Operation device of robot

Abstract

To provide an operation device of a robot that can stop motion of the robot by a method that is different from methods using an emergency stop switch and an enable switch.SOLUTION: An operation device of a robot comprises: a display unit that displays information; a display processing unit that executes display processing for controlling contents displayed by the display unit; and a stop processing unit that executes stop processing for stopping the robot on the basis of software processing. The display processing includes processing for displaying, on the display unit, a stop button which receives operation for making the stop processing unit execute the stop processing, in which: when an operation mode of the robot is an automatic operation mode, the stop button is displayed on the display unit; and when the operation mode is not the automatic operation mode, the stop button is not displayed on the display unit, or the stop button is displayed, with a size smaller than a size in a case where the operation mode is the automatic operation mode, on the display unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a robot manipulation device. [Background technology]

[0002] To ensure the safety of workers, the operating device used to teach the robot is equipped with an emergency stop switch to bring the robot to an emergency stop and an enable switch to allow the robot to operate only while the worker is operating it as intended. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-110873 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in order to further improve safety and convenience for workers, there is a demand for a method of stopping the operation of a robot that differs from conventional methods such as an emergency stop switch or an enable switch.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a robot operating device that can stop the robot's operation using a method different from an emergency stop switch or an enable switch. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A robot operation device according to an embodiment includes a display unit that displays information, a display processing unit that executes display processing to control the display content of the display unit, and a stop processing unit that executes stop processing to stop the robot based on software processing. The display processing is processing for displaying a stop button on the display unit that receives an operation for executing the stop processing, and includes processing for displaying the stop button on the display unit when the driving mode of the robot is autonomous driving, and not displaying the stop button on the display unit or displaying the stop button on the display unit at a smaller size than in the case of autonomous driving when the driving mode is not autonomous driving. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an example of a robot operation device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an electrical configuration of a robot operating device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are examples of screens displayed on a display unit of an example of a robot operation device according to a first embodiment, in which (a) is an example of a display when the robot is operating automatically, and (b) is an example of a display when the robot is operating manually. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a display process for an example of a robot operation device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are examples of screens displayed on a display unit of an example of a robot operation device according to a second embodiment, where (a) is an example of a display when the robot is operating automatically, and (b) is an example of a display when the robot is operating manually. [Figure 6] 10 is an example of a screen displayed on a display unit during manual operation of an example of a robot operating device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a display process of an example of a robot operation device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is an example of a screen displayed on a display unit during manual operation of an example of a robot operation device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a display process of an example of a robot operation device according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An example in which the robot manipulation device of the present disclosure is applied to a teaching device such as a teaching pendant will be described with reference to the drawings. The manipulation device 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is communicably connected to a robot controller 91, and manipulates the movement of a robot 92 via the robot controller 91. The robot 92 is the object to be manipulated by the manipulation device 10, and is envisioned to be an industrial robot, such as a vertically articulated robot, a horizontally articulated robot, or a parallel link robot.

[0009] The robot controller 91 includes a non-safety system control device 911 and a safety system control device 912. The non-safety system control device 911 is a device that mainly controls the operation of the robot 92, such as by generating and outputting control commands based on settings and instructions from the operation device 10. The safety system control device 912 is a device that mainly performs safety-related control, such as by cutting off the power supply to the robot 92 to stop it when an emergency stop operation is input, for example.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1 , the operation device 10 includes a housing 11, a power switch 12, physical buttons 13, an emergency stop switch 14, an enable switch 15, a display unit 16, and an input unit 17. The housing 11 is configured to be sized so that an operator can hold it in his / her hand. The power switch 12 is used to turn the power of the operation device 10 on and off. When the power switch 12 is operated to turn on the power, the operation device 10 executes a process to safely start up the operation device 10. When the power switch 12 is operated to turn off the power, the operation device 10 executes a process to safely shut down the operation device 10. The physical buttons 13 are made up of a plurality of physical buttons that receive input operations from the operator.

[0011] The emergency stop switch 14 is for bringing the robot 92 to an emergency stop according to stop category 0 or 1 in accordance with the IEC 60204-1 standard. Stop category 0 is a stop mode in which the robot 92 is stopped by cutting off its drive source. Stop category 1 is a stop mode in which the robot 92 is stopped by control and then its drive source is cut off. And stop category 2 is a stop mode in which the robot 92 is stopped by control while its drive force is still applied.

[0012] The emergency stop switch 14 is configured, for example, by an electromechanical switch having normally closed physical contacts. Each contact of the emergency stop switch 14 is connected to the safety system control device 912. When the emergency stop switch 14 is not operated, the contacts are closed and the switch is on, allowing the safety system control device 912 to supply power to the robot 92. When the emergency stop switch 14 is operated by an operator, the contacts are opened and the switch is turned off, thereby cutting off the power supply to the robot 92 from the safety system control device 912 and bringing the robot 92 to an emergency stop. Stopping the robot 92 by operating the emergency stop switch 14 takes priority over all other functions. In other words, the emergency stop switch 14 plays a role in reliably stopping the robot 92 in an emergency.

[0013] The enable switch 15 is used to stop the robot 92 in stop category 0, 1, or 2 according to the IEC 60204-1 standard, and enables the execution of functions when operated continuously. The enable switch 15 enables the execution of functions such as manually operating the robot 92 only when, for example, an operator holding the operating device 10 continues to operate the enable switch 15 intentionally. In other words, the enable switch 15 serves as an interlock to prevent accidents caused by operator operation errors.

[0014] The enable switch 15 is configured as an electromechanical switch such as a three-position switch. In this case, the enable switch 15 is turned off when it is pressed firmly and not pressed firmly, and turned on when it is pressed lightly, i.e., in the intermediate position between the two off positions. The safety system control device 912 permits manual operation of the robot 92 when the enable switch 15 is turned on, and prohibits, i.e., stops, manual operation of the robot 92 when the enable switch 15 is turned off. Note that the execution of other functions can be permitted or prohibited depending on the operation of the enable switch 15. Furthermore, a configuration may be provided in which multiple enable switches 15 are provided to accommodate cases where the robot is held with the right hand and cases where it is held with the left hand, for example.

[0015] The display unit 16 is a user interface capable of displaying images, etc., and can be configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, etc. The input unit 17 is a user interface that receives operational input from the user in response to information displayed on the display unit 16, and can be configured, for example, by a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel, etc. The input unit 17 includes at least a pointing device or a touch device that can specify a specific position on the screen displayed on the display unit 16.

[0016] When a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display is used as the display unit 16 and a touch panel is used as the input unit 17, the display unit 16 and the input unit 17 can be configured as an integrated touch panel display. The display unit 16 can also be configured as a wearable display that is worn on the worker's head, for example. In this case, the input unit 17 can be configured to detect the operation input by the worker based on the movement of the worker's fingers wearing the display unit 16 or the movement of a pointing device used by the worker. In this configuration, the worker inputs an operation to the input unit 17 by virtually touching, for example, an icon displayed on the display unit 16 with the worker's fingers or a pointing device.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2 , the operation device 10 further includes a control unit 20, an input processing unit 21, a stop processing unit 22, and a display processing unit 24. The control unit 20 is housed inside the housing 11. The control unit 20 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having, for example, a CPU 201 and a storage area 202 such as a ROM, a RAM, and a rewritable flash memory, and controls the operation of the entire operation device 10. The storage area 202 stores computer programs. The display unit 16 and the input unit 17 operate under the control of the control unit 20.

[0018] The control unit 20 executes a computer program in the CPU 201, thereby virtually realizing the input processing unit 21, stop processing unit 22, mode acquisition processing unit 23, display processing unit 24, etc. by software. Note that the input processing unit 21, stop processing unit 22, mode acquisition processing unit 23, and display processing unit 24 may also be realized by hardware including electrical components such as integrated circuits, transistors, or switching relays that operate in cooperation with the control unit 20.

[0019] The input processing unit 21 has a function of generating commands for controlling the operation of the robot 92 based on operation inputs received by the input unit 17, and transmitting the commands to, for example, a non-safety control device 911 of the robot controller 91. The non-safety control device 911 operates the robot 92 based on commands received from the operation device 10, for example, when the operation of the robot 92 is permitted.

[0020] The stop processing unit 22 executes stop processing to stop the robot 92 based on software processing. Here, "based on software processing" means that the operation by the operator does not directly cause the robot 92 to stop, as in the case of the electromechanically configured emergency stop switch 14, but rather the operation by the operator goes through software processing in the CPU 201 and the stop processing is executed by an instruction from the CPU 201. The stop processing is processing to stop the operation of the robot 92 in stop category 0 or 1 according to the IEC 60204-1 standard.

[0021] In this embodiment, the stop processing by the stop processing unit 22 is assumed to be configured such that an instruction to stop the robot 92 is output from the stop processing unit 22 to the robot controller 91. In this case, the safety system control device 912 stops the robot 92 when it receives the instruction to stop from the stop processing unit 22.

[0022] It is also possible to configure the robot 92 such that a normally closed switch connected to the safety system controller 912 is provided inside the housing 11. In this configuration, when the stop processing unit 22 executes the stop processing, it turns off the switch provided inside the housing 11 in response to an instruction from the CPU 201. Then, the safety system controller 912 stops the robot 92 based on the fact that the switch has been turned off. This makes it possible to realize the stop processing of the robot 92 in the same manner as the emergency stop switch 14.

[0023] The mode acquisition processing unit 23 acquires the operation mode of the robot 92 directly from the robot 92 or indirectly from the robot controller 91. The operation modes of the robot 92 include automatic operation and manual operation. Automatic operation means that the robot controller 91 and the robot 92 autonomously perform all recognition, judgment, and operation without the intervention of an operator. Manual operation means that the operation of the robot 92 is performed while requiring recognition, judgment, operation, etc. by an operator. Note that when automatic operation is being performed, this includes not only a case where the operation mode is set to automatic operation and the robot 92 is operating, but also a case where the robot 92 is stopped. When manual operation is being performed, this includes not only a case where the operation mode is set to manual operation and the robot 92 is operating, but also a case where the robot 92 is stopped.

[0024] The display processing unit 24 executes a display process that controls the display content of the display unit 16. The display process includes, for example, a process of displaying on the display unit 16 graphics and numerical values ​​indicating the posture of the robot 92 according to the operation mode of the robot 92, various setting information, input information, and the like. The display process also includes, for example, a process of selectively displaying on the display unit 16 stop buttons 301 and 302 that are operated to execute a stop process, as shown in FIG. 3 . The stop buttons 301 and 302 are used to stop the operation of the robot 92 when there is a risk of a problem if the robot 92 continues to operate as is. When the stop button 301 or 302 displayed on the display unit 16 is operated by the operator to stop the operation, the stop processing unit 22 executes a stop process that stops the robot 92 in accordance with a stop category previously set for the stop process. The stop operation includes, for example, a single tap on the stop button 301 or 301.

[0025] The stop buttons 301 and 302 are both displayed, for example, with the word "STOP" surrounded by a circle, and the circle further surrounded by a square. The stop buttons 301 and 302 in Fig. 3 are used when the stop processing unit 22 is configured as an emergency stop device that performs an emergency stop of the robot 92, that is, they are stop buttons for performing an emergency stop. When the stop buttons 301 and 302 are used as emergency stop buttons, the display processing unit 24 must display the stop buttons 301 and 302 in red in accordance with the ISO 13850 standard.

[0026] Hereinafter, where necessary, stop button 301 will be referred to as the first stop button, and stop button 302 will be referred to as the second stop button 302 to distinguish between them. The second stop button 302 is displayed in a smaller size than the first stop button 301. For example, the area of ​​the second stop button 302 can be set within a range of approximately 50% or less, approximately 33% or less, or approximately 25% or less of the area of ​​the first stop button 301.

[0027] The content of the display process for alternatively displaying the stop buttons 301, 302 on the display unit 16 is set according to the operation mode of the robot 92 acquired by the mode acquisition processing unit 23. That is, the display process includes a process for displaying the first stop button 301 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is operating automatically, and a process for not displaying the stop buttons 301, 302 on the display unit 16 or displaying the second stop button 302 on the display unit 16 in a smaller size than when the robot 92 is operating automatically when the robot 92 is not operating automatically. In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the display processing unit 24 displays the first stop button 301 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is operating automatically, and displays the second stop button 302 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is operating manually.

[0028] When the robot 92 is operating automatically, there is an increased need to be prepared to immediately stop the robot 92 in case the robot 92 behaves in a way that is not intended by the worker. For this reason, it is preferable to display the first stop button 301 on the display unit 16 at a size equal to or larger than a certain size so that the worker can immediately recognize and operate the first stop button 301. On the other hand, when the robot 92 is not operating automatically, the worker is operating the robot 92, and therefore the need for the worker to immediately stop the robot 92 is relatively low. For this reason, when the robot 92 is not operating automatically, by displaying the small second stop button 302 on the display unit 16, other items displayed on the display unit 16 are displayed with priority, improving their visibility, and a larger area of ​​the display unit 16 can be used for work, thereby improving operability for the worker.

[0029] It should be noted that there may be cases where the robot 92 is stopped while the robot 92 is performing automatic operation. In such cases, the worker cannot be sure when the robot 92 will next start operating. For example, there may be cases where the robot 92 is stopped while waiting for an external input from other equipment operating in conjunction with the robot 92. For this reason, even if the robot 92 is stopped, it is preferable to display the first stop button 301 on the display unit 16 so that the robot 92 can be stopped immediately if necessary, regardless of when the robot 92 resumes operation.

[0030] By operating the second stop button 302, the worker can obtain the same effect as when operating the first stop button 301. That is, the stop processing unit 22 executes stop processing in response to the operation of the second stop button 302. Furthermore, the display processing unit 24 may execute processing to enlarge and display the second stop button 302 in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10. That is, the display processing includes processing to enlarge and display the second stop button 302 in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10.

[0031] The magnification ratio for enlarging the second stop button 302 can be set within a range of 200% to 400%, for example. In this case, enlarging the second stop button 302 includes displaying the first stop button 301 instead of the second stop button 302. In this embodiment, the display processing unit 24 displays the first stop button 301 on the display unit 16 in place of the second stop button 302 in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10.

[0032] The predetermined operation on the operating device 10 may be, for example, an operation such as a double tap or a flick on the display unit 16. In this case, the operation may be a double tap or a flick on the area where the second stop button 302 is displayed, or on a predetermined area including the area where the second stop button 302 is displayed.

[0033] The area in which the second stop button 302 is displayed can be set so as to at least partially overlap the area in which the first stop button 301 is displayed. Preferably, the area in which the second stop button 302 is displayed can be set so as to fit within the area in which the first stop button 301 is displayed. This eliminates the need for the worker to memorize the positions of the first stop button 301 and the second stop button 302 separately, and allows the worker to quickly recognize the position of the second stop button 302 when necessary, even when the second stop button 302 is displayed small on the display unit 16.

[0034] When the second stop button 302 is enlarged in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10, the display processing unit 24 may continue to enlarge the display until the operator operates the operation device 10 to display the second stop button 302 in its normal size, or may display the second stop button 302 in its normal size when a specific criterion is met even if the operator does not operate the operation device 10. For example, in this embodiment, the display processing unit 24 displays the second stop button 302 in its normal size when a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the operator operates the operation device 10 to enlarge the second stop button 302. The predetermined period of time can be set, for example, within a range of 1 minute to 10 minutes. In this embodiment, the predetermined period of time is set to 5 minutes.

[0035] An example of the control content when using the operation device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. In the example of Fig. 4, the control executed by the input processing unit 21, the stop processing unit 22, the mode acquisition processing unit 23, and the display processing unit 24 will all be described as being executed mainly by the control unit 20.

[0036] When the power of the operation device 10 is turned on (START in FIG. 4), the control unit 20 acquires the operation mode of the robot 92 in step S11 and determines whether the operation mode of the robot 92 is automatic operation or not. If the operation mode of the robot 92 is not automatic operation, for example, manual operation (NO in step S11), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S12.

[0037] In step S12, the control unit 20 displays the second stop button 302 on the display unit 16. In step S13, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the operator has input a stop operation to the second stop button 302. If the operator has input a stop operation to the second stop button 302 (YES in step S13), the control unit 20 advances the process to step S19.

[0038] If a stop operation has not been received on the second stop button 302 (NO in step S13), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S14. In step S14, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the operator has received a predetermined operation on the operation device 10, in this case, for example, a double tap or flick on a predetermined area including the second stop button 302. If the predetermined operation has been received (YES in step S14), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S15. If the predetermined operation has not been received (NO in step S14), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11.

[0039] If the operation mode of the robot 92 is automatic operation (YES in step S11), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S15. In step S15, the control unit 20 displays the first stop button 301 on the display unit 16.

[0040] In step S16, the control unit 20 determines whether or not a stop operation has been received from the operator using the first stop button 301. If a stop operation has not been received (NO in step S16), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S17.

[0041] In step S17, the control unit 20 determines whether the second stop button 302 is being enlarged. If the second stop button 302 is not being enlarged, that is, if the previous step S11 determined that the driving mode is automatic driving (NO in step S17), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11. If the second stop button 302 is being enlarged, that is, if the previous step S11 determined that the driving mode is manual driving (YES in step S17), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S18.

[0042] In step S18, the control unit 20 determines whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since enlarging and displaying the second stop button 302. If the predetermined period of time has not elapsed (NO in step S18), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S16. If the predetermined period of time has elapsed, the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11.

[0043] If a stop operation has been received (YES in step S16), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S19. In step S19, the control unit 20 executes a stop process. Thereafter, the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11. The control unit 20 executes these processes until the power of the operation device 10 is turned off.

[0044] As described above, the operating device 10 according to this embodiment includes the display unit 16 that displays information, the display processing unit 24 that executes display processing to control the display content of the display unit 16, and the stop processing unit 22 that executes stop processing to stop the robot 92 based on software processing. As such, the robot 92 can also be stopped by the stop processing, so that the operation of the robot 92 can be stopped by a method different from the conventional method such as an emergency stop switch or an enable switch.

[0045] The display process is a process of displaying stop buttons 301 and 302, which are operated to execute the stop process, on the display unit 16. The display process includes a process of displaying the first stop button 301 on the display unit 16 when the operation mode of the robot 92 is automatic operation, and not displaying the stop buttons 301 and 302 on the display unit 16 when the operation mode of the robot 92 is not automatic operation, or displaying the second stop button 302 on the display unit 16 in a smaller size than when the operation mode is automatic operation.

[0046] According to this, when the robot 92 is being operated automatically, the worker can quickly recognize the first stop button 301 displayed in a large size and perform a stop operation, thereby improving the safety and convenience of the worker. On the other hand, when the robot 92 is being operated manually, as much of the display unit 16 as possible can be used for displaying other items and for the worker's operations, improving the operability of the operation device 10. Furthermore, since the possibility that the worker will accidentally touch the stop buttons 301, 302 and perform a stop operation when the robot 92 is being operated manually is reduced, the worker is prevented from unintentionally stopping the robot 92.

[0047] The display process includes a process for displaying the stop buttons 301 and 302 in a larger size than the small size in response to a predetermined operation when the operation mode of the robot 92 is not automatic and the second stop button 302 is displayed in a small size on the display unit 16.

[0048] This allows the second stop button 302, which is normally displayed small when the robot is not in automatic operation, to be enlarged and displayed according to the needs or preferences of the worker. Therefore, if necessary, the worker can immediately perform a stop operation on the enlarged second stop button 302 to stop the robot 92, thereby improving the safety and convenience of the worker.

[0049] Note that, in the present embodiment, the stop processing unit 22 is configured to execute the stop processing in response to a normal operation, such as a single tap, on the second stop button 302, but this is not limiting. In other embodiments, for example, the stop processing unit 22 may be configured not to execute the stop processing in response to only a normal operation on the second stop button 302, but instead the display processing unit 24 may enlarge and display the second stop button 302, and the stop processing unit 22 may execute the stop processing in response to an operation on the enlarged second stop button 302. In this way, even if the second stop button 302, which is small and difficult to operate, is accidentally operated, the robot 92 is not stopped immediately, and the robot 92 is stopped only when the worker intentionally operates the enlarged second stop button 302, thereby making it possible to prevent unintended stopping of the robot 92 due to an erroneous operation.

[0050] (Second embodiment) A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. In this embodiment, the display processing unit 24 displays a stop button 301 on the display unit 16 when the operation mode of the robot 92 is automatic operation, and does not display the stop buttons 301 and 302 on the display unit 16 when the operation mode of the robot 92 is not automatic operation. In this case, the display processing includes processing for displaying the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 when the operation mode of the robot 92 is automatic operation, and not displaying the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 when the operation mode of the robot 92 is not automatic operation. Furthermore, the display processing includes processing for displaying the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10 when the operation mode of the robot 92 is not automatic operation. In other words, when the operation mode of the robot 92 is not automatic operation, the display processing unit 24 hides the stop button 301 from the first floor of the display unit 16 and virtually places it on a lower floor or outside the screen.

[0051] The display process includes a process of displaying the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10 when the operation mode of the robot 92 is automatic operation, and terminating the display in response to a further predetermined operation.

[0052] The predetermined operation on the operation device 10 is, for example, an input operation on the physical button 13 or the input unit 17. In this embodiment, the predetermined operation on the operation device 10 is an input operation on the input unit 17.

[0053] The display processing includes processing for displaying a shortcut menu launch button 18 on the display unit 16, and processing for displaying a shortcut menu screen 19 in response to an operation on the shortcut menu launch button 18. The shortcut menu launch button 18 can be displayed, for example, on the periphery of the display unit 16. In the example shown in FIG. 6 , the shortcut menu launch button 18 is displayed in the lower right corner of the display unit 16. When the worker operates the shortcut menu launch button 18, the display processing unit 24 displays the shortcut menu screen 19 on the display unit 16.

[0054] The shortcut menu screen 19 includes a plurality of shortcut keys 191, a shortcut menu end button 192, and a stop button 301. Each of the plurality of shortcut keys 191 has a function set thereto, and receives an input operation from the worker. When the display processing unit 24 receives an input operation by the worker on the shortcut menu end button 192, for example, a single tap, the display processing unit 24 closes the shortcut menu screen 19. This also ends the display of the stop button 301.

[0055] The display area of ​​the stop button 301 on the shortcut menu screen 19 is set so as to overlap at least a part of the display area of ​​the stop button 301 displayed on the display unit 16 when the operation mode of the robot 92 is automatic operation. This makes it easier for the worker to instantly grasp the position of the stop button 301 on the shortcut menu screen 19, and therefore makes it possible to quickly operate the stop button 301. In this embodiment, the display area of ​​the stop button 301 on the shortcut menu screen 19 is set so as to be the same as the display area of ​​the stop button 301 displayed on the display unit 16 when the operation mode of the robot 92 is automatic operation. This makes it even easier for the worker to grasp the position of the stop button 301 regardless of the operation mode of the robot 92.

[0056] An example of the control content when using the operating device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Description of the processes common to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 4 will be omitted.

[0057] When the operation mode of the robot 92 is not automatic operation, in this case, when the operation mode is manual mode (NO in step S11), the control unit 20 advances the process to step S21.

[0058] In step S21, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the shortcut menu launch button 18 has been operated by the operator. If the shortcut menu launch button 18 has not been operated (NO in step S21), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11. If the shortcut menu launch button 18 has been operated (YES in step S21), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S22.

[0059] In step S22, the control unit 20 displays the shortcut menu screen 19 including the stop button 301 on the display unit 16. In step S23, the control unit 20 determines whether or not a stop operation has been received from the worker using the stop button 301. If a stop operation has been received using the stop button 301 (YES in step S23), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S19. If a stop operation has not been received using the stop button 301 (NO in step S23), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S24.

[0060] In step S24, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the operator has operated the shortcut menu end button 192. If the shortcut menu end button 192 has not been operated (NO in step S24), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S22. If the shortcut menu end button 192 has been operated (YES in step S24), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S25.

[0061] In step S25, the control unit 20 closes the shortcut menu screen 19. After that, the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11.

[0062] In this embodiment, after step S15, the control unit 20 proceeds to step S26. In step S26, the control unit 20 determines whether or not a stop operation has been received from the operator using the stop button 301. If a stop operation has not been received (NO in step S26), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11. If a stop operation has been received (YES in step S26), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S19.

[0063] The present embodiment described above also provides the same effects as the above embodiment.

[0064] According to this embodiment, the display processing includes processing for displaying the stop button 301 in response to a predetermined operation when the operation mode of the robot 92 is automatic and the stop button 301 is not displayed on the display unit 16.

[0065] When the robot 92 is operating automatically, there is an increased need for the worker to be prepared to immediately stop the robot 92 in case the robot 92 performs an action that the worker does not intend. On the other hand, when the robot 92 is not operating automatically, the robot 92 operates based on the operation of the worker, and therefore there is a relatively low need for the worker to immediately stop the robot 92. Therefore, when the robot 92 is operating manually rather than automatically, not displaying the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 improves the visibility of other items displayed on the display unit 16, and also allows a larger area of ​​the display unit 16 to be used for work, thereby improving operability for the worker.

[0066] In the present embodiment, the display processing unit 24 performs processing to display the shortcut menu screen 19 including the stop button 301 in response to an operator's operation on the shortcut menu activation button 18, but this is not limited to this. For example, the display processing unit 24 may be configured to perform processing to display the shortcut menu screen 19 including the stop button 301 in response to an operation input on the physical button 13 or a flick operation on a predetermined area of ​​the input unit 17.

[0067] (Third embodiment) A third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. In this embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the display processing unit 24 displays the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 when the operation mode of the robot 92 is automatic operation, and does not display the stop buttons 301, 302 on the display unit 16 when the operation mode of the robot 92 is not automatic operation. The display processing includes processing for displaying the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10 when the operation mode of the robot 92 is automatic operation.

[0068] In this embodiment, the display processing unit 24 displays a stop button 301 on the display unit 16 in response to a predetermined first operation on a predetermined area 171 of the input unit 17. The predetermined first operation is, for example, a flick or a double tap. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8 , in response to the worker flicking the lower right corner of the display unit 16 upward, the display processing unit 24 displays the stop button 301 on the display unit 16. In this case, the predetermined area 171 can be set to an area that at least partially overlaps with the area in which the stop button 301 is displayed. This allows the worker to intuitively understand the area in which the predetermined operation should be performed, and also allows the worker to immediately operate the stop button 301 if necessary after the predetermined operation. In this embodiment, the stop button 301 is displayed in the lower right corner of the display unit 16. The predetermined area is set in the lower right corner of the input unit 17, which includes the display area of ​​the stop button 301.

[0069] In this embodiment, the display process includes a process of ending the display of the stop button 301 in response to a predetermined second operation on the stop button 301 displayed on the display unit 16 in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10 when the operation mode of the robot 92 is not automatic, for example, manual operation. The predetermined second operation is, for example, a downward flick, a long press, or a double tap.

[0070] An example of the control content when using the operating device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Description of the processes common to the second embodiment shown in Fig. 7 will be omitted.

[0071] If the operation mode of the robot 92 is not automatic operation, for example, manual operation (NO in step S11), the control unit 20 advances the process to step S31.

[0072] In step S31, the control unit 20 determines whether or not a predetermined first operation has been received from the worker on the input unit 17. If the predetermined first operation has not been received on the input unit 17 (NO in step S31), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11. If the predetermined first operation has been received on the input unit 17 (YES in step S31), the control unit 20 advances the process to step S32.

[0073] In step S32, the control unit 20 displays the stop button 301 on the display unit 16. Thereafter, the control unit 20 proceeds to step S23. If a stop operation on the stop button 301 has not been received (NO in step S23), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S34.

[0074] In step S34, the control unit 20 determines whether or not a predetermined second operation has been received from the worker via the input unit 17. If the predetermined second operation has not been received via the input unit 17 (NO in step S34), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S32. If the predetermined second operation has been received via the input unit 17 (YES in step S34), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S35.

[0075] In step S35, the control unit 20 terminates the display of the stop button 301. After that, the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11.

[0076] The present embodiment described above also provides the same effects as the above embodiment.

[0077] In the present embodiment, the display processing unit 24 is configured to display the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 in response to a predetermined first operation on the input unit 17, but this is not limiting. For example, the display processing unit 24 may be configured to perform processing to display the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 in response to an operation on the physical button 13 by the worker.

[0078] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and equivalent modifications. In addition, various combinations and forms, including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10...operation device, 14...emergency stop switch, 15...enable switch, 16...display unit, 22...stop processing unit, 24...display processing unit, 301, 302...stop button, 92...robot

Claims

1. a display unit that displays information; a display processing unit that executes a display process to control the display content of the display unit; a stop processing unit that executes a stop process to stop the robot based on software processing, the display process is a process of displaying a stop button on the display unit, the stop button being operated to execute the stop process, a process of displaying the stop button on the display unit when the operation mode of the robot is automatic operation, and not displaying the stop button on the display unit or displaying the stop button on the display unit in a smaller size than when the operation mode is automatic operation when the operation mode is not automatic operation, Robot operating device.

2. The display processing includes, when the driving mode is not automatic driving and the stop button is displayed in the small size on the display unit, processing for displaying the stop button in a size larger than the small size in response to a predetermined operation. The robot operating device according to claim 1 .

3. The display process includes a process of displaying the stop button in response to a predetermined operation when the driving mode is not automatic driving and the stop button is not displayed on the display unit. The robot operating device according to claim 1 .

4. further comprising an enable switch and an emergency stop switch, each of which is a physical switch that stops the robot in priority to the stop process; The robot operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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