Robot calibrating apparatus and robot calibrating method, and robot apparatus and method of controlling robot apparatus

1. A robot calibrating apparatus calibrating a command value for a robot body which includes a multi-jointed arm and whose position-and-orientation is controlled based on the command value, comprising:

an operating unit configured to calculate a calibrating function (F) for calibrating the command value, based on a difference between an ideal position-and-orientation of the robot body and an actual position-and-orientation of the robot body,

wherein the ideal position-and-orientation is operated based on the command value for calibration used during calibration or on a control result value which is a result of control based on the command value,

wherein the actual position-and-orientation is operated based on a measurement value ( V H P meas ) acquired by a visual sensor arranged at a prescribed relative position-and-orientation with respect to the robot body during the robot body being controlled based on the command value for calibration,

wherein:

a measurement value ( V H W meas ) is acquired through measurement of a position-and-orientation of an object by the visual sensor,

a temporary command value ( R H T temp ) for the robot body is generated based on the measurement value ( V H W meas ), and

the temporary command value ( R H T temp ) is calibrated using the calibrating function (F) to generate a post-calibration command value ( R H T comp ).

2. The robot calibrating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the visual sensor is a camera fixed to a tip end part of the robot body.

3. The robot calibrating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the visual sensor is a camera positioned relative to a base end part of the robot body.

4. A robot apparatus, comprising:

the robot calibrating apparatus according to claim 1 ;

the robot body including the multi-jointed arm;

the visual sensor arranged at the prescribed relative position-and-orientation with respective to the robot body; and

a controlling unit configured to operate the command value and control the position-and-orientation of the robot body according to the post-calibration command value ( RH T comp ).

5. The robot apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the visual sensor is a camera fixed to a tip end part of the robot body.

6. The robot apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the visual sensor is a camera positioned relative to a base end part of the robot body.

7. A robot calibrating method of calibrating a command value for a robot body which includes a multi-jointed arm and whose position-and-orientation is controlled based on the command value or on a control result value which is a result of control according to the command value, the method including:

causing an operating unit to calculate a calibrating function (F) for calibrating the command value based on a difference between an ideal position-and-orientation of the robot body and an actual position-and-orientation of the robot body, wherein the ideal position-and-orientation is operated based on the command value for calibration used during calibration or on the control result value which is a result of control based on the command value, and wherein the actual position-and-orientation is operated based on a measurement value ( V H P meas ) acquired by a visual sensor arranged at a prescribed relative position-and-orientation with respect to the robot body during the robot body being controlled based on the command value for calibration;

acquiring a measurement value ( V H W meas ) through measurement of a position-and-orientation of an object by the visual sensor;

generating a temporary command value ( R H T temp ) for the robot body, based on the measurement value ( V H W meas ); and

calibrating the temporary command value ( R H T temp ) using the calibrating function (F) to generate a post-calibration command value ( R H T comp ).

8. The robot calibrating method according to claim 7 , wherein the visual sensor is a camera fixed to a tip end part of the robot body.

9. The robot calibrating method according to claim 7 , wherein the visual sensor is a camera positioned relative to a base end part of the robot body.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a robot calibrating program for causing a computer to calibrate a command value for a robot body which includes a multi-jointed arm and whose position-and-orientation is controlled based on the command value or on a control result value which is a result of control according to the command value, the program comprising:

code for causing an operating unit to calculate a calibrating function (F) for calibrating the command value based on a difference between an ideal position-and-orientation of the robot body and an actual position-and-orientation of the robot body, wherein the ideal position-and-orientation is operated based on a command value for calibration used during calibration, and the actual position-and-orientation is operated based on a measurement value ( V H P meas ) acquired by a visual sensor arranged at a prescribed relative position-and-orientation with respect to the robot body during the robot body being controlled based on the command value for calibration;

code for acquiring a measurement value ( V H W meas ) through measurement of a position-and-orientation of an object by the visual sensor;

code for generating a temporary command value ( R H T temp ) for the robot body, based on the measurement value ( V H W meas );and

code for calibrating the temporary command value ( R H T temp ) using the calibrating function (F) to generate a post-calibration command value ( R H T comp ).

11. A method of controlling a robot apparatus including a obot body with a multi-jointed arm, a visual sensor positioned at a prescribed relative position-and-orientation with respect to the robot body, and a controlling unit configured to operate a command value and control the position-and-orientation of the robot body, the method comprising:

performing the robot calibrating method according to claim 7 and

controlling the position-and-orientation of the robot body according to the post-calibration command value ( R H T comp ).

12. The method of controlling a robot apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the visual sensor is a camera fixed to a tip end part of the robot body.

13. The method of controlling a robot apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the visual sensor is a camera positioned relative to a base end part of the robot body.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to control a robot apparatus including a robot body with a multi-jointed arm, a visual sensor positioned at a prescribed relative position-and-orientation with respect to the robot body, and a controlling unit configured to operate a command value and control the position-and-orientation of the robot body, the program comprising:

code for causing an operating unit to calculate a calibrating function (F) for calibrating the command value based on a difference between an ideal position-and-orientation of the robot body and an actual position-and-orientation of the robot body, wherein the ideal position-and-orientation is operated based on a command value for calibration used during calibration, and the actual position-and-orientation is operated based on a measurement value ( V H P meas ) acquired by a visual sensor arranged at a prescribed relative position-and-orientation with respect to the robot body during the robot body being controlled based on the command value for calibration;

code for acquiring a measurement value ( V H W meas ) through measurement of a position-and-orientation of an object by the visual sensor;

code for generating a temporary command value ( R H T temp )for the robot body, based on the measurement value ( V H W meas ); and

code for calibrating the temporary command value ( R H T temp ) using the calibrating function (F) to generate a post-calibration command value ( R H T comp ); and

code for controlling the position-and-orientation of the robot body according to the post-calibration command value ( R H T comp ).

15. A controlling apparatus comprising:

an operating unit;

wherein the operating unit executes the steps of:

obtaining calibration data based on a command value supplied to a multi-jointed arm and a position-and-orientation of a reference object for calibration acquired by a sensor having a prescribed positional relationship with the multi jointed arm;

obtaining measurement data of a position-and-orientation of an object by the sensor;

generating a temporary command value that differs from the command value, based on the measurement data; and

calibrating the temporary command value by the calibration data to obtain a post-calibration command value.

16. A robot apparatus, comprising:

the controlling apparatus according to claim 15 ;

the multi-jointed arm; and

the sensor;

wherein the controlling apparatus controls the multi jointed arm based on the post-calibration command value.

17. The robot apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the sensor is a visual sensor mounted on the multi jointed arm or an end effector provided to the multi-jointed arm.

18. A robot calibrating method comprising the steps of:

obtaining calibration data based on a command value supplied to a multi-jointed arm and a position-and-orientation of a reference object for calibration acquired by a sensor having a prescribed positional relationship with the multi jointed arm;

obtaining measurement data of a position-and-orientation of an object by the sensor;

generating a temporary command value that differs from the command value, based on the measurement data; and

calibrating the temporary command value by the calibration data to obtain a post-calibration command value.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program comprises computer-executable code for executing each of the steps of the robot calibrating method according to claim 18 .