JP7333122B1 - Robot cooperation system and robot cooperation method - Google Patents

Abstract

A robot cooperation system and a robot cooperation method are provided in which a plurality of connectable robots can be used more safely. A system includes a first robot and a second robot that are connectable and detachable from each other by a connecting mechanism, the first robot and the second robot being connected by the connecting mechanism, respectively. Based on the combination of the determination result of the individual determination unit of the first robot and the determination result of the individual determination unit of the second robot, the It is characterized by comprising a comprehensive judgment unit for judging the connection state of the first robot and the second robot. [Selection drawing] Fig. 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to a robot cooperation system and a robot cooperation method.

In recent years, in factories, warehouses, and distribution centers, it is required that a plurality of robots such as automatic transport robots and belt conveyors cooperate with each other. For example, by connecting an automatic transfer robot to the belt conveyor and moving the belt conveyor, or by releasing (separating) the connection state and allowing the belt conveyor and the transfer robot to perform different tasks, work can be performed more efficiently. be possible.

Patent Document 1 discloses a method for preventing the robot arm from coming into contact with surrounding obstacles by preventing malfunction by not supplying power to the robot arm when the robot arm is moved by an automatic guided vehicle. is proposed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-070082

However, even in the method of the above document, there is room for improvement in terms of safety in terms of determining whether two robots are in a connected state or in a non-connected state.

Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a robot cooperation system and a robot cooperation method that enable safer use of a plurality of connectable robots.

According to the present disclosure, a system comprising a first robot and a second robot that are connectable and detachable from each other by a connecting mechanism,
each of the first robot and the second robot has an individual determination unit that determines whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected by the connecting mechanism based on information obtained by a sensor;
A comprehensive judgment unit that judges whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected based on a combination of the judgment result by the individual judgment unit of the first robot and the judgment result by the individual judgment unit of the second robot. A robot cooperation system is provided, comprising:

Further, according to the present disclosure, a method of cooperatively using a first robot and a second robot that can be connected and separated from each other by a connection mechanism,
each of the first robot and the second robot determines whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected by the connecting mechanism based on information obtained by a sensor;
Robot cooperation for determining whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected based on a combination of the determination result by the individual determination unit of the first robot and the determination result by the individual determination unit of the second robot. A method is provided.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a robot cooperation system and a robot cooperation method that allow safer use of a plurality of connectable robots.

1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a robot cooperation system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the functional block diagram of the robot cooperation system which concerns on the same embodiment. It is a side view which shows the example by which the automatic guided vehicle which concerns on the same embodiment, and the belt conveyor were connected. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the automatic guided vehicle which concerns on the same embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the connection mechanism which concerns on the same embodiment. It is a top view of the automatic guided vehicle which concerns on the same embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the electric circuit of the automatic guided vehicle which concerns on the same embodiment, and a belt conveyor. It is a figure which shows an example of the flow of connection determination which concerns on the same embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the flow of connection determination according to the same embodiment;

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting redundant description.

A robot cooperation system of the present disclosure includes a first robot and a second robot that can be connected and separated from each other by a connecting mechanism. Each of the first robot and the second robot includes a control unit, a storage unit (recording unit), and a communication unit. The control unit is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes programs stored in the storage unit to perform various processes. The storage unit includes, for example, a main storage device configured with a volatile storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and an auxiliary storage device configured with a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory and a HDD (Hard Disc Drive). Prepare. The communication unit can use any suitable communication means such as wireless communication or wired communication. The communication unit connects to a network such as the Internet network, and includes, for example, local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), infrared rays, radio, WiFi, point-to-point (P2P) networks, telecommunication networks. , LTE, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). The control unit executes various types of information processing based on input information and outputs output information. The control units of the first robot and the second robot can each function as an individual determination unit that determines whether or not they are connected by the connection mechanism based on the information acquired by the sensor. Each individual determination unit may determine the connection state of the first robot and the second robot based on the information about the energized state of the electric circuit including the electrode unit provided in the connection mechanism, or another method. You may make it determine a connection state by. For example, a sensor such as a non-contact door sensor may be used to determine whether or not they are connected. That is, whether the first robot and the second robot are approaching within a predetermined distance or not, or whether they are in contact with each other or not is determined based on the detection information of the sensor. can be

The storage unit stores various types of information such as information acquired by the detection unit provided in the robot, output information from the control unit, and information acquired via the communication unit or the like. The communication unit communicates with another device (robot) via a network 40 such as the Internet, or directly (wirelessly or by wire) between devices to transmit and receive various signals. As a result, the first robot and the second robot can exchange various types of information with each other.

In addition, the present system performs comprehensive judgment processing for judging the connection state of the first robot and the second robot based on the combination of the judgment result by the individual judgment section of the first robot and the judgment result by the individual judgment section of the second robot. It has a comprehensive judgment unit for executing. The comprehensive determination unit may be provided in the first robot, may be provided in the second robot, or may be provided in, for example, the management device 30 described later. The comprehensive determination unit is not limited to one device, and may be provided in a plurality of devices. The comprehensive determination section can make a final determination as to whether or not the coupling mechanism is properly coupled.

A robot cooperation system 1 shown in FIG. Prepare. Note that the management device 30 is not an essential component, and may be composed of only the first robot and the second robot. Robots are not particularly limited as long as they are driven by a power source such as a power source and perform some kind of action. arm), etc., but the specific structure and type of operation are not particularly limited. Although the first robot and the second robot are preferably different types of robots, they may be of the same type. The system of this embodiment can also be applied when three or more robots cooperate, and the connection state of all three or more robots or a part of the robots may be determined.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the automated guided vehicle 10 includes a control section 110 , a recording section 120 , a communication section 130 , a detection section 140 and a drive section 150 . Control unit 110 includes determination unit 111, and determination unit 111 includes an individual determination unit and may include a comprehensive determination unit. The individual determination unit determines whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected by the connection mechanism based on the information obtained by the sensor (detection unit 140). The detection unit 140 is, for example, an electric sensor that detects the energization state of an electric circuit, but it may be a contact sensor that detects contact, a non-contact sensor that detects that the distance is less than or equal to a predetermined distance, or the like. sensor. The drive unit 150 includes, for example, a motor, and individually controls the rotational speed and direction of each drive wheel to drive the automatic guided vehicle in a curve with an arbitrary trajectory radius, or to rotate the automatic guided vehicle. It is possible to change the direction.

Note that the detection unit 140 may include an object position detection unit, a guide line detection unit, a travel distance detection unit, a collision detection unit, an attitude detection unit, a charge amount detection unit, an energization state detection unit, and the like. The object position detection unit measures the distance and direction to an object by measuring the time it takes for a laser beam to hit the object and bounce back. millimeter-wave radar that detects the distance to an object based on the transmitted signal and the received signal that is reflected back by the object, or measures the distance to the object by photographing the object with a camera and analyzing the photographed image. It consists of a camera-type distance sensor, etc.

A sensor corresponding to the type of guidance system is used for the guidance line detection unit. As the guidance method, a pickup coil is used as a sensor of the guidance line detection unit when the electromagnetic induction method is used, a magnetic sensor is used when the magnetic induction method is used, and a camera is used when the image recognition method is used. The guide line detection unit detects the guide line and outputs a detection signal when positioned directly above the guide line. In addition, in the case of an image recognition method that uses a camera to read a guidance line using a two-dimensional code or barcode, in addition to the guidance line detection signal, position information is generated based on the information of the detected code. It is possible to generate relative angle information between the guide line and the automatic guided vehicle by performing the image information of .

The travel distance detection unit detects the number of revolutions of the non-driven wheels 14 or the driven wheels 13, and based on the information on the detected number of revolutions and the information on the diameter (or circumference length) of the non-driven wheels or the driven wheels. to measure the mileage of As an alternative, a millimeter-wave sensor that irradiates the floor surface with millimeter waves and detects the reflected waves is used to detect the running speed of the automatic guided vehicle, and the running speed is integrated to estimate the running distance. It is also possible to apply

The collision detection section has a function of detecting that the automated guided vehicle has collided with an obstacle or a person. Specifically, it is composed of a contact sensor 23, which will be described later, or the like. Furthermore, acceleration may be detected by a gyro sensor or the like, and it may be determined that a collision has occurred when a sudden change in acceleration is detected. It is also possible to provide another bumper or a physical switch, and apply means for judging that a collision has occurred when the physical switch is pressed. When the collision detection unit detects a collision, the automatic guided vehicle is stopped, and at least one of the collision occurrence information and the collision occurrence position is recorded in the recording unit, and the information is sent to the conveyor 20 and the management device 30. And the information may be notified to a terminal device which will be described later. The posture detection unit detects the direction (posture) of the vehicle based on the magnetic compass, the information on the number of rotations of the left and right driving wheels, or the steering information on the wheels.

The charge amount detection unit detects the charge amount of the battery, which is the power source of the automatic guided vehicle. The energization state detection unit acquires information regarding the energization state of an electric circuit including a pair of electrode portions provided on the connecting portion 11 of the automatic guided vehicle.

The automatic guided vehicle 10 is composed of a physical switch or a touch panel mounted on the automatic guided vehicle, and the user can have an input section for directly inputting an operation command or the like to the automatic guided vehicle. The automated guided vehicle 10 is composed of a liquid crystal panel or the like mounted on the automated guided vehicle, and has a display section for displaying status information of the automated guided vehicle (various detection information in the detection section, operation scenarios currently being executed, etc.). may be

The control unit 110 includes an operation determination unit, a mode switching unit, a connection control unit, a display control unit, a stop position determination unit, a travel control unit, and a vehicle position estimation unit. The operation determination unit determines the operation scenario of the automatic guided vehicle, which is stored in advance in the storage unit, is input via the input unit, or is received from an external device such as the management device 30 via the communication unit. determine the behavior of The operation determination unit determines the connection state of the automatic guided vehicle with respect to the object to be conveyed based on the information regarding the energized state of the electric circuit including the pair of electrode portions of the connection unit. That is, it is determined whether or not they are connected normally. As a result, if the connection is normal, it is determined that the object to be conveyed can be transported, and if the connection is not normal, it is determined that the object cannot be transported. In other words, the motion determination unit can determine whether or not transportation is possible. Further, the action determination section can detect contact with an obstacle based on information from the collision detection section, and can determine whether or not to execute a preset action such as an emergency stop.

The mode switching unit switches the driving mode of the automatic guided vehicle between the guided driving mode and the autonomous driving mode based on the conditions predetermined in the operation scenario or the command input by the input unit. The connection control unit controls the operation of the connection unit 11 based on the conditions predetermined by the operation scenario or the command input by the input unit, and connects/disconnects the conveyed objects such as the conveyor 20 and the cart. to control. The display control section controls the input section and the display section described above.

The stop position determination unit determines the stop position of the own vehicle based on the position information of the object detected by the object position detection unit 12 when the own vehicle arrives at the position set in advance as the position for determining the stop position. Execute the judgment process

The travel control unit controls travel of the automatic guided vehicle based on at least one of determination information from the operation determination unit, the mode switching unit, and the stop position determination unit. Specifically, the right wheel drive section and the left wheel drive section of the wheel drive section are individually controlled. The right wheel drive unit and the left wheel drive unit are composed of, for example, motors. By individually controlling the rotational speed and direction of each drive wheel, the automatic guided vehicle can be made to curve with an arbitrary trajectory radius, and the automatic guided vehicle can be controlled. It is possible to rotate the car and change its direction. The vehicle position estimating unit estimates the driving area based on the distance detected by the driving distance detecting unit, information on the orientation of the vehicle detected by the posture detecting unit, and the map information of the entire area recorded in the recording unit. Estimate the overall vehicle position. Alternatively, it is also possible to estimate the position of the vehicle in the entire driving area based on the information on the distance and direction to the object measured by the object position detection unit 12 and the map information of the entire area recorded in the recording unit. be. Alternatively, when the vehicle is traveling on a guidance line composed of a two-dimensional code, it is also possible to estimate the position of the vehicle in the entire driving area based on the identification information of the two-dimensional code and the map information. be.

The conveyor 20 includes a control section 210 , a recording section 220 , a communication section 230 , a detection section 240 and a drive section 250 . Control unit 210 includes determination unit 211, and determination unit 211 includes an individual determination unit and may include a comprehensive determination unit. The drive unit 250 includes, for example, a motor for moving a belt conveyor.

The management device 30 may be, for example, a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or personal computer, or a mobile terminal such as a smart phone or tablet PC. The management device 30 includes a control section 310 , a recording section 320 and a communication section 330 , and the control section 310 includes a determination section 311 . The determination unit 311 functions as a comprehensive determination unit. The management device 30 has a function of displaying status information of a specified robot and a function of inputting a command to the specified robot. For example, the status information of each robot displayed on the management device 30 includes information on the amount of charge of a battery mounted on each robot and serving as a power supply for each robot, and identification information of a robot connected to each robot. Commands to be input to each robot include, for example, command information regarding the destination of the automatic guided vehicle, an operation command to connect or disconnect the conveyor, a command to start running the automatic guided vehicle, a stop command to the automatic guided vehicle, and the like.

The management device 30 can also record status information of a plurality of automatic guided vehicles operating in the facility area, and manage operation scenarios of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles. The information recorded in the recording unit includes, for example, battery charge information of a plurality of robots in operation, identification information of each robot, position information of each robot, operation mode of each robot (guided running mode or autonomous running mode). , and other various detection information detected by the detection unit of the automatic guided vehicle. The action scenario includes, for example, destination information for each of the plurality of automated guided vehicles, the content of a plurality of actions to be executed until reaching the destination, the order of actions of the plurality of actions, and switching conditions for the plurality of actions.

The management device 30 can display the information recorded in the recording unit, and can add new operation scenarios or update the operation scenarios by inputting the operation scenarios. The information input to the input/output unit of the management device 30 includes, for example, the destination of an arbitrary automatic guided vehicle, the operation details for reaching the destination, operation switching conditions, and the like.

Here, the conveyor 20 has a lower space S into which the automatic guided vehicle 10 can slip, as shown in FIG. 3, for example. The automatic guided vehicle 10 moves independently by being physically connected to the conveyor 20 in a state of getting under the conveyor 20 and being in a connected state, and by being separated and being in a non-connected state. The automatic guided vehicle 10 is configured to be able to convey (tow) an object to be conveyed such as a conveyor 20 or a cart.

The conveyor 20 includes a pedestal portion 25 and a belt conveyor portion 26 . The pedestal part 25 includes a support plate 25a and leg parts 25b. A connected portion 21 is provided on the lower surface (bottom surface) of the support plate 25a. A wheel may be provided at the lower end of the leg portion 25b. An emergency stop switch 29 is provided on the front surface of the support plate 25a. The position of the emergency stop switch 29 may be other surfaces such as the top surface, the back surface, the left and right sides, and the bottom surface. The number of emergency stop switches 29 is not limited to one, and may be provided at a plurality of positions. The emergency stop switch 29 is a switch that is operated by a user to make an emergency stop of an automatic guided vehicle that is running. For example, if the emergency stop switch 29 is a push-in button, the user's operation is an operation of pushing it in, but is not limited to this. It may be an operation unit that is activated by a pulling operation, or an operation such as tapping an icon of an emergency stop switch on a touch panel.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a hardware configuration example of the automatic guided vehicle 10 according to this embodiment. An arrow 15 in FIG. 4 indicates the traveling direction (advance direction) of the automatic guided vehicle 10 . As shown in FIG. 4 , the automatic guided vehicle 10 has a connecting portion 11 for connecting the conveyor 20 . The automatic guided vehicle 10 can switch between a connected state in which the automatic guided vehicle 10 is connected to the conveyor 20 and a non-connected state in which the connection is released by driving the connecting portion 11 .

The automatic guided vehicle 10 of this example includes an object position detector 12 for detecting objects around the automatic guided vehicle, driving wheels 13, non-driving wheels 14, an emergency stop switch 19, and the like. The configuration of the automatic guided vehicle 10 is not limited to the illustrated example, and can be changed as appropriate. Further, the automated guided vehicle 10 can move forward in the direction of the arrow 15, retreat in the opposite direction, turn left and right, and the like. The automatic guided vehicle 10 may operate autonomously based on a predetermined program or the like stored in a storage unit, or may recognize track lines and track markers provided on the floor surface with a sensor, and acquire data from them. It may operate based on information, may operate based on user input via an input unit, or may be a combination thereof.

The emergency stop switch 19 is an operation unit that is actuated by a user's operation to bring an automatic guided vehicle to an emergency stop during travel. For example, if the emergency stop switch 19 is a push-in button, the user's operation is an operation of pushing it in, but is not limited to this. It may be an operation unit that is activated by a pulling operation, or an operation such as tapping an icon of an emergency stop switch on a touch panel.

The emergency stop switch 19 is configured to stop the automatic guided vehicle 10 by, for example, shutting off the power supply to the driving unit when the user pushes the switch. For example, the automatic guided vehicle 10 may be stopped by operating a brake for stopping the rotation of the wheels.

In the illustrated example, the emergency stop switch 19 is provided on the surface opposite to the traveling direction (rear surface), but it may be provided at other positions such as the front, top, left and right sides, bottom, etc. It is not limited to one, and may be provided at each of a plurality of positions. The emergency stop switch 19 is electrically connected to an electric circuit, which will be described later, and is configured so that whether or not the emergency stop switch 19 is pressed at that time can be determined based on the energized state of the electric circuit. there is

The connecting portion 11 is detachably coupled (engaged) to a connected portion 21 provided on the conveyor 20 . That is, the connecting mechanism is composed of the connecting portion 11 of the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the connected portion 21 of the conveyor 20 . When the connecting portion 11 is properly connected to the connected portion 21, the first robot and the second robot are connected, and when the connection is released, the first robot and the second robot are disconnected. The connection mechanism is not limited to the form of this example, and any mechanism may be used as long as the first robot and the second robot are brought into contact with each other in the connected state, and an electric circuit is formed by enabling the first robot and the second robot to conduct electricity.

The automatic guided vehicle 10 is connected to the conveyor 20 by connecting the connecting portion 11 as a connecting mechanism to the connected portion 21 . By operating (running) the automatic guided vehicle 10 in this connected state, the conveyor 20 can be conveyed following the operation of the automatic guided vehicle 10 .

The connecting portion 11 of this example is located on the upper surface of the main body portion 10A of the automatic guided vehicle 10 and is provided upward. Although the main body portion 10A of this example has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, it is not limited to this, and may have, for example, a disk shape. The connecting portion 11 is composed of, for example, at least one rod member that advances and retreats in the axial direction toward a concave connected portion 21 as shown in the drawing. The rod member is composed of, for example, an actuator that advances and retreats in the axial direction. Each connecting part 11 can be operated independently and separately, and all the connecting parts 11 can be moved back and forth at the same time. When the connecting portion 11 is connected to the conveyor 20, the rod member is extended upward in the vertical direction (extended in the axial direction) to be connected to the connected portion 21 on the side of the conveyor 20, and when the connection is released, The rod member is contracted (retracted in the axial direction) to release the connection between the connecting portion 11 and the connected portion 21 . It is preferable that the connecting portion 11 is accommodated in a space that opens to the upper surface of the automatic guided vehicle 10 in a state in which it is not connected to the conveyor 20, and is formed so as not to protrude from the upper surface. In addition, it is preferable that the rod member has a shape that gradually tapers toward the tip so that it can easily enter the connected portion 21 . The rod member of this example has a cylindrical shape as a whole and a truncated conical tip.

The connecting portion 11 illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 is composed of three rod members. Specifically, the connecting portion 11 includes a central connecting portion 11a positioned in the central region of the automatic guided vehicle 10 in plan view, a pair of left and right rear connecting portions 11b and 11c positioned behind the central connecting portion 11a, consists of In this case, at least three connected portions 21 are provided on the conveyor 20 side. As the number of rod members constituting the connecting portion 11 increases, the connecting strength of the automatic guided vehicle 10 to the conveyor 20 can be increased.

The connecting portion 11 is provided with at least a pair of electrode portions 16a and 16b. The pair of electrode portions 16 a and 16 b are configured to be in an energized state when the connecting portion 11 is connected to the connected portion 21 . The connecting portion 11 of this example is in a non-energized state when it is not connected to the connected portion 21 . The pair of electrode portions are made of a conductive material. Further, in this example, the pair of electrode portions is composed of a first electrode portion 16a and a second electrode portion 16b.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the coupling mechanism of this embodiment. The pair of electrode portions 16a and 16b may be provided on any one rod member as shown in FIG. 6, or may be provided separately on two rod members as shown in FIGS. good. The pair of electrode portions 16a and 16b are arranged apart from each other.

In the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5, the pair of electrode portions 16a and 16b are divided into two rear connecting portions 11b and 11c. More specifically, of the pair of left and right rear connection portions 11b and 11c, one electrode portion (first electrode portion) 16a is provided on the left rear connection portion 11b (with the arrow 15 as the front), and the right rear connection portion is provided with a first electrode portion. The other electrode portion (second electrode portion) 16b is provided on the portion 11c. When one electrode portion is provided on one rod member, the entire rod member or the entire tip portion of the rod member may serve as the electrode portion. Thus, when one electrode portion is provided on one rod member, the area of the electrode portion can be increased compared to when two (a pair of) electrode portions are provided on one rod member. According to this, since the contact area of the electrode portion is increased, the reliability of electrical connection can be improved. Also, each of the plurality of connecting portions 11 may be provided with a pair of electrode portions (see FIG. 6). It is possible to confirm.

FIG. 7 is a diagram conceptually showing an example of an electric circuit formed between the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20. As shown in FIG. The electrode portions 16 a and 16 b of the automatic guided vehicle 10 are connected to an electric circuit including a power supply portion 17 and an electric sensor 18 (energization state detection portion) provided on the automatic guided vehicle 10 . An electrical resistor 24 is also connected to the electrical circuit, but is not essential. The electrode portions 16a and 16b in this example are connected to the emergency stop switch 19, but the emergency stop switch 19 may not be connected. An electrical sensor is, for example, but not limited to, a sensor that measures current, voltage, resistance, or the like. The electrical sensor 18 can acquire information regarding the energized state of the electrical circuit. The electric sensor 18 can detect whether or not an electric circuit including at least a pair of electrode portions 16a and 16b is energized. The electric sensor is preferably capable of detecting values and magnitudes of current, voltage, resistance, etc. in an electric circuit including the pair of electrode portions 16a and 16b. By acquiring information about the energized state of the electric circuit by the electric sensor 18, it is possible to determine whether the emergency stop switches 19 and 29 are operating. Further, by acquiring information about the energized state of the electric circuit by the electric sensor 18, it is possible to determine whether the contact sensor 23 is operating.

The pair of electrode portions 16a and 16b are in a non-energized state when the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 are not properly connected, and are in an energized state when the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 are properly connected. is configured as follows. It is possible to determine whether or not the connection is normal by using an electrical sensor to acquire information about the energized state of the electrical circuit including the pair of electrode portions 16a and 16b. That is, the determination unit (individual determination unit) of the control unit is normally connected when the electric circuit including the pair of electrode units 16a and 16b is energized, and is normally connected when it is not energized. judge not. When it is determined that the connecting portion 11 is not properly connected, the connecting portion 11 may be retracted to readjust the position of the automatic guided vehicle 10, and the connecting portion 11 may be connected to the connected portion again. The determination unit may be provided in the control unit of the automatic guided vehicle 10, or may be provided in the control unit of an information processing device such as a server connected via a network.

The connected portion 21 of the conveyor 20 is provided with conductive portions corresponding to the pair of electrode portions 16 a and 16 b of the automatic guided vehicle 10 . The conductive portion contacts the pair of electrode portions 16a and 16b and energizes the pair of electrode portions 16a and 16b.

As shown in FIG. 6, when a pair of electrode portions 16a and 16b are provided on one connecting portion 11, at least one connected portion 21 is provided with a conductive portion for energizing the pair of electrode portions 16a and 16b. When the conveyor 20 is provided with a plurality of connected portions 21, all the connected portions 21 may be provided with conductive portions, or only some of the connected portions 21 may be provided with conductive portions. .

In the example of FIG. 6, a pair of electrode portions 22a and 22b constituting conductive portions are provided on one connected portion 21 of the conveyor 20, and are in contact with a pair of electrode portions 16a and 16b of the automatic guided vehicle 10, respectively. is configured as In the connected portion 21, the pair of electrode portions 22a and 22b are arranged apart from each other, and the pair of electrode portions 22a and 22b are electrically connected by a conductive material such as an electric wire.

From the viewpoint of making it easier to enter the connecting portion 21, it is preferable that the opening diameter of the connecting portion 21 gradually increases downward. With such a configuration, a guide surface that slides along the connecting portion 11 and guides the connecting portion 11 to the connected portion 21 is formed. The connected portion 21 can be, for example, a truncated cone shape (mortar shape). Conductive portions such as electrode portions 22 a and 22 b are provided on the top surface or side surfaces of the connecting portion 21 according to the positions of the electrode portions provided on the connecting portion 11 .

The above-described connected portion 21 is positioned on the lower surface of the conveyor 20, but may be positioned on the side of the object to be conveyed as long as the position corresponds to the position of the connecting portion 11 of the automatic guided vehicle 10. .

As schematically shown in FIG. 7, a contact sensor 23, an electrical resistance 24, an electrical sensor 28 (energization state detection section), and an emergency stop switch 29 are electrically connected to the pair of electrode sections 22a and 22b of the conveyor 20. there is Note that the contact sensor 23, electrical resistance 24, and emergency stop switch 29 are not essential components. The contact sensor 23 is installed on the outer peripheral surface of the conveyor 20 and detects contact of an obstacle with the conveyor 20 . The configuration of the contact sensor 23 is not particularly limited. The electrical sensor 28 can acquire information about the energized state of the electrical circuit, like the electrical sensor 18 . The electric sensor 28 can detect whether or not an electric circuit including at least a pair of electrode portions 22a and 22b is energized. By using the electric sensor 28 to acquire information about the energized state of the electric circuit including the pair of electrode portions 22a and 22b, it is possible to determine whether or not the connection is normal. That is, the determination unit (individual determination unit) of the control unit is normally connected when the electric circuit including the pair of electrode units 22a and 22b is energized, and normally connected when not energized. judge not. The electric sensor is preferably capable of detecting numerical values and magnitudes of current, voltage, resistance, etc. in an electric circuit including the pair of electrode portions 22a and 22b. By acquiring information about the energized state of the electric circuit by the electric sensor 28, it is possible to determine whether the emergency stop switches 19 and 29 are operating.

The contact sensor 23 is, for example, a tape switch. A tape switch has electrode plates arranged with a small gap therebetween and covered with a resin such as rubber to form a tape as a whole. The tape switch is based on the principle that when an obstacle or the like contacts, the gap between the electrode plates disappears (the electrode plates come into contact with each other) so that current flows between the electrode plates and the contact can be detected. Note that the contact sensor 23 may be of another type. The contact sensors 23 can be provided on the front surface, the rear surface, the left and right side surfaces, and the four corners of the conveyor 20, that is, in an annular shape over the entire circumference. A single long contact sensor 23 may be provided in an annular shape on the outer peripheral surface of the conveyor 20, or two or more relatively small-sized contact sensors 23 may be divided into a plurality of locations such as the front surface, the rear surface, and both left and right sides. may be placed. In addition, a plurality of contact sensors 23 are installed at different locations (front surface, rear surface, left and right side surfaces, etc.) of the conveyor 20, respectively, and each contact sensor 23 constitutes a separate electric circuit. may be checked. According to this, it is possible to confirm which part of the conveyor 20 has come into contact with an obstacle or the like. The contact sensor 23 is installed at an arbitrary height such as the lower end and upper end of the conveyor 20 and the central portion therebetween. When the contact sensor 23 is provided at the lower end of the conveyor 20, contact with an obstacle at a low position near the floor surface can be easily detected. It becomes easier to detect contact with an obstacle (for example, an object suspended from the ceiling).

In FIG. 7, when the connecting portion 11 of the automatic guided vehicle 10 enters and couples with the connected portion 21 of the conveyor 20 and the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 are in a normal connection state, the pair of electrodes of the automatic guided vehicle 10 The portions 16a and 16b contact a pair of electrode portions 22a and 22b of the conveyor 20, respectively. In this manner, the electrodes (electrode portion 16a and electrode portion 22a, electrode portion 16b and electrode portion 22b) are brought into contact with each other, thereby forming an electric circuit between the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20, which is energized. In this example, the power supply unit 17 is provided on the automatic guided vehicle 10 side, but it may be provided on the conveyor 20 side, or may be provided on both sides. Further, the power source unit 17 may also serve as a power source for driving the wheels for movement of the automatic guided vehicle 10, or may be a power source provided separately. That is, the power supply for connection state determination and contact detection and the power supply for running may be separately provided or integrated.

Here, in this example, the electrical resistance 24 is connected to the conveyor 20 via a tape switch, and the current (or voltage) is generated under the influence of the electrical resistance 24 when there is no contact with an obstacle (when there is no collision). It becomes relatively small, and when it contacts an obstacle (at the time of collision), electricity flows between the electrodes of the tape switch without passing through the electrical resistance 24, so the current (or voltage) becomes relatively large. By detecting such a change in the energization state with the energization state detection unit (electric sensor 18) as a sensor, it is possible to detect (determine) whether or not the conveyor 20 has come into contact with an obstacle or the like. .

Therefore, according to the configuration of this example, the determination of whether or not the automatic guided vehicle 10 is normally connected to the conveyor 20 (determining whether towing is possible) and the determination of contact of an obstacle or the like with the conveyor 20 can be easily performed. It is possible to easily achieve both with a simple configuration.

In the robot cooperation system 1 of this embodiment, the connection posture of the automatic guided vehicle 10 with respect to the conveyor 20 is not limited to one pattern. That is, the automatic guided vehicle 10 may be connected to the conveyor 20 in a plurality of connection postures. With such a configuration, the connection posture of the automatic guided vehicle 10 with respect to the conveyor 20 can be changed (adjusted) according to the direction in which the conveyor 20 is conveyed and the position of the center of gravity of the conveyor 20 . In this case, it is preferable that the connected state can be determined in any posture.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the flow of connection determination. The automated guided vehicle 10 executes an individual determination process based on information acquired by the sensor to determine whether or not the automated guided vehicle 10 is connected to the conveyor 20 (S101). to the management device 30 (S102). For example, the determination unit 111 of the automated guided vehicle 10 determines whether or not the automated guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 are connected based on the information about the energized state of the electric circuit acquired by the electric sensor 18 . Then, a signal indicating the result of the individual determination process (connected state or non-connected state) is transmitted via the communication unit 130 to the management device 30 that executes comprehensive determination.

Similarly, the conveyor 20 executes an individual determination process for determining whether or not the automatic guided vehicle 10 is connected to the conveyor 20 based on the information acquired by the sensor (S201), and indicates the information of the determination result. A signal is transmitted to the management device 30 (S202). For example, the determination unit 211 of the conveyor 20 determines whether or not the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 are connected based on the information about the energized state of the electric circuit acquired by the electric sensor 28 . Then, a signal indicating the result of the individual determination process (connected state or non-connected state) is transmitted via the communication unit 230 to the management device 30 that executes the comprehensive determination.

The management device 30 performs comprehensive determination processing for determining whether or not the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 are connected based on the combination of the determination result of the individual determination of the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the determination result of the individual determination of the conveyor 20. is executed (S301), and the determination result is transmitted to the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 (S302). For example, the determination unit 311 (comprehensive determination unit) of the management device 30, when the results of the individual determination processing received from each of the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 are both "connected state", the automatic guided vehicle 10 and It is determined that the conveyor 20 is properly connected. On the other hand, if the result of the individual determination process for either one or both of the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 is "non-connected state", the comprehensive determination unit determines that it is not properly connected. be able to. In this case, even if the result of one of the individual determination processes is incorrect, safety can be ensured. In addition, when the result of one of the individual determination processes is "disconnected state" and the result of the other individual determination process is "connected state", the comprehensive determination unit is appropriately connected. You may make it determine. Based on the overall determination result, the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 respectively determine whether or not they can operate (S103, S203). For example, when the result of comprehensive determination is "connected state", it is determined that the automatic guided vehicle 10 can operate to transport the conveyor 20, and the conveyor 20 is determined to be inoperable. On the other hand, when the result of the comprehensive determination is "disconnected state", it is determined that the operation of conveying the conveyor 20 by the automatic guided vehicle 10 is impossible, and the conveyor 20 is determined to be operable. It should be noted that the determination as to whether or not the operation is possible is not limited to the automated guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20, and may be performed by the management device 30. FIG.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the flow of connection determination when executing up to comprehensive determination processing only by the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 without going through the management device 30 . In this case, the management device 30 becomes unnecessary. As in the case of FIG. 8, the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 each execute individual determination processing (S111, S211). Next, the automatic guided vehicle 10 transmits a signal indicating the information of the individual determination result to the conveyor 20 (S112), and the conveyor 20 transmits a signal indicating the information of the individual determination result to the automatic guided vehicle 10 (S212).

The automated guided vehicle 10 makes a comprehensive determination of whether or not the automated guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 are connected based on the combination of the individual determination result by the automated guided vehicle 10 and the individual determination result received from the conveyor 20. Processing is executed (S113). In this case, the determination unit 111 of the automatic guided vehicle 10 functions as a comprehensive determination unit. The conveyor 20 performs comprehensive determination processing to determine whether or not the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 are connected based on the combination of the individual determination result by the conveyor 20 and the individual determination result received from the automatic guided vehicle 10. Execute (S213). In this case, the determination section 211 of the conveyor 20 functions as a comprehensive determination section. Based on the overall determination result, the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 respectively determine whether or not they can operate (S114, S214). In this example, comprehensive determination is performed for both the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20, but only one of them may be performed. That is, either one of the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 may perform comprehensive judgment, and the result may be transmitted to the other to share the comprehensive judgment result. Further, as in the present example, both the automatic guided vehicle 10 and the conveyor 20 may perform the overall determination, and after transmitting and sharing the results to each other, the operability determination may be performed.

It is preferable that the individual determination process and the comprehensive determination process described above are repeatedly executed continuously or at predetermined intervals. In addition, the timing of the individual determination process and the comprehensive determination process may be interlocked with the operation of the connection mechanism. The determination process may be executed at the timing when 11 is retreated (lowered). In addition, when the connecting portion 11 of the automatic guided vehicle 10 is advanced (raised) in the axial direction, the individual determination process and the comprehensive determination process are executed, and when it is determined that the automatic guided vehicle 10 is in a "non-connected state", position adjustment may be performed to ensure that the coupling mechanism is in the coupled state. In that case, it is preferable to repeatedly execute the position adjustment and the determination process until the comprehensive determination process indicates the "connected state".

As described above, the robot cooperation system 1 of the present embodiment is a system that includes a first robot and a second robot that can be connected and separated from each other by a connecting mechanism. It has an individual determination unit that determines whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected by the connection mechanism based on the information acquired by the sensor, and the determination result of the individual determination unit of the first robot and the result of the second robot. A comprehensive judgment unit is provided for judging whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected based on a combination of judgment results by the individual judgment units. With such a configuration, even if the individual determination of either one of the first robot and the second robot is erroneous, an appropriate comprehensive determination can be made. As a result, it becomes possible to use a plurality of connectable robots more safely.

In the robot cooperation system 1 of the present embodiment, the individual determination unit determines whether the first robot and the second robot are connected based on the information about the energized state of the electric circuit including the electrode unit provided in the connection mechanism. It is preferable to determine whether there is According to this, the speed and accuracy of individual determination can be improved.

In the robot cooperation system 1 of this embodiment, each of the first robot and the second robot has an emergency stop device for stopping the operation in an emergency, and the first robot and the second robot are connected to each other. In the state, it is preferable that both the first robot and the second robot are emergency stopped when the emergency stop device of either one of the first robot and the second robot is activated. According to this, the emergency stop device of the first robot and the emergency stop device of the second robot are interlocked, so that both robots can be brought to an emergency stop by operating either one of the emergency stop devices. Therefore, the safety can be enhanced and the operation is easy. Note that the emergency stop device of the first robot and the emergency stop device of the second robot are interlocked only when it is determined in the comprehensive determination process that the first robot and the second robot are properly connected. You may do so.

In the robot cooperation system 1 of the present embodiment, each emergency stop device is connected to each electric circuit of the first robot and the second robot, and in the connected state, the electric circuit of the first robot and the first robot are connected to each other. By electrically connecting the electric circuits of the two robots, both the first robot and the second robot are brought to an emergency stop when the emergency stop device of either the first robot or the second robot is activated. may be configured. In this case, since the emergency stop devices of the first robot and the second robot are directly interlocked by electrical connection, the operation of one of the emergency stop devices can quickly bring the other robot to an emergency stop. . In this case, it is preferable that an electric sensor detects a change in the energized state of the electric circuit due to the actuation of the emergency stop device.

In the robot cooperation system 1 of the present embodiment, when the emergency stop device of either the first robot or the second robot is activated, information indicating that the emergency stop device of the one robot has been activated ( signal) may be sent to the other robot. In that case, the control unit of the other robot that received the information can bring the driving unit to an emergency stop. For example, when the emergency stop device of the first robot is activated while the first robot and the second robot are connected, the first robot makes an emergency stop and transmits an emergency stop signal to the second robot. The robot receives the emergency stop signal, and the second robot makes an emergency stop. Thus, the emergency stop function can be interlocked by transmitting the emergency stop signal from one of the first robot and the second robot to the other.

In the robot cooperation system 1 of this embodiment, the emergency stop device of at least one of the first robot and the second robot may include an emergency stop switch that is operated by the user. In this case, both the first robot and the second robot can be brought to an emergency stop by the user operating the emergency stop switch of either one of the first robot and the second robot.

In the robot cooperation system 1 of this embodiment, the emergency stop device of at least one of the first robot and the second robot may include a contact sensor that detects contact with an obstacle. In this case, both the first robot and the second robot can be brought to an emergency stop when an obstacle comes into contact with either one of the first robot and the second robot.

Further, the robot cooperation system 1 of the present embodiment may have a function of notifying the user of various types of information. For example, information on the connection state of the first robot and the second robot (results of individual judgment processing, results of comprehensive judgment processing and their time information, etc.), information on emergency stop (whether or not the emergency stop switch is operated, time information, etc.) ), the operation status of each robot, and information on contact (collision) with an obstacle may be notified from the first robot, the second robot, and the management device to the terminal device owned by the user. The terminal device can be, for example, an information processing device such as a tablet terminal, a smart phone, or a desktop or notebook computer. The terminal device can communicate with at least one of the first robot, the second robot, and the management device via the network 40, for example, and receives various kinds of information, displays it on a display unit such as a touch panel or a monitor, or displays it on a touch panel or the like. By performing an input operation from the input unit , it is possible to transmit a control instruction to any one or all of the first robot, the second robot, and the management device. Further, when the first robot and the second robot detect a collision with an obstacle, by notifying both the collision information and the connection state information to at least one of the management device and the terminal device, the collision causes the cart to move. It is also possible to check whether the automatic guided vehicle is disconnected.

Further, the automatic guided vehicle may perform a preset operation when the connected state of the conveyor and the automatic guided vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition may be, for example, that the conveyor is disconnected (disconnected) during transportation, or that it is determined that the connection state is not normal at the start of transportation or at a predetermined time before the start of transportation. . Further, the preset operation can be an emergency stop, suspension of travel, raising or lowering of a connecting portion (rod member or the like), and the like. According to this, for example, when the connection between the conveyor and the automatic guided vehicle is disconnected during travel, an emergency stop occurs, or when the connection is insufficient (not normal) at the start of transportation, the connecting portion is raised and connected. Or you can lower the connecting part and check it once. Further, the automated guided vehicle may perform a preset operation when a predetermined condition is met regarding contact (collision) with an obstacle. For example, when contact with an obstacle is detected while the conveyor is being conveyed, it can be stopped urgently, retreated by a predetermined distance, and then stopped or rotated. Information on the above conditions and actions according to the conditions is stored in the storage unit (recording unit, etc.) of the automatic guided vehicle, and the control unit of the automatic guided vehicle refers to the information in the storage unit to perform various corresponding operations. may be executed. Alternatively, a signal automatically transmitted from at least one of the management device and the terminal device may be received, and an operation may be performed based on the signal.

Further, at least one of the management device and the terminal device that has received the notification from the automatic guided vehicle may automatically execute a preset response operation. For example, when receiving a notification of disconnection of the carriage and the automatic guided vehicle being transported, or a notification indicating that the carriage or the automatic guided vehicle has collided with an obstacle, at least one of the management device and the terminal device A signal instructing an emergency stop may be transmitted to the vehicle and conveyor. In this case, in the storage unit of the management device, received notification contents (disconnection, contact with an obstacle, etc.) and operation contents (emergency stop instruction, etc.) corresponding to each notification contents are stored in association with each other. , the control unit refers to the storage unit and executes the corresponding operation.

Further, in the above embodiment, both the first robot and the second robot perform the individual determination process, but only one of the first robot and the second robot performs the individual determination process, and the determination result is By transmitting directly to the other robot or indirectly via a relay device such as the management device 30, the determination result may be shared to determine whether or not the subsequent operation is possible. In this case, both the first robot and the second robot do not have to perform the determination process, so the processing load is reduced.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present disclosure can conceive of various modifications or modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. are naturally within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

The devices described herein may be implemented as a single device, or may be implemented by a plurality of devices (eg, cloud servers) partially or wholly connected via a network, or the like. For example, the control unit and recording unit of the automated guided vehicle may be realized by different servers networked together. In addition, in the robot cooperation system described in this specification, an example was described in which the management device and the terminal device were each configured by separate hardware connected via a network, but some or all of their functions It may be mounted on each of the automatic guided vehicle and the conveyor.

The sequence of operations performed by the apparatus described herein may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. It is possible to prepare a computer program for realizing each function of the control unit according to the present embodiment and to implement it in a PC or the like. A computer-readable recording medium storing such a computer program can also be provided. The recording medium is, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, or the like. Also, the above computer program may be distributed, for example, via a network without using a recording medium.

Also, the processes described with reference to flowcharts in this specification do not necessarily have to be executed in the illustrated order. Some processing steps may be performed in parallel. Also, additional processing steps may be employed, and some processing steps may be omitted.

Also, the effects described herein are merely illustrative or exemplary, and are not limiting. In other words, the technology according to the present disclosure can produce other effects that are obvious to those skilled in the art from the description of this specification in addition to or instead of the above effects.

Note that the following configuration also belongs to the technical scope of the present disclosure.
(Item 1)
A system comprising a first robot and a second robot that can be connected and separated from each other by a connecting mechanism,
each of the first robot and the second robot has an individual determination unit that determines whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected by the connecting mechanism based on information obtained by a sensor;
A comprehensive judgment unit that judges whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected based on a combination of the judgment result by the individual judgment unit of the first robot and the judgment result by the individual judgment unit of the second robot. A robot cooperation system.
(Item 2)
The individual determination unit determines whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected based on information about an energized state of an electric circuit including an electrode unit provided in the connection mechanism. The described robot cooperation system.
(Item 3)
3. The robot cooperation system according to item 1 or 2, wherein the first robot is an automatic guided vehicle that transports the second robot.
(Item 4)
Each of the first robot and the second robot has an emergency stop device for stopping the operation in an emergency,
In the connected state in which the first robot and the second robot are connected, if the emergency stop device of either the first robot or the second robot is activated, the first robot and the second robot 3. The robot cooperation system according to item 1 or 2, wherein both are configured for emergency stop.
(Item 5)
each said emergency stop device is connected to each said electrical circuit of said first robot and said second robot;
In the connected state, the electric circuit of the first robot and the electric circuit of the second robot are electrically connected to each other, so that the emergency stop of either the first robot or the second robot is performed. 5. The robot cooperation system according to item 4, wherein both the first robot and the second robot are configured to make an emergency stop when the device is activated.
(Item 6)
Item 5. The robot cooperation system according to item 4, wherein the emergency stop device of at least one of the first robot and the second robot includes an emergency stop switch that is operated by a user's operation.
(Item 7)
Item 5. The robot cooperation system according to item 4, wherein the emergency stop device of at least one of the first robot and the second robot includes a contact sensor that detects contact with an obstacle.
(Item 8)
A method of cooperatively using a first robot and a second robot that can be connected and separated from each other by a connection mechanism,
each of the first robot and the second robot determines whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected by the connecting mechanism based on information obtained by a sensor;
A robot cooperation method for comprehensively determining the connection state of the first robot and the second robot based on a combination of the determination result by the individual determination unit of the first robot and the determination result by the individual determination unit of the second robot. .

1 robot cooperation system 10 automatic guided vehicle (first robot)
11 connecting part 20 conveyor (second robot)
21 connected part 30 management device

Claims (12)

A system comprising a first robot and a second robot that can be connected and separated from each other by a connecting mechanism, and a management device that can communicate with the first robot and the second robot,
each of the first robot and the second robot has an individual determination unit that determines whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected by the connecting mechanism based on information obtained by a sensor;
The management device determines whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected based on a combination of a determination result by the individual determination unit of the first robot and a determination result by the individual determination unit of the second robot. A robot cooperation system equipped with a comprehensive judgment unit that judges. 2. The robot cooperation system according to claim 1, wherein each of said first robot and said second robot includes said comprehensive determination unit. The first robot is capable of transmitting a determination result by the individual determination unit of the first robot directly to the second robot or indirectly via the management device,
3. The robot cooperation according to claim 1, wherein said second robot is capable of transmitting a determination result by an individual determination unit of said second robot directly to said first robot or indirectly via said management device. system. The first robot transmits a determination result by the individual determination unit of the first robot to the second robot via the management device,
3. The robot cooperation system according to claim 1, wherein said second robot transmits a determination result of said individual determination unit of said second robot to said first robot via said management device. The first robot is
a connecting portion detachably connected to a connected portion provided on the second robot;
a pair of electrode portions that conduct electricity when the connecting portion is coupled to the connected portion;
an energization state detection unit capable of acquiring information about the energization state of an electric circuit including the pair of electrode units;
3. The robot cooperation system according to claim 1, further comprising the individual determination unit that determines the connection state of the first robot with respect to the second robot based on the information about the power supply state. 2. The individual determination unit determines whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected based on information about an energized state of an electric circuit including an electrode unit provided in the connection mechanism. Or the robot cooperation system according to 2. 3. The robot cooperation system according to claim 1, wherein the first robot is an automatic guided vehicle that transports the second robot. Each of the first robot and the second robot has an emergency stop device for stopping the operation in an emergency,
In the connected state in which the first robot and the second robot are connected, if the emergency stop device of either the first robot or the second robot is activated, the first robot and the second robot 3. The robot cooperation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein both are configured to make an emergency stop. Each of the emergency stop devices is connected to an electric circuit including an electrode unit provided in each of the connection mechanisms of the first robot and the second robot,
In the connected state, the electric circuit of the first robot and the electric circuit of the second robot are electrically connected to each other, so that the emergency stop of either the first robot or the second robot is performed. 9. The robot cooperation system according to claim 8, wherein both the first robot and the second robot are configured to make an emergency stop when the device is activated. 9. The robot cooperation system according to claim 8, wherein the emergency stop device of at least one of the first robot and the second robot includes an emergency stop switch operated by a user's operation. 9. The robot cooperation system according to claim 8, wherein the emergency stop device of at least one of the first robot and the second robot includes a contact sensor that detects contact with an obstacle. A method of cooperatively using a first robot and a second robot that can be connected and separated from each other by a connecting mechanism, and a management device that can communicate with the first robot and the second robot,
each of the first robot and the second robot determines whether or not the first robot and the second robot are connected by the connecting mechanism based on information obtained by a sensor;
The management device comprehensively determines the connection state of the first robot and the second robot based on a combination of the determination result of the individual determination unit of the first robot and the determination result of the individual determination unit of the second robot. robot cooperation method.

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