Set-up arrangement and method for setting up a mobile automation

Abstract

A setting-up arrangement and a method for setting up a mobile automaton includes at least the steps of a) coupling a movable element of the mobile automaton to a movable guide element of a guide device, b) exerting a force on the movable element via the movable guide element by operating the guide device, by which the movable element is moved in a guided manner along a predetermined movement profile via the guide element, c) acquiring a setup dataset characterizing the movement profile and, as a result, setting up the mobile automaton.

Claims

1. A method for setting up a mobile automaton, comprising: a) coupling a movable element of the mobile automaton to a movable guide element of a guide device; b) exerting a force on the movable element via the movable guide element by operating the guide device such that the movable element is moved in a guided manner along a predetermined movement profile via the movable guide element, before or during the exertion of force, the movable element being placed in a passive state, in which the movable element is decoupled from a drive device which is configured to move the movable element; and c) acquiring a setup dataset characterizing the predetermined movement profile and, as a result, setting up the mobile automaton such that the mobile automaton is prevented from overstepping a predefined working area of the mobile automaton.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein before or during the exertion of force in step b), at least one holding brake of the mobile automaton is switched from a braked position in which a movement of the movable element is suppressed into a further position in which the movement of the movable element is permitted.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein during the exertion of force in step b) the movable element is held by the movable guide element in a manner counter to a force of gravity acting on the movable element.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein during the acquisition of the setup dataset in step c), at least one sensor value from a movement sensor assigned to the mobile automaton is utilized.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile automaton comprises a multi-axis robot.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the multi-axis robot comprises a delta-picker.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide device comprises a multi-element guide robot.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the multi-element guide robot comprises a selective compliance assembly robot arm (SCARA) robot.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined movement profile comprises at least one of (i) at least one speed profile and (ii) at least one acceleration profile of the movable element.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one speed profile is proportional to a working speed profile of the movable element, said working speed profile changing over time.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one acceleration profile is proportional to a working acceleration profile of the movable element, said working acceleration profile changing over time.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one acceleration profile is proportional to a working acceleration profile of the movable element, said working acceleration profile changing over time.

13. A setting-up arrangement, comprising: a guide device having a movable guide element; and a mobile automaton having a movable element which is coupled to the movable guide element of the guide device, said guide device being configured to exert a force on the movable element via the movable guide element upon operation of the guide device such that the movable element is moveable in a guided manner along a predetermined movement profile by the movable guide element, and via which a setup dataset characterizing the predetermined movement profile is acquired and, as a result, the mobile automaton is set up such that the mobile automaton is prevented from overstepping a predefined working area of the mobile automaton; wherein, before or during the exertion of force, the movable element is placed in a passive state, in which the movable element is decoupled from a drive device which is configured to move the movable element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will now be explained in more detail by using the appended drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a setting-up arrangement comprising a mobile automaton and a guide device; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a method for setting up the mobile automaton.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(4) The exemplary embodiments outlined in more detail below constitute preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that the individual features can be implemented not only in the outlined combinations but also on their own or in other technically expedient combinations. In particular, combinations with the features from the prior art mentioned at the beginning can also be made.

(5) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a set-up arrangement 1, which comprises a mobile automaton 2, having a movable element 3 and a guide device 6 with a movable guide element 7. The mobile automaton 2 is constructed as a delta-picker in the present case. The guide device 6 is formed as a SCARA robot in the present case.

(6) Here, the movable element 3 is formed as a tool of the mobile automaton 2 and is arranged at a free end 16 of the mobile automaton 2.

(7) The movable guide element 7 is arranged at a free end 17 of the guide device 6 in the present case. The guide element 7 can be moved in a guided manner via multiple guide elements 12 of the guide device 6 by a drive of the guide device 6, not shown further, here.

(8) The movable element 3 is connected via a plurality of movable elements 5 of the mobile automaton 2 to a base 4 of the mobile automaton 2 and, as a result, is movable relative to the base 4. The mobile automaton 2 can, for example, be movably supported on a hall ceiling via the base 4.

(9) In order to operate the mobile automaton 2 in an automated manner and in the process to move the movable element 3, such as relative to the base 4, the mobile automaton 2 comprises a drive device 13, illustrated merely schematically here. In addition, the mobile automaton 2 comprises a holding brake 14, via which the movable element 3 can be held fast. The drive device 13 and the holding brake 14 are coupled in a signal-transmitting manner to a control device 10 of the mobile automaton 2. As a result, the drive device 13 can be activated via the control device 10 in order to move the movable element 3 specifically and, for example, to perform order-picking processes or sorting processes during the automatic operation of the mobile automaton 2. In addition, the holding brake 14 can be switched via the control device 10 between a braked position, in which the movement of the movable element 3 is made possible, and at least one further position.

(10) The movable element 3 of the mobile automaton 2 is coupled to the movable guide element 7 of the guide device 6 in the set-up arrangement 1. As a result, the movable guide element 7 receives the movable element 3 counter to the force of gravity F_G acting on the movable element 3.

(11) The set-up arrangement 1 is configured to exert a force on the movable element 3 via the movable guide element 7 by operating the guide device 6.

(12) As a result of the exertion of force, the movable element 3 can be moved in a guided manner by the movable guide element 7 along a predetermined movement profile 9 within a working area 8 of the mobile automaton 2.

(13) In order to acquire a setup dataset 11 characterizing the movement profile 9, via which the mobile automaton 2 can be operated in an automated manner, the mobile automaton 2 comprises a movement sensor 15 which, in the present case, is arranged on the movable element 3, and which is configured to acquire the position, to acquire the speed and to acquire the acceleration. The setup dataset 11 acquired via the movement sensor 15 can be stored in the control device 10 to set up the mobile automaton 2.

(14) After the set-up has been performed, the mobile automaton 2 can be operated in an automated manner based on the setup dataset 11.

(15) The set-up arrangement 1 is generally configured to perform a method for setting up the mobile automaton 2, where individual method steps a), b) and c) are illustrated schematically in the flowchart shown in FIG. 2.

(16) In step a), the coupling of the movable element 3 of the mobile automaton 2 to the movable guide element 7 of the guide device 6 is performed.

(17) In step b), the force is exerted on the movable element 3 by the movable guide element 7 by operating the guide device 6, via the movable element 3 is moved in a guided manner along the predetermined movement profile 9 by the guide element 7.

(18) In step c), the setup dataset 11 characterizing the movement profile 9 is acquired and, as a result, the mobile automaton 2 is set up.

(19) In the present case, before the exertion of force in step b), the movable element 3 is put into a passive state, in which the movable element 3 is decoupled from the drive device 13 of the mobile automaton 2 that is configured to move the movable element 3.

(20) Before the exertion of the force in step b), in addition the holding brake 14 of the mobile automaton 2 is switched from the braked position suppressing the movement of the movable element 2 into the further position permitting the movement of the movable element 3. In the further position, the holding brake 14 is completely or at least partly released in the present case, such that the movable element 3 can be moved with particularly little resistance.

(21) In order to acquire the setup dataset 11 in step c), respective sensor values from the movement sensor 15 assigned to the mobile automaton are used.

(22) The movement profile 9 comprises a speed profile and an acceleration profile of the movable element 3. The speed profile and the acceleration profile characterize the dynamics and therefore the time-dependence of the movement profile.

(23) The speed profile is proportional to a working speed profile of the movable element 3, which changes over time.

(24) The speed profile of the movable element that is established during the set-up and the working speed profile of the movable element, which is proportional to the speed profile, each change over time and over the movement profile.

(25) The acceleration profile, on the other hand, is proportional to a working acceleration profile of the movable element 3, which changes over time.

(26) The acceleration profile of the movable element which is established during the set-up, and the working acceleration profile of the movable element, which is proportional to the acceleration profile, each change over time and over the movement profile.

(27) During the automated operation (after the set-up has been performed) of the mobile automaton 2, the latter can be moved in accordance with the movement profile 9, in accordance with the working speed profile and in accordance with the working acceleration profile, in that the setup dataset 11 is used during automated operation to move the movable element 3 and therefore the mobile automaton 2.

(28) The present set-up arrangement 1 permits reliable set-up and reliable monitoring of the delta-picker 2 (mobile automaton) via the SCARA robot 6 (guide device), although the delta-picker 2 has a particularly high acceleration capability. As a result of guiding the movable element 3 via the movable guide element 7 during the set-up of the delta-picker 2, situations involving danger, which include, for example, an uncontrolled break-out of the delta-picker 2 out of the working area 7 in some areas and/or overstepping a speed limiting value of the mobile automaton 2, can be avoided.

(29) With the SCARA robot 6, which is dynamically more sluggish as compared with the delta-picker 2, stopping the movable element 3 of the delta-picker 2 in good time, in particular early, during the set-up can be effected without safety-relevant limiting values being overstepped.

(30) As a result, it is made possible to set-up the mobile automaton 2 particularly simply, for example, and in the process to move manually to individual points of the movement profile 9 in order as a result to predefine the movement profile 9 to the mobile automaton 2.

(31) A particular advantage resides in the fact that, with the guide device 6, it is possible to dispense with moving the mobile automaton 2 in a cell separated physically from an operator during the set-up. During the set-up, the operator can thus come particularly close to the mobile automaton 2 and penetrate the working area 8 without thereby running the danger of being injured by an uncontrolled movement of the mobile automaton 2.

(32) In the following, the method for setting up the mobile automaton 2 will be summarized briefly once more. Thus, before the start of the set-up, the mobile automaton 2 can be coupled via the movable element 3 to the movable guide element 7 and therefore to the guide device 6. As a result, the mobile automaton 2 is held and fixed at a predefined gripping point.

(33) Respective drive axes of the mobile automaton 2, connecting the individual elements 5 to one another, can be switched off safely by deactivating the drive device 13. For example, a supply of power to the drive device 13 can be isolated. As a result of the isolation of the power supply, the drive device 13 can be switched into a particularly safe, i.e., safe torque off (STO) State and therefore into a state in which the drive device 13 cannot produce any torque.

(34) The movable element 3 is held by the movable guide element 7. As a result, the holding brake 14 can additionally be released without the movable element 3 falling down because of the force of gravity F_G.

(35) Respective drives of the guide device 6 remain active during the method, which means that the movable element 3 of the mobile automaton 2 can be guided along the movement profile 9 by the exertion of force via the movable guide element 7 of the guide device 6. The movable element 3 is then, so to speak, concomitantly moved passively together with the actively driven (moved) guide element 7.

(36) During the set-up, the guide device 6 can also be operated manually.

(37) During the method, various coordinate points along the movement profile 9 in the working area 8 can be moved to and recorded via the movement sensor 15 and the control device 10. The coordinate points of the movement profile 9 to be recorded can be determined directly by using the respective sensor values from the movement sensor 15. As a result, the setup dataset 11 is advantageously based on a coordinate system assigned to the mobile automaton 2.

(38) Alternatively, the recorded coordinate points can also be determined from respective transmitter values from a sensor of the guide device 6, not illustrated further here, and converted to the coordinate system assigned to the mobile automaton 2, such as via coordinate transformation.

(39) The (Cartesian) movement of the guide device 6 and therefore the movable guide element 7 can be monitored by a safety control system.

(40) Thus, while there have been shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.