JP7220116B2 - Robot hands, robots and robot systems - Google Patents

Description

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

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, transfer robots that transfer articles are known. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an industrial robot equipped with a belt conveyor at the tip of a hand. The robot of Patent Document 1 transfers a workpiece transferred by a conveyor such as a production line to a belt conveyor at the tip of a hand. After the transfer is completed, the robot moves the belt conveyor to the transfer location, and moves the belt conveyor backward while sending out the work by the belt conveyor, thereby transferring the work.

JP-A-2002-167045

The robot disclosed in Patent Document 1 can place a work conveyed by a conveyor or the like on a belt conveyor, but cannot place a stationary work placed on a floor surface or the like on the belt conveyor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a robot hand, a robot, and a robot system that enable a stationary article to be placed on a conveyor and transferred.

To achieve the above object, a robot hand according to one aspect of the present invention is a robot hand for moving an article, comprising: a conveyor having an endless belt for conveying the article; an insert positioned at the end of the conveyor, said insert having a shape that is insertable into a gap between adjacently positioned articles.

A robot according to one aspect of the present invention includes a robot hand according to one aspect of the present invention, a robot arm connected to the robot hand, and a control device that controls operations of the robot hand and the robot arm.

A robot system according to one aspect of the present invention includes the robot according to one aspect of the present invention and an operation device for operating the robot.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to place a stationary article|item on the conveyor of a robot hand, and to transfer it.

1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a robot system according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of a configuration of a robot according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of a configuration of a robot hand according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a control device and each drive device according to an embodiment; FIG. The side view which shows one of the loading operation|movements of the robot system which concerns on embodiment. The side view which shows one of the loading operation|movements of the robot system which concerns on embodiment. The side view which shows one of the loading operation|movements of the robot system which concerns on embodiment. The side view which shows one of the loading operation|movements of the robot system which concerns on embodiment. The side view which shows one of the unloading operations of the robot system which concerns on embodiment. The side view which shows one of the unloading operations of the robot system which concerns on embodiment. The side view which shows one of the unloading operations of the robot system which concerns on embodiment. The side view which shows an example of a structure of the modification of the robot hand which concerns on embodiment. The side view which shows an example of a structure of another modification of the robot hand which concerns on embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. In addition, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in independent claims representing the highest concept will be described as arbitrary constituent elements. Also, each figure in the accompanying drawings is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily strictly illustrated. Furthermore, in each drawing, substantially the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted or simplified.

<Robot system 1>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a robot system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the robot system 1 is a system that transports an article A using a robot 100. As shown in FIG. For example, the robot 100 can place and stack the articles A conveyed by a conveying device or the like at a predetermined location. Also, the robot 100 picks up an article A from a pile of articles A piled up at a predetermined location, and places it on another device or the like. In the following description, the article A conveyed by the robot 100 is described as a rectangular parallelepiped cardboard case, but is not limited to this. The article to be conveyed may be any object that can be placed on the conveyor 122, which will be described later. may

The robot system 1 includes a robot 100 and an operating device 210 for operating the robot 100 . The operating device 210 is arranged away from the robot 100 , and the operator P can remotely operate the robot 100 by inputting to the operating device 210 . Further, the robot system 1 includes an imaging device 220 that captures an image of the operating state of the robot 100 and an output device 230 that outputs information captured by the imaging device 220 . Furthermore, the robot system 1 includes a carrier 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 servo motor that uses electric power as a power source and drives the transport vehicle 240 . For example, the carrier 240 may be an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle). Note that 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 attached to the tip of the robot arm 110 , and a control device 130 that controls movements of the robot arm 110 and the robot hand 120 . In the present embodiment, robot 100 is configured as a vertical articulated robot, but is not limited to this.

<Operating device 210>
As shown in FIG. 1, the operating device 210 remotely operates the robot 100 and the carrier 240 based on commands input by an operator P. As shown in FIG. Although the specific configuration of the operation device 210 is not particularly limited, the operation device 210 includes an input device that receives input from the operator P. FIG. Examples of input devices include, but are not limited to, steering wheels, levers, pedals, buttons, touch panels, microphones and cameras. Operation device 210 outputs commands corresponding to operations input via the input device to control device 130 . The operation device 210 is connected to the control device 130 via wired communication or wireless communication. Wired communication and wireless communication may be in any form.

The operation device 210 may output to the control device 130 a command corresponding to each manual operation input by the operator P. FIG. Alternatively, the operation device 210 may output to the control device 130 a command corresponding to the operation content of the automatic operation input by the operator P. FIG. For example, the operation device 210 may receive, as commands to be input, the displacement, direction, speed, and operating force of a handle or lever, etc., or may receive button depressions, contact with the screen of the touch panel, and contact. A trajectory, a contact pressure, and the like may be received, an audio signal collected by a speaker may be received, and an analysis result of an image of the operator P captured by a camera may be received. The operating force is the force applied by the operator P to the handle, lever, or the like. The contact pressure is the pressing force of a finger or the like against the touch panel. The analysis result of the operator P's image includes the command indicated by the operator P's gesture or the like.

<Imaging device 220>
As shown in FIG. 1 , the imaging device 220 images the operating states of the robot 100 , the transport vehicle 240 , and the like, and outputs signals of the captured images to the output device 230 . An image captured by the imaging device 220 may be a still image or a moving image. Examples of imaging device 220 are digital cameras and digital video cameras. The imaging device 220 is connected to the operation device 210 and the output device 230 via wired communication or wireless communication. The image pickup device 220 may perform operations such as execution and stop of image pickup and change of the image pickup direction in accordance with commands input to the operation device 210 .

<Output device 230>
As shown in FIG. 1, the output device 230 is a display device that outputs the signal of the image acquired from the imaging device 220 as an image and displays it to the operator P. FIG. Examples of the output device 230 are, 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 images for operations and the like that are output by the control device 130 .

<Detailed Configuration of 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 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 carrier 240 at its proximal end. A robot hand 120 is connected to the tip of the robot arm 110 . The articulated robot arm 110 has six joint shafts JT1 to JT6 and six links 110a to 110f that are sequentially connected by these joint shafts. Further, the robot arm 110 has arm driving devices AM1 to AM6 that rotationally drive the joint axes JT1 to JT6, respectively. The operations of the arm drive devices AM1-AM6 are controlled by the control device 130. FIG. Although not limited to this, in the present embodiment, each of the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6 uses electric power as a power source and has a servo motor as an electric motor for driving them. Note that the number of joint axes of the robot arm 110 is not limited to six, and may be seven or more, or may be one or more and five or less.

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

[Configuration of Robot Hand 120]
A detailed configuration of the robot hand 120 of the robot 100 will be described. FIG. 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 section 123, and a sensor . The base 121 is attached to the tip of the link 110 f of the robot arm 110 . Conveyor 122 and insert 123 are attached to and supported by base 121 .

The base 121 includes a plate-shaped support portion 121a that supports the conveyor 122 placed on its upper surface 121aa, 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. Direction D1a is a direction perpendicular to upper surface 121aa, and direction D1b is a direction opposite to direction D1a. The stopper 121b protrudes in the direction D1a from the conveyor 122 placed on the upper surface 121aa.

Conveyor 122 is configured as a belt conveyor. The conveyor 122 can convey the article A placed thereon in opposite directions D2a and D2b. Directions D2a and D2b are conveying directions of the conveyor 122 . For example, the direction D2a is the conveying direction when the article A placed on the conveyor 122 is unloaded, and the direction D2b is the conveying direction when the article A is loaded on the conveyor 122. The conveyor 122 is arranged and fixed to the upper surface 121aa of the support portion 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 conveyor belt 122d, and a conveyor drive device 122e.

A plurality of rollers 122a and 122b are arranged in direction D2a or D2b, roller 122a being the driving roller and roller 122b being the 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 conveying belt 122d is a ring-shaped endless belt that is stretched around the rollers 122a and 122b. A conveyor drive 122e rotates the roller 122a. Although not limited to this, in the present embodiment, the conveyor drive device 122e uses electric power as a power source and has a servo motor as an electric motor for driving it. A servo motor is one example of a conveyor drive motor. Conveyor drive 122e and roller 122a are located at end 122f of conveyor 122. As shown in FIG. The operation of conveyor drive 122 e is controlled by controller 130 . Conveyor drive 122e may be powered by robot 100, a power supply of robot 100, or another power supply.

When the conveyor driving device 122e rotates the roller 122a in one direction, the roller 122a causes the conveyor belt 122d to rotate around the rollers 122a and 122b in one direction, whereby the conveyor surface 122da of the conveyor belt 122d moves in the direction D2b. That is, it moves toward the stopper 121b. The conveying surface 122da is the outer peripheral surface of the portion of the conveying belt 122d positioned in the direction D1a with respect to the rollers 122a and 122b. Therefore, the conveyor 122 conveys the article A placed on the conveying surface 122da in the direction D2b.

When the conveyor drive device 122e rotates the roller 122a in the opposite direction, the roller 122a rotates the conveying belt 122d in the opposite direction, thereby moving the conveying surface 122da in the direction D2a, that is, away from the stopper 121b. Therefore, the conveyor 122 conveys the article A placed on the conveying surface 122da in the direction D2a.

The insertion portion 123 is arranged at an end portion 121ac of the support portion 121a opposite to the end portion 121ab. The conveyor 122 is positioned between the insertion portion 123 and the stopper 121b, and the insertion portion 123 is adjacent to the end portion 122g of the conveyor 122 in the direction D2a. The stopper 121b, the conveyor 122 and the insertion portion 123 are arranged in this order in the direction D2a. That is, the insertion portion 123 is arranged at the end portion 122g of the conveyor 122 in the conveying direction D2a of the conveyor 122. As shown in FIG.

The insertion portion 123 may be integrally formed of the same material as the support portion 121a, or the insertion portion 123 as a separate component may be attached to the support portion 121a. The insertion portion 123 extends in the direction D2a from the end portion 121ac of the support portion 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 floor surface. In this embodiment, the insertion portion 123 has an inclined upper surface 123a facing the direction D1a, and the inclined upper surface 123a extends in a direction that obliquely intersects the conveying surface 122da of the conveyor 122. As shown in FIG. Specifically, the inclined upper surface 123a is inclined in the direction D1b as it goes in the direction D2a.

The insertion portion 123 has a tapered shape that tapers toward the tip in the direction D2a. Specifically, the thickness of the insertion portion 123 in the direction D1a or D1b decreases toward the direction D2a. Also, the width of the insertion portion 123 in the direction D3a or D3b (see FIG. 1) is substantially constant, but may decrease toward the direction D2a. Directions D3a and D3b are directions opposite to each other and directions along top surface 121aa perpendicular to directions D1a, D1b, D2a and D2b. Although the directions D1a and D1b and the directions D2a and D2b are substantially perpendicular in the present embodiment, the directions are not limited to this and may cross each other obliquely.

Although not limited to this, in the present embodiment, the insertion portion 123 is configured to have a height that does not protrude from the transport surface 122da in the direction D1a with the support portion 121a as a reference. That is, the inclined upper surface 123a is configured so as not to protrude from the transport surface 122da in the direction D1a. Also, the height of the insertion portion 123 in the direction D1a may be 1/2 or more of the height of the conveyor 122 in the direction D1a. For example, the highest portion of the inclined upper surface 123a may be at a height equal to or higher than the axial center of the roller 122a or 122b adjacent to the insertion portion 123. FIG. Moreover, the width of the inclined upper surface 123a in the direction D3a or D3b may be any width on which the article A to be conveyed can be placed, and may be larger or smaller than the width of the conveying surface 122da. good too.

In the present embodiment, the shape of the insertion portion 123 as described above is assumed to be a wedge-like triangular prism shape, but the shape is not limited to this. For example, the inclined upper surface 123a is a flat surface in this embodiment, but may be curved or bent. For example, the inclined upper surface 123a may be curved or bent so as to draw a convex or concave arc or polygonal line toward 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 . Sensor 124 may be a contact sensor or a non-contact sensor. For example, the contact sensor may be a bumper sensor, a pressure sensor, a contact displacement sensor, or the like, which detects contact with an object to detect the approach of the object. Non-contact sensors detect the approach of an object by detecting the approach of an object or the distance to the object, such as photoelectric sensors (also called "beam sensors"), laser sensors, laser lidar, and ultrasonic sensors. It may be a sensor that Although not limited to this, in the present embodiment, the sensor 124 is a non-contact sensor, is arranged on the stopper 121b, and uses the conveying surface 122da of the conveying belt 122d as the detection target area.

The robot hand 120 as described above can load the articles A on the conveying surface 122da of the conveyor 122 and unload the articles A on the conveying surface 122da. For example, when a part of the article A on the inclined upper surface 123a of the insertion portion 123 is placed on the conveying surface 122da of the conveyor 122, the conveyor 122 drives the conveying surface 122da to move in the direction D2b. By the action of the frictional force between the conveying belt 122d and the article A, the article A can be pulled in the direction D2b and the entire article A can be placed on the conveying surface 122da. Furthermore, even if the conveyor 122 continues to drive after the entire article A is placed on the conveying surface 122da, the article A is prevented from moving in the direction D2b by abutting the stopper 121b, and the article A is placed on the conveying surface 122da. The fall of the article A from the is suppressed.

When the article A is placed on the conveying surface 122da, the conveyor 122 moves the article A in the direction D2a by driving the conveying surface 122da in the direction D2a. The entire article A can be lowered onto the inclined upper surface 123 a of the insertion portion 123 by the action of the frictional force with the article A.

<Control device 130>
A configuration of the control device 130 will be described. The control device 130 controls the operations of the robot arm 110, the robot hand 120, and the carrier 240 according to a program stored in advance in a storage unit (not shown) based on operation commands and the like received from the operation device 210. FIG. The control device 130 does not control the operations of the robot arm 110, the robot hand 120, and the transport vehicle 240 individually, but controls them by linking them to each other to realize the operations in cooperation with each other. For example, the control device 130 causes the control of one of the robot arm 110, the robot hand 120, and the carrier 240 to reflect information obtained from the other two.

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

The operation information processing section 130a, the conveyor control section 130b, the hand position detection section 130c, the arm control section 130d, the arm position detection section 130e, the carrier control section 130f, the carrier position detection section 130g, and the information output section 130h. The functions are implemented by a computer system (not shown) comprising a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), and non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read-Only Memory). may Some or all of the functions of the above components may be implemented by the CPU using the RAM as a work area and executing a program recorded in the ROM. Some or all of the functions of the above components may be realized by the computer system, or may be realized by dedicated hardware circuits such as electronic circuits or integrated circuits. It may be realized by a combination.

The storage unit 130i can store various types of information and enables reading of the stored information. The storage unit 130i is realized by a storage device such as a semiconductor memory such as a volatile memory and a nonvolatile memory, a hard disk, and an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 130i stores parameters, thresholds, and the like used by each component. The storage unit 130i may store programs executed by each component.

The operation information processing unit 130 a outputs an operation command acquired 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 section 130b controls the operation of the conveyor driving device 122e according to commands acquired via the operation information processing section 130a. Specifically, the conveyor control unit 130b controls the 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. Further, when the conveyor control unit 130b receives a detection signal indicating that an object is approaching the sensor 124 from the sensor 124, the conveyor control unit 130b stops the conveyor driving device 122e.

The hand position detector 130c and the control device 130 are an example of a detection device. The hand position detection section 130c detects the position of the insertion section 123 with respect to the article A. FIG. 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 detecting the output load generated in each arm drive device AM1 to AM6. do. Further, the hand position detection unit 130c acquires information on the input load generated in each of the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6 from the arm control unit 130d. The hand position detection unit 130c detects whether or not 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 arm drive device AM1-AM6. For example, the hand position detection section 130c may detect that the tip of the insertion section 123 is in contact with the article A when the load difference among the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6 is equal to or greater than a threshold.

Here, the output current, input load and output load of the arm driving devices AM1-AM6 are an example of information regarding the operation of the arm driving devices AM1-AM6. The information regarding the operation of the arm driving devices AM1-AM6 may include the strain amounts of the joint axes JT1-JT6 and the links 110a-110f. It is also possible to detect the presence or absence of contact between the tip of the insertion portion 123 and the article A using such a strain amount.

Further, the hand position detection unit 130c acquires information such as the position, orientation, 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 to determine the position, Acquire information such as posture, moving direction, and moving speed. The hand position detection section 130c detects the position of the insertion section 123 using the above information. For example, the hand position detection unit 130c detects that the insertion unit 123 is in contact with the article A and is moving in a direction intersecting, more specifically, perpendicular to the projecting direction. When 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 arranged adjacent to each other. For example, the position corresponding to the gap may be a position above the gap in the vertical direction or a position lateral to the gap in the horizontal direction.

The arm control unit 130d causes the robot arm 110 to perform corresponding operations by controlling the operations of the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6 according to commands obtained via the operation information processing unit 130a. The arm control unit 130d causes the robot arm 110 to operate based on the position, attitude, movement direction, movement speed, etc. of each link 110a to 110f of the robot arm 110 obtained from the arm position detection unit 130e.

The arm position detector 130e detects the positions and postures of the links 110a to 110f of the robot arm 110. FIG. Specifically, the arm position detection unit 130e acquires information on the amount of movement such as the amount of rotation from the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6, and detects the positions and orientations of the links 110a to 110f based on the amount of movement. Furthermore, the arm position detection unit 130e detects the moving direction and moving speed of each link 110a-110f from the change in the position and attitude of each link 110a-110f.

The transport vehicle control unit 130f controls the operation of the transport driving device 240a of the transport vehicle 240 according to the command acquired via the operation information processing unit 130a, thereby causing the transport vehicle 240 to perform the corresponding operation. The guided vehicle control unit 130f causes the guided vehicle 240 to move based on the position and orientation of the guided vehicle 240 obtained from the guided vehicle position detection unit 130g.

The transport vehicle position detection unit 130 g detects the position and orientation of the transport vehicle 240 . Specifically, the carriage position detection unit 130g acquires information on the amount of movement, such as the amount of rotation of the servomotor, from the carriage driving device 240a, and detects the position and orientation of the carriage 240 based on the amount of movement. . In addition, the transport vehicle 240 may include a position measuring device such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver and an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). The guided vehicle position detection unit 130g may detect the position and orientation of the guided vehicle 240 using the received signal of the GPS receiver or the acceleration and angular velocity measured by the IMU. For example, the transport vehicle position detection unit 130g may detect a weak induced current from an electric wire embedded in the floor surface, and detect the position and orientation of the transport vehicle 240 based on the detected value.

The information output unit 130 h outputs output information such as operation results and detection results of each component of the control device 130 to the operation device 210 and/or the output device 230 . The information output unit 130 h also outputs a screen for operating the robot 100 to the operation device 210 and/or the output device 230 .

Also, an example of the relationship between the control device 130 and each driving device will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 130 and each drive device according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 130 inputs and outputs information and commands to the servo motors of the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6, the servo motor of the conveyor driving device 122e, and the servo motor of the transport driving device 240a. is configured to The control device 130 controls the operation of all the servo motors of the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6, the conveyor drive device 122e and the transfer drive device 240a.

Each servo motor has an electric motor and an encoder that detects the rotation angle of the rotor of the electric motor. Each servo motor operates an electric motor according to commands and information output from the control device 130 and outputs detection values of encoders to the control device 130 . The control device 130 detects the rotation amount and rotation speed of the rotor of each servomotor based on the detection value of the encoder fed back from each servomotor, and uses the detection result to start and stop rotation of the servomotor. , to control the rotational speed and rotational torque. Thereby, the control device 130 can stop each servomotor at an arbitrary rotational position, rotate it at an arbitrary rotational speed, and operate it with an arbitrary rotational torque. Therefore, the control device 130 can operate all of the robot arm 110, the conveyor 122, and the carrier 240 in various and precise ways.

<Operation of Robot System 1>
An example of the operation of the robot system 1 will be described. First, an example of the loading operation in which the robot 100 places the uppermost article A1 among the articles A stacked vertically on the robot hand 120 will be described. It is assumed that this operation is a master-slave operation in which the operator P uses the operation device 210 to cause the robot 100 and the carrier 240 to perform each operation. In this case, for example, the operating device 210 may constitute a master arm at hand of the operator P, and the robot 100 may constitute a remote slave arm. The slave arm is then configured to trace the motion of the master arm given by the operator P. As a result, it is easy for the slave arm to accurately realize the motion desired by the operator P. Also, the operator P can easily perceive the motion of the slave arm via the master arm.

6 to 9 are side views showing one loading operation of the robot system 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, first, in the robot movement step, the operator P inputs a command to the operation device 210 to move the transport vehicle 240 to the pile of articles A including the article A1 to be carried out. At this time, the operator P may input information on the position of the destination to the operation device 210, and the control device 130 may automatically run the transport vehicle 240 according to the information. Alternatively, the operator P may operate the operation device 210 while viewing a screen or the like displayed on the output device 230 to cause the transport vehicle 240 to travel.

Next, as shown in the hand movement step in FIG. 6, after the transport vehicle 240 arrives in front of the article A1, the operator P operates the operation device 210 while viewing the screen of the output device 230 or the like. The robot arm 110 is operated to move the robot hand 120 to the side of the article A1. The control device 130 outputs information on the posture of the robot hand 120 to the operation device 210 or the like, and the operator P determines whether the tip of the insertion section 123 faces the side surface of the article A1 and the conveyer 122 is conveyed based on the information on the posture. The attitude of the robot hand 120 is adjusted so that the surface 122da is horizontal.

Next, as shown in the contact step in FIG. 7, the operator P horizontally moves the robot hand 120 so that the tip of the insertion portion 123 in the direction D2a comes into contact with the side surface of the article A1 from the side. Further, the operator P lowers the robot hand 120 while keeping the insertion portion 123 in contact. Control device 130 outputs information indicating the presence or absence of contact between insertion portion 123 and article A1 to operation device 210 and 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 portion 123 and the article A1 are in a non-contact state. At this time, the tip of the insertion portion 123 faces the gap between the article A1 and the article A below it in the horizontal direction. It should be noted that the lowering of the robot hand 120 may be automatically stopped when the control device 130 detects the non-contact state.

Further, the operator P moves the robot hand 120 in the horizontal direction D2a. Thereby, the insertion portion 123 is inserted into the 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 to rotate the conveying belt 122d of the conveyor 122 so as to move the conveying surface 122da in the direction D2b.

As a result, the article A1 is first placed on the inclined upper surface 123a of the insertion portion 123, is lifted obliquely, and moves on the inclined upper surface 123a in the direction D2b. When the article A1 contacts the conveyor belt 122d at the end 122g of the conveyor 122, the article A1 is drawn in the direction D2b by the revolving conveyor belt 122d, and the entire article A1 is placed on the conveying surface 122da. The article A1 on the transport surface 122da is transported in the direction D2b by the transport belt 122d. When the sensor 124 sends a detection signal indicating the approach of the article A1 to the control device 130, the control device 130 stops the conveyor drive device 122e. The coefficient of friction between the conveyor belt 122d and the article A1 is higher than the coefficient of friction between the inclined upper surface 123a of the insertion portion 123 and the article A1 so that the conveyor belt 122d can stably pull in the article A1. Large is preferred.

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 conveyor belt 122d. For example, the timing for stopping the movement of the robot hand 120 may be the timing for stopping the conveyor driving device 122e, and the tip of the insertion portion 123 contacts the article A adjacent to the article A1 in the depth direction D2a. It can be timing. The movement of the robot hand 120 may be stopped by the operator P via the operation device 210 or automatically by the control device 130 . For example, the control device 130 may detect contact between the article A1 and the conveyor belt 122d based on the difference between the output load and the input load of the conveyor drive device 122e, similar to the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6. Further, the control device 130 may detect contact between the insertion portion 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, and 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 article A1 has been placed on the transfer surface 122da, the operator P operates the robot arm 110 to move the article A1 placed on the robot hand 120 to the article. Carry out from mountain A and move to the destination.

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

Next, an example of unloading 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 showing one unloading operation 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 to be unloaded, the operator P moves the robot hand 120 by operating the operation device 210, and moves the insertion portion 123. The tip of the The control device 130 outputs information indicating whether or not there is contact between the insertion portion 123 and the floor surface to the operation device 210 or the like, and the operator P adjusts the position and attitude of the robot hand 120 based on the information about whether or not there is contact. .

Next, as shown in the sending step of FIG. 11, when the positioning of the insertion portion 123 is completed, the operator P stops moving the robot hand 120 and activates the conveyor driving device 122e. The conveyor driving device 122e rotates the conveying belt 122d so as to move the conveying surface 122da in the direction D2a. As a result, the article A1 moves in the direction D2a together with the conveying surface 122da and is placed on the inclined upper surface 123a of the insertion portion 123. As shown in FIG. Furthermore, the article A1 is moved by the conveyor belt 122d and contacts the floor surface. The operator P or the control device 130 may tilt the robot hand 120 so that the transport surface 122da is tilted in order to smoothly move the article A1 from the tilted upper surface 123a to the floor surface. Note that the control device 130 may detect the contact of the article A1 to the floor based on the load of the conveyor drive device 122e and output the detection result to the operation device 210 or the like.

Next, as shown in the placement step of FIG. 12, after the article A1 contacts the floor surface, the operator P moves the robot hand 120 horizontally in the direction D2a or D2b to position the article A1. Adjust. When the article A1 is removed from the conveying belt 122d and the positioning of the article A1 is completed, the operator P moves the robot hand 120 in the horizontal direction toward the direction D2b to move the insertion portion 123 between the article A1 and the floor surface. pull out from between. Thereby, the article A1 is placed on the floor surface. Note that the control device 130 may detect the presence or absence of the article A1 on the conveyor belt 122d based on the load of the conveyor drive device 122e, and output the detection result to the operation device 210 or the like.

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

<Effects, etc.>
As described above, the robot hand 120 according to the embodiment includes a conveyor 122 having an endless conveyor belt 122d for conveying articles, and an insertion belt disposed at an end 122g of the conveyor 122 in the conveying direction D2a of the conveyor 122. The insertion portion 123 has a shape that allows it to be inserted into a gap between adjacently arranged articles.

According to the above configuration, the robot hand 120 inserts the insertion portion 123 into the gap between the articles, lifts the article on the insertion section 123, and transfers the lifted article to the conveyor belt 122d of the conveyor 122. can be contacted. Furthermore, by driving the conveyor 122, the robot hand 120 can pull the article onto the conveyor belt 122d by the action of the frictional force between the article and the conveyor belt 122d, and place the article on the conveyor belt 122d. Thus, the robotic hand 120 allows stationary articles to be placed on the conveyor 122 and transferred.

Further, in the robot hand 120 according to the embodiment, the insertion portion 123 may have an inclined upper surface 123a extending in a direction that obliquely intersects the conveying surface 122da of the conveying belt 122d. For example, the insertion portion 123 may have a tapered shape in which the thickness in the direction D1a or D1b, which is the direction perpendicular to the conveying surface 122da, is reduced. According to the above configuration, the robot hand 120 inserts the insertion portion 123 into the gap between the articles, thereby placing the article on the inclined upper surface 123a and lifting it obliquely. Thereby, the robot hand 120 can place at least part of the article on the conveyor belt 122d.

Further, in the robot hand 120 according to the embodiment, the insertion portion 123 does not need to protrude beyond the conveying surface 122da of the conveying belt 122d in the direction D1a perpendicular to the conveying surface 122da. According to the above configuration, the insertion portion 123 is inserted into the gap between the articles, so that the articles placed on the insertion portion 123 easily come into contact with the conveying belt 122d. This makes it easier for the conveyor 122 to pull the article onto the conveyor 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 that drives the conveyor 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 pipes that are required when pneumatic pressure, liquid pressure, or the like is used as a drive source. Further, the robot hand 120 can receive power from the power supply of the robot 100 . Therefore, the freedom of installation and movement of the robot hand 120 is improved.

Further, 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 portion 123 is at a position corresponding to the gap between adjacently arranged articles. According to the above configuration, it is possible to reliably insert the insertion portion 123 into the gap between the articles.

Further, 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 servo motors, and the control device 130 controls the arm driving devices AM1 to AM6. It may be possible to detect that the insertion portion 123 is at a position corresponding to the gap between the adjacently arranged articles by obtaining information about the motion and using the information about the motion of the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6. According to the above configuration, there is no need for a dedicated device for detecting that the insertion portion 123 is at the position corresponding to the gap between the articles. Therefore, the configuration of the robot hand 120 can be simplified.

The robot 100 according to the embodiment also includes a robot hand 120 , a robot arm 110 connected to the robot hand 120 , and a control device 130 that controls operations of the robot hand 120 and the robot arm 110 . According to the above configuration, effects similar to those of the robot hand 120 according to the embodiment can be obtained.

In addition, in the robot 100 according to the embodiment, the robot arm 110 has a plurality of joints driven by the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6 having servo motors, and the conveyor 122 has a conveyor drive motor that drives the conveyor belt 122d. You may have a servo motor as. In addition, the controller 130 may control the operation of the servomotors of the conveyor 122 and the operation of the servomotors of the arm drives AM1-AM6. According to the above configuration, the servomotor can stop the rotor at any rotational position, rotate the rotor at any rotational speed, and generate any rotational torque. Therefore, the conveyor 122 and the robot arm 110 can perform various and precise movements.

Also, the robot system 1 according to the embodiment includes a robot 100 and an operation device 210 for operating the robot 100 . According to the above configuration, effects similar to those of the robot hand 120 according to the embodiment can be obtained.

(Other embodiments)
Although examples of embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. That is, various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, the scope of the present invention also includes configurations in which various modifications are applied to the embodiments, and configurations constructed by combining components of different embodiments.

For example, in the embodiment, the shape of the insertion portion 123 of the robot hand 120 is tapered toward the tip, but the shape is not limited to this. The insertion portion 123 may have any shape as long as it can be inserted into the gap between adjacent articles and/or the gap between the article and the floor surface. For example, the shape of the insertion portion 123 may be a shape in which the thickness is substantially constant toward the distal end, or a shape in which the thickness increases toward the distal end. Also, the shape of the insertion portion 123 may be such that the width increases toward the tip. For example, the following insertion portion can be exemplified.

For example, FIG. 13 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of a modification of the robot hand according to the embodiment. An insertion portion 123A of a robot hand 120A shown in FIG. 13 has an inclined upper surface 123Aa similar to the inclined upper surface 123a of the insertion portion 123 of the embodiment. However, the thickness of the insertion portion 123A in direction D1a or D1b is substantially constant in direction D2a. That is, the insertion portion 123A has a plate-like shape that is inclined with respect to the conveying surface 122da of the conveying belt 122d. Such an insertion portion 123A can be inserted into a gap between adjacent articles and/or a gap between the article and the floor surface. Furthermore, since the robot arm 110 can freely change the posture of the robot hand 120A, the insertion portion 123A can be inserted into the gap. Note that the insertion portion 123A is inclined in the direction D1b toward the direction D2a, but may be inclined in the direction D1a.

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

In the embodiment, the control device 130 detects the position and contact of the insertion portion 123 with respect to the article based on changes in the loads of the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6 of the robot arm 110, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, links 110a-110f, such as link 110f of robot arm 110, may be provided with force sensors that detect the magnitude and direction of force. Then, the control device 130 may detect the position and contact of the insertion portion 123 based on the detection signal of the force sensor.

Alternatively, a non-contact sensor such as a photoelectric sensor, a laser sensor, a laser rider, or an ultrasonic sensor may be provided in or near the insertion portion 123 . The control device 130 may detect the position and contact of the insertion portion 123 based on the detection signal of the non-contact sensor.

Alternatively, an imaging device that captures an image of the distal end of the insertion section 123 may be provided at or near the insertion section 123 . Examples of imaging devices are digital cameras and digital video cameras. The imaging device may be arranged so as to be able to capture an image including the tip of the insertion section 123 and the article approaching the tip. The control device 130 may detect the article and the positional relationship such as the distance between the insertion portion 123 and the article by analyzing the image captured by the imaging device.

Further, in the embodiment, the control device 130 detects whether or not there is contact with the conveyor belt 122d based on changes in the load of the conveyor drive device 122e, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control device 130 uses the loads of the arm drive devices AM1 to AM6 of the robot arm 110 and the detection signals of the force sensors provided on the robot arm 110 together with the load of the conveyor drive device 122e, or May be used as an alternative.

Also, in the embodiment, the robot 100 is a vertically articulated robot, but it is not limited to this. For example, robot 100 may be configured as a polar coordinate robot, a cylindrical coordinate robot, a rectangular coordinate robot, a horizontal articulated robot, or any other robot.

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

Also, in the embodiment, the robot system 1 includes the imaging device 220 and the output device 230, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the robot system 1 may be configured to be directly viewed by the operator P without including the imaging device 220 and the output device 230 .

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 the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the robot system 1 may be configured to operate the robot 100 and carrier 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 work content to the operation device 210 . In such a fully automatic robot system, for example, the control device, based on the detection signal of the proximity sensor provided at the tip of the robot arm, the analysis value of the image of the camera provided at the tip of the robot arm, etc., You may control each operation|movement of a robot arm and a robot hand.

1 Robot System 100 Robot 110 Robot Arm 120 Robot Hand 122 Conveyor 122d Conveyor Belt 122da Conveyor Surface 122e Conveyor Drive Device (Conveyor Drive Motor)
122g end portion 123 insertion portion 130 control device (detection device)
210 operation device AM1 to AM6 arm driving device

Claims (6)

A robot hand for moving an article,
a conveyor having an endless belt for conveying articles;
an insert arranged at one end of the conveyor in the conveying direction of the conveyor;
a stopper arranged adjacent to the other end of the conveyor in the conveying direction and the belt on the downstream side in the conveying direction , the stopper protruding from the conveying surface of the belt on which articles are placed; ,
a sensor for detecting approach of an article on the conveying surface to the stopper ;
a conveyor controller ;
The insertion part has a shape that can be inserted into a gap between adjacently arranged articles,
the conveyor has a conveyor drive motor that drives the belt;
The conveyor controller comprises:
controlling operation of the conveyor drive motor;
A robot hand that stops the conveyor drive motor upon receiving a signal from the sensor indicating the approach of an article . The robot hand according to claim 1, further comprising a detection device that detects that the insertion portion is at a position corresponding to a gap between adjacent articles. 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
obtaining information about the operation of the arm driving device;
3. The robot hand according to claim 2 , wherein information on the operation of the arm driving device is used to detect that the insertion section is at a position corresponding to a gap between adjacently arranged articles. a robot hand according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ;
a robot arm connected to the robot hand;
A robot, comprising: a control device that controls operations of the robot hand and the robot arm. The robot arm has a plurality of joints driven by an arm driving device having a servomotor,
The conveyor has a servo motor as the conveyor drive motor,
5. The robot according to claim 4 , wherein the control device controls the operation of the servomotor of the conveyor as the conveyor control device , and controls the operation of the servomotor of the arm drive device. a robot according to claim 4 or 5 ;
and an operating device for operating the robot.

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