Robot system

Abstract

To provide a robot system which enables reduction of labor of a worker.SOLUTION: A robot system 1 includes: a multi-joint arm 31; a torque sensor 32 which is provided at the output side of a motor for driving a shaft forming the multi-joint arm 31 and measures an external force applied to the multi-joint arm; a light emission unit 33 which emits light; and a light emission control unit which causes the light emission unit 33 to emit light which varies according to a magnitude of the external force measured by the torque sensor 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot system. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a method for stopping a robot to minimize mechanical damage to an articulated robot or the like when the robot collides with an obstacle or the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-137312 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The method of Patent Document 1 can stop the robot when it detects a collision with an obstacle, but it cannot determine the extent of damage the robot has suffered as a result of the collision. Therefore, after a collision is detected, the worker must check the status of the robot, which is time-consuming.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a robot system that can reduce the workload of workers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A robot system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a multi-joint arm, a torque sensor provided on the output side of a motor that drives an axis that constitutes the multi-joint arm and that measures an external force applied to the multi-joint arm, and a light emission control unit that causes an output unit to output information corresponding to the magnitude of the external force measured by the torque sensor.

[0007] According to this aspect, the worker can understand the extent of the external force applied to the multi-joint arm by checking the content that is output when an external force is applied to the multi-joint arm.

[0008] In the above aspect, when the magnitude of the external force exceeds any one of a plurality of thresholds, the output control unit may cause the output unit to output content corresponding to the exceeded threshold.

[0009] According to this aspect, when the output is received from the output unit, the worker can understand the extent of the external force applied to the articulated arm based on the contents set for each threshold value.

[0010] In the above aspect, when the integrated value of the magnitude of the external force exceeds one of multiple integrated value thresholds, the output control unit may further output content corresponding to the exceeded integrated value threshold from the output unit.

[0011] According to this aspect, when the data is output from the output unit, the worker can understand how much external force the articulated arm has received so far has accumulated, based on the contents set for each integrated value threshold.

[0012] In the above aspect, the output unit is a light-emitting unit that emits light, and the light-emitting unit is provided for each axis that constitutes the articulated arm, and the output control unit may cause the light-emitting unit to emit different light depending on the magnitude of the external force measured by the torque sensor.

[0013] According to this aspect, when light is emitted from the light emitting unit, the worker can visually grasp to which axis the external force has been applied and to what extent.

[0014] In the above aspect, the output unit may be a sound output unit that outputs sound, and the output control unit may cause the sound output unit to output a different sound depending on the magnitude of the external force measured by the torque sensor.

[0015] According to this aspect, the worker can auditorily grasp the extent of the external force applied to the multi-joint arm by checking the content of the sound output when an external force is applied to the multi-joint arm. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a robot system that can reduce the workload of a worker. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a robot system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a control unit of the robot control device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a control unit of a robot control device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, components with the same reference numerals have the same or similar configurations.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a robot system according to an embodiment. The robot system 1 includes, for example, a robot control device 2 and a welding robot 3. The robot control device 2 and the welding robot 3 can be connected via a network, for example, a wired network such as a communication cable, or a wireless network. The robot system 1 may also include a teaching pendant. The teaching pendant can be connected to the robot control device 2 and is, for example, a terminal device used by an operator to teach the welding robot 3 how to operate.

[0020] The robot control device 2 is a control unit that controls the operation of the welding robot 3, and includes, for example, a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, and a welding power supply unit 24.

[0021] Control unit 21 is a processor that controls welding robot 3 and welding power supply unit 24 by executing work programs such as a welding program stored in memory unit 22. Each function of control unit 21 will be described later. Communication unit 23 controls communication with each device connected via a network.

[0022] Welding power supply 24 supplies welding current, welding voltage, and the like to welding robot 3 in accordance with predetermined welding conditions, for example, to generate an arc between the tip of the welding wire and the workpiece. The welding conditions include data items such as welding conditions, welding start position, welding end position, welding distance, and welding torch posture. The welding conditions include data items such as welding current, welding voltage, welding speed, wire feed speed, and workpiece thickness. Welding power supply 24 may be provided separately from robot control device 2.

[0023] Welding robot 3 is a manipulator that performs arc welding on a welding target in accordance with welding conditions set in robot control device 2, and is also a collaborative robot that works in cooperation with humans. Therefore, a worker can touch and directly operate the articulated arm of welding robot 3, and can also perform arc welding while directly operating it.

[0024] The welding robot 3 includes, for example, a multi-joint arm 31 mounted on a base member fixed to the floor of a factory or the like, a welding torch (not shown) which is one of the tools connected to the tip of the multi-joint arm 31, a torque sensor 32, and a light emitting unit (output unit) 33.

[0025] The torque sensor 32 measures the torque applied to each axis constituting each joint of the multi-joint arm 31. The torque sensor 32 is provided, for example, on the output side of a motor and a reducer that drive each axis of the multi-joint arm. The torque sensor 32 can also measure an external force applied to the multi-joint arm 31. Note that the external force applied when the multi-joint arm 31 is operating can be calculated, for example, by subtracting the torque corresponding to a torque command from the torque measured by the torque sensor 32.

[0026] The light emitting units 33 are, for example, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and are attached near each axis that constitutes the articulated arm 31. Note that light emitting diodes may be provided for only some of the axes that constitute the articulated arm 31, or for all of the axes. By providing light emitting diodes for all axes, it becomes possible to visually grasp the amount of external force applied to each axis.

[0027] A full-color LED, a three-color LED, or a plurality of LEDs of different colors may be used as light-emitting unit 33. Note that light-emitting unit 33 does not necessarily have to be attached to welding robot 3, and may be placed within a range visible to the operator operating welding robot 3 (for example, on a safety fence).

[0028] 2, a description will be given of some of the functions of the control unit 21 of the robot control device 2. The control unit 21 includes, as functional components, an external force detection unit 211 and a light emission control unit 212, for example.

[0029] The external force detection unit 211 detects the magnitude of the external force (torque) applied to the articulated arm 31 of the welding robot 3 using the measurement value of the torque sensor 32 provided on each axis of the articulated arm 31 .

[0030] Depending on the magnitude of the external force detected by the external force detection unit 211, it is possible to detect that a person or an object has come into contact with (or collided with) the articulated arm 31.

[0031] The light emission control unit 212 causes the light emitting unit 33 to emit different lights depending on the magnitude of the external force measured by the torque sensor 32. The different lights may be different colors, or may have different lighting patterns such as blinking intervals. It is sufficient that the different lights allow the worker to visually distinguish the level of external force received by the articulated arm.

[0032] For example, multiple thresholds for the magnitude of the external force may be set, and the type of light to be emitted when each threshold is exceeded may be set. In this case, when the measured magnitude of the external force exceeds one of the multiple thresholds, the light emission control unit 212 causes the light emitter 33 to emit the light set in association with the exceeded threshold.

[0033] This allows the worker to determine the magnitude of the external force applied to the articulated arm 31 based on the content of the emitted light.

[0034] Furthermore, the light emission control unit 212 may integrate the magnitude of the external force measured by the torque sensor 32, and based on the integrated value, further emit light different from the above-mentioned light from the light emitter 33. It is sufficient if the worker can visually distinguish the degree to which the external force applied to the articulated arm 31 has accumulated by using light different from the above-mentioned light.

[0035] For example, multiple thresholds for the integrated value of the magnitude of the external force may be provided, and the type of light to be emitted when each threshold for the integrated value is exceeded may be set. In this case, when the integrated value of the magnitude of the external force exceeds one of the multiple thresholds for the integrated value, the light emission control unit 212 causes the light emitter 33 to emit the light that is set in association with the exceeded threshold for the integrated value.

[0036] This allows the worker to determine the accumulated state of external force received by the articulated arm 31 based on the content of the emitted light, and determine the timing to replace parts of the welding robot 3, etc.

[0037] As described above, according to the robot system 1 of the embodiment, the light emitting unit 33 can emit different light depending on the magnitude of the external force measured by the torque sensor 32, which is provided on the output side of the motor that drives the axis of the articulated arm 31 and measures the external force applied to the articulated arm 31.

[0038] This allows the worker to visually grasp how much external force has been applied to the articulated arm 31 and how much of the applied external force has accumulated by checking the content of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 33 when an external force is applied to the articulated arm 31.

[0039] Therefore, the robot system 1 according to the embodiment can reduce the workload of the worker.

[0040] [Variations] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various other forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the above-described embodiment is merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted as being limiting.

[0041] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the light emission control unit 212 causes the light emitting unit 33 to emit different lights based on the magnitude of the external force measured by the torque sensor 32 or the integrated value of the magnitude of the external force, but is not limited to emitting different lights. For example, different sounds may be output based on the magnitude or integrated value of the external force.

[0042] The different sounds may have different melodies or different audio contents, as long as the different sounds allow the worker to auditorily distinguish the level of external force applied to the articulated arm 31 and the accumulated level of external force applied to the articulated arm 31.

[0043] This allows the worker to determine the magnitude of the external force applied to the articulated arm 31 and the accumulation status of the external force received by the articulated arm 31 based on the content of the output sound.

[0044] 3, it is preferable that the control unit 21 of the robot control device 2 further includes a sound control unit 213 that outputs different sounds from a sound output unit (output unit) such as a speaker based on the magnitude and integrated value of the external force. The speaker is preferably placed on the welding robot 3 or in the vicinity of the welding robot 3.

[0045] This allows the worker to auditorily grasp the extent of external force applied to the multi-joint arm 31 by checking the content of the sound output when an external force is applied to the multi-joint arm 31.

[0046] The welding robot 3 may further include a display control unit that displays the magnitude of the external force and the integrated value of the magnitude of the external force as characters or images on a display unit (output unit) such as a liquid crystal display based on the magnitude of the external force and the integrated value of the magnitude of the external force measured by the torque sensor 32. The display unit is preferably disposed on the welding robot 3 or in the vicinity of the welding robot 3.

[0047] Furthermore, the robot control device 2 may be provided with an output control unit including at least one of the light emission control unit 212 in the embodiment and the sound control unit 213 and display control unit in the modified example. In other words, the robot control device 2 may be provided with an output control unit that causes the output unit (light emission unit 33, sound output unit, display unit) to output content (light, sound, text, image, etc.) corresponding to the magnitude of the external force measured by the torque sensor 32 or the integrated value of the magnitude of the external force.

[0048] In the above-described embodiment, the welding robot 3 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to industrial robots including handling robots that perform picking and the like, in addition to welding robots. In this case, the welding program and welding target used in the above-described embodiment can be replaced with a work program and work target, respectively. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1...Robot system, 2...Robot control device, 3...Welding robot, 21...Control unit, 22...Memory unit, 23...Communication unit, 24...Welding power supply unit, 31...Articulated arm, 32...Torque sensor, 33...Light-emitting unit, 211...External force detection unit, 212...Light-emitting control unit, 213...Sound control unit

Claims

1. A multi-joint arm; a torque sensor provided on an output side of a motor that drives a shaft constituting the articulated arm, the torque sensor measuring an external force applied to the articulated arm; an output control unit that causes an output unit to output information corresponding to the magnitude of the external force measured by the torque sensor; A robot system comprising:

2. When the magnitude of the external force exceeds any one of a plurality of thresholds, the output control unit causes the output unit to output content corresponding to the exceeded threshold. The robot system according to claim 1 .

3. When the integrated value of the magnitude of the external force exceeds any one of a plurality of threshold values ​​for the integrated value, the output control unit further outputs content corresponding to the exceeded threshold value for the integrated value from the output unit. The robot system according to claim 1 .

4. the output unit is a light emitting unit that emits light, the light emitting unit is provided for each axis constituting the articulated arm, the output control unit causes the light emitting unit to emit light that varies depending on the magnitude of the external force measured by the torque sensor. The robot system according to claim 1 .

5. the output unit is a sound output unit that outputs sound, the output control unit causes the sound output unit to output a different sound depending on the magnitude of the external force measured by the torque sensor. The robot system according to claim 1 .

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