US 12,113,469 B2
Robot, humanoid robot, and robot fall control method
Masayuki Kamon, Akashi (JP); and Junichi Karasuyama, Kobe (JP)
Assigned to KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Kobe (JP)
Appl. No. 17/784,687
Filed by KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Kobe (JP)
PCT Filed Nov. 18, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/042960
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 13, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/124773, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 24, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-226950 (JP), filed on Dec. 17, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0014536 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. H02P 27/06 (2006.01); B25J 9/12 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 13/08 (2006.01); B25J 17/00 (2006.01); B25J 19/00 (2006.01); B62D 57/032 (2006.01); H02P 3/22 (2006.01); H02P 5/46 (2006.01); H02P 5/68 (2006.01)
CPC H02P 3/22 (2013.01) [B25J 9/126 (2013.01); B25J 9/1628 (2013.01); B25J 13/087 (2013.01); B25J 17/00 (2013.01); B25J 19/0004 (2013.01); B62D 57/032 (2013.01); H02P 5/46 (2013.01); H02P 5/68 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robot comprising:
a robot body including a plurality of joints;
a plurality of motors provided in the plurality of joints; and
a resistance circuit including a resistance component electrically connectable to a power supply path that supplies electric power to the motors to consume electric energy generated by rotation of the motors, the resistance circuit activating a dynamic brake by consuming the electric energy by the resistance component; wherein
the resistance circuit is configured or programmed to perform a control to reduce a braking force of the dynamic brake by changing a resistance value of the resistance component with respect to the power supply path when the motors are stopped at an abnormal stop, and
the resistance circuit is configured or programmed to perform a control to reduce the braking force of the dynamic brake until the motors are stopped by changing the resistance value of the resistance component with respect to the power supply path when a fall of the robot body is controlled.
 
8. A robot comprising:
a robot body including a plurality of joints;
a plurality of motors provided in the plurality of joints;
a resistance circuit including a resistance component electrically connectable to a power supply path that supplies electric power to the motors to consume electric energy generated by rotation of the motors, the resistance circuit activating a dynamic brake by consuming the electric energy by the resistance component; and
a voltage detector to detect a voltage in the power supply path; wherein
the resistance circuit is configured or programmed to perform a control to reduce a braking force of the dynamic brake by changing a resistance value of the resistance component with respect to the power supply path when the motors are stopped at an abnormal stop,
the resistance circuit is configured or programmed to perform a feedback control to reduce the braking force of the dynamic brake until the motors are stopped by changing the resistance value of the resistance component with respect to the power supply path based on the voltage in the power supply path detected by the voltage detector when the motors are stopped at the abnormal stop,
the resistance circuit is configured or programmed to perform a feedback control to reduce the braking force of the dynamic brake until the motors are stopped by changing the resistance value of the resistance component with respect to the power supply path based on a comparison between the voltage in the power supply path detected by the voltage detector and a predetermined reference voltage when the motors are stopped at the abnormal stop, and
the resistance circuit is configured or programmed to, when the motors are stopped at the abnormal stop, perform a feedback control to reduce the braking force of the dynamic brake until the motors are stopped by performing an operation to increase the resistance value of the resistance component with respect to the power supply path when the voltage in the power supply path detected by the voltage detector exceeds the predetermined reference voltage, and performing an operation to decrease the resistance value of the resistance component with respect to the power supply path when the voltage in the power supply path is equal to or lower than the predetermined reference voltage.
 
12. A humanoid robot comprising:
a humanoid robot body including a plurality of joints corresponding to a plurality of human joints;
a plurality of motors provided in the plurality of joints; and
a resistance circuit including a resistance component electrically connectable to a power supply path that supplies electric power to the motors to consume electric energy generated by rotation of the motors, the resistance circuit activating a dynamic brake by consuming the electric energy by the resistance component; wherein
the resistance circuit is configured or programmed to perform a control to reduce a braking force of the dynamic brake until the motors are stopped by changing a resistance value of the resistance component with respect to the power supply path when the motors are stopped at an abnormal stop associated with a fall of the humanoid robot body.
 
13. A robot fall control method at an abnormal stop for a robot including a plurality of joints, the robot fall control method comprising:
detecting a voltage in a power supply path that supplies electric power to a plurality of motors provided in the plurality of joints; and
performing a feedback control to reduce a braking force of a dynamic brake by changing a resistance value of a resistance component with respect to the power supply path in a resistance circuit that activates the dynamic brake by consuming electric energy generated by rotation of the motors by the resistance component electrically connectable to the power supply path, based on the detected voltage in the power supply path.