Semi-automatic remote control system and semi-automatic remote control method

Abstract

To provide a semi-automatic remote operation system and a semi-automatic remote operation method capable of accurately generating a work locus of a work tool during automatic operation.SOLUTION: The semi-automatic remote operation system 1 includes a drive device 20 that moves a work tool 5 that performs a predetermined operation on a workpiece 7 including a curved surface portion, a control device 30 that controls the drive device 20, and an operation device 10 that receives an input for an operator to manually remotely operate the work tool 5. The control device 30 is capable of switching between a manual operation mode in which the drive device 20 is controlled in accordance with a worker's manual remote operation of the work tool 5 input to the operation device 10 and an automatic operation mode in which the drive device 20 is controlled so as to move the work tool 5 along the work trajectory 8, acquires contact information of the drive device 20 when a part of the drive device 20 or a part of the work tool 5 comes into contact with the curved surface portion of the workpiece 7, and generates the work trajectory 8 based on the contact information of the drive device 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a semi-automatic remote control system and a semi-automatic remote control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, maintenance work using arm robots, such as industrial robots, cannot be performed by direct instruction because the operator cannot approach the robot at high altitudes. Furthermore, because the shape or distance of the workpiece, which is the work target, is not constant, re-teaching is required each time, which is inefficient. For this reason, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a system that scans the workpiece with a 3D camera to recognize its shape and generates a motion trajectory for the arm robot based on the recognized workpiece shape. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 proposes a semi-automatic remote control device that can switch between a manual operation mode in which the master control device is directly operated manually to remotely control the slave arm, and an automatic operation mode in which the slave arm is automatically operated based on instruction data or operation data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2019-513076 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-283878 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the system in Patent Document 1 requires scanning several positions in different postures with a 3D camera to recognize the shape of the workpiece. In this case, it is not possible to generate a trajectory because it is not possible to scan areas that are shaded by the 3D camera. Also, because the position of the workpiece is slightly shifted, when working with a tool, the tool may come into contact with the workpiece too much, causing damage, or may be too far away, making it impossible to work.

[0005] Furthermore, although the device in Patent Document 2 conceptualizes semi-automatic remote operation, it is configured to always operate the slave arm in a constant manner based on pre-stored teaching data or operation data in automatic operation mode, and therefore is unable to generate a work trajectory that follows the surface shape of the workpiece.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present disclosure aims to provide a semi-automatic remote operation system and a semi-automatic remote operation method that can accurately generate a work trajectory of a work tool during automatic operation when switching from manual operation to automatic operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) A semi-automatic remote operation system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a drive unit that drives a work tool to perform a predetermined task on a workpiece that includes a curved surface, a control unit that controls the drive unit, and an operation unit that accepts input from an operator to manually remotely operate the work tool. The control unit is capable of switching between a manual operation mode in which the drive unit is controlled in response to the operator's manual remote operation of the work tool input to the operation unit, and an automatic operation mode in which the drive unit is controlled to move the work tool along a work trajectory. The control unit acquires contact information for the drive unit when a part of the drive unit or a part of the work tool contacts the curved surface of the workpiece, and generates the work trajectory based on the contact information for the drive unit.

[0008] (2) In the semi-automatic remote control system described in (1) above, the operating device may be a master having an operating unit that operates in conjunction with the operation of the drive device as a slave. The control device may control the operating device in the manual operation mode so that the operation of the operating unit operates in conjunction with the operation of the drive device, and may control the operating device in the automatic operation mode so that the operation of the operating unit does not operate in conjunction with the operation of the drive device.

[0009] (3) In the semi-automatic remote operation system described in (1) or (2) above, the workpiece may include a curved surface. When a part of the drive device or a part of the work tool comes into contact with three or more different points on the surface of the curved surface in the manual operation mode, the control device may detect the surface positions of each of the points as contact information for the drive device.

[0010] (4) In the semi-automatic remote control system described in (3) above, the control device may detect, in the manual operation mode, the surface positions of each of the points when a part of the drive device or a part of the work tool abuts on three points on the surface of the curved portion that are the same height on the workpiece, as abutment information of the drive device, and may also detect, in the manual operation mode, the surface position when a part of the drive device or a part of the work tool abuts on one point on the surface of the curved portion that is a different height on the workpiece from the three points, as abutment information of the drive device.

[0011] (5) In the semi-automatic remote operation system described in (3) or (4) above, the workpiece may have an axis. The curved surface portion may have a tapered shape in which the distance from the axis of the workpiece to a surface position of the curved surface portion monotonically increases or decreases depending on the height of the workpiece. In the automatic operation mode, the control device may move a part of the drive device or a part of the work tool along the axis of the workpiece while contacting the surface of the curved surface portion with a constant reaction force, and further detect surface positions of a start point and an end point of a section along which the part of the drive device or a part of the work tool moves while contacting the surface of the curved surface portion with a constant reaction force as contact information of the drive device, and may offset the work trajectory by a difference between the start point and the end point of a section along which the part of the drive device or the ... in the manual operation mode.

[0012] (6) In the semi-automatic remote control system described in any one of (1) to (5) above, the control device may determine that a part of the drive device or a part of the work tool has come into contact with the surface of the workpiece based on information fed back from the drive device.

[0013] (7) In the semi-automatic remote control system described in any one of (1) to (6) above, the control device may generate the work trajectory in the automatic operation mode by setting at least one of the offset amount, pitch length or retraction length of the drive device, or the tilt correction value of the work tool.

[0014] (8) In the semi-automatic remote operation system described in any one of (1) to (7) above, the control device may generate the work trajectory so as to control the pressing force of the work tool in the automatic operation mode.

[0015] (9) A semi-automatic remote operation method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a manual operation step of controlling a drive device that moves a work tool that performs a predetermined task on a workpiece that includes a curved portion so that a part of the drive device or a part of the work tool abuts against the surface of the curved portion of the workpiece in response to manual remote operation of the work tool by an operator; a generation step of acquiring contact information of the drive device when a part of the drive device or a part of the work tool abuts against the curved portion of the workpiece and generating a work trajectory of the work tool based on the contact information of the drive device; and an automatic operation step of controlling the drive device to move the work tool along the generated work trajectory. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the semi-automatic remote control system and semi-automatic remote control method disclosed herein, a work trajectory is generated with high accuracy. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a semi-automatic remote operation system that generates a work trajectory on a work surface according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of a semi-automatic remote control method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the relationship between an approximation curve and a work surface, and the relationship between a work surface, a virtual work surface, and a retreat surface. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a work trajectory generated on a virtual work surface. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a method for calculating the coordinates of each point included in a work trajectory. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a semi-automatic remote operation system that generates a work trajectory on a tapered curved work surface according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between a pre-modification work surface and a work surface. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 7 taken along a plane extending along the YZ plane and including point A. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between a working surface, a virtual working surface, and a retreat surface. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for calculating the coordinates of each point included in a work trajectory according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a line drawn on a curved work surface in a work in which a pressing force is set. [Figure 11B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a line drawn on a curved work surface in a work in which a pressing force is not set. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present disclosure is described below. The present disclosure enables improved work efficiency and accurate work by combining manual remote operation and automated driving to perform maintenance work in difficult-to-access areas of buildings or structures, such as high or difficult locations, or areas with high temperatures or dusty environments. In other words, in areas such as these, the shape or distance of the workpiece, the target of the work, is not constant, making it difficult to perform all work by automated driving. On the other hand, when performing remote work by manual driving, work can be performed according to the shape or distance of the workpiece, but the feeling is different from that of manual work due to camera work or communication delays, requiring considerable skill and making fine work difficult. For this reason, the present disclosure enables switching between manual and automated driving as needed. In this disclosure, "semi-automated" means that the system can switch between manual driving (manual driving mode) and automated driving (automatic driving mode).

[0019] A semi-automatic remote control system 1 (see FIG. 1, etc.) and a semi-automatic remote control method according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The drawings are schematic and may differ from the actual product. Furthermore, the first embodiment below exemplifies an apparatus or method for embodying the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure, and does not limit the configuration to that described below. In other words, the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure can be modified in various ways within the technical scope described in the claims.

[0020] <Configuration example of semi-automatic remote control system 1> As shown in FIG. 1 , a semi-automatic remote operation system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure includes an operation device 10, a drive device 20, and a control device 30. The drive device 20 is configured to be able to attach a work tool 5. The semi-automatic remote operation system 1 is configured to remotely control the drive device 20 to perform a predetermined task on a workpiece 7 using the work tool 5. The workpiece 7 may be, for example, a structure serving as a work target. In the first embodiment, the workpiece 7 includes a curved portion. The workpiece 7 may be a column or cylinder. The curved portion of the workpiece 7 may be at least a portion of the surface of a cylinder. The curved portion of the workpiece 7 may be at least a portion of the outer surface of a cylinder. The curved portion of the workpiece 7 may be at least a portion of the inner surface of a cylinder. The workpiece 7 has a central axis 7A extending in the height direction. The workpiece 7 may have an eccentric axis located offset from the center. When the workpiece 7 has an eccentric axis, the central axis 7A of the present disclosure may be interpreted as the eccentric axis. The height direction may coincide with the vertical direction. When the workpiece 7 has a central axis 7A, the drive unit 20 may be configured so that one of the three axes of the three-dimensional coordinate system of the drive unit 20, for example, the Z-axis direction of the XYZ coordinate system, forms an angle of less than 10 degrees with the extension direction of the central axis 7A of the workpiece 7. The drive unit 20 may be configured so that the extension direction of the central axis 7A of the workpiece 7 coincides with the Z-axis direction of the drive unit 20. In the present disclosure, assuming that the central axis 7A of the workpiece 7 extends in the height direction, the height direction of the workpiece 7 is defined as the extension direction of the central axis 7A. When the central axis 7A extends horizontally, the height direction of the workpiece 7 is interpreted as the horizontal direction of the workpiece 7. Furthermore, when the central axis 7A extends in an oblique direction that is neither vertical nor horizontal, the height direction of the workpiece 7 is interpreted as an oblique direction.

[0021] In the semi-automatic remote operation system 1 according to the present disclosure, the drive unit 20 is configured as a multi-axis robot. The multi-axis robot as the drive unit 20 is configured as a master-slave system using so-called bilateral control. The multi-axis robot realizes remote operation of the work tool 5 by controlling the operation of the drive unit 20 as a slave operation device located away from the operation device 10 in accordance with operations input to the operation device 10 as a master operation device.

[0022] The semi-automatic remote operation system 1 may further include a remote camera or the like for an operator to remotely monitor the position of the driving device 20, the work tool 5, or the workpiece 7.

[0023] An example of the configuration and operation of the semi-automatic remote control system 1 will be described below.

[0024] The driving device 20 includes a robot arm 22. The robot arm 22 may be at least a part of the arm of a multi-axis robot. For example, the multi-axis robot may be a vertically articulated arm robot having six axes (rotation axes) and degrees of freedom in six axial directions. The rotation axes may be referred to as the T-axis, B-axis, R-axis, U-axis, L-axis, and S-axis, in order from the tip of the multi-axis robot. The multi-axis robot may be configured to have degrees of freedom of movement in at least three axial directions. The multi-axis robot is not limited to an arm, and may be replaced with devices having various structures or shapes, as long as it is configured to be remotely controlled by the operating device 10. The multi-axis robot is not limited to a vertically articulated arm robot, and may have any structure or shape. The driving device 20 may be mounted on a mobile platform at the tip of the boom of an aerial work platform.

[0025] The work tool 5 attached to the drive device 20 may include, for example, a processing grinder used in high-altitude work, a paint nozzle, a paint roller, a paint brush, a cleaning nozzle, or an inspection probe. The predetermined work performed by the work tool 5 may include processing, painting, cleaning, inspection, etc. The workpiece 7 may include a steel structure such as a diffusion pipe, a chimney, a tank, a support, or a vertical pipe, which is a cylindrical or cylindrical structure having a central axis along the vertical direction. The object on which the predetermined work is performed by the work tool 5 may include the outer surface of the workpiece 7 or the inner surface of the workpiece 7.

[0026] The operation device 10 includes an operation unit 12. When the operation device 10 functions as a master operation device, the operation unit 12 is configured as an operation axis that can input operations along the same axis as the axis that moves the robot arm 22 of a multi-axis robot serving as the drive device 20. The operation device 10 may, for example, be a vertically articulated arm robot similar to the drive device 20. The operation axis may, for example, be the same robot arm as the robot arm 22 of the drive device 20. A master-slave system can be relatively easily configured by making the operation axis of the operation device 10 and the robot arm 22 of the drive device 20 have the same shape. However, the operation axis of the operation device 10 and the robot arm 22 of the drive device 20 do not necessarily have to be similar in shape or have the same degrees of freedom. The operation unit 12 is not limited to an operation axis and may be configured as a rotary controller such as a jog shuttle or as various other types of controllers. The operation unit 12 is not limited to these examples and may be configured in various forms. The operation device 10 may be arranged in an operation room of the aerial work vehicle or the like, away from the drive device 20. The operation device 10 and the drive device 20 are connected by a cable or wirelessly.

[0027] The control device 30 is configured to be switchable between a manual operation mode and an automatic operation mode. The manual operation mode is a mode in which the drive device 20 is operated in accordance with an operation input to the operation unit 12 of the operation device 10. The automatic operation mode is a mode in which the operation of the drive device 20 is automatically controlled to move the work tool 5 along a predetermined trajectory, regardless of whether an operation is input to the operation device 10. In other words, in the manual operation mode, the control device 30 controls the operation device 10 and the drive device 20 so that the operation of the operation unit 12 of the operation device 10 and the operation of the drive device 20 are linked. In the automatic operation mode, the control device 30 controls the operation device 10 and the drive device 20 so that the operation of the operation unit 12 of the operation device 10 and the operation of the drive device 20 are not linked. The predetermined trajectory along which the work tool 5 is moved to perform work is also referred to as a work trajectory.

[0028] In the manual operation mode, the control device 30 operates the robot arm 22 of the drive device 20 in response to an operation input on the operation unit 12. The control device 30 is communicably connected to the operation device 10 and the drive device 20. The control device 30 may be communicably connected to the operation device 10 or the drive device 20 wirelessly. The control device 30 controls the operation of the drive device 20 in response to an operation input on the operation unit 12, and feeds back the reaction force received by the drive device 20 to the operation unit 12. In other words, the control device 30 controls the operation device 10, and feeds back the position or angle of the robot arm 22 of the drive device 20 and the reaction force acting on the robot arm 22 to the operation axis of the operation device 10. Specifically, the positions of each part of the robot arm 22, the trajectory of which is calculated from the angle of the robot arm 22, and the reaction force acting on the robot arm 22 can be transmitted bidirectionally by bilateral control. When the robot arm 22 is an articulated robot, the robot arm 22 may be configured so that the torque of a drive motor provided at each joint is transmitted to the operating shaft of the operating device 10 as a reaction force.

[0029] The control device 30 may be configured to include at least one processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), so as to control and manage each component of the semi-automatic remote operation system 1. The control device 30 may be configured with one processor or multiple processors. The processor constituting the control device 30 may control and manage each component of the semi-automatic remote operation system 1 by reading and executing a program stored in a storage unit, which will be described later.

[0030] The control device 30 may include a storage unit. The storage unit stores various types of information or data. The storage unit may store, for example, a program executed by the control device 30, or data used in processing executed by the control device 30, or processing results. The storage unit may also function as a work memory for the control device 30. The storage unit may be configured to include, for example, a semiconductor memory, but is not limited to this. For example, the storage unit may be configured as an internal memory of a processor used as the control device 30, or as a hard disk drive (HDD) accessible from the control device 30. The storage unit may be configured as a non-transitory readable medium. The storage unit may be configured integrally with the control device 30, or may be configured separately from the control device 30.

[0031] The control device 30 may include a communication unit. The communication unit may include a communication interface for communicating with each component of the semi-automatic remote operation system 1, such as the operation device 10 or the drive device 20, via a wired or wireless connection. The communication interface may be configured to be able to communicate with other devices via a network. The communication unit may include an input / output port for inputting and outputting data to and from each component of the semi-automatic remote operation system 1. The communication unit transmits and receives necessary data and signals to and from each component of the semi-automatic remote operation system 1. The communication unit may communicate based on a wired communication standard or a wireless communication standard. For example, the wireless communication standard may include cellular phone communication standards such as 3G, 4G, or 5G. Furthermore, for example, the wireless communication standard may include IEEE802.11, Bluetooth (registered trademark), and the like. The communication unit may support one or more of these communication standards. The communication unit is not limited to these examples and may communicate with other devices or input and output data based on various standards.

[0032] <Example of operation of semi-automatic remote control system 1> In the semi-automatic remote operation system 1 according to the first embodiment, the control device 30 executes a semi-automatic remote operation method that switches between a manual operation mode and an automatic operation mode, thereby automatically performing a predetermined task using the work tool 5 attached to the drive device 20. The control device 30 may execute the semi-automatic remote operation method including the steps of the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 2. The semi-automatic remote operation method may be realized as a semi-automatic remote operation program executed by a processor included in the control device 30 or the like. The semi-automatic remote operation program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0033] In the manual operation mode, the control device 30 controls the drive device 20 in accordance with manual remote control input by the operator to the operation unit 12 of the operation device 10, and moves the work tool 5 (step S1). Specifically, the operator operates the tip of the operation shaft of the operation device 10. The control device 30 moves the work tool 5 attached to the tip of the robot arm 22 of the drive device 20 in accordance with the movement of the tip of the operation shaft.

[0034] The control device 30 brings a part of the work tool 5 or a part of the robot arm 22 of the drive device 20 into contact with an arbitrary position on the workpiece 7 in response to manual remote control by the worker (step S2). The control device 30 records the position at which the part of the work tool 5 or a part of the robot arm 22 of the drive device 20 comes into contact with the workpiece 7 as the surface position of the workpiece 7 (step S3). The control device 30 determines whether the part of the work tool 5 or a part of the robot arm 22 has come into contact with the surface of the workpiece 7 based on the reaction force fed back from the drive device 20 to the operation device 10. For example, the control device 30 may record the position of the part of the work tool 5 or the robot arm 22 that comes into contact with the workpiece as the surface position of the workpiece 7 when the worker, having detected the reaction force of the drive device 20 via the operation axis of the operation device 10, manually presses a switch. The control device 30 may set a threshold for the reaction force from the drive device 20, and automatically record the position of the part of the work tool 5 or the robot arm 22 that comes into contact with the workpiece as the surface position of the workpiece 7 when the reaction force is equal to or greater than the threshold. The control device 30 may record the position when a part of the work tool 5 or the robot arm 22 comes into contact with the workpiece 7 as contact information. In other words, the contact information may include information on the contact position when a part of the work tool 5 or the robot arm 22 comes into contact with the workpiece 7.

[0035] The control device 30 determines whether it is possible to estimate the curved working surface of the workpiece 7 from the surface positions of the workpiece 7 recorded as contact information (step S4). Specifically, the control device 30 can estimate the curved working surface of the workpiece 7 when the surface positions of the workpiece 7 are recorded at three or more locations. The control device 30 can improve the accuracy of estimating the curved working surface of the workpiece 7 when it acquires information that can identify the normal direction of the surface of the workpiece 7 at each of three or more surface positions of the workpiece 7 as contact information. Information that can identify the normal direction of the surface of the workpiece 7 may include, for example, the direction of the reaction force received when the work tool 5 or the like contacts the workpiece 7 or the direction of the work tool.

[0036] If the control device 30 cannot estimate the work surface of the workpiece 7 (step S4: NO), it returns to the procedure of step S1 and repeats the operation of abutting part of the work tool 5 or part of the robot arm 22 against another position on the workpiece 7 and recording the surface position of the workpiece 7. In the first embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the control device 30 detects three positions, points A, B, and C, which are located at the same height on the surface of the workpiece 7, as abutment information of the drive device 20 and records them as the surface position of the workpiece 7. The control device 30 also detects the position of point D, which is located at a different height from points A, B, and C on the surface of the workpiece 7, as abutment information of the drive device 20 and records it as the surface position of the workpiece 7. In FIG. 3, point P is not a point on the surface of the workpiece 7, but an arbitrary point other than the surface of the workpiece 7. Point P corresponds to the position where the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 is retracted. Point O represents the origin of the base coordinate system when the drive device 20 controls the robot arm 22. The base coordinate system is set so that the vertical direction, that is, the height direction of the workpiece 7, coincides with the Z-axis direction, and the normal direction of the surface of the workpiece 7 at point A coincides with the Y-axis direction.

[0037] If the control device 30 can estimate the work surface of the workpiece 7 (step S4: YES), it estimates the work surface of the workpiece 7 and generates a work trajectory on the work surface (step S5). As illustrated in FIG. 3, the control device 30 may estimate the work surface 7W of the workpiece 7 passing through points A, B, and C, and calculate a virtual work surface 7V located an offset amount represented by OF from the work surface 7W of the workpiece 7. The control device 30 may also calculate a retraction surface 7H located an evacuation length represented by H from the virtual work surface 7V. The retraction length (H) is assumed to be a pre-specified value. The control device 30 may generate a work trajectory 8 on the virtual work surface 7V. Specifically, the control device 30 may generate the work trajectory 8 using the following procedure.

[0038] (0) As shown in Fig. 4, the control device 30 creates an arbitrary point between the origin O and point A of the base coordinate system of the drive device 20 as point P. In this example procedure, point P is located on the retraction surface 7H.

[0039] (1) The control device 30 estimates the curved working surface 7W of the workpiece 7 based on the positions of points A, B, and C, which are at the same height and are the contact positions between the work tool 5 or part of the robot arm 22 and the workpiece 7, and the position of point D, which is at a different height from points A, B, and C. A specific example of estimating the curved working surface 7W will be described later.

[0040] (2) The control device 30 generates a virtual work surface 7V offset by the offset amount (OF) from the calculated work surface 7W. The control device 30 also generates a retraction surface 7H offset by the retraction length (H) from the virtual work surface 7V. The control device 30 generates point A' by offsetting point A on the work surface 7W by the offset amount (OF) in the normal direction of the work surface 7W at point A. The control device 30 also generates point C' by offsetting point C on the work surface 7W by the offset amount (OF) in the normal direction of the work surface 7W.

[0041] (3) The control device 30 generates a line moving from point P to point A′ as part of the work trajectory 8.

[0042] (4) The control device 30 generates, as part of the work trajectory 8, a line extending from point A′ along the Z axis, that is, along the height direction of the workpiece 7, to the Z coordinate of point D.

[0043] (5) The control device 30 generates a line as part of the work trajectory 8, extending along the normal direction at point A' of the imaginary work surface 7V toward point P by the retraction length (H), i.e., from the imaginary work surface 7V toward the retraction surface 7H.

[0044] (6) The control device 30 generates, as part of the work trajectory 8, a line extending toward point C' on the upper edge of the retreat curved surface 7H by the retreat pitch length (LH), which is the distance between two points when the two ends of the pitch length (L) are projected onto the retreat curved surface 7H in the normal direction to the work curved surface 7W, based on the pitch length (L) set along the approximate curve on the work curved surface 7W. The pitch length (L) is assumed to be a preset value. The pitch length (L) may be set as the length of a curve along the approximate curve on the work curved surface 7W, or may be set as the length of a straight line to simplify calculations. The pitch length (L) is not limited to being set on the work curved surface 7W, but may also be set on the virtual work curved surface 7V or the retreat curved surface 7H. The retreat pitch length (LH) may be a value obtained by multiplying the pitch length (L) by the ratio of the curve length on the retreat curved surface 7H to the curve length on the work curved surface 7W.

[0045] (7) The control device 30 generates, as part of the work trajectory 8, a line extending along the normal direction of the retraction surface 7H by the retraction length (H) toward point A', i.e., from the retraction surface 7H toward the imaginary work surface 7V.

[0046] (8) The control device 30 generates a line extending along the Z axis to the Z coordinate of point A′ as part of the work trajectory 8.

[0047] (9) The control device 30 repeats the above-described steps (4) to (8) for generating the work trajectory 8 until the work trajectory 8, when extended along the approximate curve toward point C', exceeds a plane that includes the height direction of the workpiece 7 and the normal direction at point C on the work curved surface 7W and passes through point C', thereby generating the work trajectory 8.

[0048] (10) When the work trajectory 8 reaches a plane that includes the height direction of the workpiece 7 and the normal direction at point C on the work surface 7W, passes through point C', and reaches the Z coordinate of point C', i.e., when the work trajectory 8 reaches point C', the control device 30 generates a line extending from point C', which is the arrival point of the work trajectory 8 on the virtual work surface 7V, to an arbitrary point on the retreat surface 7H as part of the work trajectory 8. The arbitrary point on the retreat surface 7H is assumed to be an arbitrary safe retreat position designated by the worker. When the work trajectory 8 reaches a plane that includes the height direction of the workpiece 7 and the normal direction at point C on the work surface 7W, passes through point C', and ends at a Z coordinate different from the Z coordinate of point C', the control device 30 generates a line extending from the arrival point of the work trajectory 8 to an arbitrary point on the retreat surface 7H as part of the work trajectory 8.

[0049] The control device 30 can generate the work trajectory 8 by executing the example procedures (0) to (10) described above.

[0050] The control device 30 may specifically perform the following calculation when estimating the working curved surface 7W of the workpiece 7 in the above-mentioned procedure (1). Here, the coordinates of points A, B, C, and D from the origin O of the base coordinate system of the driving device 20 are determined based on the origin O (0,0,0) of the base coordinate system of the driving device 20, and are expressed as follows: A ,y A ,z A ), point B(x B ,y B ,z B ), point C(x C ,y C ,z C ), point D(x D ,y D ,z D When points A, B, and C are located at the same height and the Z axis direction of the base coordinate system of the driving device 20 and the extending direction of the central axis 7A of the workpiece 7 are approximately the same, z A and z B and z Cand are approximately the same value. The upper end of the curved work surface 7W is specified by the positions of points A, B, and C. The lower end of the curved work surface 7W is specified by the position of point D. As a result, the height direction of the curved work surface 7W is accurately specified. In addition, the left and right ends of the curved work surface 7W are specified by the positions of points A and C. As a result, the width direction of the curved work surface 7W is accurately specified.

[0051] The control device 30 calculates a quadratic approximation curve y=αx by the least squares method, which approximates a curve that passes through points A, B, and C that are the same height on the surface of the cylindrical workpiece 7. 2 +βx+γ. The quadratic approximation curve is included in the horizontal plane where the height is constant, that is, the Z coordinate is constant. Therefore, the normal to the quadratic approximation curve is included in the horizontal plane. Points A' and C' are set at positions moved by the offset amount (OF) from points A and C in the normal direction of the quadratic approximation curve. The coordinates of points A' and C' are respectively given by point A'(x A’ ,y A’ ,z A’ ), point C'(x C’ ,y C’ ,z C’ ) is expressed as

[0052] The operation of generating the work trajectory 8 through the above-mentioned steps (4) to (8) will be explained in the base coordinate system of the driving device 20 with reference to Figure 5. The control device 30 sets point L1n as the point corresponding to the starting point on the point A side of the work trajectory 8 to be generated on the imaginary work surface 7V on the work surface 7W. The control device 30 also sets point L1n' as the starting point on the point A' side of the work trajectory 8 to be generated on the imaginary work surface 7V. Specifically, the control device 30 sets point L1n' at a position offset by the offset amount (OF) from point L1n in the normal direction of the work surface 7W. The control device 30 also sets point L1n'' at a position further offset by the retraction length (H) from point L1n' in the normal direction of the work surface 7W.

[0053] The control device 30 sets point L2n, which is the end point of a line extending from point L1n along the Z axis toward the Z coordinate of point D. The control device 30 sets point L2n' at a position offset by the offset amount (OF) from point L2n along the normal direction of the working surface 7W, and sets point L2n'' at a position further offset by the retraction length (H) from point L2n'. The control device 30 sets point L3n at a position moved from point L2n by the pitch length (L) along the approximation curve toward point C. The control device 30 sets point L3n' at a position offset by the offset amount (OF) from point L3n along the normal direction of the working surface 7W, and sets point L3n'' at a position further offset by the retraction length (H) from point L3n'. The length of the path along the retraction surface 7H from point L2n'' to point L3n'' corresponds to the retraction pitch length (LH). In other words, the control device 30 may set point L3n" at a position moved from point L2n" along the retraction curved surface H toward point C by the retraction pitch length (LH). The control device 30 sets point L4n, which is the end point of a line extending from point L3n along the Z axis toward the Z coordinate of point A. The control device 30 sets point L4n' at a position offset from point L4n by the offset amount (OF) along the normal direction of the working surface 7W, and sets point L4n" at a position further offset from point L4n' by the retraction length (H). The control device 30 generates the work trajectory 8 along a path connecting point P to point L1n', point L2n', point L2n'', point L3n'', point L3n', point L4n', and point L4n'' in that order.

[0054] As explained with reference to Figure 5, the control device 30 can set each point included in the work trajectory 8 by setting the offset amount (OF) from the work curved surface 7W of the workpiece 7 to the virtual work curved surface 7V, the pitch length (L), and the retraction length (H). At this time, the direction in which the point is moved from the work curved surface 7W by the offset amount (OF) and the retraction length (H) is set to be the normal direction of the work curved surface 7W.

[0055] 2, in the manual operation mode, the control device 30 causes the operator to manually remotely retract the work tool 5 (step S6). Specifically, the control device 30 retracts the work tool 5 or the robot arm 22 to a safe position before starting automatic operation of the drive device 20.

[0056] With the work tool 5 retracted, the control device 30 switches to automatic operation mode and starts automatic operation of the drive device 20 (step S7). Specifically, the control device 30 controls the drive device 20 to move the work tool 5 along the work trajectory 8 generated in the procedure of step S5. During automatic operation of the drive device 20, the control device 30 may move the work tool 5 along the work trajectory 8 while maintaining the attitude of the work tool 5 at the time it contacted point A.

[0057] The control device 30 determines whether automatic operation has ended (step S8). Specifically, the control device 30 determines that automatic operation has ended when the work tool 5 has moved along the work trajectory 8 to a retraction point set at any point on the retraction curved surface 7H. If automatic operation has not ended (step S8: NO), the control device 30 continues automatic operation. If automatic operation has ended (step S8: YES), the control device 30 switches to manual operation mode and retracts the work tool 5 by manual remote operation by the operator (step S9). Specifically, after automatic operation of the drive device 20 has ended, the control device 30 retracts the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 to a safe position. After completing the procedure of step S9, the control device 30 terminates execution of the procedure of the flowchart in FIG. 2.

[0058] <Summary of the First Embodiment> As described above, in the semi-automatic remote operation system 1 according to the first embodiment, when the drive unit 20 is operated automatically, the drive unit 20 is manually and remotely operated to bring part of the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 into contact with the workpiece 7, thereby detecting the surface position of the workpiece 7, estimating the curved work surface 7W of the workpiece 7 through simple calculations, and creating the work trajectory 8 on the surface of the workpiece 7. Furthermore, by monitoring the position of the workpiece 7 and the tip of the work tool 5 of the drive unit 20, which is being operated by the worker, through a remote camera when bringing part of the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 into contact with the workpiece 7, the width direction or height direction of the curved work surface 7W of the workpiece 7 can be accurately identified.

[0059] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when a master-slave system using bilateral control is used, the operating device 10 can detect the reaction force when the tip of the work tool 5 comes into contact with the workpiece 7 during manual operation. By detecting the reaction force, it can be accurately determined whether the work tool 5 of the driving device 20 or a part of the robot arm 22 has come into contact with the workpiece 7.

[0060] Furthermore, by performing work on the estimated work surface 7W of the workpiece 7 by automatic operation along the specified work trajectory 8 rather than manual operation, automatic work can be performed by the work tool 5. Automatic work allows anyone to perform the work, regardless of whether the worker is skilled in remote operation. In particular, in the first embodiment, the operation device 10 and the drive device 20 are controlled so as not to be linked during automatic operation, so that the operation device 10 does not move during automatic operation. Therefore, during automatic operation, the worker only needs to monitor the work performed by the automatic operation of the drive device 20. As a result, work is performed safely.

[0061] (Second embodiment) A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. As shown in FIG. 6 , a semi-automatic remote control system 51 of the second embodiment is used to perform a predetermined task on a workpiece 57, which is a work target. In the second embodiment, the workpiece 57 has a central axis 57A extending in the height direction. The workpiece 57 may have an eccentric axis located off-center. When the workpiece 57 has an eccentric axis, the central axis 57A in the present disclosure may be interpreted as the eccentric axis. The height direction may coincide with the vertical direction. When the workpiece 57 has a central axis 57A, the drive unit 20 may be configured so that one of the three axes of the three-dimensional coordinate system of the drive unit 20, for example, the Z-axis direction of the XYZ coordinate system, forms an angle of less than 10 degrees with the extension direction of the central axis 57A of the workpiece 57. The drive unit 20 may be configured so that the extension direction of the central axis 57A of the workpiece 57 coincides with the Z-axis direction of the drive unit 20. In the present disclosure, the height direction of the workpiece 57 is defined as the extension direction of the central axis 57A, assuming that the central axis 57A of the workpiece 57 extends in the height direction. When the central axis 57A extends in the horizontal direction, the height direction of the workpiece 57 is interpreted as the horizontal direction of the workpiece 57. When the central axis 57A extends in an oblique direction that is neither vertical nor horizontal, the height direction of the workpiece 57 is interpreted as the oblique direction.

[0062] The workpiece 57 is a structure in which a curved portion, which is at least a portion of the surface of the workpiece 57, has a tapered shape. In the present disclosure, a tapered shape is a shape in which the distance from the central axis 57A of the workpiece 57 to the surface position of the curved portion monotonically increases or decreases depending on the height of the workpiece 57, i.e., the position along the central axis 57A of the workpiece 57. In other words, a tapered shape is a shape in which the surface of the workpiece 57 is inclined with respect to the height direction. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the workpiece 57 is a truncated cone-shaped structure. The truncated cone may be configured so that its diameter increases as it lowers, as illustrated in FIG. 6, or conversely, so that its diameter increases as it higher. In the present disclosure, assuming that the central axis 57A of the workpiece 57 extends in the height direction, the height direction of the workpiece 57 is defined as the extension direction of the central axis 57A. If the central axis 57A extends horizontally, the height direction of the workpiece 57 is interpreted as the horizontal direction of the workpiece 57. Furthermore, when the central axis 57A extends in an oblique direction that is neither vertical nor horizontal, the height direction of the workpiece 57 is interpreted as an oblique direction.

[0063] <Configuration example of semi-automatic remote control system 51> The configuration of a semi-automatic remote control system 51 according to the second embodiment is similar to that of the semi-automatic remote control system 1 according to the first embodiment, and includes an operating device 10, a driving device 20, and a control device 30.

[0064] <Example of operation of semi-automatic remote control system 51> A semi-automatic remote operation system 51 according to the second embodiment switches between a manual operation mode and an automatic operation mode. In the manual operation mode, the semi-automatic remote operation system 51 operates the tip of a master operation device (operation device 10) to operate a slave operation device (drive device 20) by master-slave remote control. In the automatic operation mode, the semi-automatic remote operation system 51 automatically moves the slave operation device along the work trajectory generated in the manual operation mode.

[0065] The semi-automatic remote operation system 51 according to the second embodiment executes a flow similar to the semi-automatic remote operation flow according to the first embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2. Specifically, the control device 30 of the semi-automatic remote operation system 51 executes the procedure from steps S1 to S4 in Fig. 2 to record the surface position of the workpiece 57 required to estimate the working curved surface.

[0066] In the semi-automatic remote operation system 51 according to the second embodiment, the control device 30 executes the procedure for generating the work trajectory in step S5 of Fig. 2 as follows. As illustrated in Fig. 7, the control device 30 calculates a pre-modification work curved surface 57P of the workpiece 57 based on the surface positions of points A, B, and C, which are located at the same height among the surface positions of the workpiece 57, and the surface position of point D, which is located at a different height from points A, B, and C. Specifically, the control device 30 calculates a quadratic approximation curve that passes through points A, B, and C, and calculates, as the pre-modification work curved surface 57P, a surface that is a trajectory when the calculated quadratic approximation curve is moved along the Z axis between the Z coordinates of points A, B, and C to the Z coordinate of point D.

[0067] The pre-correction work surface 57P is a curved surface estimated as a trajectory of an approximate curve moved along the Z axis, assuming that the curved surface does not have a tapered shape. However, the workpiece 57 in the second embodiment is a structure whose curved surface has a tapered shape. Therefore, the pre-correction work surface 57P is a curved surface that does not pass through point D. The control device 30 calculates the work surface 57W that passes through point D by correcting the pre-correction work surface 57P to match the tapered shape of the curved surface.

[0068] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, for example, the control device 30 brings a part of the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 into contact with point P to point A, and by utilizing the robot's constant reaction force control, moves the part of the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 along the generatrix of the truncated cone of the workpiece 57 while keeping the part of the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 in contact with the surface of the workpiece 57 with a constant reaction force, until the Z coordinate of the contact position reaches the Z coordinate of point D.

[0069] The control device 30 detects, as contact information for the drive device 20, the start and end points of the contact position when the work tool 5 or part of the robot arm 22 is moved along the generatrix of the truncated cone. Point A, which is the start point of the contact position, is represented as point L1n. The end point of the contact position is represented as point L2m. Meanwhile, on the pre-correction work surface 57P, a point located in the Z-axis direction, i.e., the vertical direction, as viewed from point A and having the same Z coordinate as point D is represented as L2n. The Z coordinate of point L2n is the same as the Z coordinate of point L2m. In other words, points L2n and L2m are located at the same height.

[0070] Point L2m is offset from point L2n by the taper offset amount (OFT) in the normal direction of the pre-modification working curved surface 57P. The control device 30 calculates the taper offset amount (OFT) from the difference between the coordinate of point L2n on the pre-modification working curved surface 57P and the coordinate of point L2m obtained in the above-mentioned operation. The control device 30 can calculate the inclination angle of the tapered shape based on the taper offset amount (OFT) and the difference between the Z coordinates of points A, B, and C and the Z coordinate of point D, i.e., the height of the pre-modification working curved surface 57P.

[0071] The inclination angle of the tapered shape may be actually measured by the above-mentioned method, or may be input as a known shape parameter of the workpiece 57.

[0072] The control device 30 can calculate the work surface 57W by correcting the pre-correction work surface 57P based on the inclination angle of the tapered shape. Specifically, the control device 30 generates a curve by offsetting the curve corresponding to the lower edge of the pre-correction work surface 57P by the taper offset amount (OFT) in the normal direction of the pre-correction work surface 57P, as shown in Figure 7. The control device 30 generates the work surface 57W by interpolating between an approximation curve passing through points A, B, and C corresponding to the upper edge of the pre-correction work surface 57P and a curve obtained by offsetting the lower edge of the pre-correction work surface 57P, according to the inclination of the tapered shape.

[0073] As shown in Figure 9, the control device 30 generates a virtual work surface 57V that is offset from the work surface 57W by an offset amount (OF) in the normal direction of the pre-correction work surface 57P. The control device 30 also generates a retraction surface 57H that is further offset from the virtual work surface 57V by a retraction length (H) in the normal direction of the pre-correction work surface 57P. When generating the virtual work surface 57V or the retraction surface 57H, the control device 30 may first generate a surface that is offset from the pre-correction work surface 57P in the normal direction, and then incline this surface according to the tapered shape to generate the virtual work surface 57V or the retraction surface 57H.

[0074] The control device 30 may generate the work trajectory 58 by executing steps (0) to (10) described in the first embodiment, replacing the work surface 7W, the virtual work surface 7V, and the retraction surface 7H with the work surface 57W, the virtual work surface 57V, and the retraction surface 57H, respectively. The control device 30 may generate the work trajectory 58 based on the work surface 57W, the virtual work surface 57V, and the retraction surface 57H, as illustrated in Figure 10.

[0075] In the second embodiment, the operation of generating the work trajectory 58 through steps (4) to (8) will be described in the base coordinate system of the driving device 20 with reference to FIG. 10. The control device 30 sets point L1n as the point corresponding to the starting point on the point A side of the work trajectory 58 generated on the virtual work surface 57V on the work surface 57W. The control device 30 also sets point L1n' as the starting point on the point A' side of the work trajectory 58 generated on the virtual work surface 57V. Specifically, the control device 30 sets point L1n' at a position offset by the offset amount (OF) from point L1n in the normal direction of the pre-correction work surface 57P. The control device 30 also sets point L1n'' at a position further offset by the retraction length (H) from point L1n' in the normal direction of the pre-correction work surface 57P.

[0076] The control device 30 sets point L2m, which is the end point of a line extending from point L1n along the Z axis toward the Z coordinate of point D. The control device 30 sets point L2m' at a position offset by the offset amount (OF) from point L2m along the normal direction of the pre-modification working curved surface 57P, and sets point L2n'' at a position further offset by the retraction length (H) from point L2m'. The control device 30 sets point L3m at a position moved by the pitch length (L) along the approximation curve from point L2m toward point C. The control device 30 sets point L3m' at a position offset by the offset amount (OF) from point L3m along the normal direction of the pre-modification working curved surface 57P, and sets point L3m'' at a position further offset by the retraction length (H) from point L3m'. The length of the path along the retraction curved surface 57H from point L2m'' to point L3m'' corresponds to the retraction pitch length (LH). In other words, the control device 30 may set point L3m" at a position moved from point L2m" along the retraction curved surface H toward point C by the retraction pitch length (LH). The control device 30 sets point L4n, which is the end point of a line extending from point L3m along the Z axis toward the Z coordinate of point A. The control device 30 sets point L4n' at a position offset from point L4n by the offset amount (OF) along the normal direction of the pre-modification work curved surface 57P, and sets point L4n" at a position further offset from point L4n' by the retraction length (H). The control device 30 generates a work trajectory 58 along a path connecting point P to point L1n', point L2m', point L2m'', point L3m'', point L3m', point L4n', and point L4n'' in that order.

[0077] As explained with reference to Figure 10, the control device 30 can set each point included in the work trajectory 58 by setting the offset amount (OF) from the work curved surface 57W of the workpiece 57 to the virtual work curved surface 57V, the pitch length (L), and the retraction length (H). At this time, the direction in which the point is moved from the work curved surface 57W by the offset amount (OF) and the retraction length (H) is set to be normal to the pre-correction work curved surface 57P. In other words, the control device 30 may detect the surface positions of the start and end points of a section in which a part of the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 moves while contacting the surface of the workpiece 57 with a constant reaction force as contact information for the drive device 20, and offset the work trajectory 58 by the difference between the surface positions at three or more different points, such as point A, point B, and point C.

[0078] The control device 30 performs the procedure of step S5 in Figure 2 as described above to generate the work trajectory 58, and then performs the procedure of steps S6 to S9 in Figure 2, thereby performing automatic operation on the workpiece 57 having a tapered shape.

[0079] <Summary of the second embodiment> The semi-automatic remote control system 51 according to the second embodiment described above can estimate the working curved surface 57W of the workpiece 57 through simple calculations and generate the working trajectory 58 on the surface of the workpiece 57, even if the curved surface of the workpiece 57 has a tapered shape.

[0080] (Other embodiments) Other embodiments are described below.

[0081] In the first or second embodiment described above, the semi-automatic remote operation system 1 or 51 is configured as a master-slave system in which the driving device 20, acting as a slave, is controlled by the operating device 10, acting as a master. However, the control method for the driving device 20 is not limited to the master-slave method. For example, the driving device 20 may be configured to be remotely controlled by inputting the operation of the driving device 20 into a personal computer (PC) that functions as the operating device 10. In this case, the operating unit 12 of the operating device 10 does not have to be an operating axis. The operating unit 12 may include a cursor or joystick that receives input of the movement direction of the work tool 5.

[0082] Furthermore, if the reaction force received by the driving device 20 is not fed back to the operating device 10, the worker cannot detect the reaction force with the operating device 10. Instead of feeding back the reaction force to the operating device 10, the semi-automatic remote operation system 1 or 51 may install a force sensor, contact sensor, or the like in the driving device 20 and output the detection result of the sensor as an electrical signal to the operating device 10. The worker may recognize the reaction force based on the detection result acquired by the operating device 10 and determine whether a part of the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 has come into contact with the workpiece 7 or 57.

[0083] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the control device 30 detects the surface position of the workpiece 7 or 57 by abutting a part of the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 of the drive device 20 against three points located at the same height on the surface of the workpiece 7 or 57 and one point located at a different height from the three points. The control device 30 may also abut a part of the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 against only three points on the surface of the workpiece 7 or 57, and calculate or estimate the working curved surface of the workpiece 7 from the coordinates of the three abutment positions and the angle of the part of the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 when it abuts against the three points.

[0084] The control device 30 may estimate an approximate curve from the coordinates of three contact positions located at the same height on the surface of the workpiece 7 or 57, and estimate the trajectory of the approximate curve when it is moved in the vertical direction by a value separately specified as the height of the work surface 7W or 57W as the work surface 7W or 57W.

[0085] The control device 30 may estimate an approximate curve passing through three points on the cylindrical surface from the coordinates of three contact positions on the surface of the cylindrical workpiece 7, i.e., the cylindrical surface. The height of at least one of the three points on the cylindrical surface may be different from the height of the other points. In other words, the three points on the cylindrical surface do not have to be located at the same height. The control device 30 may estimate, as the work curved surface 7W, the trajectory obtained when the approximate curve is moved in the height direction by a value separately specified as the height of the work curved surface 7W. The control device 30 may also acquire the coordinates of another contact position that does not pass through the approximate curve, and estimate the work curved surface 7W whose height is the distance in the height direction from the approximate curve to the other point.

[0086] The control device 30 may contact part of the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 at five or more locations on the surface of the workpiece 7 or 57. The more points recorded as contact positions, the higher the accuracy of detecting the surface position of the workpiece 7 or 57. In addition, the control device 30 can reduce the number of parameters that the worker needs to set when generating the work trajectory 8 or 58.

[0087] Furthermore, when generating the work trajectory 8 or 58, the control device 30 may have the worker set parameters such as the offset amount (OF) of the workpiece 7 or 57 from the curved work surface 7W or 57W, the pitch length (L), the retraction length (H) from the curved work surface 7W or 57W, or a work tool tilt correction value, and generate the work trajectory 8 or 58 taking these parameters into consideration. The work tool tilt correction value is a correction value used when performing a correction to arbitrarily rotate the work tool 5 around the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis relative to the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis of the curved work surface 7W or 57W of the workpiece 7 or 57.

[0088] Furthermore, when generating the work trajectory 8 or 58, the control device 30 may set the pressing force of the work tool 5 against the workpiece 7 or 57 as a parameter. The control device 30 can control the pressing force of the work tool 5 by changing the torque of the robot arm 22 without changing the contact position when a part of the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 comes into contact with the workpiece 7 or 57. Therefore, the control device 30 may generate, as information about the work trajectory 8 or 58, in addition to the coordinates of a part of the drive device 20, such as the tip of the work tool 5, control information such as the torque of the robot arm 22 when a part of the work tool 5 or robot arm 22 comes into contact with the workpiece 7 or 57.

[0089] By generating the work trajectory 8 or 58 taking into consideration various parameters, the drive device 20 is controlled so that the work is performed appropriately even if the work tool 5 is replaced with a different tool.

[0090] In the first or second embodiment, the angle between the Z-axis direction of the three-dimensional coordinate system of the drive unit 20 and the central axis 7A or 57A of the workpiece 7 or 57 is configured to be less than 10 degrees. With this configuration, when the contact position is acquired as the contact information of the drive unit 20, the Z coordinate of the contact position approximately coincides with the height of the workpiece 7 or 57. Since the Z coordinate of the contact position approximately coincides with the height of the workpiece 7 or 57, coordinate conversion regarding height is not required, and the work curved surface 7W or 57W can be calculated by a simple calculation. Even if the angle between the Z-axis direction of the drive unit 20 and the central axis 7A or 57A is 10 degrees or more, the control unit 30 may convert the coordinate of the contact position included in the contact information of the drive unit 20 to correspond to the height of the workpiece 7 or 57, and calculate the work curved surface 7W or 57W based on the converted coordinate. If the estimated error of the working surface 7W or 57W caused by the angular difference between the Z-axis direction of the drive unit 20 and the central axis 7A or 57A falls within the allowable error determined according to the type of work, the control unit 30 may calculate the working surface 7W or 57W without converting the coordinates of the contact position.

[0091] The curved surface of the workpiece 7 or 57 to be operated by the semi-automatic remote operation system 1 or 51 according to the first or second embodiment is not limited to a convex surface as seen from the robot as described above, but may be a concave surface as seen from the robot. The curved surface of the workpiece 7 or 57 may be the inner surface of a cylinder or a truncated cone. For example, the curved surface of the workpiece 7 or 57 may be the inner surface of a chimney or a tank.

[0092] The control device 30 may determine the range of the curved surface of the workpiece 7 or 57 where the curvature is approximately constant as the working curved surface 7W or 57W. When the range where the curvature varies is determined as the working curved surface 7W or 57W, the control device 30 may increase the number of points located at the same height for recording the surface position of the workpiece 7 or 57 to four or more. The control device 30 may calculate the approximate curve passing through points located at the same height as a polynomial of degree three or higher, or as an equation including various other functions such as a logarithmic function or an exponential function.

[0093] (Example) As an example of the semi-automatic remote operation system 1 according to the first embodiment, a work was carried out in which a driving device 20 equipped with a pen as the work tool 5 was controlled to draw a line on the curved work surface 7W of the workpiece 7, which was a cylindrical polycarbonate plate. When the control device 30 generated a work trajectory 8 by setting the pressing force of the work tool 5 as a parameter and controlled the driving device 20, a line 81 along the work trajectory 8 was able to be drawn on the curved work surface 7W of the workpiece 7 without fading, as shown in FIG. 11A. On the other hand, when the control device 30 generated a work trajectory 8 without setting the pressing force of the work tool 5 as a parameter and controlled the driving device 20, the line drawn by the work tool 5 along the work trajectory 8 included a line 81 that was drawn without fading and a line 82 that was drawn with fading, as shown in FIG. 11B.

[0094] According to the above embodiment, in work performed by pressing the work tool 5, setting the pressing force as a parameter is effective in improving the accuracy of the work.

[0095] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art could make various modifications or alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, and multiple components or steps can be combined or divided into one. The embodiments of the present disclosure can also be realized as a program executed by a processor included in an apparatus or a storage medium on which a program is recorded. It should be understood that these are also included within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1. Semi-automatic remote control system 5. Work tools 7 Work 7A center axis 7W working surface 7V Virtual Work Surface 7H Retracting surface 8 Work trajectory 10 Operating device (12: Operating unit) 20 Drive unit (22: Robot arm) 30 Control device 51 Semi-automatic remote control system 57 Work 57A center axis 57P Work surface before modification 57W working surface 57V Virtual Work Surface 57H Retracting surface 58 Work trajectory 81, 82 line

Claims

1. a drive device that drives a work tool that performs a predetermined operation on a workpiece including a curved surface; a control device that controls the drive device; an operation device that accepts input from a worker to manually remotely operate the work tool; Equipped with The control device a manual operation mode in which the drive device is controlled in response to manual remote operation of the work tool by the worker input to the operation device, and an automatic operation mode in which the drive device is controlled to move the work tool along a work trajectory, acquiring contact information of the drive device when a part of the drive device or a part of the work tool contacts the curved surface portion of the workpiece; generating the work trajectory based on contact information of the driving device; Semi-automatic remote control system.

2. the operating device is a master having an operating unit that operates in conjunction with the operation of the drive device as a slave, The control device In the manual operation mode, the operation device is controlled so that the operation of the operation unit and the operation of the drive device are linked together; In the automatic driving mode, the operation device is controlled so that the operation of the operation unit and the operation of the drive device are not linked. The semi-automatic remote control system according to claim 1 .

3. 3. The semi-automatic remote operation system according to claim 1, wherein when a part of the drive device or a part of the work tool comes into contact with three or more different points on the surface of the curved portion in the manual operation mode, the control device detects the surface positions of each of the points as contact information of the drive device.

4. 4. The semi-automatic remote operation system according to claim 3, wherein the control device detects, as contact information for the drive device, the surface positions of three locations when a part of the drive device or a part of the work tool contacts the surface of the curved portion at the same height on the workpiece in the manual operation mode, and detects, as contact information for the drive device, the surface position when a part of the drive device or a part of the work tool contacts one location on the surface of the curved portion at a different height on the workpiece from the three locations in the manual operation mode.

5. The workpiece has a shaft, the curved surface portion has a tapered shape in which the distance from the axis of the workpiece to the surface position of the curved surface portion monotonically increases or decreases depending on the height of the workpiece, The control device 4. The semi-automatic remote operation system according to claim 3, wherein in the automatic operation mode, a part of the drive unit or a part of the work tool is moved along the axis of the workpiece while contacting the surface of the curved portion with a constant reaction force, and the surface positions of the start and end points of a section along which the part of the drive unit or the part of the work tool moves while contacting the surface of the curved portion with a constant reaction force are further detected as contact information of the drive unit, and the work trajectory is offset by a difference from the surface positions of three or more different points on the surface of the curved portion detected as contact information of the drive unit in the manual operation mode.

6. 3. The semi-automatic remote operation system according to claim 1, wherein the control device determines that a part of the drive device or a part of the work tool has come into contact with the surface of the workpiece based on information fed back from the drive device.

7. 3. The semi-automatic remote operation system according to claim 1, wherein in the automatic operation mode, the control device sets at least one of an offset amount of the drive device, a pitch length or a retraction length, or an inclination correction value of the work tool to generate the work trajectory.

8. The semi-automatic remote operation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device generates the work trajectory so as to control a pressing force of the work tool in the automatic operation mode.

9. a manual operation process in which a drive device that moves a work tool that performs a predetermined operation on a workpiece including a curved surface portion is controlled so that a part of the drive device or a part of the work tool abuts against the surface of the curved surface portion of the workpiece in response to manual remote operation of the work tool by an operator; a generation step of acquiring contact information of the drive device when a part of the drive device or a part of the work tool contacts the curved surface of the workpiece, and generating a work trajectory of the work tool based on the contact information of the drive device; an automatic operation step of controlling the drive device to move the work tool along the generated work trajectory; A semi-automatic remote control method, including:

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