Faunc Ltd.

Kazuhisa Otsuka

Takashi Jyumonji

Taro Arimatsu

Hiroaki Kubota

A robot visual-tracking method in which the precision of a tracking movement of a robot is improved using a visual sensor. A count value N (0) of a pulse coder is stored when a sensor detects a workpiece. Then, arrival of the workpiece at a taught photographing position is detected based on an incremental quantity from the count value N (0) of the pulse coder, and the workpiece is photographed by a camera. A deviation is obtained between positions of two points Wa and Wb on the workpiece and the reference positions thereof. When the workpiece arrives at a tracking start position L1, a tracking coordinate system .SIGMA.tr starts to move and tracking operations of the robot are started. In the tracking operation, the robot position is corrected to compensate the detected deviation amount. The robot approaches the workpiece W to meet with it and grips the workpiece W by a hand when the workpiece W reaches a position Q0. Then, when the workpiece W arrives at a tracking termination position L3, the tracking operation is terminated. The robot moves to a teaching point Q2 according to a normal playback operation, where the hand is opened to release the workpiece W.

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Oshino-mura, Japan

Kazuhisa Otsuka