Operation device of robot

Abstract

To provide an operation device of a robot that can make a safe state of the robot during activation of the operation device maintained securely.SOLUTION: An operation device of a robot comprises: an input unit; an interlock processing unit that executes interlock processing for releasing interlock for preventing the robot from being automatically activated, on the basis of predetermined operation to the input unit after the operation device is activated; and a stop processing unit that executes stop processing for stopping the robot on the basis of software processing. The stop processing includes processing for disallowing the robot to be activated while the operation device is activated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

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, conventional switches are generally used by the operator after the operating device has been started up normally, and there is room for improvement in terms of ensuring that the robot remains in a safe state while the operating device is being started up.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a robot manipulation device that can firmly maintain the safety state of the robot while the manipulation device is activated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The robot operating device according to the embodiment is an operating device for operating the movement of a robot, and comprises an input unit, an interlock processing unit that executes an interlock process to release an interlock for preventing automatic startup of the robot based on a predetermined operation on the input unit after startup of the operating device, and a stop processing unit that executes a stop process to stop the robot based on software processing, and the stop process includes a process of not allowing startup of the robot while the operating device is starting up and allowing startup of the robot after startup of the operating device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an example of a robot operation device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of an example of a robot operating device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a stop button displayed on a display unit of an example of a robot operation device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a time chart showing an example of control performed after the operation device is turned on for an example of a robot operation device according to an 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 operating device 10 includes a housing 11, an emergency stop switch 12, an enable switch 13, a mode selector switch 14, a display unit 15, and an input unit 16. The housing 11 is configured to be sized so that an operator can hold it in his / her hand. The housing 11 also includes a power switch (not shown). The power switch is used to turn the power of the operating device 10 on and off. When the power switch is operated to turn on the power, the operating device 10 executes a process to safely start up the operating device 10. When the power switch is operated to turn off the power, the operating device 10 executes a process to safely shut down the operating device 10.

[0011] The emergency stop switch 12 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 12 is configured, for example, by an electromechanical switch having normally closed physical contacts. Each contact of the emergency stop switch 12 is connected to the safety system control device 912. When the emergency stop switch 12 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 12 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 12 takes priority over all other functions. In other words, the emergency stop switch 12 plays a role in reliably stopping the robot 92 in an emergency.

[0013] The enable switch 13 is used to stop the robot 92 in either stop category 0, 1, or 2 in accordance with the IEC 60204-1 standard, and enables the execution of functions when operated continuously. The enable switch 13 is provided on the back side of the housing 11. The enable switch 13 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 13 intentionally. In other words, the enable switch 13 serves as an interlock to prevent accidents due to operator operation errors.

[0014] The enable switch 13 is configured as an electromechanical switch such as a three-position switch. In this case, the enable switch 13 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 13 is turned on, and prohibits, i.e., stops, manual operation of the robot 92 when the enable switch 13 is turned off. Note that the execution of other functions can be permitted or prohibited depending on the operation of the enable switch 13. Furthermore, a configuration may be provided in which multiple enable switches 13 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 mode selector switch 14 is a switch for switching the operation mode of the robot 92 between manual mode and automatic mode. The manual mode is a mode for manually operating the robot 92, and the automatic mode is a mode for automatically operating the robot 92. The operator can alternatively select either the manual mode or the automatic mode by operating the mode selector switch 14. The operation modes may include a teach check mode, which is a mode for checking the taught positions, paths, etc.

[0016] The display unit 15 is a user interface capable of displaying images and the like, and may be configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The input unit 16 receives operational input from an operator. The input unit 16 has an operation unit 161 and physical buttons 162. The operation unit 161 is a user interface that receives operational input from a user in response to information displayed on the display unit 15, and may be configured, for example, by a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel. The operation unit 161 includes at least a pointing device or a touch device that can specify a specific position on the screen displayed on the display unit 15. The operation unit 161 also includes operation keys that receive operational input, for example, to release an interlock that prevents the robot 92 from automatically starting up when the operation device 10 is powered on.

[0017] When a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display is used as the display unit 15 and a touch panel is used as the operation unit 161, the display unit 15 and the operation unit 161 can be configured as an integrated touch panel display. Alternatively, the display unit 15 can be configured as a wearable display that is worn on the head of a worker, for example. In this case, the operation unit 161 can be configured to detect an operation input by the worker based on the movement of the worker's fingers wearing the display unit 15 or the movement of a pointing device used by the worker. In this configuration, the worker inputs an operation to the operation unit 161 by virtually touching an icon displayed on the display unit 15 with the worker's fingers or a pointing device. The physical buttons 162 are configured as multiple physical buttons that receive an operation input from the worker. The physical buttons 162 can include an operation button for releasing an interlock. The physical buttons 162 are provided, for example, on the surface side of the housing 11.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 2, the operation device 10 further includes a control unit 20, an input processing unit 21, a display processing unit 22, a setting processing unit 23, and a stop 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 15 and the operation unit 161 operate under the control of the control unit 20.

[0019] The control unit 20 executes a computer program in the CPU 201, thereby virtually realizing the input processing unit 21, display processing unit 22, interlock processing unit 23, stop processing unit 24, etc. by software. Note that the input processing unit 21, display processing unit 22, interlock processing unit 23, and stop 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.

[0020] 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 16, 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.

[0021] The display processing unit 22 executes display processing to control the display content of the display unit 15. The display processing includes, for example, processing for displaying on the display unit 15 graphics and numerical values ​​indicating the robot's posture according to the operating status of the robot 92, various setting information, input information, and the like. The display processing also includes processing for activating a screen saver and displaying a screen saver screen 151 on the display unit 15 when the input unit 16 does not accept any input for a predetermined period of time, for example, 5 to 10 minutes. The screen saver screen 151 is a screen displayed to protect the display unit 15 from, for example, burn-in of the LCD. The display processing includes processing for terminating the operation of the screen saver and displaying the original screen or another screen on the display unit 15 when a user inputs to the input unit 16 while the screen saver screen 151 is being displayed. The original screen or another screen includes an operation screen. The operation screen is a screen for accepting operation inputs from the operation unit 161.

[0022] The interlock processing unit 23 executes interlock processing to release the interlock based on a predetermined operation on the input unit 16 after startup of the operation device 10. In this case, the interlock processing unit 23 generates a command to release the interlock and transmits it to, for example, the non-safety control device 911 of the robot controller 91. The non-safety control device 911 releases the interlock based on the command received from the operation device 10.

[0023] The stop processing unit 24 executes a stop process that stops the robot 92 based on software processing. "Based on software processing" means that the operation by the operator does not directly cause the robot 92 to stop, as with the electromechanically configured emergency stop switch 12, but rather the stop process is executed by an instruction from the CPU 201, via software processing in the CPU 201, in response to an operator's operation. The stop process is a process that stops the operation of the robot 92 in stop category 0 or 1 in accordance with the IEC 60204-1 standard. The stop process also includes a process that stops the robot 92 in accordance with a stop category that has been set in advance for the stop process when the operator operates the stop button 17 displayed on the display unit 15.

[0024] In the present embodiment, the stop processing by the stop processing unit 24 is assumed to be configured such that an instruction to stop the robot 92 is output from the stop processing unit 24 to the robot controller 91. In this case, the safety system control device 912 stops the robot 92 upon receiving the instruction to stop from the stop processing unit 24. Also, a normally closed switch connected to the safety system control device 912 may be provided in the housing 11. In this configuration, when the stop processing unit 24 executes the stop processing, the stop processing unit 24 turns off the switch provided in the housing 11 in response to an instruction from the CPU 201. Then, the safety system control device 912 stops the robot 92 based on the switch being turned off. In this manner, the stop processing of the robot 92 can be realized in a manner similar to that of the emergency stop switch 12. Also, as described above, the interlock processing is executed via the non-safety system control device 911, whereas the stop processing is executed via the safety system control device 912. In other words, the interlock processing is performed via a path different from that of the stop processing.

[0025] Furthermore, the display processing executed by the display processing unit 22 includes processing for displaying, on the display unit 15, the stop button 17 that receives an operation for executing the stop processing. In this case, the display processing includes processing for displaying, on the display unit 15, the stop button 17 after the operation device 10 has been started up. "After the operation device 10 has been started up" means that the operation device 10 has started up normally and is in a state where the operation of the robot 92 can be controlled using the operation device 10. "During the operation device 10 startup" means the state from when the power to the operation device 10 is turned on until the operation device 10 has started up normally.

[0026] The stop button 17 constitutes a part of the operation unit 161. The stop button 17 can be operated in the same manner as when an operator normally operates the operation unit 161. A touch operation is one example of an operation input to the operation unit 161. As shown in FIG. 3, the stop button 17 is displayed, for example, in such a manner that the character 171 of "STOP" is surrounded by a circle 172, and the circle 172 is further surrounded by a rectangle 173. The stop button 17 in FIG. 3 is used when the stop processing unit 24 is used as an emergency stop device that performs an emergency stop of the robot 92, that is, it is a stop button for performing an emergency stop. When the stop button 17 is used as an emergency stop button, the display processing unit 22 must display the stop button 17 in red in accordance with the ISO 13850 standard.

[0027] In this case, the display processing unit 22 displays, for example, on the operation screen, the area inside the circle 172 of the stop button 17 except for the characters 171, by filling it in red, and the area inside the rectangle 173 that forms the background of the circle 172 by filling it in yellow. The display processing also includes processing for displaying the boundary lines L of the elements that make up the stop button 17, i.e., the outlines L of the figures, characters, symbols, etc. that make up the stop button 17, in a manner in which white and black colors are adjacent to each other, as shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3, the outlines L are arranged as black lines inside white lines, but they may also be arranged as white lines inside black lines.

[0028] The stop button 17 can also be used when the stop processing unit 24 is a normal stop device that stops the robot 92 normally rather than in an emergency, i.e., as a stop button for stopping the robot 92 during normal operation. "Normal operation" refers to a non-emergency state, in which a worker is performing a general task using the operation device 10, such as checking the robot 92's posture using a 3D model, editing a program, or teaching the robot 92, or is able to perform such a task. Furthermore, when the stop button 17 is used as a stop button for stopping the robot 92 during normal operation, the IEC 60204-1 standard recommends that the color of the stop button 17 be black or gray. In this case, the display processing unit 22 may, for example, fill in the inside of the circle 172 of the stop button 17 except for the character 171 with black, and fill in the inside of the rectangle 173 that forms the background of the circle 172 and the inside of the character 31 with white.

[0029] Here, the interlock prevents the robot 92 from starting up from the time the operating device 10 is started up until the interlock is released in response to a predetermined operation on the input unit 16. However, if a malfunction occurs in the operating device 10 or the non-safety control device 911, a command to release the interlock may be sent erroneously. In this case, the robot 92 may operate without any intentional operation by the worker. Therefore, from the viewpoint of ensuring work safety, it is desirable to take measures other than the interlock to prevent the robot 92 from automatically starting up while the operating device 10 is started up.

[0030] Therefore, in this embodiment, the stop processing includes processing for disallowing activation of the robot 92 while the operating device 10 is activated. In this case, the stop processing includes processing for disallowing activation of the robot 92 by regarding the stop button 17 as having been operated while the operating device 10 is activated, that is, processing for maintaining the robot 92 in a stopped state. In this way, by using an interlock and the stop processing together, it is possible to obtain double protection against the robot 92 automatically activating before the operating device 10 is activated normally.

[0031] An example of the control content when the power is turned on to the controller device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The control content in the example of Fig. 4 will be described as being mainly executed by the control unit 20. When the power is turned on to the controller device 10 and the controller device 10 is in an activated state, the stop button 17 is not displayed on the display unit 15 and is in an inoperable state. In other words, the period during which the controller device 10 is in an activated state overlaps with the period Ti during which the stop button 17 is in an inoperable state. Furthermore, the period Ti overlaps with part of the period during which the interlock is active.

[0032] 4, that is, until normal startup of the operation device 10 is completed, the control unit 20 assumes that the stop button 17 has been operated, as indicated by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 4, and does not permit startup of the robot 92. Once normal startup of the operation device 10 is completed, the control unit 20 assumes that the operation of the stop button 17 has been released. In this case, even if the operation of the stop button 17 is deemed to have been released, the interlock has not been released, and therefore the state in which the robot 92 is prevented from automatically starting is maintained.

[0033] When normal startup of the operation device 10 is completed, the control unit 20 displays the stop button 17 on the display unit 15. In other words, when normal startup of the operation device 10 is completed, the control unit 20 switches the stop button 17 from an inactive state to an active state and accepts an operation input of the stop button 17. Furthermore, when the operator performs an operation input to the input unit 16 to release the interlock, the control unit 20 releases the interlock and permits startup of the robot 92, as shown by symbol A2 in FIG. 4. The period during which the interlock prevents the robot 92 from automatically starting is set longer than the period during which startup of the robot 92 is prohibited assuming that the stop button 17 has been operated.

[0034] Then, as indicated by reference symbol A3 in FIG. 4 , when the worker operates the stop button 17, the control unit 20 stops the robot 92. In this case, the period from when the interlock is released until the stop button 17 is operated is the period Ta during which the operation of the robot 92 is permitted. Furthermore, when the stop button 17 is operated, the control unit 20 displays, for example, on the display unit 15, an explanation that the robot 92 has been stopped, along with a reset button (not shown) for performing a reset operation. The reset operation is an operation for resetting the robot 92 and means making the robot 92 operable. The worker can perform the reset operation by operating the reset button. The manner for performing the reset operation is not limited to this.

[0035] As described above, the operating device 10 according to this embodiment is used to operate the operation of the robot 92. The operating device 10 includes the input unit 16, the interlock processing unit 23, and the stop processing unit 24. The interlock processing unit 23 executes interlock processing to release an interlock that prevents the robot 92 from automatically starting, based on a predetermined operation on the input unit 16 after the operating device 10 has been started. The stop processing unit 24 executes stop processing to stop the robot 92 based on software processing. In this way, the robot 92 can also be stopped by the stop processing, and therefore 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.

[0036] Here, the stop processing includes processing for disallowing activation of the robot 92 while the operating device 10 is activated. Accordingly, by using the interlock and the stop processing in combination while the operating device 10 is activated, it is possible to reliably prevent the robot 92 from being activated in a state unintended by the worker. This makes it possible to more reliably maintain the safety state of the robot 92.

[0037] The operation device 10 further includes a display unit 15, a stop button 17, and a display processing unit 22. The stop button 17 is displayed on the display unit 15 and accepts execution of a stop process. The display processing unit 22 executes display processing to display the stop button 17 on the display unit 15 after the operation device 10 is started up.

[0038] According to this, the robot 92 can also be stopped by a stop process using the stop button 17, so that the operation of the robot 92 can be stopped by a method different from the conventional method using an emergency stop switch, an enable switch, etc. This further improves the safety of operating the robot 92.

[0039] 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]

[0040] 10... operation device, 16... input unit, 23... interlock processing unit, 24... stop processing unit, 92... robot

Claims

1. An operating device for operating a robot, an input unit; an interlock processing unit that executes an interlock process to release an interlock for preventing automatic startup of the robot based on a predetermined operation on the input unit after startup of the operation device; a stop processing unit that executes a stop process to stop the robot based on software processing, the stopping process includes a process of prohibiting activation of the robot while the operation device is activated. Robot operating device.

2. A display unit; a stop button displayed on the display unit for accepting execution of the stop process; a display processing unit that executes a display process to display the stop button on the display unit after the operation device is started up, The robot operating device according to claim 1 .

3. further comprising an enable switch and an emergency stop switch configured as physical switches that stop the robot in priority to the stop process; The robot operating device according to claim 1 or 2.

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