Manipulator retraction control method, device and operating equipment

Abstract

This manual provides a method, apparatus, and operating device for controlling the retraction of a manipulator arm. The method includes: real-time detection of the manipulator arm's operating status; activation of a damping control unit when the manipulator arm falls due to an abnormal operating status; and using the damping control unit to perform the following operations on the manipulator arm: adjusting the falling speed of the manipulator arm in real time according to its falling state. The manipulator arm retraction control method provided in this manual, when the manipulator arm falls due to an abnormal operating status, activates the damping control unit and uses it to adjust the falling speed of the manipulator arm in real time according to its falling state. This can reduce the falling speed of the manipulator arm and even regulate it to fall according to a predetermined speed curve, thereby protecting the manipulator arm from damage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This manual relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to the control method, device and operating equipment for manipulator retraction. Background Technology

[0002] Robotic devices typically include at least one robotic arm, each composed of multiple sub-arms connected by joints. During operation, each joint moves according to control commands, causing the robotic arm to extend to perform various operations; during work reception, each joint moves according to control commands, causing the robotic arm to retract to the vicinity of the base, reducing the space occupied by the robotic arm during non-operational times and preventing collisions.

[0003] However, when the robotic arm extends to perform a task, abnormal situations may occur, such as power failure, the operator's inability to send control commands to the robot, or robotic arm control malfunction. These abnormal situations may cause the extended robotic arm to fall naturally under gravity at a relatively high speed, easily leading to damage. Furthermore, the control panel used for manual operation of the robot usually also has a control arm; under abnormal conditions, this control arm is also prone to damage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a method, apparatus, and operating equipment for controlling the retraction of a manipulator, in order to solve the problem of easy damage to the manipulator.

[0005] The first aspect of this specification provides a method for controlling the retraction of an operating arm, comprising: real-time detection of the operating status of the operating arm; when the operating status of the operating arm becomes abnormal and causes the operating arm to fall, activating a damping control unit; and using the damping control unit to perform the following operations on the operating arm: adjusting the falling speed of the operating arm in real time according to the falling state of the operating arm.

[0006] In some embodiments, after activating the damping control unit, the method further includes: real-time detection of the operating status of the manipulator; and deactivation of the damping control unit when the operating status of the manipulator exits an abnormal operating state.

[0007] In some embodiments, adjusting the falling speed of the manipulator in real time according to the falling state of the manipulator includes: determining in real time whether the manipulator is in a balanced position; if not, controlling the output of at least a target damping amount, wherein the target damping amount is the minimum damping amount that prevents the manipulator from being damaged when the target sub-arm falls at the current pose and / or the current pose change speed of the target manipulator.

[0008] In some embodiments, controlling the output of at least a target damping amount, the target damping amount being the damping amount that prevents the manipulator from being damaged when it falls at the current pose and / or the rate of change of the current pose of each target subarm, includes: acquiring the current pose of each target subarm of the manipulator; determining the target damping amount corresponding to the current pose of each target subarm according to the correspondence between the pose of the target subarm and the target damping amount determined in advance through experiments; and controlling the damping output component to output damping with the target damping amount as the control target.

[0009] In some embodiments, controlling the output of at least a target damping amount, the target damping amount being the damping amount that prevents the manipulator from being damaged when it falls at the current pose and / or the current pose change rate of each target subarm, includes: acquiring the current pose and the current pose change rate of each target subarm; determining the expected pose change rate of the target subarm in the current pose according to a predetermined velocity expectation curve of the target subarm; the velocity expectation curve including the expected pose change rate corresponding to the pose of the target subarm; determining whether the current pose change rate is greater than the expected pose change rate; and if so, controlling the output of damping on the target subarm.

[0010] In some embodiments, controlling at least the output of a target damping amount, the target damping amount being the damping amount that prevents the manipulator from being damaged when the manipulator falls at the current pose and / or the current pose change rate of each target sub-arm, includes: acquiring the current pose and the current pose change rate of the target sub-arm on the manipulator; determining whether the current pose change rate is greater than a preset value of the current pose change rate and is increasing; if so, increasing the damping on the target sub-arm.

[0011] In some embodiments, the damping output component includes any one of the following: a motor that drives the joint movement of the manipulator, and a damper installed at the joint that drives the manipulator movement.

[0012] The second aspect of this specification provides a manipulator retraction control device, comprising: a first detection unit for real-time detection of the working status of the manipulator; an activation unit for activating a damping control unit when the working status of the manipulator becomes abnormal and causes the manipulator to fall; and an operation unit for performing the following operations on the manipulator using the damping control unit: adjusting the falling speed of the manipulator in real-time according to the falling state of the manipulator.

[0013] In some embodiments, after activating the damping control unit, the system further includes: a second detection unit for real-time detection of the operating state of the manipulator; and a shutdown unit for shutting down the damping control unit when the operating state of the manipulator exits an abnormal operating state.

[0014] In some embodiments, the operation unit includes: a first judgment subunit, configured to determine in real time whether the operating arm is in a balanced position; and a first control subunit, configured to, if not, control the output of at least a target damping amount, wherein the target damping amount is the minimum damping amount that prevents the operating arm from being damaged when the target subarm falls at the current pose and / or the rate of change of the current pose of the target operating arm.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first control subunit includes: a first acquisition subunit, configured to acquire the current pose of each target subarm of the manipulator; a first determination subunit, configured to determine the target damping amount corresponding to the current pose of each target subarm based on the correspondence between the pose of the target subarm and the target damping amount determined in advance through experiments; and a second control subunit, configured to control the damping output component to output damping with the target damping amount as the control target.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first control subunit includes: a second acquisition subunit, configured to acquire the current pose and current pose change rate of each target subarm of the manipulator; a second determination subunit, configured to determine the expected pose change rate of the target subarm in the current pose according to a pre-determined velocity expectation curve of the target subarm; the velocity expectation curve includes the expected pose change rate corresponding to the pose of the target subarm; a second judgment subunit, configured to determine whether the current pose change rate is greater than the expected pose change rate; and a third control subunit, configured to control the output of damping to the target subarm if the current pose change rate is greater than the expected pose change rate; otherwise, control the output of no damping to the target subarm.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first control subunit includes: a third acquisition subunit, configured to acquire the current pose and the current pose change rate of the target subarm on the operating arm; a third judgment subunit, configured to determine whether the current pose change rate is greater than a preset value of the pose change rate of the current pose, and is increasing; and a fourth control subunit, configured to increase the damping of the target subarm if the value is greater than the preset value of the pose change rate of the current pose;

[0018] In some embodiments, the damping output component includes any one of the following: a motor that drives the joint movement of the manipulator, and a damper installed at the joint that drives the manipulator movement.

[0019] This specification provides a third aspect of an operating device, comprising: a base; an operating arm disposed on the base; a controller for real-time detection of the operating arm's working status; and, when the operating status of the operating arm malfunctions and causes the operating arm to fall, activating a damping control unit; and, using the damping control unit, performing the following operations on the operating arm: adjusting the falling speed of the operating arm in real time according to the falling state of the operating arm.

[0020] In some embodiments, the operating device is a robotic device that performs a target operation, the operating arm is composed of multiple sub-arms, and adjacent sub-arms are connected by a torsion mechanism with a built-in motor; the end of the operating arm is used to mount instruments.

[0021] In some embodiments, the damping control unit is a motor that drives the joint movement of the operating arm; or, a damper installed at the joint that drives the operation arm.

[0022] In some embodiments, the operating device is a control panel, which is used by an operator to control a robotic device that performs a target operation, and the operating arm is a manipulator on the control panel.

[0023] In some embodiments, the operating device is a robot's operating platform, and the operating arm is a manipulator on the operating platform.

[0024] A fourth aspect of this specification provides a controller comprising: a memory and a processor, the processor and the memory being communicatively connected to each other, the memory storing computer instructions, and the processor executing the computer instructions to implement the steps of the method described in any of the first aspects.

[0025] A fifth aspect of this specification provides a computer storage medium storing computer program instructions that, when executed, implement the steps of the method described in any of the first aspects.

[0026] The boom retraction control method, device, and controller provided in this manual activate the damping control unit when the boom falls due to an abnormal working state. The damping control unit adjusts the boom's falling speed in real time according to the falling state, which can reduce the falling speed or even adjust the boom to fall according to a predetermined speed curve, thereby protecting the boom from damage. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the surgical robot system is shown;

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the control terminal device in the surgical robot system is shown.

[0030] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the image terminal device in the surgical robot system is shown;

[0031] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the execution end device in the surgical robot system is shown;

[0032] Figure 5 This diagram shows the robotic arms of the device extended during normal operation.

[0033] Figure 6 This diagram shows the robotic arms in a retracted state after the work is completed.

[0034] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a damper installed at the joint of torsion member N is shown;

[0035] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of sub-arms X and Y on the operating arm and the torsion member N connecting sub-arms X and Y is shown.

[0036] Figure 9 A flowchart of the manipulator retraction control method provided in this specification is shown;

[0037] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the hysteresis damper is shown.

[0038] Figure 11 A schematic diagram illustrating the effect of damping force on velocity is shown.

[0039] Figure 12 A schematic diagram illustrating the speed control effect is shown;

[0040] Figure 13 This document shows a schematic block diagram of the manipulator recovery control device provided in this specification.

[0041] Figure 14 A schematic block diagram of the controller provided in this specification is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0043] This specification provides a control method for the retraction of a manipulator, which can be used to adjust the falling speed of the manipulator in real time when a malfunction occurs in the working state of the manipulator, thereby protecting the manipulator from damage.

[0044] The robotic arm described in this manual can be a robotic arm on a robotic device used to perform a target operation, or a manipulator on a control panel for an operator to control the robotic device. The following example, a surgical robot system, illustrates the robotic arm retraction control method provided in this manual.

[0045] Surgical robotic systems are systems that perform complex surgical procedures in a minimally invasive manner. For example... Figure 1 As shown, a surgical robot system typically consists of a control unit 100, an execution unit 200, and an imaging unit 300. The control unit 100, usually called the doctor's console, is located outside the sterile area of ​​the operating room and is used to send control commands to the execution unit 200. The execution unit 200, i.e., the surgical robot device (referred to as the surgical robot in this specification), is used to control the surgical instruments mounted on the end of its robotic arms to perform specific surgical operations on the patient according to the control commands. An endoscope can also be mounted on the surgical robot. The imaging unit 300, usually called an imaging cart, is used to process the information acquired by the endoscope to form a three-dimensional high-definition image and feed it back to the control unit 100, etc.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the control terminal device 100, i.e., the doctor's console (also called the operating table), is equipped with a manipulator 110 (also called the main manipulator), an imaging device, and a main controller. The main manipulator detects the surgeon's hand movements, serving as the control signal for the entire surgical robot system. The imaging device provides the surgeon with three-dimensional images of the patient's body detected by the endoscope, providing reliable image information for the surgeon's surgical operations. During surgery, the surgeon sits on the doctor's console and controls the surgical robot and endoscope through the manipulator. Specifically, the surgeon observes the transmitted three-dimensional images of the cavity through the imaging device and manually operates the manipulator. The manipulator changes position under the surgeon's hand movements, and the control signal on the surgical robot end, used to control the movement of the robotic arm mechanism and surgical instruments, changes with the position of the manipulator. This control signal controls the surgical robot to perform corresponding surgical actions. The main controller is the core control element of the surgical robot system, used to control the surgical robot system to achieve various operations and functions.

[0047] like Figure 3As shown, the image terminal device 300 mainly includes an endoscope (not shown in the figure), an endoscope processor, and a display device. The endoscope includes a tube inserted into the patient's body, an observation lens and an illumination lens at the front end of the tube, an optical fiber, and an eyepiece, used to illuminate the inside of the cavity and acquire a stereoscopic image of the cavity. The endoscope processor is used to process the acquired stereoscopic image of the cavity, and the display device is used to display the processed image in real time.

[0048] like Figure 4 As shown, the execution device 200, i.e., the surgical robot device, includes a base 210 and a robotic arm mechanism 220. Located in the sterile area of ​​the operating room, the surgical robot device's main function is to carry surgical instruments mounted on its robotic arm end to perform specific surgical procedures on the patient according to control commands given by the surgeon, and to carry an endoscope. Within the sterile area, assistant surgeons are usually also present to change the surgical instruments mounted on the surgical robot and assist the surgeon in completing the operation. To ensure patient safety, assistant surgeons typically have higher priority in controlling the surgical robot.

[0049] Specifically, in Figure 4 The robotic arm mechanism 220 may include a telescopic arm sub-mechanism and a manipulator sub-mechanism. The first end of the telescopic arm sub-mechanism is connected to the base 210, and the telescopic arm sub-mechanism is capable of extending or retracting in the radial direction of the base 210. The first end of the manipulator sub-mechanism 221 is connected to the second end of the telescopic arm sub-mechanism, and the manipulator sub-mechanism 221 is capable of bending to switch between an extended state and a retracted state.

[0050] like Figure 4 As shown, the telescopic arm sub-mechanism may include a first sub-arm 2211 and a first torsion member 2212. The first torsion member 2212 connects the first end of the first sub-arm 2211 to the base 210. This first torsion member 2212 can drive the first sub-arm 2211 to rotate about the first torsion member 2212 as the center in a horizontal plane, as shown. Figure 4 As shown by the double-arrow curve A in the diagram. This arrangement allows the multiple robotic arm mechanisms 220 to retract together or extend in the horizontal direction.

[0051] The term "rotation on a horizontal plane" as used here can refer to the fact that the plane of the actual rotational motion has a non-perpendicular angle with the horizontal plane, thus the actual rotational motion has a rotational component on the horizontal plane.

[0052] like Figure 4 As shown, the operating arm sub-mechanism may include a second torsion member 2221, a second sub-arm 2222, a third torsion member 2223, a third sub-arm 2224, a fourth torsion member 2225, a fourth sub-arm 2226, a fifth torsion member 2227, and a fifth sub-arm 2228. The instrument M is mounted on the fifth sub-arm 2228.

[0053] The second sub-arm 2222 is located below the first sub-arm 2211, and the second torsion member 2221 connects the second end of the first sub-arm 2211 to the first end of the second sub-arm 2222. The second torsion member 2221 can drive the second end of the second sub-arm 2222 to move towards or away from the base 210 in a vertical plane, such as... Figure 4 The double-arrow curve B is shown in the figure.

[0054] The third sub-arm 2224 is located on the side away from the base 210 at the second end of the second sub-arm 2222, and forms a fixed angle with the second sub-arm 2222 (e.g., Figure 4 The fixed included angle (an acute angle) intersects. The third torsion member 2223 connects the first end of the third sub-arm 2224 and the second end of the second sub-arm 2222. This third torsion member 2223 can drive the third sub-arm 2224 to rotate around its own axis. Figure 4 The double-arrow curve C is shown in the figure.

[0055] The fourth torsion member 2225 connects the second end of the third sub-arm 2224 to the first end of the fourth sub-arm 2226. The fourth torsion member 2225 can drive the fourth sub-arm 2226 to move, thereby changing the angle between the third sub-arm 2224 and the fourth sub-arm 2226, such as... Figure 4 The double-arrow curve D is shown in the figure.

[0056] The fifth torsion member 2227 connects the second end of the fourth sub-arm 2226 to the first end of the fifth sub-arm 2228. The second end of the fifth torsion member 2227 is equipped with a mechanical gripper to hold the target instrument for surgical operations such as clamping, cutting, and scissing. The fifth torsion member 2227 drives the fifth sub-arm 2228 to move, thereby changing the angle between the fourth sub-arm 2226 and the fifth sub-arm 2228.

[0057] Torsion motors can be installed in the second torsion member 2221, the third torsion member 2223, the fourth torsion member 2225, and the fifth torsion member 22222. These torsion motors are electrically connected to the controller, so that the controller can control the torsion members to drive the sub-arm to move, thereby causing the position and posture of the device M to change. The above-mentioned torsion members are also the joints of the robotic arm.

[0058] Figure 5 This diagram shows the robotic arms of the device extended during normal operation. Figure 6 This diagram shows the robotic arms in a retracted state after the work is completed.

[0059] The boom retraction control method provided in this manual, such as Figure 9 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0060] S10: Real-time monitoring of the operating status of the manipulator.

[0061] The operating arm can be any of the robotic arms performing surgical operations on the execution end device 200, or it can be... Figure 2 The manipulator 110 is the operating arm used by the surgeon to operate the surgical robot equipment.

[0062] S20: When the working state of the operating arm malfunctions and causes the operating arm to fall, the damping control unit is activated.

[0063] Steps S10 and S20 specify the conditions for activating the damping control unit, which include three conditions: 1. Abnormal operating state; 2. Manipulator arm falling; 3. The falling of the manipulator arm is caused by the abnormal operating state. If the manipulator arm falls under normal operating conditions, the damping control unit will not be activated. If the operating state is abnormal, but the abnormality does not cause the manipulator arm to fall, the damping control unit will also not be activated.

[0064] Whether the robotic arm on a surgical robot is malfunctioning can be determined based on the control signals and deviations from the robotic arm's control system. The operating arm on the doctor's console can be identified based on alarm information.

[0065] Whether the manipulator arm is falling can be determined based on the detection results of the manipulator arm's posture detection component in the manipulator arm control system, or by installing an inertial sensor on the manipulator arm and determining whether the manipulator arm is in a falling state based on the output value of the inertial sensor.

[0066] In some embodiments, the damping control unit can be a program unit in the controller, corresponding to the code segment burned into the controller. Activating the damping control unit means starting to execute the code segment corresponding to the damping control unit, and exiting the damping control unit means ceasing to execute the code segment corresponding to the damping control unit.

[0067] In some embodiments, the damping control unit may also be a physical component unit disposed on the manipulator. For example, a damping control unit in the form of a physical component may be a motor that drives the joint movement of the robotic arm on a surgical robot; it may also be a damper installed at the joint that drives the movement of the robotic arm on a surgical robot; or a damper installed at the joint of the manipulator on a doctor's console (also called an operating table).

[0068] Figure 8 A schematic diagram is shown of sub-arms X and Y on the operating arm, and the torsion member N connecting sub-arms X and Y. Figure 8 In the pose shown, when the manipulator arm falls, the sub-arm X will move along the path indicated by gravity. Figure 8 The arrow shown rotates and falls with the torsion member N as the center. This specification provides a solution, such as... Figure 9 As shown, a damper can be installed at the joint of the torsion member N. In this way, due to the damping effect of the damper, the falling speed of the sub-arm X will not be too fast and damage the operating arm.

[0069] For a solid component-type damping control unit, it has no damping effect when inactive; the damping effect only appears after activation. The activation and deactivation methods of a solid component-type damping control unit can be determined based on its physical structure. For example, Figure 9 The damper shown can be a hysteresis mechanical damper, and the structure of the hysteresis mechanical damper can be as follows: Figure 10 As shown, the system includes a coil, a rotor, and stator poles. The rotor is made of a special hysteresis material, and there is a certain air gap in the stator poles, within which the rotor rotates. When the coil is energized, a magnetic field is generated in the air gap, causing the rotor to exhibit hysteresis. When the rotor rotates against the hysteresis force under the action of an external force, a rated torque is generated, which can be used as a damping force. The torque is only related to the magnitude of the excitation current and is independent of the rotational speed and temperature. Therefore, the damping control unit can be activated by energizing the coil and de-energized by de-energizing the coil.

[0070] S30: Employs a damping control unit to perform the following operations on the operating arm: adjust the descent speed of the operating arm in real time according to the descent state of the operating arm.

[0071] For a damping control unit in the form of a program unit, S30 can be: the program unit itself adjusts the falling speed of the operating arm in real time according to the state of the operating arm.

[0072] For a damping control unit in the form of a physical component, S30 can be: the controller controls the output of the damping control unit to adjust the speed of the falling arm based on the state of the falling arm.

[0073] The boom retraction control method provided in this manual activates the damping control unit when the boom falls due to an abnormal working state. The damping control unit adjusts the boom's falling speed in real time according to the falling state, which can reduce the falling speed or even adjust the boom to fall according to a predetermined speed curve, thereby protecting the boom from damage.

[0074] In some embodiments, after activating the damping control mode, the operating status of the manipulator can continue to be monitored in real time; if the operating status of the manipulator exits an abnormal operating state, the damping control unit is turned off. That is, the damping unit is only activated when the operating status is abnormal and causes the manipulator to fall, and the damping control unit can be turned off after the abnormality ends. This does not increase the control complexity under normal operating conditions, and can better ensure that the manipulator is not damaged.

[0075] In some embodiments, the damping control unit is not immediately shut down when exiting the abnormal working state. There may be a delay before shutting down the damping control unit, or the damping control unit may be shut down after the manipulator reaches the equilibrium position.

[0076] In some embodiments, the damping control unit may remain on until the device is powered off and restarted.

[0077] In some embodiments, S30 may include the following steps:

[0078] S31: Real-time determination of whether the operating arm is in a balanced position.

[0079] When the control arm is in a balanced position, it will not fall due to gravity.

[0080] S32: If not, control to output at least a target damping amount, which is the minimum damping amount that prevents damage to the manipulator when it falls at the current pose and / or the rate of change of the current pose of each target manipulator.

[0081] On the surgical robot side, an abnormal working state causing the robotic arm to fall can be divided into two situations: the first is that although the robotic arm falls, the controller can still control its movements; the second is that the controller cannot control the robotic arm's movements. In the first situation, the robotic arm's hardware structure may not be damaged, and the controller can still control the robotic arm's movements again through program repair or other operations. In the second situation, a component affecting the robotic arm's movements may malfunction and cannot be automatically repaired, for example, the motors at the robotic arm joints may lose power.

[0082] In the first case mentioned above, S32 can be a motor that controls the joint movement of the robotic arm to output a damping torque and how much damping torque is output, wherein the direction of the damping torque is the direction that drives the robotic arm to lift.

[0083] In the second case described above, S32 can be used to control whether the damping control unit in the form of the physical component is activated or how much damping is output after activation.

[0084] On the doctor's control panel, an abnormal operating state causing the manipulator to fall may be due to a malfunction in the component used to fix the manipulator's position after manual adjustment, which cannot be automatically repaired. For example, the motor used to output damping to enable the manipulator to counteract gravity may lose power. In this case, S32 could be used to control whether the damping control unit, in the form of the aforementioned physical component, is activated, or how much damping is output after activation.

[0085] In some embodiments, S32 can determine whether to output damping and how much damping to output based on the position of the target sub-arm among the sub-arms constituting the operating arm.

[0086] For example, S32 includes the following steps S321, S322 and S323.

[0087] S321: Obtain the current pose of the target subarm on the manipulator.

[0088] The target subarm refers to the subarm of interest among the subarms that make up the operating arm. In practical applications, one subarm can be the focus, such as the end effector subarm, or multiple subarms, or even every subarm that makes up the operating arm. The second subarm 2222, the third subarm 2224, the fourth subarm 2226, and the fifth subarm 2228 mentioned above can all be regarded as subarms here.

[0089] S322: Determine the target damping amount corresponding to the current pose of each target subarm based on the pre-determined correspondence between the pose of the target subarm and the target damping amount.

[0090] The correspondence can be determined through experiments, and the "experiments" here can be destructive experiments or simulation experiments.

[0091] The "pose" of the target subarm includes both its three-dimensional coordinate position in spatial coordinates and its attitude relationship (such as the included angle) with adjacent subarms.

[0092] The target damping amount can be represented by the damping torque, or by the control quantity that achieves the required damping torque (for example, the control current of the motor used to achieve the damping effect can also be used to characterize the damping amount).

[0093] S323: Using the target damping amount as the control target, control the output damping of the damping output component.

[0094] The output of the target damping quantity can also adopt a closed-loop feedback control system to ensure the accuracy of the output target damping quantity.

[0095] In some embodiments, S32 includes the following steps S324, S325, S326 and S327.

[0096] S324: Obtain the current pose and the rate of change of the current pose of each target subarm of the manipulator.

[0097] The target subarm refers to the subarm of interest among the subarms that make up the operating arm. In practical applications, one subarm can be the focus, such as the end effector subarm, or multiple subarms, or even every subarm that makes up the operating arm. The second subarm 2222, the third subarm 2224, the fourth subarm 2226, and the fifth subarm 2228 mentioned above can all be regarded as subarms here.

[0098] S325: Determine the expected pose change rate of the target subarm in the current pose based on the predetermined velocity expectation curve of the target subarm; the velocity expectation curve includes the expected pose change rate corresponding to the pose of the target subarm.

[0099] The correspondence can be determined through experiments, and the "experiments" here can be destructive experiments or simulation experiments.

[0100] The "pose" of the target subarm includes both its three-dimensional coordinate position in spatial coordinates and its attitude relationship (such as the included angle) with adjacent subarms.

[0101] The target damping amount can be represented by the damping torque, or by the control quantity that achieves the required damping torque (for example, the control current of the motor used to achieve the damping effect can also be used to characterize the damping amount).

[0102] S326: Determine whether the current pose change rate is greater than the expected pose change rate.

[0103] S327: If so, control the output damping of the target subarm; otherwise, control the output of no damping of the target subarm.

[0104] This embodiment predetermines the optimal speed-position curve during the descent of the operating arm. If the speed of the operating arm during descent is higher than the expected speed, the output damping is used to reduce the descent speed of the operating arm, so as to adjust the descent speed of the operating arm to conform to the optimal speed-position curve and reduce damage to the operating arm.

[0105] In some embodiments, S32 may further include: acquiring the current pose and the current pose change rate of the target subarm of the operating arm; determining whether the current pose change rate is greater than a preset value of the pose change rate of the current pose and is increasing; if so, increasing the damping of the target subarm; otherwise, maintaining the damping of the target subarm.

[0106] During the entire descent of the manipulator, the preset value for the pose change rate can be a single numerical value; or it can be different preset values ​​for the pose change rate corresponding to different positions during the entire descent of the manipulator.

[0107] Applying a damping force during the movement of the manipulator arm can impede the process. By changing the magnitude of the damping force, the rate of change of the motion velocity can be altered, thereby controlling the speed of the motion. The expression for this process is:

[0108]

[0109] Where τ is the motor output torque, τ G τ is the self-balancing torque output by the self-balancing module. D For the applied damping force, q, Let M be the joint rotation angle, velocity, and acceleration, C be the inertia matrix, C be the Christoffel matrix, G be the gravitational torque, and τ be the acceleration. f This is the frictional torque.

[0110] Considering the need to achieve self-balancing under gravity, When the motor output torque τ is 0, The effect of damping force on speed control is as follows: Figure 11 As shown in the figure, the horizontal axis of the left and right graphs represents time, and the vertical axis represents velocity. The figure depicts a segment of the motion trajectory of a single-joint manipulator with a moment of inertia of 1 kgm. 2 The left figure shows the undamped case with a constant speed of 0.1 rad / s, while the right figure shows the case with a damping force of 0.1 Nm applied to the same trajectory. Figure 11 It can be seen that the damping force changes the rate of change of velocity, and thus changes the velocity itself.

[0111] The applied damping force τ D The size depends on the current speed Compared to ideal speed in, It is related to the current position q.

[0112] For example, one embodiment of the algorithm based on linear damping can be: Among them, K d The damping coefficient is used. The speed control effect of this embodiment is as follows: Figure 12 As shown. Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the velocity trajectory of a single-joint manipulator under damped control, where the moment of inertia is 0.5 kgm. 2 Expected speed v d The initial velocity v is 0.2 rad / s and the damping coefficient K is constant at 0.1 rad / s. d =2.

[0113] from Figure 12 It can be seen that when the current speed greater than ideal speed When applying the damping force calculated by the control algorithm, the motion speed can be reduced until it matches the ideal speed.

[0114] This specification provides a manipulator retraction control device that can be used to achieve... Figure 9 The illustrated method for controlling the retraction of the manipulator. For example... Figure 13 As shown, the device includes a first detection unit 10, an activation unit 20, and an operation unit 30.

[0115] The first detection unit 10 is used to detect the working status of the operating arm in real time.

[0116] The activation unit 20 is used to activate the damping control unit when the working state of the operating arm is abnormal and causes the operating arm to fall.

[0117] The operation unit 30 is used to perform the following operations on the operating arm using a damping control unit: adjusting the falling speed of the operating arm in real time according to the falling state of the operating arm.

[0118] In some embodiments, after activating the damping control unit, the system further includes: a second detection unit for real-time detection of the operating state of the manipulator; and a shutdown unit for shutting down the damping control unit when the operating state of the manipulator exits an abnormal operating state.

[0119] In some embodiments, the operation unit includes: a first judgment subunit, configured to determine in real time whether the operating arm is in a balanced position; and a first control subunit, configured to, if not, control the output of at least a target damping amount, wherein the target damping amount is the minimum damping amount that prevents the operating arm from being damaged when the target subarm falls at the current pose and / or the rate of change of the current pose of the target operating arm.

[0120] In some embodiments, the first control subunit includes: a first acquisition subunit, configured to acquire the current pose of each target subarm of the manipulator; a first determination subunit, configured to determine the target damping amount corresponding to the current pose of each target subarm based on the correspondence between the pose of the target subarm and the target damping amount determined in advance through experiments; and a second control subunit, configured to control the damping output component to output damping with the target damping amount as the control target.

[0121] In some embodiments, the first control subunit includes: a second acquisition subunit, configured to acquire the current pose and current pose change rate of each target subarm of the manipulator; a second determination subunit, configured to determine the expected pose change rate of the target subarm in the current pose according to a pre-determined velocity expectation curve of the target subarm; the velocity expectation curve includes the expected pose change rate corresponding to the pose of the target subarm; a second judgment subunit, configured to determine whether the current pose change rate is greater than the expected pose change rate; and a third control subunit, configured to control the output of damping to the target subarm if the current pose change rate is greater than the expected pose change rate; otherwise, control the output of no damping to the target subarm.

[0122] In some embodiments, the first control subunit includes: a third acquisition subunit, configured to acquire the current pose and the current pose change rate of the target subarm on the operating arm; a third judgment subunit, configured to determine whether the current pose change rate is greater than a preset value of the pose change rate of the current pose, and is increasing; and a fourth control subunit, configured to increase the damping of the target subarm if the value is greater than the preset value of the pose change rate of the current pose;

[0123] In some embodiments, the damping output component includes any one of the following: a motor that drives the joint movement of the manipulator, and a damper installed at the joint that drives the manipulator movement.

[0124] This specification also provides an operating device, including: a base; an operating arm disposed on the base; a controller for real-time detection of the operating arm's working status; when the operating status of the operating arm becomes abnormal and causes the operating arm to fall, the controller activates a damping control unit; using the damping control unit, the controller performs the following operations on the operating arm: adjusting the falling speed of the operating arm in real time according to the falling state of the operating arm.

[0125] In some embodiments, the operating device is a robotic device for performing a target operation. The operating arm consists of multiple sub-arms, with adjacent sub-arms connected by a torsion mechanism containing a built-in motor. The end of the operating arm is used to mount instruments. The target manipulation here can be a surgical operation, the manipulation of moving objects, or other types of operations.

[0126] In some embodiments, the damping control unit is a motor that drives the joint movement of the operating arm; or, a damper installed at the joint that drives the operation arm.

[0127] In some embodiments, the operating device is a control panel, which is used by an operator to control a robotic device that performs a target operation, and the operating arm is a manipulator on the control panel.

[0128] In some embodiments, the damper is a hysteresis mechanical damper.

[0129] For specific details regarding the aforementioned robotic arm recovery control device, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 7 The relevant descriptions and effects in the corresponding embodiments are for reference only and will not be repeated here.

[0130] This invention also provides a controller, such as... Figure 14 As shown, the controller may include a processor 1401 and a memory 1402, wherein the processor 1401 and the memory 1402 can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 14 Taking the example of a connection between China and Israel via a bus.

[0131] Processor 1401 may be a central processing unit (CPU). Processor 1401 may also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, or combinations thereof.

[0132] Memory 1402, as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store non-transitory software programs, non-transitory computer-executable programs, and modules, such as the program instructions / modules corresponding to the robotic arm retraction control method in this embodiment of the invention (e.g., Figure 13 The processor 1401 comprises a first detection unit 10, an activation unit 20, and an operation unit 30. The processor 1401 executes various functional applications and data classification by running non-transitory software programs, instructions, and modules stored in the memory 1402, thereby realizing the robotic arm recovery control method in the above method embodiments.

[0133] The memory 1402 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system and applications required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created by the processor 1401, etc. Furthermore, the memory 1402 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-transitory memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-transitory solid-state storage device. In some embodiments, the memory 1402 may optionally include memory remotely located relative to the processor 1401, and these remote memories may be connected to the processor 1401 via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, corporate intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0134] The one or more modules are stored in the memory 1402, and when executed by the processor 1401, they perform the following: Figure 7 The robotic arm retrieval control method in the illustrated embodiment.

[0135] For specific details about the aforementioned controller, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 9 The relevant descriptions and effects in the corresponding embodiments are for reference only and will not be repeated here.

[0136] This specification also provides a computer storage medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed, implement... Figure 9 The steps corresponding to the embodiments.

[0137] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above methods. The storage medium can be a magnetic disk, optical disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid-state drive (SSD), etc.; the storage medium can also include combinations of the above types of memory.

[0138] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. Each embodiment focuses on its differences from other embodiments. In particular, hardware + program embodiments are relatively simple in description because they are fundamentally similar to method embodiments; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments.

[0139] The foregoing has described specific embodiments of this specification. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims may be performed in a different order than that shown in the embodiments and may still achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require the specific or sequential order shown to achieve the desired result. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are possible or may be advantageous.

[0140] Those skilled in the art will also know that, besides implementing the controller using purely computer-readable program code, the same functions can be achieved by logically programming the method steps, making the controller function as logic gates, switches, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and embedded microcontrollers. Therefore, such a controller can be considered a hardware component, and the devices within it used to implement various functions can also be considered structures within that hardware component. Alternatively, the devices used to implement various functions can be considered as both software modules implementing the method and structures within a hardware component.

[0141] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present specification and is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present specification. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments of the present specification. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of the embodiments of the present specification should be included within the scope of the claims of the embodiments of the present specification.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the retraction of a manipulator arm, characterized in that, include: Real-time monitoring of the operating status of the manipulator; When the working state of the manipulator malfunctions and causes the manipulator to fall, the damping control unit is activated; the damping control unit includes a physical damper disposed at the joint of the torsion component of the manipulator; the damper has no damping effect when not activated, but exhibits a damping effect after being activated. A damping control unit is used to perform the following operations on the operating arm: adjust the descent speed of the operating arm in real time according to the descent state of the operating arm; Among these features, the descent speed of the manipulator is adjusted in real time based on its descent state, including: Real-time assessment of whether the operating arm is in a balanced position; If not, control to output at least a target damping amount, which is the minimum damping amount that prevents damage to the manipulator when the target sub-arm falls at the current pose and / or the rate of change of the current pose of the target manipulator.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Control at least the output target damping amount, which is the damping amount that prevents the manipulator from being damaged when it falls at the current pose and / or the rate of change of the current pose of each target sub-arm. Obtain the current pose of each target subarm of the manipulator; Based on the correspondence between the pose of the target subarm and the target damping amount determined in advance through experiments, the target damping amount corresponding to the current pose of each target subarm is determined. The target damping value is used as the control target to control the output damping of the damping output component.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Control at least the output target damping amount, which is the damping amount that prevents the manipulator from being damaged when it falls at the current pose and / or the rate of change of the current pose of each target sub-arm. Obtain the current pose and the rate of change of the current pose of each target subarm of the manipulator; Based on the predetermined velocity expectation curve of the target subarm, the expected pose change rate of the target subarm in the current pose is determined; the velocity expectation curve includes the expected pose change rate corresponding to the pose of the target subarm. Determine whether the current pose change rate is greater than the expected pose change rate; In this case, control the output damping of the target subarm.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Control at least the output target damping amount, which is the damping amount that prevents the manipulator from being damaged when it falls at the current pose and / or the rate of change of the current pose of each target sub-arm. Obtain the current pose and the rate of change of the target subarm on the manipulator; Determine whether the current pose change rate is greater than the preset pose change rate value and is increasing; If so, increase the damping on the target subarm.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The output component for damping includes any one of the following: a motor that drives the joint movement of the manipulator, or a damper installed at the joint that drives the manipulator movement.

6. A control device for retracting an operating arm, characterized in that, include: The first detection unit is used to detect the working status of the operating arm in real time. An activation unit is used to activate a damping control unit when the working state of the manipulator malfunctions and causes the manipulator to fall. The damping control unit includes a physical damper disposed at the joint of the torsion member of the manipulator. The damper has no damping effect when it is not activated, but exhibits a damping effect after it is activated. The operating unit is used to perform the following operations on the operating arm using a damping control unit: adjusting the falling speed of the operating arm in real time according to the falling state of the operating arm; Among these features, the descent speed of the manipulator is adjusted in real time based on its descent state, including: Real-time assessment of whether the operating arm is in a balanced position; If not, control to output at least a target damping amount, which is the minimum damping amount that prevents damage to the manipulator when the target sub-arm falls at the current pose and / or the rate of change of the current pose of the target manipulator.

7. An operating device, characterized in that, include: Base; The operating arm is mounted on the base; The controller is used to monitor the working status of the manipulator in real time. When the working state of the manipulator malfunctions and causes the manipulator to fall, the damping control unit is activated. The damping control unit includes a physical damper installed at the joint of the torsion component of the manipulator. The damper has no damping effect when it is not activated, but exhibits a damping effect after it is activated. The damping control unit performs the following operations on the manipulator: adjust the falling speed of the manipulator in real time according to the falling state of the manipulator. Among these features, the descent speed of the manipulator is adjusted in real time based on its descent state, including: Real-time assessment of whether the operating arm is in a balanced position; If not, control to output at least a target damping amount, which is the minimum damping amount that prevents damage to the manipulator when the target sub-arm falls at the current pose and / or the rate of change of the current pose of the target manipulator.

8. The operating device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The damping control unit is a motor that drives the joint movement of the operating arm; or, a damper installed at the joint that drives the operation arm.

9. The operating device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The operating device is an operating platform, which is used by the operator to control the robot device to perform the target operation, and the operating arm is a manipulator on the operating platform.

10. A controller, characterized in that, include: A memory and a processor, the processor and the memory being communicatively connected to each other, the memory storing computer instructions, the processor executing the computer instructions to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

11. A computer storage medium, characterized in that, The computer storage medium stores computer program instructions, which, when executed, implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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