JPH10180668A - Robot system for selecting particular article in waste - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate inputting of an input image on a monitor by constructing a robot system for selecting a particular article in waste, the robot system being provided for displaying stationary photographic images renewed in sequence on a monitor. SOLUTION: Photographic images 30 photographed by an industrial cameral on a carrier surface are made stationary images sequentially renewed by a video display part 22 and displayed on a monitor provided in a control room or the like away from a carrying site, and in the displayed photographic images 30, the photographic image 50 of a particular article mixed in waste is also displayed within a coordinate. Then, while seeing the stationary photographic image 50 in the displayed particular article, an input image 11 is point-inputted by an operation performed by an operator in the control room and, upon receiving the point-input by a calculation part 23, the position and the inclined angle θof the particular article within the coordinate are calculated. Then, the position and the direction of the particular article are determined from the calculation result by a determining part 24 and transmitted to a robot.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Generally, household waste and factories
Industrial waste discharged from construction sites, etc. is carried out to specific areas such as coasts and barren land and used for landfill and land reclamation,
Crushing, burning, and other treatments are being carried out at municipal waste disposal sites. In the waste treated at the waste disposal site,
For example, dangerous substances such as gas cylinders and broken glassware in which dangerous combustible substances remain during the crushing process in the subsequent process are included. In addition to refractory resources such as resin products and empty cans, in addition to unsuitable substances for crushing metal blocks such as motors and compressors and long metal pipes, renewable resources are also mixed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a robot system for selecting a specific substance mixed in an industrial waste or the like, and more particularly, to an unsuitable material that is not suitable for post-processing or a recyclable recyclable material at a waste disposal site. The present invention relates to a robot system for automatically selecting a specific material such as a resource from waste.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art An invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-040273 has been proposed as a waste sorting system of this kind, and FIGS. Is shown in 4 and 5, F is a feeder, V is a belt conveyor, and W is a specific object. Also, C
Is an industrial camera, R is a robot, H is a hand chuck,
M is a crusher. Although not shown, in a room away from the installation site such as the belt conveyor V, a controller and a tablet input by a stylus pen and a display for displaying an image of the industrial camera C are provided.

[0004] The belt conveyor V shown in Figs.
The waste is supplied almost uniformly from the feeder F and transported in a thin diffusion state. Belt conveyor V for conveying waste
The above situation is photographed by the industrial camera C, and the belt conveyor V
The video of the waste developed above is transmitted to the display. When a specific object W on the display is pointed and specified, the hand chuck H of the robot R is moved via the controller to perform a gripping / removing operation. The removed specific object W is transferred to another conveyor and discharged.

[0005] JP-A-7-0402 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
According to Japanese Patent No. 73, a specific object W projected on a display in a remote working room with air conditioning is instructed by an interactive point input means such as a stylus pen. Then, the robot R removes the specific object W from the waste conveyed in a state of being spread on the belt conveyor V. Therefore, it is possible to relieve the sorting worker from a bad working environment such as a bad smell caused by putrefaction mixed with the waste and provide a good workplace. In addition, it is described that, as an operator, not only a healthy person but also a person who can identify an object and can move one hand can be taken out of the conveyor V only by instructing a specific object W even for a physically handicapped person or an elderly person.

[0006]

The above-mentioned JP-A-7-040
According to the conventional sorting system described in Japanese Patent No. 273,
It is stated that a specific object W projected on a display can be designated and automatically removed by remote control in a work room with a good environment. However, since the photographed image projected on the display moves and changes from time to time, the conveyor V
The higher the transport speed of the object, the more difficult it is to specify a specific object. Therefore, in some cases, the pointing accuracy of a specific object may become a problem.

Further, in a state in which a long specific object W such as a piece of wood or a metal bar is folded and mixed with other wastes on the belt conveyor V, a long position can be obtained simply by simply specifying the position. It is extremely difficult to remove the specific object W. Further, the waste material supplied from the straight feeder F is spread and thinly transported on the belt conveyor V so as not to overlap each other. Therefore, the conveyance amount of the belt conveyor V for selecting the specific object W is easily restricted,
There was a problem that the transportation of waste might be congested.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional sorting system, and it is easy to input an input image on a monitor, and it is possible to accurately specify and sort. It is an object of the present invention to realize a robot system for selecting a specific substance in waste.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, the transport state of waste conveyed by a belt conveyor is photographed by a camera installed on the belt conveyor, and the photographed image of the camera is transmitted to a monitor and projected. The input image is displayed on the photographed image by the point input means, the specific object mixed with the waste is indicated on the coordinates, and the robot is controlled by the control means and gripped when the specified specific object reaches the take-out position. In the robot system for selecting a specific object in the waste to be sorted and selected, a robot system for selecting a specific object in the waste that displays a still image that is sequentially updated on a monitor is configured.

[0010] The present invention also provides a robot system for selecting a specific object in waste, which indicates the position and direction of the specific object, based on the input image input to the photographed image by the point input means. Further, the control unit determines the direction of the specific object from the start point and the end point of the input image input by the point input unit, and controls the gripping hand of the robot based on the determination result to grip and sort the specific object. A robot system for selecting a specific object in the robot. Further, a robot system for selecting a specific object in the waste in which the position of the specific object indicated by the point input means is indicated by the position of the center of gravity.

[0011] Wastes transferred from the receiving conveyor are deposited on the belt conveyor in the sorting step, and are conveyed at a conveying speed specified by the controller. An industrial camera is installed above the belt conveyor for transporting waste, and the state of transport of waste is photographed. Then, a still photographed image which is sequentially updated according to the moving distance of the belt conveyor is displayed on a monitor remote from the transport site. An input image indicating a position and a direction of a specific object by a point input unit is input to a still captured image on the monitor. Upon receiving the input of the input image, the controller calculates the position and the inclination angle of the specific object in the coordinates, and determines the position and the “direction” of the specific object.

On the other hand, the calculated distance data is transmitted to the downstream robot based on the relative position information between the industrial camera and the robot set in the control means. At this time, when the gripping hand of the waiting robot moves and the pulse encoder counts out the pulse, the hand axis reaches the designated position. Then, the gripping direction of the gripping hand is corrected so as to correspond to the instructed “direction”, and the released hand unit descends to perform the gripping / removing operation of the specific object. The removed specific object is discharged onto another conveyor, and the renewable resources are transferred to a processing step for regeneration.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration and operation of a main part of Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of Embodiment 1, and FIG. 3 is a system block diagram of Embodiment 1. 1 to 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a robot system. 2 is a receiving conveyor in the preceding stage, 3 is a belt conveyor provided in the sorting process, 4
Is a conveyed waste, and 5 is a specific substance.

The specific substance 5 is mixed into the waste 4, and the first embodiment exemplifies a case in which a slightly long one such as wood or metal pipe is selected. Reference numeral 6 denotes a pulse encoder which functions as a distance sensor or a speed sensor. The pulse encoder 6 is connected to a rotating shaft of a drive source such as an electric motor that drives the belt conveyor 3, and a pulse signal corresponding to a transport speed of the specific object 5 transported on the belt conveyor 3 in a transport direction indicated by an arrow. Is output.

Reference numeral 7 denotes an industrial camera disposed above the upstream side of the belt conveyor 3, and reference numeral 8 denotes a robot. In the angle-of-view area a of the industrial camera 7, a two-dimensional plane coordinate system of the X axis and the Y axis is set. Then, the conveyance state of the waste 4 on the belt conveyor 3 is photographed, and a photographed image of the waste 4 mixed with the specific object 5 in the coordinates is transmitted. Further, the robot 8 is provided on the downstream side of the belt conveyor 3 from the industrial camera 7, and faces the belt conveyor 3 from above with a gantry type as illustrated in FIG.

Reference numeral 80 denotes a gripping hand suspended from the robot 8, which is driven in a three-dimensional direction in a direction (X-axis direction) transverse to a running direction (Y-axis direction) and a vertical direction (Z-axis direction). . In the first embodiment, correction of the “direction” of the gripping hand 80 described later is specifically performed at the rotation angle of the hand 81 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. The Z of the gripping hand 80
The lower limit position in the axial direction is the height on the belt conveyor 3, and is fixedly set to, for example, a position 10 mm from the upper surface of the belt conveyor 3. Reference numeral 9 denotes a monitor including a display such as a CRT or liquid crystal, and reference numeral 10 denotes point input means.

Further, reference numeral 11 denotes a monitor 9 which is displayed slightly longer.
The upper input image θ is the inclination angle of the input image 11 with respect to the transport direction (Y axis). As the point input means 10, an interactive point input means such as a mouse or a stylus pen is used. The monitor 9 is installed, for example, in a work room isolated from the transportation site of the waste 4, and an input image 11 is input by an operation of the point input means 10 by an operator in a well-conditioned room. Numeral 30 denotes a stationary photographed image of the transport state of the belt conveyor 3 transmitted from the industrial camera 7 to the monitor 9, numerals 40 and 50 depict the photographed images of the waste 4 and the specific object 5, dotted lines and hollow arrows on the extensions thereof. Belt conveyor 3
(Y-axis direction).

Reference numeral 20 denotes a controller, reference numeral 21 denotes a storage unit of the controller 20, reference numeral 22 denotes an image display unit, reference numeral 23 denotes an operation unit, and reference numeral 24 denotes a determination unit. For example, the storage unit 21 stores a reference position of the coordinate system of the industrial camera 7 and the robot 8 and the like,
The video display unit 22 updates the still photographed image every predetermined number of pulse counts of the pulse encoder 6. The calculation unit 23 also calculates the arrival time and the arrival distance of the specific object 5 to the takeout position and the inclination angle θ of the specific object 5 based on the input image 11 from the detection signal of the pulse encoder 6. further,
The determination unit 24 determines the position, the orientation, and the like of the specific object 5 from the calculation result of the calculation unit 23.

Based on these operation results, the specific object 5 conveyed after the coordinate system is aligned reaches the take-out position, and the robot 8 is driven by the controller 20 so that the specific object 5 can be gripped. Controlled. Reference numeral 12 denotes an interface between the control controller 20 and the robot 8. Reference numeral 13 denotes a hopper, 14 denotes a crusher, and 15 denotes a next-stage belt conveyor for sending the waste 4 to the next process.
The hopper 13 is installed at the end position of the belt conveyor 3, and the waste 4 from which the specific substance 5 has been removed in the sorting step is charged. The input waste 4 is crushed by a crusher 14, processed into small pieces or powder, and the processed waste 4 is transferred to the next processing step by a belt conveyor 15.

The operation of the first embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration will be described below. The traveling belt conveyor 3 accumulates the waste 4 transferred from the receiving conveyor 2 on a transport surface, and transports the waste 4 at a transport speed specified by the controller 20. The transport speed and the moving distance of the transported waste 4 are measured by the pulse encoder 6. As described above, the industrial camera 7 is installed near the upstream of the belt conveyor 3 that transports the waste 4, and the transport state of the waste 4 is photographed in an angle of view area a slightly wider than the belt width. .

The photographed image 30 on the transport surface captured by the industrial camera 7 becomes a still image that is sequentially updated by the video display unit 22 and is displayed on the monitor 9 provided in a control room or the like remote from the transport site. . Incidentally, the angle-of-view area a
Assuming that the width w in the traveling direction is 1 m, for example, a specific update time t is illustrated. The pulse count value of the pulse encoder 6 is measured to detect that the belt conveyor 3 has been fed by 1 m in the transport direction, and the next new still image 30 is captured and updated.

Assuming that the average transport speed v of the belt conveyor 3 on which the waste 4 is loaded and transported is 200 (mm / sec), t = w / v = 5 is calculated. That is, a continuous photographed image 30 in a stationary transport state updated every 5 seconds is displayed on the monitor 9.

A photographed image 30 projected statically on the monitor 9
, The photographed image 50 of the specific object 5 mixed in the waste 4 is also projected in the coordinates. The operator points in the input image 11 in the management room while looking at the captured still image 50 of the specific object 5. In the case of the monitor 9 with a touch screen function as in the first embodiment, the operator touches the surface of the captured image 50 directly with the fingertip of the operator or a touch pen or the like, and as shown in FIG. The point input of the long bar-shaped input image 11 is easily performed.

In response to the point input of the input image 11, the calculation unit 23 of the controller 20 calculates the position in the coordinates of the specific object 5 and the inclination angle θ as described above. For example, the determination unit 24 sets the start point P1 in the first quadrant of the input image 11 as the position of the specific object 5, and the start point P1 (x1, y1) and the end point P2 (x2, y2) of the input image 11 drawn on the monitor 9. Between the line segment P1-P2 connecting Y and the Y axis [θ = tan (x2
−x1) / (y2-y1)] is determined as the “direction” of the specific object 5. On the other hand, the distance data calculated by the calculation unit 23 is transmitted to the robot 8 via the interface 16 based on the relative position information between the industrial camera 7 and the reference position of the robot 8 set in the storage unit 21 in advance. Is done. In the case of specifying only the position, point input is performed as shown in FIG.

At this time, when the gripping hand 80 of the robot 8 waiting at the origin position of the gantry starts moving and the pulse encoder 6 counts out the pulse corresponding to the distance data, the hand shaft 81 moves to the position of the starting point P1. To reach. At the same time, the hand shaft 81 rotates (θ ± 90 °) in accordance with the “direction” of the input image 11 determined by the determination unit 24, and the gripping claws of the gripping hand 80 are corrected in the orthogonal direction of the input image 11 and opened. Lower the hand part. And
Based on a command from the controller 20, the gripping hand 8
Then, the work of gripping and taking out the specific object 5 is performed.
The extracted specific object 5 is discharged onto a chute (not shown) or another transport conveyor. Specific substances discharged 5
Among them, for example, renewable resources are reused after undergoing processing steps for regeneration.

In the above-described embodiment, a description will be given by exemplifying a case where the position and "direction" of the input image of a long object such as a pipe having a uniform thickness are designated by the starting point and the inclination. However, the present invention can also be applied to the case of sorting irregularly shaped specific objects such as bottles and bottles whose thickness is not uniform along the length direction. In this case, while inputting the input image along the contour shape of the photographed image of the indefinite specific object by the point input means, point inputting the position of the center of gravity g of the specific object obtained from the photographed image or the input image as the designated position. May be instructed. The center of gravity g is also specified when only the instruction of P1 in FIG. 1B is specified.

In particular, the position of the center of gravity g of an indeterminate specific object can be calculated by a geometrical method using an arithmetic unit or the like of a control controller. If the contour shape or the center of gravity g is indicated in the input image, the handling error of the robot is further reduced, and the grip rate can be improved. In addition, the distance of a specific object in the vertical (Z-axis) direction is measured with a distance sensor using ultrasonic waves or infrared rays, and the height of the robot's gripping hand is added to the traversing / running direction to automatically control in three dimensions. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted. Further, a magnetic force or a negative pressure may be used for the gripping hand.
Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the case where one industrial camera and one gantry type robot are provided has been described. However, a configuration in which both are provided may be provided, and the gantry type may be replaced with a multi-joint type robot or the like. You can also.

[0028]

According to the present invention, the transport state of waste conveyed by a belt conveyor is photographed by a camera installed on the belt conveyor, and the photographed image of the camera is transmitted to a monitor and displayed on the photographed image projected. The input image is displayed by the point input means, the specific object mixed in the waste is indicated on the coordinates, and when the specified specific object reaches the takeout position, the robot is controlled by the control means to grasp and sort. In a robot system for selecting a specific object in waste, a robot system for selecting a specific object in waste that displays a still image that is sequentially updated on a monitor is configured.

Further, a robot system for selecting a specific object in the waste, which indicates the position and direction of the specific object, based on the input image input to the photographed image by the point input means, is configured. Further, the control unit determines the direction of the specific object from the start point and the end point of the input image input by the point input unit, and controls the gripping hand of the robot based on the determination result to grip and sort the specific object. We constructed a robot system that sorts out specific objects. Further, a robot system for selecting a specific object in the waste in which the position of the specific object indicated by the point input means is indicated by the position of the center of gravity is configured.

As a result, the input of the input image on the monitor can be easily and accurately instructed. Therefore, even in a state where a specific object such as a long object or a metal lump is folded over another waste, the gripping hand is operated according to the position and orientation of the specified specific object to reliably grip the object. Can be taken out. For this reason, a plurality of robots can be installed adjacent to each other along the belt conveyor, and a robot system that can reliably grip and sort a specific object from waste at a high speed can be realized. . In addition, since a specific object can be taken out of the waste by monitoring the monitor while sitting in a well-conditioned air-conditioned work room, the specific object is directly selected manually at the conventional transport site. Of course, the worker can be released from such an undesirable working environment.

Therefore, according to the present invention, even when a long object such as wood or a metal rod or a specific object such as a directional metal lump is folded and mixed with other waste, the long object can be obtained. It is possible to provide a robot system for selecting a specific object in waste, which can reliably grasp and select a specific object such as a shaku or a metal lump from waste.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration and operation of a main part of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a system block diagram of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an elevation view showing a basic configuration of an application example of a conventional sorting system.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a basic configuration of an application example of a conventional sorting system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Robot system 2 Front belt conveyor 3 Sorting belt conveyor 4 Waste 5 Specific object 6 Speed sensor (pulse encoder) 7 Industrial camera 8 Robot 9 Monitor 10 Point input means 11 Input image 12 Interface 13 Hopper 14 Crusher 15 Belt conveyor 20 Control controller 21 Storage unit 22 Image display unit 23 Operation unit 24 Discrimination unit 40 Image of waste 50 Image of specific object 80 Gripping hand 81 Hand axis a Subject angle area g Center of gravity P1 Start point P2 End point t Update time v Transport speed w Width of subject angle area in running direction θ Tilt angle

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Eiji Oshida, Inventor Nihon Kokan Co., Ltd. 1-2-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A transfer state of waste conveyed by a belt conveyor is photographed by a camera installed on the belt conveyor, and a photographed image of the camera is transmitted to a monitor to input a point on the photographed image projected. Means for displaying the input image on the coordinates to indicate the specific substance mixed in the waste, and when the specified specific substance reaches the take-out position, the control means controls the robot to grasp and sort. A robot system for selecting a specific object in a waste, wherein the robot system displays a still image that is sequentially updated on the monitor. 2. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein a position and a direction of the specific object are indicated by an input image input on the photographed image by the point input means. 3. The control means determines a direction of the specific object from a fulcrum and an end point of an input image input by a point input means, and controls a gripping hand of the robot based on the determination result to identify the specific object. 3. The robot system according to claim 2, wherein the robot sorts a specific object in the waste by grasping and sorting. 4. The robot system according to claim 2, wherein the position of the specific object indicated by the point input means is indicated by the position of the center of gravity.