IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,117,809
Granted Patent B2
US 12,117,809 · App. 17/405,070 · Granted Oct 15, 2024

Planning device, planning method, and planning program

Inventors: Atsuko Enomoto (Tokyo, JP); Daiki Kajita (Tokyo, JP); Takahiro Nakano (Tokyo, JP); Takaharu Matsui (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
G05B19/41865B25J9/1661G06F16/24G06F16/283G05B2219/31053
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,117,809
App. No.
17/405,070
Granted
Oct 15, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

In an arrangement design of a robot cell and of robot work, a planning device searches an arrangement graph, that shows candidates for relative positions and orientations between a robot and a fixture; searches a disassembly task sequence, of disassembly tasks that are operations of the robot for disassembling components from the assembly in an arrangement of the relative positions and orientations between the robot and the fixture, and searches for, based on a point sequence of positioning relay points of the robot, a trajectory in which the robot disassembles the components from the assembly; and generates assembly tasks formed of a point sequence obtained by reversing the point sequence of the relay points, an assembly trajectory of the robot which is reverse to a disassembly trajectory formed of interpolation points between the point sequences, and an assembly sequence, which is a reverse order of the disassembly task sequence.

Claims (39)

1. A planning device, comprising:

a processor configured to execute a program; and

a storage device that stores the program, that when executed by the processor configures the processor to:

access a database that stores, as three-dimensional data, positions, orientations, and shapes related to a work table including a positionable top plate, an assembly fixed on the top plate, a component tray for serving components that form the assembly, a robot capable of disassembling the assembly into a component group, a first hand attached to a tip end of the robot, and a hand holder housing one or more second hands,

execute a first search process of searching an arrangement graph, which is changed by positioning of the work table and shows candidates for relative positions and orientations between the robot and a fixture that fixes the assembly on the work table,

execute a second search process of a disassembly task sequence, which is a series of disassembly tasks that are operations of the robot for disassembling the components from the assembly in an arrangement of the relative positions and orientations between the robot and the fixture on the work table found by the first search of the arrangement graph, and searching for, based on a point sequence of positioning relay points of the robot shown by the disassembly tasks belonging to the disassembly task sequence, a trajectory of the robot in which the robot disassembles the components from the assembly, and

execute a first generation process of generating assembly tasks formed of a point sequence obtained by reversing the point sequence of the relay points, an assembly trajectory of the robot which is a trajectory reverse to a disassembly trajectory formed of interpolation points between the point sequences, and an assembly sequence showing an order of the assembly tasks, which is a reverse order of the disassembly task sequence,

wherein the robot is a multi-axis arm having a plurality of links and the first hand is attached to a first link among the plurality of links,

wherein the database stores, as the three dimensional data, link shape data of the plurality links, hand shape data of the first hand and the one or more second hands and hand holder housing shape data, and

wherein the link shape data, hand shape data and hand holder housing shape data are each stored as stereolithography data or Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP), which is read by the processor.

2. The planning device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor is configured to, in the first search process, search the arrangement graph, based on a first objective function for evaluating maneuverability of the robot, for an arrangement of the relative positions and orientations between the robot capable of disassembling the components from the assembly and the fixture on the work table.

3. The planning device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor is configured to, in the second search process determine, based on a second objective function for evaluating the disassembly trajectory according to a distance between the robot and a worker, whether to add, as a candidate, an arrangement of the relative positions and orientations between the robot and the fixture on the work table on the arrangement graph.

4. The planning device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor is configured to, in the second search process, search the disassembly task sequence based on a third objective function for evaluating a working time of a disassembly work according to the disassembly task sequence.

5. The planning device according to claim 3 ,

wherein the processor is configured to, in the second search process, search the disassembly task sequence based on a third objective function for evaluating a working time of a disassembly work according to the disassembly task sequence.

6. The planning device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the database stores, as three-dimensional data, positions, orientations, and shapes related to the hand holder for removably housing the one or more second hands and the component tray,

wherein the processor is configured to:

execute a second generation process of generating an arrangement graph, which is changed by a positioning operation of the work table and shows candidates for relative positions and orientations between the work table and the robot, between the robot and the hand holder, and between the robot and the component tray, and

in the first search process, search the arrangement graph generated by the second generation processing.

7. A planning method executed by a planning device including a processor configured to execute a program and a storage device that stores the program, the planning method comprising:

accessing a database that stores, as three-dimensional data, positions, orientations, and shapes related to a work table including a positionable top plate, an assembly fixed on the top plate, a component tray for serving components that form the assembly, a robot capable of disassembling the assembly into a component group, a first hand attached to a tip end of the robot, and a hand holder housing one or more second hands,

first search processing of searching an arrangement graph, which is changed by positioning of the work table and shows candidates for relative positions and orientations between the robot and a fixture that fixes the assembly on the work table;

second search processing of searching a disassembly task sequence, which is a series of disassembly tasks that are operations of the robot for disassembling the components from the assembly in an arrangement of the relative positions and orientations between the robot and the fixture on the work table found by the first search processing of the arrangement graph, and searching for, based on a point sequence of positioning relay points of the robot shown by the disassembly tasks belonging to the disassembly task sequence, a trajectory of the robot in which the robot disassembles the components from the assembly; and

first generation processing of generating assembly tasks formed of a point sequence obtained by reversing the point sequence of the relay points, an assembly trajectory of the robot which is a trajectory reverse to a disassembly trajectory formed of interpolation points between the point sequences, and an assembly sequence showing an order of the assembly tasks, which is a reverse order of the disassembly task sequence,

wherein the robot is a multi-axis arm having a plurality of links and the first hand is attached to a first link among the plurality of links,

wherein the database stores, as the three dimensional data, link shape data of the plurality links, hand shape data of the first hand and the one or more second hands and hand holder housing shape data, and

wherein the link shape data, hand shape data and hand holder housing shape data are each stored as stereolithography data or Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP), which is read by the processor.

8. A planning program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executed by a processor, configures the processor execute steps comprising:

accessing a database that stores, as three-dimensional data, positions, orientations, and shapes related to a work table including a positionable top plate, an assembly fixed on a fixture on the top plate, a robot capable of disassembling the assembly into a component group, a first hand attached to a tip end of the robot, and a hand holder housing one or more second hands;

first search processing of searching an arrangement graph, which is changed by positioning of the work table and shows candidates for relative positions and orientations between the robot and a fixture that fixes the assembly on the work table;

second search processing of searching a disassembly task sequence, which is a series of disassembly tasks that are operations of the robot for disassembling the components from the assembly in an arrangement of the relative positions and orientations between the robot and the fixture on the work table found by the first search processing of the arrangement graph, and searching for, based on a point sequence of positioning relay points of the robot shown by the disassembly tasks belonging to the disassembly task sequence, a trajectory of the robot in which the robot disassembles the components from the assembly; and

first generation processing of generating assembly tasks formed of a point sequence obtained by reversing the point sequence of the relay points, an assembly trajectory of the robot which is a trajectory reverse to a disassembly trajectory formed of interpolation points between the point sequences, and an assembly sequence showing an order of the assembly tasks, which is a reverse order of the disassembly task sequence,

wherein the robot is a multi-axis arm having a plurality of links and the first hand is attached to a first link among the plurality of links,

wherein the database stores, as the three dimensional data, link shape data of the plurality links, hand shape data of the first hand and the one or more second hands and hand holder housing shape data, and

wherein the link shape data, hand shape data and hand holder housing shape data are each stored as stereolithography data or Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP), which is read by the processor.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 7, 2021
From: ENOMOTO, ATSUKO; KAJITA, DAIKI; NAKANO, TAKAHIRO; MATSUI, TAKAHARU
To: HITACHI, LTD.
Reel/Frame 057400/0634 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-149595 · Sep 7, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220075355A1 · Mar 10, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,318,931