JP6978453B2 - Management device, management method and management system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a management device, a management method, and a management system for managing the suitability of an operator who operates a robot.

A system for performing an operation for moving a robot using an operating device is known. Patent Document 1 discloses that a user of a robot operated by an operator evaluates the operation content of the operator.

International Publication No. 2008/14011

When the user of the robot evaluates the operator, the operator is evaluated based on the event that the user can see. However, when the user evaluates the operator based on the visually recognizable event, there is a risk that an important event may be overlooked or a subjective evaluation may be made at the time of evaluation. It is possible that the evaluation result by is not appropriate.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object thereof is to improve the estimation accuracy of the suitability of the robot operator.

The management device according to the first aspect of the present invention is a management device for managing an operator who operates a robot. The management device includes an information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating the state of the robot or the state of the operator when the operator operates the robot, and the state or operation of the robot indicated by the state information. By comparing the state of the person with a predetermined reference level, the determination unit that determines the suitability for the operator to operate the robot is associated with the operator identification information for identifying the operator. It also has a storage control unit that stores the appropriateness in the storage unit.

The information acquisition unit acquires the state information indicating a plurality of states of the robot or a plurality of states of the operator when the operator operates the robot a plurality of times, and the determination unit obtains the state information indicating the state. The suitability may be determined based on a plurality of states of the robot or a plurality of states of the operator indicated by the information.

The determination unit outputs the state of the robot or the state of the operator indicated by the state information to a machine learning model that outputs information indicating the suitability in response to the input of the state of the robot or the state of the operator. The aptitude may be determined based on the information output from the machine learning model by inputting the state of.

The information acquisition unit acquires the state information indicating the mood of the operator after the operator operates the robot as the state of the operator, and the determination unit obtains the operation indicated by the state information. The aptitude may be determined based on the mood of the person.

The information acquisition unit notifies the operator of a predetermined test scenario, and indicates the state of the robot or the state of the operator when the operator operates the robot based on the test scenario. The status information may be acquired.

The determination unit does not use the state information indicating the state of the robot or the state of the operator while the state of the surroundings of the robot operated by the operator is an abnormal state, and the state around the robot is not used. The suitability may be determined using the state information indicating the state of the robot or the state of the operator performed while the robot is in a normal state.

The storage control unit may store the suitability in the storage unit in association with robot identification information that identifies a plurality of different robots.

The determination unit is one or more of the above-mentioned ones that permit the operator to operate from the plurality of robots based on the aptitude and the robot identification information stored in the storage unit in association with the operator identification information. You may choose a robot.

The determination unit may select one or more scenarios from a plurality of scenarios used when operating the robot based on the suitability stored in the storage unit in association with the operator identification information. ..

The determination unit selects one or more operation devices from a plurality of operation devices used when operating the robot based on the appropriateness stored in the storage unit in association with the operator identification information. May be good.

The determination unit determines an operation that can be executed by the robot when the operator operates the robot based on the appropriateness, and determines the operation with respect to the robot operated by the operator. Data indicating the contents may be transmitted.

Based on the aptitude, the determination unit selects auxiliary content to be notified to the operator when the operator operates the robot, and notifies the operator of data indicating the selected auxiliary content. May be good.

The determination unit may select content indicating the operation content when another operator having an aptitude higher than the aptitude of the operator operates the robot as the auxiliary content. The determination unit may determine the mode of presenting the auxiliary content based on the resistance of the operator to remote control indicated by the suitability.

Based on the aptitude, the determination unit may determine environmental conditions that affect the operability of the robot, which allows the operator to operate the robot.

The information acquisition unit further acquires business information indicating the content of the business executed by the operator by operating the robot, and the determination unit has the content of the business indicated by the business information and the appropriateness. The reward amount for the operator may be determined based on the above.

The information acquisition unit further acquires business information indicating the content of the business executed by the operator by operating the robot, and the determination unit has a plurality of aptitudes corresponding to the plurality of the operators. Based on this, one or more operators who perform the work of the contents indicated by the work information may be selected from the plurality of operators.

The determination unit may determine the order or time for each of the one or more operators to execute the operation of the robot by referring to the plurality of aptitudes stored in the storage unit.

The management device acquires the operation content of the operator, corrects the operation content based on the aptitude, creates instruction information for operating the robot, and uses the created instruction information as the instruction information. It may further have an instruction transmitting unit for transmitting to the robot.

The information terminal may further have a display control unit that displays information indicating whether or not the operator is operating the robot in association with the aptitude of the operator determined by the determination unit.

The management method according to the second aspect of the present invention is a management method executed by a computer for managing an operator who operates a robot, and is a state of the robot or a state of the robot when the operator operates the robot. By comparing the step of acquiring the state information indicating the state of the operator with the state of the robot indicated by the state information or the state of the operator with a predetermined reference level, the operator controls the robot. It has a step of determining the suitability for the operation and a step of storing the suitability in the storage unit in association with the operator identification information for identifying the operator.

The management system of the second aspect of the present invention includes a robot, an operation device used by an operator to operate the robot, and a management device for managing the operator. The operating device manages an instruction transmitting unit that transmits instruction information indicating the contents operated by the operator to the robot, and an operator state information indicating the state of the operator when the operator operates. It has an operator status transmitter for transmitting to the device.

The robot has an instruction receiving unit that receives the instruction information, a mechanism control unit that controls the mechanism based on the instruction information, and a robot state that indicates the state of the robot after the mechanism control unit controls the mechanism. It has a robot state transmission unit that transmits information to the management device.

The management device includes an information acquisition unit that acquires the robot state information or the operator state information indicating the state of the robot when the operator operates the robot, and the state of the robot indicated by the robot state information. Alternatively, a determination unit that determines the suitability for the operator to operate the robot by comparing the state of the operator indicated by the operator state information with a predetermined reference level, and the operator. It has a storage control unit that stores the appropriateness in the storage unit in association with the operator identification information for identification.

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the estimation accuracy of the suitability of the robot operator.

It is a figure which shows the outline of the robot control system. It is a figure which shows the functional structure of a management device. It is a figure which shows an example of an operator database. It is a figure which shows the functional structure of a robot. It is a figure which shows the functional structure of an operation device. It is a figure which shows the process flow of the management system when the management device sends instruction information to a robot. It is a figure which shows the structure of the management device which the management device sends the corrected instruction information to a robot.

[Overview of management system S]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the management system S. The management system S includes a management device 1, a robot 2, and an operation device 3. The management system S causes the operator U who operates the robot 2 to operate the robot near the remote object or person while making the operator U feel as if an object or person at a remote location exists nearby. It is a system that provides a telexistence environment performed by the operator U in real time. Although FIG. 1 shows one operator U, one operating device 3, and one robot 2, the management system S includes a plurality of operators U, a plurality of operating devices 3, and a plurality of operating devices 3. It is assumed that the robot 2 will be managed.

The management device 1 is a server for managing the operator U who operates the robot 2. The management device 1 determines the suitability for the operator U to operate the robot 2, and stores the suitability in association with the operator U. A business operator using the management system S can use the aptitude of the operator U managed by the management device 1 to enable the operator to safely operate the robot 2 or to operate a plurality of robots 2. Among the tasks, it is possible to request the operator to perform tasks suitable for the operator U. The aptitude is the degree of aptitude for the operator U to operate the robot 2. The details of the aptitude will be described later.

The robot 2 is a device that operates based on instruction information received from the operation device 3 via the network N. Network N includes, for example, the Internet and mobile phone networks. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the robot 2 has a head, arms, legs, and the like similar to those of a human, and each part operates following the movement of the body of the operator U who operates the robot 2. The robot 2 is equipped with an image sensor, a microphone, or various sensors, and operates an image sensor generated by the image sensor, sound information collected by the microphone, or perceptual information such as temperature, vibration, and pressure detected by the sensor. Send to 3.

The operation device 3 is a device for the operator U to control the robot 2. The operation device 3 has, for example, an operation tool worn by the operator U and a cockpit including a communication unit for notifying the robot 2 of the state of the operation tool of the operator U. The operation device 3 identifies the operation of the operator U with the operation tool attached, and transmits instruction information indicating the specified operation to the robot 2. In the operation device 3, for example, the cockpit identifies the operation of the operator U based on the signal received from the sensor of the operation tool worn by the operator U. The cockpit may irradiate the operator U with infrared light and specify the operation of the operator U based on the reflected light of the irradiated infrared light. The cockpit may identify the operation of the operator U by analyzing an image of the operator U taken by the camera.

Further, the operating device 3 may notify the operating tool worn by the operator U of the captured image and the perceptual information received from the robot 2 via the network N. The captured image is displayed on a display of goggles included in the operation tool worn by the operator U, a contact lens worn by the operator U in the eyes, or the like. The operating tool worn by the operator U on the hand, foot, arm, etc. changes the temperature or vibrates based on the perceptual information. With these configurations, the operator U can experience the environment around the robot 2 at a place away from the robot 2 as if he / she is in the robot 2.

The suitability is, for example, at least one of robot state information indicating the state of the robot while the operator U operates the robot 2 or after operating the robot 2, and operator state information indicating the state of the operator U. It is the level of skill that the operator U operates the robot 2 or the level of resistance to remote control (hereinafter referred to as "remote control resistance") determined based on the above. For example, the degree to which the body is not easily affected by remote control. Remote control resistance is more likely to make you feel sick, your eyes are easily out of focus, your vision is obscured, your heart rate is likely to increase, your blood pressure is likely to rise, your breathing is likely to be disturbed, or you are likely to sweat. Level is low. The focus of the eyes, the heart rate, the blood pressure, the respiratory rate, the amount of sweating, etc. are considered to be examples of the state information indicating the mood of the operator U, but the state information indicating the mood is not limited to these.

The robot state information includes, for example, the position of each part of the robot 2, the moving speed of each part of the robot 2, the moving direction of each part of the robot 2, the force (torque) generated by the robot 2, the acceleration of each part of the robot 2, or the robot 2. This is information indicating the state detected by the sensors provided in each part of the above.

The operator state information is information indicating the position of each part of the operator U detected by the operation device 3, the moving speed of each part of the operator U, the moving direction of each part of the operator U, or the physical state of the operator U. .. The physical state of the operator U is, for example, the movement of the eyeball of the operator U, the sweating state, the breathing state, the heartbeat state, or the vibration state of the operator U, and has a correlation with the mood of the operator U. There is. If the operator U feels sick by visually recognizing the video transmitted from the robot 2 while operating the robot 2, the position of the eyeball becomes unstable, the amount of sweating increases, and the heart rate. Will increase. Therefore, there is a correlation between the operator status information and the level of remote control tolerance.

The operator status information may be information input by the operator using the operation device 3. For example, the operation device 3 may periodically display a screen for confirming the mood of the operator U, and may acquire information indicating the mood input by the operator U as the operator status information.

The aptitude may be further determined based on the amount of work enabled within a unit time, the accuracy of the operation, the history of erroneous operations, the number of years of operation experience, and the like. The aptitude may be information quantified for each category of factors that determine the aptitude, and is information indicating the overall aptitude of the operator U determined based on the factors of all categories. You may. The aptitude may be a characteristic of an average person that correlates with the operating ability of the robot, such as age and gender.

Hereinafter, an outline of the operation of the management system S will be described with reference to FIG.
The operator U moves his / her body while wearing the operating device 3. The operation device 3 detects the movement of the body of the operator U and transmits instruction information indicating the content of the detected movement to the robot 2 ((1) in FIG. 1). When the robot 2 receives the instruction information, the robot 2 operates based on the content of the movement indicated by the instruction information ((2) in FIG. 1).

While the operator U is operating the robot 2 using the operation device 3, the robot 2 transmits robot state information indicating various states of the robot 2 to the management device 1 ((3) in FIG. 1). Further, the operation device 3 transmits the operator state information indicating the state of the operator U to the management device 1 ((4) in FIG. 1).

The management device 1 determines the suitability for the operator U to operate the robot 2 based on the robot state information received from the robot 2 and the operator state information received from the operation device 3. Although the details will be described later, the management device 1 indicates, for example, the movement of the robot whose robot state information is similar to the movement of the robot 2 when a person having abundant operation experience of the robot 2 operates the robot 2. If so, the suitability of the operator U is increased. Further, the management device 1 lowers the suitability of the operator U, for example, when the operator status information indicates that the operator U feels sick.
Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the management device 1 will be described in detail.

[Functional configuration of management device 1]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of the management device 1. The management device 1 has a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13. The control unit 13 includes an information acquisition unit 131, a determination unit 132, and a storage control unit 133.

The communication unit 11 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data via the network N, and includes, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) controller. The communication unit 11 inputs the robot state information received from the robot 2 and the operator state information received from the operation device 3 to the information acquisition unit 131.

The storage unit 12 includes a storage medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a hard disk. The storage unit 12 stores a program executed by the control unit 13. Further, the storage unit 12 stores the appropriateness of the operator U in association with the plurality of operators U. The storage unit 12 may store the suitability of the operator U in association with the type of the robot 2. Further, the storage unit 12 may store the aptitude of the operator U in association with the content of the work using the robot 2.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an operator database stored by the storage unit 12. In the operator database shown in FIG. 3, the operator identification information for identifying the operator (hereinafter referred to as the operator ID), the operation skill of the operator, and the remote control resistance of the operator are associated with each other. There is.

The numerical values in the operator database shown in FIG. 3 indicate the level of each operator when the operation skill and the remote control tolerance are classified into five levels. "5" in the operation skill column indicates that the operation skill is at the highest level, and "1" in the operation skill column indicates that the operation skill is at the lowest level. A "5" in the remote control resistance column indicates the highest level of resistance, and a "1" in the remote control resistance column indicates the lowest level of resistance. The operator database may include evaluation values indicating overall aptitude based on both operational skills and remote control tolerance.

The control unit 13 has, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 13 functions as an information acquisition unit 131, a determination unit 132, and a storage control unit 133 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 12.

The information acquisition unit 131 acquires state information indicating the state of the robot 2 or the state of the operator U when the operator U operates the robot 2. Specifically, the information acquisition unit 131 acquires at least one of the robot state information transmitted from the robot 2 and the operator state information transmitted from the operation device 3 via the communication unit 11. The information acquisition unit 131 acquires, for example, state information indicating the mood of the operator U after the operator U operates the robot 2 as the operator state information.

The information acquisition unit 131 notifies the determination unit 132 of the acquired robot state information and operator state information. The information acquisition unit 131 associates the acquired robot state information and the operator state information with the operator ID for identifying the operator U who is operating the robot 2 via the storage control unit 133, and the storage unit 12 You may memorize it in.

The information acquisition unit 131 may acquire state information indicating a plurality of states of the robot 2 or a plurality of states of the operator U when the operator U operates the robot 2 a plurality of times. In this case, the information acquisition unit 131 stores the robot state information or the operator state information in the storage unit 12 in association with the date and time when the robot state information or the operator state information is acquired.

The determination unit 132 determines the suitability for the operator U to operate the robot 2 by comparing the state of the robot 2 or the state of the operator U indicated by the state information with a predetermined reference level. The reference level is various numerical values indicating the state of the robot 2 or the state of the reference operator while a large number of reference operators whose aptitude is determined in advance are operating the robot 2. When the aptitude is classified into five levels as shown in FIG. 3, the reference level of the operation skill corresponding to each level is the reference level corresponding to each level while the reference operator corresponding to each level is operating the robot 2. It is a value detected by the position of each part of the specified robot 2, the moving speed of each part of the robot 2, the moving direction of each part of the robot 2, or the sensor provided in each part of the robot 2. Further, the reference level of the remote control resistance corresponding to each level is a value indicating the remote control resistance specified while the reference operator corresponding to each level is operating the robot 2.

The determination unit 132 determines the appropriateness by specifying the reference level of the operation skill to which the state of the robot 2 indicated by the robot state information acquired by the information acquisition unit 131 is closest. The determination unit 132 identifies the reference level of remote control tolerance, which is the closest to the state of the operator U indicated by the operator status information acquired by the information acquisition unit 131, and thereby the mood of the operator U indicated by the operator status information. The aptitude is determined based on.

When the information acquisition unit 131 acquires state information indicating a plurality of states of the robot 2 or a plurality of states of the operator U when the operator U operates the robot 2 a plurality of times, the determination unit 132 obtains the robot 2 The suitability is determined based on the plurality of states of the operator U or the plurality of states of the operator U. The determination unit 132 may determine the suitability by weighting a plurality of states based on the date and time stored in the storage unit 12 in association with the plurality of state information. For example, the determination unit 132 sets the weight of the robot state information or the operator state information acquired at a date and time close to the time when the aptitude is determined, and the robot state information or operation acquired at a date and time far from the time when the aptitude is determined. The suitability is determined by making it larger than the weight of the person state information. By operating the determination unit 132 in this way, it is possible to determine the appropriateness in consideration of the improvement of the skill of the operator U or the change in the physical condition.

Further, depending on the difference in ease of use depending on the type of the robot 2 and the operation device 3, the difference in the ease of use depending on the body of the robot 2 and the operation device 3, the size of the communication delay time depending on the situation of the network N, etc., the robot 2 may be used. The ease of operation changes. Therefore, the determination unit 132 weights a plurality of states based on any one of the type of the robot 2, the type of the operation device 3, the machine identification information of the robot 2, the machine identification information of the operation device 3, or the situation of the network N. The suitability may be determined accordingly.

The determination unit 132 outputs the information indicating the appropriateness according to the input of the state of the robot 2 or the state of the operator U to the machine learning model, and the state of the robot 2 or the state of the operator U indicated by the state information. May be input and the suitability may be determined based on the information output from the machine learning model. In this machine learning model, various numerical values indicating the state of the robot 2 or the state of the reference operator acquired while a large number of reference operators whose suitability is determined in advance are operating the robot 2 are used as teacher data. It is a model created by learning.

The above machine learning model determines the state of the robot 2 or the state of the reference operator acquired while a large number of reference operators corresponding to each level are operating the robot 2 for each of a plurality of levels of aptitude. It is a model created by learning various numerical values shown as teacher data. By inputting the robot state information or the operator state information acquired by the information acquisition unit 131 into such a machine learning model, the determination unit 132 can easily determine the level of suitability of the operator. Can be done.

The determination unit 132 shows the first machine learning model that outputs information indicating the operation skill in response to the input of the state of the robot 2, and the remote operation resistance in response to the input of the state of the operator U. The suitability may be determined based on the second machine learning model that outputs information. By using such a first machine learning model and a second machine learning model, the determination unit 132 specifies the accuracy of specifying the operation skill based on the robot state information and the remote control resistance based on the operator state information. It is possible to improve the accuracy of the operation.

The storage control unit 133 stores the robot state information and the operator state information acquired by the information acquisition unit 131 in the storage unit 12 in association with the operator ID. Further, the storage control unit 133 stores the appropriateness determined by the determination unit 132 in the storage unit 12 in association with the operator ID.

[Functional configuration of robot 2]
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of the robot 2. The robot 2 has a communication unit 21, a mechanism unit 22, a sensor unit 23, a storage unit 24, and a control unit 25. The control unit 25 includes an instruction receiving unit 251, a mechanism control unit 252, and a robot state transmission unit 253.

The communication unit 21 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data via the network N, and includes, for example, a wireless communication controller. The communication unit 21 receives the instruction information transmitted from the operation device 3 via the network N. Further, the communication unit 21 transmits the robot state information indicating the state of the robot 2 to the management device 1 via the network N.

The mechanism unit 22 includes actuators for each unit of the robot 2. The mechanism unit 22 includes a mechanical member that moves under the control of the control unit 25, such as an actuator provided at a joint of each part such as a finger, a hand, a foot, a neck, and a head.

The sensor unit 23 is provided in each unit of the robot 2 and includes a device for detecting various states. The sensor unit 23 is, for example, a camera provided in the eyes of the robot 2, a microphone provided in the temporal region of the robot 2, or a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor provided in the finger of the robot 2. The sensor unit 23 notifies the robot state transmission unit 253 of a signal indicating the state detected by each sensor.

The storage unit 24 includes a storage medium such as a ROM, RAM, and a hard disk. The storage unit 24 stores a program executed by the control unit 25.

The control unit 25 has, for example, a CPU, and functions as an instruction receiving unit 251, a mechanism control unit 252, and a robot state transmission unit 253 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 24.

The instruction receiving unit 251 receives the instruction information transmitted from the operating device 3 via the communication unit 21. The instruction receiving unit 251 notifies the mechanism control unit 252 of the received instruction information.

The mechanism control unit 252 controls each actuator included in the mechanism unit 22 based on the instruction information notified from the instruction receiving unit 251. When the mechanism control unit 252 acquires instruction information including an instruction to move the hand to the right, for example, the mechanism control unit 252 moves the hand of the robot 2 to the right by controlling the actuator provided in the hand. The mechanism control unit 252 may detect the position of each actuator after moving the mechanism unit 22 and notify the robot state transmission unit 253 of the detected position.

The robot state transmission unit 253 generates robot state information indicating the state of the robot 2 based on the signal detected by the sensor unit 23 and the state of the mechanism unit 22 notified by the mechanism control unit 252. The robot state transmission unit 253 transmits the generated robot state information to the management device 1 via the communication unit 21.

[Functional configuration of operating device 3]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of the operating device 3. The operation device 3 includes an operation unit 31, a detection unit 32, a communication unit 33, a display unit 34, a storage unit 35, and a control unit 36. The control unit 36 includes a state specifying unit 361, an instruction transmission unit 362, a state transmission unit 363, and a display control unit 364.

The operation unit 31 is a device for the operator U to operate the robot 2, and includes, for example, a member worn by the operator U and a button or a joystick operated by the operator U. The operation unit 31 notifies the state specifying unit 361 of the operation content performed by the detected operator U.

The detection unit 32 includes a sensor for detecting the state of the operator U. The detection unit 32 detects, for example, a camera that detects the position of the pupil of the operator U, a humidity sensor that detects the sweating state of the operator U, a pulse sensor that detects the heart rate of the operator U, and a blood pressure of the operator U. It includes a blood pressure sensor, a breathing sensor that detects the respiratory rate or exhalation component of the operator U, or an acceleration sensor that detects the movement of each part of the operator U. The detection unit 32 notifies the state specifying unit 361 of the detected state of the operator U.

The communication unit 33 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data via the network N, and includes, for example, a wireless communication controller. The communication unit 33 transmits to the robot 2 the instruction information for the robot 2 generated by the control unit 36 based on the operation content of the operator U detected by the operation unit 31 via the network N. Further, the communication unit 33 transmits the operator status information indicating the status of the operator U to the management device 1 via the network N.

The display unit 34 is a display that displays information to be visually recognized by the operator U. The display unit 34 is provided on, for example, goggles worn by the operator U.

The storage unit 35 includes a storage medium such as a ROM, RAM, and a hard disk. The storage unit 35 stores a program executed by the control unit 36.

The control unit 36 has, for example, a CPU, and functions as a state specifying unit 361, an instruction transmission unit 362, a state transmission unit 363, and a display control unit 364 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 35.

The state specifying unit 361 identifies the operation content performed by the operator U based on the signal indicating the operation content input from the operation unit 31, and is based on the signal indicating the state of the operator U input from the detection unit 32. To identify the state of the operator U. The state specifying unit 361 may specify the state of the operator U based on both the signal input from the operation unit 31 and the signal input from the detection unit 32. The state specifying unit 361 notifies the instruction transmitting unit 362 of the specified operation content, and notifies the state transmitting unit 363 of the state of the operator U.

The instruction transmission unit 362 generates instruction information for operating the robot 2 based on the operation content notified from the state specifying unit 361. The instruction transmission unit 362 transmits the generated instruction information to the robot 2 via the communication unit 33.

The state transmission unit 363 generates operator state information indicating the state of the operator U based on the state of the operator U notified from the state identification unit 361. The state transmission unit 363 transmits the generated robot state information to the management device 1 via the communication unit 33.

The display control unit 364 creates display data to be displayed on the display unit 34. The display control unit 364 causes the display unit 34 to display an image taken by the robot 2, for example, transmitted from the robot 2. Further, the display control unit 364 causes the display unit 34 to display the information transmitted from the management device 1 for the operator U to visually recognize.

[Various methods for determining suitability]
Hereinafter, various methods for the management device 1 to determine the suitability of the operator U will be described.
For example, the information acquisition unit 131 notifies the operator U of a predetermined test scenario, and indicates the state of the robot 2 or the state of the operator U when the operator U operates the robot 2 based on the test scenario. Get status information. The test scenario is information that defines the content to be operated by the operator U and the timing of the operation.

The information acquisition unit 131 transmits, for example, a test scenario to the operation device 3, and the operation device 3 should be operated by the operator U based on the content of the operation and the operation timing indicated by the received test scenario. The contents are displayed so that the operator U can see them. Robot state information or the state of the operator U indicating the state of the robot 2 while the operator U is operating based on the test scenario including the operation contents necessary for the information acquisition unit 131 to determine the suitability. By acquiring the operator state information indicating the above, the determination unit 132 can efficiently determine the suitability.

When the determination unit 132 determines the suitability of the operator U based on the test scenario, instead of using the robot state information or the operator state information when the operator U actually operates the robot 2. , Robot state information or operator state information specified based on the movement of the virtual robot estimated by assuming that the operator U operates the virtual robot may be used. For example, the determination unit 132 determines the appropriateness based on the robot state information or the operator state information obtained when the operator U operates a virtual robot in the simulation environment using the simulation environment for operating the robot 2. You may decide.

Further, when the surrounding state of the robot 2 is an abnormal state, the robot 2 may move against the intention of the operator U. For example, when a person enters within the range in which the robot 2 moves, the robot 2 stops so as not to collide with the person. Further, if there is an abnormality in the article that the robot 2 tries to grasp, or if the work content is not properly presented to the operator U, the robot 2 may not be able to properly grasp the article. The determination unit 132 may determine the suitability based on the surrounding state of the robot 2 so that the suitability of the operator U does not decrease due to the robot 2 making such a movement.

Specifically, the determination unit 132 does not use the state information indicating the state of the robot 2 or the state of the operator U while the state around the robot 2 operated by the operator U is an abnormal state, and the robot 2 does not use the state information. The suitability is determined using the state information indicating the state of the robot 2 or the state of the operator U performed while the surrounding state of the robot 2 is in a normal state. By operating the determination unit 132 in this way, the aptitude of the operator U does not decrease when the robot 2 operates contrary to the operation of the operator U, so that the accuracy of the aptitude determined by the determination unit 132 is high. improves.

Further, when there are a plurality of robots 2 to be operated by the operator U, the information acquisition unit 131 uses the robot identification information (hereinafter referred to as "robot ID") for identifying the robot 2 operated by the operator U. The robot state information or the operator state information may be acquired in association with each other, and the determination unit 132 may determine the suitability of the operator U for each robot 2. In this case, the storage control unit 133 associates the robot IDs of a plurality of different robots 2 with each other and stores the appropriateness in the storage unit 12.

In this way, the suitability of the operator U is stored in the storage unit 12 in association with the robot ID, so that when there are a plurality of robots 2 of different types, the operator U uses the optimum robot 2. Will be possible. For example, the administrator who manages the work performed by the operator U using the robot 2 assigns the robot 2 that the operator U can safely operate based on the aptitude determined in this way. Can be done. The determination unit 132 may select a robot 2 whose suitability for the operator U is at or above a predetermined level from a plurality of robots 2 registered in advance and present it to the user. By operating the determination unit 132 in this way, the administrator can easily select the robot 2 suitable for the operator U.

The determination unit 132 may determine the suitability in association with the type of work performed by the operator U. The type of work is based on factors such as the magnitude of force required when moving the robot 2 and the accuracy of movement, such as the work of transporting an object, the work of assembling an object, and the work of caring for a person. It is classified as. The determination unit 132 determines the appropriateness corresponding to the work based on the robot state information or the operator state information acquired by the information acquisition unit 131 while performing the specific work. The determination unit 132 stores the appropriateness in the storage unit 12 in association with the type of work via the storage control unit 133. By the determination unit 132 determining the suitability for each type of work in this way, the administrator who manages the work performed by the operator U using the robot 2 can assign the work suitable for the operator U. become.

The determination unit 132 may determine the suitability in association with the combination of the environment in which the operator U performs the work and the robot 2 used in the work. The environment in which the operator U works is indicated by factors that affect work efficiency, such as brightness, temperature, and humidity. For example, when a certain operator U works in a bright environment, the determination unit 132 makes the suitability for the second robot 2 higher than the suitability for the first robot 2, and the operator U is in a dark environment. When working, the suitability for the first robot 2 is higher than the suitability for the second robot 2. By determining the suitability for each type of work in this way, the determination unit 132 enables the operator U to use the optimum robot 2 according to the operating environment.

[Function to use aptitude]
(Selection of robot 2)
The determination unit 132 can execute various processes based on the determined aptitude. As an example, the determination unit 132 has one or more robots 2 that allow the operator U to operate from the plurality of robots 2 based on the aptitude and the robot ID stored in the storage unit 12 in association with the operator ID. select. The determination unit 132 selects, for example, a robot 2 that generates a larger torque or operates at a higher speed when operated by an operator U having a high degree of aptitude than when operated by an operator U having a low degree of aptitude. do. The determination unit 132 causes the operator U to display the information for identifying the selected robot 2 on a display (not shown) or transmit it to an external device connected via the network N so that the operator U can use the robot 2. The manager who manages the work performed by using the robot 2 can be assigned an appropriate robot 2 to the operator U.

(Scenario selection)
Further, the determination unit 132 may select one or more scenarios from a plurality of scenarios used when operating the robot 2 based on the appropriateness stored in the storage unit 12 in association with the operator ID. The scenario is information in which the elapsed time from the reference time and the operation content of the robot 2 are associated with each other. The reference time is, for example, the time when the robot 2 starts operating, but is not limited to this, and may be another time such as the time when the user who operates the robot 2 performs a predetermined operation.

The plurality of scenarios differ in, for example, the operation content of the robot 2 included in each and the length of time for operating the robot 2. The determination unit 132 provides a scenario (for example, a scenario in which the robot 2 does not collide with another article) that does not include an operation content that requires a high skill for an operator U having a low operation skill. select. The determination unit 132 selects a scenario (for example, a scenario in which the robot 2 operates at high speed) including an operation content requiring a high skill for the operator U having a high operation skill.

Further, for the operator who feels sick when the robot 2 is operated for a long time, the determination unit 132 determines that the time during which the operation of the robot 2 continues is longer than the operation time when the operator U starts to feel sick. Also choose a short scenario. The determination unit 132 may select a scenario composed of work having a high tolerance for an accident for the operator U who moves easily to cause an accident. By operating the determination unit 132 in this way, it is possible to prevent the operator U from causing a problem when operating the robot 2.

(Selection of operating device 3)
Further, the determination unit 132 selects one or more operation devices 3 from the plurality of operation devices 3 used when operating the robot 2 based on the aptitude stored in the storage unit 12 in association with the operator ID. You may. For example, the determination unit 132 selects an operation device 3 that is expensive but easy to operate, or an operation device 3 that is easy to operate even though the operation content is limited, for the operator U having low operation skill. To do. For the operator U who tends to feel sick, the determination unit 132 may select an operation device 3 having a low frame rate of the moving image on the screen visually recognized by the operator U and a small change speed of the moving image, or may feel sick. Select the operation device 3 of the screen of a size that is difficult to become. By operating the determination unit 132 in this way, the operator U can perform the best operation.

(Restrictions on the operation of robot 2)
The determination unit 132 determines the actions that the robot 2 can perform when the operator U operates the robot 2 based on the appropriateness, and the content of the decided actions for the robot 2 that the operator U operates. Data indicating that may be transmitted. For example, when the operator U having a low operation skill operates the robot 2, the determination unit 132 determines the maximum speed at which the robot 2 can move his / her hand, and when the operator U having a high operation skill operates the robot 2. It is made lower than that, or the torque when the robot 2 moves the hand is made small.

The determination unit 132 may determine a portion where the robot 2 can be moved based on the suitability of the operator U. The determination unit 132 allows, for example, a person whose skill is higher than the reference level to move all the movable parts of the robot 2, and a person whose skill is lower than the reference level to move only a part (for example, a hand). .. By operating the determination unit 132 in this way, it is possible to reduce the risk of an accident when the operator U performs an improper operation.

In addition, when the suitability of the operator U is not specified in advance (for example, when the suitability of the operator U is not stored in the storage unit 12), the determination unit 132 performs an operation that can be executed by the robot 2. The operation that can be performed by the robot 2 when operated by the operator U having the lowest aptitude may be limited. Even if the suitability of the operator U is not specified in advance, the determination unit 132 may perform an operation that can be executed by the robot 2 based on the experience of using the robot 2 if the robot 2 has been used in the past. The robot 2 may be limited to the operations that can be executed by the operator U having the estimated aptitude.

When the determination unit 132 limits the operations that can be executed by the robot 2 in this way, the determination unit 132 may display information indicating an operation range that can be executed by the operator U on the operation device 3 or the information terminal of the operator U. The determination unit 132 may display information indicating an operation range that can be executed by the operator U on the operation device 3 or the information terminal of the operator U in association with the information indicating the suitability of the operator U.

(Assistance according to aptitude)
The determination unit 132 selects auxiliary content to be notified to the operator U when the operator U operates the robot 2 based on the suitability of the operator U, and provides the operator U with data indicating the selected auxiliary content. You may notify. The auxiliary content is, for example, text or image content relating to how each part of the body of the operator U is moved. Auxiliary content may include other information such as sound information or tactile information. Auxiliary contents are stored in an external storage medium of the storage unit 12 or the management device 1 in association with appropriateness. The determination unit 132 transmits the auxiliary content to the operation device 3 or the information terminal used by the operator U so that the operator U can see and hear it. The operator U can operate the robot 2 more appropriately by operating the robot 2 while visually recognizing, for example, the auxiliary content displayed on the operating device 3.

The determination unit 132 determines, for example, content indicating the operation content when another operator U having an aptitude higher than that of the operator U operates the robot 2 as auxiliary content. The operation content includes information indicating the position and timing of moving at least a part of the body such as fingers, hands, feet, torso, head, or eyes. The determination unit 132, for example, operates the auxiliary content indicating the operation content acquired when another operator U having an aptitude one step higher than the aptitude of the operator U has performed the same work in the past. Display in 3. The determination unit 132 may display an image showing how another operator U is operating on the operation device 3 as auxiliary content.

The determination unit 132 may change the mode of notifying the operator U of the auxiliary content based on the suitability. For example, when the operator U having a low operation skill is operating the determination unit 132, the determination unit 132 selects the auxiliary content displayed on the operation device 3 in a manner that the operator U can always see. On the other hand, when the operator U having a high operation skill is operating the determination unit 132, the operator U can visually recognize the operation only when the operator U makes a mistake in the operation or the operator U stops the operation. Select the auxiliary content displayed on the operating device 3.

Further, the determination unit 132 may determine the presentation mode of the auxiliary content based on the remote control resistance of the operator U indicated by the suitability. For example, when the determination unit 132 is operated by the operator U who tends to feel sick, the frame rate of the moving image displayed on the operation device 3 is higher than that when the operator U who is less likely to feel sick is operating. To slow down the movement of auxiliary content.

The determination unit 132 may determine the presentation mode of the image other than the auxiliary content based on the remote control resistance of the operator U indicated by the suitability. For example, when the determination unit 132 is operated by the operator U who tends to feel sick, the determination unit 132 can operate the image captured by the robot 2 as compared with the case where the operator U who does not feel sick is operating. The frame rate when displaying on 3 is lowered, or the size of the image is reduced. By changing the mode in which the determination unit 132 makes the image visible to the operator U based on the remote control resistance, it is possible to prevent the operator U from feeling sick while operating the robot 2. ..

(Determination of remuneration amount based on aptitude)
The determination unit 132 may determine the reward amount for the operator U based on the aptitude. Specifically, the information acquisition unit 131 further acquires business information indicating the content of the business executed by the operator U by operating the robot 2, and the determination unit 132 further acquires the business information acquired by the information acquisition unit 131. The amount of remuneration for the operator U is determined based on the content and aptitude of the work indicated by. The information acquisition unit 131 acquires business information corresponding to the business executed by the operator U from, for example, an external computer that manages a plurality of business information.

The determination unit 132 relates to the relationship between the statistical value such as the average value or the median value of the aptitude of the plurality of operators U stored in the storage unit 12 and the aptitude of the operator U to be the target for determining the reward amount. The reward amount may be determined based on this. When the value of the aptitude of the operator U to be determined is larger than the statistical value of the aptitude of the plurality of operators U, the determination unit 132 sets the reward amount of the operator U as the average reward amount. To be higher than. On the other hand, when the value of the aptitude of the operator U to be determined is smaller than the statistical value of the aptitude of the plurality of operators U, the determination unit 132 makes the reward amount lower than the average reward amount. By determining the reward amount in this way, the determination unit 132 increases the reward amount as the aptitude level increases, so that the operator U is more likely to be motivated to improve the aptitude level.

The determination unit 132 may determine the reward amount based on the number of operators U corresponding to each level of aptitude. The determination unit 132 increases the reward amount of the operator U as the number of the operators U having a higher aptitude than the aptitude of the operator U is smaller. When the determination unit 132 determines the reward amount of the operator U in this way, the motivation of the operator U to improve the aptitude is improved. Further, since the operator U is given the motivation to use the robot 2 having a high degree of suitability or to perform the work having a high degree of suitability of himself / herself, the operator U performs the work using the robot 2. Work efficiency and safety are improved.

Further, the determination unit 132 may determine the reward amount for collecting the data indicating the operation content acquired by the operation device 3 when the operator U operates. When the operator U agrees to collect the data indicating the operation content, the determination unit 132 determines the reward amount as the data usage fee. At this time, the determination unit 132 may increase the reward amount as the suitability of the operator U increases.

Further, the determination unit 132 may determine the reward amount to be given to the operator U when the collected data is used. In this case, the determination unit 132 determines the reward amount based on, for example, the number of times the collected data is used or the length of time that the collected data is used. The collected data is used, for example, as auxiliary data presented to the other operator U when the other operator U operates.

(Selection of operator U based on aptitude)
The determination unit 132 may determine the operator U who performs the work by using the robot 2 based on the aptitude. Specifically, the information acquisition unit 131 further acquires business information indicating the content of the business executed by the operator U by operating the robot 2, and the determination unit 132 further acquires business information corresponding to the plurality of operators U. From a plurality of operators U, one or more operators who perform the business contents indicated by the business information are selected based on the appropriateness of. The determination unit 132 selects, for example, an operator U having an operation skill corresponding to the difficulty level of the business content. The determination unit 132 may select an operator U who is not expected to feel sick during the duration of the work of operating the robot 2. By selecting the operator U based on the aptitude in this way, the determination unit 132 can select the operator U suitable for the execution of the work, so that the efficiency of the work is improved.

The determination unit 132 determines the aptitude required of the operator U who operates the robot 2 based on the situation of the robot 2, and operates the robot 2 from a plurality of operators U based on the determined aptitude. The operator U may be selected. For example, if a problem occurs during the manufacture of an article by the first operator U having a relatively low suitability by using the robot 2, the determination unit 132 has a higher suitability than the first operator U. The second operator U is selected, and information for identifying the selected second operator U is transmitted to the external device. By operating the determination unit 132 in this way, the work manager can make the second operator U perform the work instead of the first operator U.

The determination unit 132 may select an operator U who operates the robot 2 from a plurality of operators U based on the aptitude determined based on the location of the robot 2. When the determination unit 132 determines that the robot 2 is in front of the entrance of the store, for example, the determination unit 132 selects an operator U suitable for the business as a guard man of the store. By operating the determination unit 132 in this way, the operator U suitable for the business can execute the work.

(Determining the surrounding environment that allows operation based on aptitude)
The determination unit 132 may determine the environmental conditions that affect the operability of the robot 2 that allow the operator U to operate the robot 2 based on the aptitude. The environmental conditions that affect the operability of the robot 2 are, for example, the communication quality of the communication line between the operating device 3 and the robot 2, the illuminance around the operating device 3 or the robot 2, or the operator U operating the robot 2. It is the time zone to operate. The communication quality is, for example, the magnitude of the delay time or the magnitude of the data error rate.

For example, the higher the suitability of the operator U, the more the determination unit 132 permits the operator U to operate the robot 2 even under the condition that the communication quality of the communication line is poor. The determination unit 132 notifies at least one of the operation device 3 and the robot 2 of information regarding whether or not the operator U is permitted to operate the robot 2. When the robot 2 receives a notification that the operator U is not permitted to operate the robot 2, the robot 2 does not operate even if it receives instruction information from the operation device 3 operated by the operator U.

Further, the determination unit 132 may allow the operator U to operate the robot 2 under the condition that the periphery of the operation device 3 or the robot 2 is worse as the suitability of the operator U is higher. Poor conditions are, for example, a dark state, a high ambient noise level, and a high noise level due to the sensor of the robot 2 being wet. In the determination unit 132, when the suitability of the operator U is equal to or higher than the threshold level, the operator U operates the robot 2 in a time zone such as a night time zone in which there is no person to assist when a trouble occurs. You may allow it to do so.

(Determination of business plan based on aptitude)
The determination unit 132 determines the order or time for each of the one or more operators U to execute the operation of the robot 2 by referring to the plurality of aptitudes stored in the storage unit 12 corresponding to the plurality of operators U. You may decide. For example, the determination unit 132 decomposes the work performed by the plurality of operators U in cooperation into a plurality of works, and determines the order or time for executing the plurality of works. Further, the determination unit 132 specifies the skill required for each of the plurality of tasks and the degree of resistance to remote control. The determination unit 132 selects one or more operators U having aptitude that satisfies the skill required for each of the plurality of tasks and the degree of resistance to remote control, and assigns the selected operator U to each of the plurality of tasks. In this way, the determination unit 132 determines the order or time in which the plurality of operators U execute the work.

The determination unit 132 may determine the length of time for each operator U to execute the work and the length of the break time between the plurality of works based on the remote control tolerance of the operator U. For example, when a certain operator U starts to feel sick after continuing work A for 2 hours and the sick state disappears after taking a break for 30 minutes, the determination unit 132 executes work A for 2 hours and 30 Create a scenario in which work A is performed for 2 hours after a minute break. After executing the work A for 2 hours, the determination unit 132 may execute the work B, which is less likely to make the person feel sick than the work A.

For example, the determination unit 132 may make the time for the operator U, who tends to feel sick, continuously work shorter than the time for the operator U, who is less likely to feel sick, to continuously work. The determination unit 132 may lengthen the break time of the operator U, who tends to feel sick, and shorten the break time of the operator U, who is less likely to feel sick. The determination unit 132 may make the time for the operator U to continuously perform the work that does not make him feel sick longer than the time for the operator U to continuously perform the work that tends to make him feel sick.

The determination unit 132 may determine the content and order of the work so that the operator U executes the first work, which has a high degree of difficulty, and then performs the second work, which is easier than the first work. When the first work is a difficult work for the suitability of the operator U, the determination unit 132 is an easy work for the suitability of the operator U after the operator U executes the first work. Decide to perform a second task. By operating the determination unit 132 in this way, it is possible to prevent an excessive load from being applied to the operator U and an excessively large margin of the operator U.

When there are a plurality of operators U capable of dealing with the same work, the determination unit 132 creates a plurality of plans in which the combination of the operators U assigned to each of the plurality of works is different, and the work efficiency is relatively high. May be selected. A plan with high work efficiency is a plan in which the amount of work executed within a predetermined time is relatively high, or a plan in which the same work is performed in the same time and the quality is relatively high.

In order to select such a plan, the determination unit 132 may use, for example, the skill and remote control indicated by the skill required for each work and the degree of resistance to remote control, and the aptitude of the operator U in charge of each work. Priority is given to the plan with the larger total value of the difference from the resistance level in all operations. By assigning a plurality of operators U in charge of a plurality of tasks included in the task to be executed based on the aptitude of the plurality of operators U in this way, the determination unit 132 can improve the efficiency of the task. can.

The determination unit 132 is, for example, an operator who concentrates the line of sight on one point and requires a fine movement of the hand, or a work in which the robot 2 does not move and the field of view does not move quickly and greatly. Select the operator U who has a relatively high skill in operating the robot 2 and a relatively low resistance to remote control. The decision unit 132 does not require detailed movements, but requires a large amount of movement of the head, grasps a large block that is hard to break by hand, and moves or carries it to another place at a high speed, and video content without moving the hand. As an operator who enjoys the work, the operator U who has a relatively low skill in operating the robot 2 and a relatively high resistance to remote control is selected.

(Use of aptitude for other work)
The determination unit 132 is used for various determinations when the operator U performs other work associated with the specific work based on the suitability for the robot 2 to perform the specific work. May be good. The other work associated with the specific work is a work including an operation similar to the specific work, a work including a specific work, and the like. For example, when carrying an object, the task of grabbing the object also occurs. Therefore, the determination unit 132 may treat the suitability of the operator U for the work of carrying an object as the same suitability of the operator U for the work of grasping an object.

(Supply and demand situation between operator U and robot 2)
The determination unit 132 may estimate the supply and demand situation between the operator U and the robot 2 based on the aptitude, and transmit the estimated result to the external device. In order to estimate the supply and demand situation, the determination unit 132 first calculates the number of operators U having the appropriateness to operate each of the plurality of robots 2. Subsequently, one or more robots 2 required to perform the work are selected. Then, the number of operators U who can operate one or more selected robots 2 is specified. The determination unit 132 transmits the specified number of operators U to the external device. By operating the determination unit 132 in this way, the work manager can grasp how much operator U can be secured.

The determination unit 132 may calculate the number of robots 2 that can be used by the plurality of operators U based on the suitability of the plurality of operators U who execute the work. When the number of robots 2 is insufficient, the determination unit 132 identifies the type and number of robots 2 required for the plurality of operators U to execute the work, and transmits the specified type and number to the external device. May be good. By operating the determination unit 132 in this way, the work manager can grasp what kind of robot 2 and how many robots 2 should be procured.

(Provision of data showing aptitude)
The determination unit 132 may provide data indicating the determined suitability to a third party (for example, another company) by transmitting data indicating the determined suitability to an external device. The determination unit 132 transmits, for example, data indicating suitability in association with information for identifying the operator U. The determination unit 132 may determine the consideration based on the number of data to be provided. A third party who receives the data can grasp the character or ability of the operator U based on the provided data.

[Instructions to Robot 2]
In the above description, the robot 2 is assumed to operate based on the instruction information transmitted from the operating device 3, but the robot 2 operates based on the instruction information transmitted from the management device 1. You may.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a processing flow of the management system S when the management device 1 transmits instruction information to the robot 2. The process shown in FIG. 6 is a process performed after the suitability of the operator U is determined.

The operation device 3 transmits instruction information based on the operation content performed by the operator U to the management device 1 instead of the robot 2 ((1) in FIG. 6). When the management device 1 receives the instruction information, it refers to the predetermined suitability of the operator U ((2) in FIG. 6) and corrects the instruction information based on the suitability ((3) in FIG. 6). ). The details of the method in which the management device 1 corrects the instruction information will be described later.

The management device 1 corrects the instruction information and transmits the corrected instruction information generated to the robot 2 ((4) in FIG. 6). The corrected instruction information corresponds to the instruction information when operated by another operator having a higher suitability than the operator U, and the robot 2 operates based on the corrected instruction information to operate the robot 2. It is possible to perform a better operation than when the device 3 operates based on the instruction information generated. The robot 2 operates based on the received corrected instruction information ((5) in FIG. 6).

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of the management device 1 in which the management device 1 transmits the corrected instruction information to the robot 2. In this case, the management device 1 acquires the operation content of the operator U, corrects the operation content based on the appropriateness, creates instruction information for operating the robot 2, and uses the created instruction information as the robot. It is different from the management device 1 shown in FIG. 2 in that it further has an instruction transmission unit 134 for transmitting to 2, and is the same in other respects. The instruction transmission unit 134 corrects, for example, the operation content acquired from the operation device 3 by the information acquisition unit 131. Further, the storage unit 12 stores the operation contents performed when the reference operator causes the robot 2 to execute various operations corresponding to each of the plurality of aptitudes.

Specifically, the instruction transmission unit 134 first identifies the movement that the operator U is trying to execute by the robot 2 based on the operation content of the operator U acquired from the operation device 3. Subsequently, the instruction transmission unit 134 has a higher suitability for the work corresponding to the operation content of the operator U acquired from the operation device 3 and the operation content of the operator U acquired from the operation device 3 than the operator U. High reference Replace with the reference operation content performed when the operator performs the work. The instruction transmission unit 134 may specify the difference between the operation content of the operator U acquired from the operation device 3 and the reference operation content, and correct the operation content of the operator U so that the specified difference becomes small. ..

When the instruction transmission unit 134 identifies, for example, that the operation content of the operator U is an operation of grasping an article in a space narrower than the width of the hand of the robot 2, the angle at which the hand of the robot 2 fits in the space. Create instruction information with the operation details of rotating the hand. If the correction is not performed, the hands of the robot 2 will collide with the walls on both sides of the space. However, the instruction transmitting unit 134 corrects the operation content in this way so that the hands of the robot 2 do not collide with the walls. It becomes possible to grab an article and work efficiency is improved.

The instruction transmission unit 134 may correct the operation content so that the robot 2 operates faster than the operation speed of the operator U. Further, the instruction transmission unit 134 may correct the operation content so that the robot 2 operates with higher accuracy than the position operated by the operator U.

The instruction transmission unit 134 creates instruction information by correcting the operation content of the operator U acquired from the operation device 3 based on the appropriateness, and operates the robot 2 based on the created instruction information. By making the robot 2 operate, it is possible to cause the robot 2 to perform the same operation as when another operator having a suitability higher than that of the operator U operates, even though the robot U is operating the robot 2. become.

The instruction transmission unit 134 may calculate a safety degree that correlates with the probability that an accident does not occur based on the operation content by the operator U, and may correct the operation content so as to increase the safety level. The safety level is calculated based on, for example, the high concentration of the operator U, the absolute ability of the operator U, the strength of the video sickness of the operator U, and the fatigue level of the operator U. The instruction transmission unit 134 invalidates the instruction information transmitted from the operation device 3 in order to increase the safety level, thereby stopping the operation of the robot 2, reducing the operation speed indicated by the instruction information, or the robot. Correct the operation content so that the range in which each part of 2 moves is narrowed.

The instruction transmission unit 134 may determine the content to be corrected based on the environment around the robot 2. The instruction transmitting unit 134 changes the threshold value for determining that correction is necessary depending on, for example, the case where a person or an object exists within the movable range of the robot 2 and the case where the person or the object does not exist within the movable range. As a result, the operation content is corrected so as to further increase the safety level when a person or an object is present within the movable range. The instruction transmission unit 134 may change the threshold value for determining that correction is necessary based on the difficulty of the work. The instruction transmission unit 134, for example, makes it easier for the operator U to make corrections when performing a difficult task than when performing an easy task. By operating the instruction transmitting unit 134 in this way, the operator U can easily perform difficult tasks.

The instruction transmission unit 134 may transmit a message notifying that the operation content is restricted to the operation device 3 before correcting the operation content. By operating the instruction transmitting unit 134 in this way, it is possible to prevent the operator U from being suspicious that the robot 2 does not operate as operated by the operator U. Further, the instruction transmission unit 134 may transmit a message urging the operator U to take a break to the operation device 3 before correcting the operation content. By transmitting such a message, the instruction transmitting unit 134 can improve the state of the operator U.

In the above description based on FIGS. 6 and 7, it is assumed that the operating device 3 does not send the instruction information to the robot 2 but sends the instruction information to the management device 1, but the operating device 3 gives an instruction to the robot 2. You may switch between the case where the information is directly transmitted and the case where the instruction information is transmitted to the robot 2 via the management device 1. For example, the operation device 3 acquires information indicating the suitability of the operator U from the management device 1, and transmits instruction information to the robot 2 on condition that the suitability of the operator U is less than a predetermined level. Instead, the instruction information is transmitted to the management device 1. In this case, the operating device 3 does not transmit the instruction information to the management device 1 but directly transmits the instruction information to the robot 2 when the aptitude level is equal to or higher than the predetermined level. By operating the operating device 3 in this way, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a delay due to the correction process when the operator U having a high degree of aptitude operates, and when the operator U having a high degree of aptitude operates the operation device 3. The operation content of the robot 2 can be improved.

[Restriction of operation of robot 2 based on the state of operator U]
The determination unit 132 may periodically determine whether or not the operation may be continued while the operator U is operating the robot 2. Specifically, the determination unit 132 periodically sends confirmation data (for example, a confirmation screen) for confirming whether the operator U is feeling sick to the operation device 3, and the operation device 3 Based on the response information received from, it is confirmed whether the operator U is feeling sick.

The response information is, for example, information input by the operator U who visually recognizes the confirmation screen, or information indicating the operation of the operator U after visually recognizing the confirmation screen. When the time from the transmission of the confirmation data to the reception of the response information is equal to or longer than the threshold value, the determination unit 132 may determine that the operator U is likely to feel sick. For example, when it is determined that the operator U is starting to feel sick, the determination unit 132 causes the operation device 3 to display a screen including information for instructing the operation to be stopped.

The determination unit 132 determines the determination interval based on the aptitude (particularly, the degree of change in mood after performing the same operation), and for example, the lower the aptitude, the shorter the determination time interval may be. By operating the determination unit 132 in this way, the frequency of causing the operator U having a high degree of aptitude to perform a complicated operation for confirming the feeling of illness is reduced, and the operator U having a low degree of aptitude is able to perform a complicated operation. It is possible to easily prevent the robot 2 from being in a state where it should not be operated.

When the determination unit 132 detects that the operator U is starting to feel sick, the instruction transmission unit 134 may limit the function that the operator U can operate the robot 2. The instruction transmission unit 134 transmits, for example, an instruction to limit the speed at which the operator U can move the robot 2 to a predetermined speed or less, or limit the range in which the part of the robot 2 moves.

The determination unit 132 may decide to stop the operation when the suitability becomes less than the reference value as a result of periodically determining whether or not the operation may be continued. In this case, the instruction transmission unit 134 transmits, for example, instruction information for preventing the robot 2 to operate, and also transmits that the operation is prohibited to the operation device 3. The instruction transmitting unit 134 may transmit instruction information permitting the robot 2 to operate when the aptitude level becomes equal to or higher than the reference value.

The determination unit 132 continues the operation to the operator U based on the relationship between the aptitude of the operator U immediately before the operator U starts the operation and the aptitude while the operator U is operating. You may decide whether or not to let it. The determination unit 132 determines, for example, when the aptitude of the operator U immediately before the operator U starts the operation is lower than the aptitude of the operator U while the operator U is operating by a threshold value or more. Decides to stop the operation.

[Robot 2 profile settings]
The determination unit 132 determines the profile of the robot 2 based on the content of the work performed by the operator U using the robot 2 and the suitability of the operator U, and the robot operates based on the determined profile. You may instruct 2. The profile is information that determines the operation specifications of the robot 2, for example, the operation speed of the robot 2, the maximum torque, and the types of sensors that can be used.

When the operator U arranges the articles on the shelves at the retail store, the determination unit 132 selects the profile selected based on the suitability of the operator U from the plurality of profiles for the work on the robot 2. Send. When working at a construction site, the decision unit 132 determines the suitability of the operator U among a plurality of profiles for construction work that can move with a larger torque than the profile used for work at a retail store. The profile selected based on the above is transmitted to the robot 2. By operating the determination unit 132 in this way, it becomes possible to operate the robot 2 in a state suitable for the work performed by the operator U.

[Display the status of operator U]
The control unit 13 of the management device 1 may further have a display control unit for displaying the status of each of the plurality of operators U on a display device (for example, another computer). The display control unit causes the display device to display the level of the operator U for each element such as the suitability, productivity, accident occurrence history, and operation experience of the operator U stored in the storage unit 12, for example. The display control unit may display information indicating a state of whether or not the operator U is operating the robot 2 on the display device. The display control unit causes the display device to display information indicating whether or not the operator U is operating the robot 2, for example, in association with the suitability of the operator U. By operating the display control unit in this way, the administrator or the like using the management device 1 can grasp the business status and ability of the plurality of operators U, so that the administrator or the like can grasp the business status and the business status. It becomes easier to determine the work content to be requested to the operator U based on the ability.

[Effect of management system S]
As described above, the management device 1 compares the state of the robot 2 or the state of the operator U with a predetermined reference level based on the state information indicating the state of the robot 2 or the state of the operator U. The operator U has a determination unit 132 that determines the suitability for operating the robot 2. By having such a determination unit 132 in the management device 1, the evaluator who evaluates the operator U does not subjectively evaluate the operator U based on the contents visually recognized, but based on objective data. The suitability of the operator U is determined. As a result, it becomes possible to improve the estimation accuracy of the suitability of the operator U who operates the robot 2.

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist. be. For example, the specific embodiment of the distribution / integration of the device is not limited to the above embodiment, and all or a part thereof may be functionally or physically distributed / integrated in any unit. Can be done. Also included in the embodiments of the present invention are new embodiments resulting from any combination of the plurality of embodiments. The effect of the new embodiment produced by the combination has the effect of the original embodiment together.

1 Management device 2 Robot 3 Operation device 11 Communication unit 12 Storage unit 13 Control unit 21 Communication unit 22 Mechanism unit 23 Sensor unit 24 Storage unit 25 Control unit 31 Operation unit 32 Detection unit 33 Communication unit 34 Display unit 35 Storage unit 36 Control unit 131 Information acquisition unit 132 Determination unit 133 Storage control unit 134 Instruction transmission unit 251 Instruction reception unit 252 Mechanism control unit 253 Robot status transmission unit 361 Status identification unit 362 Instruction transmission unit 363 Status transmission unit 364 Display control unit

Claims (23)

It is a management device for managing the operator who operates the robot.
An information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating the physical state of the operator while the operator is performing a predetermined operation on the robot, and an information acquisition unit.
A determination unit that determines the level of tolerance for the operator to operate the robot by comparing the physical condition of the operator indicated by the state information with the reference level.
A storage control unit that stores the level of tolerance in the storage unit in association with the operator identification information for identifying the operator.
Have a,
The determination unit is a management device that selects one or more operators to operate the robot from the plurality of operators based on the plurality of levels of resistance corresponding to the plurality of operators. The information acquisition unit acquires the state information indicating a plurality of states of the robot or a plurality of states of the operator when the operator operates the robot a plurality of times.
The determination unit determines the level of resistance based on the plurality of states of the robot or the plurality of states of the operator indicated by the state information.
The management device according to claim 1. The determination unit outputs the state of the robot or the operation of the robot indicated by the state information to a machine learning model that outputs information indicating the level of resistance in response to the input of the state of the robot or the state of the operator. The level of tolerance is determined based on the information output from the machine learning model by inputting the state of the person.
The management device according to claim 1 or 2. The information acquisition unit further acquires the state information indicating the mood of the operator after the operator operates the robot as the state of the operator.
The determination unit determines the level of tolerance based further on the mood of the operator indicated by the state information.
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The information acquisition unit notifies the operator of a predetermined test scenario, and indicates the state of the robot or the state of the operator when the operator operates the robot based on the test scenario. Get status information,
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The determination unit does not use the state information indicating the state of the robot or the state of the operator while the state of the surroundings of the robot operated by the operator is an abnormal state, and the state around the robot is not used. The level of resistance is determined using the state information indicating the state of the robot or the state of the operator performed while the robot is in a normal state.
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The storage control unit stores the resistance level in the storage unit in association with robot identification information that identifies a plurality of different robots.
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The determination unit is one or more that allows the operator to operate from the plurality of robots based on the resistance level stored in the storage unit in association with the operator identification information and the robot identification information. Select the robot,
The management device according to claim 7. The determination unit selects one or more scenarios from a plurality of scenarios used when operating the robot, based on the level of tolerance stored in the storage unit in association with the operator identification information.
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The determination unit selects one or more operation devices from a plurality of operation devices used when operating the robot based on the resistance level stored in the storage unit in association with the operator identification information. ,
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The determination unit determines an operation that can be performed by the robot when the operator operates the robot based on the level of tolerance, and determines an operation with respect to the robot operated by the operator. Send data showing the contents of
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 10. Based on the level of tolerance, the determination unit selects auxiliary content to be notified to the operator when the operator operates the robot, and notifies the operator of data indicating the selected auxiliary content. ,
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The determination unit selects, as the auxiliary content, content indicating an operation content when another operator having a resistance level higher than that of the operator operates the robot.
The management device according to claim 12. The determination unit determines the presentation mode of the auxiliary content based on the resistance to the operation of the operator indicated by the level of resistance.
The management device according to claim 12 or 13. Based on the level of resistance, the determination unit determines environmental conditions that affect the operability of the robot, which allows the operator to operate the robot.
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 14. The information acquisition unit further acquires business information indicating the content of the business executed by the operator by operating the robot.
The determination unit determines the reward amount for the operator based on the content of the business indicated by the business information and the level of tolerance.
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 15. The information acquisition unit further acquires business information indicating the content of the business executed by the operator by operating the robot.
The determination unit selects one or more operators from the plurality of operators to perform the business of the content indicated by the business information, based on the plurality of resistance levels corresponding to the plurality of operators.
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 15. The determination unit determines the order or time for each of the one or more operators to perform the operation of the robot by referring to the plurality of resistance levels stored in the storage unit.
The management device according to claim 17. By acquiring the operation content of the operator and correcting the operation content based on the resistance level, instruction information for operating the robot is created, and the created instruction information is transmitted to the robot. It also has an instruction transmitter,
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 18. Further having a display control unit that causes an information terminal to display information indicating whether or not the operator is operating the robot in association with the level of tolerance of the operator determined by the determination unit.
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 19. Further having a display control unit for displaying the resistance level stored in the storage unit on the display unit in association with the operator.
The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 19. It is a management method for managing the operator who operates the robot, which is executed by the computer.
A step of acquiring state information indicating the physical state of the operator while the operator is performing a predetermined operation on the robot, and a step of acquiring state information.
A step of determining the level of tolerance for the operator to operate the robot by comparing the physical condition of the operator indicated by the state information with the reference level.
A step of storing the resistance level in the storage unit in association with the operator identification information for identifying the operator, and
A step of selecting one or more operators to operate the robot from the plurality of operators based on a plurality of levels of resistance corresponding to the plurality of the operators.
Management method with. With a robot
An operating device used by the operator to operate the robot,
A management device for managing the operator and
Equipped with
The operating device is
An instruction transmission unit that transmits instruction information indicating the contents operated by the operator to the robot, and
An operator status transmission unit that transmits operator status information indicating the status of the operator when the operator performs an operation to the management device, and an operator status transmission unit.
Have,
The robot
An instruction receiving unit that receives the instruction information, and
A mechanism control unit that controls the mechanism based on the instruction information,
A robot state transmission unit that transmits robot state information indicating the state of the robot after the mechanism control unit controls the mechanism to the management device, and a robot state transmission unit.
Have,
The management device is
An information acquisition unit that acquires the operator state information indicating the physical state of the operator while the operator is performing a predetermined operation on the robot, and an information acquisition unit.
A determination unit that determines the level of tolerance for the operator to operate the robot by comparing the physical state of the operator indicated by the operator state information indicated by the robot state information with a reference level.
A storage control unit that stores the level of tolerance in the storage unit in association with the operator identification information for identifying the operator.
Have a,
The determination unit is a management system that selects one or more operators to operate the robot from the plurality of operators based on a plurality of levels of resistance corresponding to the plurality of operators.

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