IP Library Granted Patent US 11,577,398
Granted Patent B2
US 11,577,398 · App. 16/999,414 · Granted Feb 14, 2023

Robot, measurement fixture, and tool-tip-position determining method

Inventor: Kyouhei Kokubo (Yamanashi, JP)
Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
B25J9/1692B25J9/1697B25J15/0019B25J19/00G01B11/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,577,398
App. No.
16/999,414
Granted
Feb 14, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A robot including an arm, a tool attached to the arm, a measurement fixture to be attached to a tip portion of the tool detachably, and a controller that recognizes a reference coordinate system used to control the arm, and that controls the arm. The controller stores data indicating a positional relationship between a tip of the tool and the measurement fixture or data to be used to calculate the positional relationship, and the controller calculates positional coordinates of the tip of the tool in the reference coordinate system based on position data of the measurement fixture and the positional relationship, where the position data is detected by using acquired image data from a visual sensor whose position is associated with the reference coordinate system.

Claims (25)

1. A robot comprising:

an arm;

a tool attached to the arm;

a measurement fixture configured to be detachably attached to a tip portion of the tool; and

a controller that is configured to

recognize a reference coordinate system used to control the arm,

store data indicating a positional relationship between a tip of the tool and the measurement fixture, and

calculate positional coordinates of the tip of the tool in the reference coordinate system based on position data of the measurement fixture and the positional relationship.

2. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the tip portion of the tool extends in a prescribed direction, the measurement fixture further comprises:

a gripping portion configured to grip an outer circumference surface of the tip portion of the tool, and

an extension portion that extends in the prescribed direction from the gripping portion,

a groove that extends in the prescribed direction, the outer circumference surface of the tip portion is configured to fit in the gripping portion, and the controller is further configured to calculate the positional coordinates of the tip of the tool based on position data of a hole or a mark formed in the extension portion of the measurement fixture and the positional relationship.

3. The robot according to claim 2 , wherein the hole passes through the extension portion, has an opening on a side imaged by the visual sensor, and an opening on the opposite side closed by an anti-reflection member.

4. The robot of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to recognize distortion in a lens of the visual sensor by using a plurality of holes in the extension portion.

5. The robot of claim 2 , wherein a center hole of the extension portion is disposed at a center of an angle of view of the visual sensor.

6. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to recognize both an X-direction and a Z-direction in the reference coordinate system.

7. A measurement fixture configured to be attached to a tip portion of a tool for a robot, the measurement fixture comprising:

a gripping portion configured to grip an outer circumference surface of the tip portion extending in a prescribed direction; and

an extension portion that extends in the prescribed direction from the gripping portion, wherein a groove that extends in the prescribed direction, the outer circumference surface of the tip portion is configured to fit and is formed in the gripping portion, and a plurality of holes or marks, configured to be imaged by a visual sensor, are formed in the extension portion, wherein a controller is configured to calculate positional coordinates of the tip of the tool in a reference coordinate system based on the positional relationship.

8. The measurement fixture according to claim 7 , wherein a first subset of the plurality of holes are arrayed in an X-direction that is orthogonal to the prescribed direction, and a second subset of the plurality of holes are arranged in the prescribed direction.

9. A tool-tip-position determining method comprising:

attaching a measurement fixture to a tip portion of a tool attached to an arm of a robot;

acquiring an image of the measurement fixture by means of a visual sensor whose position is associated with a reference coordinate system used to control the arm;

storing, in a controller that controls the arm, data indicating a positional relationship between a tip of the tool and the measurement fixture; and

calculating, by means of the controller, positional coordinates of the tip of the tool in the reference coordinate system based on position data of the measurement fixture and the positional relationship, wherein the position data are calculated based on using acquired image data from the visual sensor.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2020
From: KOKUBO, KYOUHEI
To: FANUC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053561/0771 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2019-185834 · Oct 9, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210107160A1 · Apr 15, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,406,393