JP2022170050A - Robot hand, control method of robot hand, and control program for robot hand - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a robot hand capable of grasping objects of various shapes without involving enlargement of its outer shape.SOLUTION: A robot hand has n (n≥3) sets of finger units each having a first direct-acting portion acting which directly acts along a first axis parallel to a base surface, a second direct-acting portion which is connected to the first direct-acting part and acts directly along a second axis parallel to the base surface and different from the first axis, and a finger portion connected to the second direct-acting part and acting directly along a third axis vertical to the base surface. The first axis of each of the n sets of finger units is positioned on each side of n-sided polygon.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a robot hand, a robot hand control method, and a robot hand control program.

In recent years, the future labor shortage due to the declining birthrate and aging population has become a social issue, and mechanisms for automation and efficiency are being built in various fields. In the manufacturing industry, automation and efficiency improvement using robots for handling parts and products are progressing. When a robot grasps an object such as a part or a product, a robot hand suitable for the object to be grasped is required. One method is to replace the robot hand attached to the robot arm according to the object. However, with this method, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of different robot hands for each object. Therefore, when the number of robot hands increases, there is a problem that the cost of manufacturing the robot hands and the space for storing the waiting robot hands are required. In particular, in the production of a wide variety of products in small quantities, the number of robot hands has increased due to the variety of sizes, shapes, hardness, etc. of objects. Furthermore, there is a problem that the replacement time of the robot hand increases due to the increase in the number of times the robot hand is replaced.

Therefore, a robot hand has been proposed that can handle various objects without replacing the robot hand. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a robot hand in which four finger members facing toward the center of the robot hand are arranged at the four corners of a square area, and a palm member that moves up and down with respect to the base is arranged at the center of the robot hand. technology is disclosed. In this robot hand, four finger members are moved toward and away from each other in the direction of the center of the robot hand, and the palm member is moved up and down with respect to the base. Grasp an object. With this mechanism, objects of different sizes can be gripped without exchanging robot hands.

Patent document 2 discloses a technique of a robot hand in which three fingers arranged in parallel are arranged to form a triangle, and each finger moves on one axis. In the technique described in Patent Literature 2, an object is placed between a side connecting two fingers and an opposing finger, and by moving each finger, the object Grasp and hold objects. With this configuration, for example, plate-like objects with different thicknesses or rod-like objects with different thicknesses can be gripped.

Further, in Patent Document 3, two rack and pinion mechanisms are used to make the distance between two of the three fingers variable, and the sides formed by these two fingers face each other. A technology of a robot hand is disclosed in which the distance from another finger is variable. With this configuration, the distance between the three fingers can be arbitrarily controlled within the movable range of each finger, so that objects of different sizes can be gripped.

Further, Patent Document 4 discloses a technology of a robot hand (hand device) having three finger portions having rotary joints and having a variable angle between the two outer finger portions and the central finger portion. ing. With the above configuration, an object can be gripped with the three fingers so as to wrap around the object, and objects of different sizes and shapes can be gripped.

JP 2014-018909 A JP-A-06-155358 JP 2004-090134 A JP 2017-047509 A

However, the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 to 4 shown above have their respective problems. With the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the four fingers narrow toward the center of the hand, so if the object is not point-symmetrical, it may not be possible to grasp the object well. In addition, in the technique of Patent Document 2, since each finger moves only on one axis, the shape of an object that can be gripped is limited to between two fingers and one finger, such as a plate-like object or a rod-like object. There was a problem that the shape to be sandwiched was limited. In addition, in the technique of Patent Document 3, since the lengths of the three fingers are the same, the gripping force is weak unless the contact points of the three fingers with the object are at the same height. There was a problem of becoming Further, in the technique of Patent Document 4, each finger has a link structure that rotates around each joint, so the finger is thickened accordingly. In addition, since the fingers wrap around the object, there is a problem that the size of the object that can be grasped is small compared to the outer shape of the robot hand. Alternatively, there is a problem that the outer shape of the robot hand becomes larger than the target object.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a robot hand or the like capable of gripping objects of various shapes without increasing the size of the robot hand.

In order to solve the above problems, the robot hand of the present invention includes: a first linear motion part that linearly moves along a first axis parallel to a base surface; a second linear motion part linearly moving along a second axis parallel to the plane and in a direction different from the first axis; and a third linear motion part connected to the second linear motion part perpendicular to the base surface. and n pairs (n≧3) of finger units, wherein the first axis of each of the n pairs of finger units extends along each side of an n-sided polygon placed above.

Further, a method for controlling a robot hand of the present invention includes: a first linear motion unit linearly moving along a first axis parallel to a base surface; a second linear motion part linearly moving along a second axis in a direction different from the first axis; and a third axis connected to the second linear motion part and perpendicular to the base surface. and n pairs (n≧3) of finger units, wherein the first axis of each of the n pairs of finger units is arranged on each side of an n-sided polygon. controlling the position of each of the fingers in the direction of the first axis, controlling the position of each of the fingers in the direction of the third axis, and controlling the position of each of the fingers in the direction of the third axis; to grip the object by controlling the position of the second axis of the.

Further, a control program for a robot hand of the present invention comprises: a first linear motion unit linearly moving along a first axis parallel to a base surface; a second linear motion part linearly moving along a second axis in a direction different from the first axis; and a third axis connected to the second linear motion part and perpendicular to the base surface. and n pairs (n≧3) of finger units, wherein the first axis of each of the n pairs of finger units is arranged on each side of an n-sided polygon. A control program for a robot hand for causing a computer to control the robot hand, comprising: controlling the position of each of the fingers in the direction of the first axis; and a step of controlling the position of each of the fingers in the direction of the second axis to control gripping of an object.

An advantage of the present invention is that it is possible to provide a robot hand or the like capable of gripping objects of various shapes without enlarging the outer shape.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a robot hand according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a specific example of the configuration of the robot hand of the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic bottom view specifically illustrating the configuration of the robot hand of the first embodiment; It is a side schematic diagram which shows an example of operation|movement of the robot hand of 1st Embodiment. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the robot hand of the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a specific example of a first direct-acting portion of the robot hand of the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing one specific example of a finger unit of the robot hand of the first embodiment; It is a bottom surface schematic diagram which shows the structure of the robot hand of 2nd Embodiment. It is a bottom surface schematic diagram which shows an example of operation|movement of the robot hand of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic side view showing an example of the motion of the robot hand of the second embodiment; 9 is a flow chart showing the operation of the robot hand of the second embodiment; It is a bottom surface schematic diagram which shows the structure of the robot hand of 3rd Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic bottom view showing an example of the motion of the robot hand of the third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a schematic bottom view showing another example of the motion of the robot hand of the third embodiment; 9 is a flow chart showing the operation of the robot hand of the third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a robot system according to a fourth embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a robot hand according to a fifth embodiment; FIG. FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the robot hand of the fifth embodiment; FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are technically preferable for carrying out the present invention, but the scope of the invention is not limited to the following. In addition, the same number may be attached|subjected to the same component of each drawing, and description may be abbreviate|omitted.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a robot hand 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A robot hand 100 has three sets of finger units 10 , 20 , 30 . Finger units 10 , 20 , 30 are controlled by control section 50 .

The finger unit 10 has a first direct acting portion 12 , a second direct acting portion 14 and a finger portion 16 . The first linear motion part 12 linearly moves along the first axis 11 parallel to the surface of the base 90 . The second linear motion part 14 is connected to the first linear motion part 12 and linearly moves along the second shaft 13 parallel to the surface of the base 90 and in a different direction from the first shaft 11 . The fingers 16 are connected to the second translator 14 and translate along a third axis 15 perpendicular to the surface of the base 90 .

The finger unit 20 has a first direct acting portion 22 , a second direct acting portion 24 and a finger portion 26 . The first linear motion part 22 linearly moves along the first axis 21 parallel to the surface of the base 90 . The second linear motion part 24 is connected to the first linear motion part 22 and linearly moves along the second shaft 23 parallel to the surface of the base 90 and in a different direction from the first shaft 21 . The fingers 26 connect to the second translatory part 24 and translate along a third axis 25 perpendicular to the surface of the base 90 .

The finger unit 30 has a first direct acting portion 32 , a second direct acting portion 34 and a finger portion 36 . The first linear motion part 32 linearly moves along the first axis 31 parallel to the surface of the base 90 . The second linear motion part 34 is connected to the first linear motion part 32 and linearly moves along a second shaft 33 parallel to the surface of the base 90 and in a direction different from that of the first shaft 31 . A finger 36 connects to the second translational portion 34 and translates along a third axis 35 perpendicular to the surface of the base 90 .

Each finger unit 10, 20, 30 is configured so that the first axis 11 of the finger unit 10, the first axis 21 of the finger unit 20, and the first axis 31 of the finger unit 30 are the respective sides of the triangle. It is arranged so that it is located above.

In the above description, there are three finger units, and the first axis of each finger unit is arranged at a position corresponding to each side of the triangle, but the number of finger units is three. The number is not limited and may be four or more. In this case, the number of finger units may be n, and the first axis of each finger unit may be arranged on each side of the n-sided polygon.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a robot hand 10000 as a specific configuration example of the robot hand 100. As shown in FIG. A robot hand 10000 has a base 9000 and three finger units fixed to the base 9000 : finger unit 1000 , finger unit 2000 and finger unit 3000 . Finger units 1000 , 2000 and 3000 are examples of finger units 10 , 20 and 30 in robot hand 100 . Further, the finger units 1000, 2000, 3000 are controlled by a control section (not shown).

The finger unit 1000 includes a first guide 1100, a first direct acting portion 1200, a connecting portion 1300, a second direct acting portion 1400, a third guide 1500, and a third direct acting portion 1600. , and fingers 1700 . The first guide 1100 is an example of the first shaft 11 of the first embodiment. In addition, the first guide 1100 is an example of the first direct acting portion 12, the connecting portion 1300 and the second direct acting portion 1400 are examples of the second shaft 13 and the second direct acting portion 14, and the third guide. 1500 and the third direct acting portion 1600 are examples of the third shaft 15 , and the finger portion 1700 is an example of the finger portion 16 .

Similarly, the finger unit 2000 includes a first guide 2100, a first direct acting portion 2200, a connecting portion 2300, a second direct acting portion 2400, a third guide 2500, and a third direct acting portion. It has a portion 2600 and a finger portion 2700 . Further, the finger unit 3000 includes a first guide 3100, a first direct acting portion 3200, a connecting portion 3300, a second direct acting portion 3400, a third guide 3500, and a third direct acting portion. 3600 and fingers 3700 .

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the robot hand 10000 viewed from below in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the first guides 1100, 2100, 3100 of the finger units 1000, 2000, 3000 are arranged at positions corresponding to respective sides of a triangle in the plane of the base 9000, respectively.

In the finger unit 1000, the first linear motion part 1200 linearly moves along the first guide 1100, and the second linear motion part 1400 moves relative to the connection part 1300 in a direction perpendicular to the first guide 1100. direct motion. This provides positioning of the fingers 1700 in a plane parallel to the plane of the base 9000 . The position of the finger portion 1700 in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the base 9000 is controlled by the third linear motion portion 1600 linearly moving along the third guide 1500 . Similarly, in finger unit 2000 , first linear motion part 2200 linearly moves along first guide 2100 . Also, the second direct-acting portion 2400 moves linearly with respect to the connecting portion 2300 in a direction perpendicular to the first guide 2100 . In this way, positioning of the fingers 2700 in a direction parallel to the surface of the base 9000 is achieved.

The position of the finger portion 2700 in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the base 9000 is controlled by the third linear motion portion 2600 linearly moving along the third guide 2500 . Also, in the finger unit 3000 , the first linear motion part 3200 linearly moves along the first guide 3100 . Also, the second linear motion part 3400 linearly moves with respect to the connection part 3300 in a direction perpendicular to the first guide 3100 . In this way, positioning of the fingers 3700 in a direction parallel to the surface of the base 9000 is achieved.
The position of the finger portion 3700 in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the base 9000 is controlled by the third linear motion portion 3600 linearly moving along the third guide 3500 . In the above description, the linear motion direction of the second linear motion portion is perpendicular to the linear motion direction of the first linear motion portion, but the angles may be other than perpendicular.

In the robot hand 10000 of this embodiment, the positions of the three fingers 1700, 2700, and 3700 are controlled in the direction horizontal to the plane of the base 9000, and also independently in the direction (height) perpendicular to the plane of the base 9000. can be controlled. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, even an object 8000 whose contact height with the fingers varies depending on locations can be stably gripped. Note that the linear motion direction of the third linear motion portion does not have to be perpendicular to the surface of the base 9000 as long as the position in the height direction can be controlled.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a state in which the robot hand 10000 grips an object 8000 that cannot be gripped well if the fingers 1700, 2700, and 3700 are at the same height because the side surface does not have a simple shape. By controlling the heights of the fingers 1700, 2700, and 3700 to positions where force is likely to act on the side surfaces of the object 8000, the object 8000 can be stably gripped.

Although the example in which there are three finger units has been described above, the number may be four or more. In this case, if the number of finger units is n, the finger units should be arranged such that the first guides of the n finger units are located on the respective sides of the n-sided polygon.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the robot hand 10000. As shown in FIG. First, the control unit aligns the first direct-acting unit with respect to a predetermined finger unit used for gripping among the n pieces (S101). Next, the controller aligns the third direct-acting part with a predetermined finger unit used for gripping (S102). Next, the control section linearly moves the second direct-acting section with a predetermined finger unit used for gripping, and arranges the finger section of each finger unit near the object (S103). Next, the control unit linearly moves the second direct-acting portion of each finger unit inward to bring the finger portions into contact with the object, thereby gripping the object (S104).

Although FIG. 2-4 shows an example in which the shape of the finger portion is a rectangular parallelepiped, the shape is not limited to this, and may be any shape suitable for the target portion. The material of the fingers can be any material suitable for the object, such as metal, plastic, rubber, or sponge.

Also, the second linear motion part may be linearly moved inward to adjust the force when gripping the object. For example, when the second linear motion unit is driven by a motor, the torque control units 1410, 2410, and 3410 shown in FIG. be able to. By performing such control, even a flexible target can be appropriately gripped.

Next, a specific example of the direct acting mechanism will be described. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the first direct acting mechanism. A ball screw 1101a and a driving portion 1101b for rotating the ball screw 1101a around its axis are arranged in the first guide 1101. As shown in FIG. A movable nut 1101c is engaged with the ball screw 1101a, and a slider 1201 is fixed to the movable nut 1101c. By rotating the ball screw 1101 a in this configuration, the slider 1201 can be linearly moved along the first guide 1101 .

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a configuration in which the slider 1201 of FIG. A connecting portion 1301 is fixed to the slider 1201 . The second linear motion part 1401 linearly moves with respect to this connecting part in a direction perpendicular to the first guide and parallel to the surface of the base 9000 . A third guide 1501 is fixed to one end of the second linear motion part 1401 . A third linear motion part 1601 is engaged with the third guide 1501 so that it can move linearly in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the base 9000 . A finger portion 1701 is fixed to the third direct acting portion 1601 . With such a configuration, the position of the finger portion 1701 can be controlled in the first linear motion direction, the second linear motion direction, and the third linear motion direction.

The operation of the robot hand 10000 has been described above.

The robot hand according to the first embodiment of the present invention has n sets (n≧3) of finger units 10, 20, 30, . One finger unit 10 has a first direct acting portion 12 , a second direct acting portion 14 and a finger portion 16 . The first linear motion part 12 linearly moves along the first shaft 11 parallel to the base surface of the base 90 . As a result, the position of the finger in the direction of the first axis 11 is controlled. The second linear motion part 14 is connected to the first linear motion part 12 and linearly moves along the second shaft 13 parallel to the surface of the base 90 and in a different direction from the first shaft 11 . Thereby, the position of the finger portion 16 in the direction of the second axis 13 is controlled. The finger portion 16 translates along a third axis 15 connected to the second translation portion 14 and perpendicular to the plane of the base 90 . Thereby, the position of the finger portion 16 in the direction of the third axis 15 is controlled. The first axes 11, 21, 31, . . . of the n pairs of finger units 10, 20, 30, . . With such a configuration, the positions of the n fingers 16, 26, 36, . can. Therefore, even if the object is not a simple shape such as a cylinder or a rectangular parallelepiped, the fingers 16, 26, 36, . . . An object 80 can be grasped. Further, in the above-mentioned robot hand, only the linear motion parts are combined to control the position of the finger part. Therefore, compared to a robot hand having joints using a link mechanism, such as the technology described in Patent Document 4, the outer shape of the robot hand can be made smaller relative to the size of the object that can be gripped.

Further, in the above-described robot hand, the second linear motion parts 14, 24, 34, . . . of the respective finger units 10, 20, 30, . • A configuration having a torque control unit for controlling the torque of the linear motion in the direction of (1) may be employed. By performing such control, when an object is gripped with a plurality of fingers 16, 26, 36, . can be controlled. As a result, it is possible to appropriately control the grip force and grip even a flexible object or an object with weak mechanical strength.

Further, in the robot hand control method according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a robot hand having n sets (n≧3) of finger units 10, 20, 30, . . . is controlled. One finger unit 10 of this robot hand 100 has a first linear motion part 12 , a second linear motion part 14 and a finger part 16 . The first linear motion part 12 linearly moves along the first shaft 11 parallel to the base surface of the base 90 . The second linear motion part 14 is connected to the first linear motion part 12 and linearly moves along the second shaft 13 parallel to the surface of the base 90 and in a different direction from the first shaft 11 . The first axes 11, 21, 31, . . . of the n pairs of finger units 10, 20, 30, . . In the robot hand control method according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the robot hand 100 configured as described above has the position of each finger in the direction of the first axes 11, 21, 31, . to control. Further, the positions in the directions of the third axes 15, 25, 35, . . . are controlled, and the positions in the directions of the second axes 13, 23, 33, . . With such a configuration, the positions of the n fingers 16, 26, 36, . can. Therefore, even if the object 80 does not have a simple shape such as a cylinder or rectangular parallelepiped, the fingers 16, 26, 36, . . . It can grasp objects.

Further, in the robot hand control program according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a computer is caused to execute a program for controlling the robot hand having n sets (n≧3) of finger units 10, 20, 30, . . One finger unit 10 of this robot hand 100 has a first linear motion part 12 , a second linear motion part 14 and a finger part 16 . The first linear motion part 12 linearly moves along the first shaft 11 parallel to the base surface of the base 90 . The second linear motion part 14 is connected to the first linear motion part 12 and linearly moves along the second shaft 13 parallel to the surface of the base 90 and in a different direction from the first shaft 11 . The first axes 11, 21, 31, . . . of the n pairs of finger units 10, 20, 30, . . In the robot hand control program according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the position of each finger in the direction of the first axes 11, 21, 31, . . . is controlled. Further, the positions in the directions of the third axes 15, 25, 35, . . . are controlled, and the positions in the directions of the second axes 13, 23, 33, . It has a step of controlling. With such a configuration, the positions of the n fingers 16, 26, 36, . can. Therefore, the program can set the fingers 16, 26, 36, . . . A computer can be made to perform control for arranging and gripping an object.

(Second embodiment)
In the second embodiment, in addition to the first embodiment, a robot hand in which fingers are provided with suction pads will be described. In the first embodiment, the configuration of the robot hand 10000 in which three or more fingers sandwich and grip the target portion has been described, but it is also possible to provide a configuration in which the finger portions are provided with suction portions so that the target portion is gripped by suction. be. FIG. 8 is a bottom view showing the robot hand 10001 of the second embodiment. The robot hand 10001 has a configuration in which suction pads are provided at the tips of the finger portions 1700, 2700, and 3700 of the robot hand 10000 of the first embodiment. Other configurations are the same as those of the robot hand 10000 of the first embodiment. A suction pad 1710 is provided on the opposite side (lower end) of the finger portion 1700 of the finger unit 1001 from the base 9000 . Similarly, a suction pad 2710 is provided at the lower end of the finger portion 2700 , and a suction pad 3710 is provided at the lower end of the finger portion 3700 . Each finger unit 1001, 12001, 3001 is controlled by a control section (not shown).

In the robot hand 10001, as in the first embodiment, by controlling the first direct-acting part 1200 and the second direct-acting part 1400, the suction pad 1710 of the finger unit 1000 moves in a direction parallel to the base 9000 surface. can be positioned. Similarly, the suction pads 2710 of the finger unit 2000 and the suction pads 3710 of the finger unit 3000 can be positioned in the direction parallel to the surface of the base 9000 . FIG. 9 is a schematic bottom view showing an example of sucking an object 8100 having a limited suckable area 8110 using this function.

The robot hand 10001 can perform positioning in a direction parallel to the surface of the base 9000 as well as positional control of the suction pads 1710, 2710, and 3710 in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the base 9000. FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing an example in which this function is used to adsorb an object 8200 having steps on its surface. In this way, the robot hand 10001 can grip even an object having steps.

In the examples of FIGS. 9 and 10, the example in which the number of finger units is three has been described, but the number may be four or more.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the robot hand 10001. As shown in FIG. First, the control unit aligns the first linear motion part of a predetermined finger used for gripping among the three or more fingers (S201). Next, the control unit aligns the second direct acting portion of the predetermined finger (S202). Next, the control unit linearly moves the third direct-acting portion of the predetermined finger portion to bring each suction pad into contact with the surface of the object (S203). Next, the control unit operates the suction mechanism to cause the suction pad to adhere to the object and grip the object (S204).

The operation of the robot hand 10001 of the second embodiment has been described above.

A robot hand 10001 according to the second embodiment of the present invention has finger portions 1700, 2700, 3700, . is equipped with In this way, the positions of the n fingers 1700, 2700, 3700, . can be controlled arbitrarily. Furthermore, the suction pads 1710, 2710, 3710, . . . can suction the surface of the object. Therefore, even an object having a stepped surface can be gripped by suction.

In the robot hand 10001 described above, the control method of the robot hand in the second embodiment is such that the positions of the n fingers 1700, 2700, 3700, . arbitrary position independently. The surface of the object is sucked by suction pads 1710, 2710, 3710, . . . By controlling in this way, even an object having steps on the surface can be gripped by suction.

(Third Embodiment)
In the first and second embodiments, a specific example using a ball screw as a mechanism for linearly moving the first linear motion part was illustrated, but in the third embodiment, a mechanism for linearly moving the first linear motion part An example using a combination of a rack gear and a pinion gear will be described.

FIG. 12 is a bottom view showing the robot hand 10002 of the third embodiment. In the robot hand 10002, linear motion of the first linear motion part is performed using a combination of a rack gear and a pinion gear. By using a gear system that turns on and off the transmission of the rotation of the drive gear to the pinion gear, the power for the first linear motion can be combined into one drive gear. Each part of the robot hand 10002 is controlled by a controller (not shown). A specific example will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 12, in finger unit 1002, first guide 1110 is engaged with direct-acting rail 1111, and rack gear 1112 is provided. The rack gear 1112 linearly moves as the pinion gear 4110 rotates. The first linear motion part 1210 is fixed to the first guide 1110 . At the center of the triangle formed by the three finger units 1002, 2002, 3002, a drive gear 4000 is arranged. Intermediate gear 4100 is arranged between drive gear 4000 and pinion gear 4110 . The intermediate gear 4100 has a slide mechanism, and can be switched between an ON state in which it engages with the drive gear 4000 and the pinion gear 4110 and transmits power, and an OFF state in which it disengages and does not transmit power. . Similarly, in finger unit 2002 and finger unit 3002, first direct-acting parts 2210 and 3210 are linearly moved by driving the drive gears. Power transmission is turned on and off by intermediate gears 4200 and 4300 .

As is clear from the above configuration, alignment of the first linear motion part is performed by selecting one finger unit and performing it in sequence. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the finger unit 1002 is selected and its first direct acting portion 1210 is positioned. By engaging intermediate gear 4100 with drive gear 4000 and pinion gear 4110 to control the rotation of drive gear 4000, positioning in the first linear motion direction can be performed.

When the positioning of the first direct acting portion 1210 of the finger unit 1002 is completed, the intermediate gear 4100 is slid to the retracted position to turn off power transmission. Then, the positioning of the first direct-acting portion of the next finger unit is performed by the same control as described above.

After completing the positioning of the first direct-acting parts of all the finger units used for gripping, it is necessary to prevent their positions from moving. FIG. 14 is a schematic bottom view showing an example of the implementation method. When positioning of all first linear motion parts is completed, all intermediate gears (4100, 4200, 4300 in FIG. 14) are placed in the ON position to engage drive gear 4000 and pinion gears (4110, 4210, 4310). slide to By preventing the drive gear 4000 from rotating in this state, the positions of the respective first linear motion parts can be locked.

Since the configurations of the second linear motion part and the third linear motion part are the same as those in the second and third embodiments, after positioning the first linear motion part, the second and third linear motion parts The object can be grasped by the same control as in the embodiment of .

FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing the positioning operation of the first direct acting portion of the present embodiment. First, the control unit turns on transmission of driving force to the pinion gear of the selected finger unit (S301). In this state, the control unit controls the rotation of the drive gear and aligns the first linear motion unit (S302). Then, the operations of S301 and S302 are repeated until the alignment of the first linear motion parts of all the predetermined finger parts used for gripping is completed (L). Then, when the positioning of all the first linear motion parts is completed, the control part locks the rotation of the drive gears while turning on the power transmission to the pinion gears of the finger units (S303).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, three or more finger units can be combined into one power source for positioning the first direct-acting portion.

As described above, the operation of the robot hand 10002 of the third embodiment has been described.

A robot hand 10002 according to the third embodiment of the present invention has n sets (n≧3) of finger units 1002, 2002, 3002, . One finger unit 1002 has a first linear motion part 1210 , a second linear motion part 1400 and a finger part 1700 . The first translational part 1210 translates along a first axis parallel to the surface of the base. At least one first linear motion portion 1210 among the plurality (n sets) of first linear motion portions includes a rack gear 1112 fixed to the first linear motion portion 1210 and extending in the direction of the first axis. , and a pinion gear 4110 that drives the rack gear 1112 . With this configuration, the linear motion of the first linear motion part 1210 can be performed with a simple mechanism. The second linear motion part 1400 is connected to the first linear motion part 1210 and linearly moves along a second axis parallel to the surface of the base 9000 and in a direction different from the first axis. This controls the position of finger 1700 in the second axial direction. Finger portion 1700 translates along a third axis that connects to second translation portion 1400 and is perpendicular to the base surface. This controls the position of finger 1700 in the third axial direction. The n pairs of finger units are arranged such that the first axis of each finger unit is on each side of the n-sided polygon. With such a configuration, the positions of the n fingers 1700, 2700, 3700, . can. Therefore, even if the object does not have a simple shape such as a cylinder or a rectangular parallelepiped, the fingers can be arranged at a height suitable for the shape of the object to grip the object. Further, in the robot hand described above, the positions of the finger portions 1700, 2700, 3700, . . . are controlled by combining only the direct acting portions. Therefore, compared to a robot hand having joints using a link mechanism, such as the technology described in Patent Document 4, the outer shape of the robot hand can be made smaller relative to the size of the object that can be gripped.

Further, the robot hand of the third embodiment includes a driving gear 4000 arranged in the center of the n-sided shape, and a gear system for transmitting the rotation of the driving gear 4000 to the pinion gears 4110, 4210, 4310, . It may be configured. With such a configuration, the pinion gears 4110, 4210, 4310, . . . themselves can be configured without a drive mechanism.

Further, the gear system of the robot hand described above may have a mechanism for turning off the transmission of the rotation of the driving gear 4000 to the pinion gears 4110, 4210, 4310, . By providing such a mechanism, it is possible to select a pinion gear to be rotated and a pinion gear not to be rotated among the n pairs of finger units. With such a configuration, it is possible to combine power sources for linearly moving the first direct-acting portions 1210, 2210, 3210, . . .

Further, in the robot hand control method of the third embodiment, the linear motion of the first linear motion part is performed by using a combination of the rack gear and the pinion gear in the above robot hand. With this configuration, it is possible to control the linear motion of the first linear motion part with a simple mechanism.

Also, the rotation of the pinion gears 4110, 4210, 4310, . With such a configuration, it is possible to control the linear motion of the first linear motion portion without driving the pinion gear itself.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a robot system including the robot hand of any one of the first to fourth embodiments. The robot system 30000 has an input/output device 31000, a robot controller 32000, a database 33000, a robot arm 40000, and a robot hand 50000. Here, the robot hand 50000 represents the robot hands of the first to fourth embodiments. The robot hand has a first linear motion part 51000, a second linear motion part 52000, a finger part 53000, and a suction mechanism 54000. A robot arm 40000 and a robot hand 50000 are controlled by a robot controller 32000 . The input/output device 31000, robot controller 32000, and database 33000 are implemented in, for example, a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

As described above, according to the robot system 30000 of the fourth embodiment, a general computer can be used to control the robot hand 50000 of any one of the first to fourth embodiments. With this control, the position along the base surface and the position perpendicular to the base surface of the finger portions 53000 of the n sets (n≧3) of the finger units can be independently arbitrarily controlled. Therefore, even if the object does not have a simple shape such as a cylinder or a rectangular parallelepiped, the fingers can be arranged at a height suitable for the shape of the object to grip the object.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a robot hand 1 according to a fifth embodiment of the invention will be described. Specific examples of the robot hand 1 are the robot hands 100, 10000, 10001, and 10002 described above.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the robot hand 1 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 17, the robot hand 1 has n sets (n≧3) of finger units 2 . Each finger unit 2 has a first linear motion part 3 , a second linear motion part 4 and a finger part 5 .

The first linear motion part 3 linearly moves along a first axis parallel to the base surface of the robot hand 1 .
The second linear motion part 4 is connected to the first linear motion part 3 and linearly moves along a second axis parallel to the base surface and in a direction different from the first axis. The finger 5 translates along a third axis that is connected to the second translator and perpendicular to the base surface. The n pairs of finger units are arranged on the base surface such that the first axis of each finger unit is positioned on each side of the n-sided polygon. The operation of each part of the robot hand 1 is controlled by a control part (not shown).

FIG. 18 is a flow chart showing the operation of the robot hand 1. FIG. First, the control section controls the position of each finger unit 2 on the first axis of the first direct-acting section 3 so that the position is suitable for gripping an object (S401). Next, the controller controls the positions of the fingers 5 of each finger unit 2 on the third axis so that they are suitable for gripping the object (S402). Next, the control unit grips the object by controlling the position of the second direct-acting part on the second axis so as to be a position suitable for gripping the object (S403). Note that the order of S402 and S403 may be reversed according to the gripping method.

With such a configuration, the positions of the n fingers 5 along the base surface and the positions perpendicular to the base surface can be arbitrarily controlled independently. Therefore, each finger 5 can be positioned in a plane parallel to the base surface and in a direction perpendicular to the base surface, which are suitable for the shape of the object, to grip the object. As a result, the robot hand 1 can grip the object even if the object does not have a simple shape such as a cylinder or a rectangular parallelepiped.

The present invention has been described above using the above-described embodiments as exemplary examples. However, the invention is not limited to the above embodiments. That is, within the scope of the present invention, various aspects that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be applied to the present invention.

Some or all of the above-described embodiments can also be described in the following supplementary remarks, but are not limited to the following.
(Appendix 1)
a first linear motion part linearly moving along a first axis parallel to the base surface;
a second linear motion part connected to the first linear motion part and linearly moving along a second axis parallel to the base surface and in a direction different from the first axis;
a finger connected to the second linear motion part and linearly moving along a third axis perpendicular to the base surface;
has n pairs (n≧3) of finger units with
The robot hand, wherein the first axis of each of the n pairs of finger units is arranged on each side of an n-sided polygon.
(Appendix 2)
the finger is
The robot hand according to appendix 1, further comprising a suction portion that suctions an object.
(Appendix 3)
a rack gear fixed to at least one of the plurality of first linear motion portions and extending in the direction of the first axis;
a pinion gear that drives the rack gear;
The robot hand according to appendix 1 or 2, characterized by having:
(Appendix 4)
a driving gear arranged in the center of the n-sided polygon;
The robot hand according to appendix 3, further comprising a gear system that transmits rotation of the driving gear to the pinion gear.
(Appendix 5)
the gear system
The robot hand according to appendix 4, further comprising a mechanism for turning off transmission of rotation of the driving gear to the pinion gear.
(Appendix 6)
Each of the second linear motion parts has a torque control part for controlling the torque of the linear motion in the direction of the second axis,
The robot hand according to any one of Appendices 1 to 5, characterized by:
(Appendix 7)
a first linear motion part that linearly moves along a first axis parallel to the base surface; a second linear motion part linearly moving along two axes; and a finger connected to the second linear motion part and linearly moving along a third axis perpendicular to the base surface. A robot hand having pairs (n≧3) of finger units, wherein the first axis of each of the n pairs of finger units is arranged on each side of an n-sided polygon,
controlling the position of each of the fingers along the first axis;
controlling the position of each of the fingers along the third axis;
A control method for a robot hand, comprising: grasping an object by controlling the position of each of the fingers in the direction of the second axis.
(Appendix 8)
The finger portion has a suction portion,
The method of controlling a robot hand according to appendix 7, wherein the object is sucked by the sucking unit.
(Appendix 9)
9. The method of controlling a robot hand according to appendix 7 or 8, wherein the linear motion of the first linear motion part is performed using a combination of a rack gear and a pinion gear.
(Appendix 10)
A driving gear is arranged in the center of the n-sided polygon,
The robot hand control method according to appendix 9, wherein the rotation of the drive gear is transmitted to the pinion gear by a gear system.
(Appendix 11)
The gear system selectively drives one of the pinion gears among the plurality of finger units to control the position of the first linear motion part corresponding to the selected pinion gear. 11. The control method of the robot hand according to Supplementary Note 10.
(Appendix 12)
sequentially controlling the positions of the first linear motion parts of the plurality of finger units;
controlling the gear system so that the rotation of the drive gear can be transmitted to the pinion gear corresponding to the first linear motion part whose position control has been completed;
12. The method of controlling a robot hand according to appendix 11, wherein the drive gear is stopped to fix the position of the first linear motion part of each of the units.
(Appendix 13)
a first linear motion part that linearly moves along a first axis parallel to the base surface; a second linear motion part linearly moving along two axes; and a finger connected to the second linear motion part and linearly moving along a third axis perpendicular to the base surface. causing a computer to control a robot hand having pairs (n≧3) of finger units, wherein the first axis of each of the n pairs of finger units is arranged on each side of an n-sided polygon; A control program for a robot hand,
controlling the position of each said finger along said first axis;
controlling the position of each said finger along said third axis;
and a control program for gripping an object by controlling the position of each of the fingers in the direction of the second axis.

1, 100, 10000, 10001, 10002 Robot hand 2, 10, 20, 30, 1000, 2000, 3000 Finger unit 3, 12, 1200, 2200, 3200 First linear motion unit 4, 14, 1400, 2400, 3400 Second linear motion part 5, 16, 1700, 2700, 3700 Finger part 11 First shaft 13 Second shaft 15 Third shaft 50 Control part 90, 9000 Base 1600, 2600, 3600 Third linear motion part 1710, 2710, 3710 suction pad

Claims (10)

a first linear motion part linearly moving along a first axis parallel to the base surface;
a second linear motion part connected to the first linear motion part and linearly moving along a second axis parallel to the base surface and in a direction different from the first axis;
a finger connected to the second linear motion part and linearly moving along a third axis perpendicular to the base surface;
has n pairs (n≧3) of finger units with
The robot hand, wherein the first axis of each of the n pairs of finger units is arranged on each side of an n-sided polygon. the finger is
2. The robot hand according to claim 1, further comprising a suction portion that suctions an object. a rack gear fixed to at least one of the plurality of first linear motion portions and extending in the direction of the first axis;
a pinion gear that drives the rack gear;
The robot hand according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by having: a driving gear arranged in the center of the n-sided polygon;
The robot hand according to claim 3, further comprising a gear system for transmitting rotation of said driving gear to said pinion gear. the gear system
5. The robot hand according to claim 4, further comprising a mechanism for turning off transmission of rotation of said drive gear to said pinion gear. Each of the second linear motion parts has a torque control part for controlling the torque of the linear motion in the direction of the second axis,
The robot hand according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: a first linear motion part that linearly moves along a first axis parallel to the base surface; a second linear motion part linearly moving along two axes; and a finger connected to the second linear motion part and linearly moving along a third axis perpendicular to the base surface. A robot hand having pairs (n≧3) of finger units, wherein the first axis of each of the n pairs of finger units is arranged on each side of an n-sided polygon,
controlling the position of each of the fingers along the first axis;
controlling the position of each of the fingers along the third axis;
A control method for a robot hand, comprising: grasping an object by controlling the position of each of the fingers in the direction of the second axis. The finger portion has a suction portion,
The control method of the robot hand according to claim 7, wherein the object is adsorbed by the adsorption unit. 9. The robot hand control method according to claim 7, wherein the linear motion of the first linear motion part is performed using a combination of a rack gear and a pinion gear. a first linear motion part that linearly moves along a first axis parallel to the base surface; a second linear motion part linearly moving along two axes; and a finger connected to the second linear motion part and linearly moving along a third axis perpendicular to the base surface. causing a computer to control a robot hand having pairs (n≧3) of finger units, wherein the first axis of each of the n pairs of finger units is arranged on each side of an n-sided polygon; A control program for a robot hand,
controlling the position of each said finger along said first axis;
controlling the position of each said finger along said third axis;
and a control program for gripping an object by controlling the position of each of the fingers in the direction of the second axis.

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