Mechanical arm falling detection method, device and equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to a mechanical arm falling detection method, device and equipment. The mechanical arm falling detection method comprises the steps that under the condition that the tail end of a mechanical arm falls, at least one piece of distance data of a detection ball arranged at the tail end of the mechanical arm is obtained; wherein the distance data is measured when the laser matrix range finder emits laser to the detection ball in the detection range of the laser matrix range finder; fitting at least one current position of the detection ball according to the at least one distance data; wherein the current position refers to the spatial position of the center of the detection ball in the detection range; and the detection requirement for falling detection of the tail end of the mechanical arm is obtained, and a detection result is generated according to the at least one current position and the detection requirement. According to the method provided by the invention, on the premise of ensuring the detection precision, the detection cost is reduced, and the usability is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of robot arm fall detection, and in particular to a robot arm fall detection method, device and equipment. Background Art

[0002] When the robot arm is actually used, it needs to undergo rigorous testing to ensure its safety and reliability. The robot arm drop test is a key test to ensure its normal operation, which is designed to test the position change of the robot arm when it falls due to unexpected situations such as power failure or emergency stop.

[0003] Currently, the means of measuring position changes are relatively simple, and laser trackers are mostly used to track the position of the end of the robotic arm. However, laser trackers are expensive. If they are used exclusively for relatively small detection projects such as position change measurement, the detection cost is high. In addition, laser trackers still need professionals to operate, and their usability is relatively poor. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, device and equipment for detecting a robot arm falling.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for detecting a fall of a robotic arm, comprising:

[0006] In the case where the end of the robotic arm falls, obtaining at least one distance data of a detection ball configured at the end of the robotic arm; wherein the distance data is measured when a laser matrix rangefinder emits a laser to the detection ball placed within its detection range;

[0007] Fitting at least one current position of the detection ball according to the at least one distance data; wherein the current position refers to the spatial position of the center of the detection ball within the detection range;

[0008] A detection requirement for performing fall detection at the end of the robotic arm is obtained, and a detection result is generated according to the at least one current position and the detection requirement.

[0009] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a mechanical arm fall detection device, the mechanical arm fall detection device comprising a laser matrix rangefinder and a detection device, the laser matrix rangefinder comprising a laser transmitter and a transmission device, wherein:

[0010] The laser transmitter is used to transmit laser to a detection ball disposed at the end of the robotic arm within its detection range when the end of the robotic arm falls, and to measure at least one distance data of the detection ball;

[0011] The transmission device is used to transmit the at least one distance data to the upper computer;

[0012] The detection device is used to execute the method of the first aspect mentioned above.

[0013] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a robot arm fall detection device, the device comprising:

[0014] An acquisition unit, used for acquiring at least one distance data of a detection ball configured at the end of the robotic arm when the end of the robotic arm falls; wherein the distance data is measured when a laser matrix rangefinder emits a laser to the detection ball placed within its detection range;

[0015] A fitting unit, used for fitting at least one current position of the detection ball according to the at least one distance data; wherein the current position refers to the spatial position of the center of the detection ball within the detection range;

[0016] A generating unit is used to obtain a detection requirement for the end of the robot arm to perform fall detection, and to generate a detection result according to the at least one current position and the detection requirement.

[0017] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the robot arm fall detection method as described above are implemented.

[0018] The robot arm fall detection method provided by the present application includes: in the case where the end of the robot arm falls, obtaining at least one distance data of the detection ball configured at the end of the robot arm; wherein the distance data is measured when the laser matrix rangefinder emits a laser to the detection ball placed within its detection range; fitting at least one current position of the detection ball according to the at least one distance data; wherein the current position refers to the spatial position of the center of the detection ball within the detection range; obtaining the detection requirement of the robot arm end for fall detection, and generating a detection result according to the at least one current position and the detection requirement. The method provided by the present application installs a detection ball adapted to the end of the robot arm, completes the fall detection by measuring the detection position, reduces the detection cost and improves the usability while ensuring the detection accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a mechanical arm fall detection device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a surgical robot provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 3 A robot arm fall detection scene diagram provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a laser transmitter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 5 A flow chart of the use of a laser matrix rangefinder provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a method for detecting a fall of a robotic arm provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 7 A flow chart for calculating the center position of a ball provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a plane and a sphere provided for an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of a mechanical arm fall detection device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In order to more clearly understand the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of the present disclosure, the scheme of the present disclosure will be further described below. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0032] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein; it is obvious that the embodiments in the specification are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of the embodiments.

[0033] Specifically, surgical robots must undergo a series of inspections before entering the market, and each link is crucial, especially the type inspection, which has many inspection items. The fall of the robotic arm of the mobile phone robot is an important one to ensure the normal use of the machine. The robotic arm fall detection includes the static position change and dynamic position change of the robotic arm.

[0034] The static position change refers to the change in data measured statically before and after the power failure of the robot arm. That is, the robot arm keeps its current position and measures a position. After the power failure, the robot arm falls, and when the falling action stops, another position is measured. By calculating the position change before and after the power failure, the static position change of the robot arm can be obtained.

[0035] Dynamic position change refers to the change in dynamic data during the falling process of the robotic arm after the power is cut off. Since the robotic arm will be in a repeated movement of falling, rebounding, falling, rebounding... in a short period of time after the power is cut off, a device is needed to measure the dynamic coordinate data of the end of the robotic arm during the falling process, so as to calculate the dynamic position change of the robotic arm when it falls.

[0036] At present, the means of measuring dynamic position changes are relatively simple, and laser trackers are mostly used to track the position of the end of the robot arm. When using this method, the reflective ball of the tracker needs to be glued to the end device of the robot arm, but the reflective ball will cause damage to the end surface when it is removed; in addition, the device is expensive, and the cost of use is relatively high for a small detection item such as dynamic position change detection; and the device also requires professionals to operate, which is not easy to use and promote.

[0037] In view of the above technical problems, the present disclosure provides a method for detecting a robot arm falling, which is described in detail through one or more of the following embodiments.

[0038] The robot arm fall detection method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to the robot arm fall detection scenario. The method can be performed by a robot arm fall detection device, which can be implemented by software and / or hardware, and the device can be integrated in an electronic device. Among them, the electronic device can include but is not limited to mobile terminals such as smart phones, laptops, digital broadcast receivers, personal digital assistants (PDA), tablet computers (Tablet Personal Computer, Tablet PC), PMP (portable multimedia player), vehicle terminals (such as vehicle navigation terminals), wearable devices, etc., and fixed terminals such as digital televisions, desktop computers, smart home devices, etc.

[0039] Figure 1The present invention provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a mechanical arm fall detection device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The mechanical arm fall detection device includes a detection device and a laser matrix rangefinder. The laser matrix rangefinder includes a laser transmitter and a transmission device, wherein:

[0040] The laser transmitter is used to transmit laser to a detection ball disposed at the end of the robotic arm within its detection range when the end of the robotic arm falls, and to measure at least one distance data of the detection ball;

[0041] The transmission device is used to transmit the at least one distance data to the upper computer;

[0042] The detection device is used to execute a robot arm fall detection method.

[0043] It is understandable that the laser matrix rangefinder is designed based on the laser rangefinder principle. The laser matrix rangefinder includes a laser emitter and a transmission device, wherein the laser emitter is used for laser emission and distance measurement and calculation. Specifically, the end of the robotic arm is placed within the detection range of the laser matrix rangefinder, and will perform repeated movements within the detection range due to an emergency stop and fall. The detection range refers to the laser range emitted by the laser emitter. The laser emitter will emit a laser to a detection ball placed within the detection range, and measure at least one distance data of the detection ball. The detection ball is configured on the end of the robotic arm and moves repeatedly with the end of the robotic arm, that is, the end of the robotic arm carries the detection ball and falls repeatedly within the detection range. The detection ball reflects the falling movement of the end of the robotic arm. The distance data refers to the distance from the laser emitted by the laser emitter to the spherical surface, such as Figure 1The laser range shown is composed of a large number of laser lines. When the detection ball is placed in the laser range, at least one laser line will irradiate the spherical surface of the detection ball to form at least one laser point / blocking point. At this time, detecting the distance from the laser line to the spherical surface can obtain at least one distance data. In one possible case, only one laser line irradiates the spherical surface and forms a laser point, and a distance data can be measured. Subsequently, the laser point can be replaced by the detection ball, and the spatial position of the laser point in the laser range is used as the spatial position of the center of the detection ball. By detecting the change of the laser point, the movement of the detection ball can be detected, and then the movement of the end of the robot arm caused by the fall can be detected. In another possible case, if two laser lines irradiate the spherical surface and form two laser points, the center of the two laser points can be calculated based on the two measured distance data, and the center is used as the center of the detection ball to detect the fall of the end of the robot arm. In another possible case, if three laser lines irradiate the spherical surface and form three laser points, the center of the three laser points can be calculated based on the three measured distance data, and the center is used as the center of the detection ball to detect the fall of the end of the robot arm. In another possible situation, if at least four laser lines are irradiated onto the spherical surface and at least four laser points are formed, the center of the detection sphere can be calculated based on the at least four distance data measured, and the center of the sphere can be used as the detection sphere for drop detection of the end of the robot arm.

[0044] For example, see Figure 2 , Figure 2 The present invention provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a surgical robot, the surgical robot includes a trolley, a robotic arm, an end effector device and a detection ball. The end of the robotic arm mentioned above may be the end effector device, such as Figure 2 As shown, the detection ball is mainly installed on the end effector device. Preferably, the diameter of the detection ball can be set to about 20 mm, and can be set to a metal material suitable for laser ranging. For example, the detection ball can be a metal reflective ball. In addition, the detection ball also supports customization to adapt to the end effector device. Adaptation means ensuring that the detection ball and the end move synchronously. In one possible scenario, the end effector device structure of surgical robots for different purposes is different, such as a probe. Therefore, the detection ball can be installed on the end effector device through a connector, the connector is customized according to the end effector device, and the detection ball is set to a standard detection ball, further reducing the cost of fall detection.

[0045] It can be understood that the laser matrix rangefinder also includes a transmission device, which is used to transmit at least one distance data measured by the laser transmitter to the host computer; wherein the host computer is used to execute the robot arm drop detection method, specifically, at least one current position of the detection ball is fitted according to at least one distance data, and the current position refers to the spatial position of the center of the detection ball within the detection range, and the spatial position refers to the coordinate on the xyz axis; then, the detection requirement of drop detection at the end of the robot arm is obtained, and the detection result is generated according to at least one current position and the detection requirement. For a detailed description of the host computer performing robot arm drop detection according to the distance data measured by the laser matrix rangefinder, please refer to the following embodiment.

[0046] For example, see Figure 3 , Figure 3 A robot arm fall detection scene diagram provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, such as Figure 3 As shown, Figure 2 The end effector device in the laser matrix rangefinder is placed in the detection range / laser range of the laser matrix rangefinder, and the end effector device carries the detection ball and moves repeatedly in the laser matrix rangefinder. In addition, when the robot arm is in an emergency stop or power failure in the actual operation scene, the end will produce a certain displacement until the robot arm joint stops. And because the robot arm is set with joint limits, the end movement range is limited. Figure 3 In the scenario shown, the entire laser matrix rangefinder can be set to a small size to improve ease of use.

[0047] Optionally, the laser matrix rangefinder also includes a whole machine frame and a shading plate, the laser emitter and the shading plate are respectively installed on both sides of the whole machine frame, and the whole machine frame is also installed with the transmission device and the emergency stop identification device, wherein: the shading plate is used to block the laser from shooting outward and perform safety protection; the emergency stop identification device is used to generate a collection signal when the end of the robotic arm stops suddenly, and feed the collection signal back to the laser emitter, so that the laser emitter emits laser to the detection ball that falls due to the emergency stop and collects distance data.

[0048] It can be understood that the laser matrix rangefinder also includes a whole machine frame and a light shielding plate, such as Figure 1 As shown, a laser emitter is installed on one side of the whole machine frame, and a shading plate is installed on the other side. The space formed between the laser emitter and the shading plate is the detection range. The whole machine frame is also equipped with a power supply device, an emergency stop recognition device and the above-mentioned transmission device, etc. The emergency stop recognition device can also be understood as a power failure signal capture device, which is mainly used to generate a collection signal when the robot arm is powered off or stopped in an emergency, so as to notify the laser emitter to start data collection. The data refers to distance data, such as Figure 1As shown, an emergency stop power failure identification interface of the emergency stop identification device is provided on one side of the whole machine frame (the side where the light shield is located). Specifically, the whole machine frame is used to respond promptly when the robot arm loses power, and to feed back a signal to the laser transmitter to start data collection and data transmission. Figure 1 As shown, on the other side of the whole machine frame (the side where the laser emitting device / laser emitter is located), an HDMI and a network port of the transmission device are provided, wherein the network port is used to acquire data, and the HDMI is connected to the display for displaying and processing data, as well as for operation control.

[0049] It is understandable that the shading plate is used to block the laser emitted by the laser transmitter and prevent interference from external objects to ensure the accuracy of data collection; on the other hand, it is used to block the laser to prevent injury and provide safety protection. In addition, according to the detection requirements, a laser receiver can be used instead of a shading plate, and each receiver in the laser receiver is set to correspond to each transmitting device in the laser transmitter.

[0050] Optionally, the laser emitter includes multiple laser emitting devices and a control device, wherein: the laser emitting device is used to emit laser to the detection ball; the control device is used to control the laser emission of at least part of the multiple laser emitting devices, and measure at least one distance data of the detection ball.

[0051] It is understandable that each laser transmitter can be used as a miniature rangefinder. The laser transmitter includes multiple laser transmitters and control devices. Multiple laser transmitters are used to transmit lasers to the shading plate. The formed laser matrix is ​​the detection range. The laser transmitter is equipped with a control device inside. The control device can be understood as a central control board. The central control board is equipped with a high-computing chip for controlling laser emission and distance measurement calculation.

[0052] Optionally, the multiple laser emitting devices are arranged vertically and horizontally at preset intervals to form a laser matrix, the diameter of the detection ball is larger than the preset interval, the detection range is within the range of the laser matrix, and the movement range of the detection ball when performing repeated movements during the falling process is within the detection range.

[0053] One possible setting is to set the frequency of the laser transmitter to 60Hz. The laser transmitter consists of 23 groups of laser emitting devices horizontally and 25 groups of laser emitting devices vertically. The spacing between each group is 5mm, forming a laser matrix of 110mm horizontally and 120mm vertically. That is, the laser transmitter has more than 500 laser emitting devices built in. The spacing between each emitting device is 5mm. There are 23 laser emitting devices arranged horizontally and 25 laser emitting devices arranged vertically. Among them, the diameter of the detection ball can be set to 20mm, which is greater than the preset spacing of 5mm and less than the detection range. The detection range is the area delineated in the laser matrix, and the movement range of the detection ball during repeated movement during the fall process is smaller than the detection range. In addition, the detection range can be defined in the laser matrix according to the detection requirements. For example, taking the probe at the end of the robotic arm as an example, its detection range can be divided smaller, and the range composed of 20 laser emitting devices in the horizontal and vertical directions in the laser matrix is ​​divided into the detection range.

[0054] For example, see Figure 4 , Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a laser transmitter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. Figure 4 The laser transmitter shown forms an XYZ three-axis coordinate system in the entire laser matrix. The x-axis is between the laser transmitter and the shading plate, the lateral direction of the laser transmitter is the Y-axis, and the longitudinal direction is the Z-axis. When the detection ball at the end of the robotic arm enters the laser matrix, the laser transmitter can fit the center position of the sphere according to the distance measured by the blocked light beam; when the robotic arm is powered off, the sphere will perform an up and down drop and rebound movement in a short period of time, mainly repeated movement on the Z-axis. When the laser transmitter receives the power-off signal / collection signal of the robotic arm, it starts to collect and transmit the collected real-time data to the host computer; the host computer processes the data, and can analyze the real-time situation of the center position of the sphere in the Z-axis direction over time, and calculate the change in the highest point from the lowest point. At the same time, it can also calculate the changes in the X-direction, Y-direction, Z-direction or spatial coordinates according to the detection requirements, and then calculate and output the data results according to the detection requirements.

[0055] For example, see Figure 5 , Figure 5 A flowchart of the use of a laser matrix rangefinder provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, taking a surgical robot as an example, specifically includes the following steps:

[0056] 1) Position and fix the robotic arm trolley, and install a detection ball at the end; 2) Preliminarily position the laser matrix rangefinder, place it in the commonly used surgical area of ​​the surgical robot, and place it steadily; 3) Perform wiring operations on the laser matrix rangefinder to ensure normal operation; 4) Drag the detection ball at the end of the robotic arm into the laser matrix; 5) Run the pre-set up and down repeated movement program of the robotic arm, and ensure that the detection ball at the end of the robotic arm is always within the detection range; 6) Make an emergency stop or cut off the power to stop the robotic arm; 7) The laser matrix rangefinder performs real-time position monitoring during the robotic arm's limit drop process and transmits data to the host computer; 8) The host computer selects the required change amount according to the test requirements and performs data processing; 9) Output the data report.

[0057] It can be understood that the wiring operations of the above-mentioned laser matrix rangefinder include: ① connecting the power cord; ② connecting the surgical robot emergency stop / power off identification interface; ③ connecting the external data transmission line, which can be connected to the surgical robot main computer or other computers; ④ starting the machine and checking the operating status of the machine (robotic arm and laser matrix rangefinder).

[0058] It can be understood that after ensuring the normal operation of the robotic arm and the laser matrix rangefinder, drag the detection ball to the center of the laser matrix (or drag it to other positions in the laser matrix). While dragging, you can check the host computer to determine the position information of the detection ball. This is only to define the detection range. If the position is not suitable, make appropriate adjustments to ensure that the detection ball is always within the detection range.

[0059] It is understandable that in a program with repeated up and down movements, the maximum distance of the robot's up and down movement can be set through test cases, thereby defining the detection range in the laser matrix.

[0060] The laser matrix rangefinder provided in the present application places the end of the robotic arm within the detection range of the laser matrix rangefinder, and completes the distance test of the end of the robotic arm falling through laser ranging. It is easy to use and easy to promote. In addition, the metal detection ball installed at the end of the robotic arm also reduces the detection cost to a certain extent compared with the existing detection device.

[0061] Based on the above embodiments, Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a robot arm fall detection method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is applied to a host computer, specifically includes the following steps: Figure 6 The following steps are shown:

[0062] S601. When the end of a robotic arm falls, obtain at least one distance data of a detection ball configured at the end of the robotic arm.

[0063] The distance data is measured when the laser matrix rangefinder emits laser to the detection ball placed within its detection range.

[0064] It is understandable that when the robot arm is powered off or stops suddenly, the end of the robot arm will fall. In this case, the emergency stop recognition device will generate a collection signal and send it to the laser transmitter when the robot arm is powered off or stops suddenly. The laser transmitter will emit a laser to the detection ball configured at the end of the robot arm based on the collection signal and measure at least one distance data of the detection ball. The scenario of using the laser matrix rangefinder to perform a drop test on the end of the robot arm is as follows: Figure 3 As shown. Subsequently, the host computer obtains at least one distance data of the detection ball through the transmission device, wherein the distance data refers to the distance between the laser emitting device and the blocking point when the laser is emitted to the surface of the detection ball and is blocked to form a laser point / blocking point. Specifically, the time from the emission to the reception of the laser beam can be measured by a timer, and then the distance from the rangefinder to the blocking point can be calculated. Based on the above example, the diameter of the detection ball is 20mm, and the preset spacing between the laser emitting devices is 5mm, that is, at the same time, there will be 4 laser emitting devices emitting light beams to the surface of the detection ball, and the number of blocking points is 4. At least one distance data refers to the 4 distance data between the 4 blocking points and the corresponding laser emitting devices.

[0065] It is understandable that before the end of the robotic arm falls, the end of the robotic arm may be in a stationary state or in a moving state. Regardless of the state of the end of the robotic arm before it falls, the distance data after or during the fall can be measured by the laser matrix rangefinder.

[0066] S602: Fit at least one current position of the detection ball according to the at least one distance data.

[0067] The current position refers to the spatial position of the center of the detection ball within the detection range.

[0068] It is understandable that, based on the above S601, after obtaining at least one distance data of the detection ball at at least one time when it falls, at least one current position of the detection ball is fitted according to the at least one distance data, and the current position refers to the spatial position of the center of the detection ball within the detection range. For example, data at 4 times are measured, and each time corresponds to 4 distance data. The center position of the ball at each time can be calculated based on the 4 distance data, and the center position of the ball at 4 times can be calculated accordingly. The center position is the three-axis (XYZ) position (current position) at the current time. According to the center position of the ball at 4 times, the change in the three axes of the end of the robot arm caused by falling can be analyzed.

[0069] Optionally, fitting at least one current position of the detection ball according to the at least one distance data in S602 can be implemented by the following steps:

[0070] Identify at least one blocking point formed on the surface of the detection ball by at least one laser emitted by the laser matrix rangefinder; wherein each blocking point has a corresponding distance; calculate the target position of each blocking point within the detection range according to the target distance corresponding to each blocking point in the at least one distance data; and fit at least one current position of the detection ball through the target position of each blocking point.

[0071] It can be understood that the laser matrix composed of multiple lasers emitted by the laser transmitter is the detection range. Within the detection range, multiple laser beams may hit the surface of the detection ball to form multiple blocking points, and each blocking point has a corresponding target distance. Then, the target position of each blocking point within the detection range is estimated based on the target distance. The target position refers to the spatial coordinates on XYZ. After determining the spatial coordinates of each blocking point, the current position of the detection ball is fitted based on multiple spatial coordinates.

[0072] The target position includes multiple coordinate values ​​on multiple coordinate axes, and the multiple coordinate axes include a first axis, a second axis, and a third axis.

[0073] It can be understood that the multiple coordinate axes refer to the XYZ axes. The following embodiment takes the first axis as the Z axis, the second axis as the X axis and the third axis as the Y axis as an example to explain in detail the process of calculating the center position of the ball.

[0074] Optionally, fitting at least one current position of the detection ball through the target position of each blocking point can be implemented by the following steps:

[0075] A first arc on a first plane is fitted by a first coordinate value on the first axis and a second coordinate value on the second axis; wherein the first plane refers to a plane formed by the first axis and the second axis; a second arc on a second plane is fitted by the first coordinate value and a third coordinate value on the third axis; wherein the second plane refers to a plane formed by the first axis and the third axis; the multiple coordinate values ​​include the first coordinate value, the second coordinate value and the third coordinate value; a virtual sphere of the detection ball is fitted by the first arc and the second arc, and at least one current position of the virtual sphere is calculated.

[0076] It is understandable that for a certain blocking point, the first arc of the first plane is fitted through the first coordinate value on the first axis and the second coordinate value on the second axis, that is, the arc of the XZ plane is fitted according to the (x, z) coordinates of the certain blocking point. The second arc of the second plane is fitted through the first coordinate value and the third coordinate value on the third axis, that is, the arc of the YZ plane is fitted according to the (y, z) coordinates of the certain blocking point. Each blocking point can be fitted with an XZ plane arc and a YZ plane arc, and the sphere of the detection ball is fitted through the XZ plane arc and the YZ plane arc of all blocking points at the current moment, and the coordinates of the center of the sphere (x, y, z) at the current moment are calculated. It is understandable that the fitting algorithm can use the least squares method, and other fitting algorithms are not described here.

[0077] For example, see Figure 7 , Figure 7 A flowchart for calculating the center position of a ball provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure specifically includes the following steps: Figure 7 The following steps are shown:

[0078] 1) Receive the emergency stop signal generated after the end of the robot arm stops suddenly; 2) Laser identify and obtain the spatial coordinates of the blocking point on the surface of the detection ball; 3) Fit the arc of the XY plane through the (x, y) coordinates of the blocking point; 4) Fit the arc of the XZ plane through the (x, z) coordinates of the blocking point; 5) Fit the sphere through the arc of the XY plane and the arc of the XZ plane, and calculate the coordinates of the center of the sphere (x, y, z); 6) Upload the coordinates of the center of the sphere that reflect the change of the position of the sphere in real time; 7) Select the required coordinate data according to the needs and output the detection data.

[0079] Understandable, Figure 7 The specific implementation steps of 1)-7) shown in FIG. 1 can be found in the above embodiment and will not be described in detail here.

[0080] For example, see Figure 8 , Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a plane and a sphere provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 8 The planes shown are the XY plane and the XZ plane. In the XY plane, points 1 to 4 refer to blocking points 1 to 4. The coordinates of blocking point 1 are marked as (x1, y1). Between point 1 and point 2 is an arc in the XY plane, recorded as arc 1. Between point 2 and point 3 is an arc in the XY plane, recorded as arc 2. By analogy, four arcs are determined. Based on the four arcs, the circle on the XY plane can be determined. By analogy, the circle on the XZ plane can be determined. Finally, a sphere is fitted through the circle on the XY plane and the circle on the XZ plane, and the coordinates of the sphere (x, y, z) are calculated.

[0081] S603: Obtain a detection requirement for the end of the robotic arm to perform fall detection, and generate a detection result according to the at least one current position and the detection requirement.

[0082] It is understandable that, based on the above S602, the detection requirements for the end of the robot arm to perform fall detection are obtained, wherein the detection requirements include dynamic requirements for dynamic position change detection or static requirements for static position change detection, and the dynamic requirements refer to the dynamic data changes during the fall of the end of the robot arm, and the static requirements refer to the static data changes before and after the fall of the end of the robot arm. After determining the detection requirements, a detection result is generated according to at least one current position and the detection requirements. For specific implementation steps, refer to the following embodiments.

[0083] Optionally, the detection ball and the end of the robotic arm have the same motion state, the detection requirements include static requirements and dynamic requirements, and before the end of the robotic arm falls, the method further includes:

[0084] When the robotic arm is in a powered-on state, the current state of the detection ball is determined; when the current state is a stationary state, the initial position of the detection ball is measured; the detection result is generated according to the at least one current position and the detection requirement, including: calculating the static position change of the detection ball according to the initial position and the current position, and generating a detection result that meets the static requirement; wherein the initial position refers to the static position of the center of the detection ball within the detection range when the detection ball is stationary, and the current position is measured after the detection ball falls and comes to a standstill; or, when the current state is a moving state, the detection result is generated according to the at least one current position and the detection requirement, including: calculating the dynamic position change of the detection ball according to the at least one current position, and generating a detection result that meets the dynamic requirement; wherein the at least one current position refers to the dynamic position of the center of the detection ball when the detection ball repeatedly moves during the falling process.

[0085] It is understandable that when the robotic arm is in the power-on state, before performing the drop detection, the current state of the detection ball or the end of the robotic arm is determined. The current state is a static state or a moving state. The static state means that the robotic arm remains in a certain position, and the moving state means that the robotic arm is moving. In one possible situation, when the current state is a static state, before performing the drop detection, the initial position of the detection ball is measured. The initial position refers to the spatial position of the center of the ball within the detection range when the detection ball is stationary. After the detection ball falls and stops, the current position of the detection ball is measured by a laser matrix rangefinder. In this case, the current position is measured after the detection ball falls and stops. Then, the static position change of the end of the robotic arm can be analyzed based on the initial position and the current position. Another possible situation is that when the current state is a moving state, that is, the robotic arm moves repeatedly at the maximum working speed (there are no clear requirements for direction and position, only speed), after an emergency stop or power failure, during the falling process of the detection ball, the current position of the detection ball is measured in real time by the laser matrix rangefinder, that is, from the moment of power failure until the movement of the robotic arm stops, the position change of the end of the robotic arm is recorded throughout the whole process. In this case, the current position is measured in real time during the falling process of the detection ball, and then the dynamic position change of the end of the robotic arm can be analyzed according to the current position at each moment during the falling process.

[0086] Optionally, calculating the dynamic position change of the detection ball according to the at least one current position to generate a detection result that meets the dynamic requirement can be specifically implemented through the following steps:

[0087] The movement of the center of the ball along the target axis over time is analyzed based on the at least one current position, and the maximum coordinate value and the minimum coordinate value of the center of the ball moving along the target axis are determined; the difference between the maximum coordinate value and the minimum coordinate value is calculated to obtain the dynamic position change of the detection ball, and a detection result that meets the dynamic requirements is generated.

[0088] It can be understood that, taking the detection of the dynamic position change of the end of the robotic arm as an example, based on a series of current positions calculated during the falling process, the movement of the center of the ball on the target axis over time is analyzed, wherein the detection requirements include the target axis to be analyzed for changes. After completing the time change analysis on the target axis, the maximum and minimum coordinate values ​​of the movement of the center of the ball on the target axis are determined, and the difference between the maximum and minimum coordinate values ​​is calculated to obtain the dynamic position change. For example, after obtaining all the positions calculated during the falling process, the highest and lowest values ​​of the movement of the end in the vertical direction (Z axis) are extracted, and the difference is calculated to obtain the dynamic falling position change of the robotic arm.

[0089] Understandably, a position change table can also be generated based on a series of current coordinates to intuitively display the falling condition of the robotic arm.

[0090] The robot arm fall detection method provided in the present application can be used for static position change measurement and dynamic position change measurement. Through a flexible and easy-to-use laser matrix rangefinder, during the robot arm fall process, the distance data of the detection ball installed at the end of the robot arm is measured in real time, and the dynamic coordinate data of the center of the detection ball during the fall process is calculated, and then the dynamic position change of the robot arm fall is calculated, which reduces the detection cost while ensuring the detection accuracy.

[0091] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a mechanical arm fall detection device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure Fig. 9 The robot arm fall detection device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can execute the processing flow provided in the robot arm fall detection method embodiment, such as Fig. 9 As shown, the apparatus 900 includes an acquisition unit 901, a fitting unit 902 and a generation unit 903, wherein:

[0092] The acquisition unit 901 is used to acquire at least one distance data of a detection ball configured at the end of the robotic arm when the end of the robotic arm falls; wherein the distance data is measured when the laser matrix rangefinder emits a laser to the detection ball placed in its detection range;

[0093] A fitting unit 902 is used to fit at least one current position of the detection ball according to the at least one distance data; wherein the current position refers to the spatial position of the center of the detection ball within the detection range;

[0094] The generating unit 903 is used to obtain a detection requirement for the end of the robot arm to perform fall detection, and to generate a detection result according to the at least one current position and the detection requirement.

[0095] Optionally, the fitting unit 902:

[0096] Identify at least one blocking point formed on the surface of the detection ball by at least one laser emitted by the laser matrix rangefinder; wherein each blocking point has a corresponding distance;

[0097] Calculate the target position of each blocking point within the detection range according to the target distance corresponding to each blocking point in the at least one distance data;

[0098] At least one current position of the detection ball is fitted through the target position of each blocking point.

[0099] The target position includes multiple coordinate values ​​on multiple coordinate axes, and the multiple coordinate axes include a first axis, a second axis, and a third axis.

[0100] Optionally, the fitting unit 902:

[0101] Fitting a first arc on a first plane through a first coordinate value on the first axis and a second coordinate value on the second axis; wherein the first plane refers to a plane formed by the first axis and the second axis;

[0102] Fitting a second arc on a second plane through the first coordinate value and the third coordinate value on the third axis; wherein the second plane refers to a plane formed by the first axis and the third axis; and the multiple coordinate values ​​include the first coordinate value, the second coordinate value and the third coordinate value;

[0103] A virtual sphere of the detection ball is fitted by using the first arc and the second arc, and at least one current position of the virtual sphere is calculated.

[0104] Wherein, the detection ball and the end of the robotic arm have the same action state.

[0105] Optionally, the device 900 is further used for:

[0106] When the robot arm is in a powered-on state, determining a current state of the detection ball;

[0107] When the current state is a stationary state, the initial position of the detection ball is measured; the generating of the detection result according to the at least one current position and the detection requirement includes: calculating the static position change of the detection ball according to the initial position and the current position, and generating a detection result that meets the static requirement; wherein the initial position refers to the static position of the center of the detection ball within the detection range when the detection ball is stationary, and the current position is measured after the detection ball falls and stops; or,

[0108] When the current state is a moving state, generating a detection result based on the at least one current position and the detection requirement includes: calculating the dynamic position change of the detection ball based on the at least one current position, and generating a detection result that meets the dynamic requirement; wherein, the at least one current position refers to the dynamic position of the center of the ball when the detection ball moves repeatedly during the falling process.

[0109] Optionally, the generating unit 903 is used for:

[0110] Analyzing the movement of the center of the ball along the target axis over time according to the at least one current position, and determining the maximum coordinate value and the minimum coordinate value of the center of the ball moving along the target axis;

[0111] The difference between the maximum coordinate value and the minimum coordinate value is calculated to obtain the dynamic position change of the detection ball, and generate a detection result that meets the dynamic requirement.

[0112] Fig. 9 The robotic arm fall detection device of the illustrated embodiment can be used to implement the technical solution of the above-mentioned method embodiment. Its implementation principle and technical effects are similar and will not be repeated here.

[0113] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.10 , which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device 1000 suitable for implementing the embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic device 1000 in the embodiment of the present disclosure may include, but is not limited to, mobile terminals such as mobile phones, laptop computers, digital broadcast receivers, PDAs (personal digital assistants), PADs (tablet computers), PMPs (portable multimedia players), vehicle terminals (such as vehicle navigation terminals), wearable electronic devices, etc., and fixed terminals such as digital TVs, desktop computers, smart home devices, etc. Fig.10 The electronic device shown is only an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0114] like Fig.10 As shown, the electronic device 1000 may include a processing device 1001 (e.g., a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, etc.), which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 1002 or a program loaded from a storage device 1008 to a random access memory (RAM) 1003 to implement the robot arm fall detection method of the embodiment described in the present disclosure. In the RAM 1003, various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 1000 are also stored. The processing device 1001, the ROM 1002, and the RAM 1003 are connected to each other via a bus 1004. An input / output (I / O) interface 1005 is also connected to the bus 1004.

[0115] Typically, the following devices may be connected to the I / O interface 1005: an input device 1006 including, for example, a touch screen, a touch pad, a keyboard, a mouse, a camera, a microphone, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, etc.; an output device 1007 including, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a speaker, a vibrator, etc.; a storage device 1008 including, for example, a magnetic tape, a hard disk, etc.; and a communication device 1009. The communication device 1009 may allow the electronic device 1000 to communicate with other devices wirelessly or by wire to exchange data. Although Fig.10The electronic device 1000 is shown with various devices, but it should be understood that it is not required to implement or possess all the devices shown. More or fewer devices may be implemented or possessed instead.

[0116] In particular, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the process described above with reference to the flowchart can be implemented as a computer software program. For example, an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a computer program product, which includes a computer program carried on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and the computer program contains a program code for executing the method shown in the flowchart, thereby implementing the robot arm fall detection method as described above. In such an embodiment, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from the network through the communication device 1009, or installed from the storage device 1008, or installed from the ROM 1002. When the computer program is executed by the processing device 1001, the above-mentioned functions defined in the method of the embodiment of the present disclosure are executed.

[0117] It should be noted that the computer-readable medium disclosed above may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium or any combination of the above two. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or device, or any combination of the above. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that may be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, device or device. In the present disclosure, a computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in a baseband or as part of a carrier wave, in which a computer-readable program code is carried. This propagated data signal may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to an electromagnetic signal, an optical signal, or any suitable combination of the above. The computer readable signal medium may also be any computer readable medium other than a computer readable storage medium, which may send, propagate or transmit a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus or device. The program code contained on the computer readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to: wires, optical cables, RF (radio frequency), etc., or any suitable combination of the above.

[0118] In some embodiments, the client and the server may communicate using any currently known or future developed network protocol such as HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol), and may be interconnected with any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include a local area network ("LAN"), a wide area network ("WAN"), an internet (e.g., the Internet), and a peer-to-peer network (e.g., an ad hoc peer-to-peer network), as well as any currently known or future developed network.

[0119] The computer-readable medium may be included in the electronic device, or may exist independently without being incorporated into the electronic device.

[0120] Optionally, when the above one or more programs are executed by the electronic device, the electronic device may also execute other steps described in the above embodiments.

[0121] Computer program code for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be written in one or more programming languages ​​or a combination thereof, including, but not limited to, object-oriented programming languages, such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, and conventional procedural programming languages, such as "C" or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a separate software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0122] The flow chart and block diagram in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architecture, function and operation of the system, method and computer program product according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each square box in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment or a part of a code, and the module, the program segment or a part of the code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some implementations as replacements, the functions marked in the square box can also occur in a sequence different from that marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two square boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each square box in the block diagram and / or flow chart, and the combination of the square boxes in the block diagram and / or flow chart can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0123] The units involved in the embodiments described in the present disclosure may be implemented by software or hardware, wherein the name of a unit does not, in some cases, limit the unit itself.

[0124] The functions described above herein may be performed at least in part by one or more hardware logic components. For example, without limitation, exemplary types of hardware logic components that may be used include: field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application specific standard products (ASSPs), systems on chips (SOCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and the like.

[0125] In the context of the present disclosure, a machine-readable medium may be a tangible medium that may contain or store a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device, or equipment. A machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. A machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or equipment, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A more specific example of a machine-readable storage medium may include an electrical connection based on one or more lines, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0126] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or gateway that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements that are not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or gateway. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise one..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or gateway that includes the elements.

[0127] The above description is only a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, so that those skilled in the art can understand or implement the present disclosure. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure will not be limited to the embodiments described herein, but will conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a robot falling, characterized in that: The method comprises: In the case where the end of the robotic arm falls, obtaining at least one distance data of a detection ball configured at the end of the robotic arm; wherein the distance data is measured when a laser matrix rangefinder emits a laser to the detection ball placed within its detection range; Fitting at least one current position of the detection ball according to the at least one distance data; wherein the current position refers to the spatial position of the center of the detection ball within the detection range; A detection requirement for performing fall detection at the end of the robotic arm is obtained, and a detection result is generated according to the at least one current position and the detection requirement.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of fitting at least one current position of the detection ball according to the at least one distance data comprises: Identify at least one blocking point formed on the surface of the detection ball by at least one laser emitted by the laser matrix rangefinder; wherein each blocking point has a corresponding distance; Calculate the target position of each blocking point within the detection range according to the target distance corresponding to each blocking point in the at least one distance data; At least one current position of the detection ball is fitted through the target position of each blocking point.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The target position includes multiple coordinate values ​​on multiple coordinate axes, the multiple coordinate axes include a first axis, a second axis, and a third axis, and fitting at least one current position of the detection ball through the target position of each blocking point includes: Fitting a first arc on a first plane through a first coordinate value on the first axis and a second coordinate value on the second axis; wherein the first plane refers to a plane formed by the first axis and the second axis; Fitting a second arc on a second plane through the first coordinate value and the third coordinate value on the third axis; wherein the second plane refers to a plane formed by the first axis and the third axis; and the multiple coordinate values ​​include the first coordinate value, the second coordinate value and the third coordinate value; A virtual sphere of the detection ball is fitted by using the first arc and the second arc, and at least one current position of the virtual sphere is calculated.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection ball and the end of the robotic arm have the same motion state, the detection requirements include static requirements and dynamic requirements, and before the end of the robotic arm falls, the method further includes: When the robot arm is in a powered-on state, determining a current state of the detection ball; When the current state is a stationary state, the initial position of the detection ball is measured; the generating of the detection result according to the at least one current position and the detection requirement includes: calculating the static position change of the detection ball according to the initial position and the current position, and generating a detection result that meets the static requirement; wherein the initial position refers to the static position of the center of the detection ball within the detection range when the detection ball is stationary, and the current position is measured after the detection ball falls and stops; or, When the current state is a moving state, generating a detection result based on the at least one current position and the detection requirement includes: calculating the dynamic position change of the detection ball based on the at least one current position, and generating a detection result that meets the dynamic requirement; wherein, the at least one current position refers to the dynamic position of the center of the ball when the detection ball moves repeatedly during the falling process.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The step of calculating the dynamic position change of the detection ball according to the at least one current position and generating a detection result that meets the dynamic requirement includes: Analyzing the movement of the center of the ball along the target axis over time according to the at least one current position, and determining the maximum coordinate value and the minimum coordinate value of the center of the ball moving along the target axis; The difference between the maximum coordinate value and the minimum coordinate value is calculated to obtain the dynamic position change of the detection ball, and generate a detection result that meets the dynamic requirement.

6. A robot arm fall detection device, characterized in that: The mechanical arm fall detection device comprises a laser matrix rangefinder and a detection device, wherein the laser matrix rangefinder comprises a laser transmitter and a transmission device, wherein: The laser transmitter is used to transmit laser to a detection ball disposed at the end of the robotic arm within its detection range when the end of the robotic arm falls, and to measure at least one distance data of the detection ball; The transmission device is used to transmit the at least one distance data to the detection device; The detection device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that The laser matrix rangefinder further comprises a whole machine frame and a shading plate, wherein the laser emitter and the shading plate are respectively mounted on both sides of the whole machine frame, and the whole machine frame is also equipped with the transmission device and the emergency stop identification device, wherein: The shading plate is used to block the laser from being emitted and provide safety protection; The emergency stop recognition device is used to generate a collection signal when the end of the robotic arm stops suddenly, and feed the collection signal back to the laser emitter, so that the laser emitter emits laser to the detection ball that falls due to the emergency stop and collects distance data.

8. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that The laser transmitter comprises a plurality of laser emitting devices and a control device, wherein: The laser emitting device is used to emit laser light to the detection ball; The control device is used to control the laser emission of at least part of the multiple laser emitting devices and measure at least one distance data of the detection ball.

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that The multiple laser emitting devices are arranged vertically and horizontally at preset intervals to form a laser matrix, the diameter of the detection ball is larger than the preset interval, the detection range is within the range of the laser matrix, and the movement range of the detection ball when performing repeated movements during the falling process is within the detection range.

10. A robot arm fall detection device, characterized in that: The device comprises: An acquisition unit, used for acquiring at least one distance data of a detection ball configured at the end of the robotic arm when the end of the robotic arm falls; wherein the distance data is measured when a laser matrix rangefinder emits a laser to the detection ball placed within its detection range; A fitting unit, used for fitting at least one current position of the detection ball according to the at least one distance data; wherein the current position refers to the spatial position of the center of the detection ball within the detection range; A generating unit is used to obtain a detection requirement for the end of the robot arm to perform fall detection, and to generate a detection result according to the at least one current position and the detection requirement.

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