Robot device and parameter adjustment method

Abstract

A robot device includes: a robot capable of executing a predetermined operation; and a control unit that accepts direct teaching for manually teaching an operation target of the robot by a user, and controls the operation of the robot. The control unit is capable of executing adjustment control for adjusting a parameter that determines an operation feeling of the direct teaching, and in the adjustment control, the parameter of the operation feeling and a predetermined evaluation index are acquired on the basis of a result of causing a user to manually execute a specific task operation on the robot, and the operation feeling of the direct teaching is determined on the basis of the evaluation index. A score, which is a mechanical evaluation value for the task action, is derived and presented to the user, and the parameter is changed in accordance with a subjective evaluation of the user regarding the sense of operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot device capable of adjusting parameters that determine an operational feeling of direct teaching and a method for adjusting the parameters. Background Art

[0002] When a robot device having a multi-joint robot arm is applied to a work site, a teaching operation is required to teach the robot arm the motion target when performing the required work. A robot device having a direct teaching function for accepting manual teaching of the motion target of the robot arm is known as a receiving function for the teaching operation.

[0003] In direct teaching operations, it is expected that the operation feeling of the robot is comfortable for the user. There is a tendency that an operation feeling that is too heavy will cause fatigue to the user, and an operation feeling that is too light will make it difficult to position the robot. Patent document 1 discloses a robot device that allows the user to manually perform a specific task action on the robot and can adjust the parameters that determine the operation feeling of direct teaching. In this robot device, the user's operation feeling is read according to the execution status of the task action and corrected to a parameter that is preferred by the user.

[0004] The comfort of direct teaching is determined not only by the characteristics of the robot such as the structure, weight, and setting state of the robot, but also by the characteristics and subjectivity of the user such as the force available for direct teaching, the posture or gripping method of holding the teaching handle, and the preference for the lightness or heaviness of the operation. Therefore, as in the robot device of Patent Document 1, it may not be possible to enable each user to perform a comfortable direct teaching operation simply by mechanically adjusting the above parameters.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-74788 Summary of the invention

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a robot device and a parameter adjustment method that enable a user to perform comfortable direct teaching.

[0009] A robot device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a robot capable of performing a predetermined action; and a control unit that receives direct teaching of an action target manually taught to the robot by a user and controls the action of the robot. The control unit can perform adjustment control for adjusting a parameter that determines an operational feeling of the direct teaching, wherein the adjustment control obtains the parameter of the operational feeling and a predetermined evaluation index based on a result of having the user manually perform a specific task action on the robot, derives a mechanical evaluation value, i.e., a score, for the task action based on the evaluation index and presents it to the user, and changes the parameter based on the user's subjective evaluation of the operational feeling.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention involves a method for adjusting parameters, in a robot device capable of performing direct teaching of an action target manually taught by a user to the robot, determining the operational feel of the direct teaching, wherein the method is based on allowing the user to manually perform a specific task action on the robot, and based on the execution result of the task action, deriving parameters of the operational feel and prescribed evaluation indicators, and based on the evaluation indicators, deriving a mechanical evaluation value, i.e., a score, for the task action and prompting it to the user, and changing the parameters based on the user's subjective evaluation of the operational feel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a robot device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 It is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of the above-mentioned robot device.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing adjustment control of parameters that determine the operational feel of direct teaching.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of a task action to be performed by a user.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of a task action to be performed by a user.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing an example of a task action to be performed by a user.

[0017] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing an example of a dialogue interface used in the adjustment control.

[0018] Figure 8 (A) and (B) are diagrams showing examples of pull-down screens incorporated into the above-mentioned interactive interface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The robot device involved in the present invention includes a robot capable of performing a prescribed action. The robot is typically a multi-joint robot arm having a plurality of arm elements and a plurality of action axes for rotating the plurality of arm elements. The preferred use of the robot device involved in the present invention is a collaborative robot that is arranged in an area where an operator performs a prescribed operation. In collaborative robots, manual teaching of direct teaching of the action target of the robot arm is mostly adopted. In the following embodiments, a robot device with a 6-axis robot arm that teaches the action target by direct teaching is exemplified.

[0020] [Overall structure of the robot device]

[0021] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of a robot device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The robot device 1 is a vertical multi-joint 6-axis robot, and includes a robot arm 10, an operating handle 20, a control device 30, and a display unit 60. The robot arm 10 has seven rotation axes: a first axis J1, a second axis J2, a third axis J3, a fourth axis J4, a fifth axis J5, and a sixth axis J6. The robot arm 10 includes a base 10B, a first arm 11, a second arm 12, a third arm 13, a fourth arm 14, a fifth arm 15, a sixth arm 16, and a head 17 as arm elements. An end effector 18 and an operating handle 20 are mounted on the head 17.

[0022] The base portion 10B is a frame fixedly mounted on a mounting plane such as the ground or a pedestal. The first arm 11 is connected to the upper surface of the base portion 10B via a first axis J1. The first axis J1 is a rotation axis extending in a vertical direction relative to the mounting plane. The first arm 11 can rotate in both positive and negative directions around the first axis J1. The base end portion of the upstream side of the second arm 12 is connected to the first arm 11 via a second axis J2. The second axis J2 is a rotation axis extending in a horizontal direction parallel to the mounting plane. The second arm 12 can swing around the second axis J2.

[0023] The third arm 13 is an arm connected to the downstream of the second arm 12, and its base end is connected to the front end of the second arm 12 via the third axis J3. The third arm 13 can swing around the third axis J3 extending in the horizontal direction. The fourth arm 14 is an arm connected to the downstream of the third arm 13, and its base end is connected to the front end of the third arm 13 via the fourth axis J4. The fourth arm 14 can rotate around the fourth axis J4 extending in the arm axis direction.

[0024] The fifth arm 15 is an arm connected to the downstream of the fourth arm 14, and its base end is connected to the front end of the fourth arm 14 via the fifth axis J5. The fifth arm 15 can swing around the fifth axis J5 extending in the horizontal direction. The sixth arm 16 is an arm connected to the downstream of the fifth arm 15, and its base end is connected to the front end of the fifth arm 15 via the sixth axis J6. The sixth arm 16 can rotate around the sixth axis J6 extending in the arm axis direction.

[0025] The head 17 is mounted on the front end side of the sixth arm 16 via a force sensor FS described later. The head 17 is a support base for the end effector 18 and a mounting base for the operating handle 20 held by the user during direct teaching. The end effector 18 is a structure that performs the required operation on the workpiece as the work object. As the end effector 18, for example, it can be a structure that can perform operations such as adsorption, welding, grinding, and holding of the workpiece.

[0026] Figure 1 1 shows the TCP (Tool Center Point) 19 of the end effector 18. The TCP 19 is a position that becomes a control reference point of the robot 10. For example, the TCP 19 can be set at the position where the end effector 18 adsorbs the workpiece. In addition, the TCP 19 can also be set at the center of gravity position of the end effector 18 or any position corresponding to the end effector 18. Alternatively, the TCP 19 can also be set at the front end of the robot 10.

[0027] The force sensor FS is a six-axis force detector between the sixth arm 16 and the end effector 18 of the robot arm 10. Specifically, the force sensor FS is a sensor that can simultaneously detect force components in the translation directions of three mutually orthogonal axes, namely, the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis, and moment components around these x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis. It should be noted that a torque sensor may be provided on the robot arm 10 instead of the force sensor FS.

[0028] The operating handle 20 is a rod-shaped member extending laterally from the head 17 and has a size that the user can hold with one hand. During direct teaching, the user holds the operating handle 20 and manually moves the TCP 19 of the robot arm 10 from one teaching point to another to teach the action target or position posture.

[0029] The control device 30 controls the movement of the robot arm 10 according to the teaching data given in advance. In addition, in order to generate the above teaching data, the control device 30 receives direct teaching of the movement target and position posture of the robot arm 10 manually taught by the user. Moreover, during the above direct teaching, the control device 30 performs adjustment control to adjust the parameters that determine the user's operating feeling of the robot arm 10. For the control device 30, refer to Figure 2This will be described in detail later.

[0030] The display unit 60 is constituted by, for example, a tablet terminal, and has various display functions related to the robot device 1 and an input function for accepting operation input and data input to the control device 30. As long as it has the above-mentioned display function and the above-mentioned input function, a device that replaces the tablet terminal can be used as the display unit 60. For example, as the display unit 60, a personal computer, a smart phone, or a display / input panel dedicated to the robot device 1 can also be used.

[0031] [Electrical structure of the robot device]

[0032] Figure 2 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of the robot device 1. The robot arm 10 has a first drive unit 41, a second drive unit 42, a third drive unit 43, a fourth drive unit 44, a fifth drive unit 45, and a sixth drive unit 46 built therein, which respectively apply rotational driving force around the first axis J1, the second axis J2, the third axis J3, the fourth axis J4, the fifth axis J5, and the sixth axis J6. The first drive unit 41 generates a rotational driving force for rotating the first arm 11 around the first axis J1. The second to sixth drive units 42 to 46 also generate rotational driving forces for rotating the second arm 12 to the sixth arm 16 around the second axis J2 to the sixth axis J6, respectively.

[0033] The first drive unit 41 includes a motor 51, a brake 52, and an encoder 53. The motor 51 is a drive source that generates the above-mentioned rotational driving force. The brake 52 limits the rotational driving force of the motor 51. By operating the brake 52, the first axis J1 can be fixed. That is, the rotational drive of the motor 51 is prohibited by the operation of the brake 52, and the first arm 11 is constrained not to rotate around the first axis J1. The encoder 53 detects the rotation amount of the motor 51, that is, the rotation angle of the first arm 11. In addition, the first drive unit 41 includes a reducer that is omitted from the figure. The above-mentioned reducer reduces the rotation speed of the output shaft of the motor 51 at a predetermined reduction ratio and transmits it to the rotation mechanism of the first axis J1. The second to sixth drive units 42 to 46 also include a motor 51, a brake 52, an encoder 53 and a reducer, and they perform the same actions as above.

[0034] The operating handle 20 includes an operating button 21. The operating button 21 is a button that is operated when the user holds the operating handle 20 for direct teaching, and makes the direct teaching mode effective. The operating handle 20 may also be provided with operating buttons that perform other functions, such as an execution start button for the task action described later. By controlling the operation of the brake 52 of the first to sixth drive units 41 to 46, the fixed state of the first axis J1 to the sixth axis J6 as the action axis is changed, so that the behavior of the robot arm 10 can be restricted during the direct teaching operation. For example, an operating button for selecting a mode in which the robot arm 10 moves the first axis J1 to the sixth axis J6 completely freely or a mode in which the robot arm 10 moves only in the xy plane and the z plane may also be provided on the operating handle 20.

[0035] The operation information of the operation button 21 is input to the control device 30. The data of the force components of the six axes detected by the force sensor FS are also input to the control device 30 and are effectively used for the motion control of the robot arm 10 during direct teaching and actual operation.

[0036] The display unit 60 has a dialogue interface application 61 installed therein. The dialogue interface application 61 is used when the control device 30 performs the adjustment control of the above parameters. Figure 8 The dialog interface 8 shown is an application software for operation.

[0037] The control device 30 is a processor that executes various processes according to a provided program, and operates in a manner functionally including a robot control unit 31 , a storage unit 32 , a teaching control unit 33 , and an adjustment control unit 34 (control unit) by executing the program.

[0038] When the robot device 1 is used on site, the robot control unit 31 moves the robot arm 10 based on the teaching data indicating the action target and the position and posture given in advance, so that the end effector 18 performs the prescribed operation on the workpiece. The storage unit 32 stores the above-mentioned program and the above-mentioned teaching data. In addition, the storage unit 32 stores the parameters that determine the operational feeling of direct teaching. Preferably, the parameters are set for each of a plurality of users, each application of the robot arm 10, or each category of the end effector 19, and are stored in the storage unit 32 in association with the prescribed identification code and ID.

[0039] The teaching control unit 33 performs direct teaching operations. Specifically, the teaching control unit 33 moves the first arm 11 to the sixth arm 16 of the robot arm 10 according to the moving force applied to the robot arm 10 by the user holding the operating handle 20. The moving force applied to the robot arm 10 is detected by the force sensor FS. The teaching control unit 33 obtains its detection result and estimates the size and direction of the moving force. Based on the estimated result, the teaching control unit 33 appropriately drives the motor 51 of the first drive unit 41 to the sixth drive unit 46 to move the robot arm 10 in the direction in which the user wants the robot arm 10 to move. In addition, the teaching control unit 33 saves the motion target and position posture of the robot arm 10 set in the direct teaching operation as teaching data in the storage unit 32.

[0040] The adjustment control unit 34 performs adjustment control to adjust parameters that determine the operational feeling of "heavy" or "light" when the user moves the robot arm 10 during direct teaching. The above parameters are, for example, viscosity coefficient, inertia coefficient, spring coefficient, etc. used when performing impedance control on the first to sixth drive units 41 to 46. The adjustment control generally includes the following steps (1) to (3).

[0041] (1) The above-mentioned parameters and predetermined evaluation indicators are acquired based on the result of causing the user to manually execute a specific task operation on the robot arm 10 .

[0042] (2) Based on the evaluation index, a score which is a mechanical evaluation value for the task action is derived and presented to the user.

[0043] (3) The above parameters are changed based on the user's subjective evaluation of the above operational feeling.

[0044] As in the above steps (1) to (3), the adjustment control unit 34 does not adjust the parameters based only on the score obtained as the result of executing the task action in step (1), but rather, as in steps (2) and (3), the score is presented to the user and the parameters are changed based on the subjective evaluation of the user. Therefore, it is possible to set parameters suitable for each user taking the subjective opinion of the user into consideration. The adjustment control unit 34 operates in a manner that functionally includes a task action setting unit 35, a data acquisition unit 36, a score calculation unit 37, a display control unit 38, and a parameter setting unit 39 by executing a predetermined program.

[0045] The task action setting unit 35 sets a task action that simulates direct teaching and is performed by the user in order to adjust the operational feel. For example, the task action setting unit 35 displays a guide that urges the user to perform the task action on the display unit 60. As the above-mentioned task action, for example, it is possible to exemplify making the robot arm 10 take a specific posture, making the TCP 19 reciprocate within a specific distance, making the TCP 19 move to simulate a specific work action, and making the TCP 19 perform a required movement action using a jig for evaluation.

[0046] The data acquisition unit 36 ​​acquires various data obtained as a result of executing the task action. The acquired data includes parameters of the operational feeling and predetermined evaluation indicators. The above parameters are the viscosity coefficient, inertia coefficient, spring coefficient, etc. when the robot 10 is moved when executing the task action. The above evaluation indicators are information related to the motion accuracy of the robot 10 or TCP19. The above motion accuracy is evaluated based on, for example, whether the posture of the robot 10 can be accurately achieved according to the model of the task action, whether the TCP19 can be accurately stopped at the specified position of the task action, etc.

[0047] The score calculation unit 37 calculates a score as a result evaluation value of the task action based on the above evaluation index. The above score is derived using a predetermined arithmetic expression or evaluation table, for example, the posture accuracy of the robot arm 10 in the task action, the position accuracy of the TCP 19, the time required for the action, etc. as evaluation factors. Generally speaking, if the action accuracy and position accuracy are good and the action time is within an appropriate range, it will be a high evaluation score.

[0048] The display control unit 38 performs display control such that the display unit 60 displays the score calculated by the score calculation unit 37 and receives the user's subjective evaluation of the operational feeling in the task action from the display unit 60. In a preferred embodiment, the display control unit 38 displays the score calculated by the score calculation unit 37 on the display unit 60. Figure 7 The interactive interface 8 shown in the figure presents the above-mentioned score to the interactive interface 8 and accepts the above-mentioned user's subjective evaluation from the interactive interface, thereby enabling the user to dynamically change the above-mentioned parameter.

[0049] The parameter setting unit 39 changes the parameters obtained by executing the task action according to the user's subjective evaluation, and stores them in the storage unit 32. The parameter setting unit 39 stores the adjusted parameters of the operational feel in the storage unit 32 in association with the user ID, etc., so that they can be called when direct teaching is performed. It should be noted that it is preferable to store the above parameters in the storage unit 32 in a manner that is distinguished for each application of the robot 10 or each category of the end effector 19.

[0050] [Adjustment control action flow]

[0051] Figure 3When execution of the adjustment control is selected by the mode selection switch or the like in the robot device 1, the task action setting unit 35 of the adjustment control unit 34 displays a guide indicating the execution order of the task actions on the display unit 60 (step S1).

[0052] When the user holds the operating handle 20 to perform a task action and applies a moving force to the robot arm 10, the control device 30 accepts the movement (step S2). That is, similar to direct teaching, based on the detection result of the force sensor FS, the teaching control unit 33 drives the motor 51 of the first drive unit 41 to the sixth drive unit 46 to move the robot arm 10 in the direction in which the user wants the robot arm 10 to move.

[0053] After accepting the execution of the task action, the data acquisition unit 36 ​​obtains the evaluation index based on the execution result of the task action and the parameters of the movement of the robot arm 10 in the task action (step S3). As described above, for example, the evaluation index is posture accuracy and position accuracy. The above-mentioned posture accuracy can be obtained based on the consistency between the rotation angle of the arms 11 to 16 set in the task action and the rotation angle detected by the encoder 53 after the task action. The above-mentioned position accuracy can be obtained based on the consistency between the position of TCP19 in the robot motion coordinates set in the task action and the position of TCP19 after the task action. The above-mentioned parameters are coefficient values ​​used in impedance control when executing task actions.

[0054] After obtaining the above evaluation index, the score calculation unit 37 calculates the score as the result evaluation value of the task action based on the evaluation index (step S4). Next, the display control unit 38 causes the display unit 60 to start the dialogue interface 8, and causes the score obtained in step S4 to be displayed on the dialogue interface 8 (step S5). Figure 7 This will be described later.

[0055] Next, the display control unit 38 receives input of subjective evaluation data from the user in the interactive interface 8 (step S6). For example, by displaying questions about the operational feel of the robot 10 on the interactive interface 8 and obtaining the answer information, information related to the subjective evaluation of the operational feel can be obtained.

[0056] Next, the parameter setting unit 39 changes the parameters obtained in step S3 according to the score of step S5 (step S7). That is, if the score is a bad value, the parameter is automatically corrected to a value predicted to have a good score. For example, if the operation feeling of the robot arm 10 is too light, it is difficult to stop the TCP 19 at the target position, and the position accuracy score becomes worse. In this case, the parameter is corrected in the direction of making the operation feeling heavier.

[0057] Then, in step S7, the previously automatically corrected parameter is changed according to the subjective evaluation received in step S6. Even if the score is a good value, the user often feels uncomfortable with the operation. Therefore, the above parameters can be changed according to the subjective evaluation. As a method of changing based on subjective evaluation, for example, a method of directly accepting the user's change operation through the dialogue interface 8, a method of automatically correcting the parameter by scoring the above subjective evaluation, etc. can be exemplified. In addition, it can also be a method in which the parameter setting unit 39 creates correction suggestion information related to the correction of the above parameters based on the information related to the above subjective evaluation, and displays it on the dialogue interface 8.

[0058] After that, the display control unit 38 causes the display unit 60 to display an option to ask the user whether to agree to the parameter change (step S8). If the user does not agree to the parameter change (No in step S8), the process returns to step S6 and the user is again asked to input subjective evaluation data. If the user agrees to the parameter change (Yes in step S8), the parameter setting unit 39 considers that the parameter adjustment is completed and stores the parameter in the storage unit 32 in association with the user ID, etc. (step S9).

[0059] Then, it is confirmed whether to continue the adjustment control (step S10). For example, if the adjustment control is continued, such as when the robot arm 10 performs other task actions or when another user performs adjustment control on the robot device 1 (yes in step S10), the process returns to step S2 and repeats the process. On the other hand, if the adjustment control is not continued (no in step S10), the adjustment control unit 34 ends the process.

[0060] [Example of task action]

[0061] Figures 4 to 6 This is a diagram showing an example of a task action to be performed by a user. Figure 4 The execution status of the first example of the task action is shown. In the first example, the user sets arbitrary positions P1 and P2 as the moving target positions. The positions P1 and P2 are set, for example, on an evaluation board or evaluation paper prepared by the user. These positions P1 and P2 are registered in the control device 30 in a manner that they become known positions in the motion coordinate system of the robot arm 10.

[0062] The task action in the first example is an action to make the TCP 19 of the robot arm 10 reciprocate linearly between the position P1 and the position P2. The user holds the operating handle 20 and manually moves the TCP 19 from the position P1 to the position P2, and then moves from the position P2 to the position P1. In this task action, the posture of the robot arm 10, that is, the rotation angle of the first axis J1 to the sixth axis J6, can also be registered. In addition, the time required for the movement between the position P1 and the position P2, that is, the target action speed, can also be set.

[0063] The score calculation unit 37, for example, compares the registered coordinates of the positions P1 and P2 with the trial coordinates of the position where the user manually moves TCP19 using the positions P1 and P2 as the target positions and stops TCP19 at the positions P1 and P2 during the task action. Then, the score is derived based on the degree of deviation between the registered coordinates and the trial coordinates. Regarding the posture, the score can also be derived based on the degree of deviation of the rotation angles of the first axis J1 to the sixth axis J6 after the task action relative to the target rotation angle. In addition, regarding the target action speed, the control unit 34 can also be adjusted to issue an alarm when the task action is performed at an obviously abnormal speed. The abnormal speed is, for example, a speed that exceeds the upper limit of the speed at which direct teaching can be performed safely, a speed that is too slow that ignores the beat time, etc.

[0064] Preferably, the user can appropriately set the number of repetitions of the task action. That is, preferably, the user can select the number of reciprocating movements of TCP19 between position P1 and position P2. If the number of repetitions is increased, the action is averaged, and the accuracy of the score can be improved, but the completion of the task action requires time. On the other hand, if the number of repetitions is reduced, the time required for the task action can be shortened, but the accuracy of the score decreases. It is preferably set to the following system: which one is entrusted to the user's choice.

[0065] Figure 5 The execution status of the second example of the task action is shown. In the second example, an example of using a jig 71 to determine the moving target position of TCP19 in the task action is shown. The jig 71 is a jig for setting a linear action target, and has a first reference protrusion 711 and a second reference protrusion 712. A position P1 that is a reference position is set at the vertex of the first reference protrusion 711, and a position P2 that is another reference position is set at the vertex of the second reference protrusion 712. If the jig 71 is set to be a jig provided by a robot manufacturer, for example, and the position accuracy of the positions P1 and P2 is guaranteed, the accuracy of the score calculated by the score calculation unit 37 can be improved. In addition, including the previous first example, the reference positions P1 and P2 are not only two, but more than three reference positions can be set.

[0066] Figure 6 The execution status of the third example of the task action is shown. In the third example, an example of making TCP19 draw a circular track as a task action is shown. In the first and second examples above, examples of making TCP19 reciprocate between positions P1 and P2 are shown, but as in the third example, a task action may be set to start from a certain reference position and draw a predetermined track, such as a circular track, and then return to the above-mentioned reference position.

[0067] It is difficult to actually move TCP19 in a circular orbit in real space. Figure 6 As shown, it is preferred that a circular orbit teaching jig 72 that allows TCP19 to describe a circular orbit is used to register the circular orbit that will serve as a reference in the control device 30. The circular orbit teaching jig 72 has an annular groove 721 formed on the upper surface into which the end effector 18 can be inserted. In order to register the circular orbit, the user causes TCP19 to orbit along the annular groove 721 while the end effector 18 is embedded in the annular groove 721. Based on the output value of the force sensor FS during the orbiting action, the rotation angles of the first axis J1 to the sixth axis J6 and the orbiting coordinates of TCP19 are registered. Then, in the task action, the user does not use the jig 72 to move the robot arm 10 in such a way that TCP19 describes a circular orbit. The score calculation unit 37 calculates the score based on the offset of the circular orbit of the task action relative to the registered circular orbit.

[0068] [Specific example of dialogue interface]

[0069] Figure 7 1 is a diagram showing an example of the dialogue interface 8 displayed on the display unit 60 by the display control unit 38 during adjustment control. The dialogue interface 8 includes a robot image display unit 80, a task status display unit 81, a number input unit 82, a question display unit 83, an answer unit 84, a score display unit 85, a teaching status display unit 86, a slide bar 87 (parameter adjustment unit), a command button group 88, and an initial value load button 89.

[0070] The robot to be controlled by the adjustment of the parameters that determine the operational feeling of direct teaching is displayed on the robot image display unit 80. In addition, the robot model and type, the location in the factory, the responsible operation process, etc. may also be displayed on the robot image display unit 80.

[0071] The task status display section 81 is a column that displays the execution status of the task action. Figure 7 , an example is shown in which characters such as "Task Start" are displayed to indicate the start of a task action. For example, when the task action is completed, characters such as "Task End" are displayed. It is also possible to display detailed information such as guidance, auxiliary information, and error or abnormality reports of the task action in the form of a dialog box on the task status display unit 81.

[0072] The number input unit 82 accepts the setting input of the number of repetitions of the task action from the user. The task action setting unit 35 is an input field for accepting the execution of the same task action of the number of repetitions input to the number input unit 82. The adjustment of the number of repetitions is related to the time required for the user to execute the task action. As described above, if the number of repetitions increases, the accuracy of the score for the task action can be improved, but on the other hand, the execution of the task action will require more time. By providing the number input unit 82, the above-mentioned advantages / disadvantages can be taken into consideration, and the user can adjust the number of repetitions by himself.

[0073] The question display unit 83 is a display field for displaying questions to the user regarding the operational feeling of the robot arm 10 during the task operation. In the question display unit 83, several pre-prepared question texts can be displayed in a pull-down format. Figure 8 (A) shows an example of questions displayed by the pull-down in the question display unit 83. Here, questions related to the operation feeling that the user may directly feel are shown, such as "Does the operation feel heavy?", "Does the arm feel heavy when it starts to move?", "Does the arm feel heavy when it stops?", and "Can the TCP be stopped with high accuracy?" These questions can also be displayed in the form of dialog boxes in sequence.

[0074] The answering unit 84 receives answers from the user to the questions displayed on the question display unit 83. The answering unit 84 includes: a first selection button 841, which is selected when the user feels an undesirable situation as in the question; a second selection button 842, which is selected when the user feels an undesirable situation opposite to the question; and a third selection button 843, which is selected when the user does not feel an undesirable situation as in the question. Figure 7 , an example is shown in which, in response to the question "Does the operation feel heavy?", the first selection button 841 is displayed as "Yes", the second selection button 842 is displayed as "No", and the third selection button 843 is displayed as "Just right". The display of the first, second, and third selection buttons 841, 842, and 843 may be appropriately changed according to the question. By setting the answer unit 84 in this way, the operational feeling felt by the user during the task action can be reliably obtained, thereby enabling the setting of the operational feeling parameter that follows the user's feeling.

[0075] The score display unit 85 is a display field that displays the score mechanically calculated by the score calculation unit 37 based on the execution result of the task action. Preferably, the score display unit 85 also displays an evaluation index that serves as a basis for the score calculation. Figure 7 , an example in which the position accuracy of the TCP 19 during the task action, the posture accuracy of the robot arm 10 , and the action time required for executing the task action are displayed as the above-mentioned evaluation indicators.

[0076] The teaching status display section 86 is a field for selecting the status of direct teaching. In the teaching status display section 86, several statuses prepared in advance can be displayed in a pull-down format. Figure 8 (B) shows the status displayed by the pull-down in the teaching status display unit 86. Here, an example is shown in which "acceleration" and "deceleration" which mean the accelerated movement and decelerated movement of the robot arm 10, "stop time" which means when the TCP 19 is stopped, and "operation start time" which means when the movement of the TCP 19 is started are illustrated as the status of direct teaching. By setting such options, parameters suitable for the user can be set for each status of acceleration, deceleration, stop time, and operation start time in direct teaching.

[0077] The slide bar 87 is a part that directly receives input of a change in the parameter of the operational feeling from the user, and includes a slider 87S for adjusting the parameter. By moving the slider 87S on the slide bar 87, the parameter can be changed so that the operational feeling is set to "light" or "heavy". The parameter setting unit 39 changes the parameter of the operational feeling based on the input information to the slide bar 87, that is, the movement operation of the slider 87S.

[0078] Regarding the change of the parameters of the operational feel, various methods can be exemplified. One method is that the parameter setting unit 39 automatically corrects the parameters based on the information related to the user's subjective evaluation input to the answer unit 84. In this case, the parameter setting unit 39 automatically corrects the parameters in two stages. That is, the parameter setting unit 39 automatically corrects the parameters based on the score mechanically calculated by the score calculation unit 37, and then standardizes the user's subjective evaluation and applies it to a prescribed formula, thereby automatically correcting the parameters. For example, when the question display unit 83 displays the question "Do you feel the operation is heavy?" and the user selects the first selection button 841 = "Yes" of the answer unit 84, the parameter setting unit 39 automatically corrects the parameters in a way that reduces the operational feel. According to this method, since the parameters are automatically corrected, the parameter change operation can be completed quickly.

[0079] Another method is to accept the user's subjective evaluation through manual operation of the slider 87, and the parameter setting unit 39 corrects the parameter. For example, the center position of the slider 87S in the slider 87 is set to the value of the parameter corrected according to the score derived by the score calculation unit 37. By accepting the user's operation on the slider 87S from the default setting state, the parameter is corrected according to the subjective evaluation. For example, a user who feels that the operation feels heavy can correct the parameter in a way that reduces the operation feeling by sliding the slider 87S to the left. According to this method, the operation feeling felt by the user can be directly associated with the change of the parameter. It should be noted that after the parameter is automatically corrected by the answer to the answer unit 84 in the previous example, the user can further accept the manual parameter correction from the slider 87.

[0080] It is also assumed that in the actual field, the user is confused about the decision of the operational feeling. According to this assumption, correction suggestion information related to the correction of the parameter can be created based on the information related to the subjective evaluation obtained by the answering unit 84, and the above correction suggestion information can be displayed on the dialogue interface 8. For example, when the user answers "Yes" to the question "Do you feel that the operation is heavy?" in the question display unit 83, a pop-up display related to the correction suggestion such as "Please move the slider 87S to the left by 1 scale" or "Please move the slider 87S to the direction of <light>" can be displayed on the dialogue interface 8. According to this method, since the correction suggestion information that can be recommended to the user is prompted in the dialogue interface 8, it is possible to provide information to assist the user who is confused about the decision of the operational feeling.

[0081] The command button group 88 includes an Undo button 881, a Redo button 882, a Cancel button 883, and a Save button 884. The Undo button 881 is pressed to cancel the temporarily set parameters of the operational feeling. The Redo button 882 is pressed to restore the setting canceled by the Undo button 881. The Cancel button 883 is pressed to cancel the adjustment control executed so far. The Save button 884 is pressed to confirm the registration of the parameters derived by the adjustment control.

[0082] The initial value loading button 89 is a button used when loading existing parameters as initial values. As existing parameters, parameter adjustment values ​​implemented in the robot in the past, parameter adjustment values ​​of other users, etc. can be exemplified. These parameter adjustment values ​​can be read from the storage unit 32 of the control device 30, and can be downloaded from other control devices, USB memory or the Web. According to this method, since existing parameters with adjustment results are imported as default values, the time required for parameter adjustment can be reduced.

[0083] In the above embodiment, an example of executing the same task action is shown in which the number of times set to be input to the number input unit 82 of the dialogue interface 8 is accepted. Alternatively, the execution of the task action may be terminated when a predetermined condition is satisfied before the set number of repetitions expires or when an end instruction is accepted from the user.

[0084] For example, assume that the user inputs the setting of the subjective evaluation to the answer unit 84 every time a task action is performed. In this case, in the task action of the round before the number of repetitions expires, if the user actually feels that the best operating feeling can be obtained, the repetition of the task action can be ended with the round by accepting the end instruction from the user. Alternatively, it can be as follows: in the subjective evaluation of each round of the task action, if the selection of "just right" is continuous for a specified number of times, or if the selection of "just right" is not continuous but reaches a specified number of times, the repetition of the task action is automatically ended. Moreover, when the evaluation of "heavy" and "light" is repeated for a specified number of times, it can be regarded that the subjective evaluation does not converge, and it is automatically ended. In the case of automatic termination, it is preferred to display "Task End" or the like in the task status display unit 81 of the dialogue interface 8.

[0085] According to the robot device 1 or parameter adjustment method involved in the present embodiment described above, the user is not allowed to set the parameters that determine the operational feeling of direct teaching by a method such as numerical input, but the user is allowed to perform a task action to adjust the above parameters. Therefore, even a user who lacks professional knowledge can easily set a comfortable operational feeling. In addition, the parameters are not simply adjusted based on the score calculated by the score calculation unit 37 based on the execution result of the task action, but the above score is prompted to the user in the dialogue interface 8, and the subjective evaluation of the user is accepted from the answer unit 84 or the slide bar 87 to change the above parameters. Therefore, it is possible to set parameters suitable for each user by taking into account the subjective opinion of each user.

[0086] [Inventions included in the above-mentioned embodiments]

[0087] The embodiments described above include the following inventions.

[0088] A robot device involved in one aspect of the present invention comprises: a robot capable of performing prescribed actions; and a control unit that accepts direct teaching of an action target manually taught by a user to the robot and controls the action of the robot, wherein the control unit is capable of performing adjustment control for adjusting parameters that determine the operational feel of the direct teaching, wherein the parameters of the operational feel and prescribed evaluation indicators are obtained based on the result of having the user manually perform a specific task action on the robot, and based on the evaluation indicator, a mechanical evaluation value, i.e., a score, for the task action is derived and prompted to the user, and the parameters are changed based on the user's subjective evaluation of the operational feel.

[0089] Another aspect of the present invention involves a method for adjusting parameters, in a robot device capable of performing direct teaching of an action target manually taught by a user to the robot, determining the operational feel of the direct teaching, wherein the method is based on allowing the user to manually perform a specific task action on the robot, and based on the execution result of the task action, deriving parameters of the operational feel and prescribed evaluation indicators, and based on the evaluation indicators, deriving a mechanical evaluation value, i.e., a score, for the task action and prompting it to the user, and changing the parameters based on the user's subjective evaluation of the operational feel.

[0090] According to the robot device or parameter adjustment method, the parameters that determine the operational feeling of direct teaching are not set directly by the user, but the parameters are adjusted by the user performing the task action. Therefore, even a user who lacks professional knowledge can easily set a comfortable operational feeling. In addition, the parameters are not adjusted based only on the score obtained as a result of the execution of the task action, but the score is presented to the user, and the parameters are changed according to the subjective evaluation of the user. Therefore, it is possible to set parameters suitable for each user by taking the subjectivity of each user into consideration.

[0091] In the above-mentioned robot device, preferably, the evaluation index includes information related to the motion accuracy of the robot.

[0092] According to this method, a score is derived based on an evaluation index related to the motion accuracy of the robot in the task motion. Therefore, it is possible to adjust parameters based on the user's preference and the score based on the degree of motion accuracy is presented.

[0093] In the above robot device, preferably, a display unit capable of displaying an interactive interface is further provided, and the control unit dynamically changes the parameter by presenting the score on the interactive interface and accepting the user's subjective evaluation from the interactive interface.

[0094] According to this aspect, by accepting the user's subjective evaluation using the interactive interface, it is possible to easily adjust the parameters to eliminate the discrepancy between the score as the mechanical evaluation value and the operational feeling of direct teaching actually felt by the user.

[0095] In the above-mentioned robot device, the following method can also be adopted: the control unit causes the dialogue interface to display a question display unit and an answer unit, the question display unit displays questions related to the operational feel to the user, the answer unit accepts answers to the questions from the user, and the control unit obtains information related to the user's subjective evaluation based on input information to the answer unit.

[0096] According to this aspect, the operational feeling felt by the user can be accurately acquired based on the answer to the question related to the operational feeling. Therefore, the parameter setting that conforms to the user's feeling can be performed.

[0097] In the above-mentioned robot device, the control unit may create correction suggestion information related to correction of the parameter based on the acquired information related to the subjective evaluation, and display the correction suggestion information on the interactive interface.

[0098] According to this aspect, correction suggestion information that can be recommended to the user can be presented in the dialogue interface. Therefore, for example, information that assists the user in making a decision about the operational feel can be provided.

[0099] In the above-mentioned robot device, the control unit may automatically correct the parameter based on the acquired information related to the subjective evaluation.

[0100] According to this aspect, since the parameters are automatically corrected, the parameter changing operation can be completed quickly.

[0101] In the above-mentioned robot device, the control unit may cause the interactive interface to display a parameter adjustment unit that receives a change in the parameter from a user, and may change the parameter based on input information to the parameter adjustment unit.

[0102] According to this method, the operational feeling felt by the user can be directly associated with the parameter change. For example, in the dialogue interface, options such as "lighten" or "heavier" operational feeling are displayed, and if the user can operate it, the parameter can be adjusted directly according to the user's own feeling.

[0103] In the above-mentioned robot device, preferably, the control unit causes the interactive interface to display a load button for importing existing parameters as initial values.

[0104] According to this aspect, since existing parameters are imported as default values, the time required for parameter adjustment can be reduced. As existing parameters, parameter adjustment values ​​implemented in the robot in the past, parameter adjustment values ​​of other users, etc. can be exemplified.

[0105] In the robot device described above, the control unit may cause the dialogue interface to display a number input unit that receives a setting input of a number of repetitions of the task action, and the control unit may execute the same task action with the number of repetitions set and input.

[0106] According to this method, the user can adjust the time required for the execution of the task action. If the number of repetitions increases, the accuracy of the score for the task action can be improved. On the other hand, the execution of the task action requires more time. Considering these advantages / disadvantages, the user can adjust the number of repetitions by himself.

[0107] In the robot apparatus described above, the control unit may terminate the execution of the task action when a predetermined condition is satisfied before the number of repetitions related to the setting input expires, or when a termination instruction is received from a user.

[0108] According to this aspect, when a situation in which appropriate parameter adjustment can be performed even without repeating the task action is reached, the execution of the task action can be stopped. Therefore, the execution of the task action that does not need to be repeated can be omitted, thereby shortening the time required for the parameter adjustment work.

[0109] In the above-mentioned robot apparatus, preferably, the control unit performs the adjustment control at the time of acceleration, deceleration, stop, and start of operation of the robot during the direct teaching.

[0110] According to this aspect, it is possible to set parameters suitable for the user for each situation during direct teaching, such as acceleration, deceleration, stop, and start of operation.

[0111] In the above-mentioned robot device, it can also be as follows: it also has a storage unit for storing the parameters, the control unit performs the adjustment control for each of multiple users, each application of the robot, or each end effector, and saves the adjusted parameters in the storage unit in a manner that can be called when the direct teaching is executed.

[0112] According to this aspect, since parameters can be set for each user, each application, and each end effector, the operational feeling of direct teaching can be adjusted in more detail.

[0113] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a robot device and a parameter adjustment method that allow a user to perform direct teaching in a comfortable manner.

Claims

1. A robot device comprising: Robots, capable of performing prescribed actions; and The control unit receives direct teaching of a movement target manually taught by a user to the robot and controls the movement of the robot. The control unit can perform adjustment control for adjusting a parameter that determines the operational feeling of the direct teaching, wherein: Based on the result of having the user manually perform a specific task on the robot, the parameters of the operational feeling and the predetermined evaluation index are obtained. Based on the evaluation index, a mechanical evaluation value, i.e., a score, for the task action is derived and presented to the user, and The parameter is changed based on the user's subjective evaluation of the operational feeling.

2. The robot device according to claim 1, wherein: The evaluation index includes information related to the motion accuracy of the robot.

3. The robot device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The robot device further includes a display unit capable of displaying a dialogue interface. The control unit dynamically changes the parameter by presenting the score on the interactive interface and accepting the user's subjective evaluation from the interactive interface.

4. The robot device according to claim 3, wherein: The control unit causes the dialogue interface to display a question display unit and an answer unit, wherein the question display unit displays questions related to the operational feel to the user, and the answer unit receives answers to the questions from the user, and The control unit acquires information related to the subjective evaluation of the user based on the input information to the answering unit.

5. The robot device according to claim 4, wherein: The control unit creates correction suggestion information related to correction of the parameter based on the acquired information related to the subjective evaluation, and causes the dialogue interface to display the correction suggestion information.

6. The robot device according to claim 4, wherein: The control unit automatically corrects the parameter based on the acquired information related to the subjective evaluation.

7. The robot device according to claim 3, wherein: The control unit causes the interactive interface to display a parameter adjustment unit for accepting a change of the parameter from a user, and The control unit changes the parameter based on the input information to the parameter adjustment unit.

8. The robotic device according to claim 3, wherein: The control unit causes the interactive interface to display a load button for importing existing parameters as initial values.

9. The robot device according to claim 3, wherein: The control unit causes the dialogue interface to display a number input unit for accepting an input of a setting number of repetitions of the task action, and The control unit can execute the same task action a number of times that the setting input is repeated.

10. The robotic device according to claim 9, wherein: The control unit terminates execution of the task action when a predetermined condition is satisfied before the number of repetitions related to the setting input expires or when a termination instruction is received from a user.

11. The robotic device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit performs the adjustment control when the robot is accelerating, decelerating, stopping, or starting an operation during the direct teaching.

12. The robotic device according to claim 1, wherein: The robot device further includes a storage unit for storing the parameters. The control unit performs the adjustment control for each of a plurality of users, each application of the robot, or each end effector, and The control unit stores the adjusted parameters in the storage unit so as to be callable when the direct teaching is executed.

13. A parameter adjustment method for determining the operational feeling of direct teaching in a robot device capable of performing direct teaching of an action target manually taught by a user, wherein: Allows the user to manually control the robot to perform specific tasks. Based on the execution result of the task action, the parameters of the operational feeling and the predetermined evaluation index are derived, Based on the evaluation index, a mechanical evaluation value, i.e., a score, for the task action is derived and presented to the user, and The parameter is changed based on the user's subjective evaluation of the operational feeling.

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