Touch Panel Robot Operation Apparatus for Safe Manual Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing robot operation systems face challenges in safely and efficiently performing manual operations using touch panels, as users need to visually confirm inputs, potentially diverting attention from the robot, which can compromise safety and increase operation time.
Innovation Solution
A robot operation apparatus that includes a touch panel with a touch operation detector and a motion command generator, allowing users to perform two-dimensional inputs by selecting and dragging on the panel without looking, enabling intuitive operation of articulated robots with multiple driving axes, improving safety and reducing teaching time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If touch switches are used instead of physical operation keys on the pendant, then the pendant can be reduced in size and cost, but the user cannot sense the key positions by fingers and must look at the display, compromising safety
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension to touch panel operation by enabling three-dimensional input capabilities. Users can perform drag operations in multiple directions (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) on the touch panel, which correspond to different robot axis movements. This dimensional expansion allows intuitive operation without visual confirmation, as the spatial relationship between touch positions and robot movements becomes self-evident through tactile feedback and spatial reasoning.
2Device complexity
If simple touch switches replace physical keys, then device complexity is reduced, but the system cannot handle complex multi-axis robot operations requiring discrimination of multiple operation types
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic operation modes that can be switched based on the selected drag direction. When a horizontal drag is detected, the system activates horizontal movement mode; when vertical drag is detected, vertical movement mode is activated. This dynamic adaptation allows a single touch panel to handle multiple operation types (horizontal axis control, vertical axis control, diagonal axis control) without requiring separate physical keys for each function, thereby maintaining low device complexity while achieving high versatility.
3Measurement precision
If users must visually confirm each touch input on the display, then input precision can be verified, but operation time increases and user attention is diverted from the robot
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the touch panel system to self-verify input accuracy through the inherent spatial relationship between touch positions and robot movements. The drag operation detection mechanism automatically calculates movement direction and magnitude based on the start and end positions of the finger drag, providing immediate and intuitive feedback to the user. This self-verifying mechanism eliminates the need for separate visual confirmation steps, as the spatial correspondence between touch input and robot response serves as its own verification, thereby maintaining input precision while reducing operation time.
Data Source
AI summary
In a robot operation apparatus, a motion command generator selects one of combinations of driving axes as an operation object from among preset combinations of the driving axes including at least one of: a driving axis associated with drag operation in a first direction for a touch panel; or a driving axis associated with drag operation in a second direction intersecting with the first direction. If touch operation detected by a touch operation detector is the drag operation, the motion command generator determines whether drag operation is in the first direction or the second direction. The motion command generator generates a motion command to drive the driving axis associated with drag operation in the first direction, if drag operation is in the first direction, and generates a motion command to drive the driving axis associated with drag operation in the second direction, if drag operation is in the second direction.