Patent Document ID: 5523663
Application ID: 08058732
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. In a manipulator including an end effector having a position and an attitude in a workpiece-centered coordinate system having an origin within a workpiece, a method of controlling the position to be a target position and the attitude to be a target attitude, said method comprising the steps of: (A) using a camera mounted on the manipulator to capture an image of the end effector and supply image data to an image processor, wherein a camera-centered coordinate system is defined in which a z-axis is coincident with an imaging direction of the camera and an x-axis and a y-axis are orthogonal to one another and to the z-axis; (B) using the image processor to calculate from the image data a current position of the end effector relative to the x-axis and y-axis of the camera-centered coordinate system; (C) using target value set means to accept input indicating the target position and the target attitude of the end effector; (D) using hand position and attitude calculation means to determine a current position and attitude of the end effector in the workpiece-centered coordinate system; (E) using decision and calculation means coupled to the image processor, to the hand position and attitude calculation means, and to the target value set means to set voltage inputs to servos controlling a plurality of revolute joints of the manipulator to control the end effector to have the target attitude and the target position; and (F) using the decision and calculation means to adjust the voltage inputs to control the position of the end effector along an x-axis and a y-axis of the workpiece-centered coordinate system responsive to input from the image processor, and to control the position of the end effector along a z-axis of the workpiece-centered coordinate system and the attitude of the end effector in the workpiece-centered coordinate system responsive to input from said target value set means and hand position and attitude calculation means, wherein said x-axis and said y-axis are orthogonal to one another and to said z-axis.