A robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of robot assembly safety control methods based on spatial scanning measurement data, comprising: step 1, all-around safety laser scanner installation is carried out to movable installation equipment, and the safety range of movable installation equipment is established based on safety laser scanner;Step 2, pre-safety scanning is carried out based on safety laser scanner during aircraft assembly process, and the safety laser scanner scanning angle and scanning distance range of workpiece, workpiece assembly path configuration database are established;Step 3: movable installation equipment is based on safety laser scanner and configuration database, and workpiece is grabbed, and position correction is carried out in running progress and conversion.The application provides a kind of safety control method which can protect the personal safety of auxiliary assembly personnel in global assembly operation work in real time, and can meet the real-time protection of product assembly process, guarantee the safety of auxiliary assembly personnel and installation equipment.

Description

A robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of robot assembly control technology, specifically relating to a robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data. Background Technology

[0002] Aircraft assembly is a crucial step in aircraft manufacturing, especially the docking of the fuselage and wings, which is the most challenging and complex process. Therefore, to meet production demands, robots are used as auxiliary assembly equipment to improve output and efficiency. In aircraft assembly, it is essential to address not only the issue of collisions between robots and operators but also to ensure that the robots do not interfere with the fuselage when gripping the wing control surfaces, thus preventing damage to the fuselage and wings and causing irreparable losses.

[0003] Patent CN110039541A uses self-testing combined with external sensor feedback to achieve safety control for automated robot assembly. Before assembly, it quickly verifies the industrial robot's motion functions; during assembly, it employs an overspeed limiting strategy and allows the operator to use handheld buttons to confirm key assembly steps, achieving multi-level safety control and protection during automated assembly; external measurement feedback is used to adjust the industrial robot's position and posture, compensating for insufficient positioning accuracy. Patents CN108235698A and CN108262745A use robots in aircraft assembly tasks, requiring that the robot's fixed wings and the aircraft fuselage not interfere with each other during assembly, and that a certain safety distance be maintained. Typically, when robots collaborate with humans, various sensors are installed on the robot to provide feedback on the safe distance between the robot and the personnel. When a sensor feedback is abnormal, an alarm is output, and assembly stops. The above patents focus on the robot's own assembly safety and the safety of the robot and personnel during assembly, but do not address the safety issues between the robot and the product, or between products. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to address the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data, which can realize the safety protection function between the robot, operators, and products during the robot assembly process, and prevent the robot from causing damage to personnel, equipment, or products during the assembly process.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data, characterized in that it includes:

[0007] Step 1: Install a full-range safety laser scanner on the portable installation equipment and establish a safety zone around the portable installation equipment based on the safety laser scanner.

[0008] Step 2: Conduct a safety scan of the aircraft assembly process in advance based on a safety laser scanner, and establish a database of the scanning angle and scanning distance range of the safety laser scanner for the workpiece, as well as the configuration of the workpiece assembly travel path;

[0009] Step 3: The mobile installation equipment uses a safety laser scanner and configuration database to perform workpiece gripping, transfer, and position correction.

[0010] To optimize the above technical solution, the specific measures also include:

[0011] The movable installation equipment mentioned in step 1 above includes the AGV body and the robot and tooling fixtures on it.

[0012] Based on the characteristics of long assembly dimensions and heavy load of aircraft components, step 1 above involves the comprehensive installation of safety laser scanners on the AGV body of the movable installation equipment and on each axis of the robot and tooling fixtures, forming a comprehensive safety net.

[0013] Step 1 above, establishing the safety perimeter of the movable installation equipment, includes:

[0014] Establish a safe range around the AGV body: Use the safety laser scanners at the four corners of the AGV body, turn on the full-area mode of the safety laser scanners, set the safe working range in the horizontal direction (front, back, left, right), and complete the setting of a safe range around the AGV body.

[0015] Establish a safety envelope around the entire device: Connect and open the safety laser scanners at the front, left, right and rear of the AGV to set the corresponding safety areas, and establish a safety envelope around the entire device.

[0016] Establish a safety protection zone around the robot: Connect and turn on the safety laser scanners of each axis of the robot's robotic arm to establish a safety protection zone around the robot;

[0017] Establish a safe protection space after the equipment picks up the workpiece: Connect the safety laser scanner at the end of the robot and the safety laser scanners at both ends of the fixture, set the safety area range, and form a safe protection space after the workpiece is picked up.

[0018] The safety scanning of the aircraft assembly process described in step 2 above specifically includes: establishing a fuselage assembly topology space, dividing all the parts picking and assembly stations of the aircraft fuselage into N stations and N transit states, planning the robot path, personnel activity trajectory and fuselage assembly path for each workpiece assembly station, the scanning angle and scanning distance range of the workpiece safety laser scanner, and forming a configuration database.

[0019] Step 3 above, the workpiece gripping, includes:

[0020] The mobile installation equipment moves to the workpiece gripping position, turns on all safety laser scanners, and reads the corresponding workpiece's safety laser scanner scanning angle and scanning distance range configuration database.

[0021] The safety laser scanner performs a real-time safety scan of the workspace based on the database configuration information. Then, the robot on the device reads the corresponding workpiece teaching path data and completes the workpiece gripping.

[0022] The transfer process described in step 3 above includes:

[0023] The mobile installation equipment moves to the workpiece assembly position, turns on all safety laser scanners, reads the configuration database of the scanning angle and scanning distance range of the safety laser scanners corresponding to the installed workpiece, and automatically adjusts the angle of the safety laser scanner at the end of the robot to expand the scanning range forward. The robot on the equipment moves and scans along the pre-taught installation path of the workpiece to ensure the safety of the workspace during the assembly process.

[0024] The position modification in step 3 above is as follows: the robot on the equipment moves to the photo scanning position, and the binocular vision camera carried at the end of the robot scans and photographs the feature targets on the assembly body, and corrects the position of the assembly body and the clamped workpiece to ensure the safety of the assembly.

[0025] The position modification method described in step 3 above is as follows:

[0026] It is known that the reference coordinate system is OXY when the site safety zone is established, and the position transformation relationship T between the machine body and the clamped workpiece is determined when the teaching standard position is reached. pos_tf When assembling a new body, the repeated positioning of the body will cause a deviation. The previously established OXY coordinate system will shift to the O'X'Y' position. At this time, the actual position of the QR code feature during actual installation is calculated using a binocular camera, and the transformation relationship T is used to determine the position. pos_tf The corrected position is obtained by calculating the position in the O'X'Y' coordinate system.

[0027] After the position correction is completed in step 3 above, docking and assembly begin, and the safety laser scanner is activated for real-time monitoring. The scanner monitors the operators, the robot holding the wings and fuselage, and other equipment to check for any interference or potential collision risks. If there is any interference from external objects, the equipment will slow down and then stop automatically, and an alarm message will be output. If there is no interference from external objects, assembly will continue until the current station is fully assembled.

[0028] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0029] This invention provides a method that can protect the personal safety of auxiliary assembly workers in real time during the overall assembly operation, and can also meet the safety control requirements of the product assembly process in real time, thus ensuring the safety of auxiliary assembly workers and installation equipment.

[0030] This invention uses a safety laser scanner to scan and model the safe working range of each station, thereby achieving equipment safety, personnel safety, and fuselage and wing assembly safety protection functions during the aircraft production and assembly process. It simplifies the aircraft assembly process, speeds up the assembly, improves the safety of aircraft assembly, and greatly avoids economic losses caused by safety problems during the assembly process. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 is a main method logic diagram of the robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data;

[0032] Figure 2 shows the installation layout of the safety laser scanner on the robot axis and end effector of the AGV.

[0033] Figure 3 shows the layout of the safety laser scanner on the robot's end-effector gripper;

[0034] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the assembly topology space scanning planning site in the aircraft assembly safety scanning process.

[0035] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the safety zone for secondary correction and update. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0037] Although the steps in this invention are arranged by reference numerals, this is not intended to limit the order of the steps. Unless the order of the steps is explicitly stated or the execution of a step requires other steps as a basis, the relative order of the steps can be adjusted. It is understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and covers any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0038] As shown in Figure 1: To address the manufacturability of aircraft assembly, this invention provides a robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data. This method involves scanning the safe space for picking up and handling assembly parts, rotating the clamped workpiece, and performing safety scanning during the aircraft assembly process. The method includes the following steps:

[0039] Step 1: Install a full-range safety laser scanner on the portable installation equipment and establish a safety zone around the portable installation equipment based on the safety laser scanner.

[0040] Step 1.1: Install a full-range security laser scanner on the portable installation equipment;

[0041] Given the characteristics of aircraft components being long and heavy-loaded, multiple sets of safety laser scanners are used in conjunction with networking technology. Through offline programming technology, the imported digital model is simulated to distribute and install the safety laser scanners in all directions on the AGV body and on each axis of the robot and the tooling fixture. Figure 2 shows the installation layout of the safety laser scanners on the AGV body, robot axis and end effector. Figure 3 shows two safety laser scanners at both ends of the tooling fixture. A total of 15 safety laser scanners are combined and networked to form a comprehensive safety network, ensuring that the entire working area is always within a safe envelope.

[0042] Step 1.2: Establish the safety perimeter of the movable installation equipment based on the safety laser scanner;

[0043] (1) Establish a safe zone around the AGV vehicle body:

[0044] After assembling multiple sets of safety laser scanners using offline programming technology to simulate the digital model, the safety laser scanners at the four corners of the AGV body are set to full-area mode. The horizontal working range in all directions (front, back, left, and right) is set, creating a safety range around the AGV body. This allows the safety laser scanners to measure and detect obstacles within the set safety area during AGV movement, and respond with deceleration or emergency stop to avoid them.

[0045] (2) Establish the safety envelope around the entire equipment:

[0046] Connect and open the safety laser scanners at the front, left, right and rear of the AGV to set the corresponding safety zones, forming a safety envelope around the entire equipment to prevent workers from accidentally entering and causing accidents during operation.

[0047] (3) Establish a safety protection zone around the robot:

[0048] Connecting to three safety laser scanners on the robot's A1-axis robotic arm, A2-axis robotic arm, and A3-axis robotic arm creates a safety protection zone around the robot. This allows for deceleration and emergency stopping when people or obstacles intervene, preventing accidents caused by people entering the robot's workspace during assembly.

[0049] (4) Establish a safe protective space after the equipment picks up the workpiece:

[0050] Connect the safety laser scanner at the end of the robot and the safety laser scanners at both ends of the fixture, set the safety zone range, and form a safety protection space after the workpiece is picked up. It can respond to deceleration and emergency stop when people or obstacles intervene, avoiding damage to the workpiece caused by collisions with obstacles during the movement of the equipment and during assembly.

[0051] After the above safety scanning steps and other preliminary preparations are completed, the aircraft production and assembly steps will proceed:

[0052] Step 2: Conduct a safety scan of the aircraft assembly process in advance based on a safety laser scanner, and establish a database of the scanning angle and scanning distance range of the safety laser scanner for the workpiece, as well as the configuration of the workpiece assembly travel path;

[0053] Safety scanning during aircraft assembly involves establishing a fuselage assembly topology space, dividing all parts-collecting and assembly stations on the aircraft fuselage into N stations and N transit states, planning the robot path, personnel movement trajectory, and fuselage assembly path for each workpiece assembly station, determining the scanning angle and distance range of the workpiece's safety laser scanner, storing station safety information, and finally uploading the safety information of all stations to the fuselage safety assembly system.

[0054] Step 3: The mobile installation equipment uses a safety laser scanner and configuration database to perform workpiece gripping, transfer, and position correction.

[0055] Workpiece gripping:

[0056] Step 31: Move the movable installation equipment to the workpiece gripping position, turn on all safety laser scanners, and read the corresponding workpiece's safety laser scanner scanning angle and scanning distance range configuration database;

[0057] Step 32: The safety laser scanner performs a real-time safety scan of the workspace based on the database configuration information. Then, the robot on the device reads the corresponding workpiece teaching path data and completes the workpiece pickup.

[0058] Once the assembly is reached, the scanner needs to read the scanning trajectory data of the assembly to be picked up and automatically adjust the safety laser scanner, including the angle, distance, and direction, to ensure full coverage scanning in the corresponding work space and guarantee the safety of assembly pickup.

[0059] Steps 3-4 above are the aircraft production assembly steps performed after the safety scanning step and other preliminary preparations are completed. First, the safety laser scanner starts working. The movable installation equipment carrying the fixture starts from the initial position, reads the scanning trajectory data information of the target station for picking up the workpiece, turns on all safety laser scanners, and executes the corresponding scanning actions and scanning areas. After the equipment reaches the station, it picks up the assembly parts.

[0060] Transferring to the next step:

[0061] Step 33: The movable installation equipment runs to the workpiece assembly position, turns on all the set safety laser scanners, reads the configuration database of the scanning angle and scanning distance range of the safety laser scanner for the corresponding installation workpiece, and automatically adjusts the angle of the safety laser scanner at the end of the robot to expand the scanning range forward. The robot on the equipment moves and scans along the pre-taught installation workpiece path to ensure that the safe working space during the assembly process is safe and free from the risk of touching obstacles.

[0062] After the assembly is completed, the movable installation equipment reads the scanning trajectory data of the transfer process, automatically adjusts the safety laser scanner, including the adjustment of angle, distance and direction, and performs a spatial safety scan during the transfer process to ensure full coverage scanning in the corresponding work space and ensure the safety of the movement.

[0063] Position correction:

[0064] Step 34: After ensuring the safe working space in Step 33, the robot on the equipment moves to the photo scanning position. The binocular vision camera carried at the end of the robot scans and photographs specific feature targets on the assembly body, and corrects the position of the assembly body and the clamped workpiece to ensure the safety of the assembly.

[0065] After the transfer is completed, the movable installation equipment clamps the parts and enters the corresponding assembly station according to the system requirements. It selects the scan path trajectory saved during the current assembly space safety scan, scans and updates the safety data of the machine body and the clamped parts at the current station, and ensures the safety of the work space. Then, the robot moves to the photo scanning position, and the binocular vision camera carried at the end of the robot scans and takes pictures of specific feature targets on the machine body. The position of the machine body to be assembled and the clamped workpiece is corrected to ensure the safety of the assembly.

[0066] After corrections are completed, assembly begins, and the real-time monitoring function of the safety laser scanner is activated. The main real-time monitoring points are the operators, the robot gripping the wings and fuselage, and other equipment, checking for interference or potential collision risks. If foreign interference is detected, the equipment will first decelerate and then automatically stop, outputting an alarm message. If there is no foreign interference, assembly continues until the current station is completed. Finally, it is determined whether all assembly stations are completed. If there are still incomplete stations, according to the system settings, the process moves to the next assembly station and repeats the above steps. If all stations are completed, the safety system is exited, and the safety zone data of the current fuselage is cleared.

[0067] Figure 4 illustrates a detailed explanation of step 2, the pre-assembly safety space scan. When establishing site safety information, first ensure the fuselage is in a standard position, the robot gripping the wing is in the designated position, and the operator is in the designated position. Then, begin the pre-scan, following the sequence ①→②→③→④→⑤ in the figure, activating the safety space scan function to establish site safety information. The measured safety information is then categorized, including:

[0068] Area ① is the activity area for operator 1;

[0069] Area ② contains the fuselage scanning security data;

[0070] Area ③ contains the security data scanned from the fuselage;

[0071] Area ④ contains the security data scanned from the fuselage;

[0072] Area ⑤ is the activity area for operator 2;

[0073] Finally, by uploading the site security area to the aircraft security information system, the current site security information is established.

[0074] Figure 5 illustrates a detailed explanation of step 34, which involves the secondary correction and update of the machine body's safety zone. It is known that the reference coordinate system was OXY when the safety zone was established, and the positional transformation relationship T between the machine body and the clamped workpiece at the teaching standard position was determined. pos_tfWhen assembling a new body, the repeated positioning of the body will cause a deviation, resulting in a certain deviation in the safety zone. The previously established OXY coordinate system will shift to the O'X'Y' position. At this time, the actual position of the QR code feature during actual installation is calculated using a binocular camera, and the transformation relationship T is used to determine the correct position. pos_tf The corrected position is obtained by calculating the position in the O'X'Y' coordinate system.

[0075] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0076] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data, characterized in that, include: Step 1: Install a full-range safety laser scanner on the mobile installation equipment and establish a safety range around the mobile installation equipment based on the safety laser scanner; Step 2: Conduct a safety scan of the aircraft assembly process in advance based on the safety laser scanner and establish a database of the scanning angle and scanning distance range of the workpiece and the configuration of the workpiece assembly travel path. The specific steps of the aircraft assembly process safety scanning include: establishing a fuselage assembly topology space, dividing all the aircraft fuselage parts picking and assembly stations into N stations and N transit states, planning the robot path, personnel movement trajectory and fuselage assembly path for each workpiece assembly station, and the scanning angle and scanning distance range of the workpiece safety laser scanner to form a configuration database; Step 3: The movable installation equipment performs workpiece picking, transit, and position correction based on the safety laser scanner and the configuration database.

2. The robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable installation equipment mentioned in step 1 includes the AGV body and the robot and tooling fixtures on it.

3. The robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step 1 involves distributing and installing safety laser scanners across the entire AGV body of the mobile installation equipment and on each axis of the robot and tooling fixtures, forming a comprehensive safety net.

4. The robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step 1, establishing the safety range around the movable installation equipment, includes: establishing a safety range around the AGV body: Safety laser scanners at the four corners of the AGV body are activated in full-area mode, and the horizontal working ranges (front, back, left, and right) are set to complete a safety range around the AGV body; establishing a safety envelope around the entire equipment: Connecting and activating safety laser scanners at the front, left, right, and rear of the AGV, and setting the corresponding safety areas, to establish a safety envelope around the entire equipment; establishing a safety protection range around the robot: Connecting and activating safety laser scanners on each axis of the robot's robotic arm, and establishing a safety protection range around the robot; establishing a safety protection space after the equipment picks up the workpiece: Connecting and activating the safety laser scanners at the robot's end and the safety laser scanners at both ends of the fixture, setting the safety area range, and forming a safety protection space after the workpiece is picked up.

5. The robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step 3, the workpiece gripping, includes: the movable installation device moves to the workpiece gripping position, turns on all safety laser scanners, and reads the corresponding workpiece's safety laser scanner scanning angle and scanning distance range configuration database; the safety laser scanner performs real-time safety scanning of the workspace according to the database configuration information, and then the robot on the device reads the corresponding workpiece's taught travel path data to complete the workpiece gripping.

6. The robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step 3 of the transfer process includes: the movable installation equipment moves to the workpiece assembly position, turns on all safety laser scanners, reads the configuration database of the scanning angle and scanning distance range of the safety laser scanner corresponding to the installation workpiece, automatically adjusts the angle of the safety laser scanner at the end of the robot to expand the scanning range forward, and the robot on the equipment moves and scans along the pre-taught installation workpiece path to ensure the safety of the workspace during the assembly process.

7. The robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data according to claim 1, characterized in that, The position correction in step 3 is as follows: the robot on the equipment moves to the photo scanning position, and the binocular vision camera carried at the end of the robot scans and photographs the feature targets on the assembly body, and corrects the position of the assembly body and the clamped workpiece to ensure the safety of the assembly.

8. A robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data according to claim 7, characterized in that, The position correction method described in step 3 is as follows: when the safety zone of the known site is established, the reference position coordinate system is OXY, and the position transformation relationship T between the machine body and the clamped workpiece is determined when the teaching standard position is reached. pos_tf When assembling a new body, the repeated positioning of the body will cause a deviation. The previously established OXY coordinate system will shift to the O'X'Y' position. At this time, the actual position of the QR code feature during actual installation is calculated using a binocular camera, and the transformation relationship T is used to determine the position. pos_tf The corrected position is obtained by calculating the position in the O'X'Y' coordinate system.

9. The robot assembly safety control method based on spatial scanning measurement data according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the position correction is completed in step 3, docking and assembly begin, and the safety laser scanner is activated for real-time monitoring. The scanner monitors the operators, the robot holding the wings and fuselage, and other equipment to check for any interference or potential collision risks. If there is any interference from external objects, the equipment will first decelerate and then stop automatically, and output an alarm message. If there is no interference from external objects, assembly continues until the current station is fully assembled.

Images