Robot Control Resumption Using Virtual Suspend-State Simulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing production systems with robots face challenges in quickly responding to stoppages, as they often require manual intervention and simulation to resume operations safely, leading to increased downtime and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A control system that simulates the suspended state of real-space robot operations in a virtual environment, allowing for the resumption of virtual robot operations based on the simulated state, which helps in identifying potential collisions and optimizing the resumption process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual intervention and simulation are used to resume robot operations after a stoppage, then safety is improved by identifying potential collisions, but downtime increases due to the time required for manual processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the robot system including the robot, workpiece, and surrounding environment. This virtual model replicates the actual system's geometry, constraints, and operational parameters, enabling automated simulation and collision detection without manual intervention. The virtual model allows the system to test resumption paths and identify potential collisions automatically, resolving the contradiction by eliminating time-consuming manual processes while maintaining safety through virtual verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary simulation and collision detection in the virtual environment before actually resuming robot operations. By pre-testing the resumption path and identifying potential collisions in advance within the virtual model, the system ensures safety is verified before real-world action begins, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual intervention during the actual resumption process.
2Loss of time
If automated resumption is implemented without virtual simulation, then downtime is reduced, but safety deteriorates due to inability to identify potential collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the robot system including the robot, workpiece, and surrounding environment. This virtual model replicates the actual system's geometry, constraints, and operational parameters, enabling automated simulation and collision detection without manual intervention. The virtual model allows the system to test resumption paths and identify potential collisions automatically, resolving the contradiction by eliminating time-consuming manual processes while maintaining safety through virtual verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual environment serves as an intermediary between the control system and the physical robot system. It acts as a mediator that automatically performs collision detection and safety verification, eliminating the need for manual intervention while ensuring safety before actual resumption. This intermediary layer enables automated decision-making based on virtual simulation results, achieving both speed and safety.
3Measurement precision
If complex simulation processes are used to verify resumption safety, then collision detection accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the robot system including the robot, workpiece, and surrounding environment. This virtual model replicates the actual system's geometry, constraints, and operational parameters, enabling automated simulation and collision detection without manual intervention. The virtual model allows the system to test resumption paths and identify potential collisions automatically, resolving the contradiction by eliminating time-consuming manual processes while maintaining safety through virtual verification.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3D
AI summary
A control system 3 includes: a controller 6 configured to operate one or more robots 2B and 2C in a real space based on an operation program; a virtual controller 7 configured to operate one or more virtual robots 2Bv and 2Cv based on the operation program in a virtual space, the one or more virtual robots 2Bv and 2Cv corresponding to the one or more robots 2B and 2C respectively; an operation suspend unit 219 configured to cause the controller 6 to suspend an operation based on the operation program by the one or more robots 2B and 2C; a suspend state simulation unit 321 configured to simulate a suspended state of the real space after suspension of the operation by the one or more robots 2B and 2C, in the virtual space; and a resumption simulator 322 configured to cause the virtual controller 7 to resume at least a part of the operation by the one or more virtual robots 2Bv and 2Cv based on the operation program, in the virtual space in which the suspended state of the real space has been simulated.