JP7694271B2 - Simulation system, simulation method, and simulation program - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a simulation system, and more specifically to a simulation technique for attaching cables to a robot.

Simulations using computers are applied in a variety of technical fields. As an example of the use of such simulations in FA (Factory Automation), for example, JP 2016-042378 A (Patent Document 1) discloses a simulation of a control program executed in a controller that controls the movement of a machine.

JP 2016-042378 A

In the field of FA, there has been a demand for designing in advance the routing of cables to be attached to industrial robots, which are an example of machinery. Specifically, in the past, when routing cables for industrial robots, the user would actually manipulate the cable to determine the appropriate installation position or cable length, but this work required repeated trial and error and took a long time. Therefore, there has been a demand for designing cable routing (installation position or cable length, etc.) in advance.

The objective of this disclosure is to provide a simulation technique that makes it possible to design in advance the routing of cables to be attached to equipment.

According to one embodiment, a simulation system for simulating cable attachment in a multi-joint robot is provided. The simulation system includes a posture detection unit for detecting a first posture in a first portion of the multi-joint robot, the first portion being composed of a first link and a second link, in which a first joint between the first link and the second link is at an angle that satisfies a predetermined condition, a guide attachment unit for identifying attachment settings of one or more cable guides in the first portion, a cable attachment unit for identifying one or more first attachment settings in a first partial cable, and a simulation execution unit for executing a motion of the first portion and simulating the movement of the first partial cable. The first partial cable is a part of a cable that is attached to the first portion having a first posture via a cable guide.

According to this disclosure, the simulation system detects a first posture in which a first joint between a first link and a second link is at an angle that satisfies a predetermined condition, and can simulate the movement of a first partial cable attached to a first portion when in the first posture.

In the above disclosure, the predetermined conditions include the angle of the first joint being a maximum angle or an angle within a first range from the maximum angle in the motion of the articulated robot, or being a minimum angle or an angle within a second range from the minimum angle.

According to this disclosure, the simulation system can simulate the movement of a first partial cable attached to a first portion when the angle of the first joint is a maximum angle or an angle within a first range from the maximum angle in the motion of the articulated robot, or is a minimum angle or an angle within a second range from the minimum angle.

In the above disclosure, the simulation system further includes a motion acquisition unit for acquiring the motion of the articulated robot. The posture detection unit detects a first posture from the time-series postures of the articulated robot acquired from the motion acquisition unit.

According to this disclosure, the simulation system can detect a first posture from a time series of postures of a multi-joint robot.

In the above disclosure, the cable attachment portion specifies one or more first attachment settings that relay the first link and the second link when the first portion is in a first position.

According to this disclosure, the simulation system can identify multiple first attachment settings that relay a first link and a second link when a part is in a first posture.

In the above disclosure, the simulation system further includes a robustness determination unit for determining the robustness of the cable. The robustness determination unit determines whether each of the one or more first mounting settings that pass the simulation has a predetermined robustness.

According to this disclosure, the simulation system can determine whether each of the one or more first mounting configurations that pass the simulation has a predetermined robustness.

In the above disclosure, the posture detection unit detects a second posture in a second portion of the articulated robot consisting of a second link and a third link, in which a second joint between the second link and the third link is at an angle that satisfies a predetermined condition, the cable attachment unit determines one or more second attachment settings of the second partial cable in the second portion that takes the second posture, and the simulation execution unit separately executes a simulation of the first partial cable and a simulation of the second partial cable.

According to this disclosure, the simulation system can perform simulations for each part individually.

In the above disclosure, the simulation system further includes a second simulation unit that performs a simulation of a link including two or more joints. The second simulation unit performs a simulation of the attachment settings for the entire cable using a first attachment setting that has passed the simulation of the first partial cable and a second attachment setting that has passed the simulation of the second partial cable.

According to this disclosure, the simulation system can perform a simulation of the installation settings for the entire cable using the installation settings that pass the simulation for each section.

In the above disclosure, executing a simulation including a first part and a second part includes executing a motion of the first part and the second part, and detecting that the cable interferes with the articulated robot during the execution of the motion.

According to this disclosure, the simulation system can verify whether the cable interferes with the articulated robot within a simulation of the mounting setting.

In the above disclosure, the simulation system further includes an optimal setting output unit that selects and outputs the setting that results in the shortest cable length from among the multiple settings based on the fact that there are multiple settings that have passed the simulation of the installation settings for the entire cable.

According to this disclosure, the simulation system can select the installation setting that results in the shortest cable length from among the installation settings that satisfy the conditions.

According to another embodiment, a method executed by a simulation system is provided. The method includes the steps of: detecting a first posture in a first portion of a multi-joint robot, the first portion being composed of a first link and a second link, at which a first joint between the first link and the second link is at an angle that satisfies a predetermined condition; identifying attachment settings of one or more cable guides in the first portion; identifying one or more first attachment settings for a first partial cable; and executing a motion of the first portion to simulate the movement of the first partial cable. The first partial cable is a part of a cable that is attached to the first portion having the first posture via a cable guide.

According to this disclosure, a first posture in which a first joint between a first link and a second link is at an angle that satisfies a predetermined condition can be detected, and the movement of a first partial cable attached to a first portion can be simulated when the first posture is detected.

According to another embodiment, a program for causing a computer to execute the above method is provided.

According to this disclosure, a first posture in which a first joint between a first link and a second link is at an angle that satisfies a predetermined condition can be detected, and a computer can be caused to execute a process of simulating the movement of a first partial cable attached to a first portion when the first posture is detected.

This disclosure allows the routing of cables to be attached to equipment to be designed in advance.

The above and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an application scene of a simulation system 900 according to an embodiment. 11A to 11C are diagrams showing a first procedure for determining the attachment position of a cable C. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of parameters of the installation settings. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating examples of mounting positions of a cable guide. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of verification of mounting settings. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of a control system 2 simulated by a simulation system 900 according to an embodiment. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a unit configuration of a control system 2. FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an apparatus 800 constituting a simulation system 900. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a simulation system 900. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a difficult posture in an articulated robot. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of how a difficult posture is detected. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of time-series data of the angles of each joint. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a robustness condition of a cable. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a first example of a display of a cable and cable guide installation simulation. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second example of a display of a cable and cable guide installation simulation. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a third example of a display of a cable and cable guide installation simulation. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a fourth example of a display of a cable and cable guide installation simulation. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a fifth example of a display of a cable and cable guide installation simulation. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a sixth example of a display of a cable and cable guide installation simulation. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for simulating a cable in the simulation system 900. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a subroutine of step S2020.

Below, an embodiment of the technical concept of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

<A. Application example>
An example of a situation in which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of an application scenario of the simulation system 900 according to this embodiment.

(a. Articulated robot to be simulated)
The simulation system 900 can execute a simulation of the movement of the articulated robot 180 and the movement of the cable C attached to the articulated robot 180 in a three-dimensional (3D) space 170. In one aspect, the simulation system 900 may be realized by a single device, multiple devices, a virtual machine, or a system built on a cloud environment. In another aspect, the articulated robot 180 may be a horizontal articulated robot, a vertical articulated robot, or a robot equipped with any other link mechanism.

The articulated robot 180 shown in FIG. 1 has links L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, and L6. Each link is connected by a motor or the like, and a joint structure is formed between the links. Each joint may be, for example, a yaw axis, pitch axis, or roll axis joint, or may be a composite joint.

The articulated robot 180 also includes a cable C for operating the link L6 at its tip, to which, for example, a tool or the like is attached. The cable C may connect, for example, a control board attached to the link L1 and a tool at the tip of the link L6. The cable C is attached to the housing of the articulated robot 180 via one or more cable guides attached to the housing of the articulated robot 180. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the cable C is attached to the articulated robot 180 by cable guides G1, G2, G3, and G4. The partial cable C1 is the portion of the cable C between the cable guides G1 and G2. The partial cable C2 is the portion of the cable C between the cable guides G2 and G3. The partial cable C3 is the portion of the cable C between the cable guides G3 and G4. Note that the partial cables C1, C2, and C3 are actually one cable C.

The cable is formed, for example, by covering a linear conductor that constitutes a signal line with an insulator. The material of the insulator is not limited, but resin materials such as plastic, rubber, and vinyl can be used. The material of the conductor is not limited, but metal having electrical conductivity can be used. When the cable C is attached to the articulated robot 180 via the cable guides G1, G2, G3, and G4, devices such as a robot controller can send and receive signals between the articulated robot 180 and the cable C.

Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and the articulated robots that can be simulated by the simulation system 900 are not limited to this. In one aspect, the simulation system 900 can simulate the operation of an articulated robot with any number of joints, any type of link mechanism, and cables attached to any location.

The simulation system 900 may have, for example, an emulator function for the articulated robot 180 and an emulator function for a control device such as a programmable logic controller (PLC). In this case, the simulation system 900 may read a program for the PLC and emulate the operation of the articulated robot 180 and the PLC. More specifically, the simulation system 900 causes the PLC to execute the program. The PLC transmits commands to the articulated robot 180 (or its robot controller). The articulated robot 180 performs a predetermined operation (motion) in the 3D space 170 based on the received commands.

The simulation system 900 also simulates the movement of the cable C and the force acting on the cable C caused by the operation of the articulated robot 180. By using the simulation system 900, the user can determine the attachment position of the cable without using an actual articulated robot 180.

Generally, the cable C used in the articulated robot 180 is expensive, and the work of laying it out takes a long time. Therefore, the simulation system 900 provides a function that supports the advance design of an appropriate laying out of the cable C to be attached to the actual articulated robot 180. By laying out the cable C based on the design results obtained by the simulation system 900, the user can reduce the cost of laying the cable C (including the cost of the cable C and the work time). A more detailed method of determining the cable attachment position will be described with reference to FIG. 2 onwards.

Figure 2 shows the first procedure for determining the attachment position of cable C. We will explain the procedure for determining the attachment position of the cable for two links connected via a single joint (first procedure) and the procedure for determining the attachment position of the cable for three or more links connected via multiple joints (second procedure). We will also explain the procedure for determining the attachment position of the cable for the entire multi-joint robot using the results of determining the attachment positions of these cables (third procedure).

(b. First Step of Simulation)
First, a first procedure will be described for attaching a cable to a part 240 consisting of two links connected via a single joint. It is assumed that a certain articulated robot has links 260 and 265, which are connected to each other via a joint 270. It is also assumed that a cable is attached to the links 260 and 265 by a cable guide.

In this case, the simulation system 900 reads the program for the articulated robot and simulates the angle of the joint 270 of the articulated robot. The simulation system 900 then identifies a first posture and a second posture of the articulated robot in which the angle of the joint 270 satisfies a predetermined condition.

The first posture is the posture of the part of the multi-joint robot consisting of the links 260, 265 when the joint 270 is at the maximum angle that it can take in the motion or at an angle within a first range from the maximum angle (e.g., an angle of -3%). The second posture is the posture of the part of the multi-joint robot consisting of the links 260, 265 when the joint 270 is at the minimum angle that it can take in the motion or at an angle within a second range from the minimum angle (e.g., an angle of +3%).

The first posture in which the angle of joint 270 is near the maximum and the second posture in which the angle of joint 270 is near the minimum are postures that are most likely to place a load on the cable among the postures that the articulated robot can take when the cable is attached to the part consisting of links 260 and 265 by a cable guide. Hereinafter, postures that are most likely to place a load on the cable among the postures that the articulated robot can take, such as the first and second postures described above, may also be referred to as "difficult postures".

The simulation system 900 simulates the mounting positions of the cables and cable guides for the portion consisting of the links 260, 265 in a first posture in 3D space. In this way, the simulation system 900 determines a first mounting setting (which may be multiple) of the cables and cable guides that do not interfere with the articulated robot. Hereinafter, the mounting setting of the cables and cable guides may be simply referred to as "mounting setting". The mounting setting of the cables includes the location of the cables and the length of the cables. Furthermore, the mounting setting of the cable guide includes the position of the cable guide and the posture of the cable guide. Furthermore, the simulation system 900 identifies a second mounting setting (which may be multiple) that does not interfere with the articulated robot in the second posture.

Next, the simulation system 900 plays the motion of the articulated robot and simulates the movement of the cable to determine whether the first mounting setting will not interfere with the articulated robot in other postures (even if the angle of the joint 270 changes). Similarly, the simulation system 900 plays the motion of the articulated robot and simulates the movement of the cable to determine whether the second mounting setting will not interfere with the articulated robot in other postures (even if the angle of the joint 270 changes). The simulation system 900 can also determine whether excessive force is applied to the cable. Then, the simulation system 900 selects an mounting setting (which may be multiple) that does not interfere with the articulated robot in all postures of the part consisting of the links 260 and 265 from among the one or more first mounting settings and the one or more second mounting settings.

As described above, the simulation system 900 selects as a simulation candidate an attachment setting that does not interfere with the articulated robot in a posture that is most likely to cause a load on the cable. In this way, the simulation system 900 does not need to exhaustively simulate the movement of the cable in all possible cable attachment positions, and this can significantly reduce the amount of work required to determine the cable attachment position.

(c. Second Step of Simulation)
Next, a second procedure will be described for attaching a cable to a part 245 consisting of three or more links connected via a plurality of joints. It is assumed that a certain articulated robot includes links 280, 285, and 290. It is also assumed that links 280 and 285 are connected to each other via joint 295, and links 285 and 290 are connected to each other via joint 297. It is also assumed that the cable is attached to links 280 and 290 by cable guides.

In this case, the simulation system 900 reads the program for the articulated robot and simulates the angle of the joint 270 of the articulated robot. The simulation system 900 then identifies a third posture and a fourth posture of the articulated robot in which the angle of the joint 295 satisfies the predetermined condition. Similarly, the simulation system 900 identifies a fifth posture and a sixth posture of the articulated robot in which the angle of the joint 297 satisfies the predetermined condition.

The third posture is the posture of the part consisting of the links 280, 285, and 290 of the articulated robot when the joint 295 is at the maximum angle that it can take in the motion or at an angle within a third range from the maximum angle (e.g., an angle of -3%). The fourth posture is the posture of the part consisting of the links 280, 285, and 290 of the articulated robot when the joint 295 is at the minimum angle that it can take in the motion or at an angle within a fourth range from the minimum angle (e.g., an angle of +3%).

The fifth posture is the posture of the part consisting of the links 280, 285, and 290 of the articulated robot when the joint 295 is at the maximum angle that it can take in the motion or at an angle within a fifth range from the maximum angle (e.g., an angle of -3%). The sixth posture is the posture of the part consisting of the links 280, 285, and 290 of the articulated robot when the joint 295 is at the minimum angle that it can take in the motion or at an angle within a sixth range from the minimum angle (e.g., an angle of +3%). In other words, the simulation system 900 identifies a posture in which the angle of either the joint 295 or 297 is near the maximum or minimum.

The third posture in which the angle of joint 295 is near the maximum, the fourth posture in which the angle of joint 295 is near the minimum, the fifth posture in which the angle of joint 297 is near the maximum, and the sixth posture in which the angle of joint 297 is near the minimum are the postures that are most likely to place a load on the cable among the postures that the articulated robot can take when the cable is attached to the part consisting of links 280, 285, and 290 by a cable guide (these are difficult postures).

In the third posture, the simulation system 900 simulates the mounting positions of the cables and cable guides for the portion consisting of the links 280, 285, and 290 that assume the third posture. In this way, the simulation system 900 determines a third mounting setting (which may be multiple) that does not interfere with the articulated robot. Similarly, the simulation system 900 identifies a fourth mounting setting, a fifth mounting setting, and a sixth mounting setting (which may be multiple) that do not interfere with the articulated robot in each of the fourth posture, fifth posture, and sixth posture.

Next, the simulation system 900 reproduces the motion of the articulated robot and simulates the movement of the cable to determine whether the third mounting setting will not interfere with the articulated robot in other postures (even if the angles of the joints 295 and 297 change). Similarly, the simulation system 900 reproduces the motion of the articulated robot and simulates the movement of the cable to determine whether the fourth mounting setting, the fifth mounting setting, and the sixth mounting setting will not interfere with the articulated robot in other postures (even if the angles of the joints 295 and 297 change). The simulation system 900 may also determine whether excessive force is applied to the cable. Then, the simulation system 900 selects an mounting setting (which may be multiple) that will not interfere with the articulated robot in all postures of the part consisting of the links 280, 285, and 290 from one or more of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth mounting settings.

(d. Third Step of Simulation)
Next, a third procedure for determining cable attachment positions for the entire articulated robot will be described using the results of the cable attachment positions selected in the above first and second procedures.

For example, it is assumed that the simulation system 900 uses the second procedure to select the mounting setting (or multiple mounting settings) of the partial cable C1 and the cable guides G1 and G2 for the first portion consisting of the links L1, L2, and L3 shown in FIG. 1. It is also assumed that the simulation system 900 uses the first procedure to select the mounting setting (or multiple mounting settings) of the partial cable C2 and the cable guides G3 and G4 for the second portion consisting of the links L3 and L4 shown in FIG. 1. It is also assumed that the simulation system 900 uses the second procedure to select the mounting setting (or multiple mounting settings) of the partial cable C3 and the cable guides G3 and G4 for the third portion consisting of the links L4, L5, and L6 shown in FIG. 1.

In this case, the joint between the first and second parts is the cable guide G2, and the joint between the second and third parts is the cable guide G3. Therefore, the simulation system 900 selects an installation setting in which the position and posture of the cable guide G2 match from among the installation settings in the first part and the installation settings in the second part. Also, the simulation system 900 selects an installation setting in which the position and posture of the cable guide G3 match from among the installation settings in the second part and the installation settings in the third part. That is, the simulation system 900 selects a combination of connectable installation settings (combined installation settings) (there may be multiple combinations). In one aspect, the simulation system 900 may also include the length of the cable as a condition when determining the combined installation setting.

The simulation system 900 can play back the motion of the articulated robot 180 (performing a full test) and determine whether the cables and cable guides in the selected combined mounting configuration interfere with the housing of the articulated robot 180.

In this way, the simulation system 900 first selects the installation settings of the cables and cable guides in each part of the articulated robot 180 (the first part consisting of L1, L2, and L3, the second part consisting of L3 and L4, and the third part consisting of L4, L5, and L6). Next, the simulation system 900 selects a connectable combination (combined installation setting) from the installation settings of each part. The simulation system 900 can then simulate the movement of the cables for the combined installation setting and determine whether the cables and cable guides interfere with the housing of the articulated robot 180. The simulation system 900 can also determine whether excessive force is applied to the cables. Note that when there are multiple combined installation settings that have passed the overall test, the simulation system 900 can select the combined installation setting that provides the shortest cable length.

(e. Mounting Settings Parameters)
3 is a diagram showing an example of parameters for the mounting settings, which will be described below with reference to the links L3, L4, L5, and L6 of the articulated robot 180 as an example.

The installation settings include the position and posture of the cable guide, and the length of the cable between the cable guides. For example, the simulation system 900 determines a difficult posture for a section consisting of links L3 and L4. In this case, the simulation system 900 determines the installation settings of cable guides G2 and G3 for the section consisting of links L3 and L4 that assumes the difficult posture. The installation settings of cable guides G2 and G3 may include two parameters: position and posture. The position may be specified by the coordinates of the cable guide in 3D space. Furthermore, the posture may be specified by the angles of the yaw axis, pitch axis, and roll axis of the cable guide. Furthermore, the simulation system 900 determines the setting of the length of partial cable C2 that passes through cable guides G2 and G3.

In a similar manner, the simulation system 900 determines the difficult posture of the part consisting of links L4, L5, and L6. In this case, the simulation system 900 determines the installation settings of cable guides G3 and G4 for the part consisting of links L4, L5, and L6 that will assume the difficult posture. The simulation system 900 also determines the setting of the length of partial cable C3 that passes through cable guides G3 and G4.

The simulation system 900 can simulate the installation positions of the cables and cable guides in 3D space for one difficult posture, and can select multiple installation settings in which the cables and cable guides do not interfere with the articulated robot 180.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the mounting position of the cable guide. In the diagram shown in Figure 4, the simulation system 900 mounts the cable guide G3 on the 3D space 170. First, the simulation system 900 can determine the coordinates of the cable guide G3 in the 3D space 170. Next, the simulation system 900 determines the attitude of the cable guide G3 (angles of the yaw axis, pitch axis, and roll axis). In this way, the simulation system 900 can mount the cable guide G3 to the link L4.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of verifying the installation settings. In reality, there may be multiple installation settings. For example, the simulation system 900 determines the installation settings of the partial cable C2 and the cable guides G2 and G3 for the part consisting of the links L3 and L4. At this time, the simulation system 900 selects possible combinations of the installation positions and postures of the cable guides G2 and G3 and the length of the partial cable C2. Next, the simulation system 900 includes, among these combinations, those in which the cable and cable guide do not interfere with the articulated robot 180 in the installation settings.

B. System Configuration
Next, a control unit to which the present invention can be applied, an apparatus for realizing a simulation system 900, and each function of the simulation system 900 will be described with reference to FIGS.

Figure 6 is a diagram that shows a schematic diagram of a control system 2 that is simulated by a simulation system 900 according to the present embodiment. The control system 2 may include, for example, an articulated robot 180, and may form part of an FA line.

The control system 2 includes a PLC 200, a robot controller 310, and servo motor drivers 531 and 532. The PLC 200, the robot controller 310, and the servo motor drivers 531 and 532 are connected in a daisy chain via a field network 22. For example, EtherCAT (registered trademark) is used for the field network 22. However, the field network 22 is not limited to EtherCAT. The device 100 may be connected to the PLC 200 via a network 80 (see FIG. 7). Any wired or wireless communication means may be used for the network 80. The PLC 200 and the device 100 communicate with each other according to, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB). For example, the device 100 may include the functions of a simulation system 900.

The PLC 200 executes the designed control program based on field values including sensor output values from the field network 22, and controls the robot 30 and devices related to the transport of the conveyor 230 by providing target values to the robot controller 310 or servo motor drivers 531, 532 according to the execution results. The PLC 200, robot controller 310, servo motor drivers 531, 532, and robot hand 210 each have timers 90, 91, 92, 93, 94 that are time-synchronized with each other, and the timing of sending and receiving data including control commands is synchronized between the devices by operating based on these timers.

Servomotor drivers 531 and 532 drive servomotors 41 and 42 of the conveyor 230. Encoders 236 and 238 are provided on the rotation shafts of the servomotors 41 and 42. The encoders output the servomotor position (rotation angle), rotation speed, cumulative number of rotations, etc. as feedback values for the servomotors 41 and 42 to the PLC 200.

The robot 30 and the conveyor 230 work together to move the workpiece 232. Note that, for simplicity, the movement of the workpiece 232 will be described here, but the function of the robot 30 and the conveyor 230 is not limited to the movement of the workpiece 232. For example, the function of the robot 30 and the conveyor 230 may be the processing of the workpiece 232 placed on the tray 9 by the robot 30.

In FIG. 6, as an example of a drive device for the robot 30, servo motors 1301, 1302, 1033, and 1304 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "robot servo motors") provided on the robot 30 and a robot controller 310 that drives the robot servo motors are shown. Similarly, as an example of a drive device for the conveyor 230, servo motor drivers 531 and 532 that drive servo motors 41 and 42 provided on the conveyor 230 are shown.

The robot controller 310 drives the robot servo motors of the robot 30. An encoder (not shown) is provided on the rotation shaft of each robot servo motor. The encoder outputs the position (rotation angle), rotation speed, cumulative number of rotations, etc. of the servo motor as feedback values for the robot servo motor to the robot controller 310.

The servo motor drivers 531, 532 drive the corresponding servo motors 41, 42 according to the command values. The control system 2 further includes a photoelectric sensor 6 and an openable/closable stopper 8 associated with the conveyor 230. The photoelectric sensor 6 detects that a tray 9 provided on the transport surface of the conveyor 230 has arrived in front of a specified work tracking area, and transmits the detection value to the PLC 200. The stopper 8 closes according to the command value to stop (fix) the tray 9 that has arrived within the tracking area.

The robot hand 210 of the robot 30 is attached according to the process. The types of the robot hand 210 include, but are not limited to, parallel hands, multi-fingered hands, and multi-jointed hands, and may also include types that pick and place the workpiece 232 by suction.

The robot 30 performs pick-and-place in accordance with command values from the robot controller 310. Specifically, the robot 30 picks up the workpiece 232 placed on the tray 9 on the conveyor 230 with the robot hand 210, moves the picked-up workpiece 232 to a predetermined position on the table 55, and places it on the table 55. In the robot hand 210, the opening and closing operation of the hand for picking or placing the workpiece 232 is controlled in accordance with command values from the robot controller 310.

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the unit configuration of the control system 2. The control system 2 includes a PLC 200, servo motor drivers 531, 532 and an IO remote terminal 5 connected to the PLC 200 via a field network 22, a robot controller 310 connected to the robot hand 210 and arm 301 via a cable 340, and IO devices provided in the field, such as a photoelectric sensor 6, a proximity sensor 87 provided on the stopper 8, and encoders 236, 238.

The PLC 200 includes an arithmetic unit 13 that performs the main arithmetic processing, one or more IO units 14, and a special unit 17. These units are configured to be able to exchange data with each other via a system bus 81, and are supplied with power from a power supply unit 12. A device 100 can be connected to the arithmetic unit 13.

The IO unit 14 collects detection values 61, 71, 237, and 239 from IO devices including the photoelectric sensor 6, the proximity sensor 87 of the stopper 8, and the encoders 236, 238. The proximity sensor 87 detects in a non-contact manner that the tray 9 has approached the stopper 8 to a predetermined distance. The detection values from each IO device are set (written) in, for example, a memory provided in the IO unit 14. The calculation unit 13 executes calculations of the control program using the values collected by the IO unit 14, and sets (writes) the values of the calculation results in the memory of the IO unit 14. The peripheral devices or IO devices operate by referring to the values in the memory of the IO unit 14.

The field network 22 may be connected to a robot controller 310, servo motor drivers 531, 532, and an IO remote terminal 5. The IO remote terminal 5 includes a communication coupler 52 for performing processing related to data transmission in the field network 22, and one or more IO units 53. These units are configured to be able to exchange data with each other via a remote IO terminal bus 51.

The servo motor drivers 531 and 532 are connected to the arithmetic unit 13 via the field network 22, and drive the servo motors 41 and 42 according to command values from the arithmetic unit 13. The arithmetic unit 13 generates these command values based on the detection values 237 and 239 from the encoders 236 and 238.

The arithmetic unit 13 executes a predetermined control program by referring to the detection values from the IO devices described above, causing the robot 30 to perform pick-and-place. Specifically, when the arithmetic unit 13 detects that the workpiece 232 has approached a predetermined tracking area from the detection value 61 of the photoelectric sensor 6 and the detection value 71 of the proximity sensor 87, it generates a control command 211 for the arm 301 of the robot that performs pick-and-place and a control command 222 for the robot hand 210, and outputs the control command 222 to the robot 30 via the robot controller 310 and the cable 340.

The simulation system 900 can determine the attachment positions of cables and cable guides in any of the multi-joint robots included in the control system 2 shown in Figures 6 and 7, and can simulate the movement of the cables. In addition, in some aspects, the simulation system 900 can also perform a simulation to determine whether the cables and cable guides attached to the multi-joint robot interfere with each device (including devices other than the multi-joint robot) shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of an apparatus 800 constituting a simulation system 900. The apparatus 800 is an information processing apparatus such as a computer, and can operate as the simulation system 900. In one aspect, the simulation system 900 may be realized by a plurality of the apparatuses 800, a system having at least a part of the hardware configuration of the apparatuses 800, a virtual machine on a cloud environment having at least a part of the hardware configuration of the apparatuses 800, or the like. The apparatus 800 may also be used as the apparatus 100 shown in Figure 7.

The device 800 includes, as its main components, a processor 102 that executes an operating system (OS) and programs that run on the OS, a main memory 104 that provides a working area for storing data necessary for the processor 102 to execute the programs, an operation unit 106 (operation reception unit) that receives user operations such as a keyboard and mouse, a display 109, various indicators, an output unit 108 that outputs processing results such as a printer, a network interface 110 that is connected to various networks including the network 80, an optical drive 112, a local communication interface 116 that communicates with external devices, and a storage 111. These components are connected to enable data communication via an internal bus 118 or the like.

The device 800 has an optical drive 112, and may read various programs from a computer-readable recording medium 114, including an optical recording medium (e.g., a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)) that non-transiently stores computer-readable programs, and install the various programs in the storage 111, etc.

The various programs executed by the device 800 may be installed on the device 800 via a computer-readable recording medium 114, or may be installed on the device 800 via a network interface 110 from a server device or the like (not shown) on the network.

Storage 111 is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash solid state drive (SSD), and stores the programs executed by processor 102. More specifically, storage 111 stores OS 120 and integrated development environment 130. Integrated development environment 130 can be realized as an application that runs on OS 120.

The integrated development environment 130 provides the functionality of the simulation system 900 described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. That is, the functionality of the simulation system 900 can be realized by the processor 102 executing the integrated development environment 130 deployed in the main memory 104.

In one aspect, the simulation system 900 may be realized as an add-in to the integrated development environment 130. In another aspect, the simulation system 900 may be realized as a standalone application. In still another aspect, the device 800 may realize some or all of the functions of the integrated development environment 130 using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), etc.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the simulation system 900. Each functional configuration shown in Figure 9 can be realized as a program component. In this case, each functional configuration can operate as software on the hardware of the device 800.

The simulation system 900 has, as its functional configuration, a motion acquisition unit 901, a part simulation unit 902, a combination selection unit 903, a simulation unit for combinations 904, and a global optimal setting output unit 905. The part simulation unit 902 also includes a difficult posture detection unit 906, a guide attachment unit 907, a cable attachment unit 908, a simulation execution unit 909, and a robustness determination unit 910.

The motion acquisition unit 901 acquires the time-series motion of the articulated robot. For example, the motion acquisition unit 901 acquires the motion of the articulated robot by acquiring a program for the articulated robot and analyzing the program, or by operating the articulated robot in a 3D space based on the program.

The part simulation unit 902 executes a simulation for each part of the articulated robot (such as the part consisting of links L3 and L4 in FIG. 1) to determine the installation settings of the cables and cable guides at each part of the articulated robot that do not interfere with the housing of the articulated robot. The part simulation unit 902 executes the first and second steps of the simulation described with reference to FIG. 1.

The difficult posture detection unit 906 detects difficult postures in each part of the articulated robot. Taking the articulated robot 180 shown in FIG. 1 as an example, the difficult posture detection unit 906 detects difficult postures in the part consisting of L1, L2, and L3, difficult postures in the part consisting of L3 and L4, and difficult postures in the part consisting of L4, L5, and L6.

The guide attachment unit 907 attaches cable guides to each part of the articulated robot that can assume a difficult posture. More specifically, the guide attachment unit 907 can brute-force detect cable guide attachment settings that can be applied to each part of the articulated robot that can assume a difficult posture. The cable guide attachment settings can include the coordinates of the cable guide in 3D space and the posture of the cable guide (angles of the yaw axis, pitch axis, and roll axis) as parameters. The guide attachment unit 907 can identify one or more cable guide attachment settings for each part of the articulated robot.

The cable attachment unit 908 attaches cables to each part of the articulated robot that is prone to assume difficult postures. More specifically, the guide attachment unit 907 attaches the cables so that they pass through the cable guides attached by the guide attachment unit 907. The cable attachment settings include the position and length of the cable as parameters. The cable attachment unit 908 can specify one or more cable attachment settings for each part of the articulated robot.

The simulation execution unit 909 uses the mounting settings selected by the guide mounting unit 907 and the cable mounting unit 908 to individually perform a simulation of each part of the articulated robot (execute the motion of each part of the articulated robot) to simulate the movement of the cable. Taking the articulated robot 180 as an example, the simulation execution unit 909 individually performs a simulation of the part consisting of links L1, L2, and L3, a simulation of the part consisting of links L3 and L4, and a simulation of the part consisting of links L4, L5, and L6. The simulation execution unit 909 verifies whether the cable or cable guide interferes with the housing of the articulated robot and/or whether excessive force is applied to the cable in each mounting setting. When a certain mounting setting is tested and the cable or cable guide does not interfere with the housing of the articulated robot, the simulation execution unit 909 can determine that the mounting setting has passed the simulation (test).

The robustness determination unit 910 determines whether each installation setting that passed the simulation by the simulation execution unit 909 has a predetermined robustness. The predetermined robustness means, for example, that the condition is met in which the cable does not interfere with the housing of the articulated robot and excessive force is not applied to the cable even if the length of the cable changes to a certain extent. As an example, when the predetermined robustness is "20 mm", the cable length included in the installation setting of the cable is "N mm". In this case, even if the cable length is "N + 20 mm" or "N - 20 mm", if the cable does not interfere with the housing of the articulated robot and excessive force is not applied to the cable, the robustness determination unit 910 determines that the installation setting of the cable has the predetermined robustness.

The part simulation unit 902 outputs to the combination selection unit 903 the installation settings (there may be multiple) for each part that pass the simulation and have a predetermined robustness.

The combination selection unit 903 selects a combination of mounting settings for each part obtained from the part simulation unit 902. Taking the articulated robot 180 as an example, when the combination selection unit 903 combines the mounting settings of a part consisting of L1, L2, and L3 with the mounting settings of a part consisting of L3 and L4, it combines those in which the mounting position (coordinates and posture) of the cable guide G2 matches. Similarly, when the mounting setting of a part consisting of L3 and L4 is combined with the mounting setting of a part consisting of L4, L5, and L6, it combines those in which the mounting position (coordinates and posture) of the cable guide G3 matches. In this way, the combination selection unit 903 selects a combination of mounting settings for each part (selects a combined mounting setting).

The combination simulation unit 904 executes a simulation (overall test) for the combination installation setting selected by the combination selection unit 903. The combination simulation unit 904 executes the motion of the articulated robot, and if the cables or cable guides do not interfere with the entire articulated robot and no excessive force is applied to the cables, it can be determined that the combination installation setting being tested has passed the simulation (overall test).

The global optimum setting output unit 905 selects the combination installation setting with the shortest cable length from among the combination installation settings that passed the simulation (test), and outputs the selected combination installation setting as the global optimum setting. The user can perform wiring for the actual multi-joint robot based on the global optimum setting.

C. Simulation Procedure and Screens
Next, a procedure for determining an awkward posture, a procedure for attaching the cable and the cable guide, and screens displayed on the display 109 will be described with reference to FIGS.

Figure 10 shows an example of a difficult posture for an articulated robot. To detect difficult postures for an articulated robot, the simulation system 900 reads the data and program for the articulated robot and reproduces the motion of the articulated robot in 3D space.

In the example display of FIG. 10, the display 109 displays the motion of the articulated robot 180 shown in FIG. 1. In one aspect, the simulation system 900 may display on the display 109 a replay scene of the motion of the articulated robot as shown in FIG. 10.

The playback scene 1005 of the simulation shows the reference pose of the articulated robot 180. The joint between links L3 and L4 of the articulated robot 180 can rotate within a range of motion 1020. The range of motion 1020 is not the physical range of motion of the joint between links L3 and L4, but the range of motion within the motion that the articulated robot 180 executes based on a program.

Simulation playback scene 1010 shows the state in which the joint between links L3 and L4 has rotated the most counterclockwise from the reference position in the motion. Simulation playback scene 1015 shows the state in which the joint between links L3 and L4 has rotated the most clockwise from the reference position in the motion. The states shown in simulation playback scenes 1010 and 1015 are the states in which the cable between links L3 and L4 is most twisted (the cable is most likely to be subjected to force), and correspond to the first and second difficult positions described with reference to FIG. 2.

The simulation system 900 can detect the first difficult posture and the second difficult posture by reading the program of the articulated robot 180 and replaying the motion of the articulated robot 180. The simulation system 900 may also display the replay of the motion of the articulated robot 180 and the detected difficult postures, such as the replay scenes 1005, 1010, and 1015 of the simulation, on the display 109 for presentation to the user.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of how a difficult posture is detected. The simulation system 900 plays back the motion of the articulated robot and records the angle of each link (in time series) for each timestamp. Note that the angle of each link may be expressed as the angle of each joint. In the example of Figure 11, the simulation system 900 plays back the motion of the articulated robot 180.

The motion playback scene 1101 is an example of when the angle between link L3 and link L4 is at its maximum. The simulation system 900 plays back the motion of the articulated robot 180, and records the angle 1111 of each link at the timestamp of the motion playback scene 1101.

The motion playback scene 1102 is an example of the display when the angle between link L3 and link L4 is at its minimum. The simulation system 900 plays back the motion of the articulated robot 180, and records the angle 1112 of each link at the timestamp of the motion playback scene 1102.

The simulation system 900 can detect difficult postures by comparing the angles between the links at each timestamp. For example, the simulation system 900 can calculate the angle between links L3 and L4 based on the angle of link L3 of "211.3345" and the angle of link L4 of "-72.15571" in the playback scene 1101 of the simulation. The simulation system 900 can detect, as a difficult posture in the part consisting of links L3 and L4, a posture in which the angle between links L3 and L4 during the simulation is maximum or minimum, or a posture in which the angle between links L3 and L4 during the simulation is near maximum or minimum.

Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of time-series data of the angles of each joint. The time-series data of the joint angles shown in Fig. 12 includes the angle of the joint of the adjacent link _Ln and the angle of the joint of the link Ln ₊₁ . Note that the joint of the link _Ln may be, for example, the joint that connects the links Ln _-1 and _Ln . Also, the joint of the link Ln ₊₁ may be, for example, the joint that connects the links _Ln and Ln ₊₁ .

12, at time stamp "2", the angle of the joint of link _Ln is the maximum value "90", and at time stamp "3", the angle of the joint of link Ln ₊₁ is the maximum value "90". For example, when attaching a cable to a part consisting of links connected via the joint of link _Ln and the joint of link Ln ₊₁ , the number of difficult postures increases by the number of links (the angle of the joint of link _Ln is the maximum value and the minimum value, and the angle of the joint of link Ln ₊₁ is the maximum value and the minimum value).

Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of the conditions for cable robustness. Assume that the simulation system 900 performs a simulation by attaching a cable between links L3 and L4 of the articulated robot 180 while changing the settings (cable length). As a result, assume that cables of "220 mm" or less fail, and cables of "240 mm" or more pass. Pass here means that the cable does not interfere with the housing of the articulated robot 180, or that the cable does not interfere with the housing of the articulated robot 180 and excessive force is not applied to the cable.

Here, let's say the robustness condition is "40 mm." In this case, even if the cable length of a certain installation setting is "40 mm" longer or shorter than the original length obtained by simulation, the installation setting must be able to pass the simulation.

If the cable length of a certain installation setting is "240 mm," shortening the cable length by "40 mm" from the original length will result in "200 mm," and the installation setting will fail the simulation. Therefore, the simulation system 900 excludes the installation setting with a cable length of "240 mm" from the candidates for the installation setting of the cable between links L3 and L4, as it does not satisfy robustness. The simulation system 900 includes installation settings with a cable length of "280 mm" or more as candidates for the installation setting of the cable between links L3 and L4, as it satisfies robustness.

In one aspect, the simulation system 900 may obtain robustness conditions via the operation unit 106 or the network interface 110.

Figure 14 is a diagram showing a first example of a display of a cable and cable guide installation simulation. In screen 1400, the simulation system 900 is installing a cable and a cable guide to the articulated robot 180. The simulation system 900 can display a simulation screen (animation) of the installation positions of the cable and cable guide shown in Figures 14 to 19 on the display 109. By checking these simulation screens, the user can check the installation image of the cable and cable guide.

The simulation system 900 fixes the part of the articulated robot 180 consisting of links L3 and L4 in a difficult posture. Next, the simulation system 900 attaches partial cable C2 and cable guides G2 and G3 to the part consisting of links L3 and L4. Furthermore, the simulation system 900 verifies whether partial cable C2 and cable guides G2 and G3 do not interfere with the housing of the articulated robot 180 and whether excessive force is applied to the cable.

Figure 15 is a diagram showing a second example of the display of a cable and cable guide installation simulation. In screen 1500, the simulation system 900 changes the installation position (position and length) of partial cable C2 and the installation positions (position and posture) of cable guides G2 and G3 from screen 1400.

Figure 16 is a diagram showing a third example of the display of the cable and cable guide installation simulation. In screen 1600, the simulation system 900 has further changed the installation position (position and length) of partial cable C2 and the installation positions (position and posture) of cable guides G2 and G3 from screens 1400 and 1500.

The simulation system 900 performs verification of multiple possible installation settings of partial cables C2 and cable guides G2, G3 for the part consisting of links L3, L4 that assume difficult postures. The simulation system 900 can then display the status of these verifications on the display 109.

Figure 17 is a diagram showing a fourth example of the display of a cable and cable guide installation simulation. In screen 1700, the simulation system 900 fixes the part of the articulated robot 180 consisting of links L4, L5, and L6 in a difficult position (link L6 is not displayed). Next, the simulation system 900 attaches partial cable C3 and cable guides G3 and G4 to the part consisting of links L4, L5, and L6. Furthermore, the simulation system 900 verifies whether partial cable C3 and cable guides G3 and G4 do not interfere with the housing of the articulated robot 180 and whether excessive force is applied to the cable.

Figure 18 is a diagram showing a fifth example of the display of a cable and cable guide installation simulation. In screen 1800, the simulation system 900 has changed the installation position (position and length) of partial cable C3 and the installation positions (position and posture) of cable guides G3 and G4 from screen 1700.

As described with reference to Figures 14 to 18, the simulation system 900 verifies the installation settings of multiple cables and cable guides for each part of the articulated robot 180. The simulation system 900 can then display the status of these verifications on the display 109.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a sixth example of a display of a cable and cable guide installation simulation. The simulation system 900 may perform a simulation of a cable including a connector 1930 of an electric chuck attached to an articulated robot 180. Screen 1910 displays a simulation of a normal cable. Screen 1920 displays a simulation of a cable including a connector 1930.

D. Flowchart
Next, the flow of internal processing of the simulation system 900 will be described with reference to Figures 20 and 21. In one aspect, the processor 102 may load a program for performing the processing of Figures 20 and 21 from the storage 111 into the main memory 104 and execute the program. In another aspect, a part or all of the processing may be realized as a combination of circuit elements configured to perform the processing.

Figure 20 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for simulating a cable in the simulation system 900. The following process will be explained using an example of a cable attached to an articulated robot 180.

In step S2005, the simulation system 900 acquires the motion of the articulated robot 180. In one aspect, the simulation system 900 may acquire the motion of the articulated robot 180 by analyzing the program of the articulated robot 180. In another aspect, the simulation system 900 may acquire the motion of the articulated robot 180 by operating the articulated robot 180 in a 3D space based on the program of the articulated robot 180.

In step S2010, the simulation system 900 generates a combination of joint angles in a time series. The process of step S2010 corresponds to the process described with reference to FIG. 11 and FIG. 12. The simulation system 900 generates a combination of joint angles in a time series for each of the links L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, and L6 (joints) in the articulated robot 180.

In step S2015, the simulation system 900 outputs the acquired time-series combination of joint angles. In one aspect, the simulation system 900 may output the acquired time-series combination of joint angles to the main memory 104 or the storage 111. In another aspect, the simulation system 900 may also output the acquired time-series combination of joint angles to the display 109.

In step S2020, the simulation system 900 executes a simulation in a difficult position for each partial cable (partial cables C1, C2, and C3 in FIG. 1). This corresponds to the first or second procedure in the simulation described with reference to FIG. 2. Details of step S2020 will be described later with reference to FIG. 21.

In step S2025, the simulation system 900 outputs a set of local optimal settings that have passed the simulation in the difficult position for each partial cable. As an example, the set of local optimal settings for partial cable C2 may include a passing setting for partial cable C2 (and cable guides G2, G3) in the first difficult position of the portion consisting of links L3 and L4, and a passing setting for partial cable C2 (and cable guides G2, G3) in the second difficult position of the portion consisting of links L3 and L4.

In one aspect, the simulation system 900 may output a set of local optimal settings for each partial cable to the main memory 104 or the storage 111. In another aspect, the simulation system 900 may also output a set of local optimal settings for each partial cable to the display 109.

In step S2030, the simulation system 900 performs a test on the combination of partial cables. That is, the simulation system 900 performs a test on the entire cable C (partial cable C1 + partial cable C2 + partial cable C3). The process of step S2030 corresponds to the third procedure described with reference to FIG. 2.

In step S2035, the simulation system 900 outputs a set of applicable settings that have passed the partial cable combination test. The set of applicable settings that have passed the partial cable combination test is the passing settings for cable C (including the lengths (or lengths and positions) of all partial cables, and the positions and postures of all cable guides), and can also be said to be the installation settings for the entire cable C.

In one aspect, the simulation system 900 may output to the main memory 104 or the storage 111 a set of applicable settings that have passed the partial cable combination test. In another aspect, the simulation system 900 may also output to the display 109 a set of applicable settings that have passed the partial cable combination test.

In step S2040, the simulation system 900 simulates the motion of the local optimal setting that results in the shortest cable length for each partial cable among the set of applicable settings that have passed the partial cable combination test.

The local optimal setting that results in the shortest cable length for each partial cable is the setting that results in the shortest length of cable C. That is, the simulation system 900 selects an applicable setting that results in the shortest length of cable C from the set of applicable settings, and executes the motion of the articulated robot 180 using the selected applicable setting (cable installation setting). The simulation system 900 then determines whether the cable does not interfere with the articulated robot 180 (whether the test is passed or not).

In step S2045, the simulation system 900 determines whether the local optimal setting passed the simulation in step S2040. If the simulation system 900 determines that the local optimal setting passed the simulation in step S2040 (YES in step S2045), it transfers control to step S2050. If not (NO in step S2045), the simulation system 900 transfers control to step S2040. When control returns to step S2040, the simulation system 900 selects the applicable setting that will result in the shortest length of cable C next to the applicable setting tested last time, and performs a test of that applicable setting. In other words, the simulation system 900 prioritizes testing the applicable setting with the shortest length of cable C from the set of applicable settings.

In step S2050, the simulation system 900 outputs the applicable settings that passed the test in step S2045 as the global optimal setting. The global optimal setting is the setting with the shortest length of cable C among the set of applicable settings that passed the test in step S2045. The global optimal setting also includes the setting of the length (or length and position) of each of all partial cables (partial cables C1, C2, C3) and the position and orientation of each of all cable guides (cable guides G1, G2, G3, G4).

Figure 21 is a flowchart showing an example of a subroutine of step S2020. In step S2105, the simulation system 900 executes the processing from step S2110 onwards for all joints.

In step S2110, the simulation system 900 selects all of the attachment simulation results in the first difficult position. The attachment simulation results in the first difficult position are the results of the first procedure or the second procedure described with reference to FIG. 2. For example, the attachment simulation results in the first difficult position for the part consisting of links L3 and L4 include the attachment settings of the partial cable C2 and the attachment settings of the cable guides G2 and G3 for the links L3 and L4 that take the first difficult position.

In step S2115, the simulation system 900 selects all of the attachment simulation results in the second difficult position. The attachment simulation results in the second difficult position are the results of the first procedure or the second procedure described with reference to FIG. 2. For example, the attachment simulation results in the second difficult position for the part consisting of links L3 and L4 include the attachment settings of partial cable C2 and cable guides G2 and G3 for links L3 and L4 in the second difficult position.

In step S2120, the simulation system 900 finds all acceptable settings from the attachment simulation results in the first difficult posture. For example, the acceptable settings in the first difficult posture of the part consisting of links L3 and L4 include the attachment settings of partial cable C2 and cable guides G2 and G3 in which the cable and cable guide do not interfere with the housing of the articulated robot 180. Alternatively, the acceptable settings in the first difficult posture of the part consisting of links L3 and L4 include the attachment settings of partial cable C2 and cable guides G2 and G3 in which the cable and cable guide do not interfere with the housing of the articulated robot 180 and excessive force is not applied to the cable.

In step S2125, the simulation system 900 finds all acceptable settings from the attachment simulation results in the second difficult posture. For example, the acceptable settings in the second difficult posture of the part consisting of links L3 and L4 include the attachment settings of partial cable C2 and cable guides G2 and G3 in which the cable and cable guide do not interfere with the housing of the articulated robot 180. Alternatively, the acceptable settings in the second difficult posture of the part consisting of links L3 and L4 include the attachment settings of partial cable C2 and cable guides G2 and G3 in which the cable and cable guide do not interfere with the housing of the articulated robot 180 and excessive force is not applied to the cable.

In step S2130, the simulation system 900 compares the pass settings of adjacent parts and extracts a pass setting in which the position and posture of the cable guide are the same. For example, the simulation system 900 compares the pass setting of the part consisting of links L1, L2, and L3 in the articulated robot 180 with the pass setting of the part consisting of links L3 and L4, and selects the one in which the position and posture of the cable guide G2 are equal. In other words, the simulation system 900 extracts the pass setting of adjacent parts that can be connected. Note that, since there is nothing to compare in the first loop, the simulation system 900 does not need to execute the process of step S2130.

In step S2135, the simulation system 900 extracts a passing setting that satisfies a predetermined length robustness (e.g., "40 mm") from the extracted passing settings. The processing of step S2135 corresponds to the processing described with reference to FIG. 13.

In step S2140, if the simulation system 900 has completed executing the processing in the loop for all joints, it ends the subroutine and transfers control to step S2025. If not, the simulation system 900 repeats the processing in the loop.

As described above, the simulation system 900 according to this embodiment determines a set of local optimal settings (attachment settings of cables and cable guides that do not interfere with the housing of the articulated robot in difficult postures) for each part of the articulated robot. Furthermore, the simulation system 900 combines these sets of local optimal settings to determine a global optimal setting. In this way, the simulation system 900 can significantly reduce the amount of calculations and efficiently derive cable attachment settings compared to a case where a simulation of cable movement is performed for all postures that the articulated robot can take.

<E. Notes>
As described above, the present embodiment includes the following disclosure.
[Configuration 1]
A system (900) for simulating cable installation in an articulated robot, comprising:
a posture detection unit (906) for detecting a first posture in which a first joint between the first link (L3) and the second link (L4) in a first section of the articulated robot, the first joint being at an angle that satisfies a predetermined condition,
a guide attachment portion (907) for identifying an attachment configuration of one or more cable guides in the first portion;
a cable attachment portion (908) (908) for identifying one or more first attachment configurations of a first cable portion;
a simulation execution unit (909) for executing the motion of the first portion and simulating the movement of the first partial cable;
A simulation system (900), wherein the first partial cable is a portion of the cable attached to the first portion taking the first position via the cable guide.
[Configuration 2]
2. The simulation system (900) of configuration 1, wherein the predetermined condition includes the angle of the first joint being a maximum angle in the motion of the articulated robot or within a first range from the maximum angle, or being a minimum angle or within a second range from the minimum angle.
[Configuration 3]
Further comprising a motion acquisition unit for acquiring a motion of the articulated robot,
The simulation system (900) according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the posture detection unit (906) detects the first posture from a time series of postures of the articulated robot acquired from the motion acquisition unit.
[Configuration 4]
The simulation system (900) of any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the cable attachment portion (908) specifies one or more first attachment settings that relay the first link (L3) and the second link (L4) when the first portion takes the first posture.
[Configuration 5]
A robustness determination unit (910) (910) for determining the robustness of the cable,
5. The simulation system (900) of configuration 4, wherein the robustness determination unit (910) determines whether each of the one or more first mounting configurations that have passed the simulation has a predetermined robustness.
[Configuration 6]
the posture detection unit (906) detects a second posture in which a second joint between the second link (L4) and the third link in a second part of the articulated robot, the second joint being at an angle that satisfies the predetermined condition,
The cable attachment portion (908) determines one or more second attachment settings of a second partial cable at the second portion having the second attitude;
The simulation system (900) according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the simulation execution unit (909) executes a simulation of the first partial cable and a simulation of the second partial cable separately.
[Configuration 7]
a second simulation unit (903) for executing a simulation of a link including two or more joints;
The second simulation unit (903) performs a simulation of the installation settings for the entire cable using the first installation setting that has passed the simulation of the first partial cable and the second installation setting that has passed the simulation of the second partial cable.The simulation system (900) described in configuration 6.
[Configuration 8]
Performing a simulation including the first portion and the second portion includes:
performing a motion of the first portion and the second portion;
and detecting when the cable interferes with the articulated robot during execution of a motion.
[Configuration 9]
The simulation system (900) according to configuration 8 further comprises an optimal setting output unit (905) that selects and outputs a setting that makes the cable shortest from among the multiple settings based on the existence of multiple settings that pass the simulation of the installation settings for the entire cable.
[Configuration 10]
1. A method performed by a simulation system, comprising:
A step of detecting a first posture in which a first joint between a first link (L3) and a second link (L4) of a multi-joint robot is at an angle that satisfies a predetermined condition, in a first section consisting of a first link (L3) and a second link (L4);
identifying one or more first attachment configurations for a first cable portion;
and executing a motion of the first portion to simulate a movement of the first partial cable;
A method, wherein the first partial cable is a portion of a cable attached to the first portion in the first position.
[Configuration 11]
11. A program for causing a computer to execute the method according to claim 10.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. Furthermore, it is intended that the disclosure contents described in the embodiments and each modified example may be implemented, as far as possible, either alone or in combination.

2 Control system, 5 IO remote terminal, 6 Photoelectric sensor, 8 Stopper, 9 Tray, 12 Power supply unit, 13 Calculation unit, 14, 53 IO unit, 17 Special unit, 22 Field network, 30 Robot, 41, 42, 1301 Servo motor, 51 Bus, 52 Communication coupler, 55 Table, 61, 71, 237, 239 Detection value, 80 Network, 81 System bus, 87 Proximity sensor, 100, 800 Device, 102 Processor, 104 Main memory, 106 Operation unit, 108 Output unit, 109 Display, 110 Network interface, 111 Storage, 112 Optical drive, 114 Recording medium, 116 Local communication interface, 130 Integrated development environment, 170 3D space, 180 Articulated robot, 210 Robot hand, 211, 222 Control command, 230 conveyor, 232 work, 236, 238 encoder, 240, 245 part, 260, 265, 280, 285, 290, L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6 link, 270, 295, 297 joint, 301 arm, 310 robot controller, 340, C cable, 531, 532 servo motor driver, 900 simulation system, 901 motion acquisition unit, 902 partial simulation unit, 903 combination selection unit, 904 simulation unit, 905 global optimum setting output unit, 906 difficult posture detection unit, 907 guide attachment unit, 908 cable attachment unit, 909 simulation execution unit, 910 robustness judgment unit, 1005, 1010, 1015, 1101, 1102 playback scene, 1020 Range of motion, 1111, 1112 Angle, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 1910, 1920 Screen, 1930 Connector, C1, C2, C3 Partial cable, G1, G2, G3, G4 Cable guide.

Claims (12)

A simulation system for cable installation in an articulated robot, comprising:
a posture detection unit for detecting a first posture in which a first joint between a first link and a second link of the articulated robot is at an angle that satisfies a predetermined condition, in a first portion including a first link and a second link of the articulated robot;
a guide attachment portion for specifying an attachment setting of one or more cable guides in the first portion having the first position ;
a cable attachment portion for identifying one or more first attachment settings of a first partial cable that is a part of the cable at the first portion in the first position;
a simulation execution unit for executing a motion of the first portion and simulating a movement of the first partial cable. The simulation system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined conditions include that the angle of the first joint is a maximum angle in the motion of the articulated robot or an angle within a first range from the maximum angle, or a minimum angle or an angle within a second range from the minimum angle. Further comprising a motion acquisition unit for acquiring a motion of the articulated robot,
The simulation system according to claim 1 , wherein the posture detection unit detects the first posture from a time series of postures of the articulated robot acquired from the motion acquisition unit. The simulation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cable attachment section specifies the one or more first attachment settings that relay the first link and the second link when the first section is in the first position. A robustness determination unit for determining the robustness of the cable,
The simulation system according to claim 4 , wherein the robustness determination unit determines whether each of the one or more first mounting configurations that have passed the simulation has a predetermined robustness. the posture detection unit detects a second posture in which a second joint between the second link and the third link of a second portion of the articulated robot, the second link and the third link are at an angle that satisfies the predetermined condition;
The cable attachment section determines one or more second attachment settings of a second partial cable that is a part of the cable at the second portion that takes the second position;
6. The simulation system according to claim 1, wherein the simulation execution unit executes a simulation of the first partial cable and a simulation of the second partial cable separately. Further comprising a second simulation unit that executes a simulation of a link including two or more joints;
The simulation system according to claim 6, wherein the second simulation unit performs a simulation of the installation settings for the entire cable using the first installation setting that has passed the simulation for the first partial cable and the second installation setting that has passed the simulation for the second partial cable. Performing a simulation including the first portion and the second portion includes:
performing a motion of the first portion and the second portion;
and detecting when the cable interferes with the articulated robot during execution of a motion. The simulation system according to claim 8, further comprising an optimal setting output unit that selects and outputs a setting that provides the shortest length for the cable from among the multiple settings based on the existence of multiple settings that pass the simulation of the installation settings for the entire cable. 1. A method performed by a simulation system, comprising:
detecting a first posture in which a first joint between a first link and a second link of a first portion of an articulated robot is at an angle that satisfies a predetermined condition;
identifying an attachment configuration of one or more cable guides at the first portion in the first position ;
Identifying one or more first attachment settings of a first partial cable that is a part of a cable attached to the articulated robot at the first portion in the first posture ;
and executing a motion of the first portion to simulate movement of the first partial cable. detecting a second posture in which a second joint between the second link and the third link of a second portion of the articulated robot, the second link and the third link, is at an angle that satisfies the predetermined condition;
determining one or more second attachment settings of a second partial cable that is a part of the cable at the second portion in the second position;
The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of separately performing a simulation of the first partial cable and a simulation of the second partial cable. A program for causing a computer to execute the method according to claim 10 or 11 .

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