JP5166836B2 - Robotic manipulator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a robot manipulator.

  Robot manipulators are assembled in various industrial robots, humanoid robots, and the like and used in various fields. Robot manipulators have been mainly used to grip an object having a predetermined shape from a predetermined direction. In recent years, robot manipulators having a multi-finger robot hand have been developed, and a multi-finger robot hand having multiple degrees of freedom can hold an object of any shape from any direction and perform various operations. be able to.

Some robot manipulators are provided with a flexible covering and a tactile sensor (pressure sensor). For example, as the covering, there are a covering provided with a rubber material on the fingertip and a covering provided with a rubber glove. The tactile sensor for a robot hand described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a pressure-sensitive portion at each position of a multi-finger, multi-degree-of-freedom robot hand, and the load received so that all the pressure-sensitive portions are in the same sensitivity band. A cushioning material is attached to the small pressure sensitive part.
JP 2004-330370 A JP 2005-349492 A JP 2005-262411 A Japanese Patent No. 3183465

  When humans use their hands to work, the closer to the fingertips, the finer the workability is required, such as manipulating the object dexterously, and the more remote the part (palm, thumb ball or arm) the more firmly the object. It is required to be stable. If the coating that contacts the object is thick or soft, the contact area with the object increases, so that the object is less likely to slip with respect to the coating. Therefore, the covering is preferably thin or hard for fine work, and thick or soft for holding the object stably. In addition, human hands have a higher sensitivity as a tactile sensation for fingertips that require finer work. However, in the conventional robot manipulator, the thickness and hardness of the coating are not changed depending on the part, and the resolution of the tactile sensor is not changed depending on the part.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a robot manipulator whose surface structure is optimized depending on a part.

  A manipulator for a robot according to the present invention includes a sensor unit including a pressure sensor provided on a surface side of a structure unit and a covering unit including a covering material covering at least the sensor unit, and the covering unit is at a distance from a fingertip. Correspondingly, coating materials having different thicknesses and / or hardnesses are arranged.

  This robot manipulator is provided with a sensor part and a covering part on the surface side of a structure part (link mechanism, joint mechanism, actuator, etc.), the sensor part is a pressure sensor, and the covering part is a covering material that covers the sensor part. . In particular, as the covering material of the covering portion, materials having different thicknesses and / or hardnesses are arranged according to the distance from the fingertip in the manipulator. When performing work on an object, finer workability is required for the fingertip, and retention stability is required for the fingertip. Therefore, in this robot manipulator, a covering material having a thickness and hardness suitable for workability is arranged at the fingertip, and a coating material having a thickness and hardness suitable for stability is arranged as the distance from the fingertip is increased. Can be optimized by each part in the manipulator.

  In the robot manipulator of the present invention, it is preferable that the covering portion is arranged such that a thinner covering material is disposed closer to the fingertip. In this way, by placing a thinner covering material closer to the fingertip and placing a thicker covering material away from the fingertip, the structure is closer to human skin, allowing closer work closer to the fingertip. A thing can be held stably, so that it leaves | separates. In addition, parts that are far from the fingertips of robot manipulators (such as the elbow of the robot arm) have a heavy equivalent weight of the action part, and there is a risk that impact will increase when they hit a surrounding object. By providing the structure, it is possible to protect the structural portion and surrounding objects and improve safety.

  In the robot manipulator according to the present invention, it is preferable that the covering portion is disposed with a hard covering material that is closer to the fingertip. By placing a harder covering material closer to the fingertip in this way and placing a softer covering material away from the fingertip, it becomes a structure close to human skin, allowing closer work closer to the fingertip, enabling fine work from the fingertip. A thing can be held stably, so that it leaves | separates.

  In the robot manipulator of the present invention, it is preferable that the sensor unit is provided with a pressure sensor having a higher resolution as the covering material covered is thinner. When the manipulator is working in contact with the object, the thicker the covering material, the longer the distance from the object to the pressure sensor, and the transmission of force to the pressure sensor spreads. Therefore, as the resolution of the pressure sensor, a high-resolution part is not suitable for a thick coating material (cannot exhibit the ability as a high resolution), and a high-resolution one is suitable for a thin coating material (high resolution). Can demonstrate its ability as a resolution). In this way, in a robot manipulator, an expensive high-resolution pressure sensor and a low-cost low-resolution pressure sensor are placed at the optimal location by placing pressure sensors with different resolutions according to the thickness of the coating material. can do. As a result, high-accuracy information can be acquired for a part that requires high-accuracy information, and the cost of the sensor can be reduced.

  A manipulator for a robot according to the present invention includes a sensor unit including a pressure sensor provided on the surface side of a structure unit, and a coating unit including a coating material covering at least the sensor unit, and the sensor unit corresponds to a distance from a fingertip. The pressure sensors having different resolutions are arranged.

  In this robot manipulator, a sensor part and a covering part are provided on the surface side of the structure part as described above. In particular, as the pressure sensor of the sensor unit, sensors having different resolutions according to the distance from the fingertip in the manipulator are arranged. When working on the target object, the closer to the fingertip, the more detailed workability is required. Therefore, in order to perform the detailed work, the high accuracy of how much the area is touched in what area Information is needed. However, as the distance from the fingertip increases, the work is not performed in detail, so that highly accurate information is not necessary. In this robot manipulator, the closer to the fingertip, the higher the resolution of the pressure sensor that can obtain highly accurate information, and the lower the resolution, the lower the resolution, the lower the resolution of the pressure sensor. Can be A high-resolution pressure sensor is more expensive. However, since the high-resolution pressure sensor is disposed only in a necessary portion, the cost of the sensor unit can be suppressed as much as possible. In addition, electrical processing and control become more complex as a high-resolution pressure sensor is used. However, since a high-resolution pressure sensor is used only in the necessary part, the electrical processing and control load can be minimized. .

  In the robot manipulator according to the present invention, it is preferable that the sensor unit is arranged with a pressure sensor having a higher spatial resolution as it is closer to the fingertip. In this way, a pressure sensor with a higher spatial resolution (pressure sensor that can detect the area receiving pressure with high accuracy) is placed near the fingertip, and a pressure sensor with a lower spatial resolution is placed away from the fingertip. This makes it possible to detect highly accurate information about where and where the object is in contact with the object, as it is closer to the human tactile sense and closer to the fingertip, and is necessary for detailed work. Information can be obtained.

  In the robot manipulator according to the present invention, it is preferable that the sensor unit is arranged with a pressure sensor having higher resolution of sensitivity as it is closer to the fingertip. In this way, a pressure sensor with a higher sensitivity resolution (a pressure sensor that can detect the strength of the received pressure with high accuracy) is located closer to the fingertip, and a pressure sensor with a lower sensitivity resolution is placed closer to the fingertip. By doing so, it is possible to detect highly accurate information about how much contact is made with the part closer to the human touch and closer to the fingertip, and obtain information necessary for detailed work be able to.

  In the present invention, the surface structure can be optimized according to the part by arranging the covering material having different thickness and hardness according to the distance from the fingertip and the pressure sensor having different resolution, and thus the workability and the holding stability are improved. The compatibility of sex can be achieved.

  Embodiments of a robot manipulator according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  In the present embodiment, the robot manipulator according to the present invention is applied to a four-fingered robot manipulator. In the present embodiment, a sensor portion made of a distributed pressure sensor and a covering portion made of a covering material are provided on the palm side. In this embodiment, there are four forms, the first to third embodiments are applied to the hand, and the fourth embodiment is applied to the hand and the arm. In the embodiment, the cell size of the distributed pressure sensor and the thickness of the covering material are changed. In the embodiment, the cell size of the distributed pressure sensor and the flexibility of the covering material are changed. In the third embodiment, the cell size of the distributed pressure sensor and the thickness and flexibility of the covering material are changed. In the fourth embodiment, the cell size and the covering material of the distributed pressure sensor are changed. It is the form which changes the thickness of the.

  The robot manipulator 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a side view of a hand of a robot manipulator according to first and third embodiments. FIG. 2 is a front view of the robot manipulator according to the first to third embodiments as viewed from the palm side of the hand. FIG. 3 is a front view of the robot manipulator according to the first to third embodiments viewed from the palm side in a state where the covering material of the hand is removed. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the relationship between the thickness of the covering material according to the present embodiment and the pressure transmission area, and a front view of the sensor unit, where (a) is a case where the covering material is thick, and (b) This is the case where the covering material is thin.

  The hand 1a of the robot manipulator 1 has four fingers (thumb, forefinger, middle finger, and little finger), and performs various operations on the object on the palm side. In particular, the hand 1a has fine workability as it is closer to the fingertip, and has stability when being held as it is closer to the wrist. For this purpose, the hand 1 a includes a structure part 2, a sensor part 3, and a covering part 4.

  The structure unit 2 includes a link mechanism, a joint mechanism, an actuator, and the like, and the surface is formed of a hard material such as metal. The structure part 2 includes the terminal node Aa and the base node Ac of the thumb A, the terminal node Ba, the middle node Bb and the base node Bc of the index finger B, the terminal node Ca of the middle finger C, the middle node Cb and the base node Cc, the terminal node Da of the little finger D, It consists of a node Db, a base node Dc, a palm E, and a thumb ball F, and each part operates by driving the joint mechanism by an actuator.

  The sensor unit 3 is provided on the palm side of the surface of the structure unit 2. The sensor unit 3 is composed of a distributed pressure sensor, and each part of the terminal nodes Aa, Ba, Ca, Da, the middle nodes Bb, Cb, Db, the base nodes Ac, Bc, Cc, Dc, the palm E, and the thumb ball F. Distributed pressure sensors 3a, 3b, 3c, 3e, and 3f are respectively provided so as to cover the surface. The distributed pressure sensors 3a, 3b, 3c, 3e, and 3f indicate how and in what area the object is in contact with the hand 1a and how much pressure the object is in contact with. It is a sensor to detect.

  The distributed pressure sensors 3a, 3b, 3c, 3e, and 3f are composed of a plurality of pressure sensor cells, and pressure sensor cells 3v, 3w, and 3x having different sizes (pressure receiving areas) according to the distance from the fingertip are respectively arranged. The Each pressure sensor cell 3v, 3w, 3x has a square shape, and detects the pressure received on the square surface. Each of the distributed pressure sensors 3a, 3b, 3c, 3e, and 3f sends a pressure signal indicating the position and area (range) of receiving pressure and the magnitude of the received pressure to the robot control device (at a certain time interval). (Not shown). In the control device, the actuator is controlled based on the pressure signal from each of the distributed pressure sensors 3a, 3b, 3c, 3e, 3f.

  The distributed pressure sensor 3a of the last node Aa, Ba, Ca, Da has the smallest size of the pressure sensor cell 3v and the highest spatial resolution (the area receiving pressure can be detected with high accuracy). The distributed pressure sensor 3b for the middle nodes Bb, Cb, and Db and the distributed pressure sensor 3c for the basic nodes Ac, Bc, Cc, and Dc have a medium size of the pressure sensor cell 3w and a medium spatial resolution. . The distributed pressure sensor 3e of the palm E and the distributed pressure sensor 3f of the thumb ball F have the largest size of the pressure sensor cell 3x and the lowest spatial resolution.

  The covering portion 4 is on the palm side of the surface of the structure portion 2 and is provided on the upper side of the sensor portion 3. The covering portion 4 is made of a covering material, and the distribution of each part of the terminal nodes Aa, Ba, Ca, Da, the middle nodes Bb, Cb, Db, the base nodes Ac, Bc, Cc, Dc, the palm E, and the thumb ball F. Covering materials 4a, 4b, 4c, 4e, and 4f are provided to cover the entire surfaces of the mold pressure sensors 3a, 3b, 3c, 3e, and 3f, respectively. The covering materials 4a, 4b, 4c, 4e, and 4f are made of a flexible material (a material that is at least softer than the structure 2), and are made of, for example, a silicon material. When the covering materials 4a, 4b, 4c, 4e, and 4f come into contact with the object, they are deformed according to the size of the object to increase the contact area with the object. By the way, without the covering portion 4, when working on the object, it becomes a point contact between the rigid bodies completely, and the object cannot be handled stably.

  The covering materials 4a, 4b, 4c, 4e, and 4f are thicker as they are separated from the fingertips, and the flexibility is constant. A covering material 4a for the last nodes Aa, Ba, Ca, Da, a covering material 4b for the middle nodes Bb, Cb, Db, a covering material 4c for the base nodes Ac, Bc, Cc, Dc, a covering material 4e for the palm E, and the thumb ball F. , 4f in order. The covering materials 4a, 4b, 4c, 4e, and 4f at each part may have a constant thickness, or may become thicker as they are separated from the fingertips. The thinner the covering material, the easier it is for force to act directly, so it is suitable for fine work that requires high precision (for example, work that holds or manipulates small objects). On the other hand, the thicker the covering material is, the more suitable it is for holding an object firmly, and the impact can be absorbed when it hits the object and receives an impact.

  FIG. 4 shows a pressure transmission area to the sensor unit 3 when an arbitrary object O comes into contact with the coating unit 4, and (a) is a thick coating material (for example, a palm coating material 4 e). And (b) is a case of a thin coating material (for example, the last-layer coating material 4a). Here, both (a) and (b) show the case where the pressure sensor cell 3v of the last node having the smallest cell is arranged as the pressure sensor cell. As can be seen from FIG. 4A, when the covering material is thick, the distance to the sensor unit 3 becomes long, so that the pressure received from the object O diffuses before reaching the sensor unit 3. For this reason, the pressure area received by the sensor unit 3 is considerably larger than the cross-sectional area of the object O (the area corresponding to 16 cells indicated by oblique lines), and even when the pressure sensor cell 3v having a small area is used, the high spatial resolution can be exhibited. Instead, an area larger than the actual object O is detected. On the other hand, as can be seen from FIG. 4B, when the covering material is thin, the distance to the sensor unit 3 is shortened, so that the pressure received from the object O hardly reaches until the sensor unit 3 is reached. Therefore, the pressure area received by the sensor unit 3 is almost the same as the cross-sectional area of the object O (an area corresponding to four hatched cells), and the high spatial resolution can be exhibited by using the small area pressure sensor cell 3v. An area comparable to the actual object O can be detected with high accuracy.

  In the hand 1a, the closer to the fingertip, the thinner the covering material and the smaller the pressure sensor cell. Therefore, optimization is possible in the relationship between the thickness of the covering material and the size of the pressure sensor cell (the spatial resolution of the distributed pressure sensor). It is illustrated.

  In the hand 1a configured as described above, the closer to the fingertip, the finer work is possible, and the more remote the fingertips such as the palm E and the thumb ball F, the more stable the object can be held. Further, with this hand 1a, the closer to the fingertip, the more accurate pressure information and position information necessary for fine work can be acquired. By the way, since detailed work is not performed at a part away from the fingertip, highly accurate information is not necessary, but sufficient information necessary for the work can be obtained sufficiently.

  According to this robot manipulator 1, as the distance from the fingertip is closer, a high-resolution distributed pressure sensor is arranged and a thin covering material is arranged to optimize the surface structure of the hand 1 a according to each part. You can plan. As a result, it is possible to obtain higher workability as the part is closer to the fingertip, and it is possible to obtain higher holding stability as the part is farther from the fingertip. Further, the closer to the fingertip, the more accurate information necessary for the work can be obtained, and the cost can be reduced because a low-resolution distributed pressure sensor (low-cost sensor) is also used by optimization. In addition, since a high-resolution distributed pressure sensor is used only in necessary portions, it is possible to suppress the load on the electrical processing and the control device. In addition, since both workability and holding stability are enhanced, various operations can be performed using the hand 1a with the same manipulator 1 for a robot.

  A robot manipulator 11 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a side view of the hand of the robot manipulator according to the second embodiment. In the robot manipulator 11, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the robot manipulator 1 according to the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The robot manipulator 11 differs from the robot manipulator 1 only in the configuration of the covering portion 14. Therefore, only the covering portion 14 will be described.

  The covering portion 14 is composed of covering materials 14a, 14b, 14c, 14e, and 14f instead of the covering materials 4a, 4b, 4c, 4e, and 4f according to the first embodiment. The covering materials 14a, 14b, 14c, 14e, and 14f are formed of a flexible material as in the first embodiment, but the flexibility (hardness) differs depending on the portion. The different softnesses may be different softnesses with the same material, or different softnesses with different materials.

  The covering materials 14a, 14b, 14c, 14e, and 14f are constant and thin with respect to thickness, and become softer with increasing flexibility away from the fingertip. A covering material 14a for the last nodes Aa, Ba, Ca, Da, a covering material 14b for the middle nodes Bb, Cb, Db, a covering material 14c for the base nodes Ac, Bc, Cc, Dc, a covering material 14e for the palm E, and the thumb ball F. , 14f in order. The covering materials 14a, 14b, 14c, 14e, and 14f at the respective portions may have a constant flexibility or may become softer as they are separated from the fingertips. The harder the covering material, the easier the reaction force is transmitted, and the smaller the contact area when the object is in contact with the object, the more easily the object slips. On the other hand, the softer the covering material, the larger the contact area when it comes into contact with the object, making it difficult for the object to slip, so it is suitable for holding the object firmly. In the hand 11a including the covering portion 14, the closer to the fingertip, the finer work is possible, and the more distant from the fingertip, such as the palm E or the thumb ball F, the object can be stably held.

  According to the manipulator 11 for the robot, the closer the distance from the fingertip, the higher the distributed pressure sensor and the hard covering material, so that the surface structure of the hand 11a can be optimized according to each part. You can plan. As a result, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  A robot manipulator 21 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the robot manipulator 21, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the robot manipulator 1 according to the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The robot manipulator 21 is different from the robot manipulator 1 only in the configuration of the covering portion 24. Therefore, only the covering portion 24 will be described.

  The covering portion 24 includes covering materials 24a, 24b, 24c, 24e, and 24f instead of the covering materials 4a, 4b, 4c, 4e, and 4f according to the first embodiment. The covering materials 24a, 24b, 24c, 24e, and 24f are formed of a flexible material as in the first embodiment, but the thickness and flexibility differ depending on the part.

  The covering materials 24a, 24b, 24c, 24e, and 24f are thicker as they are away from the fingertips, and are softer as they are away from the fingertips. The covering material 24a for the last nodes Aa, Ba, Ca, Da, the covering material 24b for the middle nodes Bb, Cb, Db, the covering material 24c for the base nodes Ac, Bc, Cc, Dc, the covering material 24e for the palm E, and the thumb ball F , 24f in order of thickness and softness. The covering materials 24a, 24b, 24c, 24e, and 24f at each portion may have a constant thickness and flexibility, or may become thicker or softer as they are separated from the fingertips. The thinner and harder the coating, the most suitable for fine work. On the other hand, the thicker and softer the covering is, the most suitable for holding an object firmly. In the hand 21a provided with the covering portion 24, the closer to the fingertip, the finer work is possible, and the more distant from the fingertip such as the palm E or the thumb ball F, the more stable the object can be held.

  According to this robot manipulator 21, the closer the distance from the fingertip, the higher the resolution of the distributed pressure sensor and the thinner and harder the covering material, the more optimal the surface structure of the hand 21a according to each part. Can be achieved. As a result, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are obtained, and the configuration of the covering portion is most optimized.

  A robot manipulator 31 according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a side view of the robot manipulator according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a front view of the robot manipulator according to the fourth embodiment viewed from the palm side. FIG. 8 is a front view of the robot manipulator according to the fourth embodiment viewed from the palm side in a state where the covering material is removed. In the robot manipulator 31, the same components as those of the robot manipulator 1 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The robot manipulator 31 is different from the robot manipulator 1 in that the surface structure of each part is optimized not only for the hand 31a but also for the arm 31b. Therefore, the robot manipulator 31 has a fine workability as it is closer to the fingertips and a stability at the time of holding the hand 31a and the arm 31b as it is closer to the shoulder. For this purpose, the robot manipulator 31 includes a structure part 32, a sensor part 33, and a covering part 34.

  The structure unit 32 includes a link mechanism, a joint mechanism, an actuator, and the like, like the structure unit 2 according to the first embodiment. As in the first embodiment, the structure part 32 is composed of each part of the hand 31a, the forearms G and H of the arm 31b, and the upper arm I, and each part operates by driving the joint mechanism by an actuator.

  The sensor unit 33 is provided on the palm side of the hand 31a on the surface of the structure unit 32 and on the inner side of the arm 31b. The sensor unit 33 is composed of a distributed pressure sensor, and the terminal nodes Aa, Ba, Ca, Da, the middle nodes Bb, Cb, Db, the base nodes Ac, Bc, Cc, Dc, the palm E, the thumb ball F, and the forearm G. , H, and the upper arm I are provided with distributed pressure sensors 3a, 3b, 3c, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h, 3i so as to cover the surface of each part. The distributed pressure sensors 3 a, 3 b, 3 c, 3 e, 3 f, 3 g, 3 h, 3 i indicate where the object is in contact with what area of the robot manipulator 31 and how strong the object is. It is a sensor which detects whether it is touching.

  The distributed pressure sensors 3a, 3b, 3c, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h, 3i are composed of a plurality of pressure sensor cells, and the pressure sensor cells 3v, 3w, 3x, 3y having different sizes depending on the distance from the fingertip. , 3z are arranged. Pressures of the pressure sensor cell 3v of the distributed pressure sensor 3a of the last nodes Aa, Ba, Ca, Da, the distributed pressure sensor 3b of the middle nodes Bb, Cb, Db and the distributed pressure sensor 3c of the base nodes Ac, Bc, Cc, Dc The sensor cell 3w, the distributed pressure sensor 3e of the palm E, and the pressure sensor cell 3x of the distributed pressure sensor 3f of the thumb ball F are the same size as in the first embodiment. In the distributed pressure sensors 3g and 3h of the forearms G and H, the pressure sensor cell 3y is slightly larger than the pressure sensor cell 3x, and the spatial resolution is lower than that of the distributed pressure sensors 3e and 3f. In the distributed pressure sensor 3i of the upper arm I, the pressure sensor cell 3z is further larger than the pressure sensor cell 3y, and the spatial resolution is lower than that of the distributed pressure sensors 3g and 3h.

  The covering portion 34 is provided on the palm side of the hand 31 a on the surface of the structure portion 32 and the inside of the arm 31 b and on the upper side of the sensor portion 33. The covering portion 34 is made of a covering material, and the terminal nodes Aa, Ba, Ca, Da, the middle nodes Bb, Cb, Db, the base nodes Ac, Bc, Cc, Dc, the palm E, the thumb ball F, the forearms G, H The covering materials 4a, 4b, 4c, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, and 4i are provided so as to cover the entire surface of the distributed pressure sensors 3a, 3b, 3c, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h, and 3i in each part of the upper arm I. Each is provided.

  The covering materials 4a, 4b, 4c, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, and 4i are thicker as they are separated from the fingertips, and the flexibility is constant. A covering material 4a for the last nodes Aa, Ba, Ca, Da, a covering material 4b for the middle nodes Bb, Cb, Db, a covering material 4c for the base nodes Ac, Bc, Cc, Dc, a covering material 4e for the palm E, and a thumb ball F The covering material 4f has the same thickness as that of the first embodiment. The covering material 4g of the forearm G is thicker than the covering material 4e of the palm E, the covering material 4h of the forearm H is thicker than the covering material 4g of the forearm G, and the covering material 4i of the upper arm I is thicker than the covering material 4h of the forearm H. . The covering materials 4a, 4b, 4c, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, and 4i in each part may have a constant thickness, or may become thicker as they move away from the fingertips.

  In the robot manipulator 31 configured as described above, the closer to the fingertip, the finer the work is possible, and the more stable the part farther from the fingertip, such as the palm E, the thumb ball F, and the forearms G, H and the upper arm I. Can be held. In addition, as with the first embodiment, the robot manipulator 31 can acquire highly accurate information required for fine work as the part closer to the fingertip, and the upper arm I is necessary for work. You can get enough information. Further, in this robot manipulator 31, the part farther from the fingertip has a greater equivalent weight of the action part, and there is a possibility that the impact will increase when it hits a peripheral object, but a sufficiently thick covering material is provided. The shock at the time of the collision can be absorbed.

  According to the manipulator 31 for the robot, as the distance from the fingertip is closer, a high-resolution distributed pressure sensor is disposed and a thin covering material is disposed, so that the surface structure of the hand 31a and the arm 31b corresponds to each part. Optimization can be achieved. As a result, higher workability can be obtained at a part closer to the fingertip, and higher holding stability can be obtained at a part away from the fingertip (up to the arm 31b). In addition, since both workability and holding stability are improved, various operations can be performed using the hand 31a and the arm 31b with the same robot manipulator 31. Moreover, the part farther from the fingertip can protect the robot manipulator 31 itself and surrounding objects with a thicker covering material, thereby improving safety.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment which concerns on this invention was described, this invention is implemented in various forms, without being limited to the said embodiment.

  For example, in the present embodiment, the sensor unit and the covering unit are provided on the palm side of the hand or the inside of the arm in the four-finger robot manipulator. However, various other robot manipulators such as three or five fingers are used. The sensor portion and the covering portion may be provided on the back side or the side portion of the hand or the outside or the side portion of the arm. However, in that case, the speed of movement increases with the hand, and the need to absorb the impact at the time of contact / collision with the outside world increases. Therefore, the closer to the hand, the thicker the coating and the softer the coating is. There is. For example, the thickest coating is provided on the back of the hand, the outer side or the side of the wrist or forearm is provided with a thinner coating, and the outer side or the side of the upper arm, which is less likely to cause a large operating speed, is provided with a thinner coating. It may be configured to gradually change the softness. In order to achieve both workability and ensuring contact safety, the thickness and hardness of the coating may be changed depending on the site. For example, in a portion where importance is placed on ease of work, such as the palm or the inside of an arm, the thickness of the coating is reduced toward the fingertip, and the coating is hardened. On the other hand, in a part where importance is placed on the safety of contact and collision with the outside world, such as the back of the hand and the outside and sides of the arm, the thickness of the covering is increased and the covering is made softer toward the hand. In addition, in a portion where contact or collision with the outside environment is likely to occur, such as an elbow, the thickness of the coating may be locally increased, for example, only on the back of the elbow, instead of gradually changing the thickness of the coating.

  In the present embodiment, the distributed pressure sensor is configured such that a sensor with higher spatial resolution is arranged closer to the fingertip. However, a sensor with higher sensitivity (pressure strength) is arranged closer to the fingertip. Alternatively, a sensor with higher sensitivity and spatial resolution may be arranged closer to the fingertip.

  In this embodiment, both the distributed pressure sensor and the covering material are optimized according to the distance from the fingertip. However, only the distributed pressure sensor is optimized with the same flexibility and thickness. Alternatively, the distributed pressure sensor may optimize only the coating material with the same resolution.

  In this embodiment, a distributed pressure sensor composed of square cells is applied. However, a pressure sensor other than the distributed pressure sensor can be applied, and the shape of the cells may be other than a square.

  In the fourth embodiment, as in the first embodiment, only the thickness of the covering material is optimized according to the distance from the fingertip. However, the configuration that optimizes the flexibility of the covering material is used. Alternatively, it may be configured to optimize the flexibility and thickness of the covering material.

It is a side view of the hand of the manipulator for robots concerning a 1st and 3rd embodiment. It is the front view seen from the palm side of the hand of the manipulator for robots concerning the 1st-3rd embodiment. It is the front view seen from the palm side in the state which took the covering material of the hand of the manipulator for robots concerning the 1st-3rd embodiment. It is the side view and front view of a sensor part which show the relationship between the thickness of the coating | covering material which concerns on this Embodiment, and the transmission area of a pressure, (a) is a case where a coating | covering material is thick, (b) is a coating | covering material. It is a thin case. It is a side view of the hand of the manipulator for robots concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a side view of the manipulator for robots concerning a 4th embodiment. It is the front view seen from the palm side of the manipulator for robots concerning a 4th embodiment. It is the front view seen from the palm side in the state which took the covering material of the manipulator for robots concerning a 4th embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  1, 11, 21, 31 ... Manipulator for robot, 1a, 11a, 21a, 31a ... Hand, 31b ... Arm, 2, 32 ... Structure part, 3, 33 ... Sensor part, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h, 3i ... distributed pressure sensor, 3v, 3w, 3x, 3y, 3z ... pressure sensor cell, 4, 14, 24, 34 ... covering part, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, 4i , 14a, 14b, 14c, 14e, 14f, 24a, 24b, 24c, 24e, 24f ... coating material

Claims (5)

A robot manipulator having a multi-fingered robot hand having multiple degrees of freedom,
A sensor unit comprising a pressure sensor provided on the surface side of the structure unit;
And a covering portion made of a covering material covering at least the sensor portion,
The robotic manipulator is characterized in that the covering portion is arranged such that a thinner covering material is disposed closer to the fingertip.   The robot manipulator according to claim 1, wherein a harder covering material is disposed closer to the fingertip of the covering portion.   3. The robot manipulator according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit includes a pressure sensor having a higher resolution as the thickness of the covered covering material is thinner.   The robot manipulator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a pressure sensor having a higher spatial resolution is arranged closer to the fingertip.   5. The robot manipulator according to claim 1, wherein a pressure sensor having a higher resolution of sensitivity is arranged closer to the fingertip. 6.

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