Production Task Control Using Virtual-Real Environment Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
In production systems, inconsistencies between target and actual production pace and quality of workpieces often occur, making it difficult to specify the cause of these inconsistencies and adapt to changes in production plans and environments, especially when autonomy is imparted through complex condition settings.
Innovation Solution
A production system with a control method that includes a local controller, a virtual local controller, a real information collection unit, and a task comparison unit to collect and compare execution records from real and virtual spaces, allowing for quick identification of inconsistent tasks and simplifying autonomy by outputting execution commands based on process progress and environment information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If complex condition settings are used to impart autonomy to production systems, then adaptability to production plan changes is improved, but system complexity and difficulty in specifying cause of inconsistencies increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the production system that mirrors the real system's structure and operations. This virtual system allows for simplified analysis and debugging of autonomous behaviors without requiring complex real-world interventions. The virtual model captures essential system dynamics while enabling easier specification and tracking of causal relationships in autonomous decision-making.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the autonomous system into distinct functional components: the real production system, the virtual system model, and the comparison/analysis module. This segmentation allows each component to be developed and analyzed independently, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining adaptability through the virtual-real interaction framework.
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex condition settings are used to impart autonomy to production systems, then adaptability to production plan changes is improved, but difficulty in specifying cause of inconsistencies increases
Solution Approach 1:
By creating a virtual copy of the production system, the patent enables precise tracking and comparison of system states. The virtual model records all decisions and conditions, allowing operators to easily identify causal relationships in inconsistencies by comparing virtual predictions with actual outcomes, thus reducing the difficulty of detecting and measuring causes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the virtual system's predictions are continuously compared with the real system's actual behavior. This feedback loop automatically identifies inconsistencies and traces them back to specific conditions or decisions, making it easier to specify causes without manual analysis of complex autonomous behaviors.
3Device complexity
If traditional control methods are used, then system simplicity is maintained, but ability to adapt to changes in production plans and environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual system that acts as an adaptive layer without significantly complicating the physical system. The virtual model handles the complexity of adaptation logic, while the real system maintains its relative simplicity. This copying approach enables advanced adaptability while keeping the physical control architecture straightforward.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual system serves as an intermediary between simple traditional control and complex adaptive requirements. It translates production plan changes and environmental variations into actionable adjustments for the real system, maintaining simplicity in the physical control while achieving adaptability through the virtual mediation layer.
Data Source
AI summary
A production system includes: a plurality of controllers configured to control a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices including at least one robot; and circuitry communicable with the plurality of controllers, the circuitry may be configured to: output execution commands of next tasks based on a process including a plurality of tasks for a workpiece and progress information of the process; store environment information; and update the stored environment information in accordance with operations of the plurality of devices, wherein each of the plurality of controllers is configured to control one of the plurality of devices to execute a next task corresponding to one of the execution commands based on the environment information.