Robot Route Output Maintaining Object Posture

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing motion planning techniques for robots fail to efficiently maintain the posture of objects during transport, leading to issues like liquid spilling and interference with obstacles, as they do not adequately consider the object's posture when generating routes.

Innovation Solution

A route outputting method and system that calculates and maintains the posture of an object by using an arithmetic device to generate routes that satisfy transport conditions, including the object's posture and environmental constraints, using techniques like RRT, PRM, and trajectory optimization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If automatic motion planning is used to generate routes from start to target position, then the route generation efficiency is improved, but the object posture control is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute generation efficiencyVSAvoidobject posture control
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the motion planning problem into two independent parts: route planning (position only) and posture control. The route is first planned from start to target position using RRT or PRM algorithms, then posture control is achieved by adding virtual intermediate points along the route that constrain the robot to maintain specific postures. This segmentation allows efficient route generation while ensuring reliable posture control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces virtual intermediate points as intermediaries between the start and target positions. These virtual points are not physical obstacles but mathematical constraints that mediate between the route planning algorithm and the robot's actual motion. By placing these virtual intermediate points along the desired route, the system maintains object posture without interfering with the automatic route generation process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If constraints on object posture are added to motion planning, then object posture control is improved, but the calculation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobject posture controlVSAvoidcalculation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent separates posture constraints from route planning by using virtual intermediate points. Instead of integrating posture constraints into the complex motion planning algorithm, the system plans a simple position-based route and then adds posture control through discrete virtual points along that route. This segmentation reduces calculation complexity while maintaining posture control reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies posture control only at specific intermediate points along the route rather than continuously throughout the entire motion. This partial application of constraints reduces the computational burden compared to continuous posture control, while still providing sufficient posture maintenance to prevent liquid spilling and avoid obstacles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If projection calculations are performed at high frequency to generate constrained intermediate points, then posture constraints are satisfied, but the calculation efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconstraint satisfactionVSAvoidcalculation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary route planning without posture constraints using efficient algorithms like RRT or PRM. Only after obtaining the basic route does the system add virtual intermediate points for posture control. This preliminary action avoids the need for frequent projection calculations during the main planning process, significantly improving calculation efficiency while still satisfying posture constraints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts posture constraints from the main motion planning process and handles them separately through virtual intermediate points. By taking out the posture control function from the route planning algorithm, the system avoids the computational burden of frequent projections and can use simpler, more efficient planning algorithms for the position-based route generation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3650181B1Route output method, route output system and route output program
Publication Date: 2022.06.15 OMRON CORP
  • EP3650181B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3650181B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3650181B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a route outputting method, route outputting system, and route outputting program that are able to maintain the posture of an object while a robot is transporting the object. In a route outputting method using an arithmetic device 10 including an external interface 11, a storage unit 12, and an arithmetic unit 15 when a robot 20 having a plurality of movable shafts transports an object W from a first position to a second position, the arithmetic unit 15 executes the steps of: acquiring the first position and the second position using the external interface 11; acquiring transport conditions when the robot 20 transports the object W from the first position to the second position; generating a route for the robot 20 to transport the object W from the first position to the second position, the transport conditions being satisfied along the entire route; and outputting the generated route using the external interface 11.