Optimization tool for robot placement
US6526373B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 8, 1999 |
| Grant date | Feb 25, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 8, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P90/02
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method and system for optimizing the placement of a robot in a workplace so as to minimize cycle time is defined. A modified simulated annealing method (SA) is applied to the problem of robot placement in CAD systems, in the context of welding tasks. The objective function for optimization is cycle time, which can be obtained from available robotic CAD software. The research domains are simplified, and the SA method is applied to yield an optimal or near-optimal solution to each problem. To obtain the optimal placement of the robot, the research domain is first simplified by determining an acceptable base location domain, then obstacle shadows, which are subtracted from the previous domain to give the free acceptable base location domain. A modified SA method is applied to this domain, using task feasibility tests before simulating the cycle time, in order to save CPU time. The modified SA technique gives a set of near-optimal placements, together with other local minima, and an estimate of an efficient region where the robot may be positioned.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.