An approach to software organization for control of industrial robots

This article describes a philosophy and practical application of software organization for control of industrial robots. In order to apply an industrial robot to a work cell as a component or device, not only is a language to command the robot motion necessary, powerful functions of the robot to realize a robot work cell with a hierarchical structure are also required. First, we discuss an outline of industrial robot control and select required functions. Second, we discuss software organizations and significant points to realize them. Finally, as a practical application we introduce a robot system using a personal computer that is widely available in Japan.     

Human factors of industrial robots and robot safety management in Japan

Japan has the largest world market share of industrial robots and also two fatal accidents due to robots. Ergonomics points of view should be applied to robotics to prevent new types of accidents. The concern of this paper is to explain Japan's situation concerning the installation of robotics and current safety regulations. Three experiments about the possibility of unsafe behaviour are described, and the man-robot system failure is analysed based on Fault Tree Analysis and the actual data. The appropriate safety measures are compared in terms of their cost-effectiveness. Finally, ergonomics points of view are provided to prevent accidents due to industrial robots.     

Robots in Japan: present and future

The would-wide slackening of business activities appears to have also slowed the pace of the industrial robot business. It is often said that we are now entering an epoch where the industrial robot is to be succeeded by the "service robot". The designation "service robot," however still remains to be clearly defined. As yet, the image evoked by this term varies very widely from person to person, in both the external appearance and the technological elements that constitute such a robot. The author considers the term service robot to be a generic term covering all robots that are not for industrial use. The author looks at the development of service robots in Japan     

A generic controller architecture for intelligent robotic systems

This paper describes a research program to develop a novel reference architecture and design philosophy for an advanced robot controller for a new generation of robots. It is suggested that a new approach to robot controller design is required in order to bring the present generation of industrial robots in line with current and foreseeable technological developments. The paper also describes a prototype controller that has been developed using this design philosophy, and its deployment on an experimental robot. Practical results are presented from a series of investigations undertaken to illustrate the performance of the controller.     

基于镜面反射型视觉传感器的车窗装配系统

机器人视觉伺服系统是机器人领域的一个重要研究方向,它的研究对于开发手眼协调的机器人在工业生产、设备制造等方面的应用有极其重要的意义。该文介绍了一种基于镜面反射型视觉传感器的车窗装配系统,着重介绍了该系统的设备构成、设计方案。最后分析了目前研究中存在的问题及今后的研究方向。     

Development of CAM system based on industrial robotic servo controller without using robot language

This paper describes the development of a robotic CAM system for an articulated industrial robot RV1A from the view point of robotic servo controller. It is defined here that the CAM system includes an important function which allows an industrial robot to move along cutter location data (CL data) consisting of position and orientation components. In addition, the developed CAM system has a high applicability to other industrial robots whose servo systems are technically opened to end-users. The developed robotic CAM system works as a straightforward interface between a general CAD/CAM and an industrial robot. At the present stage, the relationship between CAD/CAM and industrial robots is not well established compared to NC machine tools that are widely spread in manufacturing industries. The CAM systems for NC machine tools are already established, however, the CAM system for industrial robots has not been sufficiently considered and developed yet. A teaching pendant is generally used to obtain position and orientation data of the arm tip before an industrial robot works. Here, in order to enhance the relationship between a conventional CAD/CAM system and an industrial robot, a simple and straightforward CAM system without using any robot language is developed and implemented. The basic design of the robotic CAM system and the experimental results are presented in this paper.     

Learning model for adaptive behaviors as an organized group of swarm robots

This paper describes a novel organizational learning model for multiple adaptive robots. In this model, robots acquire their own appropriate functions through local interactions among their neighbors, and get out of deadlock situations without explicit control mechanisms or communication methods. Robots also complete given tasks by forming an organizational structure, and improve their organizational performance. We focus on the emergent processes of collective behaviors in multiple robots, and discuss how to control these behaviors with only local evaluation functions, rather than with a centralized control system. Intensive simulations of truss construction by multiple robots gave the following experimental results: (1) robots in our model acquire their own appropriate functions and get out of deadlock situations without explicit control mechanisms or communication methods; (2) robots form an organizational structure which completes given tasks in fewer steps than are needed with a centralized control mechanism. This work was presented, in part, at the Second International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, February 18–20, 1997     

Cognitive robotics: a new approach to artificial intelligence

This paper describes a research program about how to achieve artificial intelligence by building robots. It is part of the behavior-oriented AI approach, but differs in some of its hypotheses and methodological approach. This work was presented, in part, at the Third International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 19–21, 1998     

视觉伺服机器人对运动目标操作的研究

机器人视觉伺服系统是机器人领域一重要的研究方向，它的研究对于开发手眼协调的机器人在工业生产、航空航天等方面的应用有着极其重要的意义．本文着眼于视觉伺服机器人操作运动目标这一问题，分析了建立此类系统的控制结构并指明其特点；同时，详细地阐述了三个组成环节：视觉图像处理、预测及滤波、视觉控制器的研究方法和现状．最后，分析了今后的研究趋势．     

Proposal for a new concept for a robot in which the constructing module can be exchanged seamlessly

Although industrial robots have developed considerably since the end of the last century, and have been used in various fields, robotics is still being actively researched in Japan. Following the work of national research institutes and educational institutions, robot manufacturers have also put considerable resources into developing a new generation of robots. Moreover, society in general has high expectations of robots. To provide a low-price robot that can be widely used in the home, in medical treatments, in welfare, and in disaster relief, etc., a high-function, low-cost module that can easily be exchanged for maintenance or repair is very necessary. To achieve this aim, it is undesirable to develop robots based on different original standards from research institutes, educational institutions, and robot manufacturers, etc. Therefore, a common standard in robotic development needs to be established, and robots must be developed based on that standard. In this research, a new concept for the next generation of robot development is proposed. This concept includes a high-intelligence module, lower manufacturing costs, and an easy exchange operation.     

非接触式机器人直线轨迹测量系统

视觉的、造价低廉实用的非接触式机器人直线轨迹测量系统．该测量系统由结构光视觉传感 器、测量轨道、主控计算机及相关软件组成．视觉传感器可固定于机器人末端．当机器人末 端带动视觉传感器沿测量轨道做直线运动时，通过传感器测量相对测量轨道的连续位姿关系 ，就可间接描述机器人末端的运动轨迹．当重复同一直线运动时，可检测出机器人的轨迹重 复性．本文综述了机器人直线轨迹测量设备的研究现状，介绍了轨迹检测系统的测量原 理，重点讨论了该测量系统的两个关键技术：空间特征点的图象提取技术和三维坐标计算方 法，并描述了该系统的结构、性能指标和测量试验结果．     

Vision-based remote control of cellular robots

This paper describes the development and design of a vision-based remote controlled cellular robot. Cellular robots have numerous applications in industrial problems where simple inexpensive robots can be used to perform different tasks that involve covering a large working space. As a methodology, the robots are controlled based on the visual input from one or more cameras that monitor the working area. As a result, a robust control of the robot trajectory is achieved without depending on the camera calibration. The remote user simply specifies a target point in the image to indicate the robot final position.

We describe the complete system at various levels: the visual information processing, the robot characteristics and the closed loop control system design, including the stability analysis when the camera location is unknown. Results are presented and discussed.

In our opinion, such a system may have a wide spectrum of applications in industrial robotics and may also serve as an educational testbed for advanced students in the fields of vision, robotics and control.     

抗核辐射机器人的开发应用与警示

日本福岛核危机引发人们对日本和国际核防护机器人的质疑。随着核电的迅速发展和核事故的不断曝光,国内外众多核电大国争先开展核防护机器人研究,已开发出不下数百台的各类核电站机器人,但目前还没有看到核防护机器人在核事故现场进行有效救援工作的报道。这场核危机给国际社会许多警示,要求核防护机器人要能够单独进入核化环境进行紧急操作与救援,用于代替工作人员进行日常核电站操作作业,进行国际合作开发出更好性能的核防护操作机器人和救援机器人,以及联合国国际原子能组织应当在核事故过程中发挥更重要的指导和协调作用。     

关节型工业机器人轨迹规划研究综述

关节型工业机器人凭借其良好的灵活性和高效率的工作模式被广泛地应用于现代工业自动化生产之中,例如搬运、码垛、焊接、切割等。轨迹规划是工业机器人运动控制的基础研究领域,决定着其作业效率和运动性能。工业机器人的轨迹规划是指综合考虑作业需求和机器人性能,在笛卡尔空间或关节空间内得出指导机器人末端执行器运动的轨迹。阐述了工业机器人轨迹规划的概念及其分类,就各个领域的轨迹规划算法进行了全面综述,包括基本轨迹规划和最优轨迹规划,指出了各类轨迹规划算法中所存在的问题和未来的发展方向。     

中职工业机器人专业“1+X”虚拟仿真实训教学模式探究

在当前我国不断重视高新技术发展的社会背景下,我国正逐渐从传统的制造业大国不断转型升级为制造业强国,工业自动化技术在这一过程中的重要性越来越突出,并发挥越来越关键的作用。在我国目前发展情势下,正不断转向对工业机器人专业的重视与发展,推出了“1+X”证书制度的中职工业机器人专业,但是相关的专业性人才培养还存在较大不足,相关人才较为缺乏。因此中职院校应在充分结合自身教学实际的环境下,结合工业机器人专业“1+X”证书制度进行虚拟仿真实训教学模式的创新,塑造合理的机器人专业教学模式十分重要。本文通过探究当前中职工业机器人专业“1+X”虚拟仿真实训教学模式现状,提出深入教学变革的一些创新方向建议,希望能为中职工业机器人专业“1+X”虚拟仿真实训教学质量的提升提供一定的参考。     

The Status of Robotics

This article is the second part of a summary report on the status of robotics in the United States, Western Europe, Korea, Japan, and Australia. This report is based on visits to over 50 laboratories in 2004 and 2005. The study was performed by the World Technology Evaluation Center (WTEC) and supported primarily by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This article summarizes the findings of the survey in industrial, service, and personal robots, biological and medical applications and networked robots.     

Trends in the development of sensor systems and their use in some technological areas

The paper describes the trends in the development of sensor systems in the area of robotics. Presented are contact sensors with special emphasis on “skin” sensors for a robot's hand on the basis of piezo-electric materials, such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVF₂). Among the methods of non-contact sensor perception, vision systems are considered to be most appropriate for robots. Described are industrial vision systems, image processing operations and image recognition. Reference is also made to proximity sensors. The paper further describes robot control systems utilizing sensory information and utilization of artificial intelligence theory in robotics.     

机器人双手协调运动中的误差分析及补偿

本文首次分析了机器人双手协调运动中的动态与控制误差,导出了误差矩阵方程,据此提出了补偿算法,实验验证了算法的有效性,由于本算法并不局限于某一特定类型的机器人,因而具有较普遍的意义。算法已应用于机器人双手协调运动的实时控制,文中并对误差引起的目标物体变形进行了讨论。