or acceleration sensor includes at least one of an inertial measurement unit, a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis magnetometer, a gyroscope, and a three-axis velocity sensor.

[0020] Furthermore, the first safety information and the second safety information respectively include joint position information, joint velocity information, and joint torque information.

[0021] Furthermore, the joint includes an elbow joint, which is used to connect two relatively long adjacent robot arm parts. The first safety information and the second safety information also respectively include information obtained based on at least one of the joint speed, joint position, and joint torque. The information includes: tool position, tool orientation, tool speed, tool force, elbow joint position, elbow joint speed, elbow joint force, robot power, robot momentum, robot stopping distance, robot stopping time, emergency stop, protection stop, robot movement digital output, robot non-stop digital output, and mode area reduction.

[0022] Furthermore, the control method includes: acquiring an initial position of the industrial robot, and the first control module acquiring a position of a joint according to the initial position.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the specific implementation of the present invention are: the industrial robot obtains the first safety information and the second safety information respectively through the first detection module and the second detection module, and detects the speed and position information of the relevant information respectively through the speed or acceleration sensor and the motor encoder, so that the detection and acquisition of safety information are kept independent, making the industrial robot safe. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The above-mentioned objectives, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present invention can be achieved through the following drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional diagram of an industrial robot according to an embodiment of the present invention

[0026] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of an industrial robot execution end connection tool according to an embodiment of the present invention

[0027] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a robot joint according to an embodiment of the present invention

[0028] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a control method for an industrial robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present invention clearer, the scheme in the embodiment of the present invention will be described clearly and completely in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiment of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiment is a part of the embodiment of the present invention but not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiment of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] The present invention protects an industrial robot, Figure 1-3 , Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of an industrial robot 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is exemplarily provided. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an industrial robot 100 execution end connection tool 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention is exemplarily provided. Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a joint 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided. Figure 1 The industrial robot 100 includes a base 110, which is used to carry the industrial robot 100. The user can install the industrial robot 100 on a work platform through the base 110 to perform work; a mechanical arm connected to the base 110, which can move to perform the work task of the robot 100, and the mechanical arm includes two or more mechanical arm parts 121; a joint 130, which is used to connect adjacent mechanical arm parts 121, and the joint 130 also includes a transmission device 131, which generates power to move the connected mechanical arm part 121; an execution end 140, reference Figure 2, one end of the execution end 140 is connected to the mechanical arm, and the other end can be connected to the tool 200. The movement of the mechanical arm drives the tool 200 to move so that the tool can perform the work task. Specifically, the tool can exemplarily include a mechanical claw. Two or more mechanical arm parts 121 can rotate under the action of the joint 130. Different mechanical arm parts 121 may have different lengths, so that the industrial robot 100 can cover a larger working range and have better flexibility. Specifically, the execution end 140 includes a tool flange, one end of which is fixedly connected to the mechanical arm, and the other end can be installed with the tool 200 to perform the work. The above-mentioned industrial robot 100 also includes a speed or acceleration sensor 133, which is arranged at the joint 130, or at the joint 130 and the execution end 140, for detecting at least one of the position and speed of the robot joint 130. Specifically, the information detected by the speed or acceleration sensor 133 of the execution end 140 is used to obtain the position and speed information of the previous joint 130 of the execution end 140. The industrial robot 100 further includes a motor encoder 132, which is arranged on the transmission device 131 and is used to detect at least one of the position and speed of the industrial robot joint 130; a control module, including a first control module and a second control module, wherein the first control module is electrically connected to the speed or acceleration sensor 133 and is used to obtain first safety information, wherein the first safety information is obtained by obtaining the detection information of the speed or acceleration sensor 133, and also includes obtaining the information detected by other necessary sensors, and also includes information directly or indirectly obtained based on the information obtained by the sensor, wherein the directly or indirectly obtained information includes information calculated by the first control module; the second control module is electrically connected to the motor encoder 132 and is used to obtain second safety information, wherein the second safety information is obtained by obtaining the detection information of the motor encoder 132, and also includes obtaining the information detected by other necessary sensors, and also includes information directly or indirectly obtained based on the information detected by the sensor, wherein the directly or indirectly obtained information includes information calculated by the second control module; the control module compares the first safety information and the second safety information, and when the comparison is inconsistent, controls the industrial robot 100 to perform a safety action. The control module comparing the first safety information and the second safety information to be inconsistent includes: the first control module comparing and finding that the second safety information is inconsistent with the first safety information obtained by itself, or the second control module comparing and finding that the first safety information is inconsistent with the second safety information obtained by itself. The above-mentioned control robot 100 performs safety actions including various actions defined in the safety specification of the industrial robot 100, which will not be repeated here.The first safety information and the second safety information are respectively obtained through the first control module and the second control module, and the first safety information and the second safety information are respectively detected through different channels (different sensors and different control modules), so that the detection results are independent, unsafe factors can be discovered in time, and the industrial robot 100 has good safety performance.

[0031] The first safety information and the second safety information respectively include multiple pieces of information. The comparison of the first safety information and the second safety information for inconsistency includes comparing each piece of information to determine whether they are consistent. When a piece of information in the first safety information and the second safety information is inconsistent, the robot 100 is controlled to perform a safety action. It should be noted that there may be necessary errors in the acquisition of the first safety information and the second safety information, which should not be included in the scope of the comparison of the inconsistency between the first safety information and the second safety information. The so-called inconsistency judgment allows the existence of necessary errors. The so-called inconsistency judgment indicates that the first safety information and the second safety information are substantially inconsistent, rather than the inconsistency caused by necessary detection or calculation errors.

[0032] Industrial robots 100 include many types, and collaborative robots are one of the types that have developed rapidly in recent years. The control module of the collaborative robot includes at least two parts, namely the control box of the collaborative robot and the control unit at the joint 130 of the collaborative robot. The control box of the collaborative robot is its main control center, which can process the working information of the collaborative robot and generate appropriate working instructions according to the current working conditions.

[0033] The industrial robot 100 further includes a user interface device for programming the industrial robot 100 to control it to perform a preset operation. The user interface device includes a teach pendant, which is arranged outside the main body of the industrial robot 100 and can be connected to the main body of the industrial robot 100, and the industrial robot 100 includes the teach pendant.

[0034] In order to ensure the safety of the industrial robot 100 during operation, at least the position, speed, and torque of the joint 130 of the industrial robot 100 need to be obtained. The speed or acceleration sensor 133 can obtain the position and speed of the joint 130, and the motor encoder 132 can also obtain the position and speed of the joint 130. The two work independently to obtain the position and speed information of the joint 130 of the first safety information and the position and speed information of the joint 130 of the second safety information. The above-mentioned speed or acceleration sensor 133 can obtain the position and speed information of the joint 130, and the first control module can calculate the torque information of the joint 130 according to the position and speed information of the joint 130 detected by the speed or acceleration sensor 133. The above-mentioned first safety information includes the position and speed information of the joint 130 obtained by the first control module through the speed or acceleration sensor 133, and also includes the position of the joint 130 and the speed information of the joint 130 detected by the first control module through the above-mentioned speed or acceleration information, and the torque of the joint 130 calculated. It should be noted that the above-mentioned speed or acceleration sensor is also arranged at the execution end, and is used to detect the joint position and speed information of the previous joint of the execution end, and the first control module calculates the joint torque information according to the previous joint position and speed information detected by the execution end. The industrial robot 100 also includes a current sensor 134, and the second control module obtains the torque information of the joint 130 according to the current sensor 134, and the above-mentioned second safety information includes the torque information of the joint 130 detected by the above-mentioned current sensor 134. In other words, the above-mentioned second safety information includes the position and speed information of the joint 130 obtained by the second control module through the motor encoder 132, and the torque information of the joint 130 obtained by the second control module through the current sensor 134. Specifically, the joint 130 of the industrial robot 100 includes a motor encoder 132 and a speed or acceleration sensor 133. The first control module obtains the position and speed information of the joint 130 through the motor encoder 132, and the second control module obtains the position and speed information of the joint 130 above the joint 130 through the speed or acceleration sensor 133. Because the data information detected by the speed or acceleration sensor 133 at the joint 130 actually reflects the output of the joint 130 above the joint 130, the position and speed information of the joint 130 above the joint 130 can be obtained through the detection data of the speed or acceleration sensor of the joint 130. Further, the execution end 140 of the industrial robot 100 includes a speed and acceleration sensor, that is, the tool flange of the industrial robot 100 includes a speed or acceleration sensor. Specifically, the information detected by the speed or acceleration sensor 133 at the tool flange is used to obtain the joint speed and position of a joint 130 on the tool flange.In an exemplary embodiment, the industrial robot 100 is a six-axis robot 100, and a speed and acceleration sensor is provided at the tool flange. The speed or acceleration sensor 133 at the tool flange is used to obtain the position and speed information of the sixth joint of the industrial robot 100, and obtain the position and speed information of the joint together with the motor encoder 132 at the sixth joint, so as to obtain the position and speed information of the joint 130 of the first safety information, and the position and speed information of the joint 130 of the second safety information. In summary, the first safety information includes the information obtained by the first control module through the speed or acceleration sensor 133, and the information calculated by the information obtained by the speed or acceleration; the second safety information includes the information obtained by the second control module through the motor encoder 132, and the information obtained through the current sensor 134. So far, the joint position, speed, and torque of the first safety information, and the joint position, speed, and torque of the second safety information can be obtained through the first control module and the second control module respectively, and the corresponding items of the two can be compared to determine whether to perform a safety action.

[0035] In this embodiment, the joints of the industrial robot 100 are provided with a velocity or acceleration sensor 133 and a current sensor 134, and the execution end of the industrial robot is provided with a velocity or acceleration sensor 133. The joint 130 is connected to the adjacent mechanical arm part 121, and the movement of the mechanical arm part 121 connected thereto is controlled by manipulating the joint 130. The joint 130 is connected to the mechanical arm part 121 in an easily detachable installation manner, such as a threaded connection. By mainly arranging the velocity or acceleration sensor 133 and the current sensor 134 at the joint 130, the electronic devices of the main body of the industrial robot 100 are concentrated at the joint 130, and the joint 130 and the mechanical arm part 121 can be modularly designed and installed. If a part fails during use, it is also convenient to replace and install. Specifically, the industrial robot 100 includes a control module, which includes a control machine located outside the main body of the industrial robot 100, and a control unit located at the joint of the industrial robot 100. By setting the control unit at the joint 130, the control part of the main body of the industrial robot 100 is roughly concentrated at the joint 130, which facilitates the modular design and installation of the robot 100 and provides a better user experience of the industrial robot 100.

[0036] In this embodiment, when the control module compares the first safety information and the second safety information and finds that they are inconsistent, the control module executes a safety action. Further, when at least one of the first safety information and the second safety information cannot meet the preset safety condition, the control module controls the industrial robot 100 to perform a safety action. That is, when the first safety information and the second safety information are consistent, a certain detection information in the first safety information and the second safety information may not meet the preset safety requirement. At this time, the control module controls the industrial robot 100 to perform a safety action.

[0037] In this embodiment, the speed or acceleration sensor includes at least one of an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis magnetometer, a gyroscope, and a three-axis speedometer. The speed or acceleration sensor is used to obtain at least one of the joint position and joint velocity information of the industrial robot 100. The industrial robot 100 obtains the joint position information through the speed or acceleration sensor 133, and further includes obtaining the initial position of the joint of the industrial robot 100 before the industrial robot 100 starts working, specifically, obtaining the initial position through the sensor system of the industrial robot 100, or receiving the user's setting to obtain the initial position, the first control module obtains the position information of the joint 130 according to the detection of the speed or acceleration sensor 133, and further, the first control module obtains the position of the joint 130 by integral calculation according to the detection of the speed or acceleration, combined with the initial position of the joint 130. Specifically, the speed or acceleration sensor 133 can be used to detect the joint position and joint velocity of the industrial robot 100, and at the same time, the speed and acceleration sensor can also be used to determine the absolute posture of the robot 100, for example, it can be used to determine the installation posture. In summary, the speed or acceleration sensor 133 is selected to detect the position information and speed information of the joints of the industrial robot 100. At the same time, the speed and acceleration sensor also has the function of determining the absolute posture of the robot 100, thereby realizing functional reuse, saving components, reducing robot components, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the industrial robot, and simplifying the parts structure of the industrial robot.

[0038] The first safety information and the second safety information of the present invention, as mentioned above, respectively include joint position information, joint velocity information, and joint torque information. In addition, the first safety information and the second safety information also include information obtained based on at least one of the above-mentioned joint position information, joint velocity information, and joint torque information, specifically including:

[0039] Tool position, i.e. limiting the position of the tool of the robot 100. Specifically, the positions of the tools of the robot 100 are calculated by the first control module and the second control module respectively. The first safety information and the second safety information respectively include tool position information. When the tool position information of the first safety information and the second safety information are different, the industrial robot 100 is controlled to perform a safety action.

[0040] Tool orientation, i.e. limiting the maximum orientation of the tool of the robot 100. Specifically, the orientation of the tool of the robot 100 is calculated by the first control module and the second control module respectively. The first safety information and the second safety information respectively include the tool orientation. When the tool orientations of the first safety information and the second safety information are different, the industrial robot 100 is controlled to perform a safety action.

[0041] Tool speed, i.e., limiting the maximum speed of the tool of the robot 100. Specifically, the speed of the tool of the robot 100 is calculated by the first control module and the second control module respectively. The first safety information and the second safety information respectively include the tool speed. When the tool speeds of the first safety information and the second safety information are different, the industrial robot 100 is controlled to perform a safety action.

[0042] Tool force is the maximum force applied by the tool of the robot 100 under specific working conditions. For example, when the tool is a clamping tool 200, the maximum force applied by the robot 100 under clamping conditions is limited. Similar to the above, the first control module and the second control module calculate the tool force respectively, and perform safety actions when the two are inconsistent.

[0043] It should be noted that: the industrial robot 100 generally has multiple joints, and its mechanical arm generally consists of multiple mechanical arm parts 121. Specifically, the mechanical arm part 121 includes two relatively long parts and other relatively short parts. Specifically, the joint connecting two relatively long adjacent mechanical arm parts 121 is defined as an elbow joint. Specifically, in this embodiment, the elbow joint is one joint, that is, two relatively long mechanical arm parts of the mechanical arm are connected by one joint. In other embodiments, the elbow joint may also include two joints, that is, two relatively long mechanical arm parts 121 of the mechanical arm are connected by two joints.

[0044] The first security information and the second security information specifically include:

[0045] The elbow joint position, that is, limiting the position range of the elbow joint, is similar to the above. The first control module and the second control module calculate the elbow joint position respectively, and perform safety actions when the two are inconsistent.

[0046] The elbow joint speed, that is, the maximum speed of the elbow joint 130 is limited. Similar to the above, the first control module and the second control module calculate the elbow joint speed respectively, and perform a safety action when the two are inconsistent.

[0047] The elbow joint force, that is, the maximum force limiting the elbow joint 130, is similar to the above. The first control module and the second control module calculate the elbow joint force respectively, and perform a safety action when the two are inconsistent.

[0048] It should be noted that the industrial robot 100 has multiple joints 130, and the safety information of the multiple joints 130 is not completely the same, so when necessary, it is necessary to set the monitoring of the safety information of each joint. As a relatively critical joint, the elbow joint should strictly set the monitoring information of its safety information.

[0049] The robot power is to limit the maximum mechanical work done by the robot 100 on the environment. Specifically, this limit regards the payload as part of the robot 100 rather than the environment. Similar to the above, the first control module and the second control module respectively calculate the power of the robot 100 and perform safety actions when the two are inconsistent.

[0050] The robot momentum, i.e., limiting the maximum robot momentum, is similar to the above, the first control module and the second control module calculate the robot momentum respectively, and perform safety actions when the two are inconsistent.

[0051] The robot stopping distance, i.e., the maximum distance that the robot tool or elbow can move when stopped, is similar to the above. The first control module and the second control module calculate the stopping distance of the robot 100 respectively, and perform safety actions when the two are inconsistent.

[0052] The robot stopping time is the maximum time required to stop the robot. For example, when the emergency stop is activated, similar to the above, the first control module and the second control module calculate the stopping time of the robot 100 respectively, and perform safety actions when the two are inconsistent.

[0053] The robot emergency stop, that is, detecting the robot emergency stop information, is similar to the above, the first control module and the second control module respectively obtain the robot emergency stop information, and perform safety actions when the two are inconsistent.

[0054] The robot protection stop, that is, the protection stop is executed when the input pin is low and the robot is in automatic mode. Similar to the above, the first control module and the second control module respectively obtain the robot protection stop information and perform safety actions when the two are inconsistent.

[0055] The robot moves digital output, that is, obtains the robot moves digital output information. Similar to the above, the first control module and the second control module respectively obtain the robot moves digital output information, and execute safety actions when the two are inconsistent.

[0056] The robot does not stop digital output, that is, obtains the digital output of the robot in the non-stop state. Similar to the above, the first control module and the second control module respectively obtain the robot's non-stop digital output and perform safety actions when the two are inconsistent.

[0057] The robot mode area is reduced, that is, the robot mode area reduction information is obtained. Similar to the above, the first control module and the second control module respectively obtain the robot mode area reduction information, and perform safety actions when the two are inconsistent.

[0058] The above safety information is common information that is usually required to be obtained and judged in the field of industrial robots to perform safety actions. It is not an enumeration of all safety information. The protection scope of the present invention should be based on the definition of the claims.

[0059] The beneficial effects of the above embodiments are as follows: the industrial robot has a first control module and a second control module to obtain the first safety information and the second safety information respectively, and uses independent sensors such as the speed or acceleration sensor 133 and the motor encoder 132, so that on the one hand, the detection of the safety information is relatively independent, and the processing actions of the control module are also relatively independent, and the safety of the industrial robot is guaranteed. At the same time, the motor encoder 132 and the speed or acceleration sensor 133 can be functionally reused, thereby reducing the number of components of the industrial robot, reducing the manufacturing cost of the whole machine, and simplifying the structure of the industrial robot.

[0060] The present invention also provides a control method for an industrial robot. Figure 4 The components of the industrial robot have been described above and will not be repeated here. The control method includes:

[0061] S1: A velocity or acceleration sensor detects at least one of the position and velocity of the joints of the industrial robot 100;

[0062] That is, the speed or acceleration sensor is arranged at the joint 130, or at the joint 130 and the execution end 140, and the speed or acceleration sensor is used to detect the joint position and speed information of the joint before the joint where it is located, and the speed or acceleration sensor of the execution end is used to detect the joint position and speed of the joint before the execution end. Specifically, the execution end 140 includes a tool flange. The speed or acceleration sensor 133 detects one of the position and the speed, preferably, detects both the joint position and the speed.

[0063] S2: The motor encoder detects at least one of the position and speed of the industrial robot joint;

[0064] That is, the motor encoder is arranged on the transmission device 131 of the joint, and is used to detect at least one of the position and speed of the joint of the industrial robot 100, and preferably, detect both the position and speed of the joint.

[0065] S3: The first control module obtains first safety information;

[0066] The first control module is electrically connected to the above-mentioned velocity or acceleration sensor, and can obtain the information directly detected by the above-mentioned velocity or acceleration, that is, at least one of the position and velocity information of the joint, and the first control module can also obtain information indirectly obtained through the above-mentioned velocity or acceleration sensor 133, including information calculated based on the position and velocity information of the joint.

[0067] S4: The second control module obtains second safety information;

[0068] The second control module is electrically connected to the motor encoder 132, and can obtain the joint speed and position information that can be directly detected by the motor encoder. In addition, the second safety information obtained by the second control module also includes information indirectly obtained based on the joint speed and position information detected by the motor encoder, for example, information calculated based on the position and speed information of the joint.

[0069] S5: When the control module compares the first safety information and the second safety information and finds that they are inconsistent, the control module controls the industrial robot 100 to perform a safety action.

[0070] That is, if the control module compares the corresponding items of the first safety information and the second safety information and finds that they are inconsistent, the control module controls the robot 100 to perform a safety action. Specifically, when performing a safety action, one of the safety actions can be selectively performed, or multiple safety actions can be performed simultaneously as needed.

[0071] In this embodiment, the control method further includes a first control module calculating the torque information of the joint 130 according to the detection of the velocity or acceleration sensor 133, and the first safety information includes the torque information. That is, the first safety information includes the joint position and velocity information detected by the velocity or acceleration sensor 133, and the joint torque information calculated by combining the position and velocity information of the joint 130 with the mass distribution of the industrial robot 100, and other information calculated based on the position, velocity, and torque information of the joint.

[0072] The industrial robot 100 further includes a current sensor 134, and the control method includes: the second control module obtains torque information in the joint according to the current sensor 134, and the second safety information includes the torque information in the joint 130 obtained according to the current sensor 134. That is, the second safety information includes the position and speed information of the joint detected by the motor encoder 132, the torque information of the joint detected by the current sensor 134, and other information calculated through the position, speed, and torque information of the joint.

[0073] Specifically, the control method includes: when at least one of the first safety information or the second safety information cannot meet the preset safety requirement, the control module controls the industrial robot 100 to perform a safety action.

[0074] Specifically, the above-mentioned speed or acceleration sensor 133 detects the position and speed information of the joint of the industrial robot 100, and further includes: obtaining the initial position of the industrial robot 100, the second control module obtains the position of the joint according to the initial position, and obtains the position of the joint by integrating the initial position of the joint through the speed or acceleration detection information. Obtaining the initial position of the industrial robot 100 includes that the industrial robot obtains its initial position through the sensor system before the industrial robot starts working, or the industrial robot obtains the initial position through the user's input information.

[0075] It should be noted that the order of steps S1 and S2 of the control method described above is not limited to executing S1 first and then S2, or executing S2 first and then S1. The execution order of steps S1 and S2 in the control method includes both of the above situations, and the execution order cannot be limited to only one of them. The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the description is relatively specific and detailed, but it cannot be understood as a limitation on the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this field, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several variations and improvements can be made, which all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be based on the attached claims.

Claims

1. An industrial robot comprising: A base, used for supporting the industrial robot; A mechanical arm connected to the base, wherein the mechanical arm includes two or more mechanical arm parts; A joint, used to connect adjacent parts of the mechanical arm, wherein the joint includes a transmission device; The execution end, one end of which is connected to the robot arm, and the other end of which can be connected to a tool to drive the tool to perform a work task through the robot arm; Characterized in that the industrial robot also includes: A velocity or acceleration sensor, disposed at the joint, or disposed at the joint and the execution end, for detecting at least one of the position and velocity of the joint; A motor encoder, disposed on the transmission device, for detecting at least one of the position and speed of the joint of the industrial robot; The control module includes a first control module and a second control module, wherein the first control module is electrically connected to the speed or acceleration sensor and is used to obtain first safety information; the second control module is electrically connected to the motor encoder and is used to obtain second safety information; when the control module compares the first safety information and the second safety information and finds that they are inconsistent, the control module controls the industrial robot to perform a safety action; The first control module calculates the torque information of the joint according to the detection of the velocity or acceleration sensor, and the first safety information includes the torque information of the joint; The industrial robot includes a current sensor, the second control module obtains torque information of the joint according to the current sensor, and the second safety information includes the torque information of the joint obtained according to the current sensor; When at least one of the first safety information or the second safety information fails to meet the preset safety requirement, the control module controls the industrial robot to perform a safety action; The first safety information and the second safety information respectively include joint position information, joint velocity information, and joint torque information; The joint includes an elbow joint, which is used to connect two relatively long adjacent robot arm parts. The first safety information and the second safety information also respectively include information obtained based on at least one of the joint speed, joint position, and joint torque. The information includes: tool position, tool orientation, tool speed, tool force, elbow joint position, elbow joint speed, elbow joint force, robot power, robot momentum, robot stopping distance, robot stopping time, emergency stop, protection stop, robot movement digital output, robot non-stop digital output, and mode area reduction.

2. The industrial robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The velocity or acceleration sensor includes at least one of an inertial measurement unit, a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis magnetometer, a gyroscope, and a three-axis velocity sensor.

3. A control method for an industrial robot, the industrial robot comprising: A base, used for supporting the industrial robot; A mechanical arm connected to the base, wherein the mechanical arm includes two or more mechanical arm parts; A joint, used to connect adjacent parts of the mechanical arm, wherein the joint includes a transmission device; The execution end, one end of which is connected to the robot arm, and the other end of which can be connected to the tool to drive the tool to perform the work task through the robot arm; A velocity or acceleration sensor is arranged at the joint, or at the joint and the actuator end; A motor encoder is arranged on the transmission device; A control module, the control module comprising a first control module and a second control module, the first control module is electrically connected to the speed or acceleration sensor, and the second control module is electrically connected to the motor encoder; Characterized in that the control method comprises: The velocity or acceleration sensor detects at least one of the position and velocity of the joint of the industrial robot; The motor encoder detects at least one of the position and speed of the joint of the industrial robot; The first control module obtains first safety information; The second control module obtains second safety information; When the control module compares the first safety information and the second safety information and finds that the first safety information is inconsistent with the second safety information, the control module controls the industrial robot to perform a safety action; The control method comprises: the first control module calculates joint torque information according to detection of the speed or acceleration sensor, and the first safety information comprises the joint torque information; The industrial robot includes a current sensor, and the control method includes: a second control module acquires joint torque information according to the current sensor, and the second safety information includes the joint torque information acquired according to the current sensor; The control method comprises: when at least one of the first safety information or the second safety information fails to meet a preset safety requirement, a control module controls the industrial robot to perform a safety action; The first safety information and the second safety information respectively include joint position information, joint velocity information, and joint torque information; The joint includes an elbow joint, and the elbow joint is used to connect two relatively long adjacent robot arm parts. The first safety information and the second safety information also respectively include information obtained according to at least one of the joint speed, the joint position, and the joint torque, and the information includes: tool position, tool orientation, tool speed, tool force, elbow joint position, elbow joint speed, elbow joint force, robot power, robot momentum, robot stop distance, robot stop time, emergency stop, protection stop, robot movement digital output, robot non-stop digital output, and mode area reduction; The control method comprises: acquiring an initial position of the industrial robot, and a first control module acquiring a joint position according to the initial position.

4. The control method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The velocity or acceleration sensor includes at least one of an inertial measurement unit, a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis magnetometer, a gyroscope, and a three-axis velocity sensor.

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