Patent ID: 8761936

Claim:
A teaching line correcting apparatus for correcting a teaching line, which is identified by a first reference region and a second reference region, and which is indicative of movement of a robot, comprising: a position setting unit for setting a first reference position, a second reference position, and a third reference position where a first reference region, a second reference region, and a third reference region are established on a workpiece; a first plane defining unit for defining a first plane, which includes a line passing through the first reference position that is located at a starting operation point of the robot or within a given range from the starting operation point, and the second reference position, which is located at an ending operation point of the robot or within a given range from the ending operation point, and which is determined by the third reference position; at least one position detector for detecting positions of the first reference region, the second reference region, and the third reference region established on the workpiece; a second plane defining unit for defining a second plane, which includes a line passing through the detected position of the first reference region and the detected position of the second reference region, and which is determined by the detected position of the third reference region; a corrective value calculator for calculating a corrective value for equalizing the first reference region to an origin, equalizing the first reference position of the first reference region as the origin to the detected position of the first reference region as the origin, and equalizing the first plane to the second plane; and a teaching line corrector for correcting the teaching line based on the calculated corrective value, wherein if the position detector fails to detect any one of the first reference region, the second reference region, or the third reference region, the second plane defining unit defines, as the second plane, a plane that includes a line passing through a position closest to the first reference region and a position closest to the second reference region, out of the detected positions of the remaining two reference regions, and which is determined by an undetected position of the reference region that has been set by the position setting unit; and the corrective value calculator calculates a corrective value for equalizing the reference region closest to the first reference region to the origin, equalizing the reference position of the reference region as the origin to the detected position of the reference region as the origin, and equalizing the first plane to the second plane.