Fanuc America Corporation

Fanuc Robotics America Corporation

Fanuc Robotics North America, Inc.

Fanuc Corporation

Sai-Kai Cheng

Jason Tsai

H Dean McGee

Yi Sun

Chi-Keng Tsai

Hadi A Akeel

Ho Cheung Wong

Tien L Chang

Di Xiao

Eric C Lee

Randy A Graca

Peter J Swanson

Jianming Tao

Leo Keselman

Min-Ren Jean

Min Ren Jean

Gordon Geheb

Akihiro Yanagita

Ganesh Kalbavi

Bradley Q Niederquell

Matthew Ray Sikowski

Don Kijek

Terry Tupper

Nivedhitha Giri

Eric Wong

Robert V Bauer, Jr

Matthew DeNio

David J O'Toole

Steven E Nickel

James F Huber

Chi-Ken Tsai

H Dean Mcgee

A method for monitoring an industrial robot. The method includes configuring the robot to perform a certain task during an integration process and storing integration data in the robot identifying the configuration of the robot for performing the task. The method also includes installing the robot in a manufacturing facility, and uploading the stored integration data to the Cloud when the robot is installed in the manufacturing facility. The method further includes capturing production data generated by the robot during operation of the robot in the manufacturing facility, uploading the production data to the Cloud, and comparing the production data to the integration data.

Golden data for industrial robots

A method and system for programming a path-following robot to perform an operation along a continuous path while accounting for process equipment characteristics. The method eliminates the use of manual teaching cycles. In one example, a dispensing robot is programmed to apply a consistent bead of material, such as adhesive or sealant, along the continuous path. A computer-generated definition of the path, along with a model of dispensing equipment characteristics, are provided to an optimization routine. The optimization routine iteratively calculates robot tool center point path and velocity, and material flow, until an optimum solution is found. The optimized robot motion and dispensing equipment commands are then provided to an augmented reality (AR) system which allows a user to visualize and adjust the operation while viewing an AR simulation of dispensing system actions and a simulated material bead. Other examples include robotic welding or cutting along a continuous path.

Zero teach for robotic continuous path

An augmented reality (AR) system for diagnosis, troubleshooting and repair of industrial robots. The disclosed diagnosis guide system communicates with a controller of an industrial robot and collects data from the robot controller, including a trouble code identifying a problem with the robot. The system then identifies an appropriate diagnosis decision tree based on the collected data, and provides an interactive step-by-step troubleshooting guide to a user on an AR-capable mobile device, including augmented reality for depicting actions to be taken during testing and component replacement. The system includes data collector, tree generator and guide generator modules, and builds the decision tree and the diagnosis guide using a stored library of diagnosis trees, decisions and diagnosis steps, along with the associated AR data.

Automatic dynamic diagnosis guide with augmented reality

Methods and systems include ways to synchronize a press machine and tending robots, including a pick robot and a drop robot, where the press machine includes an operating area for pressing a blank into a part. The pick robot and the part are moved out of the operating area while the drop robot carrying the blank is moved into the operating area. At least a portion of the pick robot and/or the part resides within the operating area at the same time at least a portion of the drop robot and/or the blank resides within the operating area. The pick robot is in communication with the drop robot and the movement of the pick robot is synchronized with the movement of the drop robot to prevent the pick robot or part from colliding with the drop robot or the blank.

Automatic synchronization of press machines and robots

A method and a system stream robot tool center point position to external processors at high frequency. The method includes the steps of: reading robot joint encoder data using an Interrupt Service Routine in the robot controller; calculating tool center point position based on the encoder data; and sending the calculated position data to a network socket in a high priority task. The method achieves tool center point and/or joint position communication at fast and consistent time intervals, as compared to much longer times for prior art methods. A downstream device, such as a processor or controller for another machine, reads the communicated tool center point and/or joint position data and uses it to control the operations of its own device. High speed motion command streaming from outside processors can be used in a similar way to control the robot.

Robot high frequency position streaming

Methods and systems for touch-sensing to provide an updated user frame are provided. These include the provision of a user frame and the touch-sensing of a workpiece, where the touch-sensing includes performing a touch-sensing schedule. The touch-sensing schedule includes one of a laser touch-sensing event and a wire touch-sensing event, where one of the laser touch-sensing event and the wire touch-sensing event is switched to the other of the laser touch-sensing event and the wire touch-sensing event while performing the touch-sensing schedule. An offset of the workpiece relative to the user frame is determined based on the touch-sensing of the workpiece and the offset is applied to the user frame to provide the updated user frame. The unique dynamic user frame feature enables same touch sensing program to be cloned and applied on multiple robot controllers.

Dynamic laser touch-sensing with multiple robot dynamic user frame

A method for controlling motion of a robot relative to a conveyor flow direction of a moving conveyor includes the steps of: establishing a tracking frame for coordinating a position and movement of the robot relative to an object support surface of the conveyor; setting an upstream boundary perpendicular or skewed to a conveyor flow direction of the conveyor; setting a downstream boundary perpendicular or skewed to the conveyor flow direction; optionally setting a circular boundary partially overlapping the upstream boundary and the downstream boundary, wherein the upstream boundary, the downstream boundary and the circular boundary are positioned to define a picking area relative to the support surface; and operating the robot to pick objects from the picking area.

Skew and circular boundary for line tracking and circular tracking

A system and method for enhancing a visualization of coordinate points within a robot's working envelope is disclosed. Part data associated with a position of a part, which may include part offset from a known position, is read using a teach pendant program. The part data is automatically stored within a hidden program instruction of the teach pendant program. The part data may be stored within the part program in a motion instruction associated with a motion line of the teach pendant program.

System and method for enhancing a visualization of coordinate points within a robots working envelope

A method for controlling a redundant robot arm includes the steps of selecting an application for performing a robotic process on a workpiece with the arm and defining at least one constraint on motion of the arm. Then an instruction set is generated based upon the selected application representing a path for a robot tool attached to the arm by operating the arm in one of a teaching mode and a programmed mode to perform the robotic process on the workpiece and movement of the arm is controlled during the robotic process. A constraint algorithm is generated to maintain a predetermined point on the arm to at least one of be on, be near and avoid a specified constraint in a robot envelope during movement of the arm, and a singularity algorithm is generated to avoid a singularity encountered during the movement of the arm.

Method of controlling a redundant robot

Painting robots processing a part moving on a conveyor are synchronized by creating for each of the robots a master sequence of computer program instructions for a collision-free movement of robots along associated master sequence paths relative to the moving part, each of the master sequence paths including positions of the associated robot and the conveyor at pre-defined synchronization points, and running each of the master sequences on a controller connected to the associated robot to move the associated robot and comparing a current path of the associated robot and the conveyor against the master sequence path. The method further includes operating the controllers to adjust the current paths based on the comparison between the master sequence path and the current path, and operating the controllers to request a conveyor motion hold as necessary to facilitate synchronization between movement of the robots and the conveyor.

Multi-arm robotic painting process synchronization

A system and method for controlling avoiding collisions and deadlocks in a workcell containing multiple robots automatically determines the potential deadlock conditions and identifies a way to avoid these conditions. Deadlock conditions are eliminated by determining the deadlock-free motion statements prior to execution of the motions that have potential deadlock conditions. This determination of deadlock-free motion statements can be done offline, outside normal execution, or it can be done during normal production execution. If there is sufficient CPU processing time available, the determination during normal production execution provides the most flexibility to respond to dynamic conditions such as changes in I/O timing or the timing of external events or sequences. For minimal CPU impact the determination is done offline where many permutations of programming sequences can be analyzed and an optimized sequence of execution may be found.

Method and system for automatically preventing deadlock in multi-robot systems

A robot multi-arm control system includes robot controllers that communicate via a network to transmit synchronization information from a master controller to one or more slave controllers in order to coordinate manufacturing processes. The system accounts for the network communication delay when synchronizing the event timing for process and motion synchronization.

Robot multi-arm control system

An apparatus and a method for optimizing robot performance includes a computer connected to the robot controller for receiving performance data of the robot as the controller executes a path program. The computer uses the performance data, user specified optimization objectives and constraints and a kinematic/dynamic simulator to generate a new set of control system parameters to replace the default set in the controller. The computer repeats the process until the new set of control system parameters is optimized.

Method for optimizing a robot program and a robot system

A system for performing the method of this invention includes a leader having a robot arm able to articulate about first axes and supporting an end effector. A follower includes a robot arm able to articulate about respective second axes. Servo motors articulate the leader arm about the first axes and the follower arm about the second axes. A user interface allows a user to jog the arm of the leader and to program movement of the arms for automatic execution such that the end effector reaches predetermined positions. A controller, operatively connected to the servo motors and the user interface, controls operation of the servo motors, moves the arm of the leader in accordance with the programmed movement, and moves the arm of the follower such that it tracks or mirrors movement of the leader.

Multiple robot arm tracking and mirror jog

A method of controlling a robot () includes the steps of selecting an initial configuration from at least one of a first, second, and third sets to position a TCP at a starting point () along a path () and selecting a final configuration different than the initial configuration to position the TCP at an ending point (). Next, the TCP moves from the starting point () while maintaining the initial configuration, approaches the singularity between a first point () and a second point (), and selects one of the axes in response to reaching the first point (). The angle for the selected axis is interpolated from the first point () to the second point (). After the interpolation, the angles about the remaining axes are determined and positions the arms in the final configuration when the TCP reaches the second point () and moves to the ending point () while maintaining the final configuration.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Sai-Kai Cheng