Horizontal Articulated Robot Return Path for Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor manufacturing, multiple-link articulated robots face challenges in safely performing return-to-origin operations without manual intervention due to high degrees of freedom, which can result in collisions with surrounding equipment, especially in narrow working spaces with miniaturized apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A horizontal articulated robot system that records coordinates during transfer and return-to-origin operations, using teaching data to calculate and control the movement path, ensuring safe return-to-origin by determining if the robot's coordinate is within a predetermined range or adjusting the path to avoid collisions, and utilizing specified via points to minimize interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the robot performs return-to-origin operation with high degree of freedom, then the robot can operate in narrow working space, but the robot may collide with surrounding walls or equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary recording of robot coordinates during normal transfer operations. When return-to-origin is requested, the control unit retrieves previously recorded coordinate data and uses it to calculate a safe return path, rather than attempting to return directly from the current position. This preliminary data collection enables safe return operations without requiring real-time manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously monitors robot position and compares current coordinates with recorded coordinates to determine the appropriate return path. The system uses feedback from coordinate data to dynamically adjust the return-to-origin trajectory, ensuring the robot moves along a path that avoids collisions while maintaining operational freedom.
2Productivity
If the robot moves to return-to-origin directly from current position, then the operation is simple and fast, but the robot cannot avoid collisions in narrow spaces
Solution Approach 1:
Coordinate data is recorded in advance during normal operations. When return-to-origin is needed, the pre-recorded data is immediately retrieved and used to calculate the return path, eliminating the need for real-time path planning while ensuring collision avoidance through the use of previously validated coordinate information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses copied coordinate data from previous transfer operations to reconstruct the return path. Instead of calculating a new path in real-time, the control unit retrieves and utilizes previously recorded coordinate sequences, allowing fast return operations that follow proven safe trajectories.
3Measurement precision
If manual operation is used to set temporary current position, then the robot can return to origin accurately, but human intervention is required which is difficult in semiconductor manufacturing environment
Solution Approach 1:
The robot system performs return-to-origin autonomously using its own recorded coordinate data. The control unit automatically retrieves stored coordinates, calculates the return path, and executes the movement without requiring external manual intervention. This self-service capability is essential for semiconductor manufacturing environments where operators cannot easily access or observe the robot.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit uses feedback from recorded coordinate information to automatically determine the current position and calculate the appropriate return path. The system continuously monitors its own position data and uses this feedback to make autonomous decisions about the return-to-origin operation, eliminating the need for manual position setting.
4Productivity
If the robot arm attitude is modified by operator, then the return-to-origin path can be optimized, but the operator cannot get close to the robot due to device structure and environment
Solution Approach 1:
The robot system automatically optimizes its own return-to-origin path using recorded coordinate data stored in its memory. The control unit processes the coordinate information and generates the optimal return trajectory without requiring external operator intervention. This self-optimization capability allows the robot to maintain high return-to-origin efficiency while operating in environments where operators cannot physically access or observe the robot.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of manual operator adjustment with an automated computational system. Instead of operators physically adjusting robot arm attitudes based on visual observation, the control unit uses recorded coordinate data and computational algorithms to automatically determine and execute the optimized return path, eliminating the need for operator accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot may include a base; a base link connected to the base; an arm link coupled to the base link; an arm connected to the arm link; a hand connected to the arm; a storage; and a controller. The base link and arm link move so that a center of a coupling shaft of the arm link and the arm moves in a line. When the robot is within a predetermined range of a latest coordinate, the robot moves to the return-to-origin position in a direction from the transfer direction, otherwise the controller calculates the transfer path based on past teaching, and determines if there is a path close to the latest coordinate. If there is path, the controller determines whether the hand section is outside of a safe area, and if so, pulls the hand to a safe area and then moves the robot to the return-to-origin position.