Robot control system

Abstract

A robot control system includes: an end effector for acting upon an object to be worked; a manipulator mechanically supporting the end effector to apply predetermined movements to the end effector; a plurality of sensors mounted on the end effector to detect a position (x) of the end effector and a force (f) between the end effector and the object and to obtain an acceleration speed (x"), a speed (x') and a work rate (-x'f) of the end effector; a pre-controller for controlling movement of the end effector and the manipulator; a plurality of selection function units connected in parallel to the pre-controller and at least one of the selection function units being selected in accordance with the acceleration speed (x"), the speed (x') and the work rate (-x'f); and a plurality of control units each connected to a corresponding selecting function unit for inputting a target trajectory (x d ) of the end effector and for outputting a control signal (u) to the pre-controller to control movement of the end effector and the manipulator; wherein, the selection function unit is selected in accordance with a value of either "0" or "other than 0" of the acceleration speed, the speed and the work rate; and the control signal from the control unit corresponding to the selection function unit is input to the pre-controller to control movement of the end effector and the manipulator through the selection function unit.

We claim: 
     
       1. A robot control system, comprising: an end effector for acting upon an object to be worked;   a manipulator which mechanically supports the end effector and thereby is operative to move the end effector;   a plurality of sensors mounted on the end effector and operative to detect, and to produce corresponding outputs representative of, a position (x) of the end effector, a force (f) between the end effector and the object and an acceleration (x"), a speed (x') and a work rate (-x'f) of the end effector;   a pre-controller which controls movement of the end effector by the manipulator;   a plurality of selection function means having respective outputs connected in parallel to the pre-controller and at least one of the selection function means being selected in accordance with the sensor outputs representative of the acceleration (x"), the speed (x') and the work rate (-x'f);   a plurality of control means respectively connected to the plurality of selection function means and individually operative, for receiving and inputting, in common, a target trajectory (x d ) of the end effector and for outputting respective control signals (u) to the pre-controller to control movement of the end effector and the manipulator; and   each said selected one of the selection function means being selected in accordance with respective values, each value being one of "0" and "other than 0", of the acceleration, the speed and the work rate sensor outputs; and the respective control signal (u), from each control means corresponding to a selected one of the selection function means, is input to the pre-controller thereby to control movement of the end effector .[.by.]. .Iadd.and .Iaddend.the manipulator.   
     
     
       2. A robot control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of selection function means utilizes one of a Kronecher delta function and an enlarged Kronecher delta function. 
     
     
       3. A robot control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein movement of the manipulator is defined by the following formula for one direction component;   mx"+b.[.x".]..Iadd.x'.Iaddend.+kx=u+f     wherein, "x" denotes the position of the end effector, "x'" denotes the speed of the end effector, "x"" denotes the acceleration of the end effector, "f" denotes the force applied from the object to the end effector, "u" denotes the control signal generated by the control means, "m" denotes a weight, "b" denotes a viscosity, and "k" denotes an elasticity and, further, each of these values is a .[."scaler".]. .Iadd."scalar" .Iaddend.value.   
     
     
       4. A robot control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of selection function means comprise respective ones of eight kinds of Kronecher delta functions. .Iadd.5. A robot control system, comprising: an acting device for acting upon an object to be worked;   a plurality of sensors mounted on the acting device and operative to detect, and to produce corresponding outputs representative of, a position (x) of the acting device, a force (f) between the acting device and the object and an acceleration (x"), a speed (x') and a work rate (-x'f) of the acting device;   a pre-controller which controls movement of the acting device;   a plurality of selection function devices having respective outputs connected in parallel to the pre-controller and at least one of the selection function devices being selected in accordance with the sensor outputs representative of the acceleration (x"), the speed (x') and the work rate (-x'f);   a plurality of control devices respectively connected to the plurality of selection function devices and individually operative for receiving and inputting, in common, a target trajectory (x d ) of the acting device and for outputting respective control signals (u) to the pre-controller to control movement of the acting device; and   each said selected one of the selection function devices being selected in accordance with the respective values, each value being one of "0" and "other than 0", of the acceleration, the speed and the work rate sensor outputs; and the respective control signal (u), from each controller corresponding to a selected one of the selection function devices, is input to the pre-controller thereby to control movement of the acting   
     
     
        device. .Iaddend..Iadd.6.  A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of selection function devices utilizes one of a Kronecher delta function and an enlarged Kronecher delta function. .Iaddend..Iadd.7. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein movement of the acting device is defined by the following formula for one direction component;   mx"+bx'+kx=u+f     wherein, "x" denotes the position of the acting device, "x'" denotes the speed of the acting device, "x"" denotes the acceleration of the acting device, "f" denotes the force applied from the object to the acting device, "u" denotes the control signal generated by the controller, "m" denotes a weight, "b" denotes a viscosity, and "k" denotes an elasticity and, further, each of these values is a "scalar" value. .Iaddend..Iadd.8. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the plurality of selection function devices comprise respective ones of eight kinds of Kronecher   
     
     
        delta functions. .Iaddend..Iadd.9.  A controller controlling an acting device for acting upon an object to be worked, comprising: a receiving unit receiving an output from a plurality of sensors mounted on the acting device and operative to detect, and to produce corresponding outputs representative of information concerning the acting device and the object;   a pre-controller which controls movement of the acting device;   a plurality of selection function devices having respective outputs connected in parallel to the pre-controller and at least one of the selection function devices being selected in accordance with the sensor outputs representative of the information concerning the acting device and the object;   a plurality of control devices respectively connected to the plurality of selection function devices and individually operative for receiving and inputting, in common, a target trajectory (x d ) of the acting device and for outputting respective control signals (u) to the pre-controller to control movement of the acting device; and   each said selected one of the selection function devices being selected in accordance with respective values of the information concerning the acting device and each said selected one of the selection function devices being selected in accordance with respective values of the information concerning the acting device and the object, which information from said sensors; and the respective control signal (u), from each control means corresponding to a selected one of the selection function means, is input to the pre-controller thereby to control movement of the acting device. .Iaddend..Iadd.10. A controller as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of selection function devices utilizes one of a Kronecher delta   
     
     
        function and an enlarged Kronecher delta function. .Iaddend..Iadd.11.  A controller as claimed in claim 9, wherein movement of the acting device is defined by the following formula for one direction component;   mx"+bx'+kx=u+f     wherein, "x" denotes the position of the acting device, "x'" denotes the speed of the acting device, "x"" denotes the acceleration of the acting device, "f" denotes the force applied from the object to the acting device, "u" denotes the control signal generated by the controller, "m" denotes a weight, "b" denotes a viscosity, and "k" denotes an elasticity and, further, each of these values is a "scalar" value. .Iaddend..Iadd.12. A controller as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of selection function devices implement respective ones of eight kinds of Kronecher delta functions. .Iaddend..Iadd.13. A controller apparatus, comprising:   a pre-controller controlling a dynamic relationship of an element to an object in response to an element control signal;   plural sensors producing respective, plural sensor outputs, each sensor output having differing values representing differing sensed relationships of the element to the object;   plural function selector devices, one or more thereof being selected in accordance with combinations of the sensor outputs;   plural controllers respectively associated with the plural selection function units, each controller processing a desired target trajectory of the element relative to the object and outputting a respective component element control signal to the respectively associated selection function device; and   the selected, selection function devices outputting the respective component element control signals received thereby, a composite thereof comprising the element control signal. .Iaddend..Iadd.14. The controller recited in claim 13, wherein the plural controllers receive a common, desired target trajectory and output the respective component element control signals in parallel to the respectively associated selection function devices. .Iaddend..Iadd.15. A method of controlling an element relative to an object, comprising:   controlling a dynamic relationship of an element to an object in response to an element control signal;   producing plural sensor outputs, each sensor output having differing values representing differing sensed relationships of the element to the object;   processing a desired target trajectory of an element relative to the object in accordance with plural different functions and outputting, in parallel, respective component element control signals; and   selecting and outputting one or more of the parallel component element control signals, responsive to sensed relationships of the element to the object, a composite thereof comprising the element control signal. .Iaddend.