IP Library Granted Patent US 11,325,251
Granted Patent B2
US 11,325,251 · App. 16/480,221 · Granted May 10, 2022

Robot

Inventor: Saskia Golz (Munich, DE)
Assignee: Franka Emika GmbH
B25J9/1633B25J9/1674B25J9/1694B25J13/085B25J19/02G05B19/02G05B2219/39319G05B2219/39346
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,325,251
App. No.
16/480,221
Granted
May 10, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A robot including a manipulator driven by actuators, and configured to determine external forces and/or external torques acting upon the manipulator, the robot configured to: regulate the actuators for a sub-space T1 of a working space AR such that, upon application of an external force and/or external torque upon the manipulator, the manipulator recedes into T1, wherein following applies: T1⊆AR and T1≠AR, and AR specifies all permitted translations and/or rotations of the manipulator; and determine, for a space TK1 that is complementary to T1, a projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 of the external force and/or external torque into TK1, wherein following applies: T1∩TK1={0}, TK1⊆AR, and T1∪TK1=AR, classify {right arrow over (P)} TK1 into one of several predefined classes with respect to amount and/or direction and/or time curve of {right arrow over (P)} TK1 , store a command and/or rule for each predefined class, and regulate the actuators as a function of classification of {right arrow over (P)} TK1 based on respective command and/or rule.

Claims (30)

1. A robot comprising a manipulator driven by actuators; and the robot being configured to determine external forces and/or external torques acting upon the manipulator, wherein the robot is further configured to:

control or regulate the actuators for a predefined sub-space T1 of a working space AR of the manipulator such that, upon application of a determined external force and/or a determined external torque upon the manipulator, the manipulator recedes along a projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 of the determined external force and/or the determined external torque into the sub-space T1, wherein the following applies: T1⊆AR and T1≠AR, and the working space AR specifies all permitted translations and/or rotations of the manipulator; and

determine, for a sub-space TK1 that is complementary to the sub-space T1, a projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 of the determined external force and/or the determined external torque into the complementary space TK1, wherein the following applies: T1∩TK1={0}, TK1⊆AR, and T1∪TK1=AR, classify the projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 into one of several predefined classes with respect to amount and/or direction and/or time curve of the projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 , store at least one discrete and/or continuous control command and/or control rule for each predefined class, and control or regulate the actuators as a function of classification of the projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 , such that the manipulator reverts from the sub-space T1 and extends into complementary sub-space TK1, based on the respective discrete or continuous control command and/or control rule.

2. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the robot comprises sensors and/or monitors and/or estimators to determine the external forces and/or torques acting upon the manipulator.

3. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the robot controls or regulates the actuators such that a point of application of the force and/or the torque on the manipulator recedes along the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 .

4. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the robot controls or regulates the actuators such that the receding along the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 only takes place when an absolute value |{right arrow over (P)} T1 | of the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 is greater than a predefined limit value G1.

5. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the robot controls or regulates the actuators such that the receding along the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 takes place in an impedance-controlled manner.

6. A method of operating a robot, the robot comprising a manipulator driven by actuators, and the robot being configured to determine external forces and/or external torques acting upon the manipulator, wherein the method comprises:

controlling or regulating the actuators for a predefined sub-space T1 of a working space AR of the manipulator such that, upon application of a determined external force and/or a determined external torque upon the manipulator, the manipulator recedes along a projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 of the determined external force and/or the determined external torque into the sub-space T1, wherein the following applies: T1⊆AR and T1≠AR, and the working space AR specifies all permitted translations and/or rotations of the manipulator; and

determining for a sub-space TK1 that is complementary to the sub-space T1, a projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 of the determined external force and/or the determined external torque into the complementary space TK1, wherein the following applies: T1∩TK1={0}, TK1⊆AR, and T1∪TK1=AR, classifying the projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 into one of several predefined classes with respect to amount and/or direction and/or time curve of the projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 , storing at least one discrete and/or continuous control command and/or control rule for each predefined class, and controlling or regulating the actuators as a function of classification of the projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 , such that the manipulator reverts from the sub-space T1 and extends into the complementary sub-space TK1, based on the respective discrete or continuous control command and/or control rule.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the actuators are controlled or regulated such that a point of application of the force and/or the torque on the manipulator recedes along the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 .

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the external forces and/or the external torques acting upon the manipulator are determined by sensors and/or monitors and/or estimators.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the actuators are controlled or regulated such that the receding along the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 only takes place when an absolute value |{right arrow over (P)} T1 | of the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 is greater than a predefined limit value G1.

10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the actuators are controlled or regulated such that the receding along the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 takes place in an impedance-controlled manner.

11. A system to operate a robot, the robot comprising a manipulator driven by actuators, and the robot being configured to determine external forces and/or external torques acting upon the manipulator, wherein the system comprises:

a data processing device; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the data processing device, cause the data processing device to perform operations comprising:

controlling or regulating the actuators for a predefined sub-space T1 of a working space AR of the manipulator such that, upon application of a determined external force and/or a determined external torque upon the manipulator, the manipulator recedes along a projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 of the determined external force and/or the determined external torque into the sub-space T1, wherein the following applies: T1⊆AR and T1≠AR, and the working space AR specifies all permitted translations and/or rotations of the manipulator; and

determining for a space TK1 that is complementary to the sub-space T1, a projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 of the determined external force and/or of the determined external torque into the complementary space TK1, wherein the following applies: T1∩TK1={0}, TK1⊆AR, and T1∪TK1=AR, classifying the projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 into one of several predefined classes with respect to amount and/or direction and/or time curve of the projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 , storing at least one discrete and/or continuous control command and/or control rule for each predefined class, and controlling or regulating the actuators as a function of the classification of the projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 , such that the manipulator reverts from the sub-space T1 and extends into the complementary sub-space TK1, based on the respective discrete or continuous control command and/or control rule.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the actuators are controlled or regulated such that a point of application of the force and/or the torque on the manipulator recedes along the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 .

13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the robot comprises sensors and/or monitors and/or estimators to determine the external forces and/or torques acting upon the manipulator.

14. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the actuators are controlled or regulated such that the receding along the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 only takes place when an absolute value |{right arrow over (P)} T1 | of the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 is greater than a predefined limit value G1.

15. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the actuators are controlled or regulated such that the receding along the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 takes place in an impedance-controlled manner.

16. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions to operate a robot, the robot comprising a manipulator driven by actuators, and the robot being configured to determine external forces and/or external torques acting upon the manipulator, wherein the instructions when executed by a data processing device cause the data processing device to perform operations comprising:

controlling or regulating the actuators for a predefined sub-space T1 of a working space AR of the manipulator such that, upon application of a determined external force and/or a determined external torque upon the manipulator, the manipulator recedes along a projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 of the determined external force and/or the determined external torque into the sub-space T1, wherein the following applies: T1⊆AR and T1≠AR, and the working space AR specifies all permitted translations and/or rotations of the manipulator; and

determining for a space TK1 complementary to the sub-space T1, a projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 of the determined external force and/or of the determined external torque into the complementary space TK1, wherein the following applies: T1∩TK1={0}, TK1⊆AR, and T1∪TK1=AR, classifying the projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 into one of several predefined classes with respect to amount and/or direction and/or time curve of the projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 , storing at least one discrete and/or continuous control command and/or control rule for each predefined class, and controlling or regulating the actuators as a function of the classification of the projection {right arrow over (P)} TK1 , such that the manipulator reverts from the sub-space T1 and extends into the complementary sub-space TK1, based on the respective discrete or continuous control command and/or control rule.

17. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein the actuators are controlled or regulated such that a point of application of the force and/or the torque on the manipulator recedes along the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 .

18. The non-transitory storage according to claim 16 , wherein the robot comprises sensors and/or monitors and/or estimators to determine the external forces and/or torques acting upon the manipulator.

19. The non-transitory storage according to claim 16 , wherein the actuators are controlled or regulated such that the receding along the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 only takes place when an absolute value |{right arrow over (P)} T1 | of the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 is greater than a predefined limit value G1.

20. The non-transitory storage according to claim 16 , wherein the actuators are controlled or regulated such that the receding along the projection {right arrow over (P)} T1 takes place in an impedance-controlled manner.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 20, 2026
From: FRANKA ROBOTICS GMBH
To: FR ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Reel/Frame 073519/0124 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 16, 2026
From: FRANKA EMIKA GMBH
To: AGILE ROBOTS HANOVER GMBH, NOW TRADING AS FRANKA ROBOTICS GMBH
Reel/Frame 073493/0884 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Dec 2, 2021
From: FRANKA EMIKA GMBH
To: FRANKA EMIKA GMBH
Reel/Frame 058295/0960 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 31, 2020
From: GOLZ, SASKIA
To: FRANKA EMIKA GMBH
Reel/Frame 052276/0510 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2017 102 621.5 · Feb 9, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200001456A1 · Jan 2, 2020