Robot system, robot and operation method of robot

Abstract

To provide a robot system capable of suppressing complication of setting operation in working while moving a working unit relative to a work-piece by using a multi-joint robot arm.SOLUTION: A robot system 100 includes: a working unit 30 which includes at least one of a laser profile sensor, a distance measuring sensor, an application part, a sticking part, a welding part and an ultrasonic flaw detecting part, and performs working on a work-piece 200; a multi-joint robot arm 10 which includes a plurality of joints, whose end part is provided with a working unit 30, and which moves the working unit 30; a robot controller 21 performing control to move the multi-joint robot arm 10; and a signal output part 22 which outputs a signal based on a relative movement amount of the working unit 30 by each relative moving amount of the working unit 30 with respect to the work-piece 200 by movement of the working unit 30 provided at an end part of the multi-joint robot arm 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a robot system, a robot, and a robot operating method, and more particularly to a robot system including a multi-joint robot arm, a robot, and a robot operating method. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, robots equipped with articulated robot arms are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a robot system including a multi-joint robot arm including a plurality of joints, a control device that controls the movement of the multi-joint robot arm, and an imager that is provided at the tip of the multi-joint robot arm and captures an image of an inspection target. In the robot system of Patent Document 1, when the tip of the multi-joint robot arm moves to a preset position, the control device transmits an image capture command signal to the imager to capture an image of the inspection target. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-166185 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when the tip of the articulated robot arm moves to a preset position, the control device transmits an imaging command signal to the imager to capture an image of the inspection target. Therefore, when there are many positions at which tasks such as imaging are performed, many positions need to be set in advance, and the setting work of setting the positions at which the tasks are performed becomes cumbersome. For this reason, it is desired to prevent the setting work from becoming cumbersome when performing tasks while moving the working part relative to the workpiece by the articulated robot arm.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the problems described above, and one objective of the present disclosure is to provide a robot system, a robot, and a robot operating method that are capable of preventing setup work from becoming complicated when performing work by moving a working part relative to a workpiece using a multi-joint robot arm. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a robot system according to a first aspect includes a working unit which includes at least one of a laser profile sensor, a distance measurement sensor, an application unit, an attachment unit, a welding unit and an ultrasonic inspection unit and performs work on a workpiece; a multi-joint robot arm which includes a plurality of joints and has the workpiece or the working unit provided at its tip, and which moves the workpiece or the working unit; a robot control unit which controls the movement of the multi-joint robot arm; a signal output unit which outputs a signal based on the amount of relative movement of the working unit for each amount of relative movement of the working unit to the workpiece due to movement of the workpiece or the working unit provided at the tip of the multi-joint robot arm; and a work control unit which controls the work performed on the workpiece by the working unit based on the signal output from the signal output unit.

[0008] In the robot system according to the first aspect, as described above, a signal output unit is provided that outputs a signal based on the relative movement amount of the working unit for each relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece. Also, a work control unit is provided that controls the work performed by the working unit on the workpiece based on the signal output from the signal output unit. As a result, the work control unit can obtain the relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece for each relative movement and control the work performed by the working unit, so that the work can be performed on the workpiece without setting all the work positions in advance. As a result, when performing work while moving the working unit relative to the workpiece with the articulated robot arm, it is possible to prevent the setting work from becoming complicated. Also, even if the speed of the relative movement of the working unit by the articulated robot arm is not constant, such as when performing work on both the straight and curved parts of the workpiece, the working unit can perform work on the workpiece for each predetermined amount of relative movement. That is, in work involving complex relative movement such as curved parts, it is difficult to increase the speed of the relative movement, so when trying to make the speed of the relative movement of the working unit constant, the speed of the relative movement must also be reduced for movements such as straight parts where the speed of the relative movement can be increased. On the other hand, in the present disclosure, by performing work on the workpiece for each predetermined amount of relative movement rather than at a speed, it is not necessary to keep the speed of the relative movement of the working unit constant, so that the speed can be increased at work positions where the speed of the relative movement can be increased. This makes it possible to suppress the overall speed of work from slowing down. Also, if the speed of the relative movement of the working unit relative to the workpiece is changed while performing a certain amount of work on the workpiece regardless of the speed, the work of the working unit relative to the workpiece becomes denser in curved sections where the relative speed is small than in straight sections where the relative speed is large. On the other hand, in the present disclosure, by performing work on the workpiece for each predetermined amount of relative movement, it is possible to suppress the work by the working unit from becoming denser at positions where the speed of the relative movement of the working unit is small than at positions where the speed of the relative movement is large, so that it is possible to suppress the occurrence of unevenness in the work of the working unit relative to the workpiece.

[0009] A robot according to a second aspect includes a multi-joint robot arm including a plurality of joints, with a workpiece or a working unit provided at a tip thereof for performing work on the workpiece, which moves the workpiece or the working unit, a robot control unit which controls the movement of the multi-joint robot arm, and a signal output unit which outputs a signal based on the amount of relative movement of the working unit for each amount of relative movement of the working unit with respect to the workpiece due to movement of the workpiece or the working unit provided at the tip of the multi-joint robot arm, and the working unit includes at least one of a laser profile sensor, a distance measurement sensor, an application unit, an attachment unit, a welding unit and an ultrasonic flaw detection unit.

[0010] In the robot according to the second aspect, as described above, a signal output unit is provided that outputs a signal based on the relative movement amount of the working unit for each relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece. This makes it possible to obtain the relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece for each relative movement based on the signal output from the signal output unit, and control the work by the working unit, so that the work can be performed on the workpiece without setting all work positions in advance. As a result, it is possible to provide a robot that can suppress the setting work from becoming complicated when performing work while moving the working unit relative to the workpiece with an articulated robot arm.

[0011] A robot operation method according to a third aspect is a method for operating a robot having a multi-joint robot arm that includes a plurality of joints, has a workpiece or a working unit provided at its tip that performs work on the workpiece, and moves the workpiece or the working unit, the method comprising the steps of: outputting a signal based on the relative movement amount of the working unit for each relative movement amount of the working unit to the workpiece due to movement of the workpiece or the working unit provided at the tip of the multi-joint robot arm; and controlling the work performed on the workpiece by the working unit based on the output signal, wherein the working unit includes at least one of a laser profile sensor, a distance measurement sensor, an application unit, an attachment unit, a welding unit and an ultrasonic flaw detection unit. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present disclosure, as described above, when performing work while moving a working part relative to a workpiece using a multi-joint robot arm, it is possible to prevent the setting work from becoming complicated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic of a robot system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a control configuration of a robot system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of a signal generated by a robot system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a first example for explaining relative movement of a working unit of a robot system according to one embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1A to 1C are diagrams for explaining a work of a working unit in response to a relative movement of the working unit in a robot system according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a second example for explaining relative movement of a working unit of a robot system according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a work performed by a working unit of a robot system according to an embodiment in comparison with a comparative example. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a working unit of a robot system according to a modified example of an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The configuration of a robot system 100 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0015] 1, a robot system 100 performs an operation on a workpiece 200. The robot system 100 includes a multi-joint robot arm 10 and a control device 20 that controls the multi-joint robot arm. The robot system 100 also includes a working unit 30 and a work control unit 40 that controls the working unit 30.

[0016] The articulated robot arm 10 is, for example, an industrial or medical robot. The articulated robot arm 10 includes a plurality of joints. For example, the articulated robot arm 10 includes six vertical articulated axes. The articulated robot arm 10 operates using AC power supplied from an external source.

[0017] 2, the control device 20 includes a robot control unit 21 and a signal output unit 22. The signal output unit 22 has an enable signal generating unit 23 and a pulse generating unit 24.

[0018] The robot control unit 21 controls the movement of the articulated robot arm 10. Specifically, the robot control unit 21 controls the operation of the articulated robot arm 10 by controlling the power supplied to the motors 14 provided in each joint of the articulated robot arm 10. The robot control unit 21 also includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. The robot control unit 21 controls the operation of the articulated robot arm 10 by executing a predetermined program. The robot control unit 21 also receives a teaching of the operation of the articulated robot arm 10 by a user, and controls the articulated robot arm 10 to perform an operation based on the teaching. Specifically, the robot control unit 21 receives the position and posture of the control point of the articulated robot arm 10, and calculates the operation of each joint of the articulated robot arm 10.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1, the articulated robot arm 10 includes six joints 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, and 12f, and links 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, and 13e connecting the joints. As shown in Fig. 2, each of the six joints 12a to 12f is provided with a motor 14 made of a servo motor and a position detector 15 that detects the rotational position of each joint. As shown in Fig. 1, the articulated robot arm 10 has a working unit 30 attached to one tip. The articulated robot arm 10 also includes a base 11 provided at the other tip and attached to a floor, wall, pillar, or the like.

[0020] Each of the six joints 12a to 12f is rotated by being driven by a motor .

[0021] The first axis joint 12a is connected to the base 11. The joint 12a rotates the link 13a about a rotation axis A1 relative to the base 11. The second axis joint 12b rotates the link 13b about a rotation axis A2 relative to the link 13a, the rotation axis A2 being perpendicular to the rotation axis A1.

[0022] The third joint 12c rotates the link 13c relative to the link 13b about a rotation axis A3 parallel to the rotation axis A2. The fourth joint 12d rotates the link 13d relative to the link 13c about a rotation axis A4 perpendicular to the rotation axis A3.

[0023] The fifth joint 12e rotates the link 13e relative to the link 13d about a rotation axis A5 perpendicular to the rotation axis A4. The sixth joint 12f rotates the working unit 30 relative to the link 13e about a rotation axis A6 perpendicular to the rotation axis A5.

[0024] Working unit 30 performs work on workpiece 200. Working unit 30 includes, for example, at least one of a line camera, an area camera, a laser profile sensor, a distance measurement sensor, a coating unit, an attachment unit, a spray unit, a welding unit, and an ultrasonic flaw detection unit.

[0025] The working unit 30 performs work on the workpiece 200 while moving relative to the workpiece 200. For example, a line camera captures a line-shaped image while moving relative to the workpiece 200. An area camera captures a rectangular image while moving relative to the workpiece 200. A laser profile sensor projects laser light while moving relative to the workpiece 200, captures an image, and measures the three-dimensional shape of the workpiece 200 by a light section method.

[0026] The distance measuring sensor measures the distance to each position on the workpiece 200 while moving relative to the workpiece 200. The applicator applies a coating material to the workpiece 200 while moving relative to the workpiece 200. The coating material is, for example, a liquid or paste-like material such as an adhesive, a sealant, a reagent, a paint, or solder.

[0027] The attachment unit attaches an attachment material to the workpiece 200 while moving relative to the workpiece 200. The attachment material is, for example, a sealant, a sticker, or a tape. The spray unit sprays a spray material onto the workpiece 200 while moving relative to the workpiece 200. The spray material is, for example, a liquid material such as an adhesive, a chemical, or a paint. The welding unit welds the workpiece 200 while moving relative to the workpiece 200. The ultrasonic flaw detection unit applies ultrasonic waves to the workpiece 200 while moving relative to the workpiece 200, detects the reflected ultrasonic waves, and detects flaws in the workpiece 200.

[0028] The work control unit 40 controls the work performed by the working unit 30 on the workpiece 200. When the working unit 30 is a line camera or an area camera, the work control unit 40 controls the imaging by the working unit 30. Specifically, the work control unit 40 controls the timing at which the working unit 30 captures the image of the workpiece 200.

[0029] When the working unit 30 is a laser profile sensor, the work control unit 40 controls the projection of laser light and the capture of laser light by the working unit 30. Specifically, the work control unit 40 controls the timing at which the working unit 30 captures the image of the workpiece 200.

[0030] When the working unit 30 is a distance measuring sensor, the work control unit 40 controls the timing of measurement of the workpiece 200 by the working unit 30. When the working unit 30 is a coating unit, the work control unit 40 controls the timing and amount of coating material applied by the working unit 30.

[0031] When the working unit 30 is an application unit, the work control unit 40 controls the timing and amount of application of the patch by the working unit 30. When the working unit 30 is a spray unit, the work control unit 40 controls the timing and amount of spray of the spray by the working unit 30.

[0032] When the working unit 30 is a welding unit, the work control unit 40 controls the timing and amount of welding by the working unit 30. When the working unit 30 is an ultrasonic flaw detection unit, the work control unit 40 controls the timing of transmission and detection of ultrasonic waves by the working unit 30.

[0033] Here, the work control unit 40 controls the work performed by the working unit 30 on the workpiece 200 based on a signal output from the signal output unit 22 of the control device 20.

[0034] In addition, the signal output unit 22 outputs a signal based on the relative movement amount of the working unit 30 for each relative movement amount of the working unit 30 provided at the tip of the articulated robot arm 10 with respect to the workpiece 200 due to the movement of the working unit 30.

[0035] Specifically, the signal output unit 22 outputs a signal based on the relative movement amount of the working unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200, as a pulse signal with a variable frequency, for each relative movement amount of the working unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200. For example, the signal output unit 22 generates a pulse enable by the enable generation unit 23. Furthermore, the signal output unit 22 generates a pulse signal by the pulse generation unit 24 based on the pulse enable generated by the enable generation unit 23.

[0036] Also, the signal output unit 22 outputs a predetermined pulse signal for each relative movement amount of the working unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the signal output unit 22 generates and outputs a pulse signal based on the relative movement amount of the working unit 30 for each predetermined processing period. That is, the signal output unit 22 acquires the relative movement amount of the working unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200 for each predetermined processing period. Then, the signal output unit 22 generates a number of pulse signals according to the acquired relative movement amount. A pulse signal is generated for each x mm of relative movement amount. For example, if the relative movement amount is 5x mm in a predetermined period, five pulse signals are generated within the predetermined period. The pulse signal is counted as one at the rising edge and one at the falling edge. That is, the pulse signal is counted as two by rising and falling. The frequency of the output pulse is variable, for example, within a range from 0 Hz to several MHz. That is, if the relative movement amount is increased, the frequency of the output pulse is increased, and if the relative movement amount is decreased, the frequency of the output pulse is decreased.

[0037] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the control period is 2 msec, and the movement amount is obtained every control period, and a pulse signal is output based on the movement amount. The hand movement amount in FIG. 3 indicates the cumulative movement amount from 0 mm. That is, the difference in the hand movement amount from the previous control period is obtained as the relative movement amount in the current control period. For example, if the hand movement amount in the previous control period is 10 mm and the hand movement amount in the current control period is 16 mm, the relative movement amount in the current control period is obtained as 6 mm. In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the pulse resolution is 1 mm / pulse. That is, one pulse signal is output for every 1 mm movement. For example, when the movement is 2 mm, the number of output pulses is set to 2, and the pulse frequency is 1 kHz. When the movement is 3 mm, the number of output pulses is set to 3, and the pulse frequency is 1.5 kHz.

[0038] The signal output unit 22 outputs a pulse enable from the enable generation unit 23 at the start timing of a predetermined processing cycle, and starts outputting a pulse at the same time as the output of the pulse enable from the pulse generation unit 24. Furthermore, when the last pulse is output from the pulse generation unit 24, the signal output unit 22 stops outputting the pulse enable from the enable generation unit 23. This prevents processing from becoming too busy at the start of a predetermined processing cycle. As a result, there is no need to provide a leeway time for calculations.

[0039] The signal output unit 22 may continue to output a pulse enable to the pulse generation unit 24 by the enable generation unit 23. The signal output unit 22 may also set a calculation cycle correction amount that is sufficiently small with respect to the processing cycle by the enable generation unit 23, and stop outputting the pulse enable for the calculation cycle correction amount. This ensures a margin of time for performing calculations by the calculation cycle correction amount. For example, the calculation cycle correction amount is 40 μsec for a processing cycle of 2 msec.

[0040] Furthermore, the signal output section 22 may be configured such that, within a processing cycle, the pulses output from the pulse generating section 24 are initially stopped, and then a pulse is generated.

[0041] The signal output unit 22 includes, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and performs processing using the FPGA.

[0042] Here, if the CPU that controls the articulated robot arm 10 were to directly control the pulse output function, the load on the CPU would increase and it may become impossible to accurately control the high frequency pulse. Therefore, the pulse output is controlled using a pulse control processing unit such as an FPGA that is provided separately from the CPU that controls the articulated robot arm 10.

[0043] By dividing the processing tasks, such as the CPU controlling the articulated robot arm 10 calculating the relative movement of the hand, and the pulse control processing unit controlling the pulse frequency and number of pulses based on the relative movement of the hand, it is possible to output accurate pulses. In addition, since the pulse output portion is controlled by a separately provided processing unit, by changing the control parameters, it is possible to easily change and expand the pulse output specifications, such as pulse-distance conversion and n-multiplied pulses.

[0044] Furthermore, the signal output unit 22 acquires the amount of relative movement of the working unit 30 during a predetermined processing cycle, and outputs a pulse signal assuming that the working unit 30 moves relatively at a constant speed during the predetermined processing cycle. However, since the predetermined processing cycle is sufficiently short, the amount of relative movement of the working unit 30 is substantially the same as the actual amount of relative movement of the working unit 30 even if the working unit 30 moves relatively at a constant speed.

[0045] In addition, the signal output unit 22 may acquire the amount of relative movement of the working unit 30 based on the actual movement of the working unit 30, or may acquire the amount of relative movement of the working unit 30 based on a movement command of the multi-joint robot arm 10 from the robot control unit 21.

[0046] Furthermore, when the articulated robot arm 10 is moved by an external movement mechanism, the signal output unit 22 acquires the amount of relative movement of the working unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200, taking into account the movement by the external movement mechanism. The external movement mechanism includes a traveling axis that moves the base 11 of the articulated robot arm 10, a rotating table, and the like.

[0047] The amount of relative movement of the working unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200 is acquired based on the amount of movement of the control point TCP that controls the movement of the articulated robot arm 10. The control point TCP for controlling the movement of the articulated robot arm 10 is set, for example, to a working position of the working unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200.

[0048] When the working unit 30 is a line camera, an area camera, or a laser profile sensor, the control point TCP is set to the focal position of the image of the working unit 30. When the working unit 30 is a distance measurement sensor, the control point TCP is set to the distance measurement position of the working unit 30.

[0049] When the working unit 30 is an application unit, the control point TCP is set at an application position of the working unit 30. When the working unit 30 is an application unit, the control point TCP is set at an application position of the working unit 30. When the working unit 30 is a welding unit, the control point TCP is set at a welding position of the working unit 30. When the working unit 30 is an ultrasonic flaw detection unit, the control point TCP is set at a flaw detection position of the working unit 30.

[0050] The work control unit 40 controls the work performed by the working unit 30 on the workpiece 200, using the signal output from the signal output unit 22 as a trigger. Specifically, the work control unit 40 makes the working unit 30 work at fixed movement distances based on the signal output from the signal output unit 22. For example, the work control unit 40 counts the pulse signals output from the signal output unit 22 to obtain the relative movement distance of the working unit 30. Then, the work control unit 40 makes the working unit 30 perform the work on the workpiece 200 every time the working unit 30 moves the fixed movement distance.

[0051] When the working unit 30 is a line camera or an area camera, the work control unit 40 controls the working unit 30 to capture an image every fixed amount of movement of the working unit 30. When the working unit 30 is a laser profile sensor, the work control unit 40 controls the working unit 30 to project laser light and capture an image of the laser light every fixed amount of movement of the working unit 30.

[0052] When the working unit 30 is a distance measuring sensor, the work control unit 40 controls the working unit 30 to measure the distance to the workpiece 200 for each fixed amount of movement. When the working unit 30 is a coating unit, the work control unit 40 controls the working unit 30 to coat a fixed amount of coating material for each fixed amount of movement.

[0053] When the working unit 30 is an application unit, the work control unit 40 controls the working unit 30 to apply a fixed amount of the patch for each fixed amount of movement. When the working unit 30 is a spray unit, the work control unit 40 controls the working unit 30 to spray a fixed amount of the spray for each fixed amount of movement.

[0054] When the working unit 30 is a welding unit, the work control unit 40 controls the working unit 30 to perform a fixed amount of welding for each fixed amount of movement. When the working unit 30 is an ultrasonic flaw detection unit, the work control unit 40 controls the working unit 30 to irradiate ultrasonic waves for each fixed amount of movement to perform flaw detection.

[0055] The robot control unit 21 causes the articulated robot arm 10 to move the working unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200 in a curved manner along the surface of the workpiece 200. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the robot control unit 21 causes the articulated robot arm 10 to move the working unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200, which is curved in the vertical direction. In this case, the work control unit 40 controls the working unit 30 to perform work for each movement amount L1 of the control point TCP.

[0056] 6, the robot control unit 21 causes the articulated robot arm 10 to move the working unit 30 relatively in a curved shape along a work position having a curved portion of the workpiece 200. In this case, the work control unit 40 controls the working unit 30 to perform work for each movement amount L2 of the control point TCP.

[0057] For example, when the working unit 30 is an application unit, the work control unit 40 controls the working unit 30 so that the application amount V1 of the application material is discharged for each movement amount L2 of the working unit 30. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, a discharge switch is turned on in synchronization with the output of a pulse signal for each movement amount L2 of the working unit 30. Furthermore, the work control unit 40 controls the discharge stroke S1 for discharging the application material to be a constant amount for each movement amount L2 of the working unit 30, regardless of the movement speed of the working unit 30.

[0058] This makes it possible to apply the coating material uniformly on both straight and curved sections, as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 7(A). On the other hand, in the comparative example shown in Fig. 7(B), the coating material is applied at a constant discharge rate regardless of the speed of relative movement of the working unit 30. In this case, the discharge rate of the coating material is greater on the curved sections, and more coating material is applied on the curved sections. This results in uneven application of the coating material on the straight and curved sections.

[0059] Furthermore, the signal output unit 22 may output a plurality of signals corresponding to each of a plurality of positions of the working unit 30 based on the relative movement of each of the positions. The plurality of positions of the working unit 30 are set, for example, a control point TCP, a point inside the control point TCP, and a point outside the control point TCP. Furthermore, the work control unit 40 that has received a plurality of signals may perform work by the working unit 30 for each amount of relative movement at each position, or may calculate the amount of relative movement at an arbitrary position based on the amount of relative movement at the plurality of positions, and perform work by the working unit 30 for each amount of relative movement at the calculated arbitrary position.

[0060] (Effects of this embodiment) In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0061] In this embodiment, as described above, the signal output unit 22 is provided to output a signal based on the relative movement amount of the working unit 30 for each relative movement amount of the working unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200. In addition, the work control unit 40 is provided to control the work performed by the working unit 30 on the workpiece 200 based on the signal output from the signal output unit 22. As a result, the work control unit 40 can obtain the relative movement amount of the working unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200 for each relative movement and control the work performed by the working unit 30, so that the work can be performed on the workpiece 200 without setting all the work positions in advance. As a result, when the articulated robot arm 10 performs work while moving the working unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200, the setting work can be prevented from becoming complicated. In addition, even if the speed of the relative movement of the working unit 30 by the articulated robot arm 10 is not constant, such as when work is performed on both the straight and curved parts of the workpiece 200, the working unit 30 can perform work on the workpiece 200 for each predetermined relative movement amount. That is, in a task involving complex relative movement such as a curved section, it is difficult to increase the speed of the relative movement, so when trying to keep the speed of the relative movement of the working unit 30 constant, the speed of the relative movement must also be reduced for the movement of a straight section where the speed of the relative movement can be increased. On the other hand, in this embodiment, by performing work on the workpiece 200 for each predetermined amount of relative movement rather than at a speed, it is not necessary to keep the speed of the relative movement of the working unit 30 constant, so the speed can be increased at a work position where the speed of the relative movement can be increased. This makes it possible to prevent the speed of the work from slowing down overall. Also, if the working unit 30 performs a certain task on the workpiece 200 regardless of the speed and moves the working unit 30 at a different speed relative to the workpiece 200, the work of the working unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200 becomes denser in curved sections where the relative speed is small than in straight sections where the relative speed is large.On the other hand, in this embodiment, by performing work on the workpiece 200 for each predetermined amount of relative movement, it is possible to prevent the work by the working unit 30 from becoming denser at positions where the speed of relative movement of the working unit 30 is slower than at positions where the speed of relative movement is fast, thereby preventing unevenness in the work of the working unit 30 on the workpiece 200.

[0062] In this embodiment, as described above, the signal output unit 22 outputs a signal based on the amount of relative movement of the working unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200 as a variable frequency pulse signal for each amount of relative movement of the working unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200. As a result, the frequency of the variable frequency pulse signal is set to a corresponding frequency in accordance with the speed of the relative movement of the working unit 30 and a pulse signal is output, so that a pulse signal can be output for each predetermined relative movement of the working unit 30.

[0063] In this embodiment, as described above, the signal output unit 22 outputs a predetermined pulse signal for each relative movement amount of the working unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200. This makes it possible to easily obtain the relative movement amount of the working unit 30 with respect to the workpiece 200 by counting the pulses of the pulse signal with a variable frequency.

[0064] In this embodiment, as described above, the work control unit 40 controls the work performed by the working unit 30 on the workpiece 200, using the signal output from the signal output unit 22 as a trigger. This allows the work performed by the working unit 30 on the workpiece 200 to be performed in precise coordination with the relative movement of the working unit 30.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the work control unit 40 causes the working unit 30 to perform work at fixed movement distances based on the signal output from the signal output unit 22. This allows the working unit 30 to perform work at fixed movement distances regardless of the speed of the relative movement of the working unit 30, thereby reliably preventing unevenness in the work of the working unit 30 on the workpiece 200.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the robot control unit 21 causes the articulated robot arm 10 to move the working unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200 in a curved manner along the surface of the workpiece 200. As a result, even if the speed of the relative movement is not constant when the working unit 30 is moved relative to the workpiece 200 in a curved manner along the surface of the workpiece 200, the working unit 30 can perform work according to the amount of relative movement.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the signal output unit 22 outputs a plurality of signals corresponding to the respective relative movements of the plurality of positions of the working unit 30. This makes it possible to obtain the amount of relative movement of the plurality of positions of the working unit 30, and therefore makes it possible to control the work of the working unit 30 based on the relative movements of the plurality of positions of the working unit 30.

[0068] In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the working unit 30 includes at least one of a line camera, an area camera, a laser profile sensor, a distance measuring sensor, a coating unit, an attachment unit, a spray unit, and a welding unit. As a result, while the line camera, the area camera, the laser profile sensor, or the distance measuring sensor is moved relatively along the workpiece 200, the workpiece 200 can be imaged or measured for each relative movement, so that the shape and state of the workpiece 200 can be obtained with high accuracy. In addition, while the coating unit, the attachment unit, the spray unit, or the welding unit is moved relatively along the workpiece 200, coating, attachment, spraying, or welding can be performed on the workpiece 200 for each relative movement, so that the occurrence of coating unevenness, attachment unevenness, spray unevenness, or welding unevenness on the workpiece 200 can be suppressed.

[0069] (Modification) It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments described above, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0070] For example, in the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which a working unit is provided at the tip of a multi-joint robot arm and the working unit is moved by the multi-joint robot arm to move the working unit relative to the workpiece is shown, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, as in the example shown in FIG. 8, a workpiece 200 may be provided at the tip of a multi-joint robot arm 10, and the working unit 30 may be moved relative to the workpiece 200 by moving the workpiece 200 by the multi-joint robot arm 10. In this case, the working unit 30 may perform work on the workpiece 200 for each predetermined movement amount L3. In addition, when the workpiece 200 is provided at the tip of the multi-joint robot arm 10, an end effector may be provided at the tip of the multi-joint robot arm 10, and the end effector may hold the workpiece 200 by gripping it.

[0071] Furthermore, a working unit and a workpiece may be provided at the tip of each of a plurality of articulated robots, and each of the working units and the workpiece may be moved by an articulated robot arm, thereby moving the working unit relative to the workpiece.

[0072] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the robot control unit, the signal output unit, and the work control unit are provided separately has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the robot control unit, the signal output unit, and the work control unit may be provided in a common control device. In this case, in the common control device, separate processing units such as CPUs may be provided as the robot control unit, the signal output unit, and the work control unit, or a common processing unit such as CPU may be provided.

[0073] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the articulated robot arm includes six vertical joints has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the articulated robot arm may include a plurality of joints, such as five or less, or seven or more joints.

[0074] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the amount of relative movement of the working unit with respect to the workpiece is obtained based on the movement of the control point of the articulated robot arm is shown, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the amount of relative movement of the working unit with respect to the workpiece may be obtained based on the movement of an arbitrary position of the articulated robot arm.

[0075] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the robot control unit and the signal output unit are provided in a common control device has been shown, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the robot control unit and the signal output unit may be provided in separate control devices. In addition, the signal output unit may be provided in a control device common to the robot control unit by adding hardware, or may be provided in a control device common to the robot control unit by adding software.

[0076] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration is shown in which a signal based on the relative movement amount of the working unit is output in accordance with the relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the relative position of the working unit with respect to the workpiece may be output in real time based on the movement of the workpiece or the working unit provided at the tip of the articulated robot arm. In this case, the position coordinates of the tip position of the articulated robot arm may be output. In this case, the articulated robot arm may be moved at a low speed in advance to obtain the position coordinates of the tip position of the articulated robot arm, and then, when the articulated robot arm is moved along a similar path, a signal based on the relative movement amount of the working unit may be output in conjunction with the position coordinates of the tip position of the articulated robot arm in accordance with the relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 10 Articulated Robot Arm 21 Robot control unit 22 Signal output section 30 Working Section 40 Work control section 100 Robot System 200 Work

Claims

1. a working unit that performs work on a workpiece, the working unit including at least one of a laser profile sensor, a distance measurement sensor, a coating unit, an attachment unit, a welding unit, and an ultrasonic inspection unit; a multi-joint robot arm including a plurality of joints, the workpiece or the working unit being provided at a tip thereof, and configured to move the workpiece or the working unit; A robot control unit that controls the movement of the articulated robot arm; a signal output unit that outputs a signal based on a relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece, the signal output unit being configured to output a signal based on a relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece, the relative movement amount of the working unit being generated by movement of the workpiece or the working unit provided at the tip of the articulated robot arm; a work control unit that controls a work performed by the working unit on the workpiece based on the signal output from the signal output unit.

2. The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the signal output unit outputs a signal based on the relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece by a pulse signal with a variable frequency for each relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece.

3. The robot system according to claim 2 , wherein the signal output unit outputs a predetermined pulse signal for each amount of relative movement of the working unit with respect to the workpiece.

4. 4. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein the work control unit controls the work performed by the working unit on the workpiece using a signal output from the signal output unit as a trigger.

5. 5. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein the work control unit causes the working unit to perform work at constant movement distances based on the signal output from the signal output unit.

6. The robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the robot control unit causes the working unit to move relative to the workpiece in a curved manner along a surface of the workpiece by the articulated robot arm.

7. 7. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein the signal output section outputs a plurality of signals corresponding to a plurality of positions of the working part based on relative movement of each of the positions.

8. a multi-joint robot arm including a plurality of joints, a workpiece or a working unit that performs a work on the workpiece being provided at a tip end thereof, and that moves the workpiece or the working unit; A robot control unit that controls the movement of the articulated robot arm; a signal output unit that outputs a signal based on a relative movement amount of the working unit for each relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece due to movement of the workpiece or the working unit provided at the tip of the articulated robot arm, The robot, wherein the working unit includes at least one of a laser profile sensor, a distance measurement sensor, a coating unit, an attachment unit, a welding unit, and an ultrasonic flaw detection unit.

9. The robot according to claim 8 , wherein the signal output unit outputs a signal based on the relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece as a pulse signal for each relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece.

10. 10. The robot according to claim 8, wherein the signal output unit outputs a relative position of the working unit with respect to the workpiece based on a movement of the workpiece or the working unit provided at a tip of the articulated robot arm.

11. A method for operating a robot having a multi-joint robot arm including a plurality of joints, a workpiece or a working unit that performs an operation on the workpiece being provided at a tip end thereof, and moving the workpiece or the working unit, comprising: a step of outputting a signal based on a relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece, the signal being based on the relative movement amount of the working unit, for each relative movement amount of the working unit with respect to the workpiece, the working unit being moved by the movement of the workpiece or the working unit provided at the tip of the articulated robot arm; and controlling an operation performed by the working unit on the workpiece based on the output signal. A method for operating a robot, wherein the working unit includes at least one of a laser profile sensor, a distance measurement sensor, a coating unit, an attachment unit, a welding unit, and an ultrasonic flaw detection unit.

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