Abstract: A robot movement control method, in which a robot is moved along a smooth path (10, 11) determined based on a teaching path defined to pass a designated starting point (TP4), at least one intermediate point (TP5, TP6) and a terminal point (TP7), is disclosed. The smooth path is determined so that the coincidence between the actual path for robot movement and the teaching path is assured near the starting point (TP4) or the intermediate point.

Abstract: A method for controlling the trajectory of a robot, in which, in the cooperative operation of a leading robot having a work tool and a tracking robot gripping a workpiece, the position and the orientation of the work tool may be desirably controlled, even when the interpolative motion is carried out. The robots are cooperatively controlled such that the position and the orientation of a first tool coordinate system set on the work tool attached to the leading robot is moved along a desired trajectory on a second tool coordinate system set on the workpiece gripped by the tracking robot. During a playback operation after a teaching operation, the interpolative position data of the tracking robot is calculated by using the interpolative position data of the leading robot and the relative positions and the relative orientations data of the robots. The invention may be applied to a manual feed. The trajectory may be smoothed by filtering the interpolative position data.

Abstract: A robot interference prevention control device reads in advance a teaching program of each robot, calculates a scheduled stop position for each robot when issuing a stop command after n number of interpolation periods from the current interpolation period, and checks whether or not interference would occur at the scheduled stop position of each robot. When the robot interference prevention control device judges that a robot will interfere with another robot, it outputs a stop command at the current interpolation period. Due to this, a stop command is output before n number of interpolation periods from the interpolation period where interference would occur and thereby the occurrence of interference can be prevented.

Abstract: A method of preventing interference of an industrial robot in which teaching of an operation program to the robot is easy and interference of the robot with an external cooperative apparatus can be easily avoided. If a current position of a reference point on the robot for detecting interference is outside a common area (S12) and a target position of the reference point is outside the common area (S18), a motion command is outputted to drive the robot. If the target position of the reference point is within the common area, it is determined that whether or not a movable part of the cooperative apparatus is within the common area, and if the movable part is outside the common area, an operation forbidding signal for the cooperative apparatus is turned on and the motion command is outputted to make the robot move. If the movable part of the cooperative apparatus is within the common area, the motion command is withheld till the movable part of the cooperative device moves out of the common area (S4, S5).

Abstract: A robot controller resolving a path deviation caused in relation to override processing or temporary stop. A motion planning section constituting software of the robot controller forms a motion plan of a robot with no consideration of overriding and outputs it to an interpolation processing section. The interpolation processing section carries out interpolation processing at each period of calculation processing, calculates a motion amount at each ITP and outputs it to a filtering section. An output filtered for acceleration or deceleration control at the filtering section is processed by an overriding processing section having an operational shutter. An output after the processing to which an override value .beta. (0.ltoreq..beta..ltoreq.1) common to respective axes has been applied is constituted by velocity and acceleration respectively multiplied by .beta. and .beta..sup.2.

Abstract: A stitch machining method by an industrial robot capable of performing a teaching operation easily and the stitch machining accurately. Instead of teaching switchover points p1, P2, . . . for application and non-application of sealant in sealing as shown in FIG. 5a, a distance n1 of a machining section (where sealant is applied) and a distance n2 of a non-machining section are set to a robot controller as shown in FIG. 5b. The robot controller monitors a travel distance and switches from machining to non-machining and vice versa each time the robot travels the distance n1 and the distance n2, respectively, to thereby effect the stitch machining. As shown in FIGS. 5c and 5g, it is possible to ensure that a start and an end points of each block are positioned in the machining sections n1. Further, as shown in FIG. 5d, the stitch machining can be performed continuously for a plurality of blocks. As shown in FIG.

Abstract: A method of setting an accelerating/decelerating motion of a robot, in which a torque of the robot can be used efficiently without being saturated. In one section of motion, a moving ratio r representing a position which satisfies a condition such that a maximum torque is generated at a position where the maximum torque is needed, is successively and approximately obtained. First, a 0-th approximate solution (initial value) is assumed as .sub.i r.sub.0 =0, and then equations of motion are calculated at the position .sub.i r.sub.0 to obtain an acceleration so as to generate the maximum torque. The position such that the torque becomes maximal when the calculated acceleration is used is obtained as .sub.i r.sub.k+1. The difference .vertline..sub.i r.sub.k+1 -.sub.i r.sub.k .vertline. between the calculated .sub.i r.sub.k+1 and the previously calculated .sub.i r.sub.k is calculated, and it is checked whether or not the difference exceeds a preset very small value .epsilon.. If yes, the processing returns to S3.

Abstract: A method for determining time constants for acceleration and deceleration of a servomotor to be set in preparing a track program for an industrial robot. In setting the time constants, they are calculated in consideration of torques generated due to interference with other axes, which is caused as a plurality of axes are actuated simultaneously when the robot moves on desired tracks. As a result, the torques will not be saturated despite influences, if any, of interference torques, so that there is no possibility of tracks being deflected, and cycle times can be shortened by assigning relatively short time constants in the case where the influences of the interference torques are not substantial.

Abstract: A method of tracking a robot with respect to a circularly moving workpiece W. When a workpiece on a disc-shape conveyer remains stationary at a reference position W0, positions P0 and Q0 are taught to the robot in a stationary coordinate system .SIGMA.0 and the robot is placed on stand-by at a position A. The angular displacement of the disc-shape conveyer is detected by a pulse encoder and counting of the output pulses starts when the workpiece W arrives at the reference position W0. A CPU of a robot controller reads the counted amount in a short cycle and transforms it into a rotation amount .theta. of the conveyer from the reference position. Updating of matrix data for setting a rotary coordinate system .SIGMA.rot based on the rotation amount .theta. is repeated.