IP Library Granted Patent US 12678937
Granted Patent B2
US 12678937 · App. 18/717,497 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Teaching system, robot system, robot teaching method, and robot teaching program

Inventors: Tatsutoshi Asato (Kobe, JP); Yoshiki Naito (Kobe, JP); Yuma Ishi (Kobe, JP); Fumihiro Nakagawa (Akashi, JP); Shingo Mukai (Akashi, JP); Takayuki Yoshimura (Kobe, JP)
Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B25J9/0081B25J9/1671B25J9/1697
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12678937
App. No.
18/717,497
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A teaching system includes a teaching point generator that generates a teaching point of a robot; an operator that is operated by a user; an image generator that generates a VR image in which a virtual robot corresponding to the robot is placed in a VR space; and a display that displays the VR image. The image generator generates the VR image in which the virtual robot moves in accordance with operation to the operator. The teaching point generator generates a teaching point corresponding to a position of the virtual robot in the VR space generated by the image generator.

Claims (55)

1 . A teaching system comprising:

a teaching point generator that generates a teaching point of a robot;

an operator that is operated by a user;

an image generator that generates a virtual image in which a virtual robot corresponding to the robot is placed in a virtual space;

a display that displays the virtual image; and

a tracking system that detects a position and an orientation of the operator in a real space and a position and a direction of a line of sight of the user in the real space, wherein

the virtual robot moves in accordance with an operation of the operator,

the image generator generates the virtual image in synchronization with the position and the direction of the line of sight of the user in the real space detected by the tracking system, and

the teaching point generator generates the teaching point corresponding to a position of the virtual robot in the virtual space generated by the image generator.

2 . The teaching system according to claim 1 , wherein

the image generator places, in the virtual space, a virtual workpiece corresponding to a workpiece on which the robot performs a treatment.

3 . The teaching system according to claim 2 , wherein

the image generator causes the virtual robot to perform a treatment on the virtual workpiece in accordance with the operation of the operator.

4 . The teaching system according to claim 1 , wherein

the robot includes an articulated robot arm and an end effector coupled to the robot arm,

the image generator places, in the virtual space, a virtual arm corresponding to the robot arm and a virtual end effector corresponding to the end effector, and

the teaching point generator generates, as the teaching point, a position and a posture of the end effector in the real space corresponding to a position and a posture of the virtual end effector in the virtual space.

5 . The teaching system according to claim 4 , wherein

the image generator switches display of the virtual arm in the virtual image between display and non-display.

6 . The teaching system according to claim 1 , wherein

the image generator places, in the virtual space, a virtual facility corresponding to a facility around the robot.

7 . The teaching system according to claim 1 , wherein

the image generator generates the virtual image seen from a user in a movable range of the virtual robot.

8 . The teaching system according to claim 1 , wherein the tracking system detects the position and the orientation of the operator in the real space, and

the image generator causes the virtual robot to perform a motion in the virtual space in synchronization with the operation of the operator in the real space based on a detection result of the tracking system.

9 . The teaching system according to claim 8 , wherein

the image generator places a virtual operator corresponding to the operator in the virtual space based on the detection result of the tracking system.

10 . The teaching system according to claim 9 , wherein

the image generator places the virtual operator in the virtual space at a position offset from the virtual robot by a predetermined amount.

11 . The teaching system according to claim 1 , wherein

the image generator places a virtual teaching point corresponding to the teaching point in the virtual space.

12 . The teaching system according to claim 11 , wherein

the image generator places a predetermined number of immediately preceding virtual teaching points in the virtual space.

13 . The teaching system according to claim 1 , wherein

the image generator sets a motion limitation on a motion range of the virtual robot, and when the virtual robot reaches the motion limitation, the image generator notifies that the virtual robot reaches the motion limitation.

14 . The teaching system according to claim 1 , wherein

the image generator has a playback mode of displaying the virtual image in which the virtual robot moves in accordance with the teaching point generated by the teaching point generator.

15 . A robot system comprising:

the teaching system according to claim 1 ; and

a robot that moves in accordance with the teaching point generated by the teaching point generator.

16 . The teaching system according to claim 1 , wherein the operator includes a generation switch, and the teaching point generator generates, as the teaching point, a position of the virtual robot in the virtual space when the generation switch is operated by the user.

17 . A teaching system comprising:

a teaching point generator that generates a teaching point of a robot;

an image generator that generates a virtual image in which a virtual robot corresponding to the robot is placed in a virtual space;

a display that displays the virtual image; and

a tracking system that detects a position and an orientation of an operator in a real space and a position and a direction of a line of sight of a user in the real space, wherein

the image generator generates the virtual image in which the virtual robot moves in accordance with the teaching point generated by the teaching point generator, and

the image generator generates the virtual image in synchronization with the position and the direction of the line of sight of the user in the real space detected by the tracking system.

18 . A teaching method for a robot, comprising:

generating a virtual image in which a virtual robot corresponding to the robot is placed in a virtual space;

displaying the virtual image;

moving the virtual robot in the virtual image in accordance with an operation from a user to an operator for moving the virtual robot;

detecting, by a tracking system, a position and an orientation of the operator in a real space and a position and a direction of a line of sight of the user in the real space;

generating the virtual image in synchronization with the position and the direction of the line of sight of the user in the real space detected by the tracking system; and

generating a teaching point of the robot corresponding to a position of the virtual robot in the virtual space.