Patent ID: 8483878

Claim:
A method for predicting interference, wherein the method comprising the steps of: storing a peripheral occupied area which is an area occupied by a peripheral approximated polyhedron which is a polyhedral approximation of a shape of a peripheral object fixed in a space, and a target section approximated polyhedron which is a polyhedral approximation of a target section of a robot; calculating, by a processor, a plurality of target section occupied areas which are occupied by the target section approximated polyhedron at a plurality of time points, according to a motion of the robot; and predicting interference between the target section of the robot and the peripheral object based on the plurality of target section occupied areas and the peripheral occupied area, wherein the predicting step comprises the steps of: calculating all convex hulls which are combinations of adjacent target section occupied areas when the plurality of target section occupied areas are aligned according to the order of the plurality of time points; calculating the peripheral occupied area as a combination of convex polyhedrons; and judging whether the interference between the target section of the robot and the peripheral object occurs, by judging whether a common area exists between any of the convex hulls and the convex polyhedrons.