Assistance device and robot system

Abstract

An assistance device is a device that assists in generating setting data for the control of a robot equipped with a robot arm comprising multiple arm elements and multiple joints that pivotally connect these elements around a pivot axis. The assistance device includes a display unit and a control unit that controls the display unit. The control unit performs a data acquisition process and a data display process. During the data acquisition process, the control unit acquires data on the force acting on each of the multiple joints and data on the force acting on a specific point at the distal end of the robot arm.The control unit controls the display unit in such a way that, in the display process, a waveform of the force acting on a joint, which indicates a change over time of each force acting on a joint, and a waveform of the force acting on a specific point, which indicates a change over time of the force acting on a specific point, are displayed.

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to an assistance device that assists in generating setting data related to the control of a robot and a robot system having the same. Technical background

[0002] A robot equipped with a robot arm whose arms are pivotally connected to a plurality of joints is known from the prior art. In such a robot, the parameters for controlling the robot are adjusted in such a way that the robot arm performs the desired operations.

[0003] Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology for assisting in setting parameters related to the control of a robot. In the technology disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the force acting on a specific point at the distal end of a robot arm (tool center point; TCP) to which an end effector is mounted is detected by a force detector. Subsequently, a detection waveform indicating the temporal change of a detection value detected by the force detector and a memory waveform of the acting force stored in advance in a storage medium are displayed in a display unit, and parameter settings are received by a receiving unit.

[0004] In the technology disclosed in Patent Literature 1, only the temporal change of the force acting on the specific point at the distal end of the robot arm based on the detected waveform and the stored waveform displayed on the display unit is an indicator for parameter adjustment. Therefore, there is a risk that the parameters related to the control of a robot cannot be adjusted in detail. List of referencesPatent literature

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 6582483 Description of the invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an assistance device with which parameters relating to the control of a robot and a robot system can be set in detail.

[0007] An assisting device according to one aspect of the present invention is a device that assists in setting a parameter related to the control of a robot equipped with a robot arm having a plurality of arm members and a plurality of joint parts pivotally connecting the plurality of arm members about a pivot axis, and having a display unit and a control unit that controls the display unit.The control unit performs: an acquisition process of acquiring joint force data indicating a force acting on each of the plurality of joint parts, and specific point force data indicating a force acting on a specific point at a distal end of the robot arm; and a display process of controlling the display unit to display a joint force waveform indicating a temporal change in each of the joint forces, and a specific point force waveform indicating a temporal change in the force acting on a specific point.

[0008] A robot system according to another aspect of the present invention comprises: a robot equipped with a robot arm having a plurality of arm members and a plurality of joint parts pivotally connecting the plurality of arm members about a pivot axis; and the assisting device that assists in generating setting data related to the control of the robot.

[0009] The object, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a robot provided in the robot system; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a joint part in a robot arm of the robot; Fig. 4 is a diagram showing data acquired by a control unit of an assist device provided in the robot system in a sensing process; Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a display screen on which the control unit of the assisting device causes a display unit to display in a display process; Fig. 6 is a diagram describing a recognition process performed by the control unit of the assist device. Description of the embodiment

[0010] An assisting device and a robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] As in Fig. 1, a robot system 100 according to the present embodiment includes a robot 5, a control device 6, and an assisting device 7. In the robot system 100, the assisting device 7 assists in setting parameters for controlling the robot 5. An operator of the robot system 100 can use the assisting device 7 to set the parameters for controlling the robot 5. The control device 6 controls the operation of the robot 5 by transmitting a control signal according to a control program CP that records setting data SD created based on the parameter setting for the robot 5. [Robot configuration]

[0012] Robot 5 will be used in addition to Fig. 1 with reference to the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. As described in Fig. 2, the robot 5 is, for example, a vertical seven-axis articulated robot. The robot 5 includes a robot arm 3 having a first axis J1, a second axis J2, a third axis J3, a fourth axis J4, a fifth axis J5, a sixth axis J6, and a seventh axis J7 as seven pivot axes. The robot arm 3 includes a base unit 11, a shaft unit 12, a first arm 13, a second arm 14, a third arm 15, and a head unit 16 as a plurality of arm elements 1. In addition, the robot arm 3 includes a first joint part 21, a second joint part 22, a third joint part 23, a fourth joint part 24, a fifth joint part 25, a sixth joint part 26, and a seventh joint part 27 as a plurality of joint parts 2.

[0013] The base unit 11 is a housing that is fixed to the floor, a pedestal, or the like. The shaft unit 12 is connected to the upper surface of the base unit 11 via the first joint part 21. The shaft unit 12 is pivotable in both the forward and backward directions about the first axis J1 that extends vertically through the first joint part 21. The first arm 13 has a predetermined length, and its proximal end is connected to the shaft unit 12 via the second joint part 22. The first arm 13 is pivotable about the second axis J2 that extends horizontally through the second joint part 22. The first arm 13 includes the third joint part 23 at its center. The distal end of the first arm 13 is pivotable about the third axis J3 that extends in the axial direction of the arm through the third joint part 23.

[0014] The second arm 14 is an arm that is connected below the first arm 13 and whose proximal end is connected to the distal end of the first arm 13 via the fourth joint part 24. The second arm 14 is pivotable about the fourth axis J4, which extends horizontally through the fourth joint part 24. The second arm 14 includes the fifth joint part 25 at its center. The distal end of the second arm 14 is pivotable about the fifth axis J5, which extends in the axial direction of the arm through the fifth joint part 25. The third arm 15 is an arm that is connected below the second arm 14 and whose proximal end is connected to the distal end of the second arm 14 via the sixth joint part 26. The third arm 15 is pivotable about the sixth axis J6, which extends horizontally through the sixth joint part 26.

[0015] The head unit 16 is connected to the distal end of the third arm 15 via the seventh joint part 27. The head unit 16 is pivotable about the seventh axis J7, which extends vertically through the seventh joint part 27. The head unit 16 represents the distal end of the robot arm 3, and an end effector 17 is mounted thereon. The end effector 17 is, for example, a tool such as a screwdriver, a gripper, and a grinder. The end effector 17 can perform various tasks such as screwing, gripping, and machining.

[0016] A specific point (tool center point) TCP, which serves as a reference point for the position of the end effector 17, is set on the head unit 16, which is the distal end of the robot arm 3. The position of the specific point TCP on the head unit 16 can be set to any position and is set, for example, on the seventh axis J7, which is the pivot axis of the head unit 16.

[0017] In the robot arm 3, the first joint part 21, the third joint part 23, the fifth joint part 25, and the seventh joint part 27 have a housing shape with a vertically extending, substantially cylindrical shape. The second joint part 22, the fourth joint part 24, and the sixth joint part 26 have a housing shape with a horizontally extending, substantially cylindrical shape.

[0018] In the following description, the base unit 11, the shaft unit 12, the first arm 13, the second arm 14, the third arm 15 and the head unit 16 may be generally referred to as “arm member 1”, and the first joint part 21, the second joint part 22, the third joint part 23, the fourth joint part 24, the fifth joint part 25, the sixth joint part 26 and the seventh joint part 27 may be generally referred to as “joint part 2”.

[0019] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the robot arm 3 has a receiving part 2S for receiving a drive mechanism 4 of the robot arm 3 having substantially the same structure in each of the plurality of joint parts 2. The drive mechanism 4, which is housed in the receiving part 2S of each joint part 2, includes a motor 41, a reduction gear 42, a brake 43, a torque sensor 44, and a control board 45.

[0020] The motor 41 is a servomotor that serves as the drive source for pivoting the arm element 1 about the pivot axis and has a motor shaft 41S that generates a rotational force. The reduction gear 42 reduces the number of revolutions of the motor shaft 41S at a predetermined reduction ratio for transmission to a pivoting mechanism. The brake 43 applies a braking effect to the rotation of the motor shaft 41S.

[0021] The torque sensor 44 detects the torque that the motor 41 exerts on the arm element 1. This means that the torque sensor 44 detects the torque of the arm element 1, which is connected to the joint part 2 about the pivot axis.

[0022] The control board 45 performs drive control of the motor 41 based on the control signal sent from the control device 6. The control signal is based on the control program CP, which records the setting data SD. This controls the operation of the robot arm 3. The setting data SD recorded in the control program CP is a data set of parameter setting values ​​for controlling the robot 5. The parameters for controlling the robot 5 include the rotational speed at which each arm element 1 in the robot arm 3 pivots around the pivot axis, the torque of each arm element 1 around the pivot axis, and the like. The control board 45 executes a plurality of operation modes, including a first operation mode, a second operation mode, and a third operation mode, through the drive control of the motor 41.

[0023] The first operation mode is an operation mode in which the operator cooperating with the robot 5 is assumed to be performing work while approaching the work area of ​​the robot arm 3. When executing the first operation mode, the control board 45 performs drive control of the motor 41 so that the robot arm 3 continuously operates at a predetermined first speed specified in the setting data SD in response to the control signal according to the setting data SD recorded in the control program CP.

[0024] The second operation mode is an operation mode in which it is assumed that the operator cooperating with the robot 5 does not approach the operating range of the robot arm 3. When executing the second operation mode, the control board 45 executes the drive control of the motor 41 so that the robot arm 3 continuously operates at a second speed faster than the first speed specified in the setting data SD in response to the control signal according to the setting data SD recorded in the control program CP.

[0025] The third operation mode is an operation mode in which the operator is assumed to directly apply force to the robot arm 3 to guide it and teach the robot arm 3 how to operate. When executing the third operation mode, the control board 45 performs drive control of the motor 41 to regulate the operation of the robot arm 3 beyond a predetermined third speed specified in the setting data SD in response to the control signal according to the setting data SD recorded in the control program CP. [Assistance device configuration]

[0026] As described above, the assistance device 7 is a device that assists in setting parameters for the control of the robot 5. An operator can use the assistance device 7 to set the parameters for the control of the robot 5. The assistance device 7 is used in addition to Fig. 1 with reference to the Fig. 4 to 6.

[0027] The assistance device 7 comprises, for example, a PC and is as in Fig. 1 is equipped with an operating unit 71, a display unit 72 and a control unit 73.

[0028] The display unit 72 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display or the like. The display operation of the display unit 72 is controlled by the control unit 73. The operation unit 71 includes a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel provided in the display unit 72, or the like. The operation unit 71 receives various command inputs from the operator regarding a display mode of the display unit 72.

[0029] The control unit 73 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a storage area such as a hard disk (HDD) and a flash memory for storing an assistance control program, a random access memory (RAM) used as a work area for the CPU, and the like. The control unit 73 executes various processes, such as a detection process S1, which is Fig. 4, a display process S2, which in Fig. 5 and a recognition process S3, which is shown in Fig. 6, the CPU executes the assistance control programs stored in the hard disk or flash memory. (Capture process)

[0030] In the acquisition process S1, the control unit 73 acquires the data D1 of the force acting on a joint and the data D2 of the force acting on a specific point, as shown in Fig. 4. The joint force data D1 is a joint force F1 data group that indicates the force acting on each of the plurality of joint parts 2 in the robot arm 3. The specific point force data D2 is a specific point force F2 data group that indicates the force acting on the specific point TCP in the head unit 16, which is the distal end of the robot arm 3.

[0031] In the present embodiment, the control unit 73 detects the torque around the pivot axis of each arm member 1 connected to each joint part 2 as each joint-acting force F1 corresponding to each joint part 2. Specifically, the control unit 73 detects the torque detection value detected by each torque sensor 44 corresponding to each joint part 2 as each joint-acting force F1 corresponding to each joint part 2. That is, the joint-acting force D1 data detected by the control unit 73 includes all the data of the torque detection value detected by each torque sensor 44 corresponding to each joint part 2.

[0032] In addition, the control unit 73 calculates the specific point force F2 acting on a specific point TCP based on each joint force F1 corresponding to each joint part 2. This enables the control unit 73 to acquire the specific point force D2 data indicating the specific point force F2 data group. The control unit 73 acquires a component of the specific point force F2 in each axial direction corresponding to each of the three axes, X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, in the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system around the specific point TCP (three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system) and the torque around each axis as the specific point force F2 data.That is, the data D2 of the force acting on a specific point acquired by the control unit 73 includes an X component F2X indicating the component in the X-axis direction, a Y component F2Y indicating the component in the Y-axis direction, a Z component F2Z indicating the component in the Z-axis direction, a roll component F2RX indicating the torque about the X-axis, a pitch component F2PY indicating the torque about the Y-axis, and a yaw component F2YZ indicating the torque about the Z-axis around the specific point, which indicates the force F2 acting on the specific point TCP.

[0033] Note that a force-torque sensor, which is a force detector that detects the force acting on the specific point TCP at the distal end of the robot arm 3, can be mounted on the robot 5. The force-torque sensor measures the force in the three X, Y, and Z detection axes acting on the specific point TCP and the torque around the three X, Y, and Z detection axes in the sensor coordinate system, which is the orthogonal XYZ coordinate system.When such a force-torque sensor is attached to the robot 5, the control unit 73 acquires, based on the measured value measured by the force-torque sensor, the data D2 of the specific point force acting on the specific point TCP, including the X component F2X, the Y component F2Y, the Z component F2Z, the roll component F2RX, the pitch component F2PY, and the yaw component F2YZ of the specific point force F2 acting on the specific point TCP. (Display process)

[0034] As in Fig. 5, the control unit 73 controls the display unit 72 so that, in the display process S2, information for assisting in setting the parameters for controlling the robot 5 is displayed on the display screen DS of the display unit 72. The control unit 73 controls the display unit 72 so that, on the display screen DS, a joint force waveform F1W indicating the temporal change of each joint force F1 corresponding to the plurality of joint parts 2 and a specific point force waveform F2W indicating the temporal change of the specific point force F2 are displayed, based on the joint force data D1 and the specific point force data D2.

[0035] Through the display process S2 of the control unit 73, the joint force waveform F1W, which indicates the temporal change of the joint force F1 acting on each joint part 2 of the robot arm 3, and the specific point force waveform F2W, which indicates the temporal change of the specific point force F2 acting on the specific point TCP at the distal end of the robot arm 3, are displayed on the display screen DS of the display unit 72. By checking each of the joint force waveform F1W and the specific point force waveform F2W displayed on the screen DS of the display unit 72, the operator can compare the temporal change of each joint force F1 and the temporal change of the force F2 acting on the specific point TCP at the distal end of the robot arm 3.As a result, in addition to the temporal change of the force F2 acting on a specific point, the temporal change of each force F1 acting on a joint serves as an indicator for setting parameters for controlling the robot 5, so that the operator can set the parameters for controlling the robot 5 in detail.

[0036] In the present embodiment, the control unit 73 controls the display unit 72 to display each torque waveform indicating the temporal change of the torque around the pivot axis of each arm element 1 connected to each joint part 2 of the robot arm 3 as each joint-acting force waveform F1W. In this case, the joint-acting force waveform F1W includes a first torque waveform corresponding to the first joint part 21, a second torque waveform corresponding to the second joint part 22, a third torque waveform corresponding to the third joint part 23, a fourth torque waveform corresponding to the fourth joint part 24, a fifth torque waveform corresponding to the fifth joint part 25, a sixth torque waveform corresponding to the sixth joint part 26, and a seventh torque waveform corresponding to the seventh joint part 27.In addition, the control unit 73 controls the display unit 72 to display each component waveform representing the temporal change of the X component F2X, the Y component F2Y, the Z component F2Z, the roll component F2RX, the pitch component F2PY, and the yaw component F2YZ around the specific point F2, which is the waveform of the specific point force F2W acting on the specific point TCP of the robot arm 3. In this case, the waveform of the specific point force F2W includes the X component waveform, the Y component waveform, the Z component waveform, the roll component waveform, the pitch component waveform, and the yaw component waveform corresponding to each component of the specific point force F2.

[0037] In this aspect, each waveform of the force F1W acting on a joint is displayed as each torque waveform indicating the temporal change of the torque around the pivot axis of each arm element 1 corresponding to each joint part 2 of the robot arm 3, and the waveform of the force F2W acting on a specific point is displayed as each component waveform indicating the temporal change in each component of the force F2 acting on a specific point in the orthogonal XYZ coordinate system around the specific point TCP of the robot arm 3, on the display screen DS of the display unit 72. In the example of Fig. 5, the first torque waveform F1W corresponding to the first joint part 21 and the fourth torque waveform F1W4 corresponding to the fourth joint part 24 are displayed in the display unit 72 as the joint-acting force waveform F1W, and the Z component waveform F2WZ and the yaw component waveform F2WYZ are displayed in the display unit 72 as the specific point force waveform F2W. The operator checks each joint-acting force waveform F1W as each torque waveform corresponding to each joint part 2 and the specific point force waveform F2W as each component waveform corresponding to each component of the specific point force F2 displayed on the display screen DS of the display unit 72.This allows the operator to compare the time change of the torque acting on each joint part 2 and the time change of each component of the force F2 acting on a specific point TCP at the distal end of the robot arm 3.

[0038] The control unit 73 can control the display unit 72 in the display process S2 to display each waveform of the joint force F1W corresponding to each joint part 2 and the waveform of the specific point force F2W on the same time axis. In this case, the waveform of the joint force F1W and the waveform of the specific point force F2W are each displayed on the same time axis on the display screen DS of the display unit 72. This allows the operator to easily compare the temporal change of each joint force F1 acting on each joint part 2 and the temporal change of the force F2 acting on the specific point TCP at the distal end of the robot arm 3. Therefore, the operator can efficiently set the parameters for controlling the robot 5.

[0039] The control unit 73 can control the display unit 72 in the display process S2 to display joint force numerical data F1D that displays the numerical data of each joint force F1 on each joint force waveform F1W, and numerical data F2D that displays the numerical data of the specific point force F2W on the same display screen DS as each joint force waveform F1W and the specific point force waveform F2W. The joint force numerical data F1D includes numerical data of each torque about the pivot axis of each arm element 1 connected to each joint part 2 of the robot arm 3.In addition, the numerical data of the force F2D acting on a specific point includes numerical data of the X component F2X, the Y component F2Y, the Z component F2Z, the roll component F2RX, the pitch component F2PY, and the yaw component F2YZ, which indicate each component of the force F2 acting on a specific point in the orthogonal XYZ coordinate system around the specific point TCP of the robot arm 3.

[0040] By comparing the temporal change of each force F1 acting on a joint and the temporal change of the force F2 acting on a specific point based on each waveform of the force F1W acting on a joint and the waveform of the force F2W acting on a specific point displayed on the display screen DS of the display unit 72, the operator can check the numerical data of the force F1D acting on a joint and the numerical data of the force F2D acting on a specific point. This allows the operator to adjust the parameters for controlling the robot 5 more efficiently.

[0041] In addition, the control unit 73 may control the display unit 72 in the display process S2 to display any one of the maximum value and / or the minimum value and / or the average value of each joint force F1 on each joint force waveform F1W in a predetermined period T12 between a first time point 11 and a second time point T2 on the time axis as the joint force numerical data F1D.Similarly, the control unit 73 may control the display unit 72 to display at least any one of the maximum value, the minimum value, and the average value of the specific point force F2 on the specific point force waveform F2W in the predetermined time period T12 between the first time point T1 and the second time point T2 on the time axis as the specific point force numerical data F2D.In this case, the operator can check the maximum value, minimum value, and average value of each force F1 acting on a joint in the specified period T12 as the numerical values ​​of the force F1D acting on a joint, and check the maximum value, minimum value, and average value of the force F2 acting on a specific point in the specified period T12 as the numerical values ​​of the force F2D acting on a specific point.

[0042] In the present embodiment, an instruction for selecting the applied force waveform to be displayed on the display unit 72 can be input to the operation unit 71 in the assist device 7, from among the first to seventh torque waveforms included in the joint-acting force waveform F1W, the X-component waveform, the Y-component waveform, the Z-component waveform, the roll component waveform, the pitch component waveform, and the yaw component waveform included in the specific-point force waveform F2W. In this case, the control unit 73 controls the display unit 72 to display the applied force waveform corresponding to the instruction input to the operation unit 71 in the display process S2.

[0043] As in Fig. 5, on the display screen DS of the display unit 72, a first waveform discrimination display area DS1 is provided adjacent to the display area of ​​the numerical data F1D of the force acting on the joint, and a second waveform discrimination display area DS2 is provided adjacent to the display area of ​​the numerical data F2D of the force acting on a specific point. The first waveform discrimination display area DS1 is an area for discriminating the first to seventh torque waveforms included in the waveform of the force acting on a joint F1W into waveforms displayed in the display unit 72 and non-displayed waveforms not displayed in the display unit 72, according to the instruction for selection input to the operation unit 71.The second waveform discrimination display area DS2 is an area for discriminating the X-component waveform, the Y-component waveform, the Z-component waveform, the roll component waveform, the pitch component waveform, and the yaw component waveform included in the waveform of the force F2W acting on a specific point into waveforms displayed in the display unit 72 and non-displayed waveforms not displayed in the display unit 72, according to the instruction for selection input to the operation unit 71.

[0044] Fig. Fig. 5 shows an example in which, as the waveform of the applied force to be displayed in the display unit 72, an instruction for selecting the first torque waveform F1W1 and the fourth torque waveform F1W4 from the waveform of the force F1W acting on a joint, and the waveform of the Z component F2WZ and the waveform of the yaw component F2WYZ from the waveform of the force F2W acting on a specific point are input into the operation unit 71. The operator can input the instruction for selecting the waveform of the applied force to be displayed on the display screen DS of the display unit 72 via the operation unit 71.Subsequently, the operator can compare the temporal change of the force F1 acting on a joint and the temporal change of the force F2 acting at a specific point by referring to the first torque waveform F1W1 and the fourth torque waveform F1W4 from the waveform of the force F1W acting on a joint, the waveform of the Z component F2WZ, and the waveform of the yaw component F2WYZ from the waveform of the force F2W acting on a specific point displayed on the display unit 72 in response to the selection instruction. This allows the operator to efficiently set the parameters for controlling the robot 5. (recognition process)

[0045] As in Fig. 6, there are cases where the force F2 acting on a specific point is distributed in the axial directions of two axes in the orthogonal XYZ coordinate system of the specific point TCP at the distal end of the robot arm 3, and the magnitude of the component of the remaining one axial direction is smaller than a predetermined threshold. Fig. Figure 6 shows an example in which the force F2 acting on a specific point is distributed in the axial directions of two axes, the X-axis and the Z-axis, in the orthogonal XYZ coordinate system of the specific point TCP, and the force F2 acting on a specific point includes the X component F2X and the Z component F2Z as components of the axial directions. In this case, from the first to seventh torques corresponding to the first to seventh joint parts 21 to 27 of the robot arm 3, the torque that can be an influencing factor for the distribution of the force F2 acting on a specific point (in Fig. 6 the fourth torque, which corresponds to the fourth joint part 24), an important indicator for the parameter settings for controlling the robot 5.

[0046] Therefore, when it is determined that the force F2 acting on a specific point is distributed in the axial directions of two axes in the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system of the specific point TCP, the control unit 73 detects the fourth torque corresponding to the fourth joint part 24, which can be an influencing factor for the distribution of the force F2 acting on a specific point, from the first to seventh torques corresponding to the first to seventh joint parts 21 to 27, and outputs the detection result in the detection process S3.

[0047] In the example of Fig.6, the control unit 73 detects, by comparing the temporal change of the X component F2X and the Z component F2Z, which are components of the axial directions of two axes of the specific point force F2, with the temporal change of the first to seventh torques corresponding to the first to seventh joint parts 21 to 27, the fourth torque corresponding to the fourth joint part 24 and can be an influencing factor for the distribution of the force F2 acting on a specific point.Specifically, by comparing the rise start time, the rise speed, the maximum value in the predetermined time T12 and the like of the time change of the X component F2X and the Z component F2Z of the force F2 acting on a specific point with the time change of the first to seventh torques corresponding to the first to seventh joint parts 21 to 27, the control unit 73 recognizes the fourth torque that can be an influence quantity for the distribution of the force F2 acting on a specific point.

[0048] When the fourth torque corresponding to the fourth joint part 24, which may be a factor influencing the distribution of the force F2 acting on a specific point, is detected, the control unit 73 outputs the detection result. For example, the control unit 73 may control the display unit 72 based on the detection result. Specifically, the control unit 73 controls the display unit 72 so that the fourth torque waveform F1W4, which indicates the temporal change of the fourth torque corresponding to the fourth joint part 24, which may be a factor influencing the distribution of the force F2 acting on a specific point, is displayed on the display screen DS.When the force F2 acting on a specific point is distributed in the axial directions of two axes, the operator can adjust the parameter related to the control of the robot 5 based on the detection result in the detection process S3 of the control unit 73 while focusing on the torque which may be an influencing factor for the distribution of the force F2 acting on a specific point.

[0049] As described above, the robot system 100 includes the assistant device 7, which can set the parameters for controlling the robot 5 in detail. In the robot system 100, the control device 6 can control the operation of the robot 5 by sending the control signal to the robot 5 according to the control program CP, which records the parameter setting data SD set for controlling the robot 5 in detail.

[0050] It is noted that the concrete embodiment described at the outset mainly includes the invention having the following configurations.

[0051] An assisting device according to one aspect of the present invention is a device that assists in setting a parameter related to the control of a robot equipped with a robot arm having a plurality of arm members and a plurality of joint parts pivotally connecting the plurality of arm members about a pivot axis, and having a display unit and a control unit that controls the display unit.The control unit performs: an acquisition process of acquiring joint force data indicating the force acting on each of the plurality of joint parts, and specific point force data indicating the force acting on a specific point at a distal end of the robot arm; and a display process of controlling the display unit to display a joint force waveform indicating a temporal change in each force acting on a joint, and a specific point force waveform indicating a temporal change in the force acting on a specific point.

[0052] With this assistance device, the joint force waveform, which indicates the temporal change of the force acting on each joint part of the robot arm, and the specific point force waveform, which indicates the temporal change of the force acting on a specific point at the distal end of the robot arm, are displayed on the display unit. By checking each of the joint force waveforms and the specific point force waveform displayed on the display unit, the operator can compare the temporal change of each joint force acting on each joint part and the temporal change of the specific point force acting on the specific point at the distal end of the robot arm.As a result, in addition to the temporal change of the force acting on a specific point, the temporal change of each force acting on a joint serves as an indicator for setting parameters for controlling the robot, so that the operator can set the parameters for controlling the robot in detail.

[0053] In the assist device, the control unit can control the display unit to display the waveform of the force acting on a joint and the waveform of the force acting on a specific point on an identical time axis during the display process.

[0054] According to this aspect, each waveform of the force acting on a joint and the waveform of the force acting on a specific point are displayed on the same time axis in the display unit. This allows the operator to easily compare the temporal change of each force acting on each joint part and the temporal change of the force acting on a specific point at the distal end of the robot arm. Therefore, the operator can efficiently adjust the parameters for controlling the robot.

[0055] In the assist device, the control unit may control the display unit to display numerical data of each force acting on a joint on each of the waveform of the force acting on a joint and the force acting on a specific point on the waveform of the force acting on a specific point on an identical screen with each of the waveform of the force acting on a joint and the waveform of the force acting on a specific point in the display process.

[0056] According to this aspect, by comparing the temporal change of each force acting on a joint and the temporal change of the force acting on a specific point based on each waveform of the force acting on a specific point and the waveform of the force acting on a joint displayed on the display unit, the operator can check the numerical data of each force acting on a joint and the force acting on a specific point. This allows the operator to adjust the parameters for controlling the robot more efficiently.

[0057] In the assist device, the control unit may control the display unit to display any value of a maximum value and / or a minimum value and / or an average value of each force acting on a joint on each of the waveform of the force acting on a joint and the force acting on a specific point on the waveform of the force acting on a specific point in a predetermined period between a first time point and a second time point on the time axis in the display process as numerical data.

[0058] According to this aspect, the operator can check the maximum value, the minimum value and the average value of each force acting on a joint and the force acting on a specific point in the specified period as numerical data.

[0059] The assistance device may further include an operating unit into which an instruction is input to select a waveform to be displayed by the display unit, namely the waveform of the force acting on a joint and the waveform of the force acting on a specific point. In this case, the control unit controls the display unit to display the waveform during the display process according to the command input to the operating unit.

[0060] According to this aspect, the operator can input the instruction to select the active force waveform to be displayed on the display unit via the operation unit. The operator can then compare the temporal change of the force acting on a joint with the temporal change of the force acting on a specific point by focusing only on the active force waveform displayed on the display unit in response to the selection instruction. This allows the operator to efficiently adjust the parameters for controlling the robot.

[0061] In the assistive device, the control unit can acquire the torque around the pivot axis of each of the arm members connected to each of the plurality of joint parts as data of each force acting on a joint, and acquire data of a component of the force acting on a specific point in each axial direction corresponding to each of the three axes in a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system around the specific point in the acquisition process. Additionally, the control unit can control the display unit to display a temporal change in each of the torques corresponding to each of the plurality of joint parts as the waveform of the force acting on a joint, respectively, and to display a temporal change in the component of the force acting on a specific point in each axial direction as the waveform of the force acting on a specific point in the display process.

[0062] According to this aspect, each torque waveform indicating the temporal change of the torque around the pivot axis of each arm element corresponding to each joint part of the robot arm, and each component waveform indicating the temporal change of each component in each axial direction of the force acting on a specific point in the three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system around the specific point are displayed in the display unit. By checking each torque waveform corresponding to each joint part and each component waveform corresponding to the component in each axial direction of the force acting on a specific point displayed in the display unit, the operator can compare the temporal change of the torque acting on each joint part and the temporal change of each component of the force acting on a specific point acting on the specific point at the distal end of the robot arm.

[0063] In the assist device, when it is determined that the force acting on a specific point is distributed in the axial directions of two axes in the three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system of the specific point, the control unit may, based on the magnitude of the component of the force acting on a specific point in each axial direction, perform a detection process to detect a torque that may be an influencing factor for the distribution of the force acting on a specific point from each of the torques corresponding to each of the plurality of joint parts and output a detection result.

[0064] In the three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system of the specific point at the distal end of the robot arm, the torque, which can be a factor influencing the distribution of the force acting on a specific point, is an important indicator for adjusting the parameter related to robot control. When the force acting on a specific point is distributed in the axial directions of two axes from the torque around the pivot axis of each arm element corresponding to each joint part of the robot arm, the torque can be a factor influencing the distribution of the force acting on a specific point. Therefore, in the detection process, the control unit detects the torque, which can be a factor influencing the distribution of the force acting on a specific point, and outputs the detection result.For example, by comparing the temporal change of the component in the axial directions of two axes of the force acting on a specific point with the temporal change of each torque corresponding to each joint part, the control unit detects the torque that can be a factor for the distribution of the force acting on a specific point. Specifically, by comparing the rise start time, rise rate, maximum value in the specified period, and the like of the temporal change of each component of the force acting on a specific point with the temporal change of each torque corresponding to each joint part, the control unit detects the torque that can be a factor for the distribution of the force acting on a specific point.When the force acting on a specific point is distributed in the axial directions of two axes, the operator can adjust the parameter for controlling the robot based on the detection result in the detection process of the control unit while focusing on the torque, which may be an influencing factor for the distribution of the force acting on a specific point.

[0065] A robot system according to another aspect of the present invention comprises: a robot equipped with a robot arm having a plurality of arm members and a plurality of joint parts pivotally connecting the plurality of arm members about a pivot axis; and the assisting device that assists in generating setting data related to the control of the robot.

[0066] This robot system features an assistant device that can set the parameters for controlling the robot in detail. The robot system can control the operation of the robot arm based on the parameter settings that are set in detail for controlling the robot.

[0067] As described above, the present invention can provide the assisting device that can set parameters for controlling the robot in detail and the robot system. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 6582483

[0005]

Claims

[1] An assistance device that assists in setting a parameter relating to the control of a robot equipped with a robot arm having a plurality of arm elements and a plurality of joint parts pivotally connecting the plurality of arm elements about a pivot axis, the assistance device comprising: a display unit; and a control unit that controls the display unit, where the control unit performs: a detection process for detecting joint force data indicating a force acting on each of the plurality of joint parts and specific point force data indicating a force acting on a specific point at a distal end of the robot arm; and a display process for controlling the display unit to display a joint force waveform indicating a temporal change in each joint force and a specific point force waveform indicating a temporal change in the force acting on a specific point. [2] The assisting device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display the waveform of the force acting on a joint and the waveform of the force acting on a specific point on an identical time axis in the display process. [3] The assisting device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display, in the display process, numerical data of each of the force acting on a joint on the waveform of the force acting on a joint and the force acting on a specific point on the waveform of the force acting on a specific point on an identical screen with each of the waveform of the force acting on a joint and the waveform of the force acting on a specific point. [4] The assisting device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display a value of a maximum value and / or a minimum value and / or an average value of each of the force acting on a joint on the waveform of the force acting on a joint and the force acting on a specific point on the waveform of the force acting on a specific point in a predetermined period between a first time point and a second time point on the time axis in the display process as numerical data. [5] The assisting device according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit to which a command is inputted to select a waveform from both the waveform of the force acting on a joint and the waveform of the force acting on a specific point to be displayed by the display unit, wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display the waveform in the display process according to the command inputted to the operation unit. [6] Assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit: the torque about the pivot axis of each of the arm elements connected to each of the plurality of joint parts is detected as data of each force acting on a joint, and data of a component of the force acting on a specific point in each axial direction corresponding to each of the three axes in a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system about the specific point is detected in the detection process, and the display unit controls to display, in the display process, a temporal change in each of the torques corresponding to each of the plurality of joint parts as each of the waveforms of the force acting on a joint, and to display a temporal change in the component of the force acting on a specific point in each axial direction as the waveform of the force acting on a specific point. [7] The assisting device according to claim 6, wherein, based on the magnitude of the component of the force acting on a specific point in each axial direction, when it is determined that the force acting on a specific point is distributed in axial directions of two axes in the three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system of the specific point, the control unit performs a detection process to detect a torque possibly being an influence quantity of the distribution of the force acting on a specific point, each from the torque corresponding to each of the plurality of joint parts, and to output a detection result. [8] Robot system, comprising: a robot equipped with a robot arm having a plurality of arm elements and a plurality of joint parts pivotally connecting the plurality of arm elements about a pivot axis; and the assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which assists in generating setting data relating to the control of the robot.

Images