Robot Teaching via Environment Points and Automatic Pose Registration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for teaching industrial robots require skilled operation and are not straightforward, especially when using visual servoing, which makes it difficult to specify how the robot should be operated to match a teaching image.

Innovation Solution

A robot teaching method that includes a pre-registration step for specifying a relative self-position of a measuring device with respect to the surrounding environment, a robot operation step where the robot automatically adjusts its position to match the environment teaching point, and a teaching step where the robot's position and posture are registered as teaching information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the robot is actually operated using an operation device to teach the robot, then the teaching information can be registered, but the operator requires skill and the operation is complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveteaching information accuracyVSAvoidoperation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical operation with automated measurement. A measuring device automatically measures the robot's position and posture at teaching points, substituting the manual operation device with an automated measurement system that records detection values without requiring skilled manual manipulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The robot system performs self-measurement through the measuring device. The measuring device is operated to measure the robot's own position and posture, and the detection values are automatically registered as teaching information, enabling the system to teach itself without external manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If visual servoing is used to teach the robot by photographing the workplace, then the teaching process is simplified, but it is not possible to easily specify how the robot should be operated to match the teaching image

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveteaching process simplicityVSAvoidrobot position and posture accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a measuring device as an intermediary between the visual servoing system and the robot control system. The measuring device objectively measures the robot's actual position and posture, serving as a mediator that provides precise quantitative data to bridge the gap between visual guidance and accurate robotic execution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces subjective visual matching with objective measurement. Instead of relying on visual servoing's image matching algorithm, the system uses a measuring device to directly measure and record the robot's detection values, substituting visual estimation with precise mechanical measurement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If visual servoing is used for robot teaching, then the teaching method is simplified, but the teaching information is limited to images rather than precise position and posture data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveteaching method simplicityVSAvoidposition and posture information

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces image-based information with measurement-based information. The measuring device captures quantitative detection values of the robot's position and posture, substituting the qualitative visual image data with precise numerical measurement data that fully represents the robot's spatial state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The measuring device acts as an intermediary that converts the robot's physical position and posture into measurable detection values. This intermediary measurement system preserves complete position and posture information that would otherwise be lost when relying solely on visual servoing image data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12280501B2Robot teaching method and robot working method

Publication Date: 2025.04.22 KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KK

AI summary

The robot teaching method includes a pre-registration step, robot operation step, and teaching step. The pre-registration step is for specifying a relative self-position of a measuring device with respect to surrounding environment by measuring the surrounding environment using the measuring device, and registering an environment teaching point that is a teaching point of the robot specified using the relative self-position. The robot operation step for automatically operating the robot so that the relative self-position of the robot with respect to the surrounding environment become equal to the environment teaching point in a state where the measuring device is attached to the robot. The teaching step for registering a detection value of a position and a posture of the robot measured by an internal sensor as teaching information in a state where the relative self-position of the robot with respect to the surrounding environment become equal to the environment teaching point.