JPH0981228A - Robot teaching console panel and method for updating robot program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a robot teaching console panel capable of preparing an obstacle evading route by simple operation. SOLUTION: The robot teaching console panel 10 is composed of a program storing means 1 for buffering a robot program 1a stored in a robot control device 60, an obstacle specifying means 2 for specifying an inhibition area regulated by the size and position of an obstacle, an evading route generating means 3 for generating an obstacle evading route from a teaching point in the robot program 1a and the inhibition area, and a graphic display means 5 for displaying the teaching point, the obstacle and the obstacle evading route and teaches the position of the obstacle as an instruction for generating the obstacle evading route without teaching the evading route itself. The teaching point displayed on the means 5 is specified as the specification of the teaching point and the position of the obstacle is teached by moving a robot up to the obstacle.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a robot teaching operation panel for teaching or operating a robot.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a teaching operation panel of a robot, an operation panel for teaching, a simple character-based display device, etc. are provided. Then, using these teaching operation panels, teaching and operation are performed while watching the movement of the arm of the robot to create a robot program.

On the other hand, when the robot is actually operated on site after the robot program is created, there is an obstacle. For example, in the case of a robot program for spot welding, there is a clamp that fixes a member to be welded so as to avoid a point where spot welding should be performed, that is, a teaching point. Although these clamps may predict robot programs to some extent when creating a robot program, the size of the clamps used varies, so in most cases, the robot program is modified so that it does not interfere with obstacles in the actual driving site. There is a need to.

For this reason, it is necessary to create an obstacle avoiding path in the robot program for avoiding an obstacle. This obstacle avoidance path has been created by adding a large number of teach points for specifying the avoidance path between the teach points of the robot program.

[0005]

However, it is cumbersome and time-consuming to teach a large number of teaching points for avoidance and create an obstacle avoidance route while observing the obstacle and the movement of the robot. This is such work.

[0006] Further, when the work is performed on the teaching operation panel having the character-based display device, since the position and state of the robot cannot be intuitively recognized, the operation is complicated, and moreover, it is always near the robot mechanism section. It is necessary to work in and there is a high risk.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a robot teaching operation panel which can create an obstacle avoidance path by a simple operation. Another object of the present invention is to provide a robot teaching pendant capable of visually creating an obstacle avoidance path.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a program storing means for temporarily storing a robot program from a robot controller in a robot teaching operation panel for teaching or operating a robot. The means for reading the robot program in the robot controller one by one, the interfering object indicating means for instructing the size and position of the interfering object, the teaching point included in the robot program, and the instruction by the interfering object instructing means for the interfering object And a avoidance route generation unit for generating an obstacle avoidance route for avoiding the obstacle.

The teaching point is obtained from the robot program buffered from the robot controller into the program storage means or read through the reading means, and the teaching point is input to the avoidance path generating means. On the other hand, the shape, size and position of the instructed interfering object are input from the interfering object indicating means to the avoidance route generating means, where the shape, size and position of the teaching point and the interfering object are changed to An obstacle avoidance path through which the robot passes is generated.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a robot teaching operation panel characterized by further comprising graphic display means for displaying the obstacle, the avoidance teaching point and the obstacle avoidance route.

When the obstacle avoidance route is generated, the teaching point of the robot program is displayed on the graphic display means. The two teaching points for which the obstacle avoidance path is to be generated are directly selected and designated from the teaching points graphically displayed on the graphic display means. Further, the generated obstacle avoidance route is graphically displayed on the graphic display means.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of the present invention.

In this figure, a robot teaching operation panel 10 of the present invention for teaching or operating a robot includes a program storage means 1 for temporarily buffering a robot program 1a from a robot controller 60, and an interfering object. Interfering object indicating means 2 for indicating the shape, size, and position
An avoiding path generating means 3 for generating an obstacle avoiding path for avoiding an obstacle, a robot program editing means 4 for generating a robot program including the generated obstacle avoiding path, and a shape / size of the obstacle. The position of the obstacle, the teaching point, and the graphic display means 5 for graphically displaying the obstacle avoidance route. The program storage means 1 may be a reading means for sequentially reading the robot program from the robot controller 60.

A robot program from the robot controller 60 is buffered in the program storage means 1. When the shape / size or position of the interfering object, that is, the prohibited area in which the robot should not move is instructed from the interfering object instructing means 2, the avoiding path generating means 3 causes the avoiding area of the robot program and the prohibiting area of the avoiding path. An obstacle avoidance path is generated from and. The generated obstacle avoidance route is displayed on the graphic display means 5 together with the teaching point of the robot program, the shape / size and position of the obstacle.
On the other hand, the obstacle avoidance route generated by the avoidance route generating means 3 is input to the robot program editing means 4. In the robot program editing means 4, the program storage means 1
The robot program is edited to be a robot program in which the obstacle avoidance route is added, and the robot program is supplied to the robot controller 60 as a robot program in which the generated obstacle avoidance route is reflected.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a usage state of the robot teaching operation panel according to the present invention. In this figure, a robot teaching operation panel 10 includes operation switches 30 arranged on an operation panel for performing a teaching operation, a graphic display device 40 capable of displaying a graphic, and a display screen of the graphic display device 40. It has a touch panel 40a mounted on it. The robot teaching operation panel 10 is
It is connected to a robot controller 60 installed adjacent to the robot mechanism 70 via an operation box 50 installed outside the safety fence 80. The operation box 50 is a remote operation part of the robot control device 60, for example, a power switch, an emergency stop switch and the like which are detached so as to be operated outside the safety fence 80. The operator carries the robot teaching operation panel 10 and watches the movement of the arm tip of the robot mechanism unit 70 over the fence while watching the touch panel 40a and the operation switch 3.
The robot can be taught by operating 0, or the robot can be manually moved to a position where an obstacle is present.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the external appearance of the robot teaching operation panel. The robot teaching operation panel 10 includes a graphic display device 40, and an operation panel arranged on the right side thereof is provided with various operation switches. That is, the emergency stop button 31, the teaching operation panel effective switch 32, the jog button 33, the hold key 34, the forward / backward key 35.
In addition, a deadman switch is provided on the back surface of the robot teaching operation panel 10. The emergency stop button 31 is for emergency stop of the robot, the teaching operation panel effective switch 32 is jog feed, program creation,
This is a changeover switch for enabling the robot teaching operation panel 10 at the time of executing the test and disabling the rest for safety. The jog button 33 is for manually operating the robot, and includes keys for instructing feed in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions and rotation around each axis.
The hold key 34 is for interrupting the execution of the program and temporarily stopping the robot, and the forward / backward key 35 is for starting the program and activating the robot.

The graphic display device 40 is provided with a touch panel 40a on its display screen, and by touching an arbitrary place on the screen with a fingertip, position information on the screen indicating the place is displayed on the robot teaching operation panel 10. Will be entered in. On the display screen of the graphic display device 40, some keys are displayed at the right end and the lower end, but these are not hard keys but are main menus that are always displayed at these positions on the screen. Touch any of the to select that menu function. Also, this graphic display device 40
Alternatively, the jog button 33 or the like may be displayed and the operation command may be input using the touch panel 40a.

Next, taking the case of spot welding as an example, the generation of an obstacle avoidance path for the robot to move while avoiding a clamp which is an obstacle will be described. First, an outline of the spot welding location will be described.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing an example of a welded portion in the case of spot welding. In the figure, reference numeral 91 is a member to be welded for spot welding.
The outer peripheral edge portion of 1 is pressed by a plurality of clamps 92. The clamp 92 fixes the member 91 to be welded while avoiding the point where the member 91 to be welded must be spot welded, that is, the teaching point 93. The teaching point 93 is a welding point designated by the robot program, and when welding these, the welding gun 72 provided at the tip of the hand 71 of the robot is moved to the teaching point 93 for welding. At this time, when the welding gun 72 is to be moved between, for example, two adjacent teaching points 93,
Since the clamp 92 becomes an interference object and collides when the welding gun 72 is moved, it is necessary to create a path to avoid the collision. Reference numeral 94 is a robot positioning point taught as the position of the clamp 92, which will be described later.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the flow of the process of generating the obstacle avoidance route. In the process of generating the obstacle avoidance route, first, a robot program created in advance is read from the robot controller (step S1). At this time, the teaching point of the robot program is displayed on the graphic display device of the robot teaching operation panel. Next, the size of the clamp, which is an interfering object, is specified. Here, the shape of the end of the clamp is a circle, and its radius is designated (step S2). From the previously read teaching points of the robot program, two teaching points for which an avoidance path is to be generated are designated (step S3). This designation is made by selecting from the teaching points displayed on the graphic display device of the robot teaching operation panel. Next, the robot teaching operation panel is operated to move the robot to the positioning point 94 shown in FIG. 4 to teach the position of the clamp which is an interfering object (step S4). Then, the obstacle avoidance route is calculated from the two teaching points designated in step S3 and the size and position of the clamp given in steps S2 and S4, that is, the prohibited area which should not pass as the avoidance route. Yes (step S5). Finally, in addition to the previously displayed teaching point, the calculated obstacle avoidance route is displayed on the graphic display device of the robot teaching pendant (step S
6).

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the concept of calculating the obstacle avoidance route. In the figure, it is assumed that there is an interference object of the clamp 92 between the two teaching points 93a and 93b at which spot welding of the member to be welded 91 is performed, and an interference object avoiding path 95 that avoids the interference object is calculated. Here, conventionally,
The position of the clamp 92 that should not be passed is taught instead of teaching the interfering route that has been performed, and a route that avoids the taught clamp 92 is calculated.

That is, the position of the clamp 92 determined by moving and teaching the robot to the positioning point 94 at the end of the clamp 92 and the predetermined clamp 9
The circular forbidden area 96 having the radius r is determined by the size of 2, that is, the radius r, and a route that avoids the forbidden region 96 is calculated to obtain an obstacle avoiding route 95. The algorithm for obtaining this is well known and will not be described here.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display example of the graphic display device when obtaining the obstacle avoidance route. According to the illustrated example, the teaching point of the robot program is displayed on the graphic display device by the symbol “x”, and the prohibited area is further displayed by the symbol “◯”. Since the circle is previously adopted as the shape of the interfering object, the prohibited area 96 is displayed in a circular shape.
Since the size thereof, that is, the radius r of the circle is designated in advance, it is displayed by a circle of that size. The radius r of the circle is determined in consideration of the sizes of the robot handle and clamp. In addition, the position where the prohibited area 96 is displayed is positioned by operating the robot with the jog key and moving to the position of the end of the clamp. In this way, the positioning points at the ends of the respective clamps are taught, and for example, by pushing a "teaching forbidden area" button (not shown), the teaching points of the robot program, the forbidden area 96, and these are shown. And a line (dashed line) indicating the relationship of are displayed.

Next, when obtaining the obstacle avoidance route,
Two adjacent teaching points can be designated and the obstacle avoidance paths between them can be sequentially obtained. In this case, by touching the teaching point displayed on the graphic display device with a finger, the teaching point can be designated through the touch panel.

It is also possible to previously specify a plurality of teaching points displayed on the graphic display device and then specify the order of operations for obtaining the obstacle avoidance path. Even in this case, the operation order of the teaching points can be specified through the touch panel by sequentially touching a plurality of teaching points displayed on the graphic display device with a finger.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display example of the generated avoidance points on the graphic display device. When the "execute" button for generating the obstacle avoidance route is pressed for the teaching point designated in advance, the obstacle avoidance route is generated and displayed on the graphic display device. In the illustrated example, the obstacle avoidance route is displayed by generating a plurality of avoidance teaching points and connecting the avoidance teaching points with a line (broken line).
In this example, the obstacle avoidance route between the adjacent teaching points 93a and 93b of the robot program is 2
The individual avoidance teaching points 97a and 97b are displayed. The avoidance teaching points are not limited to two, and three or more can be generated.

If three or more teaching points of the robot program exist in succession and the operation order for these teaching points is designated, the "execute" button is pressed to follow the order. , The avoidance teaching points are sequentially obtained and displayed on the graphic display device.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a situation in which the robot operates along the generated obstacle avoidance path. In the figure,
The arrow shown by the broken line is the obstacle avoidance path 95 generated between the teaching points 93 of the robot program. When the robot program is executed, the welding gun 72 of the robot performs spot welding at the teaching point 93 of the robot program,
It moves to the next adjacent teaching point 93 along the obstacle avoidance path 95, that is, without interfering with the clamp 92.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration for carrying out the present invention. In the figure, a robot teaching operation panel 10 includes a processor (CPU) 11, a read-only memory (ROM) 12, and a main memory (R).
AM) 13, hard disk device 14, and PCMCIA (Pers) provided for mounting the IC card 15a.
onal Computer Momory Card International Associatio
n) Standard PCMCIA socket 15, liquid crystal display (LCD) interface 16, touch panel interface 17, and serial input / output (I / O) interface 18 for connecting to the robot controller 60 via the operation box 50. And a switch interface 19, and these components are coupled to each other by a bus 20. The robot teaching operation panel 10 is further equipped with a liquid crystal display device (LCD) 40 connected to a liquid crystal display device (LCD) interface 16 and a touch panel mounted on the display surface of the liquid crystal display device 40 and connected to the touch panel interface 17. 40a
And an operation switch 30 connected to the switch interface 19.

The processor 11 centrally controls the entire robot teaching operation panel 10. Read-only memory 12
Stores programs necessary for starting up the robot teaching operation panel 10 and the like. In the main memory 13, programs necessary for teaching operation of the robot, teaching points necessary for screen display, prohibited areas, data of obstacle avoidance paths, and the like are developed. The hard disk device 14 stores an operating system, an application program for instructing execution of a robot program, editing the robot program, and the like. A robot program, for example, is stored in the IC card 15a. By mounting the IC card 15a in the PCMCIA socket 15, the robot program can be stored in the robot teaching operation panel 10.
Can be loaded into the robot controller through the serial input / output interface 18. The operation switch 30 connected to the switch interface 19 includes an emergency stop button, a teaching operation panel enable switch that enables the robot teaching operation panel to enable jog feed, and a jog button for manually operating the robot. Hold key that suspends the execution of the program and pauses the robot, forward / backward keys that start the program and activates the robot, and the robot teaching operation panel that is pressed when the robot is operated but released. There is a deadman switch that puts an emergency stop on the robot.

[0031]

As described above, in the present invention, the avoidance route is generated by designating the obstacle instead of teaching the avoidance route, so that the obstacle avoidance route can be easily created. Comes.

Further, by providing the graphic display device, the teaching point of the robot program and the shape / position of the interfering object can be displayed.
Since the obstacle avoidance route is created by designating the teaching points for which the obstacle avoidance route is to be generated or by designating the order, an easy and accurate operation is possible, and the operation is not complicated. It is possible to create a safe avoidance route.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a usage state of the robot teaching pendant according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an external appearance of a robot teaching operation panel.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a welded portion in the case of spot welding.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of a process of generating an obstacle avoidance route.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the concept of calculating an obstacle avoidance route.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display example of a graphic display device when obtaining an obstacle avoidance route.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display example of a generated avoidance point on a graphic display device.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a situation in which the robot operates along the generated obstacle avoidance path.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration for implementing the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Robot Teaching Control Panel 1 Program Storage Means 1a Robot Program 2 Interfering Object Directing Means 3 Avoidance Path Generating Means 4 Robot Program Editing Means 5 Graphic Display Means 60 Robot Control Devices

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. In a robot teaching operation panel for teaching or operating a robot, program storing means for temporarily storing a robot program from a robot control device or means for reading the robot program in the robot control device one by one, and an obstacle. Of an obstacle avoiding route for avoiding the interferer from a teaching point included in the robot program and an instruction given by the interferer indicating unit. A robot teaching pendant, comprising: 2. The robot teaching operation panel according to claim 1, wherein the interfering object instructing means has an input means for instructing a size of the interfering object and a teaching point of an object for generating an interfering object avoiding path. 3. The robot teaching pendant according to claim 2, wherein the size of the interfering object specifies a radius with the shape of the interfering object as a circle. 4. The interfering object pointing means includes robot operating means for performing an operation of moving the robot to the position of the interfering object and obtaining the position of the interfering object.
Robot teaching operation panel described. 5. The robot teaching pendant according to claim 1, wherein the avoidance route generation means generates the obstacle avoidance route by a plurality of avoidance teaching points. 6. The robot teaching operation panel according to claim 1, further comprising graphic display means for displaying the obstacle, the avoidance teaching point, and the obstacle avoidance route. 7. A robot program editing means for generating a robot program in which the obstacle avoidance route is added based on the robot program stored in the program storage means and the obstacle avoidance route generated by the avoidance route generating means. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
Robot teaching operation panel described. 8. The robot teaching pendant according to claim 1, wherein the input means of the interferer pointing means comprises a touch panel. 9. The robot teaching pendant according to claim 8, wherein two teaching points for which the obstacle avoidance path is to be generated are selected on the touch panel. 10. The robot teaching operation panel according to claim 1, wherein the avoidance path generating means is configured to generate an avoidance path for three or more consecutive teaching points of the robot program. 11. The robot teaching operation panel according to claim 8, wherein an order is designated on the touch panel for the three or more teaching points in order to generate an obstacle avoidance path. 12. A method for updating a robot program, wherein a robot program created in advance is read, a prohibited area defined by a shape / size of an interfering object and a position of the interfering object is designated, and a teaching point of the robot program and the An obstacle avoidance route for avoiding the interferer from the prohibited area is generated, and the robot program is edited into a robot program in which the interferer avoidance route is added based on the generated interferer avoidance route. How to update the robot program. 13. The method of updating a robot program according to claim 12, wherein the position of the interfering object in the prohibited area is specified by positioning the tip of the robot at the position of the interfering object. 14. The method of updating a robot program according to claim 12, wherein the shape of the interfering object in the prohibited area is a circle, and the size of the interfering object is specified by specifying the radius thereof.