METHOD FOR OPERATING A MODULAR ROBOT, MODULAR ROBOT, COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

Abstract

A method for operating a modular robot including a first module and a second module is provided. The first module includes a first controller, and the first controller includes a first failsafe position detection for a movable element of the first module. The method includes controlling the second module, which includes detecting a first position of movable elements via a first single position detector. A second position of the movable elements is detected via a second position detector, which is configured as a position probe that is attachable to the at least one movable element of the second module. The second position is combined with the first position to form a second failsafe position detection. The first failsafe position detection is combined with the second failsafe position detection to form a combined failsafe position detection for the modular robot.

Claims

1. A method for operating a modular robot, wherein the modular robot comprises at least a first module and a second module, wherein each of the first module and the second module includes at least one movable element, wherein the at least one movable element of the first module and the at least one movable element of the second module together form a kinematic chain, wherein the first module includes a first controller, wherein the first controller includes a first failsafe position detection for the at least one movable element of the first module, wherein the second module includes a first single position detector for one or more movable elements of the at least one movable element of the second module, the method comprising: controlling the second module, the controlling of the second module comprising detecting a first position of the at least one movable element of the second module via the first single position detector; detecting a second position of the at least one movable element of the second module via a second single position detector, the second single position detector being configured as a position probe that is attachable to the at least one movable element of the second module; combining the first position with the second position, such that a second failsafe position detection is formed; and combining the first failsafe position detection with the second failsafe position detection, such that a combined failsafe position detection is formed for the modular robot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first module is a driverless transport vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second module is an autonomous mobile robot comprising a robot arm.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the second module is an autonomous mobile robot comprising a robot arm.

5. A modular robot comprising: at least a first module and a second module, wherein each of the first module and the second module comprises at least one movable element, wherein the at least one movable element of the first module and the at least one movable element of the second module together form a kinematic chain, wherein the first module comprises a first controller, wherein the first controller comprises a first failsafe position detection for the at least one movable element of the first module, wherein the second module comprises a first single position detector for one or more movable elements of the at least one movable element of the second module; and a second single position detector comprising an attachable position probe configured to detect a position of the at least one movable element of the second module, wherein a second controller of the second module, the first controller, a superordinate third controller, or any combination thereof is configured to: combine the first single position detector with the second single position detector, such that a second failsafe position detection is formed; and combine the first failsafe position detection with the second failsafe position detection, such that a combined failsafe position detection is formed for the modular robot.

6. The modular robot of claim 5, wherein the first module is a driverless transport vehicle.

7. The modular robot of claim 5, wherein the second module is an autonomous mobile robot comprising a robot arm.

8. The modular robot of claim 6, wherein the second module is an autonomous mobile robot comprising a robot arm.

9. The modular robot of claim 5, wherein the attachable position probe is configured to transmit the position wirelessly.

10. The modular robot of claim 6, wherein the attachable position probe is configured to transmit the position wirelessly.

11. The modular robot of claim 7, wherein the attachable position probe is configured to transmit the position wirelessly.

12. The modular robot of claim 9, wherein the attachable position probe is a transponder that is configured for localization.

13. A collision avoidance system comprising: at least one computer configured to operate a modular robot, wherein the modular robot comprises at least a first module and a second module, wherein each of the first module and the second module includes at least one movable element, wherein the at least one movable element of the first module and the at least one movable element of the second module together form a kinematic chain, wherein the first module includes a first controller, wherein the first controller includes a first failsafe position detection for the at least one movable element of the first module, wherein the second module includes a first single position detector for one or more movable elements of the at least one movable element of the second module, wherein the at least one computer being configured to operate the module robot comprises the at least one computer being configured to: control the second module, the control of the second module comprising detection of a first position of the at least one movable element of the second module via the first single position detector; detect of a second position of the at least one movable element of the second module via a second single position detector, the second single position detector being configured as a position probe that is attachable to the at least one movable element of the second module; combine the first position with the second position, such that a second failsafe position detection is formed; and combine the first failsafe position detection with the second failsafe position detection, such that a combined failsafe position detection is formed for the modular robot.

14. The collision avoidance system of claim 13, wherein the first module is a driverless transport vehicle.

15. The collision avoidance system of claim 13, wherein the second module is an autonomous mobile robot comprising a robot arm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a schematic simplified illustration of a modular robot with an additional illustration of A method according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Functionally same components are sometimes provided with same reference signs.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic simplified illustration of a modular robot MDR. The modular robot MDR includes two modules MDL, a driverless transport vehicle AGV as a first module MD1 and an autonomous mobile robot AGR as a second module MD2.

[0032] The driverless transport vehicle AGV forms a kinematic chain with the modular robot MDR by virtue of movements of the driverless transport vehicle AGV being transferred directly to the modular robot MDR.

[0033] The driverless transport vehicle AGV has a first control means CT1 (e.g., a first controller) independent of the modular robot MDR. The first controller CT1 is connected to a first failsafe position detection means PS1 (e.g., a first failsafe position detection) for the movable element MEL of the first module MD1 or contains same.

[0034] The modular robot MDR has a first single position detection means PR1 (e.g., a first single position detector) for detecting the position of the movable element MEL, which is configured as a robot arm RBA, and transmits this position to a second control unit CT2 (e.g., a second controller). This second controller CT2, unlike what is illustrated schematically in the simplified illustration, is part of the robot arm RBA.

[0035] The robot arm RBA, at articulations, is also provided, in each case, with a second single position detection means PR2 (e.g., a second single position detector) including in each case an attachable position probe PSS for detecting the position of the movable element MEL. To simplify the FIGURE, only one position probe PSS is illustrated in magnified form, and the actual respective attachment to the robot arm RBA is illustrated via an arrow. The position probe PSS is configured as a transponder TRP that is configured for localization. The position from the second single position detector PR2 is transmitted wirelessly to a combined failsafe position detection means PSC (e.g., a processor configured to determine a combined failsafe position detection). In addition to this, the combined failsafe position detection PSC receives the first single position detection PR1 and the first failsafe position detection PS1, and combines this information to form a second failsafe position detection PS2 and ultimately to form a combined failsafe position detection PSC for the overall modular robot MDR including all movable elements MEL.

[0036] The combined failsafe position detection PSC for the overall modular robot MDR is transmitted to a superordinate third control unit CT3 (e.g., a superordinate third controller), which controls all actions of the modular robot MDR in superordinate fashion via the second controller CT2 and the third controller CT3. This superordinate third controller CT3 thus includes at least parts of a collision avoidance system CPS or of a computer program product CPP, prepared to be executed on at least one computer CPU so as to perform the method according to the present embodiments for controlling the modular robot MDR according to the present embodiments. The collision avoidance system CPS or the computer program product CPP may be kept back, stored, or provided as a distributed system including various components in various control components and sensors of the modular robot MDR in a manner able to be executed so as to carry out the method according to the present embodiments.

[0037] Until now, the present embodiments have been described with respect to the method. Features, advantages, or alternative embodiments herein may be assigned to the other subjects (e.g., the computer program or a device; the device or a computer program product and vice versa). In other words, the subject matter claimed or described with respect to the device may be improved with features that are described or claimed in connection with the method, and vice versa. In this case, the functional features of the method are configured by structural units of the system or vice versa. In information technology, a software implementation and a corresponding hardware implementation are generally equivalent. For example, a method act for storing data may thus be carried out using a memory unit and corresponding instructions for writing data to the memory. In order to avoid redundancy, the device may also be used in the alternative embodiments described with reference to the method, but these embodiments are not explicitly described again for the device.

[0038] The present embodiments include the fact that not all acts of the method have to be necessarily carried out on the same computer entity, but rather may also be carried out on different computer entities.

[0039] It is also possible for individual acts of the method described above to be able to be carried out in one unit and for the remaining components to be able to be carried out in another unit as a distributed system.

[0040] The elements and features recited in the appended claims may be combined in different ways to produce new claims that likewise fall within the scope of the present invention. Thus, whereas the dependent claims appended below depend from only a single independent or dependent claim, it is to be understood that these dependent claims may, alternatively, be made to depend in the alternative from any preceding or following claim, whether independent or dependent. Such new combinations are to be understood as forming a part of the present specification.

[0041] While the present invention has been described above by reference to various embodiments, it should be understood that many changes and modifications can be made to the described embodiments. It is therefore intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that all equivalents and/or combinations of embodiments are intended to be included in this description.