JP2007260838A - Transfer robot and transfer program - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a transport robot that automatically detects that liquid is contained in a container such as a cup and performs transport to maintain the container in a horizontal state.
A tilting means for adjusting the tilt of a container to be transported, a transport attitude information acquiring means for acquiring transport attitude information required when the container is transported, and maintaining a horizontal state in the transport attitude information. If it is included, the attitude control means 82 for outputting a control command for maintaining the container in a horizontal state with respect to the tilting means 16 and the contents 7 of the container 8 are detected as a fluid. In this case, a fluid detection unit 80 that generates conveyance posture information for maintaining the container 8 in a horizontal state and a conveyance unit 14 that conveys the container lifted by the tilting unit 16 are provided.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a transfer robot for transferring a container and a transfer program used for the transfer robot.

  In recent years, robots have been developed that perform transfer operations that have been performed by humans. There is a technique for grasping and carrying an object based on the initial state and target state of the object conveyed by the robot, the surrounding environment state, and the shape of the robot hand.

  For example, acquire information about tableware attributes from small tags attached to tableware, and use the attributes to consider the weight of meals and tableware, the material and rigidity of tableware, etc. Thus, there is known a robot system that enables individual tableware to be individually arranged or placed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In the robot system described in Patent Literature 1, by using the attributes of the tableware described in the small tag, the tableware is gripped one by one, thereby performing the process of completing the lower bowl without leaving the tableware on the table. Yes.
JP 2004-268159 A (FIGS. 15 to 17)

  However, since the robot system described in Patent Document 1 performs only an operation based on the attribute of the tableware recorded in the small tag, the transport method is set according to the type of contents of the tableware and the presence or absence of the contents. There was a problem that it could not be changed appropriately.

  For example, if the object to be transported is a container having an opening, if the container is empty, it may be transported in an inclined state, but if the container contains contents It is necessary to transport while maintaining a horizontal state. In addition, if the contents of the container are fluid and the contents may spill out of the container due to the tilting of the container or vibration during transportation, the horizontal state should be maintained strictly and It is necessary to transport the container with reduced acceleration and swinging.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation. When it is determined that the container is required to maintain a horizontal state when the container is transported, the control for maintaining the container in a horizontal state is provided. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transport robot and a transport program that can perform transport.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the transport robot according to claim 1 lifts a container to be transported, and tilting means for adjusting the tilt of the lifted container, and transport related to a posture required when transporting the container. Conveyance posture information acquisition means for acquiring posture information, and conveyance indicating that the container is kept in a horizontal state when the contents are fluid by detecting whether the contents of the container are fluid A fluid detection unit that generates posture information and outputs the posture information to the conveyance posture information acquisition unit, and the conveyance posture information acquired by the conveyance posture information acquisition unit includes information indicating that a horizontal state is maintained. Comprises a posture control means for outputting a control command for maintaining the container in a horizontal state with respect to the tilting means, and a transport means for transporting the container lifted by the tilting means.

  Further, the invention according to claim 2, wherein the fluid detection means outputs a command for tilting the container to be conveyed in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction with respect to a traveling direction to the tilting means; The positional relationship measuring means for measuring the change in the positional relationship between the container and its contents before and after the tilting of the container, and the contents when the positional relationship measuring means measures that the positional relationship has changed. It is provided with the fluid determination means which produces | generates the conveyance attitude | position information which determines that is a fluid, and maintains the said container in a horizontal state, and outputs it to the said conveyance attitude | position information acquisition means.

  Moreover, the invention according to claim 3 is a tag information acquisition unit that acquires the transfer posture information from a tag in which the transfer posture information acquisition unit records information related to a posture required when the container is transferred. It is characterized by providing.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the transport robot acquires weight information of the container from weight measuring means for actually measuring the weight of the lifted container and a tag in which information on the weight of the container is recorded. Weight information acquisition means for performing determination, if the measured weight of the container is heavier than the weight information, weight determination means for determining that the contents are present in the container, and determining the weight if the contents are present in the container. When the means determines, the fluid detection means detects whether or not the content is a fluid.

  The invention according to claim 5 is provided with a tilt detector that measures tilt in the horizontal direction or vertical direction with respect to the traveling direction of the container between the tilting means and the gripping means, and outputs tilt information. The means outputs a control command for maintaining the container in a horizontal state based on the tilt information output by the tilt detector.

  In addition, the invention described in claim 6 is provided with a tilt detector that outputs tilt information by measuring the tilt in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction with respect to the traveling direction of the container in the tilting means according to claim 4, The weight determination means calculates the weight of the contents from the actually measured weight of the container and the weight information of the container acquired from the tag, and the posture control means is based on the inclination information output from the inclination detector. And outputting a control command for maintaining the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state, and changing the accuracy in maintaining the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state in accordance with the weight of the contents.

  Further, in the invention described in claim 7, the fluid detection unit according to claim 1 includes a positional relationship measuring unit that measures a positional relationship between the container and the contents, and the posture control unit includes: Based on the tilt information output from the tilt detector, a control command for maintaining the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state is output, and according to the positional relationship between the container and the contents measured by the positional relationship measuring means. The accuracy of maintaining the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state is changed.

  In the invention according to claim 8, when the acquired transport posture information includes information indicating that the horizontal state is maintained, a transport command for decreasing a transport speed or a transport acceleration is sent to the transport command. It is characterized by comprising a conveyance control means for outputting to the means.

  In the invention according to claim 9, the weight determination means according to claim 4 calculates the weight of the contents from the measured weight of the container and the weight information of the container acquired from the tag, The apparatus further comprises a conveyance control unit that outputs a conveyance command of a conveyance speed or a conveyance acceleration according to the calculated weight of the content to the conveyance unit.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the fluid detection unit according to the first aspect includes a positional relationship measuring unit that measures a positional relationship between the container and the contents, and the positional relationship measuring unit includes: The apparatus includes a conveyance control unit that outputs a conveyance command of a conveyance speed or a conveyance acceleration corresponding to the measured positional relationship between the container and the contents to the conveyance unit.

  The invention according to claim 11 is characterized in that a gripping means for gripping the container when the container is lifted and a gripping instruction for gripping the container are input by an operator such as voice or a switch. And a gripping command output means for outputting a gripping command for causing the gripping means to grip the container.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, when the transport posture information acquired by the posture control means does not include information indicating that the horizontal state is maintained, the container is placed horizontally with respect to the tilting means. Control to maintain the state is not performed.

  Further, the invention according to claim 13 is a tilting means for lifting the container to be transported and adjusting the tilt of the lifted container, and a transport attitude for acquiring transport attitude information relating to the attitude required when the container is transported. Transport comprising information acquisition means, transport means for transporting the container lifted by the tilting means, and information processing means for controlling the tilting means and the transport means and acquiring transport posture information from the transport posture information acquisition means A transfer program executed by an information processing unit of the robot, wherein the information processing unit detects a function of acquiring transfer posture information from the transfer posture information acquisition unit and whether the contents of the container are a fluid. When the content is a fluid, a function for generating transport posture information for maintaining the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state and outputting the transport posture information to the transport posture information acquisition means, A function of outputting a control command for maintaining the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state to the tilting means when the acquired transport posture information includes information indicating that the horizontal state is maintained; And a function of outputting a command for transporting the container lifted by the means to the transport means.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is determined whether or not there is a fluid in the container of the object to be conveyed, and when it is determined that the fluid is present, the control for maintaining the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state. Therefore, even if a fluid such as a liquid is contained in the container, the contents can be transported so as not to spill.

  According to the invention of claim 2, when the change of the positional relationship between the container and its contents is measured by tilting the container to be conveyed, and the change in the positional relationship is measured, Is determined to be a fluid, and the container is transported while performing control to maintain the container in a horizontal state. Therefore, even if it is unclear whether or not a fluid exists in the container in advance, The fluid inside can be automatically recognized and conveyed so as not to spill the fluid.

  According to the invention of claim 3, it is possible to acquire the transport posture information of the container from the tag in which the attribute of the transported container is recorded, and transport the container based on the transport posture information.

  According to the invention of claim 4, when the container is actually lifted to actually measure the weight and the weight information of the container is acquired from the tag, and the actually measured weight of the container is heavier than the weight information recorded on the tag It can be determined that the contents are present in the container. When it is determined that the contents are present in the container, the container can be transported by carrying out control to maintain the container in a horizontal state, or can be transported in the horizontal state. Therefore, even if a fluid is contained in the container, it can be conveyed so as not to spill.

  Further, according to the invention of claim 5, since the tilting means is provided with the tilt detector, and the attitude control means performs control to maintain the container in a horizontal state based on the tilt information output by the tilt detector. Feedback control can be performed to maintain the container in a horizontal state. Therefore, the container can be transported in a state of being stabilized horizontally.

  According to the invention of claim 6, the weight of the content is calculated from the measured weight of the container and the weight information of the container obtained from the tag, and the surface of the fluid is in a horizontal state according to the weight of the content. Therefore, when the weight of the contents is heavy, the contents can be transported so as not to spill from the container.

  According to the invention of claim 7, since the accuracy when maintaining the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state is changed according to the positional relationship between the container and its contents, the contents present in the container When the amount of the object is large, the contents can be conveyed so as not to spill from the container.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, when the container transport posture information includes information indicating that the horizontal state is maintained, the container is transported in a state where the transport speed or the transport acceleration is reduced. Since the control is performed, the container can be slowly transported when contents such as a fluid are contained in the container. Accordingly, when the contents are not contained in the container, the container can be quickly conveyed, and when the contents are contained, the container can be stably conveyed so that the contents are not spilled.

  According to the invention of claim 9, the weight of the contents is calculated from the measured weight of the container and the weight information of the container acquired from the tag, and the transport speed or the transport acceleration is changed according to the weight of the contents. Since the contents are light, the container can be transported quickly. When the contents are heavy, the container is slowly transported so that the contents do not spill out of the container. be able to.

  According to the invention of claim 10, since the transport speed or the transport acceleration is changed according to the positional relationship between the container and its contents, the container is transported quickly when the amount of the contents is small. When the amount of contents is large, it is possible to carry out the conveyance slowly so that the contents do not spill out of the container.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, since the operator holds the container to be transported after a grip instruction for gripping the container is input by an operation such as a voice or a switch, the operator moves the container. The container can be transported waiting for a command.

  According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, when the container transport posture information does not include information for maintaining the horizontal state, the control for maintaining the container in the horizontal state is not performed. When the contents are not contained in the container, the container can be quickly conveyed without controlling the attitude of the container.

  According to the invention of claim 13, it is determined whether or not there is a fluid in the container of the object to be conveyed, and when it is determined that the fluid is present, the surface of the fluid is maintained in a horizontal state. Therefore, even when a fluid such as a liquid is contained in the container, the contents can be transported so as not to spill.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an external view showing a state where the transfer robot 10 of the present invention is about to hold a container 8 to be transferred.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the container 8 transported by the transport robot 10 is a container such as a cup or a container, and can contain a liquid such as a drink or a fluid such as food or powder as the contents 7. It is an object. Depending on the type and amount of the contents 7 in the container 8, such as when the contents 7 do not exist, when the container 8 contains a small amount of fluid, or when the container 8 contains a large amount of fluid. This is an object in which the posture required when transporting the container 8 and the transport method such as the transport speed or the transport acceleration may be greatly different. The container 8 has a tag 25 such as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) in which the product name, shape, contents, weight information, holding method, information on whether or not the container is sealed, transport posture information, and the like are recorded. Is affixed.

  The transfer robot 10 includes a gripping means 22 for gripping the container 8, a tilting means 16 for lifting the gripped container 8 and adjusting the tilt of the lifted container 8, and a weight sensor 36 (weight) for actually measuring the weight of the lifted container 8. Including the function of the measuring means 32), a plurality of arm parts 12 that rotatably support the grip means 22 with a plurality of degrees of freedom with respect to the body part 20, and the container 8 lifted by the arm parts 12 And conveying means 14 for conveying to a place. A tilt detector 18 such as a gyro, a rate gyro, or an inclinometer that measures tilt in the horizontal direction or vertical direction with respect to the traveling direction of the container 8 and outputs tilt information between the tilting means 16 and the gripping means 22. It has.

  Further, the transfer robot 10 acquires the image data of the container 8 by capturing the sound collection means 953 such as a microphone that collects a voice command such as a grip instruction issued by the user and the appearance and contents 7 of the container 8. Imaging means 950, processing of collected sound, processing of captured image, acquisition processing of conveyance posture information, generation processing of conveyance posture information, control for holding the held container 8 in a horizontal state, tilting the container 8 Processing to output a command to be performed, processing to measure a change in the positional relationship between the container 8 and its contents 7, processing to determine whether or not the contents 7 of the container 8 are fluid, and obtain the weight of the container 8 Processing, communication processing with the tag 25, processing for determining whether or not the contents are present in the container 8, control for maintaining the horizontal state of the container 8 based on the tilt information output from the tilt detector, transport to the transport means 14 Finger of speed or transport acceleration And a control means 900 for inputting a gripping instruction from an operator and outputting a gripping command for gripping the container, processing for instructing the arm 12 to lift the container 8, and other various processing. Yes.

  Next, the configuration of the control means 900 that controls the entire transfer robot 10 will be described with reference to the signal processing system block diagram of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 900 performs image processing such as image size change, sharpness correction, gamma correction, contrast correction, white balance correction, and compression processing on the video signal output from the imaging unit 950. At the same time, the image processing means 951 for converting an analog image signal into digital image data and the sound signal collected by the sound collection means 953 are amplified and subjected to filter processing, and the analog sound signal is converted into digital sound data. Input voice processing means 954.

  In addition, the control unit 900 provides an analog signal such as a speed signal or an acceleration signal to the motor driver 40 that drives a plurality of motors 42 provided in each joint unit including the arm unit 12 of the transport robot 10 and the transport unit 14. A D / A converter 959 that outputs the drive signal of the motor 42, a counter 969 that counts the drive amount of each motor 42 by obtaining drive pulses of the motor 42 from the encoder 44 that detects the drive amount of the motor 42, and the like. And an A / D converter 958 for inputting an analog current signal from the current sensor 38 for detecting a current value supplied to the digital signal and converting it into digital data.

  The D / A converter 959 includes a plurality of analog output ports and can output drive signals to the plurality of electric motor drivers 40. Further, the A / D converter 958 includes a plurality of analog input ports, and can input weight information of the container 8 from the weight sensor 36 that actually measures the weight of the container 8 and convert it into digital data. Yes.

  The control unit 900 transmits and receives information using a wireless LAN or a dedicated frequency band as a communication unit, and an antenna 960 that inputs and outputs radio waves for controlling the transport robot 10 from an external communication device, and an external device A wireless transmission / reception unit 961 that transmits / receives information to / from a communication device, and a tag reader 26 (a function of the tag information acquisition unit 24) that receives tag information such as the product name, contents, weight information, or transport posture information of the container 8 from the tag 25. And the tag writer 28 for performing a process of writing tag information such as the weight of the container 8 actually measured with respect to the tag 25, and the tag reader 26 and the tag writer 28 to communicate with each other to acquire the tag information from the tag reader 26. A serial interface 964 capable of instructing the tag writer 28 to output tag information, a keyboard, a switch, etc. An input unit 970 configured by the user, an input interface 971 for transmitting various instruction information input from the user by the input unit 970 to the information processing unit 980 configured by a CPU or the like via the bus 999, and characters and images. Display means 972 for displaying to a person, and a display interface 973 for acquiring display information from the information processing means 980 via the bus 999, converting the information into a video signal, and outputting the video signal to the display means 972.

  In addition, the control unit 900 includes a storage unit 984 such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory that can store various processing programs and constants and can be used as a work area of the information processing unit 980.

  The control unit 900 temporarily stores various processing programs, constants, and the like, and can be used as a work area for the information processing unit 980, and a BIOS (basic input output system) executed by the information processing unit 980. A ROM 983 for storing various information such as programs and constants, and a timer 990 for measuring time.

  The control unit 900 also performs wireless communication processing, processing of information input from the input unit 970, display processing for displaying various information on the display unit 972, writing of information to the storage unit 984, the RAM 981, the ROM 983, or the like. Reading processing, processing of collected sound, processing of captured image, acquisition processing of conveyance posture information, generation processing of conveyance posture information, control for holding the held container 8 in a horizontal state, command output for tilting the container 8 Processing to measure, processing to measure a change in the positional relationship between the container 8 and its contents 7, processing to determine whether or not the contents 7 of the container 8 are fluid, processing to obtain the weight of the container 8, tag Communication processing with 25, processing for determining whether or not contents are present in the container 8, control for maintaining the horizontal state of the container 8 based on the tilt information output by the tilt detector, A command for conveying speed or conveyance acceleration to be performed, a process for outputting a gripping command for inputting a gripping instruction from an operator to grip the container, a process for instructing the arm 12 to lift the container 8, and various other processes. Information processing means 980 is provided that executes based on the program.

  The information processing unit 980 of the control unit 900 and its peripheral circuits are connected by a bus 999 and can transmit high-speed information to each other. The information processing unit 980 can control peripheral circuits based on an instruction of a program operating on the information processing unit 980.

  The program executed by the information processing unit 980 can be provided by a recording medium or communication. In addition, each peripheral circuit can be configured by an ASIC or the like.

  Hereinafter, each function that the information processing unit 980 can realize based on a program will be described.

[Conveying posture information acquisition unit 50]
The transport posture information acquisition unit 50 performs processing for acquiring transport posture information related to the posture required when the container 8 is transported. In the present invention, the transport posture and the control method of the container 8 are determined using information indicating that the posture is maintained in the horizontal state among the postures required for transport.

  For example, the transport posture information is obtained by acquiring a change in the positional relationship between the container 8 and the contents 7 of the container 8 before and after the tilting of the container 8 and determining that the positional relationship has changed. Conveyance posture information indicating that the container 8 generated by determining that 7 is a fluid is maintained in a horizontal state is used.

  Further, as the transport posture information, for example, information acquired from the tag 25 in which information on the posture required when the container 8 is transported is recorded via the serial interface 964 and the tag reader 26 can be used. The function of the conveyance posture information acquisition unit 50 may be realized using a program executed by the information processing unit 980 or may be realized using a dedicated processing circuit.

[About fluid detection means 80]
The fluid detection means 80 detects whether or not the content of the container 8 is a fluid, and when the content of the container 8 is a fluid, conveyance posture information indicating that the container is maintained in a horizontal state. Is generated and output to the transport posture information acquisition means. The function of the fluid detection unit 80 may be realized using a program executed by the information processing unit 980 or may be realized using a dedicated processing circuit.

[Attitude control means 82]
The posture control means 82 performs control to convey the tilting means 16 in the horizontal state when the acquired conveyance posture information includes information indicating that the conveyance is performed in the horizontal state. When the acquired transport posture information includes information indicating that the horizontal state is maintained, a control command for maintaining the container in the horizontal state is output to the tilting means 16 to control the posture of the container 8. Do.

  Thereby, when the content 7 exists in the container 8, when the content 7 is a small amount of fluid, when the content 7 is a large amount of fluid, it is possible to perform posture control according to the case. It becomes. For example, when the acquired conveyance posture information does not include information indicating that the horizontal state is maintained, the posture control unit 82 does not control the tilting unit 16 to maintain the container in the horizontal state. In this case, since the attitude control of the container 8 is unnecessary, the container 8 can be transported quickly.

  Further, the attitude control means 82 can output a control command based on feedback for maintaining the container in a horizontal state based on the inclination information output from the inclination detector 18. Moreover, it is also possible to change the gain and accuracy when maintaining the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state according to the weight of the contents 7 and the positional relationship between the container 8 and the contents 7. The function of the attitude control unit 82 may be realized using a program executed by the information processing unit 980 or may be realized using a dedicated processing circuit.

[Tilt command output means 84]
The tilt command output means 84 sends a drive signal for tilting the container 8 to be conveyed in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction with respect to the traveling direction to the motor driver 40 of the motor 42 that operates the tilt means 16 via the D / A converter 959. Output. The function of the tilt command output means 84 may be realized using a program executed by the information processing means 980 or may be realized using a dedicated processing circuit.

[Regarding the positional relationship measuring means 86]
The positional relationship measuring unit 86 changes the positional relationship between the container 8 and the contents 7 of the container 8 before and after the container 8 is tilted based on the images of the container 8 and the contents 7 captured by the imaging unit 950. Measure. The function of the positional relationship measuring unit 86 may be realized using a program executed by the information processing unit 980 or may be realized using a dedicated processing circuit.

[About fluid determination means 88]
The fluid determining unit 88 acquires the change in the positional relationship between the container 8 and the contents 7 of the container 8 before and after the tilting of the container 8 measured by the positional relationship measuring unit 86. If it is determined that the positional relationship has changed, it is determined that the content 7 is a fluid, and transport posture information for maintaining the container 8 in a horizontal state is generated to acquire the transport posture information. Deliver to means 50.

[About weight information acquisition means 90]
The weight information acquisition unit 90 can acquire the weight of the container 8 from the tag 25 in which the weight information of the container 8 is recorded via the tag reader 26 (including the function of the tag information acquisition unit 24) and the serial interface 964. it can. The function of the weight information acquisition unit 90 may be realized using a program executed by the information processing unit 980, or may be realized using a dedicated processing circuit.

[About the weight measuring means 32]
As a method for the weight measuring means 32 to acquire the weight of the container 8, the weight of the lifted container 8 is measured using a weight sensor 36 such as a load cell, and an analog signal output from the weight sensor 36 is converted into an A / D converter 958. Can be used based on information converted into digital data.

  As another method for the weight measuring means 32 to acquire the weight of the container 8, the current value applied to the electric motor 42 functioning as an actuator for operating the arm portion 12 is converted into the current sensor 38 and the A / D converter 958. It may be configured to obtain the weight of the container 8 by converting the obtained current value. Since the current value applied to the electric motor 42 is converted into torque and thrust by the electric motor 42, the weight of the container 8 can be calculated indirectly. In addition, since the current value in the feedback loop fluctuates greatly, it is preferable to calculate the weight of the container 8 by appropriately performing an averaging process or the like.

  As another method for obtaining the weight of the container 8 by the weight measuring means 32, the appearance of the container 8 is imaged using the imaging means 950, and image processing is performed on the image to extract the appearance of the container 8. Referring to the weight storage means that stores the appearance of the container 8 and the weight of the container 8 in association with each other in advance, the weight stored in association with the appearance of the container 8 imaged by the imaging means 950 is acquired. Is also possible.

  The function of the weight measuring unit 32 may be realized using a program executed by the information processing unit 980 or may be realized using a dedicated processing circuit.

[About the weight determination means 92]
When the weight of the container actually measured by the weight measuring means 32 such as the weight sensor 36 is heavier than the weight information acquired by the weight information acquiring means 90, the weight determining means 92 determines that the contents are present in the container. Process. If it is determined that the contents are present in the container 8, the contents 7 of the container 8 may be a fluid or food may be on the tableware. It is possible to perform control for maintaining and transporting the container 8 or for transporting the container 8 in a horizontal state.

  The function of the weight determination unit 92 may be realized using a program executed by the information processing unit 980, or may be realized using a dedicated processing circuit.

[Conveying control means 94]
The transport control means 94 generates a speed curve for moving the transport robot 10 and the container 8 to a predetermined location, and outputs a speed command corresponding to the time to the motor driver 40 via the D / A converter 959. Then, processing for moving the transfer robot 10 and the container 8 is performed. In addition, when the transport posture information of the container 8 includes information indicating that the horizontal state is maintained, the transport control unit 94 outputs a transport command for decreasing the transport speed or the transport acceleration to the D / A converter 959. And it is possible to output to the conveying means 14 via the electric motor driver 40.

  Moreover, the conveyance control means 94 can output the conveyance command of the conveyance speed or the conveyance acceleration according to the weight of the contents 7, and the positional relationship between the container 8 and the contents 7 to the conveyance means. . The function of the transport control means 94 may be realized using a program executed by the information processing means 980 or may be realized using a dedicated processing circuit.

[Gripping command output means 96]
The gripping command output unit 96 outputs a gripping command for gripping the container 8 to the gripping unit 22 when a gripping instruction for gripping the container 8 is input from the operator by voice or a switch operation. To do.

  When the operator instructs to hold the container 8 by voice, the voice collected by the operator is collected by the sound collecting means 953 and converted into a voice signal. The voice signal is input by the input voice processing means 954 and converted into digital voice data, and is acquired by the gripping command output means 96, and a voice recognition process is performed to determine whether or not a gripping command is input.

  When a gripping instruction for the container 8 is issued from an external communication device, the gripping command output unit 96 acquires the gripping instruction issued by the external communication device via the antenna 960 and the wireless transmission / reception unit 961. Then, it is determined whether or not the acquired information is a grip command.

  The function of the grip command output means 96 may be realized using a program executed by the information processing means 980 or may be realized using a dedicated processing circuit.

  Next, a process in which the transport robot 10 selects a transport method according to the contents of the container 8 and transports the container will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 3 detects whether the container is empty, whether the contents of the container 8 are solid, or whether the contents of the container 8 are fluid, and switches the conveying method of the container 8 according to the contents. It is a flowchart of a process. In the following description, the processing for selecting the conveyance method of the container 8 will be described as an embodiment in which the information processing unit 980 of the control unit 900 executes.

  When the container transport process is executed, the process executed by the information processing means 980 proceeds to the determination in step S102 “input grip command?” (Hereinafter abbreviated as S102), and the operator determines the container 8 A process of waiting for an instruction to hold is performed.

  When the operator instructs to hold the container 8 by voice, the voice collected by the operator is collected by the sound collecting means 953 and converted into a voice signal. The audio signal is input by the input audio processing unit 954, converted into digital audio data, and output to the information processing unit 980. The information processing unit 980 (including the function of the grip command output unit 96) that has input the voice data performs voice recognition processing and determines whether or not a grip command is input.

  Further, when a gripping instruction for the container 8 is issued from an external communication device, the information processing unit 980 acquires the gripping instruction issued by the external communication device via the antenna 960 and the wireless transmission / reception unit 961, It is determined whether the acquired information is a grip command.

  When the operator of the transport robot 10 instructs to hold and transport the container 8 by operating voice or an external communication device, the processing executed by the information processing means 980 is performed in the next S104 “object and its position. Proceed to “Recognize”.

  In S <b> 104, the information processing unit 980 analyzes the image data obtained by the imaging unit 950 and recognizes the container 8 to be gripped, and performs a process of calculating the position of the container 8 and the distance to the container 8. And the process which moves to the position which can hold | grip the container 8 is performed.

  When the gripping means 22 of the transport robot 10 is moved to the location of the container 8, the information processing means 980 generates a speed curve for moving the transport robot 10 and the gripping means 22 to a predetermined position, and the speed according to the time. Processing to output the command to the conveying means 14 and the electric motor driver 40 of the arm portion 12 through the D / A converter 959 is performed. When the transport robot 10 and the gripping means 22 arrive at predetermined positions, the process proceeds to the next step S106 “obtain tag information (container shape, weight, holding method, etc.) from the RFID tag”.

  In S106, the information processing unit 980 (including the function of the weight information acquisition unit 90) communicates with the tag 25 via the serial interface 964 and the tag reader 26 to determine the shape, weight, holding method, and container of the container 8. Tag information such as information on whether or not 8 has a sealed structure is acquired. Of the acquired tag information, information regarding the shape of the container 8 is used to determine whether or not the object can be gripped using the gripping means 22. Among the acquired tag information, the information on the weight is used for determining whether or not the object can be lifted using the gripping means 22 and the arm portion 12 and whether or not the content 7 exists. Can be used for judgment. Of the acquired tag information, the information on how to hold includes information on the posture required when the container 8 is held and transported. When the acquisition of the tag information is completed, the process proceeds to the next step S108 “activate the weight by slightly lifting the container”.

  In S108, the information processing means 980 (including the function of the gripping command output means 96) instructs the gripping means 22 to grip the container 8 and D / A converts the instruction to lift the arm portion 12 into D / A conversion. Output to the motor driver 40 via the device 959. The motor driver 40 outputs a current for driving the motor 42, and the information processing means 980 counts the pulses output from the encoder 44 and monitors the positions or angles of the gripping means 22 and the arm portion 12. When the container 8 is lifted, the weight of the container 8 is measured using the weight measuring means 32 such as the weight sensor 36. Then, the process proceeds to the next determination of S110 “is heavier than the weight of the container?”.

  In S110, the information processing means 980 (including the function of the weight determination means 92) compares the weight of the container 8 included in the tag information acquired in S106 with the weight of the container 8 measured in S108. Then, it is determined whether the actually measured weight of the container 8 is heavier than the weight of the container 8 included in the tag information. If it is determined that the actually measured weight of the container 8 is heavier (S110; YES), the process branches to S118 “determined that the container is filled”, and the measured weight of the container 8 and the tag information. If the weight of the container 8 contained in the container is substantially the same (S110; NO), the process proceeds to S112 “determined that the container is empty”, and a flag indicating that the lifted container 8 is empty is set. Then, the process proceeds to the next S114 “setting method for holding container (holding method 1)”.

  In S114, the information processing means 980 sets how to hold an empty container that is easy to hold the container 8 and is advantageous for conveyance. For example, if the attribute of the container 8 to be transported is a cup and the shape is a substantially cylindrical object, the holding method as shown in FIG. Set the mode to not be performed. Then, the process proceeds to the next S116 “normal speed (4 km / h) conveyance”.

  In S116, the information processing means 980 (including the function of the transport control means 94) generates a speed curve in which the maximum speed during transport is set to an ordinary speed (for example, 4 km / h) (speed curve shown in FIG. 8). V4). And the speed command based on the produced | generated conveyance curve is output to the electric motor driver 40 via the D / A converter 959, and the process for moving the conveyance robot 10 and the container 8 is performed. When the vehicle arrives at the destination, the process proceeds to S142 “Destination arrival, container placed”, and the container 8 is placed at a predetermined position to release the grip.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the weight of the container 8 actually measured in the process of S110 is heavier (S110; YES), the process proceeds to the process of S118, and the information processing unit 980 (including the function of the weight determination unit 92). A flag indicating that the content is contained in the lifted container 8 is set, and the process proceeds to the next step S120 “Measure the change in the surface by tilting the container”.

  In S120, the information processing means 980 (including the function of the tilt command output means 84) causes the motor 42 to operate the tilt means 16 with a drive signal for tilting the container 8 in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction with respect to the traveling direction. It outputs to the electric motor driver 40 via the D / A converter 959, and the process which inclines the container 8 is performed. The state before tilting the container 8 and after tilting the container 8 are shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the appearance before the cup 108 (container 8) containing the contents 7 of the fluid such as liquid or powder is tilted is imaged. The transport robot 10 grips the cup 108 using the gripping means 22, lifts it while maintaining a horizontal state, and measures the relationship between the cup 108 and the surface of the contents 7. As shown in FIG. 5, since the cup 108 is maintained in a horizontal state, the ridgeline 8A of the cup 108 and the tangent line 7A between the contents 7 and the cup 108 are parallel.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an appearance is imaged after the cup 108 is tilted forward. The transport robot 10 tilts the cup 108 gripped using the gripping means 22 and measures the relationship between the cup 108 and the surface of the content 7. As shown in FIG. 6, since the cup 108 is tilted forward by the tilting means 16, the ridge line 8B of the cup 108 and the tangent line 7B between the contents 7 and the cup 108 are not parallel, and the positional relationship is It has changed.

  In the next S122 “change?”, The information processing means 980 (including the function of the positional relationship measuring means 86) determines the container 8 based on the image of the container 8 and its contents 7 imaged by the imaging means 950. The change in the positional relationship between the container 8 and its contents 7 before and after tilting is measured.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the information processing means 980 acquires the relationship between the ridge line 8 </ b> A and the tangent line 7 </ b> A before tilting the container 8 and temporarily stores it in the RAM 981. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the relationship between the ridgeline 8B and the tangent line 7B after the cup 108 is tilted is acquired and compared, and the position of the cup 108 and its contents 7 before and after the cup 108 is tilted. Measure changes in relationships. If it is determined that the positional relationship has changed (S122; YES), the process proceeds to S132 “determined that fluid is contained in the container”. If it is determined that there is no change (S122; NO), S124 Proceed to the process of “determining that the container contains solids”.

  If the tag information indicating that the container 8 has a sealed structure has been acquired in the process of S106, it is determined that the contents 7 will not be spilled, and the cup 108 and the contents 7 The process may proceed to S124 regardless of the positional relationship (S122; NO).

  In S124, the information processing means 980 sets a flag indicating that the lifted container 8 contains a solid, and proceeds to the next S126 “holds the container in a horizontal state (holding method 2)”.

  In S126, the information processing unit 980 performs setting such that the container 8 is conveyed in a horizontal state, for example. For example, when the attribute of the container 8 to be transported is a cup, a holding method for transporting the container 8 while being in a horizontal state is set as shown in FIG. 7, and an open loop control mode is set when the container 8 is transported. Then, the process proceeds to the next S128 “convey at normal speed (4 km / h)”.

  In S128, the information processing unit 980 (including the function of the transport control unit 94) generates a speed curve in which the maximum speed during transport is set to a normal speed (for example, 4 km / h) (speed curve shown in FIG. 8). V4). And the speed command based on the produced | generated conveyance curve is output to the electric motor driver 40 via the D / A converter 959, and the process which moves the conveyance robot 10 and the container 8 is performed. When the vehicle arrives at the destination, the process proceeds to S142 “Destination arrival, container placed”, and the container 8 is placed at a predetermined position to release the grip.

  On the other hand, in the process of S122, when it is determined that there is a change in the positional relationship between the container 8 and its contents 7 before and after the tilting of the container 8 (S122; YES), the process proceeds to S132. The processing unit 980 (including the function of the fluid detection unit 80) sets a flag indicating that a fluid such as liquid or powder is contained in the lifted container 8, and maintains the horizontal state in the transport posture information. The information to the effect is recorded, and the process proceeds to the next step S134 “Stabilization control is performed so that the container is not tilted (holding 3)”.

  In S134, the information processing unit 980 (including the function of the posture control unit 82) outputs a control command for maintaining the container in a horizontal state to the tilting unit 16 based on the transport posture information recorded in S132. Then, the attitude control of the container 8 is performed. For example, when the attribute of the container 8 to be transported is a cup, as shown in FIG. 7, the holding method with the opening facing upward is set, and the container 8 is placed horizontally based on the inclination information output from the inclination detector 18. Set the mode to output the feedback control command to maintain the state.

  As a result, the posture control means 82 detects a minute posture change of the container 8 and outputs a control signal for maintaining the container 8 horizontally to the arm portion 12 and the tilting means 16. It is also possible to correct the posture change due to the inclination or the like and transport the contents 7 so as not to spill from the container 8. When the setting of the stabilization control is completed in S134, the process proceeds to the next determination of S136 "A fluid is contained in more than half of the container? (Determined by weight)".

  In S136, the information processing means 980 calculates the difference between the weight of the container 8 included in the tag information acquired in S106 and the weight of the container 8 actually measured in S108, and the contents occupying the capacity of the container 8 A ratio of 7 is calculated. If it is determined that more than half of the capacity of the container 8 is present (S136; YES), in order to strictly stabilize the posture and reduce the impact during acceleration / deceleration, S140 “low speed from the beginning to the end” The process proceeds to the “conveyance at (2 km / h)”, and a speed curve set to a low speed (for example, 2 km / h) is generated (see a speed curve V2 shown in FIG. 8). And the speed command based on the produced | generated conveyance curve is output to the electric motor driver 40 via the D / A converter 959, and the process for moving the conveyance robot 10 and the container 8 is performed. When the vehicle arrives at the destination, the process proceeds to S142 “Destination arrival, container placed”, and the container 8 is placed at a predetermined position to release the grip.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in S136 that the fluid is less than half of the capacity of the container 8 (S136; NO), in order to reduce the impact at the time of acceleration / deceleration, S138 “conveyance with reduced acceleration. Proceeds to “conveyance at a normal speed (4 km / h)”, and generates a speed curve in which the acceleration / deceleration time is lengthened to reduce the acceleration (see speed curve V4L shown in FIG. 8). And the speed command based on the produced | generated conveyance curve is output to the electric motor driver 40 via the D / A converter 959, and the process for moving the conveyance robot 10 and the container 8 is performed. When the vehicle arrives at the destination, the process proceeds to S142 “Destination arrival, container placed”, and the container 8 is placed at a predetermined position to release the grip.

  In the above-described S136, the embodiment has been described in which the conveyance command of the conveyance speed or the conveyance acceleration according to the weight of the content 7 is generated. However, the amount of the content 7 is determined based on the image data captured by the imaging unit 950. Depending on the amount of the contents 7, a transport command for transport speed or transport acceleration may be generated.

  For example, when the information processing means 980 determines that the distance between the ridge line 8A and the tangent line 7A is close (for example, 3 cm or less) from the positional relationship between the container 8 and its contents 7 before or after the container 8 is tilted, or When it is determined that the distance between the ridge line 8B and the tangent line 7B is short (for example, 5 cm or less), it can be determined that the amount of the contents 7 is large.

  Further, when it is determined that the amount of the contents 7 is large, or when it is determined that the weight of the contents 7 is large, a change is made to set a high feedback gain for controlling the container 8 in a horizontal state, You may make it improve the precision at the time of performing attitude control. By comprising in this way, even if it is a case where many fluids are contained in the inside of the container 8, it becomes possible to convey so that a fluid may not spill.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a speed curve when the transport robot 10 transports the container 8. In FIG. 8, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the conveyance speed by the conveyance unit 14 or the conveyance speed of conveyance by the arm portion 12.

  A speed curve V4 shown in FIG. 8 shows a speed curve in which normal acceleration is used for acceleration, conveyance is performed at a normal speed (for example, 4 km / h), and deceleration is performed at normal acceleration. By using this speed curve, it is possible to arrive at the destination at time t1.

  A speed curve V4L shown in FIG. 8 shows a speed curve that slowly accelerates, conveys at a normal speed (for example, 4 km / h), and slowly decelerates. By using this speed curve, the container 8 can be transported while reducing the impact during acceleration / deceleration. Using this speed curve, the vehicle arrives at the destination at time t2.

  A speed curve V2 shown in FIG. 8 shows a speed curve that slowly accelerates, transports at a low speed (for example, 2 km / h), and slowly decelerates. By using this speed curve, the impact during acceleration / deceleration can be reduced and the container 8 can be transported stably. Using this speed curve, it is possible to transport the contents 7 of the container 8 so as not to spill, but the time required to reach the destination is time t3.

  The speed curve shown in FIG. 8 is a trapezoidal speed curve for convenience of explanation, but an S-curve with less impact during acceleration / deceleration may be used.

  By controlling the transfer robot 10 in this manner, when the container 8 has no content, when the solid is contained, when the content is light, when a small amount of fluid is contained, when the content is heavy, or The conveyance conditions corresponding to each situation when a large amount of fluid is contained can be automatically set, and the container 8 can be safely conveyed without spilling the contents.

It is an external view which shows the state which the conveyance robot 10 which concerns on embodiment of this invention is going to have the container 8 to convey. It is a signal processing system block diagram of the control means 900 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 4 is a flowchart of processing for switching a transport method of the container 8 by the transport robot 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the holding state in which the conveyance robot 10 conveys the empty container 8. FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which imaged the external appearance before the conveyance robot 10 inclined the cup 108 (container 8). It is a figure which shows the state which imaged the external appearance after the conveyance robot 10 inclined the cup 108 (container 8) to this side. It is a figure showing how the conveyance robot 10 conveys the container 8 with a horizontal state. It is a figure which shows the speed curve at the time of the conveyance robot 10 conveying the container 8. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

7 Contents 8, 108 Container 10 Transport robot 12 Arm 14 Transport means 16 Tilt means 18 Tilt detector 20 Body 22 Grasping means 24 Tag information acquisition means 25 Tag 26 Tag reader 28 Tag writer 32 Weight measurement means 36 Weight sensor 40 Motor driver 42 Electric motor 44 Encoder 50 Conveyance attitude information acquisition means 80 Fluid detection means 82 Attitude control means 84 Tilt command output means 86 Positional relation measurement means 88 Fluid determination means 90 Weight information acquisition means 92 Weight determination means 94 Conveyance control means 96 Grip command Output means 900 Control means 950 Imaging means 951 Image processing means 953 Sound collection means 954 Input sound processing means 958 A / D converter 959 D / A converter 960 Antenna 961 Wireless transmission / reception means 964 Serial interface 969 Counter 970 Input means 971 Power interface 972 display means 973 display interface 980 information processing means 981 RAM
983 ROM
984 Storage means 990 Timer 999 bus

Claims (13)

A tilting means for lifting the container to be transported and adjusting the tilt of the lifted container;
Transport posture information acquisition means for acquiring transport posture information related to the posture required when transporting the container;
Detecting whether the contents of the container are fluid, and if the contents are fluid, generate transport posture information to maintain the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state, and Fluid detection means for outputting to the posture information acquisition means;
When the transport posture information acquired by the transport posture information acquisition means includes information indicating that a horizontal state is maintained, a control command for maintaining the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state with respect to the tilting means. Attitude control means for outputting
Conveying means for conveying the container lifted by the tilting means;
A transport robot comprising: The fluid detection means includes
Tilt command output means for outputting a command to tilt the container to be conveyed in the left-right direction or the up-down direction with respect to the traveling direction;
A positional relationship measuring means for measuring a change in positional relationship between the container and its contents before and after the tilting of the container;
When the positional relationship measuring means measures that the positional relationship has changed, it determines that the content is a fluid and conveys posture information indicating that the surface of the fluid is maintained in a horizontal state. A fluid determination unit that generates and outputs to the transport posture information acquisition unit;
The transport robot according to claim 1, further comprising:   The said conveyance attitude | position acquisition means is provided with the tag information acquisition means which acquires the said conveyance attitude | position information from the tag by which the information regarding the attitude | position requested | required when conveying the said container is recorded. Or the transfer robot of 2. A weight measuring means for actually measuring the weight of the lifted container;
Weight information acquisition means for acquiring weight information of the container from a tag in which information on the weight of the container is recorded;
If the measured weight of the container is heavier than the weight information, weight determination means for determining that the contents are present in the container;
The fluid detection unit detects whether or not the content is a fluid when the weight determination unit determines that the content is present in the container. The transfer robot described in 1. The tilt means includes a tilt detector that outputs tilt information by measuring a tilt in a left-right direction or a vertical direction with respect to the traveling direction of the container,
The attitude control means outputs a control command for maintaining the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state based on the tilt information output by the tilt detector. The transfer robot described. The tilt means includes a tilt detector that outputs tilt information by measuring a tilt in a left-right direction or a vertical direction with respect to the traveling direction of the container,
The weight determination means calculates the weight of the contents from the measured weight of the container and the weight information of the container acquired from the tag,
The posture control means outputs a control command for maintaining the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state based on the tilt information output from the tilt detector, and the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state according to the weight of the contents The transfer robot according to claim 4, wherein the accuracy when maintaining the temperature is changed. The fluid detection unit includes a positional relationship measuring unit that measures a positional relationship between the container and the contents.
The attitude control means outputs a control command for maintaining the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state based on the inclination information output by the inclination detector, and the container and its contents measured by the positional relationship measuring means The transfer robot according to claim 1, wherein the accuracy of maintaining the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state is changed according to the positional relationship between the transfer robot and the transfer robot.   When the acquired transport posture information includes information indicating that the horizontal state is maintained, a transport control unit that outputs a transport command that decreases the transport speed or the transport acceleration to the transport unit is provided. The transfer robot according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The weight determination means calculates the weight of the contents from the measured weight of the container and the weight information of the container acquired from the tag,
The transport robot according to claim 4, further comprising a transport control unit that outputs a transport command of a transport speed or a transport acceleration according to the calculated weight of the content to the transport unit. The fluid detection unit includes a positional relationship measuring unit that measures a positional relationship between the container and the contents.
The conveyance control means which outputs the conveyance command of the conveyance speed according to the positional relationship of the container and the contents which the position relation measurement means measured, or conveyance acceleration to the conveyance means, The transfer robot according to 1. Gripping means for gripping the container when lifting the container;
A gripping command output means for outputting a gripping command for gripping the container to the gripping means when a gripping instruction for gripping the container is input from an operator by an operation such as voice or a switch; The transport robot according to claim 1, comprising: a transport robot.   The posture control means controls the tilting means to maintain the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state when the acquired transport posture information does not include information indicating that the horizontal state is maintained. The transfer robot according to claim 1, wherein the transfer robot is not provided. A tilting means that lifts the container to be transported and adjusts the tilt of the lifted container, a transport attitude information acquisition means that acquires transport attitude information related to the attitude required when transporting the container, and the tilting means lifts A transfer program executed by an information processing means of a transfer robot comprising a transfer means for transferring a container and an information processing means for controlling the tilting means and the transfer means and acquiring transfer posture information from the transfer posture information acquiring means. There,
In the information processing means,
A function of acquiring transport posture information from the transport posture information acquisition means;
Detecting whether the contents of the container are fluid, and if the contents are fluid, generate transport posture information to maintain the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state, and A function to output to the posture information acquisition means;
A function of outputting a control command to maintain the surface of the fluid in a horizontal state with respect to the tilting means when the acquired transport posture information includes information to maintain a horizontal state;
A function of outputting a command to convey the container lifted by the tilting means to the conveying means;
Transport program that realizes.

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