DE202019105752U1 - Robotic system with worktable and expense of a control program - Google Patents

Abstract

A robotic system (1) comprising a robot manipulator (3) having a plurality of links (7) interconnected by joints (5), a control unit (9), a computing unit (11), and an output unit (13), the control unit (13) 9) for driving actuators (15) of the robot manipulator (3) to perform a task according to a predetermined control program, and wherein the arithmetic unit (11) is adapted to predetermine the costs involved in executing the control program and to the output unit (13) to transmit a cost value based on the determined cost for output, wherein the output unit (13) is adapted to output the cost value.

Description

The invention relates to a robot system for operating a robot manipulator having a plurality of members interconnected by joints.

The object of the invention is to simplify the operation of a robot manipulator for a user.

The invention results from the features of the independent claims. Advantageous developments and refinements are the subject of the dependent claims.

A first aspect of the invention relates to a robot system comprising a robot manipulator having a plurality of links interconnected by joints, a control unit, a computing unit, and an output unit, wherein the control unit executes to drive actuators of the robot manipulator to execute a task according to a predetermined control program and wherein the arithmetic unit is configured to predetermine the costs incurred in executing the control program and to transmit to the output unit a cost value based on the determined cost for output, the output unit being adapted to output the cost value.

The actuators of the robotic manipulator are preferably electrical actuators that can be appropriately controlled by the control unit to move the members of the robotic manipulator about the respective joints. The arithmetic unit may be a logically and locally separate arithmetic unit, alternatively preferably the arithmetic unit and the control unit are physically accommodated in a computing module, so that the arithmetic unit and the control unit separate only an abstract logical distinction.

It is assumed that a control program has already been specified. The specification of the control program can in particular on the one hand take place in that a finished control program is loaded from a central memory unit, in particular via the Internet, to the control unit of the robot manipulator. In this case, it is at most the task of the user to set certain parameters of the control program. In particular, monetary costs may be incurred for this control program downloaded from the internet. On the other hand, in particular, the control program can be generated by the user himself. In particular, the term cost not only may be subject to any monetary costs as in the above case, but also in the execution of the control program may incur costs in a broad sense, in particular energy costs, costs in terms of wear of the robot manipulator, or costs related to the required time, to execute the control program.

It is an advantageous effect of the invention that in each of the above cases, the user is informed immediately, intuitively and simply about which costs would arise in the above-mentioned sense in the execution of the control program. The user can thus advantageously decide before executing the control program whether the control program should generally be executed or whether the costs can be reduced by changing parameters of the control program or of the control program itself.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the control unit is arranged in or on the robot manipulator or in or on a base of the robot manipulator, wherein the base of the robot manipulator is connected to a most proximal member of the robot manipulator and the robot manipulator is mounted on the base. According to this embodiment, therefore, the control unit is in particular a control unit of the robot manipulator itself. As mentioned above, the arithmetic unit can be integrated in this control unit, or else the arithmetic unit is a logically and physically separate arithmetic unit.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the arithmetic unit is part of the control unit. The fact that the arithmetic unit is part of the control unit is to be understood such that the arithmetic unit is arranged in particular on the same board as the control unit, the arithmetic unit and the control unit preferably using one and the same CPU ("central processing unit") or independently May have processor units.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the arithmetic unit is the same as the control unit. If the arithmetic unit is the same as the control unit, there is only a logical separation between the two, but no separation with respect to the use of hardware and physical resources.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the arithmetic unit is arranged in an environment of the robot manipulator. If the arithmetic unit is arranged in an environment of the robot manipulator, in particular the arithmetic unit in a user computer, which is connected to the robot manipulator and in particular to the control unit of the robotic manipulator, can be arranged, or the arithmetic unit is a central processing unit, in particular a central server, which may be located at any location and also far away from the robot manipulator.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the arithmetic unit is a central server remote from the robot manipulator, the control unit of the robotic manipulator being connected to the central server via a network. Preferably, the network is the Internet.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the central server is designed to determine the costs by means of machine learning based on a plurality of empirical values from other robot manipulators. In particular, in the case when the arithmetic unit is a central server, but also in principle possible even in the case that the arithmetic unit is arranged on the robot manipulator and agrees with the control unit or part of this, the arithmetic unit is preferably designed to information about costs already successful execution of a particular or a second control program on the Robotemanipulator or other Roboteremanipulatoren to capture and adapt in particular by machine learning to the current control program for the robot manipulator. Advantageously, the arithmetic unit is thus designed to calculate the current costs for the current control program for the robot manipulator in a forward-looking manner based on empirical values or empirical data. The term "machine learning" refers in particular to neural networks, Markov chains, statistical analyzes, adaptive controllers and the like.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the robot system further comprises: an input unit, wherein the input unit is designed to detect inputs of a user, and wherein the input unit is designed to transmit the inputs to the control unit, wherein the control unit is designed to determine the control program.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the robot system further comprises: an input unit, wherein the input unit is designed to detect inputs of a user, and wherein the input unit is designed to transmit the inputs to the arithmetic unit, wherein the arithmetic unit is designed to determine the control program.

The input unit is preferably a touch-sensitive screen, also called "touch screen", on which the user can make inputs by appropriate touches and gestures. The input unit is used in particular for selecting a predetermined control program, alternatively preferably also for setting parameters on the predetermined control program. Further preferably, a separate control program can be created on the input unit, in particular by combining predetermined program elements.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the input unit is designed to display a multiplicity of predefined program elements, the program elements being displaceable into a graphical chain on the input unit, the arithmetic unit being designed for this, depending on the arrangement of the program elements on the input unit, the control program determine.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the costs include at least one of the following: monetary costs of the control program, power consumption of the robot manipulator when executing the control program, wear of the robot manipulator, in particular its components, in the execution of the control program, time required to execute the control program. The monetary costs of the tax program correspond to the financial costs incurred directly by a transaction of the tax program from a provider. The costs relating to the wear for the robot manipulator are determined in particular by a simulation, wherein the wear is determined by appropriate data sets, in particular tables, Wöhler lines, stored empirical values and furthermore preferably also mechanical analyzes such as a finite element method.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the output unit is a visual output unit.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the visual output unit is a screen, in particular a touch-sensitive screen.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the arithmetic unit is designed to divide the control program into sections and to determine a partial cost amount for each of the sections, to compare the respective partial cost amount with a predetermined metric and the partial cost amount together with the respective result of the comparison with the predetermined metric to transmit to the output unit, wherein the output unit is adapted to output the respective partial cost amount together with the respective result of the comparison with the predetermined metric. The predetermined metric is in particular a limit. In particular, when the threshold is exceeded, a corresponding icon or color is displayed on the output unit. Advantageously, the user can easily identify those parts in the control program that are responsible for the (high) costs.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the output unit is designed to output partial cost amounts or portions of the control program in a predetermined color or with a predetermined symbol if the respective partial cost amount exceeds the predetermined metric.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the robot system further comprises: a work table.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the robot manipulator has a mounting device, wherein the mounting device is designed to fix the robot manipulator in a mounted state on the work table.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the work table has a surface layer of a mechanically damping material. In particular, the mechanically damping material has the property of delaying a force input by a pulse acting on the material, such as by the moving mass of the robot manipulator, over a certain distance. Thus, the negative acceleration acting on the moving mass, in particular a component of the robot manipulator or the robot manipulator as a whole, is opposite to the case that the work table has a relatively harder surface such as aluminum, steel, thermosetting plastic, wood or the like , significantly reduced. In the case of a particularly unintentional impact of the robot manipulator on the surface of the work table thus advantageously a damage of the robot manipulator is completely avoided with high probability. In particular, the mechanical damping material has a restoring force relative to a deflection of the nominal surface position of the material, and a force that is dependent on the speed of movement of the surface of the damping material such that the mechanically damping material is not an ideal spring, but a force has resilient and also damping behavior.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the damping material comprises plastic.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the plastic is a polymer plastic.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the plastic ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the plastic is designed to change a material constant by applying an electrical voltage. The material constant relates in particular to an E-modulus of the damping material, which indicates which restoring force follows a deflection, or a linear damping constant or alternatively preferably a non-linear damping of the material.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the arithmetic unit is designed to drive the plastic with an electrical voltage when the control program is executed by the control unit.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the control unit is designed to drive the plastic with an electrical voltage when the control program is executed by the control unit.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the surface layer is connected to the base of the robot manipulator.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the surface layer has a multiplicity of fibers. Preferably, the fibers are at least one of: glass fiber, carbon fiber, polyester fiber, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene fibers, polyamide fibers.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the surface layer comprises rubber. In this case, natural rubber or synthetic rubber or other synthetic rubber can be used.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the surface layer comprises rubber particles, wherein the rubber particles are arranged in a matrix of carrier material. The carrier material is preferably foam or another flexible structure.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the rubber particles are spherical.

• - Ermitteln von Kosten, die beim Ausführen eines Steuerprogramms durch eine Steuereinheit auftreten würden durch eine Recheneinheit,
• - Ermitteln eines auf den Kosten basierenden Kostenwerts durch die Recheneinheit,
• - Übermitteln des Kostenwerts durch die Recheneinheit an eine Ausgabeeinheit, und
• - Ausgeben des Kostenwerts durch die Ausgabeeinheit.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of operating a robotic manipulator having a plurality of links interconnected by joints, comprising the steps of:

• - Determining costs that would occur when executing a control program by a control unit by a computing unit,
• Determining a cost-based cost value by the computing unit,
• - Transmission of the cost value by the arithmetic unit to an output unit, and
• - Output of the cost value by the output unit.

Advantages and preferred developments of the proposed method result from an analogous and analogous transmission of the statements made above in connection with the proposed robot system.

Further advantages, features and details will become apparent from the following description, in which - where appropriate, with reference to the drawings - at least one embodiment is described in detail. The same, similar and / or functionally identical parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

• 1 ein Robotersystem gemäß einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung, und
• 2 ein Verfahren gemäß einem weiteren Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung.

Show it:

• 1 a robot system according to an embodiment of the invention, and
• 2 a method according to another embodiment of the invention.

The illustrations in the figures are schematic and not to scale.

1 shows a robot system 1 comprising a robot manipulator 3 with a variety of joints 5 linked members 7 , and an input unit combined in a user's computer 17 and output unit 13 , A control unit 9 and a computing unit 11 are together in a computer of the robot manipulator 3 arranged. The control unit 9 is from the arithmetic unit 11 only logically separated, but together with the arithmetic unit 11 on the computer of the robot manipulator 3 implemented. While the control unit 9 for controlling actuators 15 at the joints 5 of the robot manipulator 3 is used for executing a task according to a predetermined control program, the arithmetic unit is used 11 to approximately determine costs that will be incurred when executing the control program and to the output unit 13 to submit a cost value based on the cost determined for issue. The cost is the monetary cost of the control program, the energy consumption of the robot manipulator 3 when executing the control program, and the wear of gears of the robot manipulator 3 , The output unit 13 is a screen of the control unit 9 and the arithmetic unit 11 connected user computer at which the cost value is output. The input unit 17 is used to capture input from a user and to transmit the input to the controller 9 , whereupon the control unit 9 Determines parameters of the control program. The input unit 17 has keyboard and mouse of the user computer. control unit 9 and arithmetic unit 11 are together on a pedestal of the robot manipulator 3 is arranged, wherein the base of the robot manipulator 3 with a most proximal limb of the robot manipulator 3 is connected and the robot manipulator 3 is stored on the pedestal. The robot manipulator 3 is with its socket over a mounting device 21 at a work table 19 fixed. The surface layer 23 of the work table 19 is made of a mechanically damping material, wherein the damping material comprises ethylene vinyl acetate plastic.

• - Ermitteln S1 von Kosten, die beim Ausführen eines Steuerprogramms durch eine Steuereinheit 9 auftreten würden durch eine Recheneinheit 11,
• - Ermitteln S2 eines auf den Kosten basierenden Kostenwerts durch die Recheneinheit 11,
• - Übermitteln S3 des Kostenwerts durch die Recheneinheit 11 an eine Ausgabeeinheit 13, und
• - Ausgeben S4 des Kostenwerts durch die Ausgabeeinheit 13.

2 shows a method of operating a robot manipulator 3 with a variety of joints 5 linked members 7 comprising the steps:

• - Determine S1 of costs involved in running a control program through a control unit 9 would occur through a computing unit 11 .
• - Determine S2 a cost-based cost value by the arithmetic unit 11 .
• - To transfer S3 the cost value by the arithmetic unit 11 to an output unit 13 , and
• - Output S4 the cost value through the output unit 13 ,

Although the invention has been further illustrated and explained in detail by way of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations can be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of possible variations exists. It is also to be understood that exemplified embodiments are really only examples that are not to be construed in any way as limiting the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention. Rather, the foregoing description and description enable the skilled artisan to practice the exemplary embodiments, and those of skill in the knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept may make various changes, for example, to the function or arrangement of particular elements recited in an exemplary embodiment. without departing from the scope defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanation in the specification.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

robot system

3

robot manipulator

5

joints

7

limbs

9

control unit

11

computer unit

13

output unit

15

actuators

17

input unit

19

worktable

21

mounter

23

surface layer

S1

Determine

S2

Determine

S3

To transfer

S4

Output

Claims (29)

A robotic system (1) comprising a robot manipulator (3) having a plurality of links (7) interconnected by joints (5), a control unit (9), a computing unit (11), and an output unit (13), the control unit (13) 9) for driving actuators (15) of the robot manipulator (3) to perform a task according to a predetermined control program, and wherein the arithmetic unit (11) is adapted to predetermine the costs involved in executing the control program and to the output unit (13) to transmit a cost value based on the determined cost for output, wherein the output unit (13) is adapted to output the cost value. Robot system (1) according to Claim 1 wherein the control unit (9) is arranged in or on the robot manipulator (3) or in or on a pedestal of the robotic manipulator (3), the pedestal of the robotic manipulator (3) being connected to a most proximal member (7) of the robotic manipulator (3 ) and the robot manipulator (3) is mounted on the base. Robot system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the arithmetic unit (11) is part of the control unit (9). Robot system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the arithmetic unit (11) is the same as the control unit (9). Robot system (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the computing unit (11) is disposed in an environment of the robot manipulator (3). Robot system (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the arithmetic unit (11) is a central server remotely located from the robotic manipulator (3), the control unit (9) of the robotic manipulator (3) being connected to the central server via a network. Robot system (1) according to Claim 6 wherein the central server is adapted to determine the costs by machine learning based on a variety of experience from other robotic manipulators. A robot system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an input unit (17), wherein the input unit (17) is adapted to detect inputs of a user, and wherein the input unit (17) for communicating the inputs to the control unit (9) is executed, wherein the control unit (9) is designed to determine the control program. A robot system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an input unit (17), wherein the input unit (17) is adapted to detect inputs of a user, and wherein the input unit (17) for transmitting the inputs to the arithmetic unit (11) is executed, wherein the arithmetic unit (11) is designed to determine the control program. Robot system (1) according to one of Claims 8 or 9 wherein the input unit (17) is adapted to display a plurality of predefined program elements, wherein at the input unit (17) the program elements are displaceable in a graphical chain, wherein the arithmetic unit (11) is adapted thereto, depending on the arrangement of the program elements on the input unit (17) to determine the control program. A robotic system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cost comprises at least one of the following: monetary cost of the control program, power consumption of the robotic manipulator (3) in executing the control program, wear of components of the robotic manipulator upon execution of the control program, time required for execution of the control program. A robot system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the output unit (13) is a visual output unit (13). Robot system (1) according to Claim 12 wherein the visual output unit (13) is a screen, in particular a touch-sensitive screen. Robot system (1) according to one of Claims 12 to 13 in which the arithmetic unit (11) is designed to divide the control program into sections (7) and to determine a partial cost amount for each of the sections, to compare the respective partial cost amount with a predetermined metric and the partial cost amount together with the respective result of the comparison with the predetermined metric to the output unit (13) to transmit, wherein the output unit (13) is adapted to output the respective partial cost amount together with the respective result of the comparison with the predetermined metric. Robot system (1) according to Claim 14 wherein the output unit (13) is adapted to output partial cost amounts or portions of the control program in a predetermined color or with a predetermined symbol if the respective partial cost amount exceeds the predetermined metric. The robotic system (1) of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: a work table (19). Robot system (1) according to Claim 16 , further comprising a mounting device (21), wherein the mounting device (21) is designed to fix the robot manipulator (3) on the work table (19) in an assembled state. Robot system (1) according to one of Claims 16 to 17 , wherein the work table (19) has a surface layer (23) of a mechanically damping material. Robot system (1) according to Claim 18 wherein the damping material comprises plastic. Robot system (1) according to Claim 19 , wherein the plastic is a polymer plastic. Robot system (1) according to one of Claims 19 to 20 wherein the plastic comprises ethylene vinyl acetate. Robot system (1) according to one of Claims 19 to 21 wherein the plastic is adapted to change a material constant by applying an electrical voltage. Robot system (1) according to Claim 22 wherein the computing unit (11) is adapted to drive the plastic with an electrical voltage when the control program is executed by the control unit (9). Robot system (1) according to Claim 23 wherein the control unit (9) is adapted to drive the plastic with an electrical voltage when the control program is executed by the control unit (9). Robot system (1) according to one of Claims 18 to 24 , wherein the surface layer (23) is connected to the base of the robot manipulator (3). Robot system (1) according to one of Claims 18 to 25 wherein the surface layer (23) comprises a plurality of fibers. Robot system (1) according to one of Claims 18 to 26 wherein the surface layer (23) comprises rubber. Robot system (1) according to Claim 27 wherein the surface layer (23) comprises rubber particles, the rubber particles being arranged in a matrix of carrier material. Robot system (1) according to Claim 28 , wherein the rubber particles are spherical.

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