Robotic work system

Abstract

This invention discloses a robot working system, comprising: a robot; a work area generation module adapted to generate a spherical work area for the robot in real time according to the robot's work tasks; a virtual sphere generation module, generating multiple virtual spheres with different diameters centered on the center of the spherical work area; and a vision device for detecting whether foreign objects enter the work area and for detecting the location of foreign objects. The multiple virtual spheres divide the spherical work area into multiple sub-regions with different risk levels, with the risk level increasing closer to the center. When the vision device detects a foreign object entering the work area, the robot's working speed is controlled according to the risk level of the foreign object's location, making the robot's working speed negatively correlated with the risk level of the foreign object's location. This invention uses virtual spheres instead of traditional safety fences, which can reduce production costs and improve production efficiency, work flexibility, and adaptability while ensuring production safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a robotic working system, and more particularly to a robotic working system without physical protective fences. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional industrial robot systems typically require fixed safety barriers and fences around the robot to prevent personnel from entering its work area during operation. These physical barriers and fences not only occupy valuable factory space but also severely restrict the robot's operation, reducing its flexibility and efficiency, while increasing production costs. Furthermore, traditional industrial robot systems often require extensive calibration procedures when adapting to new tasks, leading to excessive downtime and significantly impacting production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to solve at least one aspect of the aforementioned problems and defects existing in the prior art.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, a robot working system is provided. The robot working system includes: a robot for performing assigned work tasks; a work area generation module adapted to generate a spherical work area of ​​the robot in real time according to the robot's work tasks; a virtual sphere generation module for generating multiple virtual spheres with different diameters centered on the center of the spherical work area; and a vision device for detecting whether a foreign object enters the robot's work area and for detecting the location of the foreign object. The multiple virtual spheres divide the spherical work area into multiple sub-regions with different risk levels, with the risk level increasing closer to the center of the spherical work area. When the vision device detects a foreign object entering the robot's work area, the robot's working speed is controlled according to the risk level of the foreign object's location, such that the robot's working speed is negatively correlated with the risk level of the foreign object's location.

[0005] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the virtual sphere generation module generates a first virtual sphere and a second virtual sphere, wherein the diameter of the first virtual sphere is smaller than the diameter of the second virtual sphere, and the diameter of the second virtual sphere is equal to the diameter of the spherical working area; the spherical working area is divided into a first sub-region located within the first virtual sphere and a second sub-region located between the first virtual sphere and the second virtual sphere, wherein the risk level of the first sub-region is higher than that of the second sub-region.

[0006] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the foreign object is outside the spherical working area, the robot is controlled to move at its normal high speed; when the foreign object is in the second sub-area, the robot is controlled to move at a low speed lower than its normal speed; when the foreign object is in the first sub-area, the robot is controlled to immediately stop working.

[0007] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of the first virtual sphere is greater than half the diameter of the spherical working area and less than three-quarters the diameter of the spherical working area.

[0008] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the virtual sphere generation module generates a first virtual sphere, a second virtual sphere, and a third virtual sphere. The diameter of the first virtual sphere is smaller than the diameter of the second virtual sphere, the diameter of the second virtual sphere is smaller than the diameter of the third virtual sphere, and the diameter of the third virtual sphere is equal to the diameter of the spherical working area. The spherical working area is divided into a first sub-region located within the first virtual sphere, a second sub-region located between the first virtual sphere and the second virtual sphere, and a third sub-region located between the second virtual sphere and the third virtual sphere. The risk level of the first sub-region is higher than that of the second sub-region, and the risk level of the second sub-region is higher than that of the third sub-region.

[0009] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the foreign object is outside the spherical working area, the robot is controlled to move at its normal high speed; when the foreign object is in the third sub-region, the robot is controlled to move at a first low speed lower than its normal speed; when the foreign object is in the second sub-region, the robot is controlled to move at a second low speed lower than the first low speed; when the foreign object is in the first sub-region, the robot is controlled to immediately stop working.

[0010] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the vision device includes: a camera for capturing images of the robot's work site in real time; and a recognition device for recognizing whether a foreign object has entered the robot's work site based on the images captured by the camera, the recognition device also being used to identify the location of the foreign object when it is recognized that a foreign object has entered the robot's work site.

[0011] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the identification device compares the object captured by the camera with a pre-stored list of objects related to the robot's work tasks to determine whether the object captured by the camera is a foreign object unrelated to the robot's work tasks.

[0012] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the camera of the vision device includes: a first camera, which is mounted on the robot to move with the robot; and / or a second camera, which is fixedly mounted around the robot and does not move with the robot.

[0013] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the robot working system further includes: a trajectory generation module, used to generate the robot's motion trajectory in real time according to the robot's work task, and the vision device is also used to visually guide the robot to move along the motion trajectory generated by the trajectory generation module.

[0014] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the robot is a multi-axis robot and the base of the robot is fixed in a predetermined position.

[0015] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the robot working system further includes: a supply device disposed near the robot for supplying parts; and a loading tray disposed near the robot, having a positioning groove for loading and positioning the parts, the robot having a gripper, the robot picking up the parts from the supply device by the gripper and placing the picked-up parts into the positioning groove of the loading tray.

[0016] According to another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the supply device includes: a vibrating conveyor belt for forward conveying the component by vibration and flipping the component to a predetermined posture.

[0017] According to another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the supply device further includes a hopper for receiving the component, the hopper having an outlet from which the component is output onto the vibrating conveyor belt.

[0018] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the vision device is further configured to visually guide the robot to pick up a component in the predetermined posture from the vibrating conveyor belt and place the picked-up component in the predetermined posture into the positioning groove of the loading tray.

[0019] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the vision device includes: a camera for capturing images of components on the vibrating conveyor belt; and a recognition device for recognizing the position and orientation of the components based on the captured images of the components.

[0020] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the robot working system further includes: a trajectory generation module, adapted to plan the optimal motion trajectory for the robot to pick up and place the component based on the position and orientation of the component identified by the recognition device and the position and orientation of the gripper, wherein the vision device is also used to visually guide the robot to move along the generated optimal motion trajectory.

[0021] In the foregoing exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the robot working system uses a virtual sphere instead of traditional safety barriers and fences, which can reduce production costs, improve production efficiency, and enhance the robot's working flexibility and adaptability while ensuring production safety.

[0022] Furthermore, in some of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention described above, the robotic working system can be adapted to different production tasks and the operation of different components, greatly improving production efficiency and adaptability.

[0023] Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will help to provide a comprehensive understanding of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 A perspective view of a robot working system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a plurality of virtual spheres of a robot working system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a plurality of virtual spheres of a robot working system according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below through embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this specification, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar components. The following description of the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the overall inventive concept of the present invention and should not be construed as a limitation thereof.

[0028] Furthermore, in the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth for ease of explanation to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and apparatuses are illustrated to simplify the figures.

[0029] According to a general technical concept of the present invention, a robot working system is provided. The robot working system includes: a robot for performing assigned work tasks; a work area generation module adapted to generate a spherical work area of ​​the robot in real time according to the robot's work tasks; a virtual sphere generation module for generating multiple virtual spheres with different diameters centered on the center of the spherical work area; and a vision device for detecting whether foreign objects enter the robot's work area and for detecting the location of the foreign objects. The multiple virtual spheres divide the spherical work area into multiple sub-regions with different risk levels, with the risk level increasing closer to the center of the spherical work area. When the vision device detects that a foreign object has entered the robot's work area, the robot's working speed is controlled according to the risk level of the foreign object's location, such that the robot's working speed is negatively correlated with the risk level of the foreign object's location.

[0030] Figure 1 A perspective view of a robot working system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a plurality of virtual spheres of a robot working system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a plurality of virtual spheres of a robot working system according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a robot working system is disclosed. The robot working system includes: a robot 1, a work area generation module (not shown), a virtual sphere generation module (not shown), and a vision device (not shown). The robot 1 is used to complete assigned work tasks. The work area generation module is adapted to generate a spherical work area 50 of the robot 1 in real time according to the work tasks of the robot 1. The virtual sphere generation module generates multiple virtual spheres 51a, 52a, and 53a with different diameters, centered on the center of the spherical work area 50. The vision device is used to detect whether a foreign object 6 enters the work area of ​​the robot 1 and to detect the location of the foreign object 6. The aforementioned foreign object 6 can be a person or other objects unrelated to the work tasks.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 3As shown in the illustrated embodiment, multiple virtual spheres 51a, 52a, and 53a divide the spherical working area 50 into multiple sub-regions 51, 52, and 53 with different risk levels, and the risk level of the sub-region closer to the center of the spherical working area 50 is higher. When the vision device detects that a foreign object 6 has entered the working area of ​​the robot 1, the working speed of the robot 1 is controlled according to the risk level of the location of the foreign object 6, so that the working speed of the robot 1 is negatively correlated with the risk level of the location of the foreign object 6. That is, the higher the risk level of the location of the foreign object 6, the lower the working speed of the robot 1, or even zero.

[0033] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the work area generation module and the virtual sphere generation module are functional devices combining software and hardware. The multiple virtual spheres 51a, 52a, and 53a generated by the virtual sphere generation module serve as virtual protective fences, thereby eliminating the need for traditional physical protective fences.

[0034] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the virtual sphere generation module generates a first virtual sphere 51a and a second virtual sphere 52a. The diameter of the first virtual sphere 51a is smaller than the diameter of the second virtual sphere 52a, and the diameter of the second virtual sphere 52a is equal to the diameter of the spherical working area 50. The spherical working area 50 is divided into a first sub-region 51 located within the first virtual sphere 51a and a second sub-region 52 located between the first virtual sphere 51a and the second virtual sphere 52a. The risk level of the first sub-region 51 is higher than that of the second sub-region 52.

[0035] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, when the foreign object 6 is outside the spherical working area 50, the robot 1 moves at its normal high speed; when the foreign object 6 is in the second sub-area 52, the robot 1 moves at a low speed below its normal speed; when the foreign object 6 is in the first sub-area 51, the robot 1 immediately stops working. Figure 2 As shown, the foreign object 6 is located in the second sub-region 52. Therefore, it is necessary to control the robot 1 to move at a low speed, which is lower than its normal speed.

[0036] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the diameter of the first virtual sphere 51a is greater than half the diameter of the spherical working area 50 and less than three-quarters of the diameter of the spherical working area 50. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the diameter of the first virtual sphere 51a can be reasonably set according to actual applications.

[0037] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the virtual sphere generation module generates a first virtual sphere 51a, a second virtual sphere 52a, and a third virtual sphere 53a. The diameter of the first virtual sphere 51a is smaller than the diameter of the second virtual sphere 52a, the diameter of the second virtual sphere 52a is smaller than the diameter of the third virtual sphere 53a, and the diameter of the third virtual sphere 53a is equal to the diameter of the spherical working area 50. The spherical working area 50 is divided into a first sub-region 51 located within the first virtual sphere 51a, a second sub-region 52 located between the first virtual sphere 51a and the second virtual sphere 52a, and a third sub-region 53 located between the second virtual sphere 52a and the third virtual sphere 53a. The risk level of the first sub-region 51 is higher than that of the second sub-region 52, and the risk level of the second sub-region 52 is higher than that of the third sub-region 53.

[0038] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, when the foreign object 6 is outside the spherical working area 50, the robot 1 moves at its normal high speed. When the foreign object 6 is in the third sub-area 53, the robot 1 moves at a first low speed, lower than its normal speed. When the foreign object 6 is in the second sub-area 52, the robot 1 moves at a second low speed, lower than the first low speed. When the foreign object 6 is in the first sub-area 51, the robot 1 immediately stops working. Figure 3 As shown, the foreign object 6 is located in the first sub-region 51. Therefore, it is necessary to control robot 1 to stop working immediately.

[0039] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the aforementioned vision device may include a camera and a recognition device. The camera is used to capture images of the robot 1's work area in real time. The recognition device is used to identify whether a foreign object 6 has entered the robot 1's work area based on the images captured by the camera. The recognition device is also used to identify the location of the foreign object 6 when it is detected that a foreign object 6 has entered the robot 1's work area. The aforementioned recognition device may be a functional device combining software and hardware.

[0040] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the identification device compares the object captured by the camera with a pre-stored list of objects related to the work tasks of robot 1 to determine whether the object captured by the camera is a foreign object 6 unrelated to the work tasks of robot 1.

[0041] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the camera of the vision device includes a first camera and / or a second camera. The first camera is mounted on the robot 1 to move with the robot 1. The second camera is fixedly mounted around the robot 1 and does not move with the robot 1.

[0042] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the robot working system further includes a trajectory generation module, which is used to generate the motion trajectory of the robot 1 in real time according to the robot 1's work task. The aforementioned vision device is also used to visually guide the robot 1 to move along the motion trajectory generated by the trajectory generation module.

[0043] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, robot 1 is a multi-axis robot 1 and the base of robot 1 is fixed in a predetermined position. This robot 1 can be a six-axis robot.

[0044] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the robot working system further includes a supply device 2 and a loading tray 3. The supply device 2 is disposed near the robot 1 and is used to supply parts 4. The loading tray 3 is disposed near the robot 1 and has a positioning groove 31 for loading and positioning parts 4. The robot 1 has a gripper 11, which picks up parts 4 from the supply device 2 and places the picked-up parts 4 into the positioning groove 31 of the loading tray 3.

[0045] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the supply device 2 includes a vibrating conveyor belt 21 for conveying the component 4 forward by vibration and flipping the component 4 to a predetermined posture.

[0046] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the supply device 2 further includes a hopper 22 for receiving the component 4. The hopper 22 has an outlet from which the component 4 is output onto the vibrating conveyor belt 21.

[0047] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the aforementioned vision device is also used to visually guide the robot 1 to pick up the component 4 in a predetermined posture from the vibrating conveyor belt 21 and place the picked-up component 4 in the positioning groove 31 of the loading tray 3 in the predetermined posture.

[0048] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the vision device includes a camera and a recognition device. The camera is used to capture images of component 4 on the vibrating conveyor belt 21. The recognition device is used to identify the position and orientation of component 4 based on the captured images of component 4.

[0049] like Figures 1 to 3As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the robot working system further includes a trajectory generation module, which is adapted to plan the optimal motion trajectory for the robot 1 to pick up and place the component 4 based on the position and orientation of the component 4 identified by the recognition device and the position and orientation of the gripper 11. The aforementioned vision device is also used to visually guide the robot 1 to move along the generated optimal motion trajectory.

[0050] Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments described above are exemplary and can be improved upon. The structures described in the various embodiments can be freely combined without causing structural or principle conflicts, and these changes should fall within the protection scope of this invention.

[0051] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the embodiments disclosed in the drawings are intended to illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0052] While some embodiments of the general concept of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general concept of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

[0053] It should be noted that the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the words "a" or "an" do not exclude multiple elements. Furthermore, any reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A robot working system, characterized in that, include: Robot (1), used to complete assigned work tasks; The work area generation module is suitable for generating a spherical work area (50) of the robot (1) in real time according to the work task of the robot (1); The virtual sphere generation module generates multiple virtual spheres (51a, 52a, 53a) with different diameters, centered on the center of the spherical working area (50); and A vision device is used to detect whether a foreign object (6) has entered the working area of ​​the robot (1) and to detect the location of the foreign object (6). The multiple virtual spheres (51a, 52a, 53a) divide the spherical working area (50) into multiple sub-regions (51, 52, 53) with different risk levels, and the sub-regions closer to the center of the spherical working area (50) have higher risk levels. When the vision device detects that a foreign object (6) has entered the work site of the robot (1), the working speed of the robot (1) is controlled according to the risk level of the location of the foreign object (6), so that the working speed of the robot (1) is negatively correlated with the risk level of the location of the foreign object (6).

2. The robot working system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The virtual sphere generation module generates a first virtual sphere (51a) and a second virtual sphere (52a). The diameter of the first virtual sphere (51a) is smaller than the diameter of the second virtual sphere (52a), and the diameter of the second virtual sphere (52a) is equal to the diameter of the spherical working area (50). The spherical working area (50) is divided into a first sub-region (51) located within the first virtual sphere (51a) and a second sub-region (52) located between the first virtual sphere (51a) and the second virtual sphere (52a), wherein the risk level of the first sub-region (51) is higher than that of the second sub-region (52).

3. The robot working system according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the foreign object (6) is outside the spherical working area (50), the robot (1) is controlled to move at its normal speed. When the foreign object (6) is located in the second sub-region (52), the robot (1) is controlled to move at a low speed below its normal speed; When the foreign object (6) is located in the first sub-region (51), the robot (1) is controlled to immediately stop working.

4. The robot working system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The diameter of the first virtual sphere (51a) is greater than half the diameter of the spherical working area (50) and less than three-quarters the diameter of the spherical working area (50).

5. The robot working system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The virtual sphere generation module generates a first virtual sphere (51a), a second virtual sphere (52a), and a third virtual sphere (53a). The diameter of the first virtual sphere (51a) is smaller than the diameter of the second virtual sphere (52a), the diameter of the second virtual sphere (52a) is smaller than the diameter of the third virtual sphere (53a), and the diameter of the third virtual sphere (53a) is equal to the diameter of the spherical working area (50). The spherical working area (50) is divided into a first sub-region (51) located within the first virtual sphere (51a), a second sub-region (52) located between the first virtual sphere (51a) and the second virtual sphere (52a), and a third sub-region (53) located between the second virtual sphere (52a) and the third virtual sphere (53a). The risk level of the first sub-region (51) is higher than that of the second sub-region (52), and the risk level of the second sub-region (52) is higher than that of the third sub-region (53).

6. The robot working system according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the foreign object (6) is outside the spherical working area (50), the robot (1) is controlled to move at its normal speed. When the foreign object (6) is located in the third sub-region (53), the robot (1) is controlled to move at a first low speed, which is lower than its normal speed; When the foreign object (6) is located in the second sub-region (52), the robot (1) is controlled to move at a second low speed, which is lower than the first low speed; When the foreign object (6) is located in the first sub-region (51), the robot (1) is controlled to immediately stop working.

7. The robot working system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The visual device includes: A camera is used to capture real-time images of the robot's (1) work site; and The identification device is used to identify whether a foreign object (6) has entered the working area of ​​the robot (1) based on the image captured by the camera. The identification device is also used to identify the location of the foreign object (6) when it is detected that a foreign object (6) has entered the working site of the robot (1).

8. The robot working system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The identification device compares the object captured by the camera with objects pre-stored that are related to the work tasks of the robot (1) to determine whether the object captured by the camera is a foreign object (6) unrelated to the work tasks of the robot (1).

9. The robot working system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The camera of the vision device includes: A first camera is mounted on the robot (1) to move with the robot (1); and / or The second camera is fixedly positioned around the robot (1) and does not move with the robot (1).

10. The robot working system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The trajectory generation module is used to generate the motion trajectory of the robot (1) in real time according to the work task of the robot (1). The vision device is also used to visually guide the robot (1) to move along the motion trajectory generated by the trajectory generation module.

11. The robot working system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot (1) is a multi-axis robot (1) and the base of the robot (1) is fixed in a predetermined position.

12. The robot working system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A supply device (2) is located near the robot (1) for supplying components (4); and A loading tray (3), located near the robot (1), has a positioning groove (31) for loading and positioning the component (4). The robot (1) has a gripper (11) through which it picks up the part (4) from the supply device (2) and places the picked-up part (4) into the positioning groove (31) of the loading tray (3).

13. The robot working system according to claim 12, characterized in that: The supply device (2) includes: A vibrating conveyor belt (21) is used to transport the component (4) forward by vibration and to flip the component (4) to a predetermined posture.

14. The robot working system according to claim 13, characterized in that: The supply device (2) also includes: Hopper (22) for accommodating the component (4), The hopper (22) has an outlet, and the component (4) outputs from the outlet of the hopper (22) onto the vibrating conveyor belt (21).

15. The robot working system according to claim 13, characterized in that: The vision device is also used to visually guide the robot (1) to pick up the component (4) in the predetermined posture from the vibrating conveyor belt (21) and to place the picked-up component (4) in the predetermined posture into the positioning groove (31) of the loading tray (3).

16. The robot working system according to claim 15, characterized in that: The visual device includes: A camera is used to capture images of component (4) on the vibrating conveyor belt (21); and The identification device is used to identify the position and orientation of the component (4) based on the captured image of the component (4).

17. The robot working system according to claim 16, characterized in that, Also includes: The trajectory generation module is adapted to plan the optimal motion trajectory for the robot (1) to pick up and place the component (4) based on the position and orientation of the component (4) identified by the recognition device and the position and orientation of the gripper (11). The vision device is also used to visually guide the robot (1) to move along the generated optimal motion trajectory.

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