JPS62208889A - Visual device for travelling robot - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a visual device for a running robot equipped with a manipulator or the like and capable of running on a floor.

(Prior Art) For example, carrier vehicles, manipulators, and the like are used as means for satisfying transport and transfer functions in automated and unmanned plants. However, the manipulators installed individually on the floor or wall not only have a limited operating range, but also require a large number of manipulators to be arranged for each process.

For this reason, there has been a need for a more economical system in which a manipulator is mounted on a self-propelled vehicle. Such a self-propelled manipulator monitors the running route, corrects the running trajectory, corrects the manipulator's posture, and recognizes the object to be handled.
It is equipped with visual equipment such as a TV camera and image sensor.

Conventionally, this type of visual device for a self-propelled manipulator generally has a front and rear end portion of a cart 2 on which the manipulator 1 is mounted and is movable, as schematically shown in the side view of FIG.
TV cameras 3 and 4 for monitoring driving routes are installed respectively. In addition, a TV left camera is installed near the base of the manipulator 1, which is rotatably installed with respect to the cart 2, for recognizing the posture and movement of the manipulator 1, as well as the distance between the manipulator 1 and the object to be handled. . Furthermore, near the hand 6 at the tip of the maniplate 1, there is a TV for checking the posture of the plate object and the grasping state of the node 6.
A camera 7 is provided.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As mentioned above, the visual device of a self-propelled manipulator requires a large number of visual devices for different purposes and uses of monitoring and visual recognition, and as a result, the signal transmission paths for the visual devices are complicated. Control operations were becoming complicated.

The present invention uses minimal visual equipment, occupies less space,
An object of the present invention is to provide a visual device for a running robot that can have a simple configuration.

[Structure of the invention]

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a self-propelled vehicle with a manipulator mounted on a bogie, and a system installed on the self-propelled vehicle for monitoring and controlling the operation of the manipulator and the running of the bogie, respectively. The visual device of a running robot having a visual device includes an arm provided at the base of the manipulator so as to be freely rotatable and substantially concentric with the center of rotation of a rotating part provided at the base of the manipulator, and a visual device provided at the tip of the arm. A pan head and an imaging means fixed to the pan head were provided.

(Function) The present invention focuses on the fact that each operation such as running and manipulation is divided in time, and operates by moving the imaging means to the viewing/monitoring position required for each operation. be able to achieve your goals.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the side view shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 showing an enlarged view of the main part of the IML.

In FIG. 1, a manipulator 1 is mounted on a trolley 2 and is movable. The multi-jointed manipulator 1, which is composed of arms 8, 9, etc., has a hand 6 at its tip, and a base 10 that can rotate with respect to a pedestal 11 provided at the center of the upper surface of the cart 2. is installed on.

The manipulator 1 is mounted on the pedestal 11 concentrically with the base 10 of the manipulator 1, and the manipulator 1 is
A support arm 13 is provided which can be rotated independently of the support arm 13. A pan head 15 to which a TV camera 14 is attached is installed at the tip of the support arm 13.

For more details, as shown in Fig. 2 with the main parts enlarged,
The base of the support arm 13 is ring-shaped and surrounds the pedestal 11, and is supported by a fixing member 16 fixed to the pedestal 11 via a ball 17 so as to be freely rotatable.

Further, a motor 18 with a deceleration base is mounted on the support arm 13, close to the base, and with its rotation axis perpendicular to the support arm 13.
A small gear 19 is provided and attached to this motor 18.
A pedestal 21 is fixed to the tip of a support arm 13 that meshes with a large gear 20 that surrounds the pedestal 11 and is fixed to a fixing member 16.

A rotary table 22 is rotatably provided on the pedestal 21. An arm 23 is erected on the rotary table 22, and a TV camera 14
The rotation of the zero-turn table 22, which supports the camera so as to be able to swing vertically, and the start and stop of the swinging operation of the TV camera 14 can be controlled by appropriately remotely controlling a drive device (not shown). can.

Note that the power source for the motor 18 and other drive devices may be a power source built in the trolley 2 or an external power supply device, etc., and the operation of the support arm 13 and pan head 15 is not generally known. Remote control means may be applied.

Next, the effect will be explained.

When the motor 18 is rotated, the small gear 19 rolls around the large gear 20, and the support arm 13 to which the motor 18 is fixed can rotate around the entire circumference of the pedestal 11.
It can also be stopped at any position.

Taking as an example the case where the truck 2 is to be moved leftward in the figure and the course of the truck 2 is monitored in the younger brother 1@, the support arm 13 is rotated 180 degrees from the position shown in the figure, and the TV The camera 14 is fixed at the left end of the trolley 2.

If the pan head 15 is rotated 9 times at 2 N, then T
The V camera 14 can be easily fixed in a slightly forward-leaning position facing left in the figure.

Further, as the visible position of the manipulator 1, for example, the support arm 13 can be similarly set to a position rotated by 90 degrees from the position shown in FIG.

Note that the TV camera 14 in the above embodiment may be replaced with another imaging device, a visual sensor such as a laser pointer, or even a means using principles other than optics, such as an ultrasonic sensor.

Further, the present invention can be easily applied to a manipulator that does not have a moving means, a traveling vehicle that does not carry a manipulator, and the like.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a visual device for a traveling robot that can simplify and reduce the weight of the system of the traveling robot and improve its original functions.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a front view showing an enlarged partial cutout of the main part of the figure, and FIG. 3 is a side view showing a visual device of a conventional traveling robot. 1... Manipulator 2... Dolly 10... Base 11... Pedestal 13... Support arm 14... TV camera 15... Pan head agent Patent attorney Nori Chika Norihiro Hirofumi Mitsumata tIi diagram Figure 3 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] A visual device for a traveling robot comprising a self-propelled vehicle with a manipulator mounted on a truck, and a visual device installed on the self-propelled vehicle to monitor and control the operation of the manipulator and the travel of the truck, respectively. An arm that is provided at the base of the manipulator and is rotatable independently so as to be substantially concentric with the rotation center of the rotating part, a pan head provided at the tip of this arm, and a pan head that is fixed to the pan head. A visual device for a running robot having an imaging means.