JP7458116B1 - Control device and robot system - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] Processing is performed only on containers being transported that do not contain an object. [Solution] A control device 40 is a control device that controls the driving of a transport mechanism 21 that transports containers being transported on the transport surface of a belt conveyor 2. This control device 40 drives the transport mechanism 21 only when a container detection sensor 61 that detects the presence of a container detects the presence of a container, and an ingredient detection sensor 62 that detects the presence of an object in the container does not detect the presence of an object. [Selected Figure] Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a control device and a robot system.

In recent years, various tasks have been performed using robots equipped with grasping functions. For example, when a robot performs the work of arranging a side dish, the robot grasps a predetermined amount of ingredients stored in a container such as a vat and releases them into the side dish container. Ru.
Techniques related to such robots that serve dishes are disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1.

JP 2021-30407 Publication

Written by Nikkei BP, “Nikkei Robotics August 2022 Issue (No. 85)” Nikkei BP Publishing, July 10, 2022, pp. 14-20

In a general technique as described in Patent Document 1, containers being transported by a belt conveyor are directly served on the belt conveyor. With such a configuration, when the ingredients are released for serving, there is a risk that the ingredients may fall onto the belt conveyor.
On the other hand, in the technique described in Non-Patent Document 1, a container supply machine is arranged around the robot, and after filling the containers supplied by the supply machine, the containers are sent to a belt conveyor. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the ingredients from falling onto the belt conveyor upon release. Furthermore, since the food is served close to the robot, it is possible to achieve more precise movement and achieve appropriate food arrangement, compared to when the arm is extended and the food is served at a distance.

However, in the case of the configuration of Non-Patent Document 1, it is necessary to prepare a place around the robot for arranging a feeder and a place for stocking containers to be fed, resulting in an increase in the installation area. In particular, when multiple robots are placed on one belt conveyor, multiple feeders, etc. are required for each of the multiple robots, so this problem becomes more prominent. .

Furthermore, this issue is not limited to cases where the target object is foodstuffs, but is common to a wide variety of fields, such as industrial fields, where robots are used for grasping and releasing.
In other words, in conventional technology, there is still room for improvement in terms of properly arranging ingredients without unnecessarily expanding the installation area.

The objective of this invention is to process only containers that are being transported and do not contain any target objects.

In order to solve the above problem, a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises:
A control device that controls the drive of a transfer mechanism that transfers a container being transferred on a transfer surface of the transfer device,
driving the transfer mechanism only when a container detection sensor that detects the presence of the container detects the presence of the container and an object sensor that detects the presence of an object in the container does not detect the presence of the object;
It is characterized by:

According to the present invention, processing can be performed only on containers that are being transported and do not contain any target objects.

1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the configuration of a gripping system 1 according to the present invention. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the shape of a gripping member 31a installed at the tip of a hand 31. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the storage space 10A, the hand 31, the gripping member 31a, the robot arm 32, and the ingredient when performing an operation such as a gripping operation. FIG. It is a figure showing opening and closing of a pair of grip members 31a. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of a control device 40. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device 40. FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a grasping operation by the articulated robot 30. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of a transfer position P1 and a release position P2 in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of a transfer position P1 and a release position P2 in the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration for driving a transfer mechanism 21. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of an ingredient plating process executed by the gripping system 1. It is a schematic diagram which shows the vicinity of the transfer position P1 and the release position P2 in 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a view of the second embodiment viewed from vertically above. It is a schematic diagram which shows the vicinity of the transfer position P1 and the release position P2 in 3rd Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a view showing the third embodiment as viewed vertically from above. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the shape of a connecting member 27. FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[Embodiment]
[composition]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the configuration of a gripping system 1 according to the present invention.
The first to third embodiments will be described in detail below, including the overall configuration described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, and the control described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. The hardware and functional configuration of the device 40 and the method of grasping ingredients described with reference to FIG. 7 are common to each embodiment.

Here, the gripping system 1 in each embodiment assumes that the present invention is applied to a system for piling up materials. In the following description, an example will be described in which the gripping system 1 grips ingredients such as side dishes as objects and places the ingredients in individual side dish containers. Note that this arrangement of individual side dishes in containers is merely an example, and each embodiment can also be applied to applications such as, for example, serving each of a plurality of side dishes individually in a corresponding area of a lunch box container. It is also possible. In addition, in the following explanation, weight will be used as an example of the amount of ingredients to be served, but the present invention is applicable to physical quantities other than weight, such as volume, bulk, mass, etc. It is possible to apply.

As shown in FIG. 1, the grasping system 1 includes an ingredient storage section 10, an articulated robot 30, a control device 40, a shielding section 50, a container detection sensor 61, and an ingredient detection sensor 62. ing. The control device 40, the articulated robot 30, the container detection sensor 61, and the ingredient detection sensor 62 are connected by wire or wirelessly, and can communicate with each other.
Note that the gripping system 1 further includes transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 for each embodiment, but the positions of these arrangements differ depending on each embodiment, so in FIG. 1, the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, The illustration of 23 is omitted.

Furthermore, a belt conveyor 2 is installed adjacent to the gripping system 1 to automatically convey containers of deli dishes from upstream to downstream. The belt conveyor 2 has a conveyance surface for conveying containers, and the containers are conveyed while being placed on this conveyance surface.
Further, on this belt conveyor 2, guide members 2A are installed in the left and right directions when the traveling direction of the containers (that is, downstream of the belt conveyor 2) is taken as the forward direction. The guide member 2A has a tapered shape whose left and right width narrows in the direction of travel, and has a structure that can guide the container to a predetermined position. Containers filled with food are conveyed at various positions on the belt conveyor 2 (for example, at different positions in the left-right direction) upstream of the guide member 2A, and by being guided by the guide member 2A, The container that has arrived here is transported to a transport position P1, which is a position where the container is transported to a transport destination.

In each embodiment, the operation of supplying containers to the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 further upstream of the gripping system 1 may be performed manually or may be performed by a container supply device.

The ingredient accommodating section 10 includes a accommodating space 10A that accommodates ingredients such as side dishes to be served in the gripping system 1. For example, the storage space 10A may be configured by the ingredients storage section 10 itself, or may be configured by a general-purpose container such as a large vat or a tray that can be installed in the ingredients storage section 10. The storage space 10A contains, for example, kneaded salad (salad containing sticky or sticky ingredients) such as potato salad, unohana (okara), dried daikon radish, eggplant, hijiki, boiled beans, and butter. Contains side dishes such as corn. In each embodiment, it is assumed that the ingredient storage unit 10 stores one type of ingredient for multiple meals (for example, several tens to hundreds of meals). Then, the plurality of gripping systems 1 arrange the ingredients of any side dish in the corresponding side dish container, thereby completing the work of serving the side dish.
The storage space 10A of the ingredients storage section 10 can be replaced manually by a worker or automatically by the articulated robot 30.

The transfer mechanisms 21, 22, 23 transfer the container transferred to the transfer position P1 on the transfer surface of the belt conveyor 2 to a release position P2, which is a position where the multi-joint robot 30 releases the ingredients held by the multi-joint robot 30. Then, after the multi-joint robot 30 releases the ingredients into the container at the release position P2, the multi-joint robot 30 returns the container to the transfer position P1 again. As a result, the container with the ingredients released is placed again on the transfer surface of the belt conveyor 2 and transferred downstream.
As with the transport mechanisms 21, 22, and 23, the location of the release position P2 differs depending on the embodiment, and therefore the release position P2 is also omitted from FIG.

The articulated robot 30 is, for example, a horizontal articulated robot or a vertical articulated robot, and is equipped with a hand 31 capable of grasping the ingredients to be plated, and a robot arm 32 that moves the hand 31 to any position within its movable range.
A weight sensor 30A for measuring the weight of the ingredient held by the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30 is provided at the joint that holds the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30 as an example of a means for acquiring the physical quantity of the ingredient held by the hand 31 with the gripping member 31a. A force sensor 30B for measuring the reaction force (including the force sense obtained by touching the surface) from the ingredient that has been touched is provided at the joint that holds the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30 as an example of a means for detecting that the hand 31 has come into contact with the ingredient. Data on the weight of the ingredient (i.e., the weight of the gripped ingredient) measured by the weight sensor 30A and data on the reaction force from the ingredient (i.e., the detection result of contact with the ingredient) measured by the force sensor 30B are output to the control device 40.

Further, the joint that holds the hand 31 includes an axis that rotates the hand 31 in a twisting direction with respect to the robot arm 32. Therefore, by changing the orientation of the hand 31 when the hand 31 grips the ingredient, the direction in which the hand 31 opens and closes can be adjusted. Thereby, when the hand 31 reaches the vicinity of the inner wall surface of the container, it is possible to change the direction of the hand 31 so that the hand 31 opens and closes in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the accommodation space 10A, and the inner wall surface of the container It becomes easier to grasp nearby ingredients.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the shape of the gripping member 31a installed at the tip of the hand 31.
Note that in FIG. 2, only one of the pair of gripping members 31a is shown.
As shown in FIG. 2, the gripping member 31a in each embodiment includes a top plate, a main plate, a first side plate, and a second side plate. The top plate portion has a rectangular plane. In addition, when the plane of the top plate section is in a horizontal state, the main plate section is inclined from one end in the longitudinal direction of this plane toward a position spaced apart vertically below the other end in the longitudinal direction of this plane. It has been extended. Furthermore, when the plane of the top plate is in a horizontal state, the first side plate and the second side plate extend vertically downward from each end of the plane.
In addition, in the following description, when each of these pair of gripping members 31a is described without distinguishing them, they are simply referred to as "gripping members 31a."

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the storage space 10A, the hand 31, the gripping member 31a, the robot arm 32, and the ingredient when performing an operation such as a gripping operation. In Figure 10, the vertical direction is referred to as the Z direction, a first horizontal direction perpendicular to the Z direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface) is referred to as the Y direction, and a second horizontal direction perpendicular to each of the Z direction and the Y direction is referred to as the X direction. In other words, the Z direction, Y direction, and X direction are each perpendicular to one another.

The hand 31 is placed at the tip of the robot arm 32. Furthermore, the gripping member 31a is supported by the hand 31 by being coupled to the hand 31 by a coupling member. The hand 31 and the gripping member 31a coupled thereto can move within a movable range in each of the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction according to the operation of the robot arm 32 controlled by the control device 40. is possible. Further, the hand 31 realizes a gripping operation by opening and closing the pair of gripping members 31a in the Y direction using an actuator (not shown).
Furthermore, the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a coupled thereto can rotate with the Z direction as a rotation axis.
With such a configuration, in each embodiment, the positions and orientations of the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a can be changed arbitrarily, thereby appropriately performing operations such as gripping and releasing operations with various movements. becomes possible.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing opening and closing of the pair of gripping members 31a. The gripping member 31a shown in FIG. 2 is coupled to the hand 31 by a coupling member such that the respective openings face each other. Further, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction in FIG. 4 are the same as the directions defined in FIG. 3. The pair of gripping members 31a are brought into an open state by performing an opening operation along the opening/closing direction (Y direction) as shown in FIG. 4(a). Furthermore, when performing the gripping operation, the pair of gripping members 31a are brought into a closed state by performing a closing operation along the opening/closing direction (Y direction) as shown in FIG. 4(b).

Then, the pair of gripping members 31a are brought into a closed state and the gripping members 31a come into contact with each other, so that at least the inner surface with the tip and side plate portions closed forms a container shape for gripping ingredients. In the case of such a shape of the gripping member 31a, the tip of the gripping member 31a is inserted vertically from the surface into an ingredient such as a kneaded salad, and the pair of gripping members 31a are closed at a predetermined depth to lift the ingredient. By doing so, it is possible to grasp and take out a substantially constant amount of ingredients from the storage space 10A.
In addition, after the pair of gripping members 31a are transferred onto the container of the prepared food at the serving position P1, the pair of gripping members 31a are opened and the container-shaped opening is exposed, so that the container of the prepared food can be taken out by gripping. Ingredients are freed up, and a nearly constant amount of ingredients can be placed in a container for side dishes.

Returning to FIG. 1, the control device 40 is configured by an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a programmable controller, and controls the entire gripping system 1 by executing various programs. For example, the control device 40 controls an operation in which the articulated robot 30 grips ingredients from the ingredient storage section 10 and releases the ingredients into a container of a side dish, thereby plating the ingredients. More specifically, for example, the control device 40 controls the drive of the robot arm 32 to move the hand 31 to a preset predetermined position along a predetermined route and at a predetermined speed, or to drive the actuator of the hand 31. By controlling this, the operation of gripping and releasing the ingredients by the gripping member 31a is realized. In addition, for example, the control device 40 controls the operations of the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 based on the detection results of the container detection sensor 61 and ingredient detection sensor 62.

The shielding part 50 is configured by a plate-like member that surrounds the area and information in the grasping system 1 in which the ingredient accommodating part 10 and the articulated robot 30 are installed. The plate-like member constituting the shielding part 50 is made of a transparent material such as glass or resin, and allows the operating status of the gripping system 1 to be visually confirmed from the outside. Moreover, a door that can be opened and closed is installed in a part of the side wall that the shielding part 50 constitutes. When replacing the storage space 10A of the ingredient storage section 10 or performing maintenance on the gripping system 1, an operator can open the door of the shielding section 50 and perform various operations.

The container detection sensor 61 is a sensor that detects the position of a container being transported on the belt conveyor 2. The container detection sensor 61 is composed of, for example, an optical sensor. The container detection sensor 61 detects, for example, that the container guided by the guide member 2A has been transported to the transfer position P1 or is about to be transported to the transfer position P1. Data on the position of the container detected by the container detection sensor 61 is output to the control device 40 .

The ingredients detection sensor 62 is a sensor that detects ingredients placed in a container. Like the container detection sensor 61, the ingredient detection sensor 62 is configured by, for example, an optical sensor. The ingredients detection sensor 62 detects, for example, whether ingredients are arranged in the container guided by the guide member 2A. The data detected by the ingredient detection sensor 62 as to whether the ingredients are served is output to the control device 40.

In addition, in FIG. 1, only one set of the ingredient storage section 10 and the articulated robot 30 is shown, but this is only an example, and for one belt conveyor 2, the ingredient accommodation section 10 and the articulated robot 30 are shown. A plurality of groups of robots 30 may exist. That is, each embodiment can also be applied to a situation where a plurality of articulated robots 30 work together.

[Hardware configuration of control device 40]
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device 40.
As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 711, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 712, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 713, a bus 714, an input section 715, and an output section. 716, a storage section 717, a communication section 718, and a drive 719.

The CPU 711 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 712 or a program loaded from the storage unit 717 to the RAM 713 .
The RAM 713 also stores data and the like necessary for the CPU 711 to execute various processes.

The CPU 711, ROM 712, and RAM 713 are interconnected via a bus 714. An input section 715, an output section 716, a storage section 717, a communication section 718, and a drive 719 are connected to the bus 714.

The input unit 715 includes an input device such as a mouse and a keyboard, and receives input of various information to the control device 40. Note that a microphone may be provided as the input unit 715, and input of various information may be accepted through voice input from the worker.
The output unit 716 is configured with a display, a speaker, etc., and outputs images and audio.
The storage unit 717 is configured with a hard disk, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), or the like, and stores various data managed by each server.
The communication unit 718 controls communication with other devices via the network.

A removable medium 731 made of a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like is appropriately installed in the drive 719. The program read from the removable medium 731 by the drive 719 is installed in the storage unit 717 as necessary.
Note that the above hardware configuration is the basic configuration of the control device 40, and the configuration may not include some hardware, include additional hardware, or change the implementation form of the hardware. Can be done.

[Functional configuration]
Next, the functional configuration of the control device 40 will be explained.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 40.
As shown in FIG. 6, by executing a program for controlling the operation of the gripping system 1, the CPU 711 of the control device 40 has a sensor information acquisition unit 151, an ingredient state determination unit 152, and an ingredient quantity determination unit. A determination section 153, an articulated robot control section 154, a transfer mechanism control section 155, and a recording control section 156 function. Further, the storage unit 717 includes a parameter storage unit 171 and a history database (history DB) 172.

The parameter storage unit 171 stores various parameters used when the gripping system 1 operates. For example, the parameter storage unit 171 stores the position of the storage space 10A of the ingredients storage unit 10, the position of the area in the container of the prepared food where the ingredients are placed, and the amount of insertion of the hand 31 into the ingredients when gripping the ingredients. The relationship between the weight and the weight of the ingredient to be gripped (function, table format data, etc.), parameters defining the movement pattern of the articulated robot 30, etc. are stored. In each embodiment, the amount of insertion of the hand 31 into the ingredients is an index for estimating the weight (physical quantity) of the ingredients. That is, from the relationship between the amount of insertion of the hand 31 into the ingredient and the weight of the ingredient to be gripped, the actual weight of the gripped ingredient (target gripping weight) is determined by the amount of insertion of the hand 31 into the ingredient. Estimated based on quantity.

In the history DB 172, parameters related to control acquired when the gripping system 1 operates, or measurement data of the weight of ingredients served by the gripping system 1 are stored as a history. Furthermore, the history DB 172 also stores an ingredient state map indicating the state of the ingredients in the storage space 10A of the ingredient storage section 10. Details of this ingredient state map will be described later together with a description of the recording control unit 156 that creates and updates the ingredient state map.

The sensor information acquisition unit 151 acquires sensor information that is information detected by various sensors installed in the gripping system 1. For example, the sensor information acquisition unit 151 may collect data on the weight of the ingredients measured by the weight sensor 30A installed at the joints of the articulated robot 30, data on the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B, etc. , data on the position of the container detected by the container detection sensor 61, and data on whether ingredients are served or not, detected by the ingredient detection sensor 62, are acquired.

The ingredient condition determination unit 152 recognizes the condition of the ingredients based on the data of the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B. For example, the ingredient state determination unit 152 determines the depth of the ingredient in the accommodation space 10A (from the surface of the ingredient in the accommodation space 10A to the (depth to the bottom) and the degree of flatness of the surface (how rough the surface is). In each embodiment, instead of determining the state of the ingredients by image analysis using a camera, a method of measuring the state of the ingredients based on the reaction force using the force sensor 30B is used. Therefore, for example, it is possible to reduce the introduction cost and management cost of the camera, and there is no need to consider blind spots of the camera, so it is possible to more flexibly select the arrangement of the articulated robot 30 and the accommodation space 10A. . Furthermore, since no camera is used, there is no need to consider the effects of steam generated from ingredients or lighting on photography.

In addition, upon recognizing the depth of the ingredient and the degree of flatness of the surface, the ingredient state determination unit 152 determines whether these conform to the conditions for grasping the ingredient (for example, the depth of the ingredient and the degree of flatness of the surface). It is determined whether the degree of flatness is greater than or equal to a set threshold value. The degree of flatness of the surface of the ingredient can be defined, for example, based on the absolute value of the size of the unevenness of the surface, and is defined such that the flatter the surface of the ingredient, the larger the value. be able to. Alternatively, the degree of flatness may be determined for each portion of the surface of the ingredient. In addition, the ingredient condition determination unit 152 determines whether the condition of the ingredients in the accommodation space 10A is such that a specified amount of ingredients can be grasped in one grasping operation.

The ingredient amount determining unit 153 determines whether a specified amount of ingredients has been gripped, based on data on the weight of ingredients measured by the weight sensor 30A of the articulated robot 30.

The articulated robot control unit 154 controls the motion of the articulated robot 30 and causes the articulated robot 30 to perform a series of operations for plating ingredients according to the motion pattern defined in the gripping system 1. For example, the articulated robot control unit 154 performs an operation of grasping an ingredient with the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30 (grasping operation), an operation of transferring the grasped ingredient to a container of a side dish (transfer operation), and an operation of grasping the ingredient. The multi-joint robot 30 is caused to perform an operation of releasing the ingredients (release operation), an operation of shaping the surface of the released ingredients after serving (shaping operation), and the like.

The transfer mechanism control unit 155 controls the transfer mechanism 21, 22 and 23 are controlled. A specific control method by the transfer mechanism control unit 155 will be described in more detail when each embodiment is described.

The recording control unit 156 stores, in the history DB 172, control-related parameters acquired when the gripping system 1 performs the gripping operation and measurement data of the weight of the ingredients served by the gripping system 1. Further, the recording control unit 156 creates and updates an ingredient status map indicating the status of ingredients in the storage space 10A of the ingredient storage unit 10, and also stores this ingredient status map in the history DB 172. More specifically, the recording control unit 156 records the measurement data of the weight of the ingredient and the reaction force of the ingredient acquired when the grasping system 1 performs the grasping operation, and the determination result by the ingredient state determination unit 152, which will be described later. In addition, the condition of the ingredients in each region of the storage space 10A is detected based on the measurement data of the weight of the ingredients arranged in the gripping system 1, and is stored in association with identification information that identifies each region. , generate an ingredient state map. In this case, the state of the ingredients refers to the remaining amount of the ingredients in each region, and the depth and flatness of the ingredients determined by the ingredient condition determination unit 152, which will be described later. In addition, when the storage space 10A is replaced with a new one after the ingredients in the storage space 10A have been arranged, a predetermined amount of ingredients (for example, a sufficient amount for the storage space 10A) The ingredient status map is updated assuming that the ingredients (ingredients) are accommodated in a predetermined state (for example, the surface is flat).

Next, details of the gripping operation performed by the articulated robot 30 under the control of the articulated robot control unit 154 will be described.

[Grasp operation]
In the gripping system 1 according to each embodiment, the relationship between the depth (insertion amount) at which the gripping member 31a is inserted into the ingredient and the weight of the ingredient gripped at that time is known in advance depending on the ingredient and the type of gripping member 31a used. For example, the density of the ingredient to be gripped (a parameter representing the weight per unit depth) is measured in advance, and the gripped weight can be calculated (estimated) by a function whose element is the product of the ingredient density and the depth at which the gripping member 31a is inserted. This allows the weight of the ingredient to be estimated by a simple calculation.

Further, the weight calculated in this manner can also be held as data in a table format. Furthermore, since it is possible to grasp the range of the surface of the ingredient where the degree of flatness decreases with one grasping operation, the pitch at which the gripping position is shifted for each grasping operation is set on the surface of the ingredient in the storage space 10A. Furthermore, a gripping operation pattern is set for how to grip the ingredient from which position on the surface of the ingredient, based on the preset depth and pitch into which the gripping member 31a is inserted. Then, according to this gripping operation pattern, the gripping operation is performed as follows.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a grasping operation by the multi-joint robot 30.
As shown in FIG. 7, when the articulated robot 30 grips ingredients, (1) approaches the ingredients, (2) detects the surface of the ingredients, (3) inserts the gripping member 31a into the ingredients. , (4) closing the gripping member 31a to bring the gripping member 31a into a closed state, and (5) measuring the weight (physical quantity) of the gripped ingredient. If the gripped weight matches the specified amount, the ingredients are transferred to the prepared food container and released. Note that the gripped weight conforming to the specified amount means, for example, that the weight of the gripped ingredient is within a predetermined error (within ±15%, etc.) with respect to the target weight. However, considering the case where the ingredient sticks to the gripping member 31a and is not released, the error when the gripped weight is more than the specified amount may be set to be larger than the error when it is less. On the other hand, if the weight of the gripped ingredients does not match the specified amount, then (6) release the ingredients to the gripped position in the storage space 10A (return the ingredients); (7) the weight of the gripped ingredients exceeds the specified amount; (For example, if the weight of the gripped ingredient exceeds the upper limit of the specified amount range), the gripping member 31a is inserted to a shallower depth than the previous time, and the ingredient is gripped. (8) If the weight of the gripped ingredient is insufficient (for example, if the weight of the gripped ingredient is below the lower limit of the specified amount range), the gripping member 31a is The ingredients are gripped again by adjusting the depth to which they are inserted into the ingredients and then gripping the ingredients.

Detecting the surface of the ingredient in step (2) can be done by measuring the reaction force that the gripping member 31a of the articulated robot 30 receives when it comes into contact with the ingredient, using the force sensor 30B.
In addition, when inserting the gripping member 31a into the ingredient in step (3), the insertion amount is calculated from the control parameters of the articulated robot 30 (rotation angle of the joint, etc.), or the surface of the ingredient is detected in step (2). It is possible to calculate the insertion amount from the elapsed time since the insertion was started.

In addition, in step (8), even if the gripping member 31a is inserted deeper into the ingredients than the previous time, if the specified amount of ingredients cannot be gripped (the insertion depth required to take the specified amount is When the depth of the ingredients is shallow), the ingredients can be controlled from multiple locations on the surface of the ingredients so that the total amount of ingredients gripped multiple times becomes the specified amount. is also possible. In this case, for example, when the total depth of inserting the gripping member 31a into multiple locations on the surface of the ingredient (total insertion amount) is to grasp a specified amount of ingredients at one time, the gripping member 31a is inserted into the ingredient. It can be controlled to be the same as the depth. In addition, for example, when gripping from the second location onwards, the gripped ingredient is once released to the next planned gripping position, and the released ingredient is placed on the surface of the ingredient where it is present, by a specified amount at once. It is also possible to insert the gripping member 31a into the ingredients to the depth that it would be inserted when gripping the ingredients, and to control so that a predetermined amount of ingredients can be gripped at once.

The relationship between the depth (insertion amount) at which the gripping member 31a is inserted into the ingredient and the weight of the ingredient gripped at that time can be calculated (estimated) from the density of the ingredient, or the weight can be estimated by machine learning the data on the depth at which the gripping member 31a is inserted and the data measuring the weight of the ingredient gripped at that time, and using a machine learning model generated by machine learning. The density of the ingredient can also be calculated during this machine learning process, and the weight of the gripped ingredient can be calculated from the depth (insertion amount) at which the gripping member 31a is inserted into the ingredient using the calculated density.

[First embodiment]
[Configuration and functions]
The content common to each embodiment has been described above. Next, the specific configuration and operation of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
8 and 9 are perspective views showing the vicinity of the transfer position P1 and release position P2 in an enlarged manner in the first embodiment. In these figures, similarly to FIG. 1, the left side of the page is the upstream side of conveyance on the belt conveyor 2, and the right side of the page is the downstream side of conveyance on the belt conveyor 2.
FIG. 8 shows the belt conveyor 2, the guide member 2A, the ingredient storage section 10, the transfer mechanism 21, the articulated robot 30, the container detection sensor 61, and the ingredient detection sensor 62. These functional configurations are as described above with reference to FIG.

First, the articulated robot 30 calculates the insertion depth into the ingredient storage section 10 from the density of the ingredient. Then, the articulated robot 30 holds a specified amount of ingredients based on the calculated insertion depth and stands by.

Next, the container placed on the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 2 is guided by the guide member 2A, and is conveyed to a transfer position P1, which is a position where the container is transferred to a destination.
A transfer mechanism 21 is arranged at this transfer position P1. This transfer mechanism 21 is a mechanism that transfers the container transferred to the transfer position P1 to a release position P2, which is a position where the ingredients held by the articulated robot 30 are released. Note that when the transfer mechanism 21 does not operate for transfer, the container passes through the transfer mechanism 21 and is conveyed directly to the downstream of the belt conveyor 2.

The operation of the transfer mechanism 21 is controlled by the transfer mechanism control section 155 of the control device 40. To this end, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 receives, via the sensor information acquisition unit 151, data on the position of the container detected by the container detection sensor 61 and whether the ingredients detected by the ingredient detection sensor 62 are being served. Get data on whether or not. Then, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 first determines, based on the container position data detected by the container detection sensor 61, that the container has been transferred to the transfer position P1, or that the container is about to be transferred to the transfer position P1. Detect something. Although colored containers are also used as containers for side dishes, transparent containers are also commonly used. The container detection sensor 61 can detect both colored containers and transparent containers.

When the transfer mechanism control unit 155 detects the conveyance of a container to the transfer position P1, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 next determines whether the container is a container without side dish ingredients (that is, an empty container) or whether the container is already filled with ingredients. Based on the detection result of the ingredient detection sensor 62, it is determined whether the container is filled with ingredients. The reason for this determination is that, as described above, a plurality of articulated robots 30 are arranged for one belt conveyor 2, and these plural articulated robots 30 work together. This is because, in such a case, there is a possibility that a container in which ingredients are already arranged is transported by the upstream articulated robot 30.

The ingredient detection sensor 62 is a distance-detecting photoelectric sensor, and is disposed at a predetermined height (e.g., about 15 cm from the conveying surface) vertically above the transfer position P1. The transfer mechanism control unit 155 sets a threshold value for the height of the ingredients from the conveying surface, assuming that the ingredients have already been plated. Then, based on the detection results of the ingredient detection sensor 62, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines that the ingredients have already been plated when a height exceeding this threshold value continues to be detected for a certain period of time.
Even if a certain height of an empty container (e.g., the periphery of the container) exceeds the threshold, the time is short and less than the certain time, so that it is possible to prevent the empty container from being mistakenly determined to already have ingredients in it.

In this case, the length of this certain period of time is appropriately set, for example, within a range of time shorter than the time from when the container detection sensor 61 detects the container until the container is transported and passes the transfer position P1. can do.

Then, if the container is detected by the container detection sensor 61 and it is determined that no ingredients are served based on the detection result of the ingredient detection sensor 62, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines that the container is not filled with ingredients. Identifies it as an empty container for serving material. Then, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 21 to transfer this empty container to the release position P2, which is the position where the ingredient gripped by the articulated robot 30 is released. . On the other hand, if a container is not detected, or if a container is detected but ingredients have already been placed, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 does not drive the transfer mechanism 21 and causes it to stand by.

FIG. 9 shows a state in which the transfer mechanism 21 is driven and the container is transferred from the transfer position P1 to the release position P2. The release position P2 is a position closer to the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30 than the transfer position P1. In this embodiment, the release position P2 is a position vertically above the conveyance surface. The transfer mechanism 21 holds the container at the release position P2 until the release operation is completed. Then, the articulated robot 30 performs an operation of opening the pair of gripping members 31a to release the gripped ingredient from the container held at the release position P2. In this way, by releasing near the gripping member 31a, the force at the time of release can be suppressed, and it is possible to prevent the ingredients from scattering at the time of release. Moreover, since there is no need to move the gripping member 31a more than necessary, it is possible to prevent the ingredients from falling along the movement path of the gripping member 31a.

Then, when the release by the articulated robot 30 is completed, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 21 again to move the container (here, a container filled with ingredients) from the release position P2 to the transfer position P1. be transferred to. When the container is transferred to the transfer position P1, it is again placed on the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 2 and conveyed toward the downstream side of the belt conveyor 2.

In this case, if the container is transferred to the transfer position P1 only on the condition that the release by the articulated robot 30 is completed, there is a possibility that it will collide with other containers transferred to the transfer position P1. be. Therefore, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 can confirm, based on the detection result of the container detection sensor 61, that another container is not being transferred to the transfer position P1 or that it is not about to be transferred to the transfer position P1. At the same timing, the container is transferred to the transfer position P1. Therefore, occurrence of a situation in which containers collide with each other can be prevented.
This completes the series of operations in the first embodiment.

Here, the transfer mechanism 21 is driven by the actuator 25 shown in the figure to perform the transfer as described above. The actuator 25 is an actuator that performs linear motion, and is realized by, for example, an air cylinder.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration for driving the transfer mechanism 21. FIG. 10 illustrates the timing at which the transfer mechanism 21 transfers the container from the transfer position P1 to the release position P2. Note that the container at the transfer position P1 is indicated by a broken imaginary line.
The transfer mechanism 21 includes a first drive mechanism 211, a second drive mechanism 212, and a container holding section 213.
The first drive mechanism 211 and the second drive mechanism 212 are elongated plate-like members, and each is rotatably fixed with a fixing device such as a screw. The container holding portion 213 is a member that holds the container during transportation, and is formed, for example, in a shape that follows the side surfaces at both ends and the bottom surface at both ends of the container. The first drive mechanism 211 and the second drive mechanism 212 support the container holding part 213 by their ends that are not fixed with screws or the like.

The transfer mechanism 21 forms a link mechanism with these parts. Then, by transmitting the force that causes the actuator 25 to make a linear motion (here, the force that causes the actuator 25 to extend) to the first drive mechanism 211, the first drive mechanism 211 rotates and forms a link mechanism. The second drive mechanism 212 also rotates. Along with this rotation, the container holding section 213 moves upward from the transfer position P1 to the release position P2. Moreover, after that, the actuator 25 performs linear motion in the opposite direction, and as the actuator 25 contracts, the first drive mechanism 211 and the second drive mechanism 212 rotate in the opposite direction. With this rotation, the container holding section 213 moves downward from the release position P2 to the transfer position P1. Thereby, the transfer by the transfer mechanism 21 is realized.

[Overall operation]
Next, the overall operation of the gripping system 1 will be explained.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of ingredient plating processing executed by the gripping system 1. The ingredient plating process is started, for example, when an operator performs an operation to start the ingredient plating process.

When the ingredient placement process is started, in step S11 of FIG. 11, the articulated robot control unit 154 reads operation data (such as data on the movement pattern and data on the amount of insertion of the hand 31) from the parameter storage unit 171 to perform a series of operations in the ingredient placement process, thereby preparing to grasp the ingredients.

In step S12, the articulated robot control unit 154 transfers the hand 31 to the accommodation space 10A according to the motion pattern data.

In step S13, the ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the state of the ingredients in the accommodation space 10A by reading the ingredient state map indicating the state of the ingredients in the accommodation space 10A of the ingredient storage unit 10 from the history DB 172. do. Thereafter, the ingredient condition determination unit 152 continues to recognize the condition of the ingredient based on the data of the reaction force from the ingredient measured by the force sensor 30B, which is acquired by the sensor information acquisition unit 151.

In step S14, the depth to which the gripping member 31a is inserted into the ingredients is determined based on the movement pattern data read in step S11 and the state of the ingredients in the storage space 10A recognized in step S13.
In step S15, the articulated robot control unit 154 inserts the gripping member 31a into the ingredient to the determined insertion depth.
In step S16, the articulated robot control unit 154 closes the gripping member 31a and grips the ingredients.

In step S17, the ingredient amount determining unit 153 measures the weight (physical quantity) of the grasped ingredient and determines whether a specified amount of ingredient is being grasped. If the predetermined amount of ingredients is being held, the determination in step S17 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S18. On the other hand, if the prescribed amount of ingredients is not gripped, the determination in step S17 is No, and the process is performed again from step S14. In this case, if the gripping material being gripped exceeds the specified amount, the insertion depth is re-determined to become shallower in step S14, which is performed again. On the other hand, if the gripping material being gripped is less than the specified amount, the insertion depth is re-determined to become deeper in step S14, which is performed again. Note that the processing from step S14 to step S17 corresponds to the gripping operation described with reference to FIG.

In step S18, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines whether a container is detected at the transfer position P1 based on the detection result of the container detection sensor 61. If a container is detected, the determination in step S18 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, if no container is detected, the determination in step S18 is No, and the process repeats the determination in step S18.

In step S19, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines whether the container is already filled with ingredients based on the detection result of the ingredient detection sensor 62. If the ingredients have already been arranged, the determination in step S is Yes, the process returns to step S18, and the determination in step S18 is performed again. On the other hand, if the ingredients are not arranged, the determination in step S19 is No, and the process proceeds to step S20.

In step S20, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 21 to transfer the container from the transfer position P1 to the release position P2.
In step S21, the articulated robot control unit 154 releases the gripped ingredient into the container at the release position P2.

In step S22, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 determines whether or not a container has been detected at the transfer position P1 based on the detection result of the container detection sensor 61. If a container has been detected, the determination in step S22 is Yes, and the process repeats the determination in step S22. On the other hand, if a container has not been detected, the determination in step S22 is No, and the process proceeds to step S23.

In step S23, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 21 to transfer the container from the release position P2 to the transfer position P1. When the container (here, the container with the ingredients already filled in) is transferred to the transfer position P1, it is placed again on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 and is transported downstream of the belt conveyor 2.

In step S24, the recording control unit 156 stores in the history DB 172 the control-related parameters acquired in the ingredient serving process and the measurement data (history data) of the weight of the served ingredients. Furthermore, the recording control unit 156 updates the ingredient state map indicating the state of the ingredients in the accommodation space 10A of the ingredient storage unit 10, and also stores the updated ingredient state map in the history DB 172. In this case, if there is an excess or deficiency in the weight of the served ingredients, an alert may be output to the worker.

In step S25, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether the conditions for terminating the ingredient plating process are met. In this case, the conditions for terminating the ingredient arrangement process include that the ingredients have been arranged in the scheduled number of prepared food containers, or that the operator has performed an operation to end the ingredient arrangement process. can be defined.
If the conditions for terminating the ingredient plating process are not met, a negative determination is made in step S25, and the process is repeated from step S12. On the other hand, if the conditions for terminating the ingredients plating process are met, the determination in step S25 is Yes, and the ingredients plating process ends.

As described above, the gripping system 1 according to this embodiment can release ingredients for plating at the release position P2, which is a position close to the articulated robot 30, rather than on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. Therefore, the articulated robot 30 does not need to move a long distance when releasing, and it is possible to prevent ingredients from falling along the movement path. Furthermore, since the articulated robot 30 plates ingredients near the container, it can achieve more precise movements and proper plating compared to when the robot arm 32 is extended and plating is performed at a distance. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ingredients from falling onto the belt conveyor 2 when the ingredients are released for plating.

Moreover, the transport mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 that perform each of the transport operations can be realized by a drive mechanism with a relatively simple configuration that hardly increases the installation area. Furthermore, unlike the prior art described above, the gripping system 1 does not require a supply device to be disposed around the articulated robot 30 or a stock of supply containers. Furthermore, since the container from which the ingredients have been released is transferred again to the conveyance surface of the same belt conveyor 2, for example, the first belt conveyor conveys the container before being served, and the second belt conveyor conveys the container after being served. There is no need to prepare multiple conveyor belts.
Therefore, according to the gripping system 1, when releasing the ingredients gripped by the robot, the ingredients can be appropriately arranged without unnecessarily expanding the installation area.

Furthermore, in the gripping system 1, the transport surface, the articulated robot 30, and the ingredient storage section 10 are arranged in this order in the direction intersecting the direction of movement of the transport surface.
As a result, the container is arranged so that not only the distance between the container and the multi-joint robot 30 becomes closer when releasing the container, but also the distance between the multi-joint robot 30 and the ingredient storage section 10 becomes shorter when grasping the container. Therefore, the total distance of the distance that the articulated robot 30 must move during gripping and the distance that it must move to restart releasing can also be shortened. Therefore, it is possible to further prevent ingredients from falling on the moving path.

[Second embodiment]
[Configuration and functions]
In the first embodiment described above, the release position P2 was a position vertically above the conveyance surface. In this way, there is no need to prepare a place around the articulated robot 30 that will be the release position P2, and the installation area can be further reduced. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, by performing the release near the gripping member 31a, the momentum at the time of release can be suppressed, and it is possible to prevent the ingredients from scattering at the time of release. However, depending on the characteristics of the ingredients (for example, they are very juicy), it may not be possible to say that scattering and the like will not occur at all.
Therefore, in the second embodiment, the side surface of the articulated robot 30 is set as the release position P2. Although this requires some space to provide the release position P2, it is possible to more reliably prevent ingredients from scattering onto the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 2.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of the transfer position P1 and the release position P2 in the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a side view with the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 2 taken as the front side of the page. Note that, in the following description, overlapping descriptions and illustrations of configurations and functions common to each of the embodiments described above and configurations and functions common to the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.
FIG. 12 shows the belt conveyor 2, the transfer mechanism 22, the actuator 25, and the articulated robot 30. Further, the transfer mechanism 22 includes a first drive mechanism 221, a second drive mechanism 222, and a container holding section 223.

In this embodiment, the transfer position P1 is the same as in the first embodiment. On the other hand, the release position P2 is on a workbench provided on the side of the articulated robot 30 as shown in the figure. The transfer mechanism 22 forms a link mechanism driven by an actuator 25, similar to the transfer mechanism 21. Here, in the second embodiment, it is necessary to move the container horizontally, rather than lifting it on the conveying surface as in the first embodiment. Therefore, although it cannot be seen in FIG. 12, there is also one second drive mechanism 222 on the back side of the paper, and it is fixed to the first drive mechanism 221 like the second drive mechanism 222 on the front side of the paper. That is, in this embodiment, a pair of (two) second drive mechanisms 222 sandwich the first drive mechanism 221, forming a parallel link mechanism in which the pair of second drive mechanisms 222 drive in parallel. In this way, by supporting the container holder 223 from both ends with the pair of second drive mechanisms 222, a more stable state is achieved, and the container holder 223 can be appropriately moved horizontally.

FIG. 13 is an overhead view of this embodiment from vertically above. FIG. 13 illustrates the belt conveyor 2, ingredient storage section 10, transfer mechanism 22, actuator 25, and articulated robot 30.
As shown in FIG. 13A, when the empty container is transported to the transfer position P1, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 22 to transfer the container from the transfer position P1 to the release position P2. Further, as shown in FIG. 13(b), when the ingredients are released by the articulated robot 30, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 22 to transfer the container from the release position P2 to the transfer position P1. do. In either case, the conditions for performing the transfer are the same as in the first embodiment.

Here, a shielding plate is disposed between the transfer mechanism 22 and the release position P2. As a result, the first drive mechanism 221 and the second drive mechanism 222 of the transfer mechanism 22 are shielded from the release position P2. As a result, even if ingredients are scattered when releasing at the release position P2, the scattered ingredients will not adhere to the first drive mechanism 221 or the second drive mechanism 222. Note that a portion of the side of the shielding plate is cut out so as not to impede the transfer by the transfer mechanism 22. Specifically, when driven by the parallel link mechanism, the movement follows the same trajectory every time, so the shielding plate is cut out in a shape that follows this trajectory. As a result, transfer can be performed without interference between the shielding plate and the first drive mechanism 221 or the second drive mechanism 222.

[Third embodiment]
[Configuration and functions]
In the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the transfer mechanism 21 and the transfer mechanism 22 are realized by a link mechanism, and the transfer is performed by this link mechanism. In this regard, since the link mechanism also moves in the height direction, even if the belt conveyor 2 has a slightly different height, it can be accommodated to some extent. The third embodiment has a configuration that can better accommodate differences in the height direction.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of the transfer position P1 and the release position P2 in the third embodiment. FIG. 14 is a side view with the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 2 taken toward the front side of the page. Note that, in the following description, overlapping descriptions and illustrations of configurations and functions common to each of the above-described embodiments, and configurations and functions common to the first embodiment and the second embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.
FIG. 13 shows the belt conveyor 2, the transfer mechanism 23, the actuator 26, and the articulated robot 30. Further, the transfer mechanism 23 includes a first drive mechanism 231 and a container holding section 233.

In this embodiment, the transfer position P1 is the same as in the first and second embodiments. Further, the release position P2 is on a workbench provided on the side surface of the articulated robot 30, as in the second embodiment and as shown in the figure.
In this embodiment, an actuator 26 is arranged vertically above the belt conveyor 2 instead of the actuator 25 . The actuator 26 is an air cylinder, and in this embodiment, performs linear motion in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 2 (horizontal direction in the drawing).

The first drive mechanism 231 of the transfer mechanism 23 is connected to the drive part of the actuator 26, and as the actuator 26 moves linearly, the first drive mechanism 231 moves orthogonally in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the belt conveyor 2 (left-right direction in the paper). Do some physical exercise. This first drive mechanism 231 is further connected to a container holding section 233, and as a result, the container holding section 233 also performs a similar linear motion. In this way, the transfer mechanism 23 of this embodiment can be realized not by a link mechanism or the like but by a drive mechanism with a relatively simple configuration.

Fig. 15 is a vertical overhead view of this embodiment, showing the belt conveyor 2, the ingredient container 10, the transport mechanism 23, the connecting member 27, and the articulated robot 30.
The connecting member 27 is a member that connects the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 and the top surface of the work table where the release position P2 is provided. The detailed structure of the connecting member 27 will be described later with reference to FIG.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 and the top surface of the workbench are connected via the connecting member 27. Therefore, the transfer mechanism 23 uses the horizontal linear motion of the actuator 26 to transfer the container by sliding the container from the transfer position P1 on the transfer surface to the release position P2 on the top surface of the workbench. .

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15(a), when an empty container is transported to the transfer position P1, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 23 and moves one end of the container holding unit 233 (in the paper) to the transfer position P1. The container is transferred from the transfer position P1 to the release position P2 while abutting the container at the left end of the container. Further, as shown in FIG. 15(b), when the ingredients are released by the articulated robot 30, the transfer mechanism control unit 155 drives the transfer mechanism 23 and controls the other end of the container holding unit 233 (the right side in the paper). The container is transferred from the release position P2 to the transfer position P1 while abutting the container at the end of the container. In either case, the conditions for performing the transfer are the same as in the first embodiment.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the transfer mechanism 23 can be realized not by a link mechanism or the like but by a drive mechanism with a relatively simple configuration. In addition, since it only slides, it is only necessary to match the height of the top surface of the workbench to the belt conveyor 2, and it is possible to accommodate belt conveyors 2 of various heights without changing the configuration of the transfer mechanism 23. It becomes possible. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the actuator 26 is located at a position vertically upwardly spaced apart from the release position P2, even if the ingredients are scattered at the time of release, the ingredients are prevented from adhering to the actuator 26. be able to.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the shape of the connecting member 27. The connecting member 27 includes a bottom portion provided with a slit and a pair of guide portions provided on the left and right sides. The pair of guide parts has a tapered shape whose width narrows from the transfer position P1 side toward the release position P2 side, and has a structure that can guide the container to the release position P2.
Furthermore, since the connecting member 27 is provided with a slit at the bottom, even if the juice etc. of the ingredients are scattered at the release position P2, the scattered juices etc. will fall from the slit, so after serving. It can be prevented from adhering to the bottom of the container being transferred to the transfer position P1.

Further, the distal end portion of the connecting member 27 on the side of the transfer position P1 has a mountain-shaped shape that is raised vertically upward. If the part is not shaped like this but has a flat shape, and the height of the conveyance surface and the height of the top of the workbench are even slightly different, the part will be tilted from one side to the other. , it becomes difficult to slide from one side to the other. On the other hand, if the connecting member 27 overcomes this chevron-shaped shape, it will slide downward to the other side, so the height of the conveyance surface and the height of the top surface of the workbench may be slightly different. This discrepancy can be accommodated and the container can be slid properly even if the
In this manner, in this embodiment, the connecting member 27 also has a characteristic structure, thereby making it possible to more reliably transfer the container.

[Modification 1]
In each of the embodiments described above, the articulated robot 30 performs the plating in the vicinity of the container, so compared to the case where the robot arm 32 is extended and the plating is performed at a distance, the articulated robot 30 can realize more accurate movement and properly perform the plating. You can achieve a perfect arrangement. Therefore, the articulated robot 30 utilizes this more precise movement to perform operations to further shape the released ingredients after releasing the ingredients into the container, and to remove the ingredients that have adhered to the gripping member 31a after the release. , an operation may be performed to release the liquid without leaving it in the container.

In this case, the action of shaping the released ingredients may involve, for example, gripping the released ingredients again from the container and releasing them back into the container to shape them into a more stable shape. Another possible action may involve, for example, lifting the gripping members 31a while closing them from the released state into the container to shape them into a mountain shape. Another possible shaping action may involve, for example, poking the released ingredients with the tip of the gripping members 31a to firmly bond the ingredients together and prevent the released ingredients from falling apart.

Furthermore, as an operation for releasing the ingredients that have adhered to the gripping member 31a after release without leaving them in the container, for example, an operation that vibrates the gripping member 31a and thereby causes the ingredients that have adhered to the gripping member 31a to fall can be considered. . Further, it is conceivable that the container descends from vertically above the container and stops suddenly at that time, thereby causing the ingredients attached to the gripping member 31a to fall due to inertial force.

It is difficult to perform such an operation when plating is performed on the conveyance surface of a belt conveyor, as is the case with general technology. However, in each of the embodiments described above, the articulated robot 30 performs an operation on a stopped container near the container, so that it is possible to further perform complex operations such as those illustrated above. .

[Modification 2]
In the embodiment described above, it was assumed that a pair of gripping members 31a (ie, two gripping members 31a) were used, but the present invention is not limited to this. You may make it use three or more plural holding members 31a. Then, a configuration may be adopted in which a gripping operation is performed by bringing the openings of each gripping member 31a closer to each other, and a releasing operation is performed by moving the openings of each gripping member 31a away from each other.
In this case, for example, if three gripping members 31a are used, the tips of the three gripping members 31a, each with a center angle of 120°, should be moved closer to or farther from the center when viewed from vertically above. .
Even in this case, each operation such as the above-mentioned guiding operation can be executed.

[Modification 3]
In the above-described embodiment, the ingredient condition determination unit 152 determines the condition of the ingredient based on the data of the reaction force from the ingredient (i.e., the detection result of contact with the ingredient) measured by the force sensor 30B. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

If the installation cost of the camera is not a problem, the state of the ingredients may be determined by taking a picture with a camera (that is, an imaging device). Further, in the above-described embodiment, the weight of the ingredients held by the articulated robot 30 or the weight of the ingredients served in the container of prepared food is measured by the weight sensor 30A, but the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, it is also possible to calculate the weight of the ingredient by estimating the volume of the ingredient from an image of the ingredient captured by the imaging device and multiplying the density by the estimated volume.
In this case, a means for calculating the weight of the ingredients can be implemented without using the weight sensor 30A.

[Configuration example]
As described above, the gripping system 1 according to the present embodiment includes the articulated robot 30 equipped with the grasping member 31a, the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, 23 that transfer containers, the articulated robot 30 and the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and a control device 40 that controls the operation of 23.
The control device 40 is
A first transfer operation in which the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 transfer the container being transferred on the transfer surface of the belt conveyor 2 to a release position P2, which is a position closer to the articulated robot 30 than the position during transfer. ,
a release operation in which the articulated robot 30 releases the ingredient held by the gripping member 31a from the container at a release position P2;
a second transfer operation in which the container from which the ingredients have been released is transferred again to the conveyance surface by the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and 23, thereby conveying the container to the belt conveyor 2 again;
The articulated robot 30 and the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 are caused to execute this.
Thereby, the gripping system 1 can perform release for plating, not at the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor 2, but at the release position P2, which is a position close to the articulated robot 30. Therefore, the articulated robot 30 does not need to move a long distance during release, and can prevent the ingredients from falling on the moving path. Furthermore, since the articulated robot 30 performs the plating in the vicinity of the containers, it is possible to achieve more precise movement and achieve appropriate plating, compared to the case where the robot arm 32 is extended and the plating is performed at a distance. . Therefore, when the ingredients are released for serving, it is possible to prevent the ingredients from falling onto the belt conveyor 2.

Moreover, the transport mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 that perform each of the transport operations can be realized by a drive mechanism with a relatively simple configuration that hardly increases the installation area. Furthermore, unlike the prior art described above, the gripping system 1 does not require a supply device to be disposed around the articulated robot 30 or a stock of supply containers. Furthermore, since the container from which the ingredients have been released is transferred again to the conveyance surface of the same belt conveyor 2, for example, the first belt conveyor conveys the container before being served, and the second belt conveyor conveys the container after being served. There is no need to prepare multiple conveyor belts.
Therefore, according to the gripping system 1, when releasing the ingredients gripped by the robot, the ingredients can be appropriately arranged without unnecessarily expanding the installation area.

The gripping member 31a further includes an ingredient storage section 10 in which an ingredient is stored to be gripped prior to a release operation,
In a direction intersecting the traveling direction of the conveying surface, the conveying surface, the articulated robot 30, and the ingredient storage section 10 are arranged in this order.
This not only shortens the distance between the container and the articulated robot 30 when releasing, but also shortens the distance between the articulated robot 30 and the ingredient storage unit 10 when gripping. This shortens the total distance that the articulated robot 30 must travel when gripping and the distance it must travel when releasing again. This makes it possible to better prevent the ingredients from falling off the path of movement.

The release position P2 is a position vertically above the conveyance surface,
The transfer mechanism 21 that has performed the first transfer operation holds the container at the release position P2 until the release operation is completed.
Thereby, there is no need to prepare a release position P2 around the articulated robot 30, and the installation area can be further reduced.

The release position P2 is a position in a direction intersecting the traveling direction of the conveying surface,
The drive portion of the transfer mechanism 22 operates at a position shielded from the release position P2.
As a result, even if the ingredients are scattered at the release position P2 when the ingredients are released, the ingredients can be prevented from adhering to the drive parts of the transfer mechanism 22.

The release position P2 is a position adjacent to the conveying surface in a direction intersecting with the moving direction of the conveying surface,
In the first transfer operation, the transfer mechanism 23 transfers the container by sliding the container from the conveying surface to the release position P2.
This makes it possible to realize the transport mechanism 23 using a drive mechanism for sliding that has a relatively simple configuration.

Further comprising a container detection sensor 61 for detecting a container being transported on the transport surface,
Based on the detection result of the detection means, the control device 40 controls the transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 at a timing when the container to be subjected to the second transfer operation does not collide with another container being transferred on the transfer surface. A second transfer operation is performed.
Thereby, in the second transfer operation, it is possible to prevent the container filled with ingredients from colliding with another container.

a container detection sensor 61 that detects a container being transported on a transport surface;
an ingredient detection sensor 62 that detects ingredients opened in a container being conveyed on a conveyance surface;
Furthermore,
The control device 40 is
The transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 are caused to execute the process for containers detected by the container detection sensor 61 and whose ingredients are not detected by the ingredient detection sensor 62.
As a result, only the container to be filled with ingredients (that is, an empty container) can be transferred without transferring the container that has already been filled with ingredients.

A plurality of sets of articulated robots 30 and transfer mechanisms 21, 22, 23 are provided,
The control device 40 is
A plurality of sets of articulated robots 30 and transfer mechanisms 21, 22, and 23 are caused to perform a first transfer operation and a second transfer operation on one transfer surface of one belt conveyor 2.
Thereby, a plurality of articulated robots 30 can be made to work together by effectively utilizing the advantages of detecting filled containers and preventing collisions using the control by each of the sensors described above.

Note that the above-described embodiments and modified examples are examples of embodiments of the present invention, and various embodiments that realize the functions of the present invention are included within the scope of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiments and modifications, the case where the present invention is applied to a gripping system for serving side dishes has been described as an example, but the present invention can be applied to systems for gripping various objects. . For example, the present invention can be applied to a system for gripping highly viscous or sticky materials such as mixed mortar, concrete, plaster, and clay. The present invention is suitable for gripping an object having a viscosity of medium viscosity or higher (5000 mPa·s) or higher at working temperature or room temperature.
Moreover, it is possible to implement the present invention by appropriately combining the examples described in the above-mentioned embodiments.
The series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or software.
In other words, the functional configuration in FIG. 6 is merely an example and is not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient that the gripping system 1 is equipped with a function that can execute the series of processes described above as a whole, and what kind of functional blocks are used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the example shown in FIG. 5.
Further, one functional block may be configured by a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination thereof.

When a series of processes is executed by software, a program constituting the software is installed on a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium.
The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware. Further, the computer may be a computer that can execute various functions by installing various programs, such as a general-purpose personal computer.

The storage medium that stores the program may be a removable medium that is distributed separately from the device itself, or a storage medium that is pre-installed in the device itself. The removable media includes, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory. Optical disks include, for example, CD-ROMs (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), Blu-ray Discs (registered trademark), and the like. The magneto-optical disk is composed of an MD (Mini-Disk) or the like. The flash memory is configured by, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or an SD card. Further, the storage medium pre-installed in the device main body is, for example, a ROM or hard disk in which programs are stored.

Note that in this specification, the step of writing a program to be recorded on a recording medium is not only a process that is performed chronologically in accordance with the order, but also a process that is not necessarily performed chronologically but in parallel or individually. It also includes the processing to be executed.
Furthermore, in this specification, the term system refers to an overall device composed of a plurality of devices, a plurality of means, and the like.

The above embodiment shows an example of applying the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. That is, the present invention can be modified in various ways, such as omissions and substitutions, without departing from the gist of the present invention, and various embodiments other than the above-described embodiments can be adopted. Various embodiments and modifications thereof that the present invention can take are included within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

1 Gripping system, 2 Belt conveyor, 2A Guide member, 10 Ingredient storage section, 10A Storage space, 21, 22, 23 Transfer mechanism, 211, 221 First drive mechanism, 212, 222 Second drive mechanism, 213, 223 Container holding part, 25, 26 actuator, 27 connection member, 30 articulated robot, 30A weight sensor, 30B force sensor, 31 hand, 31a gripping member, 32 robot arm, 40 control device, 50 shielding part, 61 container detection sensor, 62 Ingredient detection sensor, 151 Sensor information acquisition unit, 152 Ingredient status determination unit, 153 Ingredient amount determination unit, 154 Articulated robot control unit, 155 Transfer mechanism control unit, 156 Recording control unit, 171 Parameter storage unit, 172 History Database (history DB), 711 CPU, 712 ROM, 713 RAM, 714 Bus, 715 Input section, 716 Output section, 717 Storage section, 718 Communication section, 719 Drive, 731 Removable media

Claims (5)

A control device that controls driving of a transfer mechanism that transfers a container being transferred on a transfer surface of a transfer device, the control device comprising:
The transfer is performed only if a container detection sensor that detects the presence of the container detects the presence of the container and an object sensor that detects the presence of an object within the container does not detect the presence of the object. By driving a mechanism , the robot moves the container detected by the container detection sensor to the release position in which the robot releases the object into the container, and the container in which the object sensor did not detect the presence of the object. to transport,
A control device characterized by: The container detection sensor, the object sensor, and the transfer mechanism are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transfer direction of the transfer device,
Determining the presence of an object in the container after the container detection sensor detects the presence of the container and before the container passes a position where the transfer mechanism is arranged .
The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The object sensor measures the height of the object in the container from the conveyance surface, and only when it continues to detect that the height exceeds a predetermined value for a certain period of time or more, A sensor that detects the presence of an object in a container ,
The length of the certain period of time is set to be shorter than the time from when the container detection sensor detects the presence of the container until the container passes the position where the transfer mechanism is arranged.
The control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: a first robot arranged along the transport surface of the transport device;
a second robot disposed downstream of the first robot in the transport direction of the transport device along the transport surface of the transport device;
a transfer mechanism that transfers the container being transferred on the transfer surface of the transfer device;
a container detection sensor that detects the presence of the container;
an object sensor that detects the presence of an object in the container;
Equipped with
By driving the transfer mechanism only when the container detection sensor detects the presence of a container and the object sensor does not detect the presence of the object, the second robot moves the object to the object . performing an operation of transferring a container detected by the container detection sensor and in which the object sensor did not detect the presence of an object to a release position where it is released into a container;
A robot system characterized by: an operation in which the second robot releases the object into the container transferred by the transfer mechanism;
returning the container from which the object has been released to the transport surface only when the presence of the container on the transport surface is not detected by the container detection sensor;
The robot system according to claim 4 , characterized in that:

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