US 12,296,474 B2
Position detection method, controller, and robot system
Toshihiko Miyazaki, Kobe (JP); Jun Takebayashi, Kobe (JP); Akio Yoda, Kobe (JP); Toshiyuki Tsujimori, Kobe (JP); Satoshi Ouchi, Kobe (JP); and Yukio Iwasaki, Kobe (JP)
Assigned to KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Kobe (JP)
Appl. No. 17/784,683
Filed by Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Kobe (JP)
PCT Filed Dec. 14, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/046568
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 13, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/117907, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 17, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-225623 (JP), filed on Dec. 13, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0028767 A1, Jan. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. B25J 9/10 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 9/10 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1653 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A position detection method of detecting a position of a robot in relation to a target object, the robot including an arm, the method comprising:
(a) causing the arm, on which a contacting structure is disposed, to position the contacting structure laterally in a horizontal direction in relation to a first detection subject that is one of at least two detection subjects disposed on the target object;
(b) causing the arm to move the contacting structure laterally to bring the contacting structure into contact with at least three locations on a surface which is a circular detection hole of the first detection subject;
(c) detecting positions of the contacting structure in relation to the robot when the contacting structure comes into contact with the at least three locations of the detection hole, respectively;
(d) detecting a position of the first detection subject in relation to the robot using the detected at least three positions of the contacting structure, each of the detected at least three positions of the contacting structure having a corresponding center axis, the center axis of each of the at least three positions being used to define a circular shape, a center of the circular shape being a center of the circular detection hole;
(e) performing same steps as the steps (a) to (d) for another detection subject, different from the first detection subject, of the at least two detection subjects;
(f) detecting the position of the robot in relation to the target object using the positions of the at least two detection subjects in relation to the robot and using positions of the at least two detection subjects in relation to the target object; and
(g) causing the arm to perform an operation of indicating a type of control that is currently being performed among multiple types of control corresponding to respective target objects.