Patent Description:
Conventionally, a robot system is known, which is provided with a robot which performs a work to a workpiece, and a user interface for remotely manipulating the robot. As such a robot system, for example, there is a remote control system disclosed in Patent Document <NUM>.

The remote control system of Patent Document <NUM> performs a matching of a to-be-operated device with an operation terminal which manipulates the to-be-operated device from a remote location by a server on a communication network, and remotely manipulates the to-be-operated device from the operation terminal according to the matching to perform a task.

Patent Document <NUM>, which forms the basis for the preamble of claim <NUM>, discloses a robot system provided with: a robot equipped with a tactile sensor and with a hand having the tactile sensor; a robot controller which controls operation of the hand of the robot in accordance with robot control information; a manipulator device; a tactile information processing unit which generates tactile information defined by the pressure distribution which is based on pressures detected by multiple pressure sensors of at least the tactile sensor and the spatial positions of each of the pressure sensors, converts said tactile information to perceptible tactile information that can be perceived by an operator, and outputs said perceptible tactile infonnation; and a perceptible tactile information presenting unit which presents to the operator the perceptible tactile information outputted from the tactile information processing unit.

Further exemplary robot systems are disclosed in Patent Documents <NUM>-<NUM>.

Meanwhile, in the remote control system of Patent Document <NUM>, a camera, a microphone, etc. are provided to the to-be-operated device end (i.e., the robot end), and video information, sound information, etc. which are acquired by the camera, the microphone, etc. are supplied to the operation terminal end (i.e., the user interface end). Therefore, the operator remotely operates the robot while grasping a work situation at the robot end to perform the work. However, based on the video information and the sound information supplied at this time, it is difficult for the operator to accurately grasp the work situation at the robot end. For example, in the case of the sound information, since all the noise generated in a factory is supplied, it is difficult to accurately grasp the work situation at the robot end. As a result, there is a problem that the remote control system of Patent Document <NUM> may be unable to perform a desired work.

Therefore, one purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a robot system which can ensure a desired work by remotely operating a robot, while accurately grasping a work situation at the robot end.

In order to solve the above problems, a robot system according to claim <NUM> includes a robot configured to perform a work to a workpiece, and a user interface configured to remotely manipulate the robot. The robot includes a robotic arm, an end effector attached to the robotic arm and configured to perform the work to the workpiece, and an acceleration sensor attached to the end effector. The robot system further includes a perceptual-information output part configured to output an acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor as perceptual information, wherein the perceptual information is sound information or exciting-force information, and the perceptual-information output part includes at least one of: a speaker configured to output the acceleration signal as the sound information; a headphone configured to output the acceleration signal as the sound information; a vibrator provided to the user interface and configured to output the acceleration signal as the exciting-force information; and a transducer configured to output the acceleration signal as the sound information and the exciting-force information.

According to this configuration, noise in a factory etc. which is unnecessary for grasping a work situation at the robot end can be removed, and the acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor can be outputted from the perceptual-information output part as the perceptual information. As a result, the robot system according to the present disclosure is possible to remotely manipulate the robot while accurately grasping the work situation at the robot end, and certainly perform the desired work.

The acceleration sensor may be disposed at or near a location where the acceleration sensor contacts the workpiece.

According to this configuration, the effects of the robot system according to the present disclosure can be further improved.

The robot system further includes an acceleration signal processor configured to filter the acceleration signal acquired by the acceleration sensor to pass only a particular frequency component. The perceptual-information output part outputs the acceleration signal of the particular frequency component as the perceptual information.

The perceptual information may be sound information, and the perceptual-information output part may be a speaker configured to output the acceleration signal as the sound information.

According to this configuration, the perceptual-information output part can output clear sound information (i.e., sound information with less noise) which does not include all the noise generated in the factory as compared with the sound information acquired by, for example, a conventionally existing microphone. This is because the acceleration sensor is difficult to collect noise caused by aerial vibration as compared with the microphone. Therefore, it becomes possible to certainly give an operator comparatively small sound information, for example, like when the end effector rubs against the workpiece.

The speaker may be provided at or near the user interface.

According to this configuration, the operator can certainly catch the sound information outputted from the speaker. Therefore, the effects of the robot system according to the present disclosure can be further improved.

The perceptual information may be exciting-force information, and the perceptual-information output part may be a vibrator configured to output the acceleration signal as the exciting-force information, and may be provided to the user interface.

According to this configuration, the operator can percept the exciting-force information, and thus it becomes possible to remotely manipulate the robot while accurately grasping the work situation at the robot end, and certainly perform the desired work.

The present disclosure can provide the robot system which can ensure the desired work by remotely operating the robot, while accurately grasping the work situation at the robot end.

Hereinafter, a robot system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is described with reference to the drawings. <FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating the entire configuration of the robot system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. <FIG> is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control system of the robot system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

A robot system <NUM> according to this embodiment performs a part of an assembly work of an automobile. In detail, the robot system <NUM> performs an attachment work to attach a seat part (a workpiece W) of the automobile which is a work object to the vehicle body.

The robot system <NUM> according to this embodiment includes a robot <NUM> which actually performs the work described above to the workpiece W, a user interface <NUM> which remotely manipulates the robot <NUM>, and a camera <NUM> which images a work situation of the robot <NUM> to acquire video information.

The robot <NUM> includes a pedestal <NUM>, a robotic arm <NUM> coupled to the pedestal <NUM>, a robot hand <NUM> (end effector) which is attached to a tip-end part of the robotic arm <NUM> and performs the work to the workpiece W, acceleration sensors <NUM> attached to the robot hand <NUM>, and a controller <NUM> which controls the robot <NUM>. Note that, in <FIG>, the robot hand <NUM> and the acceleration sensors <NUM> are provided inside a black box surrounded by a broken line.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the robotic arm <NUM> is an articulated arm having six joints JT1-JT6, and six links 11a-11f serially coupled through these joints. In detail, the first joint JT1 couples the pedestal <NUM> to a base-end part of the first link 11a rotatably on an axis extending vertically. The second joint JT2 couples a tip-end part of the first link 11a to a base-end part of the second link 11b rotatably on an axis extending horizontally. The third joint JT3 couples a tip-end part of the second link 11b to a base-end part of the third link 11c rotatably on an axis extending horizontally. The fourth joint JT4 couples a tip-end part of the third link 11c to a base-end part of the fourth link 11d rotatably on an axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the third link 11c. The fifth joint JT5 couples a tip-end part of the fourth link 11d to a base-end part of the fifth link 11e rotatably on an axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fourth link 11d. The sixth joint JT6 rotatably couples a tip-end part of the fifth link 11e to a base-end part of the sixth link 11f in a twisting manner. The robot hand <NUM> which performs the work to the workpiece W is attached to a tip-end part of the sixth link 11f (i.e., inside the black box surrounded by the broken line in <FIG>).

An arm part <NUM> of the robotic arm <NUM> is comprised of a coupled body of the links and the joints, comprised of the first joint JT1, the first link 11a, the second joint JT2, the second link 11b, the third joint JT3, and the third link 11c. Moreover, a wrist part <NUM> of the robotic arm <NUM> is comprised of a coupled body of the links and the joints, comprised of the fourth joint JT4, the fourth link 11d, the fifth joint JT5, the fifth link 11e, the sixth joint JT6, and the sixth link 11f. Note that the robotic arm <NUM> constitutes a robot body.

Next, mainly referring to <FIG>, a structure of the robot hand <NUM> is described, using a state where the workpiece W is held as one example. <FIG> is a perspective view when holding the workpiece using the robot system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Moreover, <FIG> is a plan view of the same, and <FIG> is a left side view of the same. Further, <FIG> is a partially enlarged view of the perspective view of the same, seen from a rear side, and <FIG> are partially enlarged views of the perspective view of <FIG>.

Here, the workpiece W according to this embodiment is the seat to be attached to the automobile, as described above. The workpiece W includes a seat part, a backrest part connected to the seat part, and two shaft members AXa and AXb provided along the rear surfaces of the seat part and the backrest part and connecting the seat part and the backrest part to each other.

The robot hand <NUM> is attached to the robotic arm <NUM>, and performs the work to the workpiece W. The robot hand <NUM> has a first hand part <NUM> extending in the illustrated X-direction, and a second hand part <NUM> coupled to an under side of the first hand part <NUM>.

The second hand part <NUM> has a first part 52a extending along an upper surface of the seat part of the workpiece W, a second part 52b connected to a front end of the first part 52a extending along a front surface of the seat part, and a third part 52c connected to a lower end part of the second part 52b and extending along a bottom surface of the seat part.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the first part 52a described above has two support parts 55a and 55b extending rearwardly (toward positive in the Y-direction in this figure) while inclining downwardly (toward negative in the Z-direction in this figure). The two support parts 55a and 55b are each reciprocatable in the X-direction by a given distance. As illustrated in <FIG>, a rear end part (a positive end part in the Y-direction in this figure) of each of the two support parts 55a and 55b penetrates a gap formed between the seat part and the backrest part of the workpiece W and reaches the rear surface side of the workpiece W.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the second hand part <NUM> holds a front end part of the workpiece W by the first part 52a, the second part 52b, and the third part 52c. Moreover, as illustrated in <FIG>, the second hand part <NUM> holds a rear end part of the workpiece W by the support part 55a contacting one shaft member AXa of the workpiece W from inside and applying an external force outwardly, and the support part 55b contacting the other shaft member AXb of the workpiece W from inside and applying an external force outwardly. Thus, the second hand part <NUM> can hold the whole workpiece W.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the acceleration sensor <NUM> is attached to a location of the first part 52a of the second hand part <NUM> near the positive end part in the Y-direction (i.e., near the connection of the seat part and the backrest part of the workpiece W), and a location of the second part 52b near the positive end in the X-direction (i.e., a location along the right part of the front surface of the seat part of the workpiece W). Thus, the acceleration sensor <NUM> is desirably provided at or near a location contacting the workpiece W.

The acceleration sensor <NUM> supplies to the user interface <NUM> an acceleration signal acquired when the robot hand <NUM> operates. Here, perceptual information is, for example, information which can be sensed by a human, such as sound information and exciting-force information.

Further, mainly referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the user interface <NUM> according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is described. <FIG> is a perspective view of the user interface provided to the robot system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when seen from the bottom side.

The user interface <NUM> is installed so as to be separated from the robot <NUM> by a given distance, and remotely operates the robotic arm <NUM> and the robot hand <NUM> based on a manual operational instruction from an operator. As illustrated in <FIG>, the user interface <NUM> includes a base part <NUM> formed in a substantially hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape by connecting a plurality of frames to each other, a plurality of master arms <NUM> attached so as to extend substantially upwardly from the top side of the base part <NUM>, a workpiece model installation part <NUM> to which tip-end parts of the plurality of master arms <NUM> are connected at an edge part thereof, and including a principal surface for installing a workpiece model (not illustrated) which imitates the workpiece W, and a speaker <NUM> (perceptual-information output part) attached to the bottom surface of the top plate of the base part <NUM>.

Each of the plurality of master arms <NUM> is fixed to the top surface of the base part <NUM> by connecting the root part thereto, and has at least one joint. According to such a structure, it is possible for the tip-end parts of the plurality of master arms <NUM> to freely operate within a given range in the illustrated X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction. Thus, the workpiece model installation part <NUM> is possible to freely operate so as to be interlocked with each of the tip-end parts of the plurality of master arms <NUM>.

The user interface <NUM> generates operational information by the operator moving the workpiece model. The operational information includes, for example, position information and posture information on the workpiece model. The generated operational information is supplied to a robot controller 70a, as illustrated in <FIG>. The user interface <NUM> and the robot controller 70a may be connected to each other wiredly or wirelessly.

The camera <NUM> is installed in a space where the robot <NUM> is provided, and images the workpiece W and the robot <NUM> which performs the work to the workpiece W. The camera <NUM> is installed so that the image captured by the camera <NUM> includes at least the workpiece W and the robot hand <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, in this embodiment, although the camera <NUM> is installed so as to image the workpiece W from above, the installed position is not limited in particular. The camera <NUM> is connected to the controller <NUM>. The camera <NUM> and the controller <NUM> may be connected to each other wiredly or wirelessly.

As illustrated in the block diagram of <FIG>, the controller <NUM> includes the robot controller 70a which controls the robotic arm <NUM> and the robot hand <NUM> based on the operational information supplied from the user interface <NUM>, and an acceleration signal processor 70b which processes the acceleration signal supplied from the acceleration sensor <NUM>.

The robot controller 70a controls the robotic arm <NUM> and the robot hand <NUM>, for example, based on the operational information supplied from the user interface <NUM>. Moreover, the acceleration signal processor 70b filters the acceleration signal to pass only a particular frequency band.

The controller <NUM> is comprised of an arithmetic part comprised of a microcontroller, a MPU, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), a logic circuit, etc., and a memory comprised of a ROM, a RAM, etc..

One example of performing the work to the workpiece W using the robot system <NUM> according to this embodiment is described.

First, the user interface <NUM> receives the manual operational instruction from the operator to generate the operational information, and supplies the operational information to the robot controller 70a.

At this time, the operator performs the operational instruction to the user interface <NUM>, while accurately grasping the work situation at the robot <NUM> end based on the video information outputted from a monitor (not illustrated) and the sound information outputted from the speaker <NUM>. Here, the video information outputted from the monitor is an image of the work situation of the robot <NUM> captured using the camera <NUM>. Moreover, the sound information outputted from the speaker <NUM> is based on the acceleration signal acquired by the acceleration sensor <NUM>. In detail, the acceleration sensor <NUM> detects the acceleration signal when the robot <NUM> performs the work, and supplies the detected acceleration signal to the acceleration signal processor 70b which is a part of the controller <NUM>. Next, the acceleration signal processor 70b filters the acceleration signal to pass only a particular frequency component, and supplies it to the speaker <NUM>. The speaker <NUM> outputs the acceleration signal of the supplied particular frequency component as the sound information.

Then, the controller <NUM> controls the robotic arm <NUM> and the robot hand <NUM> based on the operational information supplied from the user interface <NUM>.

The robot system <NUM> according to this embodiment includes the acceleration sensor <NUM> attached to the robot hand <NUM>, and the speaker <NUM> (perceptual-information output part) which outputs the acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor <NUM> as the perceptual information. That is, the robot system <NUM> according to this embodiment outputs from the speaker <NUM> the acceleration signal supplied from the acceleration sensor <NUM> as the perceptual information. Here, the acceleration sensor <NUM> is difficult to collect noise caused by aerial vibration, for example, as compared with a microphone etc. As a result, the robot system <NUM> according to this embodiment is possible to remotely manipulate the robot <NUM> while accurately grasping the work situation at the robot <NUM> end, thereby ensuring the desired work.

Further, in this embodiment, the acceleration sensor <NUM> is attached to the location near the connection of the seat part and the backrest part of the workpiece W, and the location along the front surface of the seat part of the workpiece W. That is, in this embodiment, the acceleration sensor <NUM> is provided at or near the location where the acceleration sensor <NUM> contacts the workpiece W. Therefore, the above effects of the robot system <NUM> according to this embodiment can be further improved.

Further, in this embodiment, the perceptual-information output part is the speaker <NUM> which outputs the acceleration signal as the sound information. Therefore, the robot system <NUM> according to this embodiment can output clear sound information (i.e., sound information with less noise) which does not include all the noise generated in the factory, for example, as compared with the sound information based on a signal acquired by a conventionally existing microphone. Therefore, the robot system <NUM> according to this embodiment can certainly give the operator comparatively small sound information, for example, like when the robot hand <NUM> rubs against the workpiece W.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the speaker <NUM> is provided to the user interface <NUM>. Therefore, the operator can certainly catch the sound information outputted from the speaker <NUM>. As a result, the effects of the robot system <NUM> of the present disclosure can be further improved.

Further, in this embodiment, the acceleration signal processor 70b which filters the acceleration signal acquired by the acceleration sensor <NUM> to pass only the particular frequency component is further provided, and the speaker <NUM> outputs the acceleration signal of the particular frequency component as the sound information.

According to this configuration, the effects of the robot system <NUM> of the present disclosure can be further improved.

Although in one embodiment described above the speaker <NUM> (perceptual-information output part) is attached to the bottom surface of the top plate of the base part <NUM> of the user interface <NUM>, it is not limited in this configuration. That is, the speaker <NUM> may be attached to other parts of the user interface <NUM>, or may be installed near the user interface <NUM>, without being attached to the user interface <NUM>. Further, the speaker <NUM> may be installed at the position distant from the user interface <NUM> instead of near the user interface <NUM>, as long as it can output the sound information with a sufficiently large volume to the extent that the operator can accurately grasp the work situation at the robot <NUM> end. Note that, in the case of a frequency component of a low band, it is also possible to give the operator the output from the speaker <NUM> as vibration.

Although in one embodiment described above the perceptual-information output part is the speaker <NUM> which outputs the sound information, it is not limited to this configuration. For example, the perceptual-information output parts may be a headphone which is attached to the operator and outputs the sound information.

Moreover, the perceptual-information output part is not limited to the speaker <NUM> and the headphone which outputs the sound information, and, for example, it may be a vibrator <NUM>' which outputs exciting-force information, as illustrated in <FIG> is a perspective view of the user interface according to one modification of the present disclosure when seen from the top side. As illustrated in <FIG>, in this modification, a grip body <NUM> having a contour of a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view is installed on an upper surface of the workpiece model installation part <NUM> of the user interface <NUM>, in order to be gripped by the operator. The grip body <NUM> has two vibrators <NUM>'. A motor <NUM> as illustrated by a broken line is built in each vibrator <NUM>'. Each vibrator <NUM>' outputs the exciting-force information by rotating the motor <NUM>, and can give the operator the work situation at the robot <NUM> end. Note that, although in this modification the vibrator <NUM>' is built in the user interface <NUM>, the location at which the vibrator <NUM>' is provided is not limited in particular, as long as it is provided to the user interface <NUM>. That is, the vibrator <NUM>' may be provided to the user interface <NUM> so that it is attached to an external surface of the user interface <NUM>.

Moreover, for example, the perceptual-information output part may be a transducer <NUM>", as illustrated in <FIG> are views illustrating a transducer according to another modification of the present disclosure, where <FIG> is a perspective view, and <FIG> is a cross-sectional view along a plane where the height direction and the width direction intersect with each other. The transducer <NUM>" is a perceptual-information output part which can output both the sound information and the exciting-force information, as the perceptual information.

The transducer <NUM>" includes a magnetic circuit <NUM>, a bobbin <NUM>, a voice coil <NUM>, and a suspension <NUM>. The magnetic circuit <NUM> is mainly comprised of a magnet <NUM>, an inner yoke <NUM>, and an outer yoke <NUM>. The bobbin <NUM> has a cylindrical shape. The suspension <NUM> supports the bobbin <NUM> so that the bobbin <NUM> is disposed at a given position of the transducer <NUM>". An annular member <NUM> is provided to a tip end of the bobbin <NUM>. According to such a structure, the bobbin <NUM> vibrates when electric current flows into the voice coil <NUM>. It becomes possible to give the operator at least one of the sound information and the exciting-force information by attaching and using such a transducer <NUM>" to the user interface <NUM> in the same way as the speaker <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> so that, for example, the annular member <NUM> contacts to the top plate of the user interface <NUM>.

Further, although in one embodiment described above the end effector is the robot hand <NUM> which performs the work to the workpiece W after holding the workpiece W, it is not limited to this configuration, as long as it performs a certain work to the workpiece. For example, the end effector may be a drill for forming an arbitrary hole in the workpiece.

Claim 1:
A robot system (<NUM>) comprising a robot (<NUM>) configured to perform a work to a workpiece (W), and a user interface (<NUM>) configured to remotely manipulate the robot (<NUM>),
wherein the robot (<NUM>) includes:
a robotic arm (<NUM>);
an end effector (<NUM>) attached to the robotic arm (<NUM>) and configured to perform the work to the workpiece (W); and
an acceleration sensor (<NUM>) attached to the end effector (<NUM>),
the robot system (<NUM>) further comprises a perceptual-information output part (<NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>") configured to output an acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor (<NUM>) as perceptual information, wherein
the perceptual information is sound information or exciting-force information,
the perceptual-information output part (<NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>") includes at least one of:
a speaker (<NUM>) configured to output the acceleration signal as the sound information;
a headphone configured to output the acceleration signal as the sound information;
a vibrator (<NUM>') provided to the user interface (<NUM>) and configured to output the acceleration signal as the exciting-force information; and
a transducer (<NUM>") configured to output the acceleration signal as the sound information and the exciting-force information,
characterized in that
the robot system (<NUM>) further comprises an acceleration signal processor (70b) configured to filter the acceleration signal acquired by the acceleration sensor (<NUM>) to pass only a particular frequency component, and
the perceptual-information output part (<NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>") outputs the acceleration signal of the particular frequency component as the perceptual information.