JP2021151675A - Link mechanism control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce wiring in a link mechanism in which multiple links are articulated.SOLUTION: A link mechanism control device 100 includes: a link mechanism 101 including links 111-114 connected via joints 131-133 which are driven by drive means and link-side antennae 121-123 respectively provided in two or more links; a proximal-side antenna 105 provided in positions on a proximal side of the link mechanism 101 and capable of line-of-sight communication with each of the link-side antennae 121-123 in a state where each of the joints 131-133 is at an arbitrary angle; an access point 106 for transmitting a control signal to each of the link-side antennae 121-123 from the proximal-side antenna 105; and a control unit 107 for controlling the access point 106 to transmit a control signal. Each of the joints 131-133 of the link mechanism 101 is driven on the basis of a control signal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7A

Description

The present invention relates to a link mechanism control device that controls a link mechanism with reduced wiring.

Robot arms are often used for labor saving in various work operations. Since the robot arm has a built-in motor and sensor, wiring for supplying power to the motor, wiring for controlling the motor, wiring for transmitting information from the sensor, etc. are used, and the wiring is Very many. Further, since the robot arm has a movable part, there are many accidents of disconnection due to repeated bending and accidents of disconnection due to wire biting.

In addition, the wiring squeezes the mounting space and also becomes a factor that limits the movable range. Further, there is a possibility that a wiring error may occur when manufacturing the robot arm. In this way, wiring can cause various troubles in terms of design, manufacture, and maintenance of the robot arm. In order to solve such troubles, it is required to make the wiring wireless in the link mechanism including the movable part such as the robot arm.

For example, in Patent Documents 1 to 3, control signals and the like are transmitted and received by wireless communication between the control device and the robot arm. In this way, it is possible to eliminate wiring for transmitting and receiving control signals and the like between the control device and the robot arm.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-078325 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-129003 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-0133330

However, even in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 to 3, the wiring in the robot arm remains, and a problem caused by the wiring may occur.

Generally speaking, there has been a desire to reduce wiring in a link mechanism in which a plurality of links are connected by joints.

The present invention has been made in accordance with the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a link mechanism control device capable of reducing wiring in a link mechanism in which a plurality of links are connected by joints.

In order to achieve the above object, the link mechanism control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of links connected by joints driven by a driving means, and two or more links provided in each of the two or more links in the plurality of links. A link mechanism having a link-side antenna and a position on the base end side of the link mechanism capable of communicating with each of two or more link-side antennas in line of sight in a state where each joint of the link mechanism is at an arbitrary angle. A link mechanism including one or more proximal antennas, an access point that transmits control signals from the proximal antennas to each of a plurality of link-side antennas, and a control unit that controls transmission of control signals by the access points. Each joint of is driven based on a control signal.

With such a configuration, since the link mechanism has two or more link-side antennas, for example, a control signal can be received for each link, and the wiring for transmitting the control signal in the link mechanism can be reduced. Can be done. Further, since the two or more link-side antennas and the proximal end-side antenna can communicate with each other in line of sight, it becomes possible to transmit and receive control signals using radio waves having a short frequency such as millimeter waves.

Further, in the link mechanism control device according to one aspect of the present invention, there are a plurality of base end side antennas, and each of the two or more link side antennas has a plurality of base ends in a state where each joint of the link mechanism has an arbitrary angle. A plurality of proximal side antennas may be arranged so that they can communicate with at least one of the side antennas in line of sight.

With such a configuration, by using a plurality of base end side antennas, communication with each of the two or more link side antennas can be more easily realized. Further, it is possible to operate each link of the link mechanism in a wider range in a state where in-line communication with the antenna on the proximal end side can be realized.

Further, in the link mechanism control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the base end side antenna may be a leaky coaxial cable arranged in an annular shape so as to surround the base end side of the link mechanism.

With such a configuration, by using the proximal end side antenna which is a leaky coaxial cable, it becomes possible to easily realize the line-of-sight communication between two or more link side antennas and the proximal end side antenna.

Further, in the link mechanism control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the change portion capable of changing at least one of the directivity and the position of the base end side antenna and the link side antenna having two or more base end side antennas communicate with each other in line of sight. An antenna control unit that controls the change unit may be further provided.

With such a configuration, by changing the directivity and the position of the proximal end side antenna by the change part, for example, using a small number of proximal end antennas, two or more link side antennas and the proximal end side antenna can be used. It will be possible to realize line-of-sight communication.

Further, the link mechanism control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of links having a housing that is connected by joints driven by a driving means and reflects radio waves, and a housing of two or more links in the plurality of links. A link mechanism having two or more link-side antennas provided inside, a base-end side antenna provided at a position on the base-end side of the link mechanism, and a plurality of link-side antennas from the base-end side antennas, respectively. Each joint of the link mechanism is driven based on the control signal, including an access point that transmits a control signal using radio waves propagating in the housing and a control unit that controls the transmission of the control signal by the access point. , Things.

With such a configuration, by propagating the radio wave of the control signal in the housing of the link mechanism, for example, the control signal can be received for each link, and the wiring for transmitting the control signal in the link mechanism can be provided. Can be reduced.

Further, in the link mechanism control device according to one aspect of the present invention, the control signal may be transmitted from the proximal end antenna using a radio wave having a wavelength of 10 mm or less.

With such a configuration, wireless communication in a wider band can be performed and more signals can be transmitted and received as compared with the case where radio waves having a longer wavelength are used. Further, for example, even when a plurality of link mechanism control devices are arranged adjacent to each other, the frequency can be selected so as not to interfere with the adjacent devices.

Further, the link mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention is a link mechanism including a first link and a second link connected by a joint, and the first link is connected to a second link. It has a power transmission coil provided for use in non-contact power transmission, and a second link has a power reception coil provided facing the power transmission coil for use in non-contact power transmission, the power transmission coil and A magnetic shaft member, which is the axis of rotation of the joint, is provided at the center of the power receiving coil.

With such a configuration, it is possible to eliminate the wiring for power transmission in the joint portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a disconnection accident due to repeated bending and a disconnection accident due to tooth biting. In addition, the movable range is not limited by eliminating the wiring at the joint portion. For example, in a joint, it is possible to rotate an arbitrary number of times in one direction. Further, since the magnetic shaft member which is the rotation shaft of the joint is provided at the center of the power transmission coil and the power reception coil, the shaft member becomes a core for promoting the coupling of both coils. Therefore, such a shaft member The efficiency of non-contact power transmission from the transmitting coil to the receiving coil can be improved as compared with the case where is not present. Further, since the shaft member also serves as the rotation shaft of the joint, there is an advantage that it is not necessary to separately provide a core in order to improve the power transmission efficiency. Further, since the joint rotates without shifting the positional relationship between the two coils due to the existence of the shaft member, the power transmission efficiency does not change according to the rotation.

Further, the link unit according to one aspect of the present invention is a link unit constituting a link mechanism having a plurality of links connected by joints, and is used in non-contact power transmission provided in a joint on the proximal end side. The power receiving coil, the power transmission coil provided in the joint on the tip side and used for non-contact power transmission, the driving means for rotating the joint on the proximal end side or the tip side, and the power received non-contact by the power receiving coil. , A control circuit that supplies power to the drive means and transmits power from the power transmission coil to the link unit on the tip side, and a magnetic shaft that is a rotation axis of the joint and is provided at at least one of the center of the power receiving coil and the center of the power transmission coil. It is provided with a member.

With such a configuration, the link mechanism can be easily configured by connecting the link units. In addition, the number of links can be easily increased or decreased depending on the use of the link mechanism and the like. In addition, non-contact power transmission can be performed at the joint portion of the link mechanism, and since a magnetic shaft member is present at the center of both coils, the same effect as described above can be obtained. ..

Further, in the link unit according to one aspect of the present invention, the shaft member may be provided at one of the center of the power receiving coil and the center of the power transmission coil.

With such a configuration, when the user connects a plurality of link units, the end of the link unit on the power receiving side (that is, the base end side) and the end portion on the power transmission side (that is, the tip end side) are pivoted. It can be easily determined depending on the presence or absence of the member.

Further, in the link unit according to one aspect of the present invention, in one of the joint on the proximal end side and the joint on the distal end side, the power receiving coil or the power receiving coil is sandwiched from both sides in the rotation axis direction of the joint portion to be connected. A power transmission coil is provided, and on the other side of the joint on the proximal end side and the joint on the distal end side, the power transmission coil or the power receiving coil is sandwiched from both sides in the rotation axis direction by the power receiving coil or the power transmitting coil of the joint portion to be connected. It may be provided.

With such a configuration, efficient power transmission at the joint portion can be realized. Further, since the shape of the base end side of the link unit and the shape of the tip end side are different, the end portion of the link unit on the base end side and the end portion on the tip end side can be easily distinguished.

Further, in the link unit according to one aspect of the present invention, the rotation axis of the joint on the proximal end side and the rotation axis of the joint on the distal end side may be parallel.

With such a configuration, for example, a horizontal articulated robot can be configured by using the link unit.

Further, in the link unit according to one aspect of the present invention, the rotation axis of the joint on the distal end side is in a direction perpendicular to the plane including a straight line including the rotation axis of the joint on the proximal end side and a straight line in the longitudinal direction of the link unit. There may be.

With such a configuration, by using the link unit, it is possible to configure a link mechanism for performing a more complicated operation.

According to the link mechanism control device according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the wiring in the link mechanism in which a plurality of links are connected by joints.

Top view showing the structure of the link mechanism according to Embodiment 1 of this invention. The figure which shows the internal structure of the link unit by the same embodiment The figure which shows the internal structure of the link mechanism by the same embodiment. The figure which shows the internal structure of the base end side of the robot arm device in the same embodiment. The figure which shows the internal structure of the link mechanism of another structure by the same embodiment. Top view showing another configuration of the link mechanism according to the same embodiment. Schematic diagram showing the configuration of the link mechanism control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Schematic diagram showing an example of another configuration of the link mechanism control device according to the present embodiment. Schematic diagram showing an example of another configuration of the link mechanism control device according to the same embodiment. Schematic diagram showing an example of another configuration of the link mechanism control device according to the same embodiment. Top view showing an example of the arrangement of the base end side antenna in the same embodiment. Top view showing another example of the proximal end side antenna in the same embodiment. Schematic diagram showing an example of the changed part in the same embodiment Schematic diagram showing an example of another configuration of the link mechanism control device according to the same embodiment.

Hereinafter, the link mechanism, the link unit, and the link mechanism control device according to the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments. In the following embodiments, the components with the same reference numerals are the same or correspond to each other, and the description thereof may be omitted again.

(Embodiment 1)
The link mechanism and the link unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The link mechanism according to the present embodiment connects a plurality of link units, and performs non-contact power transmission at a joint portion using a power transmission coil, a power receiving coil, and a shaft member.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of the link mechanism 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an internal structure of a first link unit 10 constituting the link mechanism 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an internal structure of the link mechanism 1.

The link mechanism 1 according to the present embodiment includes a first link unit 10 and a second link unit 20. In addition, in FIGS. 1 and 3, for convenience of explanation, the case where the link mechanism 1 has two linked units is described, but the link mechanism 1 includes three or more link units connected in series. It may have. Further, the link mechanism 1 may be, for example, a robot arm or something other than a robot arm. In the latter case, the link mechanism 1 may be, for example, the legs of a quadruped walking robot, the arms or legs of a humanoid robot, or a link mechanism such as a crane. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the first link unit 10 is a link on the proximal end side and the second link unit 20 is a link connected to the distal end side of the first link unit 10.

The first link unit 10 includes a power receiving coil 11, a power transmission coil 12, a driving means 13, a control circuit 14, a shaft member 15, pulleys 16 and 17, and a belt 18. The second link unit 20 includes a power receiving coil 21, a power transmission coil 22, a driving means 23, a control circuit 24, a shaft member 25, pulleys 26 and 27, and a belt 28. The power receiving coil 21, the power transmission coil 22, the driving means 23, the control circuit 24, the shaft member 25, the pulleys 26, 27, and the belt 28 of the second link unit 20 are the power receiving coil 11 of the first link unit 10, respectively. It is the same as the power transmission coil 12, the drive means 13, the control circuit 14, the shaft member 15, the pulleys 16 and 17, and the belt 18, and the description thereof will be omitted. The first and second link units 10 and 20 may be, for example, rod-shaped units extending in a straight line. In this embodiment, the case will be mainly described. Further, the length of each link unit in the longitudinal direction may be the same or different, for example.

The power receiving coil 11 is a power receiving coil used in non-contact power transmission, and is provided at a joint on the proximal end side of the first link unit 10. The power receiving coil 11 includes a power transmission coil (not shown) provided at a joint on the tip side of the other link unit or a base when the base end side of the first link unit 10 is connected to another link unit or the base side. It is provided so as to face a power transmission coil (not shown) provided on the side joint.

The power transmission coil 12 is a power transmission coil used in non-contact power transmission, and is provided at a joint on the tip side of the first link unit 10. That is, the power transmission coil 12 is provided at a connection point with the second link unit 20. The power transmission coil 12 is provided so as to face the power receiving coil 21 provided at the joint on the proximal end side of the second link unit 20 connected to the distal end side of the first link unit 10.

The method of non-contact power transmission performed between the power transmission coil 12 and the power reception coil 21 does not matter. The non-contact power transmission method may be, for example, a magnetic field coupling method such as an electromagnetic induction method or a magnetic field resonance method, or may be another method of non-contact power transmission.

The driving means 13 rotates the joint on the proximal end side or the distal end side. In the present embodiment, the case where the driving means 13 rotates the joint on the distal end side will be mainly described. The drive means 13 may be, for example, a motor or the like.

The control circuit 14 supplies the power received by the power receiving coil 11 in a non-contact manner to the drive means 13. That is, the drive means 13 operates by the electric power received by the power receiving coil 11. Further, the control circuit 14 transmits the electric power received by the power receiving coil 11 in a non-contact manner from the power transmission coil 12 to the second link unit 20 on the tip side. Specifically, the electric power received by the power receiving coil 11 is transmitted from the power transmitting coil 12 to the power receiving coil 21 of the second link unit 20 in a non-contact manner. The control circuit 14 may adjust the voltage and current of the electric power output from the power receiving coil 11 and supply the electric power to the driving means 13 and the power transmission coil 12. The control circuit 14 may, for example, convert the AC power from the power receiving coil 11 into DC once, and then adjust the voltage and current. Further, for example, when the drive means 13 is a DC motor, DC power may be sent to the drive means 13. When the drive means 13 is a pulse motor or an AC motor, the control circuit 14 may convert DC power into AC power and send it to the drive means 13.

When the power receiving coil does not exist ahead of the power transmission coil 12, the control circuit 14 can detect that by increasing the amount of current flowing through the power transmission coil 12. Then, the control circuit 14 may stop the supply of electric power to the power transmission coil 12. When the user connects the link units, the link unit to which the front end side link unit is not connected, that is, the most advanced link unit, may be manually set not to transmit power. Further, in the state-of-the-art link unit, it is not necessary to supply electric power to the drive means 13.

The shaft member 15 is a rotation shaft of a joint and is a member of a magnetic material. The shaft member 15 is provided at the center of the power transmission coil 12, and the first link unit 10 is connected to the second link unit 20 so that the shaft member 15 is located at the center of the power transmission coil 12 and the power reception coil 21. Become. Since the shaft member 15 is a magnetic material, it serves as a core that promotes coupling between the two coils when non-contact power transmission is performed from the power transmission coil 12 to the power reception coil 21. The shaft member 15 may be, for example, a ferromagnetic material such as iron, cobalt, or nickel, an alloy thereof, or another magnetic material. From the viewpoint of promoting coil coupling, it is preferable to use ferrite as the shaft member 15. On the other hand, since ferrite has low strength, when ferrite is used, a rod-shaped member in which ferrite is covered with a resin may be used as the shaft member 15. The resin covering the ferrite preferably has high strength. The resin having high strength is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, engineering plastic, super engineering plastic, or the like.

In the present embodiment, the case where the shaft member 15 is provided at the center of the power transmission coil 12 of the first link unit 10 will be described, but it may not be the case. The shaft member 15 may be provided at at least one of the center of the power transmission coil 12 and the center of the power reception coil 11 of the first link unit 10. For example, even when the driving means 13 rotates the joint on the distal end side, the shaft member 15 may be provided at the center of the power receiving coil 11 on the proximal end side. When the shaft member 15 is provided at one of the center of the power receiving coil 11 and the center of the power transmission coil 12, the joint on the proximal end side or the distal end side in the first link unit 10 depends on the presence or absence of the shaft member. It will be possible to determine whether it is a joint of. In order to enable such discrimination, it is preferable to provide the shaft member 15 only at one of the center of the power receiving coil 11 and the center of the power transmission coil 12.

Next, the rotation of the joint by the driving means 13 will be described. A pulley 16 is attached to the rotating shaft of the drive means 13, a pulley 17 is attached to the shaft member 15, and a belt 18 is hung on both pulleys 16 and 17. Therefore, when the rotation shaft of the drive means 13 rotates, the pulley 16 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the pulley 17 by the belt 18, and the shaft member 15 rotates according to the rotation of the pulley 17. Further, it is assumed that the end portion of the shaft member 15 on the second link unit 20 side is fixed to the second link unit 20. As a result, the first link unit 10 rotates at the joint portion with respect to the second link unit 20 in accordance with the rotation of the shaft member 15.

Instead of the pulleys 16 and 17 and the belt 18, the shaft member 15 may be rotated by using a gear, the rotating shaft of the driving means 13 may be directly connected to the shaft member 15, or other Depending on the method, the power of the driving means 13 may be transmitted to the shaft member 15. Further, in the transmission of power, the torque may be increased by using a speed reducer.

Next, a method of configuring the link mechanism 1 by using the first link units 10 and 20 will be briefly described. By connecting the tip end side of the first link unit 10 to the proximal end side of the second link unit 20, the first and second link units 10 and 20 are connected as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The link mechanism 1 having the link mechanism 1 can be configured. More specifically, the shaft member 15 on the tip end side of the first link unit 10 is inserted into the shaft mounting hole of the joint on the proximal end side of the second link unit 20, and the shaft member 20 is inserted in the second link unit 20. 15 is fixed. In this way, both link units 10 and 20 can be connected. Further, by connecting another link unit to the tip end side of the second link unit 20 or the base end side of the link unit 10, the number of linked link units can be easily increased.

The first link unit 10 on the proximal end side of the link mechanism 1 may be connected to the joint of the proximal end 30 fixed to the base 3, for example, as shown in FIG. The base end portion 30 may include, for example, a power transmission coil 32, a drive means 33, a control circuit 34, a shaft member 35, pulleys 36 and 37, and a belt 38. The power transmission coil 32, the drive means 33, the control circuit 34, the shaft member 35, the pulleys 36, 37, and the belt 38 are the power transmission coil 12, the drive means 13, the control circuit 14, the shaft member 15, the pulleys 16, 17, and the belt, respectively. It is the same as that of 18, and the description thereof will be omitted. Further, since the base end portion 30 can receive power supply from a commercial power source, the base end portion 30 does not have to have a power receiving coil. Therefore, the control circuit 34 may appropriately adjust the electric power from the commercial power source and output the electric power to the power transmission coil 32. Further, the drive means 33 may also be operated by a commercial power source. Although the link unit connected to the tip end side of the first link unit 10 is omitted in FIG. 4, the second link unit 20 is connected to the tip end side of the first link unit 10. Alternatively, another link unit may be further connected to the tip end side of the second link unit 20. Further, an end effector such as a hand portion depending on the use of the robot arm may be connected to the tip of the link mechanism 1. In this way, the robot arm device 2 is configured.

Next, the operation of the link mechanism 1 will be briefly described. Power is transmitted from the base end portion 30 to the power receiving coil 11 by non-contact power transmission via the power transmission coil 32. The electric power received by the power receiving coil 11 is output to the control circuit 14, and the voltage, current, and the like are appropriately adjusted and supplied to the drive means 13 and the power transmission coil 12. Then, power is transmitted from the power transmission coil 12 to the power receiving coil 21 of the second link unit 20 by non-contact power transmission. By sequentially performing non-contact power transmission between the link units in this way, power is transmitted to the tip of the link mechanism 1. As a result, in the link mechanism 1, it is not necessary to provide wiring for power transmission in the joint portion.

The control signal of the driving means and the sensing result by the sensor (not shown) in the link unit may be exchanged between the link unit and the base end portion 30 by wireless communication, for example. The wireless communication will be described in the second embodiment. Further, the communication of the control signal and the sensing result may be performed by the wiring of the link mechanism 1. Even in this case, in the link mechanism 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the wiring at the joint portion related to electric power.

As described above, according to the link mechanism 1 according to the present embodiment, power can be transmitted by non-contact power transmission in the joint portion, so that wiring for power transmission in the joint portion becomes unnecessary. Therefore, troubles caused by wiring can be solved. For example, it is possible to prevent disconnection accidents due to repeated bending and disconnection accidents due to tooth biting in the wiring for electric power. Further, for example, when all the wiring at the joint portion is eliminated, the movable range is not limited, and the joint can be rotated an arbitrary number of times in one direction. Further, as the number of wirings is reduced, the weight of the link mechanism 1 can be reduced, and each joint can be rotated with a small amount of torque, which also contributes to energy saving.

Further, since the shaft member 15 existing at the center of the power transmission coil 12 and the power receiving coil 21 serves as a core that promotes the coupling of both coils 12 and 21, the efficiency of non-contact power transmission can be improved. Further, since the shaft member 15 also serves as the rotation shaft of the joint, there is an advantage that it is not necessary to separately provide a core in order to improve the power transmission efficiency. Further, due to the presence of the shaft member 15, the joints rotate without shifting the positional relationship between the coils 12 and 21, and the power transmission efficiency does not change according to the rotation. Further, since the link mechanism 1 can be configured by connecting a plurality of link units, the link mechanism 1 can be easily expanded.

Next, a modification of the link mechanism 1 and the link unit according to the present embodiment will be described.

[Correspondence between power receiving coil and power transmission coil]
In the present embodiment, the case where the power receiving coil and the power transmitting coil face each other on a one-to-one basis has been described, but this may not be the case. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the joint on the proximal end side of the second link unit 20 is provided with a power receiving coil 21 so as to sandwich the power transmission coil 12 of the joint portion to be connected from both sides in the rotation axis direction. The joint on the distal end side of the first link unit 10 may be provided with a power transmission coil 12 so as to be sandwiched from both sides in the rotation axis direction by a pair of power receiving coils 21 of the joint portion to be connected. .. The shaft member 15 penetrates the three coils.

With such a configuration, the power receiving coil 21 can receive power from both sides of the power transmission coil 12, and the efficiency of non-contact power transmission is improved. Further, since both ends of the shaft member 15 have a double-sided structure supported by the second link unit 20, the shaft member 15 is less likely to shake at the joint portion than the cantilever structure, and the rotation of the joint is stable. .. Further, since the shape of the link unit is different between the proximal end side and the distal end side, it becomes possible to easily determine which is the distal end side (or the proximal end side) in the link unit.

Although the case where the power receiving coil is sandwiched between the two power transmission coils has been described here, the opposite may be true. That is, the power transmission coil may be sandwiched between two power reception coils. Even in this case, the efficiency of non-contact power transmission can be improved.

In this way, at one of the joint on the proximal end side and the joint on the distal end side, a power receiving coil or a power receiving coil is provided so as to sandwich the power transmitting coil or the power receiving coil of the joint portion to be connected from both sides in the direction of the rotation axis, and the proximal end is provided. On the other side of the side joint and the distal end side joint, the power transmission coil or the power receiving coil may be provided so as to be sandwiched from both sides in the rotation axis direction by the power receiving coil or the power transmitting coil of the joint portion to be connected.

Further, FIG. 5 shows a case where one power transmitting coil 12 is sandwiched between two power receiving coils 21 in the rotation axis direction, but N + N gaps (N + 1 power receiving coils) in the rotation axis direction (N + 1 power receiving coils). That is, it may be configured so that N power transmission coils exist in the gap between the coils). N is an integer of 1 or more. Further, the power transmission coil and the power reception coil may be reversed so that N power reception coils are present between the N + 1 power transmission coils in the rotation axis direction.

[Relationship between the rotation axis on the base end side and the rotation axis on the tip end side]
In the present embodiment, in the first and second link units 10 and 20, the case where the rotation axis of the joint on the proximal end side and the rotation axis of the joint on the distal end side are parallel has been described, but this is not the case. You may. For example, as in the link unit 40 shown in FIG. 6, the rotation axis 63 of the joint on the distal end side includes a straight line including the rotation axis 62 of the joint on the proximal end side and a straight line in the longitudinal direction of the link unit 40 (rotation axis 62). A straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the link unit 40, for example, a straight line extending the double arrow in FIG. 6) may be in a direction perpendicular to the plane including. In the link units 10 and 50 included in the link mechanism 1 shown in FIG. 6, the rotation axes 61 and 63 of the joints on the proximal end side and the rotation axes 62 and 64 of the joints on the distal end side are parallel to each other. .. The link mechanism 1 having such a link unit 40 makes it possible to realize more complicated movements. For example, in the link mechanism 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, each link unit moves in the same plane, but in the link mechanism shown in FIG. 5, each link unit moves in a three-dimensional space. Therefore, complicated operations can be realized. Further, the angle between the rotation axis of the joint on the proximal end side and the rotation axis of the joint on the distal end side may have a relationship other than the above.

[Joints driven by driving means]
In the present embodiment, the case where the joints on the distal end side are rotated by the driving means 13 and 23 in the first and second link units 10 and 20 has been mainly described, but it is not necessary. The driving means 13 and 23 may rotate the joint on the proximal end side. In that case, the shaft members 15 and 25 included in the first and second link units 10 and 20 may be shaft members of the rotating shaft on the proximal end side.

[Link mechanism configured by other than the link unit]
In the present embodiment, the case where the link mechanism 1 is configured by connecting the link units such as the first and second link units 10 and 20 has been described, but it is not necessary. The link mechanism 1 is not configured by using a link unit, but may be individually designed and configured for each link in the same manner as a normal robot arm. Even in that case, when the non-contact power transmission is performed in the joint, the non-contact is provided by providing a magnetic shaft member which is the rotation axis of the joint at the center of the power transmission coil and the power reception coil. The efficiency of power transmission can be improved.

When the link mechanism 1 is configured without using the link unit, for example, in one link, both the joint on the proximal end side and the joint on the distal end side are rotated by using two driving means. May be done. Further, for example, one link may be provided with only a rotation transmission mechanism so as to rotate the joint on the distal end side in accordance with the rotation of the joint on the proximal end side. The rotation transmission mechanism may be composed of, for example, a pulley and a belt, or a gear.

(Embodiment 2)
The link mechanism control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The link mechanism control device according to the present embodiment drives each joint of the link mechanism by wirelessly transmitting a control signal from the base end side antenna to two or more link side antennas provided in the link mechanism. ..

FIG. 7A is a schematic view showing the configuration of the link mechanism control device 100 according to the present embodiment. The link mechanism control device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a link mechanism 101, a proximal end antenna 105, an access point 106, and a control unit 107. The link mechanism 101 includes a plurality of links 111 to 114 connected by joints 131 to 133 driven by a driving means, and two or more link-side antennas 121 provided on each of the two or more links in the plurality of links 111 to 114. It is provided with ~ 123. Of the plurality of links 111 to 114, the link 111 on the proximal end side is fixed to the base 103. Further, the link 111 and the link 112, the link 112 and the link 113, and the link 113 and the link 114 are rotatably connected by joints 131 to 133, respectively.

In the present embodiment, the case where the link mechanism 101 has four links 111 to 114 will be mainly described, but the number of links included in the link mechanism 101 does not matter. For example, the link mechanism 101 may have two or three links, or may have five or more links. Multiple links are usually connected in series. Further, in the present embodiment, the hand portion (end effector) existing at the forefront of the link mechanism 101 will also be described as one link. The power supply to each of the links 112 to 114 may be performed by, for example, wiring, or may be performed by wireless power supply at the joint portion as in the first embodiment. In the latter case, for example, a link unit may be used as each link 112 to 114. Since the link 111 is fixed to the base 103, electric power can be supplied by using wiring.

It is preferable that each of the links 112 to 114 other than the link 111 connected to the base 103 is provided with a link-side antenna. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the link side antennas 121 to 123 are provided on the links 112 to 114, respectively. In the present embodiment, the case where the link-side antennas 121 to 123 are provided on the links 112 to 114 other than the link 111 at the base end will be described, but this may not be the case. Two or more link-side antennas may be provided on each of the two or more links of the links 112 to 114 other than the link 111 at the base end. In that case, wiring via joints may be provided between some links for transmission of control signals and the like. Even in such a case, by transmitting and receiving control signals and the like via two or more link-side antennas, the link mechanism 101 as a whole has an advantage that wiring at joints can be reduced. .. Further, for example, there may be a link having only a rotation transmission mechanism that rotates the joint on the distal end side according to the rotation of the joint on the proximal end side. In this case, the link having only the rotation transmission mechanism does not need to transmit and receive signals, so that the link-side antenna may not be provided. The rotation transmission mechanism may be composed of, for example, a pulley and a belt, a gear, or the like.

Note that FIG. 7A shows a case where the link-side antennas 121 to 123 are provided at the joints or in the vicinity of the joints, but this may not be the case. The link-side antenna may be provided at an arbitrary position from the end on the tip end side of the link to the end portion on the base end side. For example, as shown in FIG. 7B, the link-side antennas 121 and 122 may be provided near the middle between the end end on the tip end side and the end end on the base end side of the link. For example, as in the case of the link mechanism 1 in the first embodiment, when the non-contact power transmission is performed in the joint portion, it is difficult to provide the link side antenna in the joint portion, so as shown in FIG. 7B, At each of the links 112 and 113, it is preferable that the link-side antennas 121 and 122 are provided between the joints at both ends. It is assumed that the link-side antennas 121 to 123 are provided outside the housing of each of the links 112 to 114. This is to enable the transmission and reception of radio waves to be performed favorably. The link-side antennas 121 to 123 may be, for example, patch antennas arranged on the housing surface of each of the links 112 to 114, or other types of antennas.

Further, in FIG. 7A, due to the rotation of the joint 133, the link-side antenna 123 provided on the link 114 may not be able to perform in-line communication with the proximal end-side antenna 105. As described above, for the link 114 provided with the link-side antenna 123 that cannot perform in-line communication with the proximal end-side antenna 105 in response to the rotation of the joint 133, the joint 133 is optional as shown in FIG. 7B. A plurality of link-side antennas 123 may be provided so that in-line communication can be performed with the proximal end-side antenna 105 at the angle of. In this case, a plurality of link-side antennas 123 can perform in-line communication with the proximal end-side antenna 105 regardless of the angle of the joint 133. Is preferably arranged.

More generally, in a state where each joint of the link mechanism 101 has an arbitrary angle, there is a situation in which the link-side antenna provided on the predetermined link cannot perform in-line communication with the proximal end-side antenna 105. In some cases, the predetermined link may be provided with a plurality of link-side antennas. The plurality of link-side antennas are provided so that at least one of the link-side antennas can perform in-line communication with the proximal end-side antenna 105 in a state where each joint of the link mechanism 101 is at an arbitrary angle. And.

Further, when transmitting and receiving radio waves having a short wavelength such as millimeter waves, the cost of a cable connecting the communication means and the antenna becomes large. Therefore, the communication means and the antenna may be provided integrally. In this case, it is not necessary to use a cable connecting the two. For example, the link-side antennas 121 to 123 provided in the link mechanism 101 may be provided integrally with the communication means. Further, the same may be applied to the base end side antenna 105.

The link-side antennas 121 to 123 and the proximal end-side antenna 105 may be provided with an antenna cover (radome) for protecting the antenna. A material having a high radio wave transmittance is usually used for the antenna cover.

Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the link mechanism 101 is a robot arm will be mainly described, but the link mechanism 101 may be something other than the robot arm. Examples of the link mechanism 101 other than the robot arm include a leg of a quadruped walking robot, an arm and leg of a humanoid robot, and a link mechanism such as a crane.

Each link 111-114 drives and controls the drive means based on, for example, a drive means for driving the joint on the proximal end side or the distal end side, a sensor such as a rotary encoder for acquiring the displacement of the rotation axis of the drive means, and a control signal. The control circuit may have a communication means for communicating with the control unit 107 via the link-side antennas 121 to 123. The driving means, the sensor, the control circuit, the communication means, and the like may be provided on the link provided with the link-side antenna, for example. The configuration of the link mechanism 101 other than the transmission and reception of control signals and the like is the same as that of the conventional link mechanism such as a robot arm, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The base end side antenna 105 is positioned on the base end side of the link mechanism 101 so that it can communicate with each of the link side antennas 121 to 123 in line of sight in a state where the joints 131 to 133 of the link mechanism 101 are at arbitrary angles. It is provided in. The state in which each joint 131 to 133 of the link mechanism 101 has an arbitrary angle is a state within the operable range of the link mechanism 101. Note that FIG. 7A shows a case where the base end side antenna 105 is provided on the base 103, but this may not be the case. The base end side antenna 105 may be provided at a position on the base end side of the link mechanism 101 other than the base 103. However, it is preferable that the base end side antenna 105 is provided around the base end of the link mechanism 101. The number of base end side antennas 105 does not matter. The base end side antenna 105 may be, for example, one or two or more.

The access point 106 wirelessly transmits a control signal from the base end side antenna 105 to each of the plurality of link side antennas 121 to 123. Further, the access point 106 may receive signals wirelessly transmitted from the plurality of link-side antennas 121 to 123 to the proximal end antenna 105 via the proximal end antenna 105. The access point 106 may be considered to correspond to, for example, a base station of a wireless LAN. Therefore, the access point 106 may communicate with the communication means provided on the links 112 to 114.

Communication between the base end side antenna 105 and the link side antennas 121 to 123 may be performed using, for example, a radio wave having a wavelength of 10 mm or less. That is, the control signal may be transmitted from the proximal end antenna 105 to the link side antennas 121 to 123 using radio waves having a wavelength of, for example, 10 mm or less, and the signal transmitted from the links 112 to 114 is, for example, 10 mm. Radio waves having the following wavelengths may be transmitted from the link-side antennas 121 to 123 to the proximal end-side antenna 105. The radio wave may be, for example, a millimeter wave, a submillimeter wave, a terahertz wave, or another radio wave having a wavelength of 10 mm or less. In the present embodiment, a case where a control signal or the like is transmitted by millimeter waves will be mainly described.

The access point 106 may observe the usage status of surrounding radio waves while switching the reception frequency during the period when communication is not performed. Then, communication may be performed with each of the links 112 to 114 by using a radio wave that does not interfere with the surrounding link mechanism control device. Further, the access point 106 may acquire the usage status of the radio wave by exchanging the usage status of the radio wave with the access point of the surrounding link mechanism control device by wire or wirelessly.

In wireless communication using radio waves having a long wavelength, such as 2.45 GHz and 5 GHz used in a wireless LAN, communication can be performed even if the communication is not within line-of-sight communication. On the other hand, in communication using such radio waves, it becomes difficult to secure a wide frequency band. The link mechanism 101 is usually provided with a plurality of driving means and a plurality of sensors, and each of them needs to communicate with each other, so that a wide frequency band is required. For that purpose, it is necessary to perform wireless communication using millimeter waves, submillimeter waves, and terahertz waves, which have shorter wavelengths.

On the other hand, in wireless communication using radio waves having a short wavelength such as millimeter waves, when the line-of-sight between the transmitting and receiving antennas cannot be secured, the transmitted radio waves are greatly attenuated and communication may not be established. In such a case, there is a problem that the link mechanism 101 cannot be operated properly. In order to solve such a problem, in the link mechanism control device 100 according to the present embodiment, the base end side antenna 105 and the link side antennas 121 to 123 can communicate with each other in line of sight, that is, an obstacle between the two antennas. It is possible to communicate without the antenna.

The control unit 107 controls the transmission of the control signal by the access point 106. The control unit 107 may cause the access point 106 to transmit control signals corresponding to the links 112 to 114, respectively. The control unit 107 drives each joint 131 to 133 in the link mechanism 101 based on the control signal. Therefore, the control unit 107 controls the operation of the link mechanism 101 by the control signal. The control unit 107 may, for example, control the transmission by feedback control using the sensing result (for example, displacement of the rotating shaft) transmitted from the link mechanism 101 by the sensor. In that case, the control unit 107 receives the sensing result transmitted from each of the links 112 to 114 via the access point 106, and uses the sensing result to transmit the control signal via the access point 106. You may. The content of control by the control unit 107 is the same as that of the conventional link mechanism except that the transmission path of the control signal is changed from wired to wireless, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The link-side antennas 121 to 123 are connected to the communication means provided on the links 112 to 114, respectively, and the signals received by the link-side antennas 121 to 123 are passed to the communication means and are passed to the communication means to each of the links 112 to 112. It will be used for controlling the drive of each of the joints 131 to 133 in 114. The control circuit included in each of the links 112 to 114 may wirelessly transmit the sensing result acquired by the sensor to the base end side antenna 105 via the communication means or the link side antennas 121 to 123. Further, the signals transmitted from the links 112 to 114 are transmitted via the communication means and the link side antennas 121 to 123, and are received by the proximal end side antenna 105. The signal received by the proximal end antenna 105 is passed to the control unit 107 via the access point 106, and control or the like is performed according to the signal. In the present embodiment, the case where the signal is transmitted from the base end side antenna 105 to the link side antennas 121 to 123 and the signal is transmitted in the opposite direction will be mainly described, but it is not necessary. .. Only the transmission of the signal from the base end side antenna 105 to the link side antennas 121 to 123 may be performed. In this case, for example, an instruction regarding the displacement of the rotation axis of each joint 131 to 133 is transmitted from the proximal end antenna 105 to the link side antennas 121 to 123, and in response to the instruction, the links 112 to 114 , Feedback control regarding the driving means may be performed.

Here, the arrangement of the base end side antenna 105 will be briefly described. It is possible to know the range of movement of the links 112 to 114 and the link-side antennas 121 to 123 according to the operation of the links 112 to 114 in the link mechanism 101. Therefore, for the range of movement of each link-side antenna 121-123, a position capable of performing in-line communication with all link-side antennas 121-123 may be selected as the position of the proximal end-side antenna 105. become. Therefore, for example, by performing a simulation or the like, it is confirmed whether or not each of the link-side antennas 121 to 123 and the proximal end-side antenna 105 can perform in-line communication for all the operations of the link mechanism 101. , The position of the proximal end side antenna 105 may be determined. For example, when the link-side antennas 121 to 123 are present as shown in FIG. 7A, even if the proximal end-side antenna 105 is present on the center side of the arc shape formed by the link-side antennas 121 to 123. good. If there is no position of the proximal end antenna 105 capable of performing in-line communication with each of the link side antennas 121 to 123 for all the operations of the link mechanism 101, for example, of the link side antennas 121 to 123. By changing at least one position, the position of the proximal end antenna 105 capable of performing in-line communication with each of the link side antennas 121 to 123 may be found for all the operations of the link mechanism 101.

Next, the operation of the link mechanism control device 100 will be briefly described. When controlling the joints 131 to 133 of the link mechanism 101, the control unit 107 passes a control signal for controlling the drive of the joints 131 to 133 to the access point 106. Then, the access point 106 transmits those control signals via the proximal end side antenna 105. The transmitted control signal is received by the link-side antennas 121 to 123 and passed to the control circuit via the communication means of each link 112 to 114. Then, the control circuit controls the driving means according to the control signal. Further, the control circuits of the links 112 to 114 acquire the sensing result by a sensor such as a rotary encoder and transmit the sensing result via the communication means and the link side antennas 121 to 123. The sensing results are received by the proximal end antenna 105 and passed to the control unit 107 via the access point 106. The control unit 107 generates and transmits a new control signal using the received sensing result. In this way, the operation of the link mechanism 101 is controlled by the control unit 107.

As described above, according to the link mechanism control device 100 according to the present embodiment, communication can be performed in line of sight between the base end side antenna 105 and the link side antennas 121 to 123. Therefore, even when wireless communication is performed using radio waves having a high frequency such as millimeter waves, stable communication can be performed, and as a result, stable operation of the link mechanism 101 can be realized. Further, when a radio wave having a high frequency such as a millimeter wave is used, a wide frequency band can be secured, so that wireless communication using different frequencies can be performed for each of the links 112 to 114 in the link mechanism 101. It is also possible to control a plurality of links 112 to 114 at the same time.

Further, since a wide frequency band can be secured, even in a situation where a plurality of link mechanisms 101 are installed adjacent to each other, control using radio waves having different frequencies can be performed for each link mechanism 101. Therefore, it is possible to control a plurality of link mechanisms 101 at the same time in a situation where radio wave interference is not caused. Further, by providing the base end side antenna 105 at the position on the base end side of the link mechanism 101, there is an advantage that the wiring distance to the base end side antenna 105 can be shortened.

By transmitting and receiving the control signal wirelessly in this way, wiring for transmitting the control signal becomes unnecessary in the joint portion. Therefore, troubles caused by wiring can be solved. For example, it is possible to prevent a disconnection accident due to repeated bending and a disconnection accident due to tooth biting in the wiring for the control signal. Further, for example, when all the wiring in the joint portion is eliminated by performing wireless power supply in the joint portion as in the first embodiment, the movable range is not limited, and the joint portion is unidirectional. It is also possible to rotate any number of times. Further, as the number of wirings is reduced, the weight of the link mechanism 101 can be reduced, and each joint can be rotated with a small amount of torque, which also contributes to energy saving.

Next, a modified example of the link mechanism control device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[Multiple proximal antennas]
In FIG. 7A, the case where the base end side antenna 105 is one has been described, but it may not be the case. The link mechanism control device 100 may perform communication using a plurality of base end side antennas 105. In that case, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the link mechanism control device 100 may perform communication using the two base end side antennas 105a and 105b. When the base end side antennas 105a and 105b are not particularly distinguished, they may be referred to as "base end side antenna 105". The same applies to the description described later. Further, it goes without saying that the link mechanism control device 100 may perform communication using three or more base end side antennas 105.

In the plurality of proximal side antennas 105, each of the plurality of link side antennas 121 to 123 is connected to at least one of the plurality of proximal end antennas 105 in a state where the joints 131 to 133 of the link mechanism 101 are at arbitrary angles. It is preferable that it is arranged so that it can communicate in line of sight. In a state where each joint 131 to 133 of the link mechanism 101 has an arbitrary angle, there may be at least one proximal antenna 105 capable of line-of-sight communication with all the link antennas 121 to 123, or there may be one. , It doesn't have to be. Even in the latter case, it is assumed that the link-side antennas 121 to 123 can communicate with at least one of the proximal end antenna 105a and the proximal end antenna 105b in line of sight.

In this way, by using the plurality of base end side antennas 105, even when the operating range of the link mechanism 101 is expanded, each of the link side antennas 121 to 123 communicates with the base end side antenna 105 in line of sight. become able to. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, even when the base end of the link mechanism 101 rotates with respect to the base 103, the link mechanism 101 communicates with one of the base end side antennas 105 without blocking radio waves. It can be performed. Also, as in the link mechanism 101 shown in FIG. 9, more joints and links 111,112-1,112-2,113, and correspondingly more link-side antennas 121,122-1,122- Even in the case of having 2,123, it is possible to enable the proximal end side antennas 105a and 105b and the link side antennas 121, 122-1, 122-2 and 123 to communicate with each other in line of sight.

When three or more proximal antennas 105 are used, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of proximal antennas 105a to 105d are used around the distal end of the link mechanism 101. May be placed. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the base 103 as viewed from above, and the joint portion between the link mechanism 101 and the base 103 is shown in a broken circular shape, and the links 111 to 114 of the link mechanism 101 are omitted. There is. As shown in FIG. 10, the plurality of base end side antennas 105a to 105d may be evenly arranged around the end end side of the base end side of the link mechanism 101. Further, when a plurality of base end side antennas 105 are evenly arranged around the base end side end portion of the link mechanism 101, for example, a circle centered on the position of the base end side end portion of the link mechanism 101. In the ring shape, the plurality of base end side antennas 105 may be evenly arranged. Further, FIG. 10 shows a case where a plurality of base end side antennas 105a to 105d are respectively arranged on the base 103, but as described above, the base end side antennas 105a to 105d are other than the base 103. It may be placed in place.

Further, communication between the plurality of proximal side antennas 105 and the plurality of link side antennas 121 to 123 may be performed using only all the proximal end antennas 105, or some of the basic antennas 105. This may be done using the end side antenna 105. In the former case, since all the proximal antennas 105 are used for communication, the access point 106 may transmit signals by all the proximal antennas 105, and all the proximal antennas 105 may transmit signals. All you have to do is receive the received signal. On the other hand, in the latter case, only a part of the proximal end side antenna 105 will be used for wireless communication. In that case, a method of selecting the proximal end antenna 105 used for wireless communication will be briefly described.

Since the control unit 107 controls each joint 131 to 133, the position of each link-side antenna 121 to 123 can be known. Therefore, the control unit 107 can identify the base end side antenna 105 capable of realizing line-of-sight communication with the link side antennas 121 to 123 at the current position. Therefore, the control unit 107 may use the specified base end side antenna 105 to communicate with the link side antennas 121 to 123. Further, for example, each angle of each joint 131 to 133 of the link mechanism 101 and a proximal end side antenna 105 capable of line-of-sight communication with each link side antenna 121 to 123 of the link mechanism 101 in which each joint 131 to 133 is each angle thereof. When the information to be associated with the identification information is configured, the control unit 107 identifies the proximal end side antenna 105 corresponding to the current angle of each joint 131 to 133 by using the information, and the control unit 107 identifies the proximal end side antenna 105 corresponding to the current angle of each joint 131 to 133. The identified base end side antenna 105 may be used to communicate with the link side antennas 121 to 123. When communication is performed using some of the proximal end antennas 105, information identifying the proximal end antenna 105 used for communication is passed from the control unit 107 to the access point 106, and the access point 106 receives the information. Communication may be performed using the base end side antenna 105 according to the information received.

[Antenna on the base end side, which is a leaky coaxial cable]
As shown in FIG. 11, the base end side antenna 105 may be a leaky coaxial cable arranged in an annular shape so as to surround the base end side of the link mechanism 101. Similar to FIG. 10, FIG. 11 is also a plan view of the base 103 viewed from above, and the joint portion between the link mechanism 101 and the base 103 is shown in a broken line circular shape, and each link 111 to 11 of the link mechanism 101 is shown. 114 is omitted. By doing so, even when the base end of the link mechanism 101 rotates on the base 103, the link-side antennas 121 to 123 and the base end-side antenna 105 are provided regardless of the degree of rotation. It will be possible to communicate line-of-sight between them.

[Change the position of the antenna on the base end side]
The link mechanism control device 100 may further include a change unit 108 and an antenna control unit 109. The changing unit 108 can change at least one of the directivity and the position of the proximal end side antenna 105. Here, a case where the position of the base end side antenna 105 is changed will be mainly described. It does not matter how the changing unit 108 changes the position of the base end side antenna 105. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the change unit 108. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the base 103 in which the link mechanism 101 is omitted, as in FIGS. 10 and 11. In FIG. 12, an annular member 108a in which the base end side antenna 105 is arranged is rotatably provided around the base end of the link mechanism 101 in the direction of the double-headed arrow in the drawing. The annular member 108a is rotated by a roller 108c that is rotationally driven by a driving means 108b such as a motor.

The antenna control unit 109 controls the change unit 108 so that the base end side antenna 105 can communicate with each of the two or more link side antennas 121 to 123 in line of sight. The antenna control unit 109 controls the position of the base end side antenna 105 according to the angle of each joint 131 to 133 of the link mechanism 101 and the angle of the base end with respect to the base 103. For example, an antenna is used by using corresponding information that associates each of these angles with each of the link-side antennas 121 to 123 of the link mechanism 101 according to the angle and the position of the proximal end-side antenna 105 capable of performing in-line communication. The control unit 109 acquires the position of the proximal end antenna 105 corresponding to the angle of each joint 131 to 133 of the current link mechanism 101 and the angle of the proximal end with respect to the base 103, and the proximal end antenna 105 becomes the position. The change unit 108 may be controlled as described above. By doing so, the base end side antenna 105 can be set to a position where it can communicate with each link side antenna 121 to 123 in line of sight, and the base end side antenna 105 and the link side antennas 121 to 123 can be arranged. In-line communication between the two can be realized.

Note that FIG. 12 shows a case where the base end side antenna 105 whose position is to be changed is one, but this may not be the case. The positions of the two or more proximal antennas 105 may be changed by the changing unit 108 separately or collectively.

Needless to say, the position of the proximal end side antenna 105 may be changed by a configuration other than that shown in FIG. The changing portion 108 may include, for example, a rail, a slider slidably provided on the rail on which the base end side antenna 105 is arranged, and a moving means for moving the slider. Then, the position of the proximal end side antenna 105 may be changed by moving the slider by the moving means. The moving means may be, for example, an air cylinder, a solenoid, a rotary driving means for driving the rack and pinion and the pinion, a rotary driving means for rotating the ball screw and the screw shaft, or the like.

Further, as described above, the changing unit 108 may change the directivity of the proximal end side antenna 105, or may change both the directivity and the position. When the directivity of the base end side antenna 105 is changed, the directivity of the base end side antenna 105 may be changed so that a stronger radio wave is output in the direction of the link side antennas 121 to 123. Suitable. The directivity may be changed, for example, by changing the direction or angle of the proximal end antenna 105, or when the proximal end antenna 105 is an array antenna, the phase or the like is controlled. The directivity may be changed depending on the above.

[Radio wave propagation inside the link mechanism]
In the present embodiment, the case where radio waves are transmitted and received between the base end side antenna 105 and the link side antennas 121 to 123 is performed outside the housing of the link mechanism 101 has been described, but even if it is not the case. good. The transmission and reception of radio waves may be performed inside the housing of the link mechanism 101. In that case, the link mechanism 101 may have a plurality of links 111 to 114 connected by joints driven by the driving means and having a housing that reflects radio waves. Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the link mechanism 101 has two or more link-side antennas 121 to 123 provided inside the housings of the two or more links in the plurality of links 111 to 114, respectively. May be good.

The access point 106 transmits a control signal from the base end side antenna 105 to each of the plurality of link side antennas 121 to 123 provided at the position on the base end side of the link mechanism 101 by using radio waves propagating in the housing. do. Further, the access point 106 may receive the signal transmitted from the link-side antennas 121 to 123 via the proximal end-side antenna 105. It is preferable that the base end side antenna 105 is also provided inside the housing of the link mechanism 101. Each configuration and operation of the link mechanism control device 100 is the same as the above description except that the radio wave propagates inside the link mechanism 101, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In this case, it is preferable that the housing of the link mechanism 101 reflects radio waves. Therefore, the housing may be made of metal, for example, or the surface may be coated with a conductive paint. In such a housing, radio waves can be confined inside, and radio waves can easily propagate from the proximal end side to the distal end side. Further, also in this case, it is preferable that the radio waves transmitted and received between the base end side antenna 105 and the link side antennas 121 to 123 are radio waves having a short wavelength such as millimeter wave, submillimeter wave, and terahertz wave. .. This is because radio waves having a short wavelength are likely to cause radio wave propagation due to reflection.

In order to facilitate the propagation of radio waves inside the links 111 to 114 due to reflection, a space connecting the internal spaces of the two links connected by the joints is provided inside each joint, and each joint is provided. It is preferable that radio waves propagate in the above. Further, a repeater for relaying radio waves may be provided at each joint. By using the repeater, wireless communication may be performed between the proximal end side and the distal end side in a multi-hop manner inside the housing of the link mechanism 101.

In this way, when the radio wave propagates inside the housing of the link mechanism 101, the radio wave is less likely to leak to the outside. Therefore, even in a situation where a plurality of link mechanisms 101 are adjacent to each other, the link mechanism 101 There is also a feature that radio wave interference between them is less likely to occur.

Further, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made, and these are also included in the scope of the present invention.

From the above, according to the link mechanism control device according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain the effect that the wiring in the link mechanism in which a plurality of links are connected by joints can be reduced, and the links of an articulated robot arm or the like can be obtained. It is useful as a device for controlling the mechanism.

100 Link mechanism control device 101 Link mechanism 105, 105a to 105d Base end side antenna 106 Access point 107 Control unit 108 Change unit 109 Antenna control unit 111, 112, 112-1, 112-2, 113, 114 Link 121, 122, 122-1, 122-2, 123 Link side antenna

Claims (6)

A link mechanism having a plurality of links connected by joints driven by a driving means, and two or more link-side antennas provided for each of the two or more links in the plurality of links.
One or more proximal side antennas provided at the proximal end side positions of the link mechanism capable of communicating with each of the two or more link side antennas in a line-of-sight manner in a state where each joint of the link mechanism is at an arbitrary angle. When,
An access point that transmits a control signal from the base end antenna to each of the plurality of link side antennas, and
A control unit that controls transmission of a control signal by the access point is provided.
A link mechanism control device in which each joint of the link mechanism is driven based on the control signal. There are a plurality of antennas on the base end side,
In a state where each joint of the link mechanism is at an arbitrary angle, the plurality of proximal side antennas can communicate with at least one of the plurality of proximal side antennas in line of sight. The link mechanism control device according to claim 1, which is arranged. The link mechanism control device according to claim 1, wherein the base end side antenna is a leakage coaxial cable arranged in an annular shape so as to surround the base end side of the link mechanism. A change part that can change at least one of the directivity and position of the base end side antenna,
The link mechanism control according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an antenna control unit that controls the change unit so that the base end side antenna can communicate with each of the two or more link side antennas in line of sight. Device. A plurality of links having a housing that is connected by joints driven by a driving means and reflects radio waves, and two or more link-side antennas provided inside the housing of two or more links in the plurality of links. Link mechanism with
The base end side antenna provided at the base end side position of the link mechanism and
An access point that transmits a control signal from the base end antenna to each of the plurality of link side antennas using radio waves propagating in the housing.
A control unit that controls transmission of a control signal by the access point is provided.
A link mechanism control device in which each joint of the link mechanism is driven based on the control signal. The link mechanism control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control signal is transmitted from the base end side antenna using a radio wave having a wavelength of 10 mm or less.

Images