Self-adaptive manipulator and grabbing method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a self-adaptive manipulator which comprises a gripper used for gripping a workpiece, and the gripper is attached to the gripping face of the workpiece in a self-adaptive mode. The mechanical arm is connected with the gripper and drives the gripper to move and rotate; the recognition module comprises a visual recognition unit and a thermal imaging recognition unit, the visual recognition unit is used for scanning and recognizing the workpiece, and the thermal imaging recognition unit is matched with the visual recognition unit to precisely recognize the workpiece; and the control module receives the workpiece design data issued by the upper computer, compares and analyzes the workpiece design data with the identification data of the identification module, and issues an operation instruction to the mechanical arm and the gripper. According to the self-adaptive manipulator disclosed by the invention, visual identification and thermal imaging identification are combined, so that rapid and accurate identification and positioning of a workpiece are realized, and the condition that the gripper can rapidly and accurately grab the workpiece is ensured; and a self-adaptive device matched with the gripper can better fit the gripping surface while ensuring enough gripping force, so that the damage to the surface of the workpiece is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of mechanical automation, and particularly to an adaptive manipulator and a grasping method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In the technical field of mechanical automation, the processes of clamping and transporting workpieces are extremely crucial and indispensable important links in the production process. As the core equipment for this process, the manipulator plays an irreplaceable key role. In the actual production and operation process of workpieces, there are a series of thorny problems when using existing manipulators to grasp workpieces. On the one hand, the types of workpieces are rich and complex, which requires multiple special toolings to be equipped on the production line. However, the replacement operation of the tooling not only requires a large amount of manpower but also takes a long time, seriously restricting the improvement of production efficiency. On the other hand, when the clamping device deals with different workpieces, due to the differences in the weights of various workpieces, the clamping force has to be adjusted repeatedly many times. This not only causes a double waste of labor and time costs, but even more seriously, once the clamping force does not match, there is a high risk of workpiece dropping or being damaged, bringing unnecessary losses to production. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a manipulator and a grasping method for workpieces that can automatically adjust the clamping force and have an adaptive function to solve the above technical problems.

[0004] To solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] An embodiment of the present invention discloses an adaptive manipulator, including: a gripper for grasping a workpiece; the gripper adaptively fits the grasping surface of the workpiece; a robotic arm connected to the gripper to drive the gripper to move and rotate; an identification module including a visual recognition unit and a thermal imaging recognition unit, where the visual recognition unit is used to scan and identify the workpiece, and the thermal imaging recognition unit cooperates with the visual recognition unit to accurately identify the workpiece; a control module that receives the workpiece design data sent by the host computer, compares and analyzes it with the recognition data of the recognition module, and issues operation instructions to the robotic arm and the gripper.

[0006] In one embodiment, the gripper includes a plurality of jaws and an adaptive auxiliary structure, and the adaptive auxiliary structure is an elastic layer provided on the working surface of the jaws.

[0007] In one embodiment, a plurality of elastic protrusions are provided on the surface of the elastic layer.

[0008] In one embodiment, the robotic arm includes a first arm, a second arm, and a head rotation assembly that are sequentially rotationally connected by joints; the head rotation assembly includes a head and a rotation part, one end of the head is rotationally connected to the gripper by a joint, and the other end is connected to the rotation part; the end of the rotation part facing away from the gripper is connected to the end of the second arm to drive the gripper to rotate.

[0009] In one embodiment, the adaptive robotic hand further includes a rotatable base, which is arranged at the end of the robotic arm facing away from the gripper to drive the robotic arm to rotate; the rotatable base is rotationally connected to the robotic arm by a joint.

[0010] In one embodiment, the control module is also connected to the production management system to collect the operation data of the gripper and feedback it to the production management system.

[0011] In one embodiment, the adaptive robotic hand further includes a driving module connected to the control module, and the driving module is drivingly connected to the robotic arm and / or the gripper to drive the robotic arm and / or the gripper to act.

[0012] In one embodiment, the driving system includes a liquid supply part and a plurality of hydraulic cylinders that are connected to the liquid supply part through pipelines. The hydraulic cylinders are arranged on the robotic arm and / or the gripper to drive the robotic arm and / or the gripper to act.

[0013] In one embodiment, the workpiece design data includes workpiece size, shape, material, and gripping part and gripping force data.

[0014] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention also discloses a gripping method, which uses the adaptive robotic hand described in any of the above embodiments to grip a workpiece. The gripping method may specifically include the following steps:

[0015] S1. Design the workpiece design data and input it into the upper computer;

[0016] S2. After the workpiece is in place, issue a command to grip the workpiece; the recognition module recognizes the workpiece and transmits the recognition data to the control module;

[0017] S3. The control module receives the workpiece design data sent by the upper computer, and compares and analyzes the design data and recognition data of the workpiece; issue an operation command to the robotic arm and the gripper;

[0018] S4. The robotic arm and the gripper move, rotate, and grip the workpiece according to the command, transport the workpiece to the next process, and release the gripper to place the workpiece;

[0019] S5. The robotic arm and the gripper are reset to the starting position for grasping the next workpiece.

[0020] The technical solution adopted by the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The self - adaptive robotic hand disclosed by the present invention combines visual recognition and thermal imaging recognition to achieve fast and accurate recognition and positioning of workpieces, ensuring that the gripper can quickly and accurately grasp the workpieces. Cooperating with the adaptive device of the gripper, it can ensure sufficient grasping force while better conforming to the grasping surface, thereby reducing damage to the surface of the workpiece. The self - adaptive robotic hand disclosed by the present invention, through the cooperation of the recognition module and the control module, on the one hand, realizes full - process automation, saves costs, and effectively improves production efficiency; on the other hand, through data collection, it realizes monitoring of the entire production process, which is beneficial to automated management. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the self - adaptive robotic hand disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Description of the reference numerals:

[0024] 10 - rotatable base, 20 - first arm, 30 - second arm, 40 - rotating part, 50 - gripper, 60 - joint, 70 - head, 80 - recognition module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0025] To facilitate the understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described more comprehensively below with reference to the relevant drawings. The preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the disclosure of the present invention more thorough and comprehensive.

[0026] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there can also be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "bottom end", "top end" and similar expressions used herein are only for the purpose of illustration and do not represent the only embodiments.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the technical field to which this invention belongs. The terms used in the description of this invention herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0028] An embodiment of the present invention discloses an adaptive manipulator. As Figure 1 shown, the disclosed adaptive manipulator includes a gripper 50 for grasping a workpiece and a robotic arm connected to the gripper 50. The robotic arm is used to drive the gripper 50 to move and rotate so that the gripper 50 can approach the workpiece to be grasped and adjust the grasping angle of the gripper 50. An identification module 80 is also installed on the robotic arm, which is used to identify information such as the position, shape, and size of the workpiece to be grasped and cooperate with the robotic arm and the gripper 50 to grasp the workpiece. The adaptive manipulator disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention further includes a control module, and the control module can be connected to the identification module 80, the robotic arm, and the gripper 50. The identification module 80 feeds back the information such as the position, shape, and size of the workpiece to be grasped it identifies to the control module, and the control module analyzes the identification data and drives the robotic arm to move and rotate according to the identification data, driving the gripper 50 to move to a suitable position to grasp the workpiece.

[0029] Specifically, the identification module 80 may include a visual recognition unit and a thermal imaging unit. The visual recognition unit is used to scan and identify the workpiece to be grasped, and the thermal imaging recognition unit can cooperate with the visual recognition unit to accurately identify the workpiece to be grasped. The control module can also be connected to the host computer. The control module retrieves the design data of the workpiece to be grasped from the host computer, and compares and analyzes the identification data such as the shape and size of the workpiece to be grasped received from the identification module 80 with the design data, and issues operation instructions to the robotic arm and the gripper 50 in combination with the position data of the workpiece to be grasped. Further, the gripper 50 is provided with an adaptive auxiliary structure for making the gripper 50 adaptively fit the grasping surface of the workpiece to be grasped. On the one hand, it protects the workpiece and prevents the gripper 50 from damaging the surface of the workpiece; on the other hand, it increases the friction between the workpiece and the gripper 50 to prevent the workpiece from slipping or even falling during the grasping process.

[0030] Further, the design data of the workpiece may include workpiece dimensions, shape, material, and grasping part and grasping force data, etc.

[0031] The adaptive manipulator disclosed in the present invention uses a vision recognition unit in cooperation with a thermal imaging recognition unit to accurately recognize the workpiece to be grasped, achieving fast and accurate positioning and recognition of the workpiece to be grasped. The control module can automatically control the gripper 50 to adjust to an appropriate grasping force and ensure that the robotic arm can drive the gripper 50 to quickly and accurately grasp the workpiece by comparing and analyzing the recognition data with the workpiece design data pre-issued by the host computer. In addition, the adaptive auxiliary structure ensures that the gripper 50 has sufficient grasping force while being more conformable to the grasping surface to prevent damage to the surface of the workpiece by the gripper 50.

[0032] In the embodiments disclosed in the present invention, as Figure 1 shown, the robotic arm includes a rotatable base 10, a first arm 20, a second arm 30, and a head rotation assembly. The rotatable base 10 may include a fixed part and a rotating part. The fixed part is fixed to the ground, and the rotating part is mounted on the fixed part and can rotate relative to the fixed part. One end of the first arm 20 is rotatably mounted on the rotating part through a joint 60, and the other end is also rotatably connected to the second arm 30 through a joint 60. A head rotation assembly is mounted at the end of the second arm 30 away from the first arm 20. The head rotation assembly may include a head 70 and a rotating part 40. The head 70 is connected to the second arm 30 through the rotating part 40, and the rotating part 40 can drive the head 70 to rotate. The outer end of the head 70 is rotatably connected to a gripper 50 through a joint 60. In this embodiment, the first arm 20 and the second arm 30 drive the gripper 50 to move and rotate through the rotatable base 10, multiple joints 60, and the head rotation assembly.

[0033] In the embodiments disclosed in the present invention, the gripper 50 may include a connecting part, a mounting seat, and clamping jaws. One end of the connecting part is rotatably connected to the head 70 through a joint 60, and the other end is fixedly connected to the mounting seat. A plurality of clamping jaws are mounted on the outer end of the mounting seat. In this embodiment, the gripper 50 may also be provided with an adaptive auxiliary structure to ensure that the gripper 50 has sufficient grasping force while making the finger tips of the clamping jaws more conformable to the grasping surface to prevent damage to the surface of the workpiece by the gripper 50. Specifically, the adaptive auxiliary structure may be an elastic layer provided on the working surface of the finger tips of the clamping jaws. The elastic layer may be made of an elastic material, such as rubber. On the one hand, the elastic layer can protect the surface of the workpiece, and on the other hand, it can increase the friction between the working surface of the clamping jaws and the surface of the workpiece.

[0034] Furthermore, a plurality of elastic protrusions may be provided on the surface of the elastic layer.

[0035] In the embodiments disclosed by the present invention, the adaptive manipulator may further include a driving module. The driving module includes a first driving unit, a second driving unit, a third driving unit, and a fourth driving unit. The first driving unit can drive the rotatable base 10 to rotate for operation. The second driving unit can drive each joint 60 to rotate for operation. The third driving unit can drive the head rotation assembly to rotate for operation. The fourth driving unit can drive the gripper 50 to grasp or release an object. The first driving unit, the second driving unit, the third driving unit, and the fourth driving unit are all connected to the control module, and the control module controls the actions of the first driving unit, the second driving unit, the third driving unit, or the fourth driving unit.

[0036] Further, the first driving unit, the second driving unit, the third driving unit, and the fourth driving unit can all be hydraulic cylinders, and each hydraulic cylinder can be connected to the liquid supply part through a pipeline.

[0037] In the embodiments disclosed by the present invention, the control module can also be connected to the production management system, collect the operation data of the gripper 50, and feed it back to the production management system for quality traceability.

[0038] In a second aspect, the embodiments of the present invention also disclose a method for grasping a workpiece, using the adaptive manipulator described in any of the above embodiments.

[0039] Specifically, the grasping method may specifically include the following steps:

[0040] S1. Design the workpiece design data and input it into the upper computer.

[0041] S2. After the workpiece is in place, issue a command to grasp the workpiece; the recognition module 80 recognizes the workpiece and transmits the recognition data to the control module.

[0042] S3. The control module receives the workpiece design data sent by the upper computer, compares and analyzes the design data and the recognition data of the workpiece, and issues operation commands to the robotic arm and the gripper 50.

[0043] S4. The robotic arm and the gripper 50 move, rotate, and grasp the workpiece according to the commands, transport the workpiece to the next process, and release the gripper to place the workpiece.

[0044] S5. The robotic arm and the gripper 50 return to the starting position for grasping the next workpiece.

[0045] The above-described embodiments only represent several implementation manners of the present invention. The description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several modifications and improvements can be made, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention patent shall be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. An adaptive manipulator, characterized in that: include: A gripper, used to grip a workpiece; the gripper adaptively fits the gripping surface of the workpiece; A mechanical arm connected to the gripper to drive the gripper to move and rotate; The recognition module includes a visual recognition unit and a thermal imaging recognition unit, wherein the visual recognition unit is used to scan and recognize the workpiece, and the thermal imaging recognition unit cooperates with the visual recognition unit to accurately recognize the workpiece; A control module receives the workpiece design data sent by the host computer, compares and analyzes the workpiece design data with the recognition data of the recognition module, and issues operation instructions to the robot arm and the gripper.

2. The adaptive manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gripper comprises a plurality of clamping jaws and an adaptive auxiliary structure, wherein the adaptive auxiliary structure is an elastic layer arranged on a working surface of the clamping jaws.

3. The adaptive manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of elastic protrusions are arranged on the surface of the elastic layer.

4. The adaptive manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mechanical arm comprises a first arm and a second arm connected in sequence and rotationally via a joint, and a head rotating assembly; The head rotating assembly includes a head and a rotating part, one end of the head is rotatably connected to the gripper through a joint, and the other end is connected to the rotating part; the end of the rotating part away from the gripper is connected to the ends of the two arms to drive the gripper to rotate.

5. The adaptive manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a rotatable base, which is arranged at one end of the mechanical arm away from the gripper to drive the mechanical arm to rotate; the rotatable base is rotatably connected to the mechanical arm through a joint.

6. The adaptive manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control module is also connected to a production management system to collect operation data of the gripper and feed it back to the production management system.

7. The adaptive manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a driving module connected to the control module, and the driving module is connected to the mechanical arm and / or the gripper to drive the mechanical arm and / or the gripper to move.

8. The adaptive manipulator according to claim 7, characterized in that: The driving system includes a liquid supply part and a plurality of hydraulic cylinders connected to the pipeline of the liquid supply part. The hydraulic cylinders are arranged on the mechanical arm and / or the gripper to drive the mechanical arm and / or the gripper to move.

9. The adaptive manipulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The workpiece design data includes workpiece size, shape, material, gripping position and gripping force data.

10. A method for grasping a workpiece using the adaptive manipulator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The crawling method comprises the following steps: S1. Design workpiece design data and input it into the host computer; S2. After the workpiece is in place, an instruction to grab the workpiece is issued; the recognition module recognizes the workpiece and transmits the recognition data to the control module; S3, the control module receives the workpiece design data sent by the host computer, and compares and analyzes the workpiece design data and identification data; and issues operation instructions to the robot arm and the gripper; S4, the robot arm and the gripper move, rotate, and grab the workpiece according to the instruction, transport the workpiece to the next sequence, and release the gripper to release the workpiece; S5. The robotic arm and the gripper are reset to the starting position.

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