Robot Touchscreen Calibration for Faster Industrial Commissioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current industrial robot commissioning processes are tedious, operator-dependent, and require significant engineering time and effort, with high system complexity and cost, especially when multiple tasks such as TCP calibration, absolute accuracy calibration, hand-eye calibration, and path generation are performed in a single robot cell.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a touchscreen calibrated with the industrial robot coordinate system for various commissioning tasks, allowing for automatic and accurate calibration of the touchscreen coordinate system, tool centre point, kinematics parameters, camera coordinate system, and path generation, using a compliant robot movement and touch points to establish relationships between coordinate systems, reducing the need for extensive hardware and space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple commissioning systems are juxtaposed in one robot cell to perform various tasks (TCP calibration, absolute accuracy calibration, hand-eye calibration, path generation), then the functionality and versatility are improved, but the system complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by making the robot touchscreen serve multiple commissioning functions. The touchscreen is used for TCP calibration, absolute accuracy calibration, hand-eye calibration, and path generation/tuning - replacing the need for separate dedicated systems for each task. This multi-functional approach reduces system complexity while maintaining versatility across all commissioning activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple commissioning systems into a single integrated touchscreen interface. Instead of having separate hardware systems for TCP calibration, absolute accuracy calibration, hand-eye calibration, and path generation, all these functions are combined into one touchscreen system that the robot can interact with, thereby reducing overall system complexity and cost.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple commissioning systems are assembled in one robot cell to provide comprehensive functionality, then the versatility is improved, but the occupied space increases
Solution Approach 1:
The touchscreen serves as a universal interface for all commissioning tasks including TCP calibration, absolute accuracy calibration, hand-eye calibration, and path generation. This multi-functional capability is achieved within the existing robot cell space without requiring additional dedicated hardware systems that would occupy extra space.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple commissioning functions are merged into the single touchscreen interface, eliminating the need for separate physical systems for each task. This consolidation reduces the spatial requirements of the robot cell while maintaining comprehensive commissioning capabilities.
3Ease of operation
If traditional manual methods are used for coordinate system calibration and path generation, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the time consumption and operator dependency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs self-calibration and self-tuning by interacting with the touchscreen. The system automatically calculates TCP coordinates, performs absolute accuracy calibration, conducts hand-eye calibration, and tunes paths by generating tuning paths and evaluating results - all without requiring continuous manual operator intervention. This self-service capability significantly reduces commissioning time while maintaining ease of operation through the intuitive touchscreen interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback mechanisms where the robot executes test paths, evaluates the results, and automatically adjusts parameters to improve performance. The touchscreen provides visual feedback during calibration and tuning processes, allowing the system to iteratively optimize commissioning parameters without increasing operator workload or time consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems and methods to provide a method for calibrating a touchscreen coordinate system of a touchscreen with an industrial robot coordinate system of an industrial robot for industrial robot commissioning and industrial robot system and control system using the same. In one form the systems and methods include attaching an end effector to the industrial robot; (a) moving the industrial robot in a compliant way until a stylus of the end effector touches a point on the touchscreen; (b) recording a position of the stylus of the end effector in the industrial robot coordinate system when it touches the point of the touchscreen; (c) recording a position of the touch point on the touchscreen in the touchscreen coordinate system; and calculating a relation between the industrial robot coordinate system and the touchscreen coordinate system based on the at least three positions of the end effector stylus and the at least three positions of the touch points.