Method for monitoring health of robot and health monitoring system for robot

Abstract

A method for monitoring the health of a robot and a health monitoring system for a robot. The method comprises: acquiring measurement data associated with a health condition of the robot (2001); generating a two-dimensional (2D) barcode based on the measurement data, the 2D barcode including information associated with a health condition of the robot (2002); and displaying the 2D barcode on the display (2003). According to the method and the system, sensitive data leakage and other network security problems of the robot system can be reduced or eliminated, and the user experience is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of robotics, and more particularly to a method for monitoring the health of a robot and a health monitoring system for a robot. Background Art

[0002] An industrial robot generally refers to a mechanical device having one or more joints or degrees of freedom. Robots are widely used in various industrial fields to achieve automated processing and manufacturing. During automated processing and manufacturing, anomalies or failures of the robot will result in unqualified products or production stoppages and production delays, thus causing economic losses. Therefore, it is necessary and important to maintain the robot, especially predictive maintenance.

[0003] Maintaining a robot requires regular monitoring of the operation and health status of the robot. However, due to issues such as customer concerns about their production-sensitive data, controller connection, network security, etc., how to successfully collect robot operation data on-site has always been challenging. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for monitoring the health of a robot and a health monitoring system for a robot.

[0005] In a first aspect, a method for monitoring the health of a robot is provided. The method includes: obtaining measurement data associated with the health status of the robot; generating a two-dimensional (2D) barcode based on the measurement data, the 2D barcode including information associated with the health status of the robot; and displaying the 2D barcode on a display (such as a teach pendant unit (TPU)) connected to the robot controller.

[0006] In some embodiments, generating a 2D barcode based on the measurement data includes: generating at least one metric value at a predefined time interval based on the measurement data, the at least one metric value indicating the health status of the robot; and generating a 2D barcode including the latest at least one metric value in response to a user request.

[0007] In some embodiments, the 2D barcode further includes at least one of time information and identification information of the robot.

[0008] In some embodiments, the 2D barcode includes a Quick Response Code.

[0009] In a second aspect, a method for monitoring the health of a robot is provided. The method includes: scanning a two-dimensional (2D) barcode displayed on a display of a control device of the robot; decoding the 2D barcode to obtain information associated with the health status of the robot; and transmitting the information associated with the health status of the robot to a server.

[0010] In some embodiments, the 2D barcode includes website information of a server, and the method further includes: accessing the server according to the website information after decoding the 2D barcode.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving, from the server, an evaluation result regarding the health of the robot.

[0012] In a third aspect, there is provided a method for monitoring the health of a robot. The method includes: receiving, from a user device, information associated with the health status of the robot; evaluating the health of the robot based on the information associated with the health status of the robot; and transmitting the evaluation result to the user device.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining, based on historical information associated with the health status of the robot, when the robot will enter an unhealthy state; and transmitting the determined information to the user device.

[0014] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the length of time since the evaluation result was last transmitted to the user device; and in response to the length of time exceeding a time threshold, transmitting a reminder message to the user device.

[0015] In some embodiments, the method further includes: comparing health-related data of the robot with health-related data of robots used by other users or in other applications, and transmitting, to the user device, advice information generated based on the comparison to improve the operation of the robot.

[0016] In a fourth aspect, there is provided a control device for a robot. The control device includes: a display; a controller configured to: acquire measurement data associated with the health status of the robot; and generate a two-dimensional (2D) barcode based on the measurement data, the 2D barcode including information associated with the health status of the robot; and display the 2D barcode on the display.

[0017] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: determine at least one metric value indicating the health status of the robot at predefined time intervals based on the measurement data; and in response to a user request, generate a 2D barcode including the latest at least one metric value.

[0018] In some embodiments, the 2D barcode further includes at least one of time information and identification information of the robot.

[0019] In some embodiments, the 2D barcode includes a Quick Response code.

[0020] In a fifth aspect, a user device is provided. The user device includes: at least one optoelectronic sensor configured to scan a two-dimensional (2D) barcode displayed on a display of a control device for a robot; at least one processing unit; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processing unit and storing instructions executable by the at least one processing unit, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the device to: decode the 2D barcode to obtain information associated with the health status of the robot; and transmit the information associated with the health status of the robot to a server.

[0021] In some embodiments, the 2D barcode further includes website information of the server, and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, further cause the device to: access the server according to the website information after decoding the 2D barcode.

[0022] In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, further cause the device to: receive an evaluation result for the health of the robot from the server.

[0023] In a sixth aspect, a server is provided. The server includes: at least one processing unit; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processing unit and storing instructions executable by the at least one processing unit, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the server to: receive information associated with the health status of the robot from a user device; evaluate the health of the robot based on the information associated with the health status of the robot; and transmit the evaluation result to the user device.

[0024] In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, further cause the server to: determine when the robot will fall into an unhealthy state based on historical information associated with the health status of the robot; and transmit the determined information to the user device.

[0025] In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, further cause the server to: determine the length of time since the evaluation result was last transmitted to the user device; and in response to the length of time exceeding a time threshold, transmit a reminder message to the user device.

[0026] In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, further cause the server to: compare the health-related data of the robot with the health-related data of the robot used by other users or in other applications, and transmit the recommended information generated based on the comparison to the user device to improve the operation of the robot.

[0027] In a seventh aspect, a health monitoring system for a robot is provided. The health monitoring system includes: a control device of the robot according to the fourth aspect; a user device according to the fifth aspect; and a server according to the sixth aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The drawings described herein are provided to further explain the present disclosure and form a part of the present disclosure. Example embodiments of the present disclosure and their explanations are used to explain the present disclosure and not to unduly limit the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a robot and a control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0030] Figure 2 A flowchart of a method for monitoring the health of a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a user device and a server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0032] Figure 4 A flowchart of a method for monitoring the health of a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0033] Figure 5 A flowchart of a method for monitoring the health of a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0034] Figure 6 A graph of historical diagnostic data and predicted data of a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0035] Figure 7 Another graph of historical diagnostic data of a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0036] Figure 8A A flowchart of a process for providing robot fault prediction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0037] Figure 8B A flowchart of a process for providing a reminder message in the case of a long time without a health check according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0038] Figure 8C A flowchart of a process for providing advice information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0039] Figure 9 A schematic block diagram of an example device suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0040] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference signs are used to indicate the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation Manner

[0041] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to several example embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. Although example embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the description of these embodiments is only for facilitating those skilled in the art to better understand and thereby implement the present disclosure, rather than limiting the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

[0042] The term "comprise" or "include" and its variants should be understood as open-ended terms meaning "including but not limited to". Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the term "or" should be understood as "and / or". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "operable to" refers to a function, action, movement, or state that can be achieved by an operation caused by a user or an external institution. The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" should be understood as "at least one other embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc. may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may be included hereinafter. The definitions of the terms are consistent throughout this specification unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0043] Unless otherwise stated or limited, the terms "install", "connect", "support", and "couple" and their variants are widely used and cover direct and indirect installation, connection, support, and coupling. In addition, "connect" and "couple" are not limited to physical or mechanical connection or coupling. In the following description, the same reference numerals and labels are used to describe the same, similar, or corresponding parts in the drawings. Other explicit and implicit definitions may be included hereinafter.

[0044] As discussed above, in conventional solutions, there are some problems when collecting robot operation data on-site. For example, in some solutions, a robot controller (such as remote services from ABB and ZDT (zero downtime) from Fanuc) communicates with an external network or a remote server to provide the collected operation data and determine the health of the robot. However, such a connection may lead to the leakage of production or manufacturing data and other network security issues.

[0045] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a 2D barcode containing information associated with the health status of the robot is generated and displayed on a display of a control device of the robot. In this way, according to the maintenance requirements of the robot, the operation data of the robot can be presented on the display and acquired by a user device and a server, so the control device of the robot does not need to be connected to an external network or device in a wireless or wired manner, thereby reducing and eliminating the leakage of sensitive data and other network security issues.

[0046] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a robot 110 and a control device 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The robot 110 may be an industrial robot having one or more joints or degrees of freedom, and the control device 120 is used to control the operation of the robot 110. For example, the robot 110 may perform a predefined motion or operation according to a program instruction preset and stored in the control device 120, and the speed, position, and acceleration of the actuator of the robot 110 in its motion may be appropriately controlled by the control device 120. The control device 120 includes a controller 121 and a display 122. For example, the display 122 may be a teach pendant unit or a part of the teach pendant unit, and may communicate with the controller 121 in a wireless or wired manner. In some examples, the teach pendant unit may include one or more control units that may perform data processing or operations similar to the controller 121, in which case these control units in the teach pendant unit may be regarded as a part of the controller 121. Through the teach pendant unit or the display 122, the operator may interact with the controller 121 or the control device 120. For example, an operator may input program instructions associated with the operation of the robot 110 into the control device 120 so that the robot 110 may operate in a desired manner.

[0047] In addition, a sensing device ( Figure 1 10) or any other device for sensing or detecting the motion of the robot 110, which can provide measurement data to the controller 121 of the control device 120. These sensing devices include, but are not limited to, force sensors, pressure sensors, angle sensors, position sensors, velocity sensors, acceleration sensors, vision sensors, and any other suitable sensors.

[0048] Figure 2 1 shows a flow chart of a method 2000 for monitoring the health of a robot 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 2000 may be implemented by the controller 121 of the control device 120 as described above. For ease of discussion, reference will be made to Figure 1 Describe method 2000.

[0049] In block 2001, the controller 121 obtains measurement data associated with the health status of the robot 110. For example, the controller 121 can collect or receive measurement data from sensing devices installed on or near the robot 110. The measurement data includes, for example, the position, speed, and acceleration of the robot 110 during operation, or other data reflecting the health status of the robot 110.

[0050] In block 2002, the controller 121 generates a two-dimensional (2D) barcode 1221 based on the measurement data, and the 2D barcode 1221 includes information associated with the health status of the robot. Specifically, based on the measurement data associated with the health status of the robot 110, the controller 121 can generate the 2D barcode 1221. The 2D barcode 1221 contains a binary code of black and white squares, and the binary code contains information related to the health of the robot, and this information needs to be provided to the outside for evaluation. In an embodiment, the 2D barcode 1221 includes a Quick Response (QR) code. The QR code has advantages such as a large information storage capacity, support for numbers and multiple alphabets, and strong error correction ability. Alternatively, the 2D barcode can also be of other types, for example, Data Matrix, MaxiCode, Aztec Code, Vericode, PDF417, Ultracode, Code 49, Code 16K, Code one, HanXin Code, etc. In an embodiment, the 2D barcode further includes at least one of time information and identification information of the robot. Specifically, the 2D barcode can further contain some other necessary information, including the identification information of the robot (for example, the serial number of the robot), time information (for example, the time when the 2D barcode is generated or other relevant times), and any other information facilitating the monitoring of the health of the robot.

[0051] In block 2003, the controller 121 displays the 2D barcode 1221 on the display 122. Specifically, the generated 2D barcode 1221 can be shown to the operator by the display 122 as needed. For example, when it is necessary to check the health status of the robot, the user or operator can trigger the controller 121 and the display 122, for example, by inputting a request, and then the generated 2D barcode with the information of the health status of the robot can be presented or shown on the display 122. In this way, the data related to the health of the robot in the control device 120 can be provided to an external device for evaluation and monitoring without establishing a communication connection, thereby reducing and eliminating the risk of leakage of production or manufacturing data caused by wireless and wired communication connections and other network security issues.

[0052] In some embodiments, the controller 121 generates at least one metric value at predefined time intervals based on measurement data, the at least one metric value indicating the health status of the robot 110, and in response to a user request, the controller 121 generates a 2D barcode including the most recent at least one metric value. As an example, the controller 121 may perform periodic diagnostic checks at a predefined frequency or at predefined time intervals. The frequency or time interval may be set or configured by an operator or user, for example, via a teach pendant unit. During the periodic diagnostic checks, the controller 121 collects measurement data while the robot 110 is moving or operating, and processes and calculates the collected data. Through the processing and calculation, one or more metric values indicating the health status of the robot 110 can be derived from the collected data, and the one or more metric values can be stored in the controller 110. When the operator wants to check the health of the robot, he or she can initiate a request to the display 122 or the controller 121 in an appropriate manner (for example, the operator can click an App on the teach pendant unit). Then, in response to the request, the controller 121 will read the most recent metric value stored in the controller 121, and the read metric value together with other optional information forms a 2D barcode.

[0053] In this way, when the user needs to perform a periodic health check on the robot 110, the control device 120 can immediately read the most recent robot data, thereby presenting the required robot data without delay in the form of a 2D barcode. In addition, the information capacity of the 2D barcode is limited, while the amount of measurement data may be very large and exceed the upper limit of the 2D barcode capacity. Therefore, by preprocessing and calculating the measurement data, the data amount can be reduced within the information capacity of the 2D barcode. In addition, another benefit of preprocessing the measurement data is that since the measurement data of the robot 110 involves production data or manufacturing data that is usually relatively sensitive, preprocessing the measurement data in the control device 120 can eliminate the potential risk of sensitive data leakage.

[0054] In addition, it should be noted that in some cases, the above processing and calculation of the measurement data in the control device 120 are not necessary. For example, if the measurement data is not sensitive and the data amount is below the upper limit of the 2D barcode capacity, the measurement data can be directly used to form a 2D barcode without preprocessing.

[0055] Figure 3Shows a schematic diagram of user equipment 130 and server 140 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The user equipment 130 includes at least one optoelectronic sensor, and the user equipment 130 can use the optoelectronic sensor to sense and identify at least the black and white squares in the 2D barcode. In addition, the user equipment 130 can communicate with the server 140. For example, both the user equipment 130 and the server 140 can access a wide area network (WAN) (such as the Internet), a local area network (LAN), or other types of networks, so that data can be transmitted from the user equipment 130 to the server 140 or from the server 140 to the user equipment 130 via the network. Alternatively, the user equipment 130 can be directly connected to the server 140 through point-to-point wireless communications such as Zigbee and Bluetooth. In some cases, the user equipment 130 can be connected to the server 140 through wired communication. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not impose any restrictions on the communication method between the user equipment 130 and the server 140.

[0056] By way of example only, the user equipment 130 can be a smart phone with a camera. However, it should be understood that the user equipment 130 can be any other type of electronic device, including but not limited to laptop computers, tablet computers, cameras, netbooks, smartbooks, ultrabooks, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wearable devices (such as smart watches, smart clothing, smart glasses, and smart wristbands, etc.), or any other suitable device equipped with (multiple) optoelectronic sensors and configured to communicate via wireless or wired media. In addition, in some cases, the user equipment 130 can also be a combination of a 2D barcode scanner and an electronic device, where the electronic device is detachably coupled to the 2D barcode scanner and is not equipped with any optoelectronic sensing components. By way of example only, the server 140 can be a service center. However, it should be understood that the server 130 can be other suitable types of computing or processing devices, such as cloud servers, industrial computers, etc.

[0057] Figure 4 Shows a flowchart of a method 4000 for monitoring the health of the robot 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 4000 can be implemented by the user equipment 130 as described above. For the convenience of discussion, the method 4000 will be described below with reference to Figure 3 Describe the method 4000.

[0058] In block 4001, the user equipment 130 scans the 2D barcode 1221 displayed on the display 122 of the control device 120 of the robot 110. For example, the operator can click on the 2D barcode scanning App in the smart phone (i.e., the user equipment 130) and use the camera in the smart phone to scan or capture the 2D barcode presented on the display 122 of the control device 120, which contains at least information related to the health status of the robot 110.

[0059] In block 4002, the user device 130 decodes the 2D barcode 1221 to obtain information associated with the health status of the robot 110. For example, the 2D barcode 1221 can be decoded by a smart phone and thus obtain information including the health status of the robot or metric values, as well as other optional information (e.g., the serial number of the robot and the time when the 2D barcode was generated).

[0060] In block 4003, the user device 130 transmits the information associated with the health status of the robot 110 to the server 140. For example, the user device 130 can connect to the server (e.g., ABB Service Center) after registration or login. Then, the smart phone can directly or via a network send the decoded information of the 2D barcode to the server 140. Thus, the information in the 2D barcode provided by the control device 120 is finally transmitted to the server 140 for further evaluation. In this way, the required monitoring information can be reliably transmitted from the robot control device 120 to the server 140, and no network-related hardware is required in the robot control device 120, which reduces the setup complexity of the robot system and makes the robot system user-friendly. Moreover, more importantly, using the 2D barcode and the user device 130 to transmit the robot monitor data can reduce or even eliminate the user's concern about data sensitivity.

[0061] In some embodiments, the 2D barcode includes the website information of the server 140, and after decoding the 2D barcode, the user device 130 accesses the server 140 according to the website information. Specifically, the website information of the server 140 (e.g., Uniform Resource Locator, URL) can be provided to the control device 120 in advance, so the website information can form the 2D barcode 1221 together with the above other information. When the user device 130 scans the 2D barcode 1221 displayed on the display 122 and decodes it, the user device 130 can obtain the URL of the server 140 and automatically access the server 140, so there is no need to provide a dedicated App in the user device 130 or preset the website address of the accessed server in the user device 130.

[0062] Figure 5 A flowchart of a method 5000 for monitoring the health of a robot 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The method 5000 can be implemented by the server 140 as described above. For the convenience of discussion, the method 5000 will be described below with reference to Figure 3 Describe the method 5000.

[0063] In block 5001, the server 140 receives information associated with the health status of the robot 110 from the user device 130. Specifically, when a connection is established between the user device 130 and the server 140, the decoded information described in method 4000 can be transmitted from the user device 130 to the server 140.

[0064] In block 5002, the server 140 evaluates the health of the robot 110 based on the information associated with the health status of the robot 110. For example, based on the received data and information, the server 140 can evaluate the health of the robot 110 according to predefined evaluation criteria. In an example, the server 140 can use a specific model or algorithm to process the data. Through analysis and evaluation, the server 140 can determine whether the robot 110 is healthy.

[0065] In block 5003, the server 140 transmits the evaluation result to the user device 130. Thus, the user device 130 receives the evaluation result of the health of the robot from the server 140. Specifically, through the connection between the server 140 and the user device 130, the evaluation result is sent to the user device 130, such as the user's smart phone. In this way, the on-site user or operator will know the health of the robot and whether maintenance is required within a short time after scanning the 2D barcode 1221. In addition, since the evaluation is performed and sent by the server 140, there is no need to embed predefined evaluation criteria in the control device 120 before releasing the robot 110 and its control device 120 to the customer, which makes it possible to facilitate the refinement of the criteria, thereby reducing the risk of missed alarms and false alarms of robot failures.

[0066] In addition, the solution for monitoring the health of the robot according to the present disclosure can further provide a wide range of extended services to the user, thereby further improving the user experience during the use of the robot system. The extended services will be described in detail below.

[0067] Figure 6 A graph showing the historical diagnostic data and predicted data of the robot 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 6 shown, the server 140 determines when the robot 110 will fall into an unhealthy state based on the historical information associated with the health status of the robot 110. For example, the historical data of the past N weeks (indicated by the circles in the Figure 6 graph) can be stored in the server 140, and based on this historical data, the server 140 can predict the data change trend of the robot 110 in the next few days or weeks (indicated by the Figure 6(indicated by the triangles in the figures). Additionally, the thresholds for the health-related data are predefined in the server 140. By comparing the predicted data with the thresholds, the moment when the robot will fall into an unhealthy state can be determined. Then, the server 140 transmits the determined information to the user device 130. For example, the determined information may include the predicted moment of robot failure and some suggestions, such as "Based on the historical health check data of your robot, it may stop working within a few days" and "We suggest that you contact the ABB service center as soon as possible". In this way, a notice about the risk of robot failure can be provided to the user in advance according to the degradation trend, and thus the user can arrange maintenance according to the risk to avoid production interruption due to robot downtime.

[0068] Figure 7 Another graph showing the historical diagnostic data of the robot 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 7 shown, the server 140 determines the length of time since the self-assessment result was last transmitted to the user device 130. Specifically, the server 140 can determine the time or date when the health assessment of the robot was last performed, such as two weeks ago, so as to determine how long it has been since the health assessment of the robot was performed. Then, the server 140 can compare the determined length of time with a time threshold, and if the determined length of time exceeds the time threshold, the server 140 transmits a reminder message to the user device 130. For example, the reminder message may include the date or time of the last assessment and some suggestions, such as "We found that you did not perform a health check on your robot last month" and "We suggest that you can check the health status of your robot". In this way, it is possible to prevent the robot from stopping due to a long lack of health checks, thereby reducing the possibility of unexpected downtime.

[0069] In addition, in some embodiments, the server 140 compares the health-related data of the robot 110 with the health-related data of robots used by other users or in other applications, and the server 140 transmits the recommended information generated based on the comparison to the user device 130 to improve the operation of the robot 110. For example, there may be other users and applications similar to the users and applications of the robot 110, and the good and bad operating habits of these users and applications for the robot can be referred to by the users of the robot 110. In this way, the operation of the robot can be improved, thereby reducing the possibility of robot failure and extending the service life of the robot.

[0070] Figure 8A A flowchart showing a process 8000A for providing robot failure prediction according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The process 8000A can be implemented by the server 140 as described above.

[0071] In block 8001A, the server 140 determines when the robot 110 will enter an unhealthy state based on historical information associated with the health status of the robot 110.

[0072] In block 8002A, the server 140 transmits the determined information to the user device 130.

[0073] Figure 8B A flowchart of a process 8000B for providing reminder information in the case of a long time without a health check according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The process 8000B can be implemented by the server 140 as described above.

[0074] In block 8001B, the server 140 determines the length of time since the self - assessment result was last transmitted to the user device 130.

[0075] In block 8002B, the server 140 compares the length of time with a time threshold.

[0076] In block 8003B, if the length of time exceeds the time threshold, the server 140 transmits reminder information to the user device 130.

[0077] Figure 8C A flowchart of a process 8000C for providing advice information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The process 8000C can be implemented by the server 140 as described above.

[0078] In block 8001C, the server 140 compares the health - related data of the robot 110 with the health - related data of robots used by other users or in other applications.

[0079] In block 8002C, the server 140 transmits the advice information generated based on the comparison to the user device 130 to improve the operation of the robot 110.

[0080] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the health - related data can be transmitted from the robot control device to the server in the way of scanning a 2D bar code, which avoids the communication connection between the robot control device and external devices or networks, thus eliminating sensitive data leakage and other network security problems. In addition, the solution of the present disclosure makes the robot system more user - friendly. For example, such a robot system can be accepted by small and medium - sized enterprises (SMEs) with low or no digitalization, can provide more extended services to users and improve the user experience. Moreover, since there is no need to embed evaluation criteria in the robot controller before releasing the robot product to users, and the evaluation criteria can be easily refined at the service center, the risk of missed alarms and false alarms is reduced.

[0081] According to other aspects of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic device that can implement the embodiments of the present disclosure as described above. Figure 9 FIG. shows a schematic block diagram of an exemplary device 900 suitable for implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the control device 120, the user device 130, and the server 140 can be implemented by the device 900. As shown therein, the device 900 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 901, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes based on computer program instructions stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 902 or computer program instructions loaded from a storage section 908 into a random access memory (RAM) 903. In the RAM 903, various programs and data required for the operation of the device 900 are further stored. The CPU 901, the ROM 902, and the RAM 903 are connected to each other via a bus 904. An input / output (I / O) interface 905 is also connected to the bus 904.

[0082] The following components in the device 900 are connected to the I / O interface 905: an input unit 906, such as a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output unit 907, such as various types of displays, speakers, etc.; a memory unit 908, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, etc.; and a communication unit 909, such as a network card, a modem, a wireless communication transceiver, etc. The communication unit 909 allows the device 900 to exchange information / data with other devices through a computer network such as the Internet and / or various types of telecommunication networks.

[0083] The above various processes and processes (such as methods 2000, 4000, 5000) can be executed by the processing unit 901. For example, in some embodiments, the methods 2000, 4000, 5000 can be implemented as a computer software program, which is tangibly embodied on a machine-readable medium (such as the storage unit 908). In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program can be loaded and / or installed onto the device 900 via the ROM 902 and / or the communication unit 909. When the computer program is loaded into the RAM 903 and executed by the CPU 901, one or more actions of the methods 2000, 4000, 5000 as described above can be executed.

[0084] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided one or more computer-readable storage media having computer-readable program instructions thereon for executing various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0085] A computer-readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer-readable storage medium can be, by way of example and not limitation, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium includes the following: a portable computer floppy disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as a punch card or raised structures in grooves recorded thereon with instructions, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. As used herein, a computer-readable storage medium should not be construed to be a transient signal per se, such as, a radio wave or other freely propagating electromagnetic wave, an electromagnetic wave propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., a light pulse passing through an optical fiber cable), or an electrical signal transmitted through a wire.

[0086] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to a corresponding computing / processing device, or downloaded to an external computer or external storage device via a network (e.g., the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network). The network can include copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions for storage in a computer-readable storage medium within the corresponding computing / processing device.

[0087] The computer-readable program instructions for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-related instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages (such as Smalltalk, C++ etc.) and conventional procedural programming languages (such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages). The computer-readable program instructions may be executed entirely on a user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer, or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the case of 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 make a connection to an external computer (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, the electronic circuit system may be customized by utilizing the state information of the computer-readable program instructions, such as a programmable logic circuit system, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a programmable logic array (PLA). The electronic circuit system may execute the computer-readable program instructions to perform various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0088] Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0089] These computer-readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions executed via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer-readable storage medium storing the instructions comprises an article of manufacture including instructions that implement various aspects of the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0090] Computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby enabling the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to implement the functions / acts specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0091] It should be understood that the above detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to illustrate or explain the principles of the present disclosure and do not limit the present disclosure. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure should be included within the protection scope of the present disclosure. At the same time, the appended claims of the present disclosure are intended to cover all changes and modifications falling within the scope and boundaries of the claims, or equivalents of the scope and boundaries.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the health of a robot, comprising: Obtaining measurement data associated with the health status of the robot; Generating a two-dimensional (2D) barcode based on the measurement data, the 2D barcode including information associated with the health status of the robot; And Displaying the 2D barcode on a display.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the 2D barcode based on the measurement data includes: Generating at least one metric value at predefined time intervals based on the measurement data, the at least one metric value indicating the health status of the robot; And Generating the 2D barcode including the latest at least one metric value in response to a user request.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the 2D barcode further includes at least one of time information and identification information of the robot.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the 2D barcode includes a Quick Response Code.

5. A method for monitoring the health of a robot, comprising: Scanning a two-dimensional (2D) barcode displayed on a display of a control device of the robot; Decoding the 2D barcode to obtain information associated with the health status of the robot; And Transmitting the information associated with the health status of the robot to a server.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the 2D barcode includes website information of the server, and wherein the method further includes: Accessing the server according to the website information after decoding the 2D barcode.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: Receiving an evaluation result for the health of the robot from the server.

8. A method for monitoring the health of a robot, comprising: Receiving information associated with the health status of the robot from a user device; Evaluating the health of the robot based on the information associated with the health status of the robot; And Transmitting the evaluation result to the user device.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: Determining when the robot will fall into an unhealthy state based on historical information associated with the health status of the robot; And Transmitting the determined information to the user device.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: Determining the length of time since the evaluation result was last transmitted to the user device; And Transmitting a reminder message to the user device in response to the length of time exceeding a time threshold.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: Comparing the health-related data of the robot with the health-related data of robots used by other users or in other applications, and Transmitting the recommended information generated based on the comparison to the user device to improve the operation of the robot.

12. A control device for a robot, comprising: A display; A controller configured to: Obtain measurement data associated with the health status of the robot; And Generate a two-dimensional (2D) barcode based on the measurement data, the 2D barcode including information associated with the health condition of the robot; and Display the 2D barcode on the display.

13. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to: Determine at least one metric value at a predefined time interval based on the measurement data, the at least one metric value indicating the health condition of the robot; and In response to a user request, generate the 2D barcode including the latest at least one metric value.

14. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the 2D barcode further includes at least one of time information and identification information of the robot.

15. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the 2D barcode includes a Quick Response (QR) code.

16. A user device, comprising: At least one optoelectronic sensor configured to scan a two-dimensional (2D) barcode displayed on a display of a control device for a robot; At least one processing unit; And At least one memory coupled to the at least one processing unit and storing instructions executable by the at least one processing unit, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the device to: Decode the 2D barcode to obtain information associated with the health condition of the robot; and Transmit the information associated with the health condition of the robot to a server.

17. The user device according to claim 16, wherein the 2D barcode further includes website information of the server, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, further cause the device to: Access the server according to the website information after decoding the 2D barcode.

18. The user device according to claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, further cause the device to: Receive an evaluation result for the health of the robot from the server.

19. A server, comprising: At least one processing unit; And At least one memory coupled to the at least one processing unit and storing instructions executable by the at least one processing unit, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the server to: Receive information associated with the health condition of a robot from a user device; Evaluate the health of the robot based on the information associated with the health condition of the robot; And Transmit the evaluation result to the user device.

20. The server according to claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, further cause the server to: Determine when the robot will fall into an unhealthy state based on historical information associated with the health condition of the robot; and Transmit the determined information to the user device.

21. The server according to claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, further cause the server to: Determine the length of time since the self-evaluation result was last transmitted to the user equipment; and In response to the length of time exceeding a time threshold, transmit a reminder message to the user equipment.

22. The server according to claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, further cause the server to: Compare the health-related data of the robot with the health-related data of robots used at other users or in other applications, and Transmit advice information generated based on the comparison to the user equipment to improve the operation of the robot.

23. A health monitoring system for a robot, comprising: The control device of the robot according to any one of claims 12 to 15; The user equipment according to any one of claims 16 to 18; And The server according to any one of claims 19 to 22.

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