Robot simulation device and robot simulation program

Abstract

An objective of the present invention is to provide a robot simulation device capable of confirming, in a short time, whether or not it is possible to place a robot in an appropriate location and cause the robot to execute a predetermined task. The robot simulation device performs a simulation of robot operations, and comprises: an object placement unit that places, in a three-dimensional space, an object necessary for teaching the robot; a payload capacity specifying unit that specifies the payload capacity required of the robot; and a provisional teaching unit that performs provisional teaching on the basis of the placed object without using the robot.

Description

Robot Simulation Device and Robot Simulation Program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a robot simulation device and a robot simulation program.

[0002] Conventionally, when considering a robot system using a robot simulation device, for example, which robot is suitable is selected based on human judgment based on the load capacity of the robot, the work content, etc. However, regarding whether the robot can actually operate, it is necessary to arrange the robot in a three-dimensional space and check the operation.

[0003] By the way, various proposals have been made as a robot simulation device and a robot simulation program that can automatically select a robot.

[0004] International Publication No. 2018 - 138952, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018 - 020410

[0005] As described above, when considering a robot system using a robot simulation device, for example, which robot is suitable is determined by a human based on the load capacity of the robot, the work content, etc. However, regarding whether the robot can actually operate, it was necessary to arrange the robot in a three-dimensional space and check the operation.

[0006] Furthermore, it takes a considerable amount of time to arrange the robot at an appropriate position and check whether the work to be executed by the robot is possible. Also, if the work becomes impossible, it was necessary to repeat the same process for another robot.

[0007] Therefore, there is a demand for providing a robot simulation device and a robot simulation program that can quickly check whether a robot can be arranged at an appropriate position and execute a predetermined work.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a robot simulation device for performing robot motion simulations is provided, comprising: an object placement unit for arranging objects necessary for teaching the robot in a three-dimensional space; a payload specification unit for specifying the payload weight required for the robot; and a provisional teaching unit for performing provisional teaching without using the robot based on the placed objects.

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a robot system to which one embodiment of the robot simulation device according to this embodiment is applied. Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a robot control device to which one embodiment of the robot simulation device according to this embodiment is applied. Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing in one embodiment of the robot simulation program according to this embodiment.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the robot simulation apparatus and robot simulation program according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In each drawing, identical or similar components are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. Furthermore, the embodiments described below do not limit the technical scope of the invention and the meaning of terms as described in the claims.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a robot system to which one embodiment of the robot simulation device according to this embodiment is applied. As shown in Figure 1, the industrial robot system (robot system) 100 to which one embodiment of the robot simulation device according to this embodiment is applied comprises an industrial robot (robot) 1, a robot control device 2, and a teaching control panel 3, and the robot 1 is configured to place an object (workpiece) 5 on a workbench 41 into a container 6 on a workbench 42.

[0012] A gripping part (hand) 11A is provided at the tip of the arm 11 of the robot 1. This hand 11A is used to perform predetermined processing, such as gripping a workpiece 5 placed on a workbench 41 and placing it in a container 6 placed on a workbench 42. An image capturing device (camera) 12 for photographing the workpiece 5, etc., is attached to the vicinity of the hand 11A on the arm 11, and the image (video) including the workpiece 5 captured by this camera 12 is output to the robot control device 2.

[0013] Here, reference numeral 13 denotes an illumination device (ring illumination) provided on the outer circumference of the camera 12, which illuminates the workpiece 5 with light L to acquire a clear image. The robot control device 2 refers to the image from the camera 12 and controls the robot 1 based on, for example, a pre-installed program (software program) to perform a predetermined task.

[0014] The teaching control panel 3 comprises a display screen 31 and an operation unit 32, and is connected to the robot control device 2 by wired or wireless communication. Here, the teaching control panel 3 is used, for example, to teach the robot 1 a predetermined operation using the hand 11A via the robot control device 2 by having an operator (teacher) operate the operation unit 32 while checking the image on the display screen 31.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the robot simulation device according to this embodiment can be installed in the robot control device 2 that controls the robot 1, but is not limited to this. For example, it can also be installed in a control computer or other higher-level control equipment located away from the factory where the robot 1 is installed.

[0016] As described above, in the robot system 100 shown in Figure 1, the workpiece 5 on the workbench 41 and the container 6 on the workbench 42 can, for example, be placed on a conveyor that can move at all times, and it goes without saying that the robot system 100 shown in Figure 1 can be modified and changed in various ways.

[0017] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a robot control device to which one embodiment of the robot simulation device according to this embodiment is applied. As shown in Figure 2, the robot control device 2 to which one embodiment of the robot simulation device according to this embodiment is applied includes an object placement unit 21, a payload weight specification unit 22, a provisional teaching unit 23, a robot selection unit 24, a robot teaching unit 25, and a teaching program generation unit 26.

[0018] As previously mentioned, the robot simulation device according to this embodiment can be installed in the robot control device 2 of the robot system 100 described with reference to Figure 1, or in a control computer or the like, which is a higher-level control facility located away from the factory where the robot 1 is installed.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the robot simulation device (robot control device 2) according to this embodiment performs motion simulation of the robot 1 and includes an object placement unit 21, a payload specification unit 22, a provisional teaching unit 23, a robot selection unit 24, a robot teaching unit 25, and a teaching program generation unit 26. The object placement unit 21 places objects (5, 6, etc.) necessary for teaching the robot 1 in three-dimensional space, and the payload specification unit 22 specifies the payload required for the robot 1.

[0020] The provisional teaching unit 23 performs provisional teaching in a virtual three-dimensional space rather than actually using the placed objects to teach the robot 1. The robot selection unit 24 selects a suitable robot 1 based on the specified payload capacity and provisional teaching information and presents it to the user. The robot teaching unit 25 automatically places the robot 1 specified by the user in the three-dimensional space, and the teaching program generation unit 26 generates a teaching program based on the provisional teaching information.

[0021] In other words, the object placement unit 21 can, for example, place obstacles, the workpiece 5 to be grasped by the robot 1, the robot 1's hand 11A, and other models necessary for teaching the robot 1 in three-dimensional space. The provisional teaching unit 23 may perform provisional teaching of the robot 1's operations without the robot 1 itself.

[0022] Furthermore, when the robot selection unit 24 presents candidate robots 1 to the user, it may add additional information including at least one of the cycle time, gearbox life, power consumption, payload capacity, reach, and the robot's three-dimensional occupied range. In addition, instead of the provisional teaching performed by the provisional teaching unit 23, the teaching content of robot 1 of an already existing robot system 100 may be input.

[0023] The robot simulation device can be installed in the vicinity of the robot 1 and in the robot control device 2 that directly controls the robot 1. Alternatively, the robot simulation device can be installed in a higher-level control facility, such as a control computer, located away from the factory where the robot 1 is installed.

[0024] In summary, the robot simulation device described above can be run, for example, on the computer (processing unit) in the robot control device 2 shown in Figures 1 and 2, or on a control computer, which is a higher-level control device located in a location separate from the factory where the robot 1 is installed. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the robot simulation device according to this embodiment can be modified and changed in various ways.

[0025] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing in one embodiment of the robot simulation program according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, when an example of processing in one embodiment of the robot simulation program according to this embodiment starts, in step ST1, peripheral equipment necessary for teaching the robot 1 is placed in three-dimensional space, and the process proceeds to step ST2. That is, in step ST1, for example, the workpiece 5 on the workbench 41 and the container 6 on the workbench 42 are placed in three-dimensional space, and the process proceeds to step ST2.

[0026] In step ST2, the required payload capacity for robot 1 is specified, and then the process proceeds to step ST3, where a preliminary teaching of robot 1's tasks is performed without robot 1 present. That is, in step ST3, for example, a placed object (5, 6, etc.) is used to perform a preliminary teaching without robot 1 present.

[0027] Furthermore, the process proceeds to step ST4, where, based on the specified payload capacity and the content of the provisional teaching, candidate robots 1 capable of performing the task are presented to the user, and the process proceeds to step ST5. In other words, in step ST4, for example, obstacles, the workpiece 5 to be grasped by robot 1, the robot's hand 11A, and other models necessary for teaching robot 1 can be placed in a three-dimensional space.

[0028] In step ST5, the robot 1 specified by the user is automatically placed in three-dimensional space, a teaching program corresponding to the content of the provisional teaching is automatically generated, and an example of the processing in one embodiment of the robot simulation device according to this embodiment is terminated (END). It goes without saying that the example of the processing in one embodiment of the robot simulation program according to this embodiment can be modified and changed in various ways, as explained with reference to Figure 2, for example.

[0029] The robot simulation program according to the embodiment described above may be provided by recording it on a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium or non-volatile semiconductor memory, or it may be provided via wired or wireless connection. Examples of computer-readable non-temporary recording media include optical discs such as CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) and DVD-ROMs, or hard disk drives. Examples of non-volatile semiconductor memory include PROMs (Programmable Read Only Memory) and flash memory. Furthermore, for example, distribution from a server device could be via a wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), or via a WAN (Wide Area Network) such as the Internet.

[0030] Here, the robot simulation program described above can be executed, for example, on the computer in the robot control device 2 shown in Figures 1 and 2, or on a control computer, which is a higher-level control facility located in a location separate from the factory where the robot 1 is installed.

[0031] As described in detail above, the robot simulation device and robot simulation program according to this embodiment make it possible to quickly confirm whether it is possible to position a robot in an appropriate location and have the robot perform a predetermined task.

[0032] While this disclosure has been described in detail, it is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. These embodiments can be added, replaced, modified, partially deleted, etc., in any way that does not depart from the gist of this disclosure or from the spirit of this disclosure derived from the claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, these embodiments can be implemented in combination. For example, the order of operations and processes in the embodiments described above are given as examples only and are not limited thereto. The same applies when numerical values ​​or mathematical formulas are used in the description of the embodiments described above.

[0033] With respect to the above embodiments and modifications, the following additional notes are disclosed. [Addendum 1] A robot simulation device for performing motion simulations of a robot (1), comprising: an object placement unit (21) for arranging objects (5, 6) necessary for teaching the robot (1) in a three-dimensional space; a payload specification unit (22) for specifying the payload required for the robot (1); and a provisional teaching unit (23) for performing provisional teaching without using the robot (1) based on the arranged objects (5, 6). [Addendum 2] The robot simulation device according to Addendum 1, further comprising a robot selection unit (24) for selecting and presenting a workable robot (1) to the user based on the specified payload and provisional teaching information. [Addendum 3] The robot simulation device according to Addendum 2, wherein the robot selection unit (24) adds additional information when presenting candidate robots (1) to the user, including at least one of cycle time, gearbox life, power consumption, payload, reach, and the three-dimensional occupancy range of the robot. [Note 4] The robot simulation device according to any one of Notes 1 to 3, further comprising a robot teaching unit (25) that automatically places the robot (1) specified by the user in the three-dimensional space. [Note 5] The robot simulation device according to any one of Notes 1 to 4, further comprising a teaching program generation unit (26) that generates a teaching program based on the provisional teaching information. [Note 6] The robot simulation device according to any one of Notes 1 to 5, wherein the object placement unit (21) places obstacles, objects (5) to be grasped by the robot (1), the robot's hand (11A), and models other than the robot (1) necessary for teaching in the three-dimensional space. [Note 7] The robot simulation device according to any one of Notes 1 to 6, wherein instead of the provisional teaching performed by the provisional teaching unit (23), the teaching content of an already existing robot system is input.[Note 8] The robot simulation device is located near the robot (1) and is installed in a robot control device (2) that directly controls the robot (1), as described in any one of Notes 1 to 7. [Note 9] The robot simulation device is installed in a control computer, which is a higher-level control facility located away from the factory where the robot (1) is installed, as described in any one of Notes 1 to 7. [Note 10] A robot simulation program for performing motion simulation of a robot (1), wherein the program causes a processing unit to perform: an object placement process for placing objects (5, 6) necessary for teaching the robot (1) in a three-dimensional space; a payload specification process for specifying the payload weight required for the robot (1); and a provisional teaching process for performing provisional teaching without the robot (1) using the placed objects (5, 6). [Note 11] The robot simulation program according to Note 10, further comprising causing the arithmetic processing unit to execute a robot selection process that selects a robot (1) capable of performing the task based on the specified payload and the provisional teaching information and presents it to the user. [Note 12] The robot simulation program according to Note 11, further comprising adding additional information to the robot selection process when presenting the candidate robots (1) to the user, including at least one of the cycle time, gearbox life, power consumption, payload, reach, and the three-dimensional occupied range of the robot. [Note 13] The robot simulation program according to any one of Notes 10 to 12, further comprising causing the arithmetic processing unit to execute a robot teaching process that automatically places the robot (1) specified by the user in the three-dimensional space. [Note 14] The robot simulation program according to any one of Notes 10 to 13, further comprising causing the arithmetic processing unit to execute a teaching program generation process that generates a teaching program based on the provisional teaching information.

[0034] 1 Industrial robot (robot) 2 Robot control device 3 Teaching control panel 41, 42 Workbench 5 Object (workpiece) 11 Arm 11A Gripping part (hand) 12 Image capture device (camera) 13 Lighting device (ring illumination) 15 Robot base 21 Object placement unit 22 Payload specification unit 23 Provisional teaching unit 24 Robot selection unit 25 Robot teaching unit 26 Teaching program generation unit 31 Display screen 32 Operation unit 100 Industrial robot system (robot system)

Claims

1. A robot simulation device for performing robot motion simulations, comprising: an object placement unit for arranging objects necessary for teaching the robot in a three-dimensional space; a payload specification unit for specifying the payload capacity required for the robot; and a provisional teaching unit for performing provisional teaching based on the arranged objects without using the robot.

2. The robot simulation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a robot selection unit that selects and presents to the user a robot capable of performing the task based on the specified payload weight and the provisional teaching information.

3. The robot simulation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the robot selection unit adds additional information when presenting candidate robots to the user, including at least one of cycle time, gearbox life, power consumption, payload capacity, reach, and the three-dimensional occupancy range of the robot.

4. The robot simulation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a robot teaching unit that automatically places the robot specified by the user in the three-dimensional space.

5. The robot simulation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a teaching program generation unit that generates a teaching program based on the provisional teaching information.

6. The robot simulation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the object placement unit places obstacles, objects to be grasped by the robot, the robot's hand, and models other than the robot necessary for teaching in the three-dimensional space.

7. The robot simulation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein instead of the provisional teaching performed by the provisional teaching unit, the teaching content of an already existing robot system is input.

8. The robot simulation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the robot simulation device is located near the robot and is provided on a robot control device that directly controls the robot.

9. The robot simulation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the robot simulation device is installed in a control computer, which is a higher-level control facility located separately from the factory where the robot is installed.

10. A robot simulation program for performing a robot motion simulation, wherein the program causes a processing unit to execute: an object placement process for placing objects necessary for teaching the robot in a three-dimensional space; a payload specification process for specifying the payload capacity required for the robot; and a provisional teaching process for performing provisional teaching without the robot using the placed objects.

11. The robot simulation program according to claim 10, further comprising causing the arithmetic processing unit to perform a robot selection process that selects a robot capable of performing the task based on the specified payload weight and the provisional teaching information and presents it to the user.

12. The robot simulation program according to claim 11, wherein the robot selection process adds additional information, including at least one of cycle time, gearbox life, power consumption, payload capacity, reach, and three-dimensional occupancy range of the robot, when presenting candidate robots to the user.

13. The robot simulation program according to any one of claims 10 to 12, further comprising causing the arithmetic processing unit to perform a robot teaching process that automatically places the robot specified by the user in the three-dimensional space.

14. The robot simulation program according to any one of claims 10 to 13, further comprising causing the arithmetic processing unit to execute a teaching program generation process that generates a teaching program based on the provisional teaching information.

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