KR20210149156A - Robot Hand, Robot and Robot System - Google Patents

Abstract

The robot hands 120; 120A; 120B for moving articles are disposed on a conveyor 122 having an endless belt 122d for transporting articles, and an end 122g of the conveyor in the transport direction of the conveyor. and inserting portions 123; 123A; 123B, the insertion portion having a shape that can be inserted into a gap between adjacent articles.

Description

Robot Hand, Robot and Robot System

The present invention relates to a robot hand, a robot, and a robot system.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART Conventionally, the transfer robot which transfers an article is known. For example, the patent document discloses an industrial robot provided with a belt conveyor at the tip of a hand. The robot of the patent document changes the workpiece|work conveyed by conveyors, such as a production line, with the belt conveyor at the front-end|tip of a hand. After the transfer is completed, the robot transfers the work by moving the belt conveyor to the transfer location and moving the belt conveyor backward while sending the work to the belt conveyor.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-167045

Although the robot of the patent document can load the workpiece|work conveyed by a conveyor etc. on a belt conveyor, it cannot load the workpiece|work which was placed on the floor surface etc. and stopped on the belt conveyor.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a robot hand, a robot, and a robot system that enable moving a stationary article on a conveyor.

In order to achieve the above object, a robot hand according to an aspect of the present invention is a robot hand that moves articles, a conveyor having an endless belt for transporting articles, and an end of the conveyor in a transport direction of the conveyor and an insert disposed in the insert, wherein the insert has a shape that can be inserted into a gap between adjacent articles.

A robot according to an aspect of the present invention includes a robot hand according to an aspect of the present invention, a robot arm connected to the robot hand, and a control device for controlling operations of the robot hand and the robot arm.

A robot system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a robot according to an aspect of the present invention, and a manipulation device for operating the robot.

According to the technology of the present invention, it becomes possible to transport a stationary article on a conveyor of a robot hand.

1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a robot system according to an embodiment.
Fig. 2 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the robot according to the embodiment.
3 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the robot hand according to the embodiment.
4 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device according to an embodiment.
Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device and each driving device according to the embodiment.
6 is a side view showing one of the loading operations of the robot system according to the embodiment.
7 is a side view showing one of the loading operations of the robot system according to the embodiment.
8 is a side view showing one of the loading operations of the robot system according to the embodiment.
9 is a side view showing one of the loading operations of the robot system according to the embodiment.
10 is a side view showing one of the unloading operations of the robot system according to the embodiment.
11 is a side view showing one of the unloading operations of the robot system according to the embodiment.
12 is a side view showing one of the unloading operations of the robot system according to the embodiment.
13 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of a modified example of the robot hand according to the embodiment.
Fig. 14 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of another modified example of the robot hand according to the embodiment.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, embodiment of this invention is described, referring drawings. In addition, all of the Examples described below represent generic or specific examples. In addition, among the components in the following embodiment, the components which are not described in the independent claim which show the highest concept are demonstrated as arbitrary components. In addition, each drawing in an accompanying drawing is a schematic drawing, and is not necessarily shown strictly. In addition, in each figure, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected about the substantially same component, and overlapping description may be abbreviate|omitted or simplified.

<Robot System (1)>

1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a robot system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1 , in the present embodiment, the robot system 1 is a system that transports the article A using the robot 100 . For example, the robot 100 can place and stack the articles A that have been transported by a transport device or the like at a predetermined place. In addition, the robot 100 takes out the article A from the pile of the articles A stacked at a predetermined place, and places it on another device or the like. Hereinafter, although it is demonstrated that the article A conveyed by the robot 100 is a rectangular parallelepiped corrugated cardboard case, it is not limited to this. The object to be conveyed may be any object that can be loaded on a conveyor 122 to be described later, for example, may be another object having a predetermined shape, or may be an object not having a predetermined shape such as a rock.

The robot system 1 includes a robot 100 and an operation device 210 for operating the robot 100 . The operation device 210 is disposed away from the robot 100 , and the operator P can remotely operate the robot 100 by inputting an input to the operation device 210 . In addition, the robot system 1 includes an imaging device 220 for imaging the operating state of the robot 100 , and an output device 230 for outputting information captured by the imaging device 220 . In addition, the robot system 1 includes a transport vehicle 240 to which the robot arm 110 of the robot 100 is fixed. Although not limited to this, in the present embodiment, the transport vehicle 240 has a servomotor for driving the transport vehicle 240 using electric power as a power source. For example, the transport vehicle 240 may be an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle). In addition, not all of the above components of the robot system 1 are essential.

<Robot (100)>

As shown in FIG. 1 , the robot 100 includes a robot arm 110 , a robot hand 120 mounted on the tip of the robot arm 110 , and an operation of the robot arm 110 and the robot hand 120 . It is provided with a control device 130 for controlling the. In the present embodiment, the robot 100 is configured as a vertical articulated robot, but is not limited thereto.

<Operating device 210>

As shown in FIG. 1 , the operating device 210 remotely operates the robot 100 and the transport vehicle 240 based on a command input by the operator P. Although the specific configuration of the operation device 210 is not particularly limited, the operation device 210 includes an input device that receives an input from the operator P. Examples of the input device include, but are not limited to, a handle, a lever, a pedal, a button, a touch panel, a microphone, and a camera. The operation device 210 outputs a command corresponding to the operation input through the input device to the control device 130 . The operation device 210 is connected to the control device 130 through wired communication or wireless communication. Any type of wired communication and wireless communication may be used.

The operation device 210 may output a command corresponding to each operation of the manual operation input by the operator P to the control device 130 . Alternatively, the operation device 210 may output a command corresponding to the operation contents of the automatic operation input by the operator P to the control device 130 . For example, the operating device 210 may receive, as input commands, displacement, direction, speed, operating force, etc. of a handle or lever, etc., may receive a press down of a button, contact with the screen of the touch panel, The contact trace and contact pressure may be received, the audio signal collected by the speaker may be received, and the analysis result of the image of the operator P imaged by the camera may be received. The operating force is a force applied to a handle, a lever, or the like by the operator P. The contact pressure is a pressing force of a finger or the like to the touch panel. The analysis result of the image of the operator P contains the instruction|command indicated by the gesture etc. of the operator P.

<Image pickup device 220>

As shown in FIG. 1 , the imaging device 220 images the operating states of the robot 100 and the transport vehicle 240 , and outputs a signal of the captured image to the output device 230 . The image captured by the imaging device 220 may be a still image or a moving image. Examples of the imaging device 220 are a digital camera and a digital video camera. The imaging device 220 is connected to the manipulation device 210 and the output device 230 through wired or wireless communication. The imaging device 220 may perform operations such as executing and stopping imaging and changing the imaging direction in response to a command input to the operating device 210 .

<Output device 230>

As shown in FIG. 1 , the output device 230 is a display device that outputs a signal of an image acquired from the imaging device 220 as an image and displays it on the operator P. Examples of the output device 230 include, but are not limited to, a liquid crystal display and an organic or inorganic EL display (Electro-Luminescence Display). The output device 230 may display an image for operation or the like output by the control device 130 .

<Detailed configuration of the robot 100>

[Configuration of robot arm 110]

A detailed configuration of the robot arm 110 of the robot 100 will be described. Fig. 2 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the robot 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2 , the robot arm 110 of the robot 100 is fixed to the transport vehicle 240 at its base end. A robot hand 120 is connected to the front end of the robot arm 110 . The articulated robot arm 110 has six joint axes (JT1 to JT6) and six links (110a to 110f) sequentially connected by these joint axes. Moreover, the robot arm 110 has arm drive devices AM1-AM6 which rotationally drive each of the joint shafts JT1-JT6. The operation of the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6 is controlled by the control device 130 . Although not limited to this, in the present embodiment, each of the arm drive devices AM1-AM6 uses electric power as a power source, and has a servomotor as an electric motor which drives them. In addition, the number of joint axes of the robot arm 110 is not limited to 6 pieces, 7 or more may be sufficient, and 1 or more and 5 or less may be sufficient as them.

The joint shaft JT1 rotatably connects the upper surface of the base 241 of the transport vehicle 240 and the base end of the link 110a around an axis in a vertical direction perpendicular to the upper surface. The joint shaft JT2 connects the distal end of the link 110a and the proximal end of the link 110b rotatably around an axis in the horizontal direction. The joint shaft JT3 connects the distal end of the link 110b and the proximal end of the link 110c rotatably around an axis in the horizontal direction. The joint shaft JT4 connects the distal end of the link 110c and the proximal end of the link 110d rotatably around an axis in the longitudinal direction of the link 110c. The joint shaft JT5 connects the distal end of the link 110d and the proximal end of the link 110e rotatably around an axis in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the link 110d. The joint shaft JT6 connects the distal end of the link 110e and the proximal end of the link 110f so as to be torsionally rotated with respect to the link 110e. The robot hand 120 is mounted on the front end of the link 110f.

[Configuration of the robot hand 120]

A detailed configuration of the robot hand 120 of the robot 100 will be described. 3 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the robot hand 120 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3 , the robot hand 120 includes a base 121 , a conveyor 122 , an insertion unit 123 , and a sensor 124 . The base 121 is attached to the distal end of the link 110f of the robot arm 110 . The conveyor 122 and the insertion part 123 are mounted on the base 121 and supported by the base 121 .

The base 121 includes a plate-shaped support portion 121a for supporting the conveyor 122 mounted on the upper surface 121aa thereof, and a stopper 121b at an end portion 121ab of the support portion 121a. The stopper 121b has a plate-like shape protruding from the upper surface 121aa in the upward direction D1a. The direction D1a is a direction perpendicular to the upper surface 121aa, and the direction D1b is opposite to the direction D1a. The stopper 121b projects in the direction D1a rather than the conveyor 122 mounted on the upper surface 121aa.

The conveyor 122 is configured as a belt conveyor. The conveyor 122 can convey the article A mounted thereon in directions D2a and D2b opposite to each other. The directions D2a and D2b are the conveying directions of the conveyor 122 . For example, the direction D2a is the conveyance direction when the article A loaded on the conveyor 122 is unloaded, and the direction D2b is the transport direction when the article A is loaded on the conveyor 122 . is the return direction. The conveyor 122 is disposed and fixed on the upper surface 121aa of the support part 121a so that the end 122f of the conveyor 122 in the direction D2b is adjacent to the stopper 121b. The conveyor 122 includes a roller 122a, a plurality of rollers 122b, a support frame 122c, a conveying belt 122d, and a conveyor driving device 122e.

The plurality of rollers 122a and 122b are arranged in the direction D2a or D2b, the roller 122a is a driven roller, and the roller 122b is a driven roller. The support frame 122c extends in the direction D2a or D2b, and supports the roller 122a and the plurality of rollers 122b. The conveyance belt 122d is a ring-shaped endless belt, and spans around the rollers 122a and 122b. The conveyor driving device 122e rotationally drives the roller 122a. Although not limited to this, in this embodiment, the conveyor drive device 122e uses electric power as a power source, and has a servomotor as an electric motor which drives it. A servomotor is an example of a conveyor drive motor. The conveyor drive device 122e and the rollers 122a are arranged at the end 122f of the conveyor 122 . The operation of the conveyor driving device 122e is controlled by the control device 130 . The conveyor driving device 122e may receive power from the robot 100 , a power supply source of the robot 100 , or other power supply sources.

When the conveyor driving device 122e rotationally drives the roller 122a in one direction, the roller 122a makes the conveyance belt 122d go around the perimeter of the rollers 122a and 122b in one direction, thereby conveying The conveyance surface 122da of the belt 122d moves toward the direction D2b, ie, the stopper 121b. The conveyance surface 122da is the outer peripheral surface of the part of the conveyance belt 122d located in the direction D1a with respect to the rollers 122a and 122b. Therefore, the conveyor 122 conveys the article A loaded on the conveyance surface 122da in the direction D2b.

When the conveyor driving device 122e rotationally drives the roller 122a in the opposite direction, the roller 122a revolves around the conveying belt 122d in the opposite direction, whereby the conveying surface 122da is rotated in the direction D2a. ), that is, it moves in a direction away from the stopper 121b. Therefore, the conveyor 122 conveys the article A loaded on the conveyance surface 122da in the direction D2a.

The insertion part 123 is arrange|positioned at the edge part 121ac of the support part 121a on the opposite side to the edge part 121ab. The conveyor 122 is positioned between the insertion part 123 and the stopper 121b, and the insertion part 123 is adjacent to the end 122g of the direction D2a of the conveyor 122. The stopper 121b, the conveyor 122, and the insertion part 123 are arranged in this order in the direction D2a. That is, the insertion part 123 is arrange|positioned at the edge part 122g of the conveyor 122 in the conveyance direction D2a of the conveyor 122. As shown in FIG.

The insertion part 123 may be integrally formed with the same material as the support part 121a, and the insertion part 123 of another component may be attached to the support part 121a. The insertion part 123 extends in the direction D2a from the end 121ac of the support part 121a. The insertion portion 123 has a shape that can be inserted into a gap between adjacent articles and/or a gap between the article and the bottom surface. In this embodiment, the insertion part 123 has an inclined upper surface 123a facing the direction D1a, and the inclined upper surface 123a is in a direction obliquely intersecting with the conveying surface 122da of the conveyor 122. is extended Specifically, the inclined upper surface 123a is inclined toward the direction D1b as it goes toward the direction D2a.

And, the insertion part 123 has a taper shape which tapers toward the front-end|tip in the direction D2a. Specifically, the thickness of the insertion portion 123 in the direction D1a or D1b decreases toward the direction D2a. In addition, although the width of the insertion part 123 in direction D3a or D3b (refer FIG. 1) is substantially constant, it may become small as it goes to direction D2a. The directions D3a and D3b are opposite to each other and are directions along the upper surface 121aa perpendicular to the directions D1a, D1b, D2a and D2b. In addition, in this embodiment, although the directions D1a and D1b and the directions D2a and D2b are substantially perpendicular, it is not limited to this, You may cross|intersect obliquely.

Although not limited to this, in this embodiment, the insertion part 123 is comprised so that it may have the height which does not protrude more than the conveyance surface 122da in the direction D1a with the support part 121a as a reference|standard. That is, it is comprised so that the inclined upper surface 123a may not protrude more than the conveyance surface 122da in the direction D1a. In addition, the height in the direction D1a of the insertion part 123 may be 1/2 or more of the height in the direction D1a of the conveyor 122. For example, the position of the highest part of the inclined upper surface 123a may be equal to or higher than the position of the axial center of the roller 122a or 122b adjacent to the insertion part 123. In addition, the width of the inclined upper surface 123a in the direction D3a or D3b may be as long as it can load the object A to be conveyed, and may be larger or smaller than the width of the conveyance surface 122da, or may be the same. .

In this embodiment, although the shape of the insertion part 123 as mentioned above is a triangular prism shape like a wedge, it is not limited to this. For example, although the inclined upper surface 123a is a flat surface in this embodiment, it may be curved or curved. For example, the inclined upper surface 123a may be curved or bent as it draws a convex or concave bow or broken line in the direction D2b.

The sensor 124 is a sensor that detects the approach of an object such as the article A to the sensor 124 , and outputs a detection signal indicating the approach to the control device 130 . A contact type sensor may be sufficient as the sensor 124, and a non-contact type sensor may be sufficient as it. For example, the contact-type sensor may be a sensor which detects the approach of the said object by detecting contact with objects, such as a bumper sensor, a pressure-sensitive sensor, and a contact-type displacement sensor, may be sufficient as it. The non-contact sensor may be a sensor that detects the approach of an object by detecting the approach or distance to the object, such as a photoelectric sensor (also called a "beam sensor"), a laser sensor, a laser lidar, and an ultrasonic sensor. . Although not limited to this, in the present embodiment, the sensor 124 is a non-contact sensor, is disposed on the stopper 121b, and the conveyance surface 122da of the conveyance belt 122d serves as a detection target area.

The robot hand 120 as described above can load the article A on the carrying surface 122da of the conveyor 122 and unload the article A on the carrying surface 122da. For example, when a part of the article A on the inclined upper surface 123a of the insertion part 123 is mounted on the conveyance surface 122da of the conveyor 122, the conveyor 122 moves on the conveyance surface 122da. by driving to move in the direction D2b, by the action of a frictional force between the transport belt 122d and the article A, the article A is pulled in the direction D2b, and the entire article A can be loaded on the carrying surface 122da. Further, even when the conveyor 122 continues to be driven after the entire article A is loaded on the conveyance surface 122da, the article A comes into contact with the stopper 121b so that movement in the direction D2b is prevented. It is restrained, and the fall of the article A from the conveyance surface 122da is suppressed.

Further, when the article A is placed on the conveyance surface 122da, the conveyor 122 drives the conveyance surface 122da to move in the direction D2a, thereby moving the article A in the direction D2a. In addition, the entire article A can be lowered onto the inclined upper surface 123a of the insertion portion 123 by the action of a frictional force between the transport belt 122d and the article A.

<control device 130>

The configuration of the control device 130 will be described. The control device 130, based on an operation instruction received from the operation device 210, according to a program stored in advance in a storage unit (not shown), the robot arm 110, the robot hand 120, and transport Controls the operation of the car 240 . The control device 130 does not individually control the operations of the robot arm 110 , the robot hand 120 , and the transport vehicle 240 , but links them to each other to perform the control, thereby realizing the operation in cooperation with each other. For example, the control device 130 reflects information acquired from the other two in control of one of the robot arm 110 , the robot hand 120 , and the transport vehicle 240 .

4 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the control device 130 according to the embodiment. The control device 130 includes an operation information processing unit 130a, a conveyor control unit 130b, a hand position detection unit 130c, an arm control unit 130d, an arm position detection unit 130e, and a transport vehicle control unit 130f. ), a carrier position detecting unit 130g, an information output unit 130h, and a storage unit 130i as functional components. These functional components use information output from other components to perform an operation linked with the operation of other components. Also, not all of the above functional components are essential.

Operation information processing unit 130a, conveyor control unit 130b, hand position detection unit 130c, arm control unit 130d, arm position detection unit 130e, conveyance vehicle control unit 130f, conveyance vehicle position detection unit 130g and information output The function of each component of the unit 130h is a computer system including a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU), a volatile memory such as a random access memory (RAM), and a nonvolatile memory such as a read-only memory (ROM). (not shown) may be realized. The functions of some or all of the above components may be realized when the CPU executes a program recorded in the ROM using the RAM as a work area. In addition, some or all of the functions of the above components may be realized by the computer system, may be realized by a dedicated hardware circuit such as an electronic circuit or an integrated circuit, or may be realized by a combination of a computer system and a hardware circuit. .

The storage unit 130i can store various types of information, and also enables reading of the stored information. The storage unit 130i is realized by a semiconductor memory such as a volatile memory and a nonvolatile memory, and a storage device such as a hard disk and a solid state drive (SSD). The storage unit 130i stores parameters and threshold values used by each component. The storage unit 130i may store a program to be executed by each component.

The operation information processing unit 130a outputs an operation instruction obtained from the operation device 210 to each component of the control device 130 . Each component operates according to a program corresponding to the command.

The conveyor control unit 130b controls the operation of the conveyor driving device 122e according to a command obtained through the operation information processing unit 130a. Specifically, the conveyor control unit 130b performs a rotational driving operation of the roller 122a by the conveyor driving device 122e for moving the conveying surface 122da of the conveying belt 122d in the direction D2a or D2b. control In addition, the conveyor control unit 130b stops the conveyor driving device 122e upon receiving a detection signal indicating the approach of the object to the sensor 124 from the sensor 124 .

The hand position detection unit 130c and the control device 130 are examples of the detection device. The hand position detecting unit 130c detects the position of the insertion unit 123 with respect to the article A. Specifically, the hand position detection unit 130c acquires an output current signal from each of the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6 of the robot arm 110 , thereby generating the output generated by each of the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6 . detect the load. In addition, the hand position detection unit 130c acquires information of the input load generated by each of the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6 from the arm control unit 130d. The hand position detecting unit 130c is configured to determine whether the tapered tip of the insertion unit 123 is in contact with the article A, based on the difference between the output load and the input load of each of the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6. to detect For example, the hand position detecting unit 130c detects that the tip of the insertion unit 123 is in contact with the article A when the difference in the loads on the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6 is equal to or greater than the threshold value. good.

Here, the output current, input load, and output load of the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6 are examples of information regarding the operation of the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6. In addition, the information regarding the operation|movement of the arm drive devices AM1-AM6 may also contain the distortion amount of the joint axes JT1-JT6 and the links 110a-110f, etc. It is also possible to detect the presence or absence of contact between the tip of the insertion part 123 and the article A using such a twist amount.

In addition, the hand position detection unit 130c obtains information such as the position, posture, movement direction, and movement speed of the link 110f of the robot arm 110 from the arm position detection unit 130e, and uses the information, Information such as the position, posture, movement direction and movement speed of the robot hand 120 is acquired. The hand position detection unit 130c detects the position of the insertion unit 123 by using the information. For example, the hand position detecting unit 130c detects that the insertion unit 123 is moving in a direction intersecting with the protruding direction, specifically orthogonal to the protruding direction, while in contact with the article A. When the non-contact of the portion 123 is detected, it is detected that the insertion portion 123 is positioned at a position corresponding to the gap between the articles A disposed adjacently. For example, the position corresponding to the gap may be a position above the gap in the vertical direction, or a position on the side of the gap in the horizontal direction.

The arm control unit 130d controls the operation of the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6 according to a command obtained through the operation information processing unit 130a, thereby causing the robot arm 110 to perform an operation. The arm control unit 130d operates on the robot arm 110 based on the position, posture, movement direction, and movement speed of each link 110a to 110f of the robot arm 110 obtained from the arm position detection unit 130e. make it

The arm position detecting unit 130e detects the position and posture of each of the links 110a to 110f of the robot arm 110 . Specifically, the arm position detection unit 130e acquires information on the amount of motion such as the rotation amount from the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6, and based on the amount of motion, the position of each link 110a to 110f and Detect posture. In addition, the arm position detecting unit 130e detects the moving direction and the moving speed of each of the links 110a to 110f from changes in the positions and postures of the respective links 110a to 110f.

The transport vehicle control unit 130f controls the operation of the transport drive device 240a of the transport vehicle 240 according to a command obtained through the operation information processing unit 130a, thereby performing an operation corresponding to the transport vehicle 240 . make it The transported vehicle control unit 130f operates the transported vehicle 240 based on the position and direction of the transported vehicle 240 acquired from the transported vehicle position detection unit 130g.

The transport vehicle position detection unit 130g detects the position and direction of the transport vehicle 240 . Specifically, the transport vehicle position detection unit 130g obtains information on the amount of operation such as the rotation amount of the servomotor from the transport drive device 240a, and based on the operation amount, the position of the transport vehicle 240 and direction is detected. In addition, the transport vehicle 240 may include a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver and a position measuring device such as an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). The carrier position detecting unit 130g may detect the position and direction of the carrier 240 by using the received signal of the GPS receiver or the acceleration and angular velocity measured by the IMU. The transport vehicle position detection unit 130g may detect, for example, a weak induced current from an electric wire buried in the floor, and detect the position and direction of the transport vehicle 240 based on such a detection value.

The information output unit 130h outputs output information such as an operation result and a detection result of each component of the control device 130 to the manipulation device 210 and/or the output device 230 . In addition, the information output unit 130h outputs a screen for operation of the robot 100 to the operation device 210 and/or the output device 230 .

Further, an example of the relationship between the control device 130 and each driving device will be described. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 130 and each driving device according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5 , the control device 130 provides information on the servomotors of the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6 , the servomotors of the conveyor drive device 122e , and the servomotors of the transport drive device 240a . and input/output commands. The control device 130 controls the operation of all servomotors of the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6, the conveyor drive device 122e, and the conveyance drive device 240a.

Each servomotor is provided with an electric motor and the encoder which detects the rotation angle of the rotor of an electric motor. Each servomotor operates an electric motor according to the instruction|command and information output from the control apparatus 130, and outputs the detection value of an encoder to the control apparatus 130. FIG. Control device 130, based on the detection value of the encoder fed back from each servomotor, detects the rotation amount and rotational speed of the rotor of the servomotor, and starts rotation of the servomotor using the detection result, It controls rotation stop, rotation speed and rotation torque. For this reason, the control device 130 can stop each servomotor at an arbitrary rotational position, can rotate at an arbitrary rotational speed, and can operate with an arbitrary rotational torque. Accordingly, the control device 130 can variously and precisely operate all of the robot arm 110 , the conveyor 122 , and the transport vehicle 240 .

<Operation of robot system 1>

An example of the operation of the robot system 1 will be described. First, an example of a loading operation in which the robot 100 loads the uppermost article A1 among the vertically stacked articles A on the robot hand 120 will be described. This operation is referred to as a master-slave operation in which the operator P uses the operation device 210 to perform each operation on the robot 100 and the transport vehicle 240 . In this case, for example, the operating device 210 may constitute a master arm in the handle of the operator P, and the robot 100 may constitute a remote slave arm. And it is comprised so that a slave arm may follow the operation|movement of the master arm given by the operator P. For this reason, it is easy for the operator P to accurately realize the operation desired by the slave arm. Moreover, the operator P can perceive easily the operation|movement of a slave arm via a master arm.

6 to 9 are side views each showing one of the loading operations of the robot system 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1 , first, in the robot moving step, the operator P inputs a command to the operation device 210 to transport the article A1 containing the article A1 to be taken out to the pile. The car 240 is moved. At this time, the operator P may input the location information of the destination into the operation device 210 , and the control device 130 may automatically drive the transport vehicle 240 according to the information. In addition, the operator P may operate the operation device 210 while visually confirming it through a screen displayed on the output device 230 and the like to drive the transport vehicle 240 .

Next, as shown in the hand moving step of FIG. 6 , after the transport vehicle 240 arrives in front of the article A1 , the operator P visually confirms the operation device through the screen of the output device 230 , etc. By manipulating 210 , the robot arm 110 is operated, and the robot hand 120 is moved to the side of the article A1 . The control device 130 outputs the posture information of the robot hand 120 to the manipulation device 210 or the like, and the operator P, based on the posture information, inserts the tip of the insertion unit 123 into the article A1. The posture of the robot hand 120 is adjusted so that the conveying surface 122da of the conveyor 122 is horizontal and opposite to the side of the

Next, as shown in the contact step of FIG. 7 , the operator P moves the robot hand 120 in the horizontal direction, and moves the tip of the insert 123 in the direction D2a from the side to the article A1 from the side. touch to the side. In addition, the operator P lowers the robot hand 120 in a state in which the insertion part 123 is in contact. The control device 130 outputs information indicating whether or not the insertion unit 123 and the article A1 are in contact with the operation device 210 or the like.

Next, as shown in the insertion step of FIG. 8 , the operator P stops the lowering of the robot hand 120 when the insertion part 123 and the article A1 are in a non-contact state. At this time, the tip of the insertion part 123 faces the gap between the article A1 and the article A below it in the horizontal direction. In addition, when the control device 130 detects the non-contact state, the lowering of the robot hand 120 may be automatically stopped.

In addition, the operator P moves the robot hand 120 in the horizontal direction D2a. For this reason, the insertion part 123 is inserted in the clearance gap between the article A1 and the article A below it. In parallel with the start of movement of the robot hand 120 in the direction D2a, the operator P activates the conveyor driving device 122e and moves the conveying surface 122da in the direction D2b. The conveyance belt 122d of 122 is made to go around.

For this reason, the article A1 is first mounted on the inclined upper surface 123a of the insertion part 123 and lifted obliquely, and then moves on the inclined upper surface 123a in the direction D2b. When the article A1 comes into contact with the transport belt 122d at the end 122g of the conveyor 122, it is pulled in the direction D2b by the orbiting transport belt 122d, and the entire article A1 is transported. It is mounted on the surface 122da. The article A1 on the conveyance surface 122da is conveyed in the direction D2b by the conveyance belt 122d. When the sensor 124 transmits a detection signal indicating the approach of the article A1 to the control device 130 , the control device 130 stops the conveyor driving device 122e. The coefficient of friction between the transport belt 122d and the article A1 is such that the transport belt 122d can stably pull the article A1 to the inclined upper surface 123a of the insertion portion 123 and the article. It is preferable that it is larger than the coefficient of friction between (A1) and.

In addition, the movement of the robot hand 120 in the direction D2a may be stopped at any timing after the contact between the article A1 and the transport belt 122d. For example, the timing of stopping the movement of the robot hand 120 may be the timing when the conveyor driving device 122e is stopped, and the tip of the insertion part 123 is in the depth direction D2a with the article A1 and The timing of contact with the adjacent article A may be sufficient. The movement stop of the robot hand 120 may be performed by the operator P through the operation device 210 , or may be performed automatically by the control device 130 . For example, the control device 130 controls the article A1 and the transport belt ( 122d) may be detected. In addition, the control device 130 may detect the contact between the insertion part 123 and the article A based on the difference between the output load and the input load of the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6 . The control device 130 may output the detection result to the operation device 210 or the like, or may stop the movement of the robot hand 120 based on the detection result.

Next, as shown in the unloading step of FIG. 9 , after the loading of the article A1 on the transfer surface 122da is completed, the operator P operates the robot arm 110 to place it on the robot hand 120 . The placed article A1 is unloaded from the pile of the article A, and moved to the unloading destination.

In the above, at least one of the operations of each step or at least a part of a series of operations of the moving step to the unloading step may be automatically performed by the control device 130 .

Next, an example of an operation in which the robot 100 unloads the article A1 on the robot hand 120 onto the floor will be described. 10 to 12 are side views each showing one of the unloading operations of the robot system 1 according to the embodiment.

As shown in the hand movement step of FIG. 10 , after the transport vehicle 240 and the robot 100 arrive at the place where the article A1 is unloaded, the operator P operates the operation device 210 to operate the robot hand ( By moving 120), the tip of the insertion part 123 is brought into contact with the floor surface or located in the vicinity of the floor surface. The control device 130 outputs information indicating the presence or absence of contact between the insertion unit 123 and the floor surface to the operation device 210 or the like, and the operator P, based on the information on the presence or absence of the contact, the robot hand 120 ) to adjust the position and posture.

Next, as shown in the sending step of FIG. 11 , when positioning of the insertion part 123 is completed, the operator P stops the movement of the robot hand 120 and starts the conveyor driving device 122e. . The conveyor drive device 122e revolves around the conveyance belt 122d so that the conveyance surface 122da may be moved in the direction D2a. For this reason, the article A1 moves in the direction D2a together with the conveyance surface 122da and is loaded on the inclined upper surface 123a of the insertion part 123 . Further, the article A1 is moved by the transport belt 122d and comes into contact with the floor surface. The operator P or the control device 130 may incline the robot hand 120 so that the conveyance surface 122da is inclined in order to facilitate the movement of the article A1 from the inclined upper surface 123a to the floor surface. good. In addition, the control device 130 may detect the contact of the article A1 to the floor based on the load of the conveyor driving device 122e and output the detection result to the operation device 210 or the like.

Next, as shown in the placing step of FIG. 12 , the operator P moves the robot hand 120 in the horizontal direction toward the direction D2a or D2b after contacting the article A1 to the floor surface, Adjust the position of the article A1. When the article A1 is removed from the transport belt 122d and positioning of the article A1 is completed, the operator P moves the robot hand 120 in the horizontal direction toward the direction D2b, The insertion portion 123 is pulled out from between the article A1 and the bottom surface. For this reason, the article A1 is placed on the floor surface. Further, the control device 130 detects the presence or absence of the article A1 on the conveyance belt 122d based on the load of the conveyor drive device 122e, and outputs the detection result to the operation device 210 or the like. good to do

In the above, at least one of the operations of each step or at least a part of a series of operations of the moving step to the placing step may be automatically performed by the control device 130 .

<Effect, etc.>

As described above, the robot hand 120 according to the embodiment includes a conveyor 122 having an endless conveying belt 122d for conveying articles, and a conveyor in the conveying direction D2a of the conveyor 122 ( The insertion part 123 is provided at the end 122g of the 122, and the insertion part 123 has a shape that can be inserted into a gap between adjacently disposed articles.

According to the above configuration, the robot hand 120 inserts the inserting part 123 into the gap between the articles, thereby loading and lifting the article on the inserting part 123 , and transporting the lifted article to the conveyor 122 . of the transport belt 122d. In addition, the robot hand 120 drives the conveyor 122, thereby pulling the article onto the transport belt 122d by the action of a frictional force between the article and the transport belt 122d, and transferring the article to the transport belt 122d. ) can be loaded on the Accordingly, the robot hand 120 makes it possible to load and transfer the stationary article on the conveyor 122 .

Further, in the robot hand 120 according to the embodiment, the insertion part 123 may have an inclined upper surface 123a extending in a direction obliquely intersecting with the conveyance surface 122da of the conveyance belt 122d. . For example, the insertion part 123 may have a tapered shape in which the thickness in the direction D1a or D1b which is a direction perpendicular to the conveyance surface 122da becomes small. According to the above configuration, the robot hand 120 loads the article on the inclined upper surface 123a and lifts it obliquely by inserting the insertion part 123 into the gap between the articles. For this reason, the robot hand 120 can load at least a part of the article on the transport belt 122d.

In addition, in the robot hand 120 according to the embodiment, the insertion part 123 does not protrude beyond the conveyance surface 122da in the direction D1a perpendicular to the conveyance surface 122da of the conveyance belt 122d. no need to According to the above configuration, the insert 123 is inserted into the gap between the articles, so that the article loaded on the insert 123 easily comes into contact with the transport belt 122d. This makes it easier for the conveyor 122 to pull the article onto the conveyance belt 122d.

Further, in the robot hand 120 according to the embodiment, the conveyor 122 may include a conveyor driving device 122e having a conveyor driving motor for driving the transport belt 122d. According to the above configuration, the robot hand 120 drives the conveyor 122 using electric power as a power source. For this reason, the robot hand 120 does not require the piping required when using pneumatic or liquid pressure as a driving source. In addition, the robot hand 120 may receive power supply from the power supply source of the robot 100 . Accordingly, the degree of freedom of installation and movement of the robot hand 120 is improved.

In addition, in the robot hand 120 according to the embodiment, the control device 130 may be provided as a detection device for detecting that the insertion part 123 is located at a position corresponding to a gap between adjacently disposed articles. . According to the above configuration, it becomes possible to reliably insert the insertion portion 123 into the gap between the articles.

In addition, the robot hand 120 according to the embodiment is connected to the robot arm 110 having a plurality of joints driven by the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6 having a servomotor, and the control device 130 is, Information regarding the operation of the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6 is acquired, and the insertion unit 123 is inserted into the gap between the articles disposed adjacently by using the information regarding the operation of the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6. You may detect what exists in the corresponding position. According to the above configuration, a dedicated device for detecting that the insertion portion 123 is at a position corresponding to the gap between the articles is unnecessary. Accordingly, it is possible to simplify the configuration of the robot hand 120 .

In addition, the robot 100 according to the embodiment controls the robot hand 120 , the robot arm 110 connected to the robot hand 120 , and the robot hand 120 and the control for controlling the operation of the robot arm 110 . A device 130 is provided. According to the above configuration, the same effect as that of the robot hand 120 according to the embodiment is obtained.

In addition, in the robot 100 according to the embodiment, the robot arm 110 has a plurality of joints driven by the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6 having a servomotor, and the conveyor 122 includes a conveying belt. A servomotor may be provided as a conveyor driving motor for driving 122d. In addition, the control apparatus 130 may control the operation|movement of the servomotor of the conveyor 122, and the operation|movement of the servomotor of arm drive apparatus AM1-AM6. According to the above configuration, the servomotor can stop the rotor at an arbitrary rotational position, can rotate the rotor at an arbitrary rotational speed, and can generate an arbitrary rotational torque. Accordingly, the conveyor 122 and the robot arm 110 may perform various and precise operations.

In addition, the robot system 1 according to the embodiment includes a robot 100 and a manipulation device 210 for operating the robot 100 . According to the above configuration, the same effect as that of the robot hand 120 according to the embodiment is obtained.

(Other Examples)

As mentioned above, although the example of the Example of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said Example. That is, various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, what implemented various deformation|transformation in an Example, and the form constructed|assembled by combining the components in a different Example are also included within the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the embodiment, the shape of the insertion part 123 of the robot hand 120 is a shape that tapers toward the tip, but is not limited thereto. The shape of the insertion part 123 may be a shape that can be inserted into a gap between adjacent articles and/or a gap between an article and a floor surface. For example, the shape of the insertion part 123 may be a shape with a substantially constant thickness toward the front-end|tip, and the shape with a larger thickness toward the front-end|tip may be sufficient as it. In addition, the shape of the insertion part 123 may be a shape wider toward the front-end|tip. For example, the following inserts are exemplified.

For example, Fig. 13 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of a modified example of the robot hand according to the embodiment. The insertion part 123A of the robot hand 120A shown in FIG. 13 has the same inclined upper surface 123Aa as the inclined upper surface 123a of the insertion part 123 of an Example. However, the thickness of the insertion portion 123A in the direction D1a or D1b is approximately constant toward the direction D2a. That is, the insertion part 123A has a plate-like shape inclined with respect to the conveyance surface 122da of the conveyance belt 122d. Such an insertion portion 123A can be inserted into a gap between adjacent articles and/or a gap between an article and a floor surface. In addition, since the robot arm 110 can freely change the posture of the robot hand 120A, the insertion part 123A can be inserted into the gap. In addition, although the insertion part 123A inclines in the direction D1b as it goes to the direction D2a, it may incline in the direction D1a.

14 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of another modified example of the robot hand according to the embodiment. The insertion part 123B of the robot hand 120B shown in FIG. 14 has a plate-shaped shape similarly to the insertion part 123A of FIG. However, the insertion part 123B has an upper surface 123Ba substantially parallel to the conveyance surface 122da of the conveyance belt 122d. That is, the insertion part 123B has a plate-shaped shape substantially parallel to the conveyance surface 122da. Such an insertion portion 123B can be inserted into a gap between adjacent articles and/or a gap between an article and a floor surface.

Further, in the embodiment, the control device 130 detects the position and contact of the insertion part 123 with respect to the article based on the change in the load of the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6 of the robot arm 110 . However, it is not limited to this. For example, a force sensor for detecting the magnitude and direction of the force may be provided in the links 110a to 110f such as the link 110f of the robot arm 110 . In addition, the control device 130 may detect the position and contact of the insertion part 123 based on the detection signal of the force sensor.

In addition, non-contact sensors, such as a photoelectric sensor, a laser sensor, a laser lidar, and an ultrasonic sensor, may be provided in the insertion part 123 or its vicinity. The control apparatus 130 may detect the position and contact of the insertion part 123 based on the detection signal of a non-contact sensor.

In addition, an imaging device for imaging the tip of the insertion part 123 may be provided at or near the insertion part 123 . Examples of the imaging device are a digital camera and a digital video camera. The imaging device may be arranged so as to be able to pick up an image including the tip of the insertion unit 123 and an article approaching the tip. The control device 130 may detect an article by analyzing an image captured by the imaging device, and may detect a positional relationship such as a distance between the insertion unit 123 and the article.

In addition, in the embodiment, although the control apparatus 130 detects the presence or absence of contact with the conveyance belt 122d based on the change of the load of the conveyor drive apparatus 122e, it is not limited to this. For example, the control device 130 transmits the load of the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6 of the robot arm 110 and the detection signal of a force sensor installed in the robot arm 110 to the conveyor driving device 122e. ) may be used in combination with a load of or as a substitute.

In addition, in the Example, although the robot 100 was a vertical articulated robot, it is not limited to this. For example, the robot 100 may be configured as a polar coordinate type robot, a cylindrical coordinate type robot, a rectangular coordinate type robot, a horizontal articulated type robot, or other robots.

Further, in the embodiment, the robot 100 is mounted on the transport vehicle 240 and movable, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and it may be fixed to a floor surface or the like.

In addition, in the embodiment, the robot system 1 is provided with the imaging device 220 and the output device 230, but is not limited thereto. For example, the robot system 1 may not be provided with the imaging device 220 and the output device 230, and may be configured so that the operator P can directly check it.

Further, in the embodiment, the robot system 1 is configured such that the operator P operates the robot 100 and the transport vehicle 240 in a master-slave manner using the operation device 210, but this is not limited to For example, the robot system 1 may be configured to operate the robot 100 and the transport vehicle 240 fully automatically. In this case, for example, the robot 100 and the transport vehicle 240 may automatically operate only by the operator P inputting a command indicating the contents of the work to the operation device 210 . In such a fully automatic robot system, for example, the control device is based on a detection signal of a proximity sensor installed at the tip of the robot arm and an image analysis value of a camera installed at the tip of the robot arm, the robot arm and the robot hand. You may control each operation.

1 Robot system 100 Robot
110 Robot Arm 120, 120A, 120B Robot Hand
122 Conveyor 122d Conveyor Belt
122da return surface
122e Conveyor Drive (Conveyor Drive Motor)
122g end 123, 123A, 123B inserts
130 Control device (detection device) 210 Control device
AM1 to AM6 arm drive unit

Claims (7)

As a robot hand that moves goods,
A conveyor having an endless belt for conveying goods;
and an insert disposed at an end of the conveyor in a conveying direction of the conveyor;
The insertion part is a robot hand, characterized in that it has a shape that can be inserted into the gap between the adjacent articles.
According to claim 1,
The conveyor is a robot hand, characterized in that it has a conveyor drive motor for driving the belt.
3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
The robot hand, characterized in that it further comprises a detection device for detecting that the insertion portion is located at a position corresponding to the gap between the adjacent articles.
4. The method of claim 3,
The robot hand is connected to a robot arm having a plurality of joints driven by an arm driving device having a servomotor,
The detection device is
acquiring information about the operation of the arm driving device;
The robot hand, characterized in that it detects that the insertion part is in a position corresponding to a gap between adjacently disposed articles by using the information on the operation of the arm driving device.
The robot hand according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
a robot arm connected to the robot hand;
and a control device for controlling the operation of the robot hand and the robot arm.
6. The method of claim 5,
The robot arm has a plurality of joints driven by an arm driving device having a servomotor,
The conveyor has a servo motor as a conveyor driving motor for driving the belt,
The control device is a robot, characterized in that for controlling the operation of the servomotor of the conveyor and the operation of the servomotor of the arm driving device.
The robot according to claim 5 or 6,
A robot system, characterized in that it comprises a manipulation device for manipulating the robot.

Images