Robot Fitting Control Using Vision-Guided Contact Point Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robot control systems face difficulties in accurately fitting multiple points due to noise interference from force sensors and the challenge of determining contact points and orientations, especially when one member is moving, leading to potential misalignment and failed fittings.
Innovation Solution
A robot control system that incorporates a vision sensor to calculate the relative relationship between members and determine contact points, combined with a force sensor for precise control, allowing for accurate alignment and orientation adjustments during the fitting process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If only a force sensor is used to detect contact points during fitting, then the system is simple, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to noise interference making it difficult to identify contact points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines vision sensors and force sensors into an integrated sensor system. The vision sensor captures images of the workpiece to identify candidate contact points, while the force sensor detects actual contact forces. By merging these two sensing modalities, the system overcomes the noise limitations of the force sensor alone and achieves precise contact point identification through complementary information fusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The vision sensor acts as an intermediary that provides preliminary contact point candidates based on image data. This intermediary information guides the force sensor to focus on specific regions, reducing the impact of noise on the force sensor and improving overall measurement precision without significantly increasing system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If a force sensor with high gain is used to improve detection sensitivity, then the detection sensitivity improves, but the reliability deteriorates due to electric noise from cables and aging
Solution Approach 1:
The vision sensor serves as an intermediary that provides contact point candidate information before force measurement. This allows the force sensor to operate at lower gain levels since it only needs to detect forces at pre-identified contact points, thereby reducing electric noise from cables and improving reliability while maintaining adequate detection sensitivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by using the vision sensor to identify and mark contact point candidates before force measurement begins. This preliminary identification step allows the force sensor to focus on specific locations with reduced gain settings, avoiding the need for high gain that would amplify electric noise and improve overall system reliability.
3Device complexity
If the robot controls based on resultant force from force sensor, then the control is simple, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates because contact point positions and orientations cannot be accurately determined
Solution Approach 1:
The control system merges information from vision sensors (providing contact point positions and orientations from images) with force sensor data (providing contact force magnitudes). This combination allows the system to determine both the location and orientation of contact points accurately, enabling precise fitting control while maintaining reasonable system complexity through integrated processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The vision sensor adds a spatial dimension to the control information by providing two-dimensional image data that reveals contact point positions and orientations. This dimensional supplement to the force sensor's one-dimensional force magnitude data enables accurate determination of contact geometry, improving fitting precision without excessive complexity increase.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot control system includes a relative relationship calculating section configured to calculate a relative relationship between a first member and a second member at least at one of a plurality of points based on data acquired by a vision sensor, a contact point determination section configured to determine a contact point between the first member and the second member based on the calculated relative relationship, a control point setting section configured to set a control point based on the determined contact point, and a fitting control section configured to control fitting of the plurality of points based on the set control point.