JP7553804B2 - ROBOT SYSTEM, ROBOT OPERATING PROGRAM, AND ROBOT OPERATING METHOD - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a robot system, a robot operation program, and a robot operation method.

In recent years, technology has been developed to allow robots to perform tasks that were previously performed by humans. One such technology is the pouring of liquid from containers such as plastic bottles, glass bottles, and paper containers into other containers such as glasses. Such technology is sometimes used for purposes such as resolving labor shortages, improving productivity, or hosting events for guests. Considering versatility and the ability to work with humans, it is preferable for such technology to use commercially available containers. However, plastic bottles, glass bottles, paper containers, and the like come in a variety of shapes and capacities, and there are issues such as the difficulty of pouring the specified amount as quickly as a human can.

JP 2020-59108 A

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a robot system, a robot operation program, and a robot operation method that can quickly pour the contents of a target container using a robot.

The robot system of the embodiment includes a robot having a holding unit attached to the end of an arm and capable of holding a target pouring container, a correlation data storage unit that stores correlation data that indicates the correlation between the tilt angle when the pouring container held by the holding unit is tilted and the weight of the pouring container including the contents at the tilt angle based on the case where the pouring container is filled to the full capacity, a pouring weight setting processing unit that executes a pouring weight setting process that sets the pouring weight, which is the weight at which the contents of the pouring container are poured, and a current weight of the pouring container including the contents. The apparatus includes a current weight acquisition processing unit capable of executing a current weight acquisition process to acquire a current weight, which is the weight of the source container; a target angle setting processing unit capable of executing a target angle setting process to calculate a post-pouring weight, which is the weight of the source container after pouring, by subtracting the pouring weight from the current weight, and to set an angle at which the source container is tilted from the post-pouring weight based on the correlation data as a target angle; and a pouring processing unit capable of executing a pouring process to tilt the source container until it reaches the target angle while holding the source container with the holding unit by operating the robot, thereby pouring the contents of the source container.

In addition, the robot operation program according to the embodiment includes a robot having a holding unit attached to the end of an arm and capable of holding a target pouring container, a correlation data storage unit storing correlation data that is data showing the correlation between the tilt angle when the pouring container held by the holding unit is tilted and the weight of the contents remaining in the pouring container at the tilt angle, and a control device that can control the operation of the robot. When pouring the contents of a container, the CPU of the control device can execute a pouring weight setting process that sets the pouring weight, which is the weight of the contents of the pouring container to be poured, a current weight acquisition process that acquires the current weight of the pouring container including the contents, a target angle setting process that calculates a post-pouring weight, which is the weight of the pouring container after pouring, by subtracting the pouring weight from the current weight, and sets the angle at which the pouring container is tilted from the post-pouring weight based on the correlation data as a target angle, and a pouring process that operates the robot to tilt the pouring container until it reaches the target angle while holding the pouring container with the holding unit, and pours the contents of the pouring container.

In addition, the robot operation method according to the embodiment is a method of pouring the contents of a container using a robot having a holding part attached to the end of an arm and capable of holding a target pouring container, a correlation data storage part storing correlation data that is data showing the correlation between the tilt angle when the pouring container held by the holding part is tilted and the weight of the contents remaining in the pouring container at the tilt angle, and a control device that can control the operation of the robot, and executes a pouring weight setting process that sets the pouring weight, which is the weight of the contents of the pouring container to be poured, a current weight acquisition process that acquires the current weight of the pouring container including the contents, a target angle setting process that calculates a post-pouring weight, which is the weight of the pouring container after pouring, by subtracting the pouring weight from the current weight, and sets the angle at which the pouring container is tilted from the post-pouring weight based on the correlation data as a target angle, and a pouring process that operates the robot to tilt the pouring container until it reaches the target angle while holding the pouring container with the holding part, and pours the contents of the pouring container.

When pouring liquid or other contents from a source container to a destination container, a so-called feedback control can be used, for example by continuously measuring the amount of contents flowing out of the source container or continuously measuring the changes in the weight of the source container and destination container, and tilting the source container back when a specified amount is reached. However, with feedback control, the robot is operated based on the results of measurements from a weighing scale or the like, so the operation becomes slow when trying to accurately control the pouring weight, and overshooting is likely to occur when trying to pour quickly.

In contrast, the robot system, robot operation program, and robot operation method of this configuration do not require feedback from other devices such as a weighing scale when performing the pouring action by the pouring process, and can therefore operate relatively quickly. Furthermore, because the robot system, robot operation program, and robot operation method of this configuration only require tilting to the target angle, overshooting is unlikely to occur, and therefore the specified pour weight can be poured relatively accurately. In this way, with this configuration, the contents of the pouring container can be poured quickly and relatively accurately.

FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually illustrating a configuration of a robot system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a robot system according to a first embodiment; 1 is a flowchart showing an example of control content in correlation data acquisition processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a behavior mode of a robot when a correlation data acquisition process is executed in the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a behavior mode of a robot when a correlation data acquisition process is executed in the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a behavior mode of a robot when a correlation data acquisition process is executed in the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a behavior mode of a robot when a correlation data acquisition process is executed in the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a behavior mode of a robot when a correlation data acquisition process is executed in the first embodiment; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a behavior mode of a robot when a correlation data acquisition process is executed in the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of correlation data acquired in a correlation data acquisition process according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a graph illustrating an example of correlation data according to the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of setting a start angle and a target angle of correlation data in the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a robot's behavior when the first embodiment is executed; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a behavioral aspect of a robot when the first embodiment is executed; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a behavioral aspect of the robot when the first embodiment is executed; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a behavioral aspect of a robot when the first embodiment is executed; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a robot's behavior when the first embodiment is executed. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a behavioral aspect of the robot when the first embodiment is executed; FIG. 13 is a graph conceptually illustrating an example of the relationship between the tilt angle and speed of the pouring container by the robot in the first embodiment. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of control contents during normal operation in the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a robot system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of data stored in a target angle storage process in the second embodiment; 11 is a flowchart showing an example of control contents during normal operation in the second embodiment.

Several embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that in each embodiment, the same components are given the same reference numerals and the description will be omitted.

First Embodiment
The first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the workpiece to be operated by the robot system 10 of this embodiment is assumed to be a plurality of types of containers 91 filled with contents M such as liquid. In this specification, the container filled with the contents M is referred to as the source container 91, and the container into which the contents M of the source container are poured is referred to as the destination container 92. The source containers 91 may have different shapes and capacities depending on their types. The contents M of the pouring container 91 are not limited to liquids, and may be any fluid object such as a powder, a gel or gel-like object, or an aggregate of small solids. The source container 91 may be a commercially available product such as a plastic bottle or bottle filled with a liquid such as a beverage. The destination container 92 may be a container such as a cup or glass into which a liquid such as a beverage is poured.

[Overall configuration]
The robot system 10 of this embodiment can be applied not only to restaurants, general households, various service facilities, or research and development sites for medicine, food, etc., but also to various situations where a fluid content such as a liquid is poured from one container to another. This embodiment is assumed to be applied to customer service in a restaurant such as a bar. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the interior of a restaurant to which the robot system 10 is applied. The robot system 10 of this embodiment has a function of receiving an instruction from a customer C, acquiring a specified type of source container 91, and pouring a specified amount of the content M in the source container 91 into a destination container 92.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the robot system 10 of this embodiment has a camera 11, an input/output device 12, a first weighing scale 131, a second weighing scale 132, a robot 20, and a control device 30. The camera 11 can capture, for example, a part or the whole of the working area of the robot 20, and can acquire information about the pouring source container 91 present in the working area of the robot 20. The camera 11 can be configured to be one or more. Note that the camera 11 is not limited to the camera 11 as long as it can acquire information about the pouring source container 91 present in the working area of the robot 20. Instead of the camera 11, for example, information about the pouring source container 91 present in the working area may be acquired using short-range wireless communication or the like. In addition, in the case of this embodiment, a storage shelf 81 and a work unit 82 are installed in the working area of the robot 20. The storage shelf 81 is a shelf for storing multiple pouring source containers 91.

In this embodiment, for simplicity, it is assumed that three types of pouring source containers 91 are stored on the storage shelf 81. In the following description, when distinguishing between the three types of pouring source containers 91, they will be referred to as the first pouring source container 911, the second pouring source container 912, and the third pouring source container 913, respectively. Each of the pouring source containers 911, 912, and 913 is a different type, i.e., a container with a different shape or capacity.

The workbench 82 functions as a platform for placing the destination container 92, for example, when the robot 20 pours the contents M of the source container 91 into the destination container 92. In this case, the workbench 82 can be the boundary between the work area of the robot 20 and the area where the customer C is present. In this embodiment, the first weighing scale 131 and the second weighing scale 132 are placed on the workbench 82. The destination container 92 is placed on the second weighing scale 132.

The input/output device 12 has a function of accepting operation input from customer C by touch of fingers or voice. The input/output device 12 is an operation terminal having at least one of a contact input unit 121, such as a touch panel display, that accepts the touch of customer C's fingers as operation input, and a voice input unit 122, such as a microphone, that accepts a specific voice uttered by customer C as operation input. The input/output device 12 can be configured, for example, as a so-called smartphone or tablet terminal having a touch panel display, microphone, and speaker.

The first weighing scale 131 and the second weighing scale 132 have the function of electrically outputting the weighing results to the outside, and can be configured as so-called digital weighing scales. Both the first weighing scale 131 and the second weighing scale 132 are arranged on the workbench 82. In this case, the first weighing scale 131 can measure the weight of the source container 91 including the contents M in the source container 91. In addition, the second weighing scale 132 can measure the weight of the contents M in the destination container 92, or the weight of the destination container 92 including the contents M in the destination container 92. In the following description, when the weight of the source container 91 and the weight of the destination container 92 are referred to, they mean the weight including the contents M, unless otherwise specified.

The robot 20 is, for example, a vertical multi-joint robot having a multi-joint arm 21, and is controlled by a control device 30. The robot 20 of this embodiment is designed to work in collaboration with humans, for example, and its operating speed, weight, etc. are designed so that a safety fence is not required in the operating environment.

The robot 20 may be, for example, a horizontal articulated robot, a parallel link robot, an orthogonal robot, etc. The robot 20 may also be one that assumes the installation of a safety fence. The robot 20 and the control device 30 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via wire or wirelessly. The control device 30 may also be connected to other external devices, such as a personal computer or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, so that they can communicate with each other via wire or wirelessly.

The robot 20 is, for example, a vertical articulated robot having six axes, and has a holding unit 22. The holding unit 22 is detachably attached to the tip of the arm 21. The holding unit 22 is a so-called robot hand tool, for example, called a chuck or gripper, and is configured to be openable and closable. The holding unit 22 grips the pouring source container 91 when closed, and releases its grip on the pouring source container 91 when opened. The holding unit 22 can grip various pouring source containers 91 of different sizes by adjusting the amount of opening and closing. In addition, the robot 20 has a motor for driving each axis, an encoder for detecting the rotation speed and position of each axis, and a brake for stopping the operation of each axis, although details are not shown.

The robot 20 is controlled by a control device 30 shown in FIG. 2. The camera 11, the input/output device 12, the first weighing scale 131, and the second weighing scale 132 are electrically connected to the control device 30. Data output from the camera 11, the input/output device 12, the first weighing scale 131, and the second weighing scale 132 is sent to the control device 30 for various processes. The control device 30 has a control unit 31. The control unit 31 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having, for example, a CPU 311 and a storage area 312 such as a ROM, a RAM, and a rewritable flash memory, and controls the operation of the entire robot 20.

The control device 30 has a drive unit composed of an inverter circuit and the like, the details of which are not shown, and drives each motor by, for example, feedback control based on the rotational position of the motor detected by an encoder provided corresponding to the motor that drives each axis of the robot 20. The control device 30 controls the robot 20 so that each axis of the robot 20 automatically executes a predetermined operation by executing a preset operation program. The control device 30 can also be configured by combining a processing device specialized for controlling the robot 20, called a robot controller, with a general-purpose processing device such as a personal computer.

The control device 30 has a correlation data storage unit 301. The correlation data storage unit 301 can be configured with internal or external storage such as, for example, a replaceable flash memory or a hard disk drive. The correlation data storage unit 301 can also be configured with a part of the memory area 312 of the control unit 31. The correlation data storage unit 301 stores, for example, the correlation data shown in FIG. 10. The control device 30 also stores a robot operation program for acquiring correlation data relating to the tilt angle θx of the pouring source container 91 and the weight of the pouring source container 91 at that tilt angle θx. The control device 30 can virtually realize the correlation data acquisition processing unit 32 by software by executing the robot operation program in the CPU 311.

[Initial Settings]
Next, an example of the initial setting of the robot system 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 3 to 11 as well. The initial setting of the robot system 10 is performed by a correlation data acquisition process executed by the correlation data acquisition processing unit 32. In other words, the correlation data acquisition process is an initial setting that is performed before the robot system 10 provides service to the customer C. The correlation data acquisition process includes a process of acquiring correlation data for each pouring source container 91 and storing it in the correlation data storage unit 301.

The correlation data is data that indicates the correlation between the tilt angle θx when the source container 91 held by the holding section 22 is tilted, and the weight of the source container 91 including the contents M at the tilt angle θx, based on the case where the source container 91 is filled to the maximum with the contents M. In this case, by calculating the difference in weight of the source container 91 between two tilt angles θx, it is possible to calculate the weight of the contents M that spills out when the source container 91 is tilted from one angle to another.

The example shown in FIG. 10 is based on a state in which the source container 91 is filled to the brim with the contents M, i.e., a state in which the contents M has not decreased since the new state. The example of correlation data shown in FIG. 10 is data showing the correlation between the tilt angle θx when the source container 91 is tilted and the weight of the source container 91 including the contents M at that tilt angle θx, and data showing the correlation between the tilt angle θx when the source container 91 held by the holding unit 22 of the robot 20 is tilted and the weight of the contents M poured into the destination container 92 at the tilt angle θx.

In this case, the weight of the source container 91 includes the weight of the contents M remaining in the source container 91, so the weight of the source container 91 at the tilt angle θx indirectly indicates the remaining amount of contents M remaining in the source container 91 at the tilt angle θx. In the example of FIG. 10, the current weight in the source container 91 at the tilt angle θx is shown as the "source container weight". Also, in the example of FIG. 10, the current weight of the contents M in the destination container 92, that is, the cumulative weight of the contents M poured from the source container 91, is shown as the "accumulated pouring weight". In this case, the "source container weight" and the "accumulated pouring weight" are essentially synonymous, with the only difference being whether the source container 91 or the destination container 92 is the object of interest. The correlation data is acquired for all source containers 91 that are the objects of the robot system 10.

The correlation data acquisition process is executed, for example, according to the flow of FIG. 3. The angle at which the pouring source container 91 is tilted, that is, the tilt angle, is based on the case where the pouring source container 91 is upright, that is, 0 degrees. In addition, the angle at which the pouring source container 91 is tilted in the correlation data acquisition process is set to a predetermined range from 0 degrees. That is, in the correlation data acquisition process, the pouring source container 91 is tilted from 0 degrees to a predetermined angle, the end angle θz. The end angle θz is set to an angle at which no contents remain in the container for most containers when a generally commercially available container is tilted at the end angle θz. The end angle θz can be set to, for example, around 135 degrees, but is not limited to a specific value and can be set appropriately depending on the type of pouring source container 91 to be targeted.

In the correlation data acquisition process of this embodiment, first, the cumulative pouring weight Ws is acquired when the pouring source container 91 is tilted at a tilt angle θx. Then, the value obtained by subtracting the cumulative pouring weight Ws from the initial weight W0 of the pouring source container 91 is calculated as the weight Wx of the pouring source container 91 at the tilt angle θx.

In the following description, the processing executed by the correlation data acquisition processing unit 32 is described as being mainly performed by the control device 30. When the control device 30 starts the control shown in FIG. 3 (START), in step S11 of FIG. 3, it measures and stores the initial value of the initial weight W0 of the target pouring source container 91. In this case, the pouring source container 91 is assumed to be filled to capacity with the contents M at the initial stage. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the robot 20 grasps the target pouring source container 91 with the holding unit 22 and takes it out from the storage shelf 81, and places it on the first weighing scale 131 as shown in FIG. 5. Then, the control device 30 obtains the current weight Wx of the pouring source container 91, that is, the weight W0 before the pouring process, from the first weighing scale 131. This initial weight W0 of the pouring source container 91 includes the weight of the pouring source container 91 itself and the weight of the contents M in the pouring source container 91.

In addition, in step S12 of FIG. 3, the control device 30 performs a zero point correction with the destination container 92 placed on the second weighing scale 132. As a result, in the subsequent processing, the weight measured by the second weighing scale 132 becomes the amount of contents M poured from the source container 91 to the destination container 92, i.e., the pouring cumulative weight Ws. In this case, the destination container 92 may be placed on the second weighing scale 132 by, for example, an operator, or may be placed on the second weighing scale 132 by the robot 20 before step S11. In addition, the order of execution of steps S11 and S12 does not matter, and they may be performed simultaneously, or step S12 may be performed before step S11.

In step S13, the control device 30 initializes the tilt angle θx, i.e., sets it to 0 degrees. Next, in step S14, the control device 30 operates the robot 20 to hold the source container 91 with the holding unit 22, and then moves the source container 91 to a position where the contents M in the source container 91 can be poured into the destination container 92, as shown in FIG. 6. Then, in steps S15 to S20, the control device 30 increases the tilt angle θx of the source container 91 by an incremental angle θd each time, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, to gradually pour the contents M in the source container 91 into the destination container 92.

That is, in step S15, the control device 30 first adds the increase angle θd to the tilt angle θx. In this case, the increase angle θd becomes the resolution of the correlation data. That is, by making the increase angle θd smaller, the accuracy of the correlation data increases, but the execution time of the correlation data acquisition process increases. On the other hand, by making the increase angle θd larger, the execution time of the correlation data acquisition process decreases, but the accuracy of the correlation data decreases. The increase angle θd can be set appropriately depending on the type of pouring source container 91, the required pouring accuracy, etc. In the case of this embodiment, the increase angle θd is set to, for example, about 2 degrees.

Next, in step S16, the control device 30 operates the robot 20 to tilt the source container 91 to a tilt angle θx. Then, in step S17, the control device 30 maintains the tilt angle θx for a predetermined period of time. In this case, the predetermined period is a period during which the flow of the contents M from the source container 91 ends when the angle of the source container 91 is increased by the increased angle θd, and is set to, for example, one second to a maximum of several seconds. The larger the increased angle θd, the greater the amount of contents M that flows out when the source container 91 is tilted. Therefore, the control device 30 can set the maintenance time to be longer the larger the increased angle θd, and conversely, set the maintenance time to be shorter the smaller the increased angle θd.

Then, in step S18 of FIG. 3, the control device 30 obtains the detection result from the second weighing scale 132, that is, the accumulated pouring weight Ws of the contents M in the destination container 92. Then, in step S19, the control device 30 calculates the current weight Wx of the source container 91 by subtracting the accumulated pouring weight Ws from the initial weight W0 of the source container 91. Then, in step S20, the control device 30 associates the type and current tilt angle θx of the destination container 92 with the current weight Ws of the source container 91 at that tilt angle θx and stores them, as shown in FIG. 10.

In this correlation data, the tilt angle θx, the remaining amount of the contents M in the source container 91, and the poured cumulative weight Ws of the contents M in the destination container 92 have a correlation as shown in FIG. 11. In this case, the control device 30 may store the numerical values shown in FIG. 10 as data indicating the correlation, or may store a correlation function calculated from the numerical values shown in FIG. 10, that is, the correlation function of the graph shown in FIG. 11.

Here, when a certain amount of contents is present in the source container 91, the angle immediately before the contents M start to flow out when the source container 91 is tilted is defined as the start angle θs. Then, for a new source container 91, i.e., a container that is full of contents M, the control device 30 stores the tilt angle θx immediately before the state switches from no accumulated pouring weight Ws to a state in which an accumulated pouring weight Ws has been generated, as shown in FIG. 7, as the initial value θs0 of the start angle θs of the source container 91. For example, in the example of FIG. 10, the initial value θs0 of the start angle θs of the first source container 911 is 60 degrees, and the initial value θs0 of the start angle θs of the second source container 912 is 62 degrees.

In step S21 of FIG. 3, the control device 30 determines whether the tilt angle θx has reached the end angle θz. If the tilt angle θx has not reached the end angle θz (NO in step S21), the control device 30 returns to step S15 and repeats steps S15 to S21 until the tilt angle θx reaches the end angle θz. As a result, the source container 91 is tilted stepwise by each incremental angle θd, and the contents M in the source container 91 are poured stepwise into the destination container 92. In this way, the correlation data is acquired automatically or semi-automatically.

Then, when the tilt angle θx reaches the end angle θz as shown in FIG. 8 (YES in step S21 in FIG. 3), the control device 30 executes the process of step S22. The process of step S22 is a process for determining whether steps S15 to S21 have been executed normally, that is, whether the contents M poured from the source container 91 has spilled outside the destination container 92.

In this case, the control device 30 measures the current weight Wx of the source container 91 and the accumulated pouring weight Ws of the destination container 92 after the correlation data has been acquired, for example as shown in FIG. 9. Then, it is determined whether the sum of the current weight Wx and the accumulated pouring weight Ws of the source container 91 is consistent before and after the processing of steps S15 to S21, that is, whether it is consistent with the initial weight W0 of the source container 91. If the sum of the current weight Wx and the accumulated pouring weight Ws of the source container 91 is different from the initial weight W0 of the source container 91 (NO in step S22), there is a possibility that the contents M may have spilled during the processing of steps S15 to S21. Therefore, the control device 30 issues an error notification in step S23 to notify the operator that the correlation data acquisition has failed. The control device 30 then ends the series of processes (END).

In addition, if the sum of the current weight Wx of the source container 91 and the cumulative pouring weight Ws is equal to the initial weight W0 of the source container 91 (YES in step S22), it can be determined that all of the contents M poured from the source container 91 has been poured into the destination container 92. Therefore, the control device 30 determines that the acquisition of correlation data has been successful, and ends the series of processes (END).

[Normal operation]
Next, as an example of a case where the robot system 10 is applied to the field of customer service in a restaurant or the like, the control content related to normal operation will be described with reference to Figs. 12 to 20. The normal operation is an operation executed when the robot system 10 provides service to a customer C. Note that when the operation of the robot system 10 does not involve customer service, the control content shown in Fig. 13 can also be referred to simply as a pouring operation, for example.

The control device 30 stores a robot operation program for pouring a specified amount of contents M from a source container 91 into a destination container 92, for example. The control device 30 executes the robot operation program in the CPU 311, thereby virtually implementing the source container setting processing unit 33, source container acquisition processing unit 34, pouring weight setting processing unit 35, current weight acquisition processing unit 36, start angle setting processing unit 37, target angle setting processing unit 38, pouring processing unit 39, judgment processing unit 40, and return processing unit 41 through software.

The source container setting processing unit 33 is capable of executing a source container setting process. The source container setting process includes, for example, when an instruction, i.e., an order, is input to the input/output device 12 from customer C, a process of identifying and setting a source container 91 containing the contents M to be poured based on the order details. In this case, the source container setting process may include a process of identifying a storage location for the specified source container 91. The order details also include information regarding the type and amount of beverage, etc., desired by customer C. In this case, customer C can instruct the robot system 10 on the order details by performing touch operations, voice operations, etc. on the input/output device 12 and inputting the type and amount of the desired beverage.

The source container acquisition processing unit 34 can execute the source container acquisition process. The source container acquisition process includes a process of grasping and acquiring the source container 91 set in the source container setting process with the holding unit 22 of the robot 20 from among a plurality of source containers 91 stored in the storage shelf 81 as shown in Figures 1 and 13. The source container acquisition processing unit 34 can execute the source container acquisition process, for example, as follows.

The control device 30 stores in advance the characteristics of the source container 91, such as the shape, color, and label. The source container acquisition processing unit 34 then executes the source container acquisition process to identify, from among the multiple source containers 91 captured in the image acquired by the camera 11, one that matches the characteristics of the source container 91 set in the source container setting process, and causes the robot 20 to go and retrieve the identified source container 91.

The source container acquisition processing unit 34 may also execute the source container acquisition process, for example, as follows. The control device 30 determines and stores the storage location of each source container 91 in advance. Then, the source container acquisition processing unit 34 executes the source container acquisition process to operate the robot 20 to retrieve the source container 91 that is set according to the stored storage location.

The pouring weight setting processing unit 35 is capable of executing a pouring weight setting process. The pouring weight setting process includes a process for setting the pouring weight Wd. The pouring weight Wd is the weight of the contents M poured from the pouring source container 91 to the pouring destination container 92. In addition, in the case of this embodiment, the pouring weight setting process sets the pouring weight Wd of the contents M of the target pouring source container 91 based on, for example, information regarding the amount included in the order details from the customer C to the input/output device 12. Note that when the contents M are liquid, the specific gravity of the contents M is approximately 1, so the pouring weight Wd can be expressed as the pouring weight or pouring volume, etc.

The current weight acquisition processing unit 36 is capable of executing a current weight acquisition process. The current weight acquisition process includes a process of acquiring the current weight W11, which is the current weight including the contents M of the target pouring container 91, by actual measurement or calculation. In the case of this embodiment, the current weight acquisition process includes a process of acquiring the measurement result of the first weighing scale 131, i.e., the actual measurement value, as the current weight W11 in the pouring container 91. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the current weight acquisition processing unit 36 operates the robot 20 to place the pouring container 91 removed from the storage shelf 81 in the pouring container acquisition process on the first weighing scale 131 and measure and acquire the current weight W11 of the pouring container 91.

The start angle setting processing unit 37 can execute a start angle setting process. The start angle setting process includes a process of acquiring the angle at which the contents M in the pouring source container 91 start to flow out from the pouring source container 91 when the pouring source container 91 is tilted as the start angle θs. In this case, for example, looking at the first pouring source container 911, if the first pouring source container 911 has just been opened and the contents M have not decreased, the start angle setting processing unit 37 sets the start angle θs to the initial value of 60 degrees surrounded by a thick line in FIG. 10. In addition, if the remaining amount acquired by the remaining amount acquisition process for the first pouring source container 911 is 490 g as indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 12, the start angle setting processing unit 37 sets the start angle θs to 64 degrees, which corresponds to the remaining amount of 490 g.

The target angle setting processing unit 38 is capable of executing a target angle setting process. The target angle setting process includes a process of calculating a post-pour weight W12, which is the weight of the source pouring container 91 after pouring, by subtracting the pouring weight Wd set in the pouring weight setting process from the current weight W11 acquired in the current weight acquisition process, and setting the angle at which the source pouring container 91 is tilted from the post-pour weight W12 based on the correlation data as the target angle θe. The target angle setting process also includes a process of setting the target angle θe using correlation data corresponding to the type of container set in the source pouring container setting process.

Specifically, when the type of the pouring source container 91 set in the pouring source container setting process, that is, the type of the pouring source container 91 specified by customer C, is, for example, the first pouring source container 911, the target angle setting processing unit 38 sets the target angle θe using the correlation data corresponding to the first pouring source container 911 among the correlation data for the multiple types of pouring source containers shown in FIG. 12. In this case, for example, if the current weight W11 acquired in the current weight acquisition process is 490g as indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 12, and the pouring weight Wd set in the pouring weight setting process, that is, the pouring weight Wd specified by customer C, is 150g, the target angle setting processing unit 38 calculates the difference of 340g as the post-pouring weight W12. Then, the target angle setting processing unit 38 sets the tilt angle θx when the post-pouring weight W12 is 340g, which is 84 degrees in this case, as the target angle θe, from the correlation data for the first pouring source container 911.

The pouring processing unit 39 is capable of executing a pouring process. As shown in Figures 15 to 17, the pouring process includes a process of operating the robot 20 to hold the target pouring container 91 with the holding unit 22, tilting the pouring container 91 until it reaches the target angle θe, and pouring the contents M in the pouring container 91. In this case, the pouring processing unit 39 includes a process of maintaining the posture, that is, the state in which the pouring container 91 is tilted at the target angle θe, for a predetermined period after the pouring container 91 has been tilted to the target angle θe. In this case, the predetermined period can be set arbitrarily, but is appropriately about one second to several seconds.

In addition, the pouring process in this embodiment includes a process for making the speed V1 of tilting the pouring source container 91 faster during the period from the state before the pouring process is executed, i.e., the state of 0 degrees, until the pouring source container 91 reaches the start angle θs than the speed V2 during the period from the start angle θs to the target angle θe, as shown in FIG. 19.

That is, when the pouring processing unit 39 executes the pouring process, it first operates the robot 20 to tilt the pouring source container 91 at a first speed V1 from 0 degrees to the starting angle θs, as shown in Figures 15 and 16. Next, as shown in Figure 16, when the tilt angle of the pouring source container 91 reaches the starting angle θs, the pouring processing unit 39 operates the robot 20 to tilt the pouring source container 91 at a second speed V2 slower than the first speed V1 until it reaches the target angle θe, as shown in Figures 16 and 17.

The judgment processing unit 40 is capable of executing a judgment process. The judgment process judges whether the pouring process is successful or not, i.e., whether the contents M poured from the source container 91 has spilled outside the destination container 92 or not. The judgment process includes, for example, a process of measuring the weight W22 of the destination container 92 after the pouring process is executed, and comparing the weight W22 after the pouring process with the weight W21 of the destination container 92 before the pouring process and the sum of the poured weight Wd, and judging that the pouring process was successful if the two match, and judging that the pouring process failed if they do not match. The judgment process may include, for example, a process of notifying an error if it is judged that the pouring process has failed.

The return processing unit 41 is capable of executing a return process. The return process includes, after the pouring process is executed, a process of operating the robot 20 to return the inclination of the pouring source container 91 to the original position and returning the pouring source container 91 to a predetermined position on the storage shelf 81, for example as shown in FIG. 18.

Next, a series of control flows for normal operation will be described with reference to FIG. 20. In the example of FIG. 20, the process of step S32 is an example of a pouring source container setting process and a pouring weight setting process. The process of step S33 is an example of a pouring source container acquisition process. The process of step S34 is an example of a current weight acquisition process. The process of step S36 is an example of a start angle setting process. The process of step S37 is an example of a target angle setting process. The processes of steps S38 to S40 are an example of a pouring process. The process of step S42 is an example of a judgment process. And the process of step S44 is an example of a return process. In the following description, the processes executed by each of the processing units 33 to 41 are all described as being mainly performed by the control device 30.

When the control device 30 starts the process of FIG. 20 (START), it first determines in step S31 whether or not an operational input has been received for the I/O device 12, in this case an order from customer C. If the I/O device 12 has not received an operational input (NO in step S31), the control device 30 waits until the I/O device 12 receives an operational input. Then, when the I/O device 12 receives an operational input (YES in step S31), the control device 30 transitions the process to step S32.

In step S32, the control device 30 executes a source container setting process and a pouring weight setting process, and sets the target source container 91 and sets the pouring weight Wd based on the instructions input to the input/output device 12. Next, in step S33, the control device 30 executes a source container acquisition process, and as shown in FIG. 13, operates the robot 20 to retrieve the set source container 91 from the storage shelf 81. Next, in step S34, the control device 30 executes a current weight acquisition process, and measures the current weight W11 of the source container 91 retrieved in step S33 using the first weighing scale 131 and obtains the result. In step S35, the control device 30 also measures the current weight W21 of the destination container 92 using the second weighing scale 132 and obtains the result.

Next, the control device 30 executes a start angle setting process in step S36, and calculates and sets the start angle θs from the correlation data based on the type of pouring container and the current weight W11 of the pouring container 91. The control device 30 also executes a target angle setting process in step S37, and calculates and sets the target angle θe from the correlation data based on the type of pouring container, the current weight W11 of the pouring container 91, and the pouring weight Wd.

Then, the control device 30 executes the pouring process in steps S38 to S40. In this case, the control device 30 first operates the robot 20 in step S38 to move the source container 91 to a position for pouring, as shown in FIG. 15. Next, in step S39, the control device 30 tilts the source container 91 from 0 degrees to the start angle θs at a first speed V1, as shown in FIG. 16. Then, when the angle of the source container 91 reaches the start angle θs, the control device 30 tilts the source container 91 from the start angle θs to the target angle θe at a second speed V2 slower than the first speed V1. This causes the contents M in the source container 91 to be poured into the destination container 92, as shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17.

Then, in step S41, the control device 30 measures and obtains the weight W22 of the destination container 92 using the second weighing scale 132. Then, in step S42, the control device 30 executes a judgment process to judge whether the post-pouring weight W22 of the destination container 92 matches the sum of the pre-pouring weight W21 of the destination container 92 and the pouring weight Wd. If the post-pouring weight W22 does not match the sum of the pre-pouring weight W21 of the destination container 92 and the pouring weight Wd of the destination container 92 (NO in step S42), the control device 30 judges that the pouring process has failed and proceeds to step S43. Then, the control device 30 notifies the error using the input/output device 12 or the like. Note that in step S35, a zero-point correction may be performed with the destination container 92 placed on the second weighing scale 132, and the increased weight of the destination container 92 and the pouring amount Wd may be compared in steps S41 and S42.

Furthermore, if the post-pouring weight W22 matches the sum of the pre-pouring weight W21 of the destination container 92 and the pouring weight Wd (NO in step S42), the control device 30 determines that the pouring process was successful and proceeds to step S44. The control device 30 then executes a return process in step S44, resetting the inclination of the source container 91 and returning the source container 91 to its designated position on the storage shelf 81, and then returns the process to step S31. The control device 30 then repeats the processes from step S31 onwards.

The robot system 10 described above includes a robot 20, a correlation data storage unit 301, a pouring weight setting processing unit 35, a current weight acquisition processing unit 36, a target angle setting processing unit 38, and a pouring processing unit 39. The robot 20 has a holding unit 22 that is attached to the tip of the arm 21 and can hold the target pouring source container 91. The correlation data storage unit 301 stores correlation data shown in FIG. 10, for example. The correlation data is data that indicates the correlation between the tilt angle θx when the pouring source container 91 held by the holding unit 22 is tilted, and the weight of the pouring source container 91 including the contents M at the tilt angle θx, based on the case where the pouring source container 91 is filled to the full capacity with the contents M.

The pouring weight setting processing unit 35 can execute a pouring weight setting process. The pouring weight setting process includes a process of setting a pouring weight Wd, which is the weight of the contents M of the pouring source container 91 to be poured. The current weight acquisition processing unit 36 can execute a current weight acquisition process. The current weight acquisition process includes a process of acquiring a current weight W11, which is the current weight of the pouring source container 91 containing the contents M. The target angle setting processing unit 38 can execute a target angle setting process. The target angle setting process includes a process of calculating a value obtained by subtracting the pouring weight Wd from the current weight W11 as a post-pouring weight W12, which is the weight of the pouring source container after pouring, and setting an angle at which the pouring source container 91 is tilted from the post-pouring weight W12 based on the correlation data as a target angle θe. The pouring processing unit 39 can execute a pouring process. The pouring process includes a process of operating the robot 20 to tilt the pouring source container 91 until it reaches the target angle θe while holding the pouring source container 91 with the holding unit 22, and pouring the contents M in the pouring source container 91.

When pouring contents M, such as liquid, from source container 91 to destination container 92, so-called feedback control can be used, for example by continuously measuring the amount of contents M flowing out of source container 91 or continuously measuring the changes in weight of source container 91 and destination container 92, and tilting source container 91 back when a specified amount is reached. However, in feedback control, the robot 20 is operated based on the measurement results from weight scales 131, 132, etc., so that the operation becomes slow when trying to accurately control the pouring weight, and overshooting is likely to occur when trying to pour quickly.

In contrast, according to this embodiment, the robot system 10 does not require feedback from other devices such as weighing scales 131, 132 when performing the pouring operation by the pouring process, and therefore can perform the operation relatively quickly. Furthermore, because the robot system 10 only needs to tilt to the target angle θe, overshooting is unlikely to occur, and therefore the specified pour weight Wd can be poured relatively accurately. Thus, according to this embodiment, the contents M in the pouring source container 91 can be poured quickly and relatively accurately.

The robot system 10 further includes a start angle setting processing unit 37. The start angle setting processing unit 37 is capable of executing a start angle setting process. The start angle setting process includes a process of acquiring, as a start angle θs, the angle at which the contents M in the source container 91 start to flow out from the source container 91 when the source container 91 is tilted. In this case, the pouring process includes a process of making, with regard to the speed at which the source container 91 is tilted, a speed V1 during the period from when the source container 91 reaches the start angle θs to when the source container 91 reaches the start angle θs, faster than a speed V2 during the period from when the source container 91 reaches the start angle θs to the target angle θe.

In other words, since tilting the source pouring container 91 from the 0 degree state to the start angle θs does not cause the contents M to spill out or is unlikely to spill out, the time required for the pouring process can be shortened by tilting the source pouring container 91 at a relatively fast first speed V1. Then, from the start angle θs to the target angle θe, tilting the source pouring container 91 at a second speed V2 slower than the first speed V1 can prevent the contents M in the source pouring container 91 from becoming violent and splashing. This allows the contents M in the source pouring container 91 to be poured even more quickly and accurately.

The robot system 10 further includes a source container setting processing unit 33. The source container setting processing unit 33 is capable of executing a source container setting process. The source container setting process includes a source container setting process for setting the type of source container 91 to be the target of the pouring process. The correlation data storage unit 301 also stores correlation data for multiple types of source containers 91. The target angle setting process includes a process for setting the target angle θe using correlation data corresponding to the type of source container 91 set in the source container setting process.

As a result, the robot system 10 can perform pouring processes for multiple types of pouring source containers 91, thereby improving convenience.

The robot system 10 further includes a first weighing scale 131 capable of measuring the weight of the source container 91 together with the contents M in the source container 91. The current weight acquisition process is executed before the pouring process and includes a process of acquiring the weight of the source container 91 measured by the first weighing scale 131 as the current weight W11. This allows the robot system 10 to acquire an accurate current weight W11 by taking the current weight W11 of the source container 91 as an actual measured value. This allows the target angle θe calculated from the correlation data based on the current weight W11 and the pouring weight Wd to be an accurate value. As a result, the robot system 10 can operate relatively quickly and more precisely, i.e., the weight of the contents M actually poured from the source container 91 can be made closer to the specified pouring weight Wd.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 21 to 23. The second embodiment differs in that the control device 30 further includes a target angle storage processing unit 42 shown in Figure 21, and in that the current weight acquisition process uses an estimated value from the previous target angle rather than an actual measurement value of the pouring source container 91.

The target angle storage processing unit 42 is capable of executing a target angle storage process. As shown in FIG. 22, the target angle storage process includes a process of storing the target angle θe used in the pouring process, i.e., the previous target angle θe, in association with the source pouring container 91 from which the pouring process was executed. Data linking the previous target angle θe with the source pouring container 91 is stored, for example, in the memory area 312 of the control unit 31 or in an external storage.

For example, if the target angle θe in the previous pouring process performed on the first pouring container 911 was 64 degrees, "64 degrees" is stored as shown in the "First pouring container" column of FIG. 22. Also, for example, if the pouring process has never been performed on the second pouring container 912, that is, if the second pouring container 912 is new, "none" is stored as shown in the "Second pouring container" column of FIG. 22.

The control content during normal operation in this embodiment differs from that in the first embodiment in that, as shown in FIG. 23, the process of step S51 is included instead of step S34 in FIG. 20, and that the process of step S52 is further included. In this case, the process of step S51 is an example of a current weight acquisition process. Furthermore, the process of step S52 is an example of a target angle storage process.

In the process of step S51, the control device 30 acquires the previous target angle θe linked to the pouring source container 91 set in step S32 from the data stored in the target angle storage process. The control device 30 then estimates the weight value of the pouring source container 91 corresponding to the previous target angle θe from the correlation data as the current weight W11. For example, if the previous target angle θe is 64 degrees as shown in the column for the first pouring source container in FIG. 22, the control device 30 estimates that the weight of the first pouring source container 911, 490 g, when the tilt angle θx is 64 degrees is the current weight W11 of the first pouring source container 911 based on the correlation data in FIG. 12. Also, for example, if the previous target angle θe is "none" as shown in the column for the second pouring source container in FIG. 22, the target angle θe can be in the range from 0 degrees to the initial value of the start angle θs.

The control device 30 also stores the current target angle θe in step S52. The process of step S52 may be performed at any time within the range of steps S37 to S44.

According to this embodiment, the robot system 10 further includes a target angle storage processing unit 42. The target angle storage processing unit 42 is capable of executing a target angle storage process. The target angle storage process includes a process of storing the target angle θe used in the pouring process in association with the source container 91 from which the pouring process was executed. In addition, the current weight acquisition process includes a process of acquiring the current weight W11 based on correlation data from the target angle θe from the previous pouring process executed on the source container 91, which was stored in the target angle storage process.

This provides the same effect as the first embodiment. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when obtaining the current weight W11 of the source container 91, it is not necessary to place the source container 91 on the first weighing scale 131 and measure it. This shortens the period during which the source container 91 is placed on the first weighing scale 131 for measurement, and therefore the operation of pouring the contents M of the source container can be performed more quickly.

Other Embodiments
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and can be modified, combined, or expanded in any manner without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The numerical values and the like shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting.
Furthermore, the above embodiments can be combined as appropriate.

Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiment, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment or structure. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and concept of the present disclosure.

10...Robot system, 20...Robot, 21...Arm, 22...Holding unit, 30...Control device, 301...Correlation data storage unit, 311...CPU, 33...Original container setting processing unit, 35...Weight setting processing unit, 36...Current weight acquisition processing unit, 37...Start angle setting processing unit, 38...Target angle setting processing unit, 42...Target angle storage processing unit, 91, 911, 912, 913...Original pouring container, 131...First weighing scale (weighing scale), 132...Second weighing scale (weighing scale), M...Contents

Claims (5)

A robot having a holding part attached to the tip of an arm and capable of holding a target pouring source container;
a correlation data storage unit that stores correlation data that indicates the correlation between the tilt angle when the pouring source container held by the holding unit is tilted and the weight of the pouring source container including the contents at the tilt angle based on the case where the pouring source container is filled to the full capacity;
a pouring weight setting processing unit capable of executing a pouring weight setting process for setting a pouring weight, which is the weight of the contents of the pouring source container to be poured;
a current weight acquisition processing unit capable of executing a current weight acquisition process for acquiring a current weight of the pouring source container including the content;
a target angle setting processing unit capable of executing a target angle setting process for calculating a post-pouring weight, which is the weight of the pouring container after pouring, by subtracting the pouring weight from the current weight, and setting an angle at which the pouring container is tilted from the post-pouring weight based on the correlation data as a target angle;
a pouring processing unit capable of executing a pouring process in which the pouring container is tilted to the target angle while the holding unit holds the pouring container by operating the robot, thereby pouring the contents of the pouring container;
A target angle storage processing unit capable of executing a target angle storage process for storing the target angle used in the pouring process in association with the pouring source container in which the pouring process was executed,
The current weight acquisition process includes a process of acquiring the current weight based on the correlation data from the target angle in the previous pouring process performed on the pouring source container, the target angle being stored in the target angle storage process.
Robot system. A start angle setting processing unit is further provided that is capable of executing a start angle setting process to obtain an angle at which the content in the source container starts to flow out from the source container when the source container is tilted as a start angle,
The pouring process includes a process for tilting the pouring container faster during a period from a state before the pouring process is performed until the pouring container reaches the start angle than during a period from the start angle to the target angle.
The robot system of claim 1 . A pouring source container setting processing unit is further provided, which is capable of executing a pouring source container setting process for setting the type of the pouring source container to be subjected to the pouring process,
The correlation data storage unit stores the correlation data for a plurality of types of pouring source containers,
The target angle setting process includes a process of setting the target angle using the correlation data corresponding to the type of the pouring source container set in the pouring source container setting process.
The robot system according to claim 1 or 2. A robot having a holding part attached to the tip of an arm and capable of holding a target pouring source container;
a correlation data storage unit that stores correlation data that indicates a correlation between a tilt angle when the pouring source container held by the holding unit is tilted and a weight of the content remaining in the pouring source container at the tilt angle;
A control device capable of controlling the operation of the robot;
When pouring the contents in the container using the
a pouring weight setting process for setting a pouring weight, which is the weight of the contents of the pouring source container to be poured;
a current weight acquisition process for acquiring a current weight of the pouring container including the contents;
a target angle setting process for calculating a post-pouring weight, which is the weight of the pouring container after pouring, by subtracting the pouring weight from the current weight, and setting an angle at which the pouring container is tilted from the post-pouring weight based on the correlation data as a target angle;
a pouring process in which the robot is operated to hold the source container with the holding unit and tilt the source container until it reaches the target angle, thereby pouring the contents of the source container;
and a target angle storage process for storing the target angle used in the pouring process in association with the pouring source container in which the pouring process was executed.
The current weight acquisition process includes a process of acquiring the current weight based on the correlation data from the target angle in the previous pouring process performed on the pouring source container, the target angle being stored in the target angle storage process.
Robot operation program. A robot having a holding part attached to the tip of an arm and capable of holding a target pouring source container;
a correlation data storage unit that stores correlation data that indicates a correlation between a tilt angle when the pouring source container held by the holding unit is tilted and a weight of the content remaining in the pouring source container at the tilt angle;
A method for pouring a content in a container using a control device capable of controlling an operation of the robot, comprising:
a pouring weight setting process for setting a pouring weight, which is the weight of the contents of the pouring source container to be poured;
a current weight acquisition process for acquiring a current weight of the pouring container including the contents;
a target angle setting process for calculating a post-pouring weight, which is the weight of the pouring container after pouring, by subtracting the pouring weight from the current weight, and setting an angle at which the pouring container is tilted from the post-pouring weight based on the correlation data as a target angle;
a pouring process in which the robot is operated to hold the source container with the holding unit and tilt the source container until it reaches the target angle, thereby pouring the contents of the source container;
A target angle storage process is executed to store the target angle used in the pouring process in association with the pouring source container in which the pouring process was executed;
The current weight acquisition process includes a process of acquiring the current weight based on the correlation data from the target angle in the previous pouring process performed on the pouring source container, the target angle being stored in the target angle storage process.
How the robot works.

Images