JP2022124411A - Robot hand and control system of robot hand - Google Patents

Abstract

To efficiently cook a cooking object.SOLUTION: A robot hand described in the disclosure, which can reciprocate between an opening state and a closing state as operation states, comprises a claw that moves in accordance with the operation states, and can selectively execute: a first opening/closing operation in a mode in which the claw grips a group of cooking objects that may break part when the operation state is the closing state and the claw releases the cooking objects when the operation state is the opening state, and a second opening/closing operation in a mode in which the claw grabs a container that sorts cooking objects into groups and stores the objects when the operation state is the closing state and the claw releases the container when the operation state is the opening state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

The present disclosure relates to a robot hand and a control system for the robot hand.

The background art illustrates a cooking system having a bucket for transporting noodles.

Japanese Patent No. 3878160

However, with the above conventional techniques, it is difficult to efficiently cook the food to be cooked.

Accordingly, in one aspect, an object of the present disclosure is to efficiently cook an object to be cooked.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a robot hand includes a movable member that can reciprocate between an open state and a closed state as an operating state, and that moves according to the operating state; is in a closed state, the movable member grasps the object to be cooked which may possibly come apart in batches, and when the operating state is in an open state, the movable member releases the object to be cooked. a first opening/closing operation, when the operating state is the closed state, the movable member grips the container containing the batch of the objects to be cooked, and when the operating state is the open state, the movable member grips the To provide a robot hand capable of selectively executing a second opening/closing operation in a mode of releasing a container.

In the above aspect, preferably the movable member is configured as a pawl.

In the above aspect, preferably, the container is provided with an engaging portion, and the movable member grips the container via the engaging portion.

In the above aspect, preferably, the engaging portion is located in the central portion of the container.

In the above aspect, preferably, the container includes a container body and a partition that partitions the interior of the container body for each batch of the cooking objects, and the engaging portion is formed on a vertical wall that constitutes the partition. It is an engagement hole.

In the above aspect, preferably, the vertical walls having the engagement holes formed therein are provided in pairs, and the distance between the vertical walls provided in the pair is the distance between the vertical walls of the partition in which the object to be cooked is accommodated. less than the interval.

In the above aspect, preferably, a plurality of pairs of pawls are provided, and the pairs of pawls are engaged with the pairs of engagement holes formed in the upstanding walls of the pairs.

In the above aspect, each of the pairs of claws preferably has a tip portion arranged to support the object to be cooked from below when the operating state is the open state.

In the above aspect, preferably, in the first opening and closing operation, the object to be cooked is released to a cooking utensil supported by a tray transportable by a robot, and the tray is held by the cooking utensil supported by the tray. It has a shape that secures a working space for the robot hand above the tool.

In the above aspect, preferably, the tray includes a supported portion supported by the robot, a tray portion positioned below the supported portion and supporting the cooking utensil, the supported portion and the tray. and a leg connecting the part, wherein the supported part and the leg are provided at a position away from the work space.

In the above aspect, preferably, a robot hand, a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the object to be cooked contained in the container, and the first opening/closing operation or the second opening/closing operation according to the detection result of the sensor. and a processing device that selects an action and causes the robot hand to execute the action.

In one aspect, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to efficiently cook an object to be cooked.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the control apparatus for cooking systems. Fig. 2 shows a kitchen with multiple sections; 5 is a perspective view showing rails 511 arranged in the first section; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a support base for rails 511. FIG. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the installation of the third section; It is a top view which shows a kitchen. It is a perspective view which shows the main body of a robot. It is a perspective view which shows the hand for robots. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the hand main body from which the plate member is removed; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an engagement state between a hand main body and a tray; It is a perspective view which shows a single-item state of a tray. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a tray holding a strainer. 3 is a perspective view showing a robot hand 30; FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the container which puts buckwheat noodles. It is a perspective view which shows a partition.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cooking system 200. As shown in FIG. Cooking system 200 includes control device 1 . Note that the control device 1 may be realized by one or more computers. In this case, one or more computers may comprise a server computer.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 1 of the present embodiment captures images of a processing device 11 that controls the operation of a robot 21A (first robot) and a robot 21B (second robot) as work devices, and a kitchen 150. image processing device 12 for processing the image of camera 74a, main control unit 13, storage unit 14 for storing a program defining processing in processing device 11 and data necessary for control in processing device 11, main control unit and a storage unit 15 that stores a program that defines the processing in 13 and data necessary for control in the main control unit 13 . The functions of the control device 1 described below can be realized by the processing device 11 and/or the main control portion 13 executing one or more programs stored in the storage portion 14 and/or the storage portion 15 . Note that the storage unit 14 and the storage unit 15 may be realized by a common storage device. Further, the image processing device 12 is, for example, a single GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), but may be realized by a processing device (a processing device including a GPU) different from the processing device 11 .

The main control unit 13 is also connected to a display unit 16 that displays the operating state of the control device 1 and the like, an operation reception unit 17 that receives operations by a worker or the like, and an alarm output unit 18 . The main control section 13 may output advice and warnings to the user (operator) via the display section 16 and the warning output section 18 . For example, the main control unit 13 detects a predetermined abnormality based on sensor information from a plurality of sensors 74, a camera 74a, various sensors 74b, and sensor information from a plurality of sensors provided on the robot 21, which will be described later. In this case, a process for generating anomaly information is executed. The predetermined abnormality to be detected is arbitrary, and the abnormality information may be a message instructing or suggesting the content of the abnormality, or may be a simple alarm sound or the like. The processing device 11 also controls the engagement strengthening means 56 . The engagement strengthening means 56 is, for example, an electromagnet, but may be a negative pressure generating device or the like that generates an attractive force (negative pressure), or a combination thereof.

The processing device 11 also controls the engagement strengthening means 56 based on the information from the signal generator 41 . The signal generator 41 may be, for example, a proximity sensor, a pressure sensor, an image sensor, or the like.

The processor 11 is also connected to a plurality of sensors 74 located in the kitchen 150 . The multiple sensors 74 include a camera 74a (image sensor) and other various sensors 74b, and have the function of detecting the state of the kitchen 150. FIG. Note that two or more cameras 74a may be provided.

The main control unit 13 and the processing device 11 work together to sequentially execute processes necessary for cooking.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2 onwards, the kitchen 150 suitable for the functioning of the cooking system 200 will be described in detail. In the following, the cooking of buckwheat is mainly explained as an example, but the object of cooking may be noodles other than buckwheat (for example, udon, ramen, pasta), or any ingredients other than noodles (some cooking). It may be ingredients that require

FIG. 2 shows a kitchen 150 with multiple sections. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of sections includes first section 51, second section 52, third section 53 and fourth section . Note that the number of sections is arbitrary and additional sections may be added.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing rails 511 arranged in the first section. In the first section 51, rails 511 define a plurality of lanes 511A, 511B, 511C. A tray 60 holding one or more "strainers" (hereinafter also simply referred to as "tray 60") is placed on one of the lanes and transported in the Y direction Y1. Note that this transportation may be realized manually by an operator, or may be realized by a robot or a drive mechanism other than the robots 21A and 21B. Note that the rail 511 may be inclined so that the Y1 side faces downward. In this case, the tray 60 can be moved to the Y direction Y1 side by the action of gravity. Tray 60 is a component of cooking system 200 .

For example, when the tray 60 holding the "strainer" is positioned on the Y-direction Y1 side of the lane of the first section 51, the preparation for cooking is started.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the support base 512 of the rail 511. As shown in FIG. The support base 512 can detachably support the rail 511 . This facilitates maintenance of the rail 511 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the second section 52 has subsections 521 and 522 . Subsection 521 is assigned the steps for boiling buckwheat. The subsection 522 functions as a stand for temporarily placing the tray 60 thereon. Although the configuration of the subsection 522 is arbitrary, for example, a rail 511 or a similar structure arranged in the first section 51 is arranged, and a structure similar to that of the first section 51 for placing the tray 60 is provided. lanes may be configured.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the equipment of the third section 53. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, the third section 53 has subsections 531,532. The tasks assigned to the subsections 531 and 532 are arbitrary, such as draining and sliming. The buckwheat boiled in subsection 521 can be post-processed in subsection 531 and then subsection 532 . For example, in the subsection 531, the task of removing the sliminess from the buckwheat noodles can be mainly performed, and further, in the subsection 532, the task of soaking (cooling) the buckwheat noodles with water can be performed. In this case, the water temperature in subsection 532 is required to be as low as possible, while the water temperature in subsection 531 does not have to be extremely low. For this reason, low-temperature cold water may be supplied to subsection 532 only. In this case, the water level in the subsection 531 is set lower than the water level in the subsection 532 so that the water that exceeds the water level of the subsection 532 and overflows from the subsection 532 is naturally supplied to the subsection 531. good too. Thereby, the cold water supplied to the subsection 532 can be effectively used also in the subsection 531 . Also, it is not necessary to directly supply water to the subsection 531 .

In this embodiment, a robot 21A is arranged in the third section 53, as shown in FIG. That is, the proximal end 21a of the robot 21A is attached to the wall body W (see FIG. 5) of the equipment that constitutes the third section 53. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a top view showing the kitchen 150. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, a robot 21B is arranged in the fourth section 54 in this embodiment. That is, the proximal end 21a of the robot 21B is attached to the wall W1 (see FIG. 6) of the equipment that constitutes the fourth section 54. As shown in FIG. As a result, the robot 21B can easily perform an operation described later. It should be noted that the robot 21B may be placed at other locations, such as the second section 52 .

As described above, the second section 52 is assigned the task of boiling buckwheat noodles, and the subsection 521 is formed with a sink for storing hot water.

The fourth section 54 shown in FIG. 2 functions as a table on which a container 90 (banju) for buckwheat is placed. Container 90 is a component of cooking system 200 .

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the bodies of the robot 21A and the robot 21B. In addition, in FIG. 7, the robot 21A and the robot 21B are shown without the robot hand 40 and the like attached (the same applies to FIG. 2).

The robots 21A and 21B are articulated robots having a plurality of rotary joints, and are attached to the wall body W at the proximal end 21a. As the robots 21A and 21B, robots having linear joints as well as rotary joints can be used. The robots 21A and 21B are provided with actuators (not shown) for driving each joint, and these actuators are connected to the processor 11 and controlled. In this embodiment, a robot hand 40 is attached to the tip 21b of the robot 21A. A robot hand 30 is attached to the tip 21b of the robot 21B. Robot hand 40 and robot hand 30 are elements constituting cooking system 200 .

In this embodiment, the robots 21A and 21B are articulated robots and can be retracted toward the walls W and W1, so that, for example, work space above the subsections 531 and 532 can be effectively secured. In this case, for example, the operator can work while standing near the area shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the hand main body 42 of the robot hand 40. As shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the hand main body 42 with the members forming the upper surface 420 removed. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an engagement state between the hand main body 42 and the tray 60. As shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a single tray 60, and FIG. 11A is a perspective view showing a tray 60 in which a colander is inserted. In FIG. 8, the X direction and the Y direction are defined as two directions perpendicular to each other with reference to the upper surface 420 of the hand main body 42 . The Z direction is also defined in FIGS. 10, 11 and 11A. The Z direction is a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the tray portion 61 of the tray 60. Hereinafter, the Z direction Z1 side will be referred to as the "upper side", and the Z direction Z2 side will be referred to as the "lower side". terminology (eg, top surface, bottom surface, etc.) may be used.

The robot hand 40 is formed in a shape suitable for picking up the tray 60 and placing it at a predetermined position (first section 51, subsection 522, etc.). The robot hand 40 has a hand main body 42 that engages with the tray 60 .

The hand body portion 42 has an upper surface 420 that comes into surface contact with the lower surfaces of the pair of supported portions 62 of the tray 60 when engaged. In FIG. 8, the upper surface 420 is supported by a plate member 400 having an attachment surface 400A attached to the tip 21b of the robot 21A. Top surface 420 bears the gravity of tray 60 . That is, the hand main body 42 picks up the supported portion 62 of the tray 60 in a scooping manner. As a result, even if the engagement strengthening means 56 does not function due to an abnormality in the power source or the like while the tray 60 is being lifted via the hand main body 42, the hand main body 42 and the tray 60 will not function properly. Engagement can be maintained (that is, tray 60 can be prevented from falling).

A pin 421 is provided on the hand main body 42 . The pin 421 is provided, for example, so as to protrude upward from the upper surface 420 . Although the number of pins 421 is arbitrary, two pins 421 are provided in FIG. The pins 421 are inserted into corresponding holes 621 in the tray 60 to perform a positioning function when the hand main body 42 is engaged with the tray 60 . In a modified example, a pin (for example, a downward pin) may be formed on the tray 60 side, and a corresponding hole may be formed on the hand body portion 42 side.

The pin 421 may have any cross-sectional shape, but is preferably circular in cross-section and tapered to a point. As a result, even if there is a slight deviation between the tray 60 and the hand body portion 42 immediately before engagement, the mutual engagement state can be realized while correcting the deviation.

The hand main body 42 is provided with an engagement reinforcing means 56 (schematically shown in FIG. 8). Engagement enhancement means 56 are preferably provided between pins 721 in the Y direction. A hole 561 for the engagement reinforcing means 56 may be formed in the upper surface 420 . Thereby, the degree of engagement between the hand body portion 42 and the tray 60 can be effectively increased. Although the number of engagement strengthening means 56 is arbitrary, two are provided in FIG. In this embodiment, the engagement reinforcing means 56 is an electromagnet, and the supported portion 62 is made of a magnetic material. As a result, when the electromagnet is turned on, the degree of engagement between the hand main body 42 and the tray 60 increases. As a result, it is possible to increase the possibility of maintaining the engagement between the hand body 42 and the tray 60 even when a large vibration or the like occurs due to a disturbance or the like.

The hand main body 42 is provided with a signal generator 41 (schematically shown in FIG. 9). The signal generator 41 is provided in a region of the upper surface 420 that is in surface contact with the lower surface of the supported portion 62 of the tray 60 . A hole (not shown) for the signal generator 41 may be formed in the upper surface 420 . The signal generating section 41 detects the proximity state of the supported section 62 to the hand body section 42 . In this embodiment, the signal generator 41 generates a predetermined value indicating the proximity state when the distance in the Z direction between the upper surface 420 of the hand main body 42 and the lower surface of the supported portion 62 of the tray 60 becomes equal to or less than a threshold. generate a signal. The signal generator 41 may be, for example, a proximity sensor. The sensors may be provided in pairs corresponding to the supported portions 62 , or may be provided corresponding to only one of the supported portions 62 .

The hand main body 42 preferably has a mounting space 450 below the upper surface 420 as shown in FIG. Note that FIG. 9 shows the robot hand 40 with the member forming the upper surface 420 removed. In the mounting space 450, the lower portion of the pin 421, the engagement reinforcing means 56, the signal generating section 41, wiring, and the like may be arranged.

In this embodiment, the state in which the tray 60 is engaged with the hand main body 42 is the first engaged state (see FIG. 10). At this time, the engagement reinforcing means 56 does not function or is weak. In addition, when the engagement reinforcing means 56 is an electromagnet, the term "weak" means that the current (or magnetic force) when realizing the second engagement state is set to 100, and is significantly smaller than 100. , for example, 50 or less, preferably 10 or less. Then, when the engagement strengthening means 56 functions, a second engagement state in which the degree of engagement between the hand main body 42 and the tray 60 is high may be realized. The transition (switching) from the first engagement state to the second engagement state is realized by the processing device 11 . Specifically, as described above, when the signal generator 41 is a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor generates a predetermined signal when the first engagement state of the tray 60 with respect to the hand main body 42 is detected. Occur. The processing device 11 realizes the transition (switching) from the first engagement state to the second engagement state using the generation of the predetermined signal as a trigger. It should be noted that the signal generator 41 is preferably configured so as not to generate the predetermined signal in the engaged state where it is not positioned via the pin 421 . That is, preferably, the signal generator 41 generates the predetermined signal only when it detects the engaged state in which it is positioned via the pin 421 .

In the first engaged state and the second engaged state, the positional relationship between the robot hand 40 and the tray 60 is the same, and both are shown in FIG.

Note that the transition (switching) from the first engagement state to the second engagement state may be realized in a state in which the gravity of the tray 60 is acting on the upper surface 420 of the hand body portion 42 . In this case, the signal generator 41 may be a sensor or the like that detects the action state of such gravity.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the tray 60 includes a tray portion 61 , a pair of supported portions 62 , and leg portions 63 connecting the tray portion 61 and the supported portions 62 .

The tray part 61 has a through-hole 610 into which a "cooking utensil" is inserted. Although the number of through-holes 610 is arbitrary, three are provided in FIG. A “colander” inserted into the through hole 610 is supported by the rim around the through hole 610 . In FIG. 11A, a portion of a "sieve" strainer 65 inserted into a through hole 610 is shown. In practice, a "colander" can be inserted into each of the three through-holes 610 .

The supported portion 62 is a portion that engages with the hand body portion 42 as described above. The supported portion 62 forms a lower surface that is in surface contact with the upper surface 420 of the hand body portion 42 . The supported portion 62 has a hole 621 into which the pin 421 of the hand body portion 42 is inserted (inserted).

The leg portion 63 supports the supported portion 62 so as to be positioned above the tray portion 61 . The legs 63 are provided in pairs corresponding to the supported portions 62 , and their upper ends are connected to the edges of the corresponding supported portions 62 . Further, the leg portion 63 is fixed to the upper surface of the tray portion 61 at its lower end portion. By providing such a leg portion 63 , the supported portion 62 is supported upward with respect to the tray portion 61 so that the portion forming the upper surface 420 of the hand body portion 42 can be positioned below the supported portion 62 . can.

In addition, in this embodiment, the leg portion 63 is provided at an intermediate position between the adjacent through holes 610 when viewed from above. Furthermore, each of the pair of supported portions 62 corresponds to each of the pair of leg portions 63, and the area of the supported portion 62 when viewed from above is suppressed. For this reason, a large working space can be secured above the "strainer" inserted into the through-hole 610 as a working space for the robot 21B, and buckwheat can be easily put into the "strainer". That is, since the leg portion 63 and the supported portion 62 are positioned away from above the "bowl" inserted into the through-hole 610, they do not become an obstacle when the buckwheat is added, and the through-hole Buckwheat can be put into a “strainer” inserted in 610 . For example, of the three aligned through-holes 610 , the central through-hole 610 has a “tilt” inserted between the pair of supported portions 62 and the pair of leg portions 63 . , Soba noodles can be easily added.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the robot hand 30. As shown in FIG.

The robot hand 30 is configured in a form suitable for gripping buckwheat noodles before boiling and releasing the gripped buckwheat noodles at a predetermined position.

As shown in FIG. 12, the robot hand 30 includes a fixed portion 31 fixed to the tip 21b of the robot 21B, and a movable portion 32 and a movable portion 32 slidably attached to the fixed portion 31 in the direction of an arrow 35, respectively. a portion 33; The movable portion 32 is provided with four claws 32a to 32d as movable members, and the movable portion 33 is provided with four claws 33a to 33d as movable members. The movable part 32 and the movable part 33 simultaneously move in opposite directions along arrows 35 under the control of the processing device 11 . The robot hand 30 can repeatedly switch between a closed state in which the distance between the movable parts 32 and 33 is the shortest and an open state in which the distance is the longest. The claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d are arranged along the direction A (the direction orthogonal to the arrow 35) shown in FIG. 12, respectively.

Each of the claws 32a to 32d has a linearly extending base portion 321 (in FIG. 12, only the claw 32a is shown) and a tip end portion 322 (in FIG. 12, only the claw 32a is shown) formed by bending the base portion 321. have Similarly, each of the claws 33a to 33d has a linearly extending base portion 331 (in FIG. 12, only the claw 33a is shown) and a distal end portion 332 formed by bending the base portion 331 (in FIG. 12, only the claw 33a is shown). display). In the example of FIG. 12, base 321 and base 331 extend parallel to each other.

The claws 32a and 33a, the claws 32b and 33b, the claws 32c and 33c, and the claws 32d and 33d form pairs, respectively, and the tip portions 322 and tip portions 332 of the paired claws are attached to each other. It extends in a direction approaching toward the tip.

When the robot hand 30 is in the closed state, the tips of the claws 32a to 32d approach the tips of the claws 33a to 33d, respectively, so that the buckwheat noodles before boiling are sandwiched between the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d. and can be held. At this time, since the tips 332 and the tips 322 of the paired claws extend in a direction approaching each other, the bases 321 and 331 cover both sides of the buckwheat so that the buckwheat is sandwiched, and at the same time, the tips 322 and tip 332 support buckwheat from below. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the buckwheat noodles from falling. Note that when the robot hand 30 is in the closed state, the paired claw tip portions 322 and 332 may be in contact with each other, or may be separated from each other with a slight gap. The positional relationship between the distal end portion 322 and the distal end portion 332 can be appropriately set according to the characteristics of the object to be gripped.

When the robot hand 30 transitions from the closed state to the open state, the buckwheat noodles sandwiched and held between the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d slide down between the tips 322 and 332 due to their own weight. It is released from the robot hand 30 by dropping.

As shown in FIG. 12, when pawls are provided in pairs, the total number of pawls is an even number (8 in FIG. 12). Also, at this time, from the viewpoint of preventing the buckwheat noodles caught by the claws from falling, it is desirable that the number of pairs of claws is two or more. That is, it is desirable to have four or more claws.
It is desirable that the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d have a length equal to or greater than the depth of the container body 91. As a result, the robot hand 30 can grip the buckwheat noodles in the container 90 with the claws 32 a to 32 d and the claws 33 a to 33 d inserted to the bottom of the container body 91 without interfering with the container 90 . Therefore, it is possible to pick up a batch of buckwheat noodles with certainty. Further, by giving the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d a certain length, the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a can be adjusted when putting buckwheat noodles into a colander inserted into the through hole 610. ~33d can be inserted deeply into the "Tebo (Colander)", so you can stably put buckwheat into the bottom of the "Tebo (Colander)". However, the claws 32a to 32d and claws 33a to 33d do not need to have a length corresponding to the depth of the "colander".

The claw (movable member) may have any shape and size, but preferably has a tapered tip like the tip 322 and the tip 332 . However, on the other hand, it is desirable that the claw (movable member) be formed in a rounded shape, for example, a cylindrical shape or a conical shape so as not to damage the buckwheat.

Also, a flexible material may be used as the movable member. In this case, even if the buckwheat is gripped with a relatively high pressure, there is an advantage that the buckwheat is less likely to be damaged and the buckwheat is less likely to slip off.

A comb-shaped member may be used as the movable member. The buckwheat can be scooped up by inserting the comb-shaped member into the buckwheat from the side or from an oblique direction.

13 is a perspective view showing a container 90 for buckwheat noodles, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a partition 92. As shown in FIG.

The container 90 is composed of a bottomed container body 91 and a partition 92 that partitions the inside of the container body 91 . The rectangular interior of container body 91 is partitioned in a matrix by partitions 92 having a plurality of vertical walls such as vertical wall 92A and vertical wall 92B. For example, area 95 in FIG. 14 indicates one of the areas partitioned by partition 92 . A bundle of buckwheat noodles is placed in each area partitioned by the partition 92 .

Note that the shape of the partitions is arbitrary, and for example, the intervals between the partitions may be changed so that regions of a plurality of sizes are formed. This makes it possible to accommodate different amounts of soba noodles, such as large servings and small servings.

Each of the areas partitioned by the partitions 92 is filled with a predetermined amount of unboiled buckwheat noodles, for example, an amount for one person. By previously setting buckwheat noodles before boiling in the area partitioned by the partition 92, the robot hand 30 can surely grasp the whole amount of buckwheat put in the area. That is, when the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d of the robot hand 30 in the open state are inserted into the region and the robot hand 30 is shifted to the closed state, the buckwheat noodles put in the region are pushed into the claw 32a. . With the robot hand 30, it is possible to grasp a cooking target such as buckwheat noodles that may be scattered in batches. If a batch of buckwheat noodles is placed in all of the regions or all of the predetermined regions, the processing device 11 does not need to grasp the presence or absence of buckwheat noodles in each region and the position of the buckwheat noodles by image processing or the like. Also, based on the operation history of the robot hand 30, it is possible to recognize the presence or absence of buckwheat noodles for each area. If the order of regions of buckwheat to be gripped by the robot hand 30 is determined in advance, the buckwheat can be gripped in order according to the order. The processing device 11 can also recognize that all the buckwheat noodles have been carried out and there is no buckwheat noodles in the container 90, and in this case, the processing device 11 can shift to an operation for conveying the empty container 90, or the like. As a condition for executing such an operation, it is necessary that the position where the container 90 is placed is determined in advance and the container 90 is placed correctly at that position. As a result, the processor 11 can grasp the position of the buckwheat noodles partitioned by the partition 92 as preset coordinates.

When the robot hand 30 is moved to a predetermined position while holding the buckwheat noodles, and the robot hand 30 is shifted to the open state, the buckwheat noodles are released at that position.

As shown in FIG. 14, a pair of vertical walls 92C forming the partition 92 are formed with engagement holes 93 as engagement portions with which the claws 32a to 32d and claws 33a to 33d of the robot hand 30 can be engaged. ing. The pitch of the engagement holes 93 in the A direction shown in FIG. 14 matches the pitch of the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d in the A direction shown in FIG. The engagement holes 93 constitute pairs corresponding to the pairs of claws of the robot hand 30 . Five engaging claws 94 for engaging the partitions 92 with the container body 91 are formed on the vertical wall 92C.

12 and 14, the claws 32a to 32d and claws 33a to 33d of the robot hand 30 in the open state are inserted downward into predetermined positions in the container body 91, and the robot hand 30 is opened. to the closed state, the claws 32 a to 32 d and the claws 33 a to 33 d are inserted into the engaging holes 93 . At this time, each pair of pawls engages each pair of engagement holes 93 . When the robot hand 30 is lifted from this state, the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d engage with the partition 92 via the engagement claw 94 together with the partition 92 in a state of being engaged with the engagement hole 93. The container body 91, that is, the entire container 90 is lifted. After that, the robot hand 30 is moved to place the container 90 at a predetermined position, and the robot hand 30 is shifted to the open state. In this manner, the container 90 can be moved into position.

As shown in FIG. 14, the space between the pair of vertical walls 92C is made smaller than the space between the other vertical walls in accordance with the space between the pair of claws of the robot hand 30. less than the spacing between the tips of the nails of the Therefore, it is no longer necessary to grip the container 90 from the outside of the container body 91 , and the robot hand 30 can lift the container 90 .

An engagement hole 93 is formed in the central portion of the container 90, and the vicinity of the center of gravity of the container 90 is supported by the claws 32a-32d and the claws 33a-33d. Therefore, the container 90 can be stably transported. In addition, in the example of FIG. 14, the space between the pair of standing walls 92C is not used as a region for putting buckwheat noodles.

In this way, the partition 92 is formed with the engagement holes 93 with which the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d of the robot hand 30 can be engaged. It not only grabs and conveys the buckwheat noodles before boiling, but also exhibits the function of grasping and conveying the container 90.例文帳に追加Therefore, there is no need to increase the number of robots to move the container 90, or to prepare a plurality of types of robot hands and replace the hands. For example, robot 21B can move empty container 90 from fourth section 54 to fifth section 55 (FIG. 2) via robot hand 30 . If containers 90 containing buckwheat noodles are stacked in the fourth section 54 in advance, the empty containers 90 are placed on the floor of the fifth section 55, for example, by the robot 21B in order from the top. It becomes possible to move on a table or a trolley. When the container 90 is released from the fifth section 55, the weight of the container 90 applied to the robot hand 30 is measured by a sensor, and the container 90 is released when the weight becomes smaller than a predetermined value. may This allows the container 90 to be released while the container 90 is substantially placed on the fifth section 55, thereby preventing the container 90 from falling.

Alternatively, the container 90 may be provided with a weight sensor included in the sensor 74b, and the weight sensor may detect whether the container 90 contains buckwheat noodles. When all the buckwheat noodles in the container 90 have been transported and the container 90 is empty, the processor 11 causes the robot 21B to move the container 90 to the fifth section 55 based on the detection information from this weight sensor. You can send a command to The fact that the container 90 is empty may be detected by processing in the image processing device 12 based on the image captured by the camera 74a (image sensor). It may also be detected by another sensor 74b, for example a weight sensor provided in the fourth section 54. FIG. While it is detected that buckwheat remains in the container 90, the operation of conveying the buckwheat is executed.

In FIG. 14, a total of 10 engagement holes 93 are provided, but the number is arbitrary. Eight pieces may be used to match the number of claws 32a to 32d and claws 33a to 33d. Also, the shape of the engaging portion illustrated as the engaging hole 93 is not limited. The engaging portion may not be a hole, as long as the claws 32a to 32d and claws 33a to 33d can be engaged.

The distance between the tip end 322 and the tip end 332 in the open state or the closed state of the robot hand 30 is optimized for each of the case of picking buckwheat noodles and the case of lifting the container 90, and different from each other. may be

Further, in the closed state of the robot hand 30, the torque of the motors that drive the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d may be adapted to each case and may be different from each other. This allows optimization of the force with which the buckwheat is gripped and the force with which the container 90 is gripped.

Although the container 90 is partitioned by the partition 92 in the above embodiment, the buckwheat noodles may be arranged in batches in the container body 91 without using the partition 92 . In this case, an engaging portion corresponding to the engaging hole 93 may be formed in the container body 91 . By forming the part, it is possible to grasp the buckwheat noodles and the container body 91 with the same hand. Also, if the buckwheat noodles for each batch can be arranged in a predetermined correct position, the processing device 11 can determine the presence or absence of buckwheat noodles for each region and the position of the buckwheat noodles by image processing or the like, as in the case where the partition 92 is used. The presence or absence of buckwheat noodles in each area can be recognized based on the operation history of the robot hand 30 without grasping it. In addition, the processor 11 can grasp the position of the buckwheat noodles as coordinates. Also in this case, the position where the container 90 is placed must be determined in advance, and the container 90 must be placed correctly at that position.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
In this embodiment, the tray 60 prepared in the first section 51 holds an empty "colander" (Fig. 11A). The robot 21A picks up the tray 60 on the first section 51 via the robot hand 40, conveys it to the second section 52 (moves it in the air), and places the tray 60 on the subsection 522 in the second section 52. to be placed.

On the other hand, the robot 21B grabs the unboiled buckwheat noodles put in the container 90 on the fourth section 54 by the robot hand 30 . As described above, here, by shifting the robot hand 30 from the open state to the closed state, buckwheat noodles before boiling are removed from one of the areas partitioned by the partition 92 with the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d. It can be grabbed by 33d.

Next, the robot 21B uses the robot hand 30 to convey the unboiled buckwheat to the second section 52 (moves it in the air), moves it to the subsection 522 in the second section 52, and inserts it into the tray 60. In addition, put the unboiled soba into the corresponding “tebo (colander)”. As described above, when the buckwheat is added, the buckwheat is moved into or above the corresponding "tebo (strainer)". Next, by shifting the robot hand 30 from the closed state to the open state, the gripped buckwheat can be dropped, and the buckwheat can be thrown into the corresponding "strainer".

At this time, as described above, the leg portions 63 of the tray 60 are provided at intermediate positions between the adjacent through-holes 610 when viewed from above, and the pair of supported portions 62 are positioned between the pair of leg portions 63, respectively. They are provided corresponding to each (Fig. 11). For this reason, a work space for the robot 21B is secured above each of the "strainers" inserted into the three through holes 610, and the leg portion 63 and the supported portion 62 are placed in the robot hand 30 and the transported portion. Do not interfere with soba noodles. Therefore, buckwheat can be easily thrown into the “strainer” inserted into the through hole 610 . Buckwheat noodles can be thrown from between a pair of legs 63 into the "stringer" inserted into the central through-hole 610 among the three through-holes 610 arranged side by side.

By repeating a series of operations such as transporting the buckwheat in the container 90 on the fourth section 54 by the robot hand 30 and throwing it into the corresponding "strainer" three times, Buckwheat can be put into all three “tebo (colanders)” inserted in the tray 60 . It should be noted that the series of operations up to the introduction of buckwheat noodles can be appropriately changed based on the captured image of the camera 74a. For example, if one or two "strainers" are inserted into the tray 60, the series of operations can be repeated the number of times corresponding to the number of "strainers". Further, the operation may be changed according to the state of the buckwheat noodles contained in the container 90, for example, the number of regions containing buckwheat noodles.
Next, an example of processing when buckwheat in the container 90 runs out in the process of repeating the action of putting buckwheat from the container 90 into the bowl will be further described. The robot 21A detects that the buckwheat noodles in the container 90 have run out from the image of the camera 74a and various sensors 74b such as a weight sensor provided in the container 90 in advance. When the weight sensor is used, it can be detected that the buckwheat noodles have run out when the weight exceeding the total weight of the container 90 and the partition 92 is no longer detected. It can be detected by judging whether or not it is present. When it is detected that the buckwheat noodles have run out, the robot hand 30 grips and transports the container 90 . As for the containers 90 containing new buckwheat noodles, a plurality of containers 90 may be stacked in advance so that when an empty container 90 is transported, new buckwheat noodles can be automatically grasped. (not shown)), a container 90 containing new buckwheat may be transported.

When the container 90 is transported by the robot hand 30, the robot 21A moves the robot hand 30 above the container 90, grips the partition 92 of the container 90 by the robot hand 30, and transports the container. More specifically, when gripping the partition 92 , the distal end portion 332 of the robot hand 30 is inserted into the engagement hole 93 provided in the partition 92 , and the claw 331 and the partition 92 are gripped through the engagement hole 93 . to grip the container 90 . As described above, not only the buckwheat noodles but also the containers 90 are transported by the robot hand 30, so that the replacement work of the containers 90 can be automated by the robot without introducing an additional system. Also, when gripping and transporting the container 90, when trying to grip the outside of the container 90, a larger opening motion is required compared to when gripping buckwheat noodles, making it difficult to use a common robot hand. , there was a concern that the robot hand 30 would become bulky and stiff. Therefore, by gripping the partition provided inside the container 90 as described above, it is possible to grip the container 90 with the robot hand 30 common to gripping buckwheat noodles. Further, by gripping via the engaging portion when gripping the partition 92, the container 90 can be gripped more stably.

After the robot 21B withdraws the robot hand 30 from the second section 52, the robot 21A picks up the tray 60 on the subsection 522 via the robot hand 40 and places it on the subsection 521 of the second section 52. The whole tray 60 is immersed in the prepared hot water. This allows the boiling operation to be performed. Once the boiling work is started, the robot 21A may temporarily disengage from the tray 60 . In this case, it is also possible to perform other operations until the boiling operation is completed.

Next, when a predetermined time has passed after the start of the boiling work, the robot 21A picks up the tray 60 in the second section 52 and performs post-processing in the third section 53 . That is, the robot 21A first soaks the tray 60 in the cold water accumulated in the subsection 531 to remove the sliminess of the buckwheat noodles. At this time, the robot 21A may move the tray 60 to improve work efficiency. Also, galley 150 may be configured to inject cold water upon detection of tray 60 in subsection 531 .

Next, the robot 21A carries the tray 60 onto the subsection 532 and performs draining work. At this time, draining may be effectively realized by tilting the tray 60 and vibrating it up and down. After completing the draining work, the robot 21A conveys the tray 60 to the first section 51 and places the tray 60 on the rails 511 on the first section 51 . Note that, at this time, the lane to be placed may be defined. In this way, a series of cooking operations are realized.

Although each embodiment has been described in detail above, it is not limited to a specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope described in the claims. It is also possible to combine all or more of the constituent elements of the above-described embodiments.

11 processing device 21A robot (first robot)
21B Robot (second robot)
30 robot hand 32a-32d claw 33a-33d claw 40 robot hand 41 signal generator 42 hand body 60 tray 61 tray 62 leg 74a camera 74b sensor 90 container 91 container body 92 partition 92A vertical wall 92B vertical wall 92C vertical wall 93 engagement hole

Claims (11)

A robot hand,
As an operating state, it is possible to reciprocate between an open state and a closed state,
A movable member that moves according to the operating state;
When the operating state is the closed state, the movable member grasps the food items that may come apart in batches, and when the operating state is the open state, the movable member releases the food items. a first opening and closing operation in the aspect;
When the operating state is the closed state, the movable member grips the container containing the batch of the objects to be cooked, and when the operating state is the open state, the movable member releases the container. and a second opening/closing operation of the robot hand. 2. The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein said movable member is configured as a claw. The container is provided with an engaging portion,
3. The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein said movable member grips said container via said engaging portion. 4. The robot hand according to claim 3, wherein said engaging portion is located in the center of said container. The container includes a container body and a partition that partitions the interior of the container body for each batch of the cooking target,
5. The robot hand according to claim 3, wherein said engaging portion is an engaging hole formed in a vertical wall forming said partition. 6. The upright walls having the engagement holes are provided in pairs, and the distance between the upright walls provided in the pair is smaller than the distance between the upright walls of the partition in which the object to be cooked is accommodated. The robot hand described in . comprising a plurality of pairs of said pawls;
7. The robot hand according to claim 5, wherein the pair of claws are engaged with the pair of engagement holes formed in the pair of standing walls. 8. The robot hand according to claim 7, wherein each of said pair of claws has a tip portion arranged to support said object to be cooked from below when said operating state is an open state. In the first opening and closing motion, the object to be cooked is released to a cooking utensil supported by a tray transportable by a robot;
The robot hand according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the tray has a shape that ensures a working space for the robot hand above the cooking utensil supported by the tray. The tray is
a supported portion supported by the robot;
a tray portion positioned below the supported portion and supporting the cooking utensil;
a leg connecting the supported portion and the tray;
with
10. The robot hand according to claim 9, wherein said supported portion and said leg portion are provided at positions away from said work space. a robot hand according to any one of claims 1 to 10;
a sensor that detects the presence or absence of the object to be cooked contained in the container;
a processing device that selects the first opening/closing operation or the second opening/closing operation according to the detection result of the sensor and causes the robot hand to execute the operation;
A robot hand control system.

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