Remote control system, remote control method, and remote control program for performing haptic control
A remote control system includes an operator to be operated by an operating person, a robot that moves according to operation on the operator, a haptic notifier that notifies occurrence of contact of the robot with an object to the operating person, and a controller that performs force control of moving the robot according to an operation force applied from the operating person to the operator and moving the operator according to a reactive force received by the robot from the outside and notification control of notifying the occurrence of the contact to the operating person via the haptic notifier if the robot contacts the object.
1 . A remote control system comprising:
an operator to be operated by an operating person;
a robot that moves according to operation on the operator, the robot having a contact force sensor that detects a contact force acting on the robot from outside;
a haptic notifier that notifies occurrence of contact of the robot with an object to the operating person; and
a controller that performs (i) force control of moving the robot according to an operation force applied from the operating person to the operator and moving the operator according to a reactive force received by the robot from the outside and (ii) notification control of notifying the occurrence of the contact to the operating person via the haptic notifier if the robot contacts the object, wherein
the controller
uses the contact force detected by the contact force sensor for the force control,
determines the occurrence of the contact of the robot based on the contact force detected by the contact force sensor in the notification control,
performs the notification control if the contact force detected by the contact force sensor is a predetermined upper limit or less, and
performs no notification control with the haptic notifier if the contact force detected by the contact force sensor exceeds the upper limit.
2 . The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein
the controller performs the force control and the notification control independently of each other.
3 . The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein
the controller performs the force control in a range in which the contact force detected by the contact force sensor exceeds the upper limit.
4 . The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein
the robot has a hand that holds a workpiece, and
while the hand is gripping the workpiece, the controller performs the notification control if an increment of the contact force detected by the contact force sensor from a reference value is the upper limit or less, a contact force due to gripping of the workpiece being the reference value, and stops the notification control when the increment of the contact force detected by the contact force sensor from the reference value exceeds the upper limit.
5 . The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein
the haptic notifier applies a stimulus to an operating person's sense of touch to notify the occurrence of the contact of the robot with the object.
6 . The remote control system of claim 5 , wherein
the haptic notifier has a vibration source that generates vibration, and
in the notification control, the controller causes the haptic notifier to generate the vibration if the robot contacts the object.
7 . A remote control method for controlling a robot via an operator, comprising:
performing force control of moving the robot according to an operation force applied from an operating person to the operator and moving the operator according to a reactive force received by the robot from an outside; and
performing notification control of notifying occurrence of contact to the operating person via a haptic notifier if the robot contacts an object wherein
the force control uses contact force acting on the robot from the outside that is detected by a contact force sensor of the robot,
the occurrence of the contact of the robot is determined in the notification control based on the contact force detected by the force sensor,
the notification control is performed if the contact force detected by the contact force sensor is a predetermined upper limit or less, and
no notification control is performed with the haptic notifier if the contact force detected by the contact force sensor exceeds the upper limit.
8 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a remote control program causing a computer to implement a function of controlling a remote control system including an operator to be operated by an operating person and a robot that moves according to operation on the operator, the remote control program further causing the computer to implement
a function of performing force control of moving the robot according to an operation force applied from the operating person to the operator and moving the operator according to a reactive force received by the robot from outside, and
a function of performing notification control of notifying occurrence of contact to the operating person via a haptic notifier if the robot contacts an object, wherein
the force control uses contact force acting on the robot from the outside that is detected by a contact force sensor of the robot,
the occurrence of the contact of the robot is determined in the notification control based on the contact force detected by the force sensor,
the computer is caused to implement the notification control if the contact force detected by the contact force sensor is a predetermined upper limit or less, and
the computer is caused to implement no notification control with the haptic notifier if the contact force detected by the contact force sensor exceeds the upper limit.
9 . The remote control system of claim 1 , wherein
if the contact force detected by the contact force sensor exceeds the upper limit, the controller determines if the contact force is substantially constant for a predetermined period of time,
if the contact force is determined to be substantially constant for the predetermined period of time, the controller updates a reference value for the contact force, and
if the contact force is determined to be not substantially constant for the predetermined period of time, the controller does not update the reference value for the contact force.