WO2000018548A1 - Operator assisted robotic apparatus - Google Patents
Operator assisted robotic apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2000018548A1 WO2000018548A1 PCT/NZ1998/000153 NZ9800153W WO0018548A1 WO 2000018548 A1 WO2000018548 A1 WO 2000018548A1 NZ 9800153 W NZ9800153 W NZ 9800153W WO 0018548 A1 WO0018548 A1 WO 0018548A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- arm
- operator
- assisted robotic
- control means
- robotic arm
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
- B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
- B25J13/00—Controls for manipulators
- B25J13/02—Hand grip control means
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
- B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
- B25J9/00—Programme-controlled manipulators
- B25J9/02—Programme-controlled manipulators characterised by movement of the arms, e.g. cartesian coordinate type
- B25J9/023—Cartesian coordinate type
- B25J9/026—Gantry-type
Definitions
- the invention comprises an operator assisted robotic arm apparatus.
- Industrial robots which may be programmed to independently carry out various operations on an assembly line or in other industrial situations are now well known. Generally an industrial robot replaces a human worker altogether in relation to the particular operations or steps which the robot is programmed to carry out.
- the invention provides an operator assisted robotic arm which is not preprogrammed but is controlled in use by an operator, and is used to assist the operator.
- the arm effectively gives the operator increased strength and may also give the operator an increased range of movement.
- a single operator is able to achieve tasks more quickly, or tasks which in the past may have required more than one human worker.
- the invention comprises an operator assisted robotic arm apparatus comprising an arm adapted to carry on an end of the arm a gripping means or tool and which arm is telescopically extendable and/ or is carried by a support means able to move the arm whereby the gripping means or tool is moveable in at least two planes, and operator control means mounted on or closely associated with the arm and interfaced to the arm and arm support means and enabling an operator to manually control movement of the arm in at least two planes with speed and/ or force proportional to pressure applied to the control means by the operator and in the same direction.
- the operator may manually control movement of the arm with speed and/ or force proportional to the degree of displacement of the control means from a neutral position caused by the operator, and in the same direction.
- the arm is moveable in three planes under said manual control by the operator and the control means includes a handle part held by the operator and which is itself moveable in forward and reverse, up and down, and side to side directions to cause the arm to move in the same directions.
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form operator assisted robotic arm apparatus of the invention
- Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing detail of the joy stick-type control device and associated load cell configuration of the preferred form operator assisted robotic arm of Figure 1,
- Figure 3 shows the gripper on the end of the arm of Figure 1 in more detail
- Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 of another form of operator assisted robotic arm apparatus of the invention.
- the preferred form operator assisted robotic arm apparatus comprises a telescopic arm generally indicated at 1 and comprising a part 2 housing a double acting pneumatic ram and a moving part 3 able to be extended and retracted in the direction of arrow A, in forward and reverse directions or a substantially horizontal plane.
- the arm carry s on its end a gripping device 4 but alternatively may carry or be adapted to have fitted to it any other form of tool or similar such as a fixed or motorised cutting blade for example.
- the gripping device 4 which is shown in more detail in Figure 2 comprises jaws 5 and 6 which may be opened or closed by the operator, for example via a thumb button (not shown) on the side of the control device 3.
- the jaw 6 is moved by pneumatic cylinder 7, the shaft of which is coupled to the back of the jaw 6 by pivot coupling 8.
- the arm is carried by an overhead car 9 which moves on rails 10 in the direction indicated by arrow B, from side to side or in a substantially transverse plane.
- the rails 10 may be arranged parallel to a carcass dressing chain, which is shown by way of example in Figure 1 at 1 1.
- the car 9 carrying the arm may be caused to move on the rails 10 by a motorised chain drive, a pneumatic or hydraulic ram, or similar.
- the arm is also carried by telescopic support 12 which is carried by the car 9, so that the arm can also move in the direction of arrow C, up and down or in a substantially vertical plane.
- the telescopic support 12 comprises a fixed part 13 housing a double acting pneumatic ram, and a moving part 14.
- control means 15 by which an operator may direct and control movement of the gripping device 4 to assist with tasks which otherwise must be done entirely manually.
- control means includes a handle part or joy stick- type control device 15 mounted in a housing 16 and an associated configuration of load cells 17, which is shown in cross- section in Figure 3.
- the arrangement is such that moving the control handle 15 in forward and reverse, up and down, or side to side directions causes the arm to move in the same directions. The more pressure is applied to the control 15 in any direction by the operator, the faster and/ or the greater the force with which the arm will move in that same direction.
- the load cell configuration is arranged to measure pressure applied by the operator in three planes, forward and reverse, side to side, and up and down by pulling upwardly or pressing downwardly on the control 15, and the load cell configuration provides an electric signal output for each direction proportional in amplitude to the pressure applied to the control 15 in that direction by the operator.
- the speed and/ or force with which the arm moves in any direction may be proportional simply to the degree of displacement of the control 15 from its centre position caused by the operator, and in the same direction, but it is most preferred that movement of the arm is proportional to the pressure applied to the control 15 by the operator.
- air supply to the ports of each cylinder is through a proportional valve where the volume and direction of air is determined by the amplitude of a low voltage signal passed to each valve's controller.
- the arms may be operated by equivalent hydraulic rams or mechanical stepper motor-based gear drive type systems for example.
- Figure 4 shows a similar but alternative form of operator assisted robotic arm of the invention.
- the arm 1 is pivotally mounted to the support 12 instead of telescopically mounted, so that the arm can move about pivot 18 in the direction of arrow C in Figure 4, again under the control of a suitably positioned pneumatic or hydraulic ram or gear drive system associated with the pivot.
- the support 12 is pivotally mounted to an overhead structure 19 via pivot 20, so that instead of being carried by overhead car 9 on rails 10 as in the arm of Figure 1, the arm shown in Figure 4 can move transversely by pivoting about the pivot 20 in the direction of arrow B, again under the control of a suitably positioned pneumatic or hydraulic arm or gear drive system for example.
- the operator can perform tasks requiring human sensing ability and dexterity and be assisted with the power and flexibility of a machine.
- a hand control device on or closely associated with the arm an operator can move the gripping device or other tool on the end of the arm to follow the motion of the operator's hand.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Robotics (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Manipulator (AREA)
Abstract
An operator assisted robotic arm apparatus comprises an arm adapted to carry on an end of the arm (1) a gripping means (4) or tool and which arm is telescopically extendable and/or is carried by a support means (12) able to move the arm whereby the gripping means or tool is moveable in at least two planes. An operator control means (15) mounted on or closely associated with the arm and interfaced to the arm enables an operator to manually control movement of the arm with speed and/or force proportional to pressure applied to the control means by the operator and in the same direction.
Description
OPERATOR ASSISTED ROBOTIC APPARATUS FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention comprises an operator assisted robotic arm apparatus.
BACKGROUND
Industrial robots which may be programmed to independently carry out various operations on an assembly line or in other industrial situations are now well known. Generally an industrial robot replaces a human worker altogether in relation to the particular operations or steps which the robot is programmed to carry out.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The invention provides an operator assisted robotic arm which is not preprogrammed but is controlled in use by an operator, and is used to assist the operator. The arm effectively gives the operator increased strength and may also give the operator an increased range of movement. A single operator is able to achieve tasks more quickly, or tasks which in the past may have required more than one human worker.
In broad terms the invention comprises an operator assisted robotic arm apparatus comprising an arm adapted to carry on an end of the arm a gripping means or tool and which arm is telescopically extendable and/ or is carried by a support means able to move the arm whereby the gripping means or tool is moveable in at least two planes, and operator control means mounted on or closely associated with the arm and interfaced to the arm and arm support means and enabling an operator to manually control movement of the arm in at least two planes with speed and/ or force proportional to pressure applied to the control means by the operator and in the same direction. In an alternative form the operator may manually control movement of the arm with speed and/ or force proportional to the degree of displacement of the control means from a neutral position caused by the operator, and in the same direction.
Preferably the arm is moveable in three planes under said manual control by the operator and the control means includes a handle part held by the operator and which is itself moveable in forward and reverse, up and down, and side to side directions to cause the arm to move in the same directions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred forms of the invention are further described by way of example and without intending to be limiting, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form operator assisted robotic arm apparatus of the invention,
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing detail of the joy stick-type control device and associated load cell configuration of the preferred form operator assisted robotic arm of Figure 1,
Figure 3 shows the gripper on the end of the arm of Figure 1 in more detail, and
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 of another form of operator assisted robotic arm apparatus of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED FORMS
Referring to Figure 1 , the preferred form operator assisted robotic arm apparatus comprises a telescopic arm generally indicated at 1 and comprising a part 2 housing a double acting pneumatic ram and a moving part 3 able to be extended and retracted in the direction of arrow A, in forward and reverse directions or a substantially horizontal plane. The arm carry s on its end a gripping device 4 but alternatively may carry or be adapted to have fitted to it any other form of tool or similar such as a fixed or motorised cutting blade for example.
In the preferred form the gripping device 4 which is shown in more detail in Figure 2 comprises jaws 5 and 6 which may be opened or closed by the operator, for example via a thumb button (not shown) on the side of the control device 3. The jaw 6 is moved by pneumatic cylinder 7, the shaft of which is coupled to the back of the jaw 6 by pivot coupling 8.
The arm is carried by an overhead car 9 which moves on rails 10 in the direction indicated by arrow B, from side to side or in a substantially transverse plane. In a meat works for example the rails 10 may be arranged parallel to a carcass dressing chain, which is shown by way of example in Figure 1 at 1 1. The car 9 carrying the arm may be caused to move on the rails 10 by a motorised chain drive, a pneumatic or hydraulic ram, or similar.
The arm is also carried by telescopic support 12 which is carried by the car 9, so that the arm can also move in the direction of arrow C, up and down or in a substantially vertical plane. The telescopic support 12 comprises a fixed part 13 housing a double acting pneumatic ram, and a moving part 14.
Mounted on the arm is a control means 15 by which an operator may direct and control movement of the gripping device 4 to assist with tasks which otherwise must be done entirely manually. In the preferred form the control means includes a handle part or joy stick- type control device 15 mounted in a housing 16 and an associated configuration of load cells 17, which is shown in cross- section in Figure 3. The arrangement is such that moving the control handle 15 in forward and reverse, up and down, or side to side directions causes the arm to move in the same directions. The more pressure is applied to the control 15 in any direction by the operator, the faster and/ or the greater the force with which the arm will move in that same direction. The load cell configuration is arranged to measure pressure applied by the operator in three planes, forward and reverse, side to side, and up and down by pulling upwardly or pressing downwardly on the control 15, and the load cell configuration provides an electric signal output for each direction proportional in amplitude to the pressure applied
to the control 15 in that direction by the operator. In an alternative arrangement, the speed and/ or force with which the arm moves in any direction may be proportional simply to the degree of displacement of the control 15 from its centre position caused by the operator, and in the same direction, but it is most preferred that movement of the arm is proportional to the pressure applied to the control 15 by the operator. Where double acting pneumatic cylinders are used to move the arm in directions A and C for example, air supply to the ports of each cylinder is through a proportional valve where the volume and direction of air is determined by the amplitude of a low voltage signal passed to each valve's controller. Alternatively the arms may be operated by equivalent hydraulic rams or mechanical stepper motor-based gear drive type systems for example.
Figure 4 shows a similar but alternative form of operator assisted robotic arm of the invention. In this form the arm 1 is pivotally mounted to the support 12 instead of telescopically mounted, so that the arm can move about pivot 18 in the direction of arrow C in Figure 4, again under the control of a suitably positioned pneumatic or hydraulic ram or gear drive system associated with the pivot. Similarly the support 12 is pivotally mounted to an overhead structure 19 via pivot 20, so that instead of being carried by overhead car 9 on rails 10 as in the arm of Figure 1, the arm shown in Figure 4 can move transversely by pivoting about the pivot 20 in the direction of arrow B, again under the control of a suitably positioned pneumatic or hydraulic arm or gear drive system for example.
Using the operator assisted robotic arm of the invention the operator can perform tasks requiring human sensing ability and dexterity and be assisted with the power and flexibility of a machine. Using a hand control device on or closely associated with the arm an operator can move the gripping device or other tool on the end of the arm to follow the motion of the operator's hand.
The foregoing describes the invention including preferred forms thereof. Alterations and modifications as will be obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be incorporated within the scope hereof, as defined in the accompanying claims.
Claims
1. An operator assisted robotic arm apparatus comprising an arm adapted to carry on an end of the arm a gripping means or tool and which arm is telescopically extendable and/ or is carried by a support means able to move the arm whereby the gripping means or tool is moveable in at least two planes, and operator control means mounted on or closely associated with the arm and interfaced to the arm and arm support means and enabling an operator to manually control movement of the arm in at least two planes with speed and/ or force proportional to pressure applied to the control means by the operator and in the same direction.
2. An operator assisted robotic arm apparatus comprising an arm adapted to carry on an end of the arm a gripping means or tool and which is telescopically extendable and/ or is carried by a support means able to move the arm whereby the gripping means or tool is moveable in at least two planes, and operator control means mounted on or closely associated with the arm and interfaced to the arm and arm support means and enabling an operator to manually control movement of the arm in at least two planes with speed and/ or force proportional to the degree of displacement of the control means from a neutral position caused by the operator, and in the same direction.
3. An operator assisted robotic arm apparatus according to either of claims 1 and 2 wherein the arm is moveable in three planes under said manual control by the operator.
4. An operator assisted robotic arm apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the control means includes a load cell configuration arranged to measure pressure applied to the control means by an operator.
5. An operator assisted robotic arm apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein said control means includes a controller handle held by the operator and which is itself moveable in forward and reverse, up and down, and side to side directions to cause the arm to move in the same directions.
6. An operator assisted robotic arm apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the controller handle comprises a joy-stick type control device.
7. An operator assisted robotic arm apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the arm is telescopically extendable in a substantially horizontal plane, and is carried by a mounting able to raise and lower the arm in a substantially vertical plane and by a mounting able to move the arm back and forth in a transverse plane.
8. An operator assisted robotic arm apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said mounting able to raise and lower the arm in a substantially vertical plane is also a telescopic mounting.
9. An operator assisted robotic arm apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 8 wherein movement of the arm in at least one direction is controlled by a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder and movement of the arm is effected by introducing air or fluid into the pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder in volume and direction proportional to the amplitude of an electric signal transmitted from the control means.
10. An operator assisted robotic arm apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 8 wherein movement of the arm in at least two directions is controlled by a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder and movement of the arm is effected by introducing air or fluid into the pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder in volume and direction proportional to the amplitude of an electric signal transmitted from the control means.
11. An operator assisted robotic arm apparatus comprising an arm adapted to carry on an end of the arm a gripping means or tool and which is telescopically extendable in one plane and is carried by a support means able to move the arm in at least one other plane, and operator control means including a handle part to be held by the operator in use and mounted on or closely associated with the arm and interfaced to the arm and arm support means and which is itself moveable in forward and reverse, up and down, and side to side directions to cause the arm to move in the same directions, enabling an operator to manually control movement of the arm with speed and/ or force proportional to the pressure applied to the control means by the operator and in the same direction.
12. An operator assisted robotic arm apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the arm is moveable in three planes under said manual control by the operator.
13. An operator assisted robotic arm apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU97672/98A AU9767298A (en) | 1998-10-09 | 1998-10-13 | Operator assisted robotic apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ32890797 | 1997-10-09 | ||
| NZ328907 | 1997-10-09 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| WO2000018548A1 true WO2000018548A1 (en) | 2000-04-06 |
Family
ID=19926471
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/NZ1998/000153 WO2000018548A1 (en) | 1997-10-09 | 1998-10-09 | Operator assisted robotic apparatus |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| WO (1) | WO2000018548A1 (en) |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2010025522A1 (en) * | 2008-09-08 | 2010-03-11 | Meat And Livestock Australia Limited | An apparatus for use in breaking down an animal carcass |
| EP2399460A1 (en) * | 2010-06-28 | 2011-12-28 | GSF Gesellschaft für System- und Fördertechnik mbH | Charging device, baking device and baking method |
| ITRE20120065A1 (en) * | 2012-10-09 | 2014-04-10 | Fava Giorgio Axel S R L | MANIPULATOR APPARATUS |
| CN109465807A (en) * | 2018-10-19 | 2019-03-15 | 上海应用技术大学 | A kind of longitudinal axis structure and robot of truss robot |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4348634A (en) * | 1979-08-02 | 1982-09-07 | Association Des Ouvriers En Instruments De Precision | Manual control means for controlling the movements of a motor-driven element |
| GB2110428A (en) * | 1981-11-25 | 1983-06-15 | Offshore Syst Eng Osel | Control system for a manipulator arm |
| US5116180A (en) * | 1988-07-18 | 1992-05-26 | Spar Aerospace Limited | Human-in-the-loop machine control loop |
| US5125789A (en) * | 1990-01-02 | 1992-06-30 | Peerless Automation | Molded parts removal and transfer robot |
| WO1996026044A2 (en) * | 1995-02-21 | 1996-08-29 | Clansman Dynamics Limited | Material handling |
| JPH09234684A (en) * | 1996-02-29 | 1997-09-09 | Nippon Sharyo Seizo Kaisha Ltd | Manually-operated manipulator |
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1998
- 1998-10-09 WO PCT/NZ1998/000153 patent/WO2000018548A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4348634A (en) * | 1979-08-02 | 1982-09-07 | Association Des Ouvriers En Instruments De Precision | Manual control means for controlling the movements of a motor-driven element |
| GB2110428A (en) * | 1981-11-25 | 1983-06-15 | Offshore Syst Eng Osel | Control system for a manipulator arm |
| US5116180A (en) * | 1988-07-18 | 1992-05-26 | Spar Aerospace Limited | Human-in-the-loop machine control loop |
| US5125789A (en) * | 1990-01-02 | 1992-06-30 | Peerless Automation | Molded parts removal and transfer robot |
| WO1996026044A2 (en) * | 1995-02-21 | 1996-08-29 | Clansman Dynamics Limited | Material handling |
| JPH09234684A (en) * | 1996-02-29 | 1997-09-09 | Nippon Sharyo Seizo Kaisha Ltd | Manually-operated manipulator |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
| Title |
|---|
| PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN * |
Cited By (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2010025522A1 (en) * | 2008-09-08 | 2010-03-11 | Meat And Livestock Australia Limited | An apparatus for use in breaking down an animal carcass |
| AU2009290149B2 (en) * | 2008-09-08 | 2013-05-09 | Meat And Livestock Australia Limited | An apparatus for use in breaking down an animal carcass |
| EP2399460A1 (en) * | 2010-06-28 | 2011-12-28 | GSF Gesellschaft für System- und Fördertechnik mbH | Charging device, baking device and baking method |
| ITRE20120065A1 (en) * | 2012-10-09 | 2014-04-10 | Fava Giorgio Axel S R L | MANIPULATOR APPARATUS |
| WO2014057337A1 (en) * | 2012-10-09 | 2014-04-17 | Fava S.N.C. Di Adele Turetta & C. | A handling apparatus |
| US9944462B2 (en) | 2012-10-09 | 2018-04-17 | Fava S.N.C. Di Adele Turetta & C. | Handling apparatus |
| CN109465807A (en) * | 2018-10-19 | 2019-03-15 | 上海应用技术大学 | A kind of longitudinal axis structure and robot of truss robot |
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