Robot control device, robot system, and robot assembly

Abstract

The application provides a robot control device, a robot system and a robot assembly, the robot control device comprising: a first wireless communication module configured to be capable of establishing a radio connection with a terminal device; a robot controller connected to the first wireless communication module, capable of transmitting signals between the terminal device and the robot controller in a wireless manner based on the first wireless communication module, and capable of generating control information for controlling the robot according to signals from the terminal device, the control information comprising teaching information, wherein the robot controller is provided with a safety control module; and a foot-operated safety device connected to the safety control module, the safety control module being capable of generating a protection instruction for triggering corresponding safety control according to signals from the foot-operated safety device. The robot control device has low comprehensive use cost, better convenience of handheld operation of the terminal device, better operation experience, and can guarantee product safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of teaching robots, and in particular to a robot control device, a robot system, and a robot component. Background Technology

[0002] Among the current teaching robot components, the teach pendant is relatively expensive, and there are hard wires connecting the teach pendant and the controller for transmitting control and safety information. In particular, due to the large number of wire cores in the teach pendant, the weight of a typical 5-10m teach pendant harness can cause significant fatigue when operating the teach pendant by hand. In addition, the harness contains moving cables, which are prone to failure after repeated bending. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One objective of this application is to provide a robot control device that has low overall cost, better handheld operation of the terminal device, a more user-friendly operating experience, and can also ensure product safety.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] One embodiment of this application discloses a robot control device, comprising: a first wireless communication module configured to wirelessly connect to a terminal device; a robot controller connected to the first wireless communication module, capable of wirelessly transmitting signals between the robot and the terminal device based on the first wireless communication module, and capable of generating control information for controlling the robot based on signals from the terminal device, the control information including teaching information, wherein the robot controller is provided with a safety control module; and a foot-operated safety device connected to the safety control module, the safety control module being capable of generating protection commands for triggering corresponding safety controls based on signals from the foot-operated safety device.

[0006] According to some technical solutions of this application, the foot-operated safety device includes one or more combinations of a foot-operated emergency stop switch and a foot-operated enable switch; based on the case where the foot-operated safety device includes the foot-operated emergency stop switch, the safety control module can generate a power-off protection command to trigger the robot to power off based on the signal from the foot-operated emergency stop switch; based on the case where the foot-operated safety device includes the foot-operated enable switch, the safety control module can generate a power-on command to trigger the robot to power on or a power-off protection command to trigger the robot to power off based on the signal from the foot-operated enable switch.

[0007] According to some technical solutions of this application, a wiring harness is connected between the foot-operated safety device and the safety control module, and signals can be transmitted along the wiring harness.

[0008] According to some technical solutions of this application, the safety control module is redundantly provided with two or more control components; wherein, one of the control components in operation can control the generation of the protection command; or each control component independently generates result parameters based on the signal from the foot-operated safety device, and the safety control module is configured to determine whether to generate the protection command based on the result parameters of at least two control components.

[0009] According to some technical solutions of this application, the robot controller includes a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the program or instructions are executed by the processor, the following method steps are implemented: if a wireless connection request is detected, the operation behavior is detected by the foot pedal safety device to see if it meets the preset conditions; if the operation behavior is detected to meet the preset conditions, the first wireless communication module is permitted to establish a radio connection based on the wireless connection request.

[0010] According to some technical solutions of this application, before detecting a wireless connection request, when the program or instruction is executed by the processor, the following method steps are also implemented: if a preset event that triggers a radio connection is detected, then pairing broadcast is enabled; wherein, the wireless connection request includes a request issued by the terminal device based on the pairing broadcast, the first wireless communication module includes a Wi-Fi module or a Bluetooth module, and the pairing broadcast includes Wi-Fi hotspot broadcast or Bluetooth broadcast.

[0011] According to some technical solutions of this application, the first wireless communication module is configured to support the establishment of a point-to-point radio connection between the robot controller and the terminal device; and / or the latency of the first wireless communication module is configured to be less than or equal to 0.1s.

[0012] Another embodiment of this application provides a robot system comprising: a robot control device as described in any of the foregoing technical solutions; and a robot electrically connected to a robot controller of the robot control device.

[0013] Another embodiment of this application provides a robot component, including: a robot system as described in any of the above technical solutions; a terminal device, provided with a second wireless communication module, the second wireless communication module being radioly connected to the robot control device of the robot system, so that the terminal device can wirelessly transmit signals with the robot control device based on the second wireless communication module.

[0014] According to some technical solutions of this application, the terminal device includes a wireless teaching pendant or a mobile terminal; and / or the terminal device is provided with a power module, which can supply power to the terminal device.

[0015] In this application, the robot controller can be electrically connected to the robot and can generate instructions or signals for controlling the robot based on the acquired information. In this design concept, the information acquired by the robot controller can be broadly divided into safety information with functional safety level requirements (such as the requirements of robot safety standard ISO 10218-1) and non-safety information without safety level requirements (such as human-machine interface display information, robot mode selection, and control information). On the hardware platform of this design, the information exchanged between the configuration terminal device and the robot controller is largely classified as non-safety information, and the information transmission between the terminal device and the robot controller is implemented wirelessly based on the first communication module; the information exchanged between the configuration foot-operated safety device and the robot controller is largely classified as safety information, and the foot-operated safety device is connected to the safety control module of the robot controller.

[0016] In this way, the robot controller can promptly acquire signals from the terminal device and generate corresponding control information to control the robot's operation (such as mode selection or controlling the robot's pose and movement). This satisfies the need for operation and control of the robot via teaching, while eliminating the need for a cable to the terminal device, reducing user fatigue due to weight, and avoiding wiring harness failure. Furthermore, since the terminal device does not need to serve as a hardware platform for safety information, the selection range of terminal devices can be expanded to mobile terminals (such as mobile phones and tablets) that can carry teaching programs, without being limited to a teach pendant. This improves the substitutability of the terminal device and can greatly reduce the overall cost of using robot components.

[0017] The foot-operated safety device is connected to the safety control module of the robot controller, transmitting safety information signals between them. This allows the robot controller to promptly receive signals from the foot-operated safety device and generate corresponding protection commands to trigger appropriate safety control actions. In this way, users can operate the robot using a handheld terminal while simultaneously using the foot-operated safety device to trigger safety controls. Separating hand and foot operation makes coordination easier, provides a more user-friendly experience, and eliminates hand fatigue. It also reduces limitations on the signal transmission structure between the foot-operated safety device and the robot controller. While balancing the substitutability of the terminal device and the convenience of handheld operation, based on the requirements of the robot safety standard ISO 10218-1, it allows for greater design and selection of the connection structure between the foot-operated safety device and the robot controller, thereby better ensuring the reliability of safety control and improving the product's safety level.

[0018] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The above and other objectives, features and advantages of this application will become more apparent from a detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a robot component shown in one embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a robot component shown in one embodiment.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic block diagram of the structure of a robot controller according to one embodiment.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a control method for a robot controller according to one embodiment.

[0024] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0025] Robot control device 100; first wireless communication module 110; robot controller 120; safety control module 121; memory 1202; processor 1204; foot-operated safety device 130; foot-operated emergency stop switch 131; foot-operated enable switch 132; control box 140; wiring harness 150; robot 200; terminal device 300; second wireless communication module 310. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Although this application can be readily embodied in various forms of implementation, only some specific embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail in this specification. It is understood that this specification should be regarded as an exemplary illustration of the principles of this application and is not intended to limit the application to what is described herein.

[0027] Therefore, a feature described in this specification is used to illustrate one feature of one embodiment of this application, and does not imply that every embodiment of this application must have the described feature. Furthermore, it should be noted that this specification describes many features. While certain features may be combined to illustrate possible system designs, these features may also be used in other combinations not explicitly stated. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, the described combinations are not intended to be limiting.

[0028] In the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, the directional indications (such as up, down, inside, outside, left, right, front, back, etc.) used to explain the structure and movement of the various elements of this application are relative rather than absolute. These descriptions are appropriate when these elements are in the positions shown in the drawings. If the description of the positions of these elements changes, these directional indications also change accordingly.

[0029] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, they are provided to make the description of this application more comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The drawings are merely illustrative of this application and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted.

[0030] The preferred embodiments of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, one embodiment of this application discloses a robot control device 100. The robot control device 100 includes: a first wireless communication module 110, a robot controller 120, and a foot pedal safety device 130, etc.

[0032] Understandably, the robot controller 120 can be electrically connected to the robot 200 and can generate instructions or signals for controlling the robot 200 based on the acquired information.

[0033] The first wireless communication module 110 is configured to wirelessly connect with the terminal device 300. The robot controller 120 is connected to the first wireless communication module 110, and the robot controller 120 can wirelessly transmit signals with the terminal device 300 based on the first wireless communication module 110. The robot controller 120 can generate control information for controlling the robot 200 based on signals from the terminal device 300, including teaching information. In this way, the terminal device 300 can meet the human-machine interaction needs in the control of the robot 200, such as performing specific operations on the terminal device 300, such as inching, T1 mode (manual deceleration), T2 mode (manual high speed), etc., to control the robot 200 to move in corresponding ways.

[0034] Furthermore, the robot controller 120 is equipped with a safety control module 121. The safety control module 121 is, for example, a safety controller. A foot-operated safety device 130 is connected to the safety control module 121, and the safety control module 121 can generate protection commands to trigger corresponding safety controls based on signals from the foot-operated safety device 130. In this way, the foot-operated safety device 130 can meet the safety operation requirements of the robot 200 control.

[0035] In this design concept, the information acquired by the robot controller 120 can be broadly divided into safety information with functional safety level requirements (such as the requirements of the robot 200 safety standard ISO10218-1) and non-safety information without safety level requirements (such as human-machine interface display information, robot 200 mode selection, control information, etc.). On the hardware platform of this design, the information exchanged between the terminal device 300 and the robot controller 120 is mainly non-safety information, and the information transmission between the terminal device 300 and the robot controller 120 is implemented wirelessly based on the first communication module; the information exchanged between the foot pedal safety device 130 and the robot controller 120 is mainly safety information, and the foot pedal safety device 130 is connected to the safety control module 121 of the robot controller 120.

[0036] In this way, the robot controller 120 can promptly acquire signals from the terminal device 300 and generate corresponding control information to control the operation of the robot 200 (such as mode selection or controlling the robot 200's pose and movement). This satisfies the requirement of operating and controlling the robot 200 in a teaching manner, while the terminal device 300 does not need to be used with a cable, reducing fatigue caused by weight and avoiding the problem of cable harness 150 failure. Furthermore, since the terminal device 300 does not need to serve as a hardware platform for safety information, the selection range of the terminal device 300 can be extended to mobile terminals (such as mobile phones, tablets, etc.) that can carry teaching programs, without being limited to a teaching pendant, improving the substitutability of the terminal device 300 and greatly reducing the overall cost of using robot components.

[0037] The foot-operated safety device 130 is connected to the safety control module 121 of the robot controller 120, and the two transmit signals for this safety information. In this way, the robot controller 120 can promptly receive signals from the foot-operated safety device 130 and generate corresponding protection commands to trigger appropriate safety control actions. Thus, while the user's handheld terminal device 300 controls the robot 200, they can also use their foot to operate the foot-operated safety device 130 to trigger corresponding safety controls. Separating hand and foot operation makes coordination easier, provides a more user-friendly experience, and avoids hand fatigue. It also reduces limitations on the signal transmission structure between the foot-operated safety device 130 and the robot controller 120. While balancing the substitutability of the terminal device 300 and the convenience of handheld operation, based on the requirements of the robot 200 safety standard ISO10218-1, there is greater design and selection space for the connection structure between the foot-operated safety device 130 and the robot controller 120, thereby better ensuring the reliability of safety control and improving the product's safety level.

[0038] For a detailed example, the first wireless communication module 110, also known as a wireless module in the industry, is used to establish a wireless data transmission method. Specifically, the first wireless communication module 110 is configured to convert the data output by the robot controller 120 (such as the native teach pendant communication protocol data output by the robot controller 120) into wireless communication protocol data that can be received and parsed by the terminal device 300, and to receive wireless communication protocol data from the terminal device 300. It has also converted the wireless communication protocol data from the terminal device 300 into data that can be received and parsed by the robot controller 120 (such as the teach pendant communication protocol data input to the robot controller 120), thereby realizing wireless interconnection between the robot controller 120 and the terminal device 300.

[0039] Optionally, the first wireless communication module 110 may specifically include, for example, a Wi-Fi module and / or a Bluetooth module. For instance, the native teach pendant communication protocol data output by the robot controller 120 may have various forms, such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol), RS485 (also known as TIA-485-A, ANSI / TIA / EIA-485 or TIA / EIA-485), CAN (Controller Area Network), etc. The native teach pendant communication protocol data serves as the input content of the first wireless communication module 110 (e.g., real-time motion images or motion data of the robot 200 output by the robot controller 120 to the terminal device 300). Through the internal logic units of the first wireless communication module 110, such as a CPU (central processing unit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), this input content is converted into a wireless communication protocol recognizable by the terminal device 300, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, enabling wireless data transmission. The process of wirelessly transmitting data (e.g., control data transmitted from the terminal device 300 to the robot controller 120, which can be used for mode selection or controlling the robot 200's pose, rotation, and movement) to the robot controller 120 can be understood in conjunction with the foregoing description and will not be elaborated further here.

[0040] Optionally, the latency of the first wireless communication module 110 is less than or equal to 0.1 seconds. It is understood that since the conversion of communication protocols involves the acceptance and parsing of the input protocol and the encoding and transmission of the output protocol, this process will cause a certain latency. Designing the latency to be less than or equal to 0.1 seconds can better ensure the response speed of the teaching control. One implementation method for the latency design of the first wireless communication module 110 is to select appropriate logic units within the first wireless communication module 110. The real-time processing capability of the logic units can ensure that the protocol conversion efficiency is high enough and the latency is low enough, achieving a control latency of less than 0.1 seconds.

[0041] In some embodiments, the foot-operated safety device 130 includes a foot-operated emergency stop switch 131. The safety control module 121 is configured to generate a power-off protection command to trigger a power-off of the robot 200 based on a signal from the foot-operated emergency stop switch 131. Thus, when the foot-operated emergency stop switch 131 is activated, the safety control module 121 correspondingly issues a power-off protection command to control the robot 200 to cut off its power.

[0042] For example, the safety control module 121 is electrically connected to the power supply circuit board (not shown in the figure) and can respond to a signal from the foot-operated emergency stop switch 131 to cut off the circuit between the power supply circuit board and the robot 200 or adjust the circuit between the power supply circuit board and the robot 200 from a higher first voltage to a lower second voltage, thus forming a power failure protection.

[0043] Optionally, the foot-operated emergency stop switch 131 may include a first foot pedal and an emergency stop switch that can respond to changes in the position of the first foot pedal. Specifically, the first foot pedal may be rotatably or vertically movable. When the first foot pedal is pressed, the emergency stop switch triggers the safety control module 121 to issue a power-off protection command.

[0044] In some embodiments, the foot-operated safety device 130 includes a foot-operated enable switch 132. The safety control module 121 can generate a power-on command to trigger power-on of the robot 200 or a power-off protection command to trigger power-off of the robot 200 based on a signal from the foot-operated enable switch 132.

[0045] For example, the safety control module 121 is electrically connected to the power supply circuit board and can control the circuit between the power supply circuit board and the robot 200 to be cut off or adjust the circuit between the power supply circuit board and the robot 200 to switch from a higher first voltage supply to a lower second voltage supply according to the signal from the foot pedal type enable switch 132. Alternatively, it can control the circuit between the power supply circuit board and the robot 200 to be turned on or adjust the circuit between the power supply circuit board and the robot 200 to switch from a lower second voltage supply to a higher first voltage supply.

[0046] Optionally, the foot-operated enable switch 132 may specifically include a second foot pedal and an enable switch capable of responding to changes in the position of the second foot pedal. More specifically, for example, the enable switch may be a three-position enable switch, with the second foot pedal rotatably or vertically movable, and correspondingly, the movement of the second foot pedal sequentially to a first position, a second position, and a third position. When the second foot pedal is in the first position, the three-position enable switch triggers the safety control module 121 to control the robot 200 to power off; when the second foot pedal is in the second position, the three-position enable switch triggers the safety control module 121 to control the robot 200 to power on; and when the second foot pedal is in the third position, the three-position enable switch triggers the safety control module 121 to control the robot 200 to power off. This structure reduces the risk of the robot 200 being mistakenly powered on, further improving the product's safety level.

[0047] Optionally, such as Figure 2As shown, the foot-operated safety device 130 includes a foot-operated emergency stop switch 131 and a foot-operated enable switch 132. The product offers a higher safety level and better meets the requirements of the robot safety standard ISO 10218-1. Furthermore, by configuring two foot pedals to control the emergency stop switch and enable switch respectively, users can meet their safety control needs using only their feet. This makes operation convenient and provides more coordinated and user-friendly control of the product.

[0048] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, a wiring harness 150 connects the foot-operated safety device 130 and the safety control module 121, and signals can be transmitted along the wiring harness 150. This makes it easier to ensure that the communication connection between the foot-operated safety device 130 and the safety control module 121 meets the robot safety requirements, namely the safety performance level requirements of the CAT3 / PLD (programmable logic device) system architecture.

[0049] In some embodiments, the safety control module 121 is redundantly provided with two or more control units, one of which is active and can generate protection commands. It is understood that a non-active control unit can serve as a backup control unit, activated in the event of a failure of the currently active control unit, allowing the safety control module 121 to continue operating normally.

[0050] For example, the safety control module 121 is equipped with dual redundant switches. This design allows the protection commands generated by the safety control module 121 to be redundant, better meeting the safety performance level requirements of the CAT3 / PLD system structure. It also more reliably implements the three-position enable switch and emergency stop safety operation specified in ISO 10218.

[0051] In some embodiments, the safety control module 121 is redundantly provided with two or more control units. Each control unit independently generates result parameters based on the signal from the foot-operated safety device 130; that is, each control unit is provided with logic elements for independently processing and generating result parameters based on the signal from the foot-operated safety device 130. The safety control module 121 is configured to determine whether to generate a protection command based on the result parameters from at least two control units.

[0052] This allows the safety control module 121 to establish a robust self-checking mechanism during operation. For example, if all control components generate the same result parameters, it means the safety control module 121 is currently functioning correctly, and the protection command generated based on these parameters is reliable. Conversely, if one or more result parameters differ, it indicates a potential malfunction in the safety control module 121. This enhances the reliability of product safety control and further improves the product's safety level.

[0053] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the robot controller 120 includes a processor 1204, a memory 1202, and programs or instructions stored in the memory 1202 and executable on the processor 1204.

[0054] like Figure 4 As shown, when the program or instructions are executed by the processor 1204, the following method steps are implemented:

[0055] S402, if a wireless connection request is detected, the operation behavior is checked to see if it meets the preset conditions through a foot-operated safety device;

[0056] S404, if the detected operation behavior meets the preset conditions, the first wireless communication module is permitted to establish a radio connection based on the wireless connection request.

[0057] It is understandable that, after S402 and before S404, if no operation behavior that meets the preset conditions is detected, the robot controller 120 will continue to wait for a preset time until the operation behavior that meets the preset conditions is detected. If no operation behavior that meets the preset conditions is detected after the preset time, the first wireless communication module 110 will not be permitted to establish a radio connection based on the wireless connection request.

[0058] Furthermore, before detecting a wireless connection request, the following method steps are implemented when the program or instruction is executed by the processor 1204:

[0059] If a preset event that triggers a radio connection is detected, pairing broadcast is activated; wherein, the wireless connection request includes a request issued by the terminal device 300 based on the pairing broadcast, the first wireless communication module 110 includes a Wi-Fi module or a Bluetooth module, and the pairing broadcast includes a Wi-Fi hotspot broadcast or a Bluetooth broadcast.

[0060] For example, if a preset event that triggers a radio connection is detected, pairing broadcast is enabled.

[0061] For example, when the control button for Wi-Fi hotspot broadcasting or Bluetooth broadcasting is pressed, the Wi-Fi hotspot broadcasting or Bluetooth broadcasting will be turned on accordingly.

[0062] If a wireless connection request is detected by the terminal device 300 based on the pairing broadcast (i.e., Wi-Fi hotspot broadcast or Bluetooth broadcast), the foot-operated safety device 130 checks whether the operation behavior meets the preset conditions.

[0063] Specifically, when the terminal device 300 detects that the Wi-Fi hotspot broadcast or Bluetooth broadcast issued by the robot controller 120 based on the first wireless communication module 110 has been accessed, the foot pedal type safety device 130 detects whether the foot pedal type emergency stop switch 131 or foot pedal type enable switch 132 has been pressed (or whether it has been clicked continuously a preset number of times, etc.).

[0064] If the foot-operated safety device 130 detects that the foot-operated emergency stop switch 131 or the foot-operated enable switch 132 has been pressed (or clicked a preset number of times), then the terminal device 300 connected to the Wi-Fi hotspot or Bluetooth is permitted to establish a radio connection with the first wireless communication module 110.

[0065] In this way, the robot controller 120 waits for the three-bit enable signal or emergency stop signal to be triggered before allowing the first wireless communication module 110 to establish communication with the user handheld terminal device 300. This enables accurate, point-to-point radio connection between the terminal device 300 and the robot control device 100, which can greatly reduce the risk of miscontrol due to incorrect connection address.

[0066] Optionally, the first wireless communication module 110 is configured to support the establishment of a point-to-point radio connection between the robot controller 120 and the terminal device 300. This enables a one-to-one, point-to-point radio connection between the robot controller 120 and the terminal device 300, greatly reducing the risk of miscontrol due to incorrect connection addresses.

[0067] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the robot control device 100 also includes a control box 140 (which can also be called a control cabinet), and the first wireless communication module 110 and the robot controller 120 are built into the control box 140.

[0068] Installing the first wireless communication module 110 inside the control cabinet can reduce external pollution such as dust and moisture in industrial application environments, and make the robot control device 100 more compact and reliable.

[0069] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication module 110 is disposed on the robot controller 120.

[0070] like Figure 1As shown, another embodiment of this application proposes a robot system including a robot 200 and a robot control device 100 as described in any of the above embodiments, wherein the robot 200 is electrically connected to the robot controller 120 of the robot control device 100.

[0071] For example, the robot controller 120 of the robot control device 100 is provided with an interface, and the robot 200 is connected to the interface via a cable.

[0072] With this robot system, users only need to use their own terminal device 300, such as a mobile phone or tablet, to wirelessly communicate with the robot controller 120 to achieve wireless handheld operation. A foot-operated safety device 130 connects to the robot controller 120 for safe foot-controlled operation. Since smartphones and other handheld terminal devices 300 are widely available, there is no need to purchase them separately. Therefore, without a teach pendant, the costs associated with the human-machine interface in traditional teach pendants can be eliminated, resulting in significant cost reduction.

[0073] like Figure 1 As shown, another embodiment of this application provides a robot component including the robot system and terminal device 300 described in any of the above embodiments.

[0074] The terminal device 300 is provided with a second wireless communication module 310, which can be wirelessly connected to the robot control device 100 of the robot system, so that the terminal device 300 can transmit signals wirelessly with the robot control device 100 based on the second wireless communication module 310.

[0075] Optionally, the terminal device 300 includes a wireless teaching pendant or a mobile terminal (specifically, a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, mobile watch, etc.).

[0076] Optionally, the terminal device 300 is equipped with a power module (such as a battery) that can supply power to the terminal device 300. This further eliminates the need for a power cord on the terminal device 300, further reducing hand strain.

[0077] Optionally, the robot 200 can be any robot 200 that requires the use of a teach pendant (such as an arm robot 200, a painting robot 200, a welding robot 200, etc.), a CNC machine tool, or other mechatronic equipment.

[0078] A specific example:

[0079] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, this specific embodiment provides a robot component, including a robot control device 100 and a terminal device 300. The robot control device 100 includes a robot controller 120, a first wireless communication module 110, and a foot pedal safety device. The terminal device 300 can be selected from a wireless teaching pendant, mobile phone, or tablet computer with a battery and a second wireless communication module 310.

[0080] The first wireless communication module 110 is used to convert the teach pendant communication protocol output by the robot controller 120 into a wireless communication protocol that the terminal device 300 can receive and parse. The robot controller 120's native teach pendant communication protocol has various possible forms, such as TCP / IP, RS485, CAN, etc. The teach pendant communication data under this protocol serves as the input content of the first wireless communication module 110. The first wireless communication module 110, through its internal logic unit, such as a CPU or FPGA, converts the teach pendant communication protocol into a wireless communication protocol that the terminal device 300 can recognize, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.

[0081] The foot-operated safety device 130 is used to detect the emergency stop signal and the three-position enable signal input by the user. The foot-operated safety device 130 is connected to the safety control module 121 inside the robot controller 120 via a hardwired connection (i.e., wiring harness 150). To ensure that the robot components meet the requirements of the safety standard ISO 10218-1, the corresponding foot-operated safety device 130 should also meet this standard. Using the robot controller 120, changes in the emergency stop signal and the three-position enable signal can be detected in real time, and periodic fault diagnosis of the foot-operated safety device 130 can be performed.

[0082] The terminal device 300 has bidirectional communication capability with the first wireless communication module 110. To ensure that a single terminal device 300 can only control one specific robot controller 120, the terminal device 300 needs to establish a point-to-point wireless connection with the single robot controller 120. For example, the first wireless communication module 110 can be set as a Wi-Fi hotspot. When the user's handheld terminal device 300 connects to the Wi-Fi hotspot, the robot controller 120 must wait for the signal of the three-position foot pedal enable switch to be triggered before allowing the first wireless communication module 110 to establish communication with the user's handheld terminal device 300. In addition, the terminal device 300 can pre-install an application for teaching the robot 200 so that after establishing wireless communication with the robot controller 120, it can immediately use the pre-installed application to operate and control the robot 200.

[0083] like Figure 2The diagram shows a schematic of the robot component in application. It is evident that the operator can easily teach the robot 200 using the personal wireless terminal device 300. During this process, an information interconnection is established between the robot controller 120 and the operator's handheld terminal device 300 using the first wireless communication module 110. The signal line used by the terminal device 300 for human-machine interaction communication is eliminated, and the terminal device 300 is not connected to the wiring harness 150 of the robot 200 control cabinet. This allows for convenient handheld operation and a user-friendly human-machine interaction interface.

[0084] A foot-operated emergency stop switch 131 and a foot-operated three-position enable switch, both installed near the robot 200, are hardwired to the robot controller 120, allowing the operator to control emergency stop and enable operations using their feet. These safety-related devices are designed to easily meet the robot 200 safety standard ISO 10218-1, ensuring the security of signal transmission. Furthermore, since the foot-operated safety devices are directly connected to the robot controller 120, the influence of safety-related signal lines on handheld operation at the terminal device 300 is eliminated. The terminal device 300 has its own battery, eliminating the need for a separate power supply; therefore, the power supply cable for the terminal device 300 can also be eliminated, further reducing handheld burden.

[0085] Although this application has been described with reference to several typical embodiments, it should be understood that the terminology used is illustrative and exemplary, and not restrictive. Since this application can be embodied in many forms without departing from the spirit or essence of the invention, it should be understood that the above embodiments are not limited to any of the foregoing details, but should be interpreted broadly within the spirit and scope defined by the appended claims. Therefore, all variations and modifications falling within the scope of the claims or their equivalents should be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A robot control device, characterized in that, include: The first wireless communication module is configured to enable wireless connection with a terminal device; The robot controller is connected to the first wireless communication module and can transmit signals wirelessly with the terminal device based on the first wireless communication module. It can also generate control information for controlling the robot based on the signals from the terminal device. The control information includes teaching information. The robot controller is equipped with a safety control module. A foot-operated safety device is connected to the safety control module, which can generate a protection command to trigger the corresponding safety control based on the signal from the foot-operated safety device. The robot controller includes a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the program or instructions are executed by the processor, they perform the following method steps: If a wireless connection request is detected, the foot-operated safety device will be used to check whether the operation meets preset conditions. If the operation is detected to meet the preset conditions, the first wireless communication module is permitted to establish a radio connection based on the wireless connection request.

2. The robot control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The foot-operated safety device includes one or more combinations of a foot-operated emergency stop switch and a foot-operated enable switch; Given that the foot-operated safety device includes the foot-operated emergency stop switch, the safety control module can generate a power-off protection command to trigger the robot to cut off power based on the signal from the foot-operated emergency stop switch. Given that the foot-operated safety device includes the foot-operated enable switch, the safety control module can generate a power-on command to trigger the robot to power on or a power-off protection command to trigger the robot to power off, based on the signal from the foot-operated enable switch.

3. The robot control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The foot-operated safety device is connected to the safety control module by a wiring harness, which can transmit signals along the wiring harness.

4. The robot control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The safety control module is redundantly equipped with two or more control components; In this configuration, one of the control units can control the generation of the protection command; or each control unit independently generates result parameters based on signals from the foot-operated safety device, and the safety control module is configured to determine whether to generate the protection command based on the result parameters of at least two control units.

5. The robot control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before detecting a wireless connection request, the program or instructions executed by the processor also implement the following method steps: If a preset event triggering a radio connection is detected, pairing broadcast is activated; wherein, the wireless connection request includes a request issued by the terminal device based on the pairing broadcast, the first wireless communication module includes a Wi-Fi module or a Bluetooth module, and the pairing broadcast includes a Wi-Fi hotspot broadcast or a Bluetooth broadcast.

6. The robot control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first wireless communication module is configured to support the establishment of a point-to-point radio connection between the robot controller and the terminal device; and / or The latency of the first wireless communication module is configured to be less than or equal to 0.1s.

7. A robot system, characterized in that, include: The robot control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6; The robot is electrically connected to the robot controller of the robot control device.

8. A robot component, characterized in that, include: The robot system as described in claim 7; The terminal device is equipped with a second wireless communication module, which can be wirelessly connected to the robot control device of the robot system, so that the terminal device can transmit signals wirelessly with the robot control device based on the second wireless communication module.

9. The robot component according to claim 8, characterized in that, The terminal device includes a wireless teaching pendant or a mobile terminal; and / or The terminal device is equipped with a power module, which can supply power to the terminal device.

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