Control system and control program

Abstract

Give robots more flexibility in how they work. [Solution] The control system 1 includes an articulated robot 30 and a control device 70. The articulated robot 30 has a robot arm 32 that moves from a first position to a second position, and a plurality of gripping members 313 that are moved together by the robot arm 32 to grip ingredients. The control device 70 controls the second gripping member 313 of the articulated robot 30 to grip the ingredient while the first gripping member 313 of the articulated robot 30 is gripping the ingredient, while the robot arm 32 keeps the first gripping member 313 and the second gripping member 313 positioned at the first position.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system and a control program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, robots have been used to process a variety of objects. For example, there are robots that hold objects in a container and release the held objects into another container.

[0003] A technique for controlling such a robot is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, an object is held and released to a release destination. Then, the weight of the object at the release destination is measured to determine whether the target amount has been released. If the result of this determination is that the target amount is less than the target amount, the object is held again and released by the amount of the shortfall, thereby making the final amount released appropriate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-137647 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, it is desirable to provide flexibility in the robot's working method, without being limited to the working method according to the conventional technology such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1. Furthermore, this problem is not limited to cases where the object is food, but is common to all fields where robots are used to hold objects, such as industrial fields, etc. Furthermore, the holding method used by the robot is not limited to means for holding the object by gripping it with a gripping member, but is also common to cases where the object is held by means of suction or the like.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide greater flexibility in the way robots work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a control system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a robot having a movement mechanism that moves from a first position to a second position, and a plurality of holding members that are moved together by the movement mechanism to hold an object; a control means for controlling a second holding member of the robot to hold the object while the first holding member and the second holding member are positioned at the first position by the movement mechanism, in a state in which the object is held by a first holding member of the robot; The present invention is characterized by comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the robot's working method can be made more flexible. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a control system 1 according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a gripping mechanism 31. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the state of the gripping member 313 when gripping, releasing, and removing an ingredient. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the state of the gripping member 313 when gripping, releasing, and removing an ingredient. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of a control device 70. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control device 70. [Figure 7] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a control situation regarding the operation of the articulated robot 30. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a control situation regarding the operation of the articulated robot 30. FIG. [Figure 9] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a control situation regarding the operation of the articulated robot 30. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of an ingredient plating process executed by the control system 1. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing height control in Modification 1. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a schematic diagram showing control of a plurality of gripping sections performing gripping in sequence in Modification 2. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Embodiment] [Overall configuration] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a control system 1 according to the present invention. Here, the control system 1 is assumed to be applied to a system that grips and releases food as an object. Therefore, in the following explanation, an example will be given in which the control system 1 grips ingredients for a side dish or the like and arranges the gripped ingredients in a container.

[0011] However, this is merely an example for the purpose of explanation and is not intended to limit the scope of application of the present invention, and the present invention is applicable to any system that holds any object. For example, it can be applied to a system that processes uncooked vegetables (such as shredded cabbage, carrots, or bean sprouts) instead of prepared dishes.It can also be applied to a system that processes workpieces (such as screws, bolts, or component parts of industrial products such as electronic devices) as objects. Furthermore, the method of holding the object is not limited to gripping the object, and for example, the object may be held by a method other than gripping, such as suction. Furthermore, the method of releasing the objects into the container is not limited to directly releasing them into the container. For example, the robot may release the objects into the discharge chute inlet, and then supply the objects from the discharge chute outlet into the container and arrange them therein. That is, the present invention can be implemented in a variety of control systems in general, regardless of the object to be grasped, the specific method of holding, or the field of application.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the control system 1 includes an ingredient storage container 10, a container supply device 20, an articulated robot 30, a storage state detection sensor 41, a container detection sensor 42, a first weighing scale 51, a second weighing scale 52, a base 60, casters 61, and a control device 70. Of these, the container supply device 20, the articulated robot 30, the storage state detection sensor 41, the container detection sensor 42, the first weighing scale 51, the second weighing scale 52, and the control device 70 are connected by wire or wireless communication and are able to communicate with each other.

[0013] In addition, a belt conveyor 2 is installed adjacent to the control system 1, which automatically transports containers of prepared foods from upstream to downstream. The belt conveyor 2 has a conveying surface for transporting the containers, and the containers are transported while placed on this conveying surface. In Figure 1, as shown by the dashed arrow, the left side of the paper is the upstream of the conveyance on the belt conveyor 2, and the right side of the paper is the downstream of the conveyance.

[0014] 1 shows only one control system 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. In this embodiment, it is assumed that multiple control systems 1 are installed along the conveying direction of one belt conveyor 2, and multiple articulated robots 30 work in cooperation with each other.

[0015] The ingredient storage container 10 has a storage space for storing ingredients such as prepared dishes to be served by the control system 1. The ingredient storage container 10 is realized by, for example, a general-purpose container such as a large tray or a large tray. The storage space of the ingredient storage container 10 stores various ingredients that can be grasped by the articulated robot 30, such as paste salads such as potato salad (i.e., prepared dishes containing viscous or sticky ingredients), udon (soybean curd refuse), dried strips of daikon radish, pickled vegetables, hijiki seaweed, boiled beans, fern springs, buttered corn, noodles, croquettes, and fried chicken. In this embodiment, the ingredient storage container 10 stores multiple servings (e.g., tens to hundreds of servings) of one type of ingredient. The ingredient storage container 10 can be replaced manually by an operator or automatically by the articulated robot 30 when the remaining amount of the stored ingredient becomes low.

[0016] In the control system 1, the container supplying device 20 supplies containers to a predetermined serving position where ingredients are to be served (here, the position where the second weighing scale 52 in FIG. 1 is located). A large number of containers are stored vertically inside the container supply device 20. When the control system 1 starts operation, the container supply device 20 supplies the containers one by one to the serving position. In response, the articulated robot 30 releases the ingredients, and the released ingredients are placed in the containers supplied to the serving position. Then, the push-out mechanism 21 provided in the container supply device 20 pushes the filled containers onto the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. As a result, the filled containers are transported downstream by the belt conveyor 2.

[0017] Furthermore, a container detection sensor 42 is disposed near the position where the push-out mechanism 21 pushes out the container onto the belt conveyor 2. The container detection sensor 42 is a sensor that detects containers being transported on the transport surface of the belt conveyor 2. The container supply device 20 pushes out the container filled with ingredients onto the transport surface at a timing when the container detection sensor 42 has not detected other containers being transported on the transport surface (containers that have already been filled by other articulated robots 30). This makes it possible to prevent containers from colliding with each other on the transport surface. The reason why the other containers are transported from upstream is that, as described above, a plurality of control systems 1 are installed in this embodiment.

[0018] The articulated robot 30 is, for example, composed of a horizontal articulated robot or a vertical articulated robot, and is equipped with a gripping mechanism 31 capable of gripping ingredients, and a robot arm 32 that moves the gripping mechanism 31 to any position within its movable range.

[0019] The gripping mechanism 31 is attached to the tip of the robot arm 32 and is supported by the robot arm 32. The gripping mechanism 31 can move to any position within its movable range in accordance with the movement of the robot arm 32 based on the control of the control device 70. Furthermore, the joint that holds the gripping mechanism 31 has an axis that rotates the gripping mechanism 31 in a torsional direction relative to the robot arm 32. Therefore, when the gripping mechanism 31 grips an ingredient, the gripping direction of the gripping mechanism 31 can be adjusted by changing the orientation of the gripping mechanism 31. This makes it possible to change the orientation of the gripping mechanism 31 to a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the ingredient-accommodating container 10 when the gripping mechanism 31 reaches the vicinity of the inner wall surface of the ingredient-accommodating container 10, making it easier to grip ingredients near the inner wall surface of the container.

[0020] The storage state detection sensor 41 is a sensor that detects the storage state of the ingredients stored in the ingredient storage container 10. The storage state detection sensor 41 is realized by, for example, a depth camera that can detect the distance to a subject. In this case, the angle of view of the storage state detection sensor 41 is set to, for example, an angle of view that can capture the entire area of ​​the opening surface of the ingredient storage container 10. The control device 70 can analyze the distance information detected by the storage status detection sensor 41 (i.e., depth information for each pixel across the entire area of ​​the opening surface of the ingredient storage container 10) to determine the remaining amount of ingredients in each area within the ingredient storage container 10, the roughness (unevenness) of the surface, etc.

[0021] As described above, the container detection sensor 42 is a sensor that detects containers being transported on the transport surface of the belt conveyor 2. The container detection sensor 42 is realized, for example, by an optical sensor (also referred to as a photodetector). The container detection sensor 42 detects containers being transported upstream of the position where the push-out mechanism 21 pushes the container onto the belt conveyor 2. The control device 70 can identify the timing at which the push-out mechanism 21 pushes out the container onto the belt conveyor 2 based on the detection result of the container detection sensor 42.

[0022] Both the first weighing scale 51 and the second weighing scale 52 are devices that detect the weight of an object. The first weighing scale 51 and the second weighing scale 52 are realized by weighing scales that measure weight using strain gauges, for example. Here, the first weighing scale 51 is placed at a position where the ingredient-storing container 10 is placed. The first weighing scale 51 detects the weight of the ingredient-storing container 10 itself and the weight of the ingredients stored in the ingredient-storing container 10. Based on the detection value of this first weight scale 51, the control device 70 can determine the total weight of the ingredients contained therein (i.e., the remaining amount) and the increase or decrease in the total weight due to the grasping of the ingredients contained therein, etc. (i.e., the change in the remaining amount).

[0023] Second weighing scale 52 is placed at a predetermined serving position where ingredients are served in control system 1. Second weighing scale 52 detects the weight of the container itself supplied to this serving position and the weight of the ingredients released and served in this container. The control device 70 can determine the total weight of the ingredients released into the container based on the detection value of the second weighing scale 52. The control device 70 can also determine, based on the detection value of the second weighing scale 52, whether the container has been supplied to the serving position or whether the container with the ingredients filled therein has been pushed onto the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2.

[0024] The base 60 is a base for placing the ingredient storage container 10, the container supply device 20, the articulated robot 30, etc. These articulated robots 30, etc. have a total weight of several hundred kg (for example, more than 300 kg). Therefore, the base 60 has a structure with enough rigidity to support these items even when they are placed on the top surface.

[0025] The casters 61 are casters attached to the pedestal 60. The casters 61 come into contact with the ground, allowing the pedestal 60 to support the articulated robot 30 and the like. Furthermore, the casters 61 function as wheels, making it possible for the pedestal 60 to be moved by human power even when the articulated robot 30 and the like are placed on it.

[0026] The control device 70 is configured by an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a programmable controller, and executes various programs to control the entire control system 1. For example, the control device 70 controls the operation of the container supply device 20 to supply containers and push out containers containing ingredients, and the operation of the articulated robot 30 to grasp ingredients from the ingredient storage containers 10 and release them into the containers to place the ingredients.

[0027] For example, the control device 70 controls the operation of the robot arm 32 to move the gripping mechanism 31 to a predetermined position via a predetermined route at a predetermined speed, and controls the operation of the actuator of the gripping mechanism 31 to grip and release ingredients using the gripping mechanism.

[0028] The above describes the components that make up the control system 1. In addition to these components, plate-like members may be further placed around or above the locations where the components are installed. This plate-like member shields each component from the external space, preventing ingredients grasped or released by the articulated robot 30 from scattering from the internal space to the external space. It also prevents workers from coming into contact with the articulated robot 30 while it is in operation, ensuring the safety of workers and preventing breakdowns in the articulated robot 30. In this case, the plate-like member is preferably made of a transparent material such as glass or resin so that the operating status of the control system 1 can be visually confirmed from the external space. Furthermore, an openable door may be provided on a part of the side wall using this plate-like member, so that when replacing the ingredient storage container 10, replenishing ingredients, adding containers to the container supply device 20, or performing maintenance on the control system 1, an operator can open this door and perform various tasks.

[0029] [Configuration of gripping mechanism 31] 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the gripping mechanism 31. As shown in FIG. 2, the gripping mechanism 31 includes a connecting portion 311, a plurality of air cylinders 312, and a plurality of gripping members 313. The gripping mechanism 31 having such a configuration is attached to the robot arm 32, whereby it is supported by the robot arm 32 and moves in accordance with the movement of the robot arm 32.

[0030] The connecting portion 311 is a substantially plate-shaped member, and is connected to each of the plurality of air cylinders 312. The top surface of the connecting portion 311 is attached to the robot arm 32. The plurality of air cylinders 312 are drive mechanisms that can move linearly back and forth in the vertical direction (that is, upward and downward). A plurality of gripping members 313 are attached to each of the plurality of air cylinders 312, respectively.

[0031] The plurality of gripping members 313 are parts that grip ingredients by coming into contact with the ingredients. In the drawing, as an example of the configuration of the gripping mechanism 31, four air cylinders 312 are arranged so that their longitudinal directions extend vertically below the connecting portion 311. Four gripping members 313 are arranged so that their longitudinal directions extend vertically downward corresponding to the four air cylinders 312. In other words, the four gripping members 313 are arranged in a single row in the horizontal direction. However, this is just one example of a suitable arrangement, and the arrangement and number of gripping members 313 can be changed as desired depending on the environment in which this embodiment is implemented. In addition, although the gripping members 313 are arranged so that their opening and closing directions are the same in the drawing, this is not limited to this. For example, the gripping members 313 may be arranged so that the opening and closing direction of the first gripping member and the opening and closing direction of the second gripping member intersect. As an example, the multiple gripping members 313 may be arranged so that the opening and closing direction of the first gripping member and the opening and closing direction of the second gripping member are orthogonal in the horizontal plane (i.e., the opening and closing directions of the two gripping members differ by 90 degrees in the horizontal plane).

[0032] In this arrangement, the gripping member 313 includes a first gripping portion 313a and a second gripping portion 313b. The first gripping portion 313a and the second gripping portion 313b are each wire-like and have a closed loop shape at the tip. The gripping member 313 also includes a pin cylinder (not shown) inside. When the pin cylinder is driven, the first gripping portion 313a moves to open and close. In contrast, the second gripping portion 313b does not move and maintains its position. Then, as the tip of first gripping portion 313a and the tip of second gripping portion 313b approach each other, gripping member 313 enters a closed state and can grip the ingredient. On the other hand, as the tip of first gripping portion 313a and the tip of second gripping portion 313b move away from each other, gripping member 313 enters an open state and can release the gripped ingredient.

[0033] Furthermore, the air cylinder 312 allows each of the multiple gripping members 313 to move up and down in position. This position is relative to the connecting portion 311. In other words, it is possible to control the movement of some or all of the gripping members 313 so that they move closer to the connecting portion 311 (i.e., to a raised position), or so that some or all of the gripping members 313 move away from the connecting portion 311 (i.e., to a lowered position). In this way, by using the air cylinder 312 to move the position up and down, it is possible to vibrate ingredients attached to the gripping member 313, for example, and cause the attached ingredients to fall and be removed.

[0034] Furthermore, for example, by keeping some of the gripping members 313 (for example, three gripping members 313) in a raised state and keeping the other gripping members 313 (for example, the remaining one gripping member 313) in a lowered state, it becomes possible to use only any number of gripping members 313. In this way, for example, in a situation where it is desired to grip only a small amount of ingredients, it is possible to grip a small amount of ingredients by using only one gripping member 313.

[0035] 3 and 4 are schematic diagrams showing the state of the gripping member 313 when gripping, releasing, and removing an ingredient. 3 and 4 show the gripping member 313 as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction of the gripping member 313. When viewed from this direction, the second gripping portion 313b has a shape that extends vertically downward in a straight line. On the other hand, the first gripping portion 313a has a shape that is bent such that its central portion is away from the second gripping portion 313b. This bent shape allows the gripping member 313 to grip more ingredients than a shape that extends straight.

[0036] However, this is merely one example. Alternatively, depending on the specific shape and characteristics, first gripping portion 313a may have a shape that extends vertically downward in a straight line, similar to second gripping portion 313b. Alternatively, second gripping portion 313b may have a shape in which its central portion is bent so as to move away from first gripping portion 313a, similar to first gripping portion 313a. In other words, the central portions of both second gripping portion 313b and first gripping portion 313a may have shapes that are bent so as to move away from each other.

[0037] When a gripping operation is performed, first, as shown in Fig. 3(a), the gripping member 313 descends toward the ingredient-accommodating container 10 and penetrates into the group of ingredients accommodated in the ingredient-accommodating container 10. Then, the gripping member 313 attempts to grip the ingredients by pinching them between the first gripping portion 313a and the second gripping portion 313b. In this case, no reaction force from the ingredients acts on the first gripping portion 313a and the second gripping portion 313b, and the shape is maintained.

[0038] Next, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the first gripping portion 313a and the second gripping portion 313b approach each other, and then these two gripping portions close together, thereby performing a gripping operation. At this time, a reaction force from the ingredients acts on these gripping portions. In response, the first gripping portion 313a and the second gripping portion 313b elastically deform into a shape suitable for gripping the ingredients. For example, they elastically deform into a shape that matches the shape of the ingredient to be gripped or a shape that encloses multiple ingredients. This makes it possible to grip the ingredients securely.

[0039] The gripping mechanism 31 grips the ingredients with the gripping members 313 and moves to the position of the container to which the ingredients are to be released (the serving position) to release the ingredients. Then, as shown in Fig. 4(c), the first gripping part 313a and the second gripping part 313b move away from each other, and the two gripping parts open, thereby executing the release operation. The released ingredients fall straight down and are placed in a container. The first gripping portion 313a and the second gripping portion 313b are formed of an elastically deformable material such as spring steel. Spring steel has the property of returning to its original shape before elastic deformation when it is not subjected to a reaction force. Therefore, after the ingredients are released, the container returns to its original shape before elastic deformation, as shown in FIG. 3(a), making it possible to use it repeatedly.

[0040] Furthermore, when releasing the ingredients, there is a risk that some of the ingredients will adhere to the first gripping portion 313a and the second gripping portion 313b due to their properties (for example, they may be viscous or sticky, or contain a lot of water or oil). As a result, even if the target amount of ingredients to be served is grasped at the grasping stage, the amount actually served after release will be less than the target amount. In such cases, as shown in FIG. 4(d), it is preferable to perform a removal operation by moving the first gripping portion 313a and the second gripping portion 313b to remove the adhered ingredients and drop them onto the container.

[0041] One possible method for performing this removal operation is to move the gripping mechanism 31 using the robot arm 32, for example. In this case, removal may be performed by moving the gripping mechanism 31 up and down or left and right. Alternatively, removal may be performed by moving the gripping mechanism 31 downward and then suddenly stopping it to apply a downward inertial force to the ingredient. Alternatively, removal may be performed by vibrating the gripping mechanism 31 slightly up and down or left and right. Alternatively, the robot arm 32 may be gripped and released without moving, and the first gripping portion 313a and the second gripping portion 313b may be repeatedly opened and closed to remove the object. Alternatively, as described above, removal may be performed by driving the air cylinder 312 to move the first gripping portion 313a and the second gripping portion 313b up and down or by vibrating them.

[0042] In this embodiment, the articulated robot 30 is controlled more appropriately by having the gripping mechanism 31 perform the operations described with reference to FIGS.

[0043] [Hardware configuration of the control device 70] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device 70. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 70 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 711, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 712, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 713, a bus 714, an input unit 715, an output unit 716, a memory unit 717, a communication unit 718, and a drive 719.

[0044] The CPU 711 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 712 or a program loaded from the storage unit 717 into the RAM 713 . The RAM 713 also stores data and the like necessary for the CPU 711 to execute various processes.

[0045] The CPU 711, ROM 712, and RAM 713 are connected to one another via a bus 714. To the bus 714, an input unit 715, an output unit 716, a storage unit 717, a communication unit 718, and a drive 719 are connected.

[0046] The input unit 715 includes an input device such as a mouse or a keyboard, and receives input of various information to the control device 70. The input unit 715 may also include a microphone, and receive input of various information by voice input from the worker. The output unit 716 is composed of a display, a speaker, etc., and outputs images and sounds. The storage unit 717 is configured with a solid state drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or the like, and stores various data managed by each server. The communication unit 718 controls communication with other devices via the network.

[0047] Removable media 731, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is appropriately attached to the drive 719. A program read from the removable media 731 by the drive 719 is installed in the storage unit 717 as needed. The above hardware configuration is the basic configuration of the control device 70, and it is possible to configure the control device 70 without some of the hardware, to configure the control device 70 with additional hardware, or to change the implementation form of the hardware.

[0048] [Functional configuration] Next, the functional configuration of the control device 70 will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 70. 6, by executing a program for controlling the operation of the control system 1, an information acquisition unit 151, an articulated robot control unit 152, a container supply control unit 153, and a recording control unit 154 function in the CPU 711 of the control device 70. In addition, a parameter storage unit 171 and a history database (history DB) 172 are formed in the storage unit 717.

[0049] The parameter storage unit 171 stores various parameters used when the control system 1 operates. For example, the parameter storage unit 171 stores data that serve as control standards for the gripping operation, such as the position and shape of the ingredient storage container 10, the position and shape of the containers supplied from the container supply device 20, the position of the area in the container where the ingredients are provided and arranged, the weight per volume of the ingredient (i.e., the density of the ingredient) and the target amount of the ingredient to be gripped and released, parameters that define the operation pattern of the articulated robot 30, and the like.

[0050] The history DB 172 stores control-related parameters acquired when the control system 1 operates and measurement data of the weight of ingredients plated by the control system 1 as operation history.

[0051] The information acquiring unit 151 acquires information detected by various sensors and various weighing scales installed in the control system 1. For example, the information acquiring unit 151 acquires distance information detected by the storage state detection sensor 41 (i.e., depth information for each pixel across the entire area of ​​the opening surface of the ingredient storage container 10). In addition, for example, the information acquiring unit 151 sequentially acquires the detection results of other containers (containers that have been filled by other articulated robots 30) on the conveyance surface by the container detection sensor 42. In addition, for example, the information acquisition unit 151 sequentially acquires data on the weight of the ingredient storage container 10 and the stored ingredients detected by the first weight scale 51, and the weight of the container and the ingredients served in the container measured by the second weight scale 52. In this way, the sensor information notified to the information acquisition unit 151 is used as appropriate by other functional blocks included in the control device 70.

[0052] The articulated robot control unit 152 controls the operation of the articulated robot 30, and causes the articulated robot 30 to perform a series of operations for arranging ingredients in accordance with the operation patterns defined in the control system 1. For example, the articulated robot control unit 152 causes the articulated robot 30 to perform an operation of gripping an ingredient with the gripping mechanism 31 of the articulated robot 30 (a gripping operation), an operation of releasing the ingredient gripped by the gripping mechanism 31 (a releasing operation), an operation of removing the ingredient attached to the gripping mechanism 31 (a removing operation), and the like.

[0053] The container supply control unit 153 controls the container supply device 20 to supply, to the serving position, containers for serving ingredients to be served in the control system 1. The container supply control unit 153 also controls the container supply device 20 to push out the containers in which ingredients have been served onto the conveying surface at a timing when the container detection sensor 42 has not detected other containers being conveyed on the conveying surface (containers in which other articulated robots 30 have served).

[0054] The recording control unit 154 stores, in the history DB 172, parameters related to control acquired when the control system 1 performs a gripping operation or the like, and measurement data such as the weight of ingredients arranged by the control system 1. This data is used as log data or the like for the administrator of the control system 1 to analyze the operation of the control system 1.

[0055] [Control of the Articulated Robot 30 During Operation] Next, we will explain the control of the articulated robot 30 during operations such as the gripping operation, release operation, and removal operation, which is performed by the articulated robot control unit 152. Note that the state of the gripping member 313 during each operation is as described above with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9 are schematic diagrams showing the control status regarding the operation of the articulated robot 30. In these figures, the ingredient storage container 10 and the wall surface of the container are shown in a see-through manner to clarify the operation. Furthermore, since a large amount of ingredients are stored in the storage space of the ingredient storage container 10, these large amounts of ingredients will hereinafter be referred to as a "group of ingredients."

[0056] In this embodiment, the amount of ingredients released into the container is prevented from being greater than the target amount by controlling the gripping mechanism so that the weight of the ingredients does not exceed the target amount at the time of gripping before release. Specifically, rather than performing gripping at once with all of the multiple gripping members 313, gripping is performed sequentially with some of the gripping members 313. In other words, rather than performing gripping so as to reach the target amount all at once, gripping is performed so as to reach the target amount in stages. Each time the ingredients are grasped, the total weight of the ingredients that have been grasped up to that point is compared with the target amount, so that the amount approaches the target amount. This prevents the user from grasping an ingredient that is heavier than the target amount, and also prevents the user from piling on too much ingredient.

[0057] Specifically, the articulated robot control unit 152 causes some of the multiple gripping members 313 (here, four gripping members 313) to perform gripping, and then causes all or some of the other gripping members 313 to perform gripping. As an example, in this embodiment, first, two of the four gripping members 313 are made to perform gripping, then one gripping member 313 is made to perform gripping, and then the last gripping member 313 is made to perform gripping. However, this is merely an example. For example, one gripping member 313 may be caused to perform gripping sequentially, or three gripping members 313 may be caused to perform gripping first, and then the remaining gripping member may perform gripping. Also, even if the total number of gripping members 313 is not four, any number of gripping members may be caused to perform gripping in any order.

[0058] A specific control method performed from this perspective will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the articulated robot control unit 152 causes some of the gripping members 313 of the gripping mechanism 31 (here, the first and second gripping members 313 from the left on the paper) to perform a gripping operation to grip an ingredient from the group of ingredients in the ingredient storage container 10.

[0059] When performing gripping in this manner, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines in advance the height of the surface of the ingredients at each position within the ingredient storage container 10 based on distance information detected by the storage state detection sensor 41. Therefore, the articulated robot control unit 152 inserts the gripping members 313 into the group of ingredients a predetermined depth from this height to perform gripping. This predetermined depth can be set in advance based on the density of the ingredients, the properties of the ingredients (viscosity, etc.), the number and shape of the gripping members 313 that will perform gripping, the target amount (here, the target weight) to be targeted for gripping and releasing, and the like. By setting the insertion depth in this manner in advance, the gripping members 313 can grip ingredients of a weight equal to or close to the target amount. Instead of setting the depth in advance, the articulated robot control unit 152 may calculate the depth of insertion using the values ​​detected by each sensor and each weighing scale as parameters (variables). Alternatively, a learning model may be constructed in advance by performing machine learning based on past gripping performance values, etc., and the depth of insertion may be determined using this learning model.

[0060] In this way, when the ingredient is grasped by the two grasping members 313, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines the weight of the ingredient currently being grasped by the grasping mechanism 31 with the two grasping members 313 based on the change in weight before and after grasping detected by the first weight scale 51. The articulated robot control unit 152 then compares the weight of the ingredient being held with the target amount to determine whether they match. Matching the target amount may mean, for example, that the weight of the ingredient being held matches the target amount exactly, or that it matches within an error range of a few percent. For example, if the target amount is "100 grams," the weight of the ingredient being held may be considered to match if it falls within a range of "95 to 105 grams," which is plus or minus 5 percent.

[0061] When the weight of the gripped ingredient matches the target amount, the articulated robot control unit 152 moves the gripping mechanism 31 above the container and then executes a release operation, as shown in Fig. 7(b). As a result, the gripped ingredient is placed in the container.

[0062] However, as described above, in this embodiment, in order to prevent the amount of ingredients being excessively filled in the container, control is performed so that the amount of ingredients that exceeds the target amount is not grasped at the time of the first grasping. Accordingly, there is a high possibility that the amount of ingredients that is grasped at the time of this first grasping is less than the target amount. Then, if the weight of the ingredient being held does not match the target amount (i.e., if it is less than the target amount), as shown in Fig. 7(c), the articulated robot control unit 152 does not move the holding mechanism 31, but keeps it positioned above the ingredient storage container 10. Also, the two holding members 313 that first held the ingredient (the first and second holding members 313 from the left on the page) continue to hold the ingredient. Then, the articulated robot control unit 152 redoes the gripping operation. Specifically, the articulated robot control unit 152 controls some of the gripping members 313 of the gripping mechanism 31 (here, the third gripping member 313 from the left on the paper) to perform an additional gripping operation, so as to grip the missing ingredients from the group of ingredients in the ingredient storage container 10.

[0063] In this way, when the gripping operation is added and redone using a new gripping member 313, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines the weight of the ingredient currently being gripped by the gripping mechanism 31 based on the change in weight before and after the gripping operation is redone as detected by the first weight scale 51. Then, when the identified weight matches the target weight, the articulated robot control unit 152 causes the robot to perform a release operation on the container, as shown in FIG. 7(b).

[0064] On the other hand, if the weight of the ingredients still being held does not match the target amount (i.e., if it is still less than the target amount), as shown in Fig. 8(d), the articulated robot control unit 152 does not move the holding mechanism 31, but keeps it positioned above the ingredient storage container 10. Also, the three holding members 313 that have held the ingredients so far (the first, second, and third holding members 313 from the left on the page) continue to hold the ingredients. Then, the articulated robot control unit 152 performs an additional gripping operation and retries the operation. Specifically, the articulated robot control unit 152 controls some of the gripping members 313 of the gripping mechanism 31 (here, the fourth gripping member 313 from the left on the paper) to perform an additional gripping operation and grip the missing ingredients from the group of ingredients in the ingredient storage container 10.

[0065] In this way, when the gripping operation is added and redone using a new gripping member 313, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines the weight of the ingredient currently being gripped by the gripping mechanism 31 based on the change in weight before and after the gripping operation is redone as detected by the first weight scale 51. Then, when the specified weight matches the target weight, the articulated robot control unit 152 causes the robot to be released as shown in FIG. 7(b).

[0066] On the other hand, if the weight of the ingredients still being held does not match the target amount (i.e., if the weight is less than the target amount), If the number of gripping members 313 is still insufficient, the gripping is already performed by all four gripping members 313. Since further grasping is not possible, it is determined that this grasping operation has failed. Therefore, Figure 8( e ), the articulated robot control unit 152 controls the gripping mechanism 31 Without moving the ingredients, the ingredients held by all four holding members 313 are released into the ingredient storage container 10. Then, the articulated robot control unit 152 changes the state shown in FIG. Perform holding action.

[0067] In the above explanation, it is assumed that the weight of the ingredient being held does not match the target amount. This assumes that the weight of the ingredients being held is less than the target amount. In this case, it is determined that the current grasping operation has failed. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8( e ), the articulated robot control unit 152 Without moving the mechanism 31, the ingredients held by all four holding members 313 are transferred to the ingredient storage container. 10. Then, the articulated robot control unit 152 changes the state shown in FIG. Then, the gripping operation is performed again. By controlling the gripping operation in this manner, in this embodiment, the weight of the object that finally matches the target amount is obtained. It is possible to grasp ingredients.

[0068] Then, when the grasped ingredients are placed in a container, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines the weight of the ingredients currently placed in the container based on the change in weight of the ingredients before and after they are released as detected by the second weight scale 52, as shown in Figure 9(a). The articulated robot control unit 152 then compares the weight of the ingredients in the container with the target amount to determine whether they match. In this case, as in the case of grasping described above with reference to Fig. 7(a), it may be considered that the weights match if they are within an error range of a few percent.

[0069] When the weight of the ingredients placed matches the target amount, as shown in Fig. 9(b), the articulated robot control unit 152 moves the gripping mechanism 31 to a standby position above the ingredient storage container 10 and makes it wait. Then, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the gripping operation is started again.

[0070] On the other hand, if the weight of the ingredients placed is less than the target amount, it is assumed that some of the ingredients of the target amount that have been grasped are attached to the grasping members 313 and not all of them have been released, and the articulated robot control unit 152 performs a removal operation without moving the grasping mechanism 31 from above the container. This allows all of the ingredients of the target amount that have been held to be released into the container. In this case, too, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the articulated robot control unit 152 moves the grasping mechanism 31 to a standby position above the ingredient storage container 10 and makes it wait. Then, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the grasping operation is started again.

[0071] According to the control of this embodiment described above, gripping is not performed at once by all of the multiple gripping members 313, but rather by some of the gripping members 313 in sequence. In other words, gripping is not performed to reach the target amount all at once, but is performed in stages to reach the target amount. Then, each time gripping is performed, the total weight of the ingredients that have been gripped so far is compared with the target amount, so that the amount approaches the target amount. That is, in this embodiment, instead of the uniform working method of the prior art in which a plurality of gripping members are all used at once, a flexible working method is used in which a plurality of gripping members are used in stages. This has the effect of preventing ingredients that are heavier than the target amount from being grasped, and preventing excessive ingredients from being piled up as a result.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by using a plurality of gripping members 313, flexible control can be performed to approach the target amount with higher accuracy. For example, when controlling to grasp a target amount, suppose there is an error of about 5% between the target amount and the weight that can actually be grasped. In this case, if the robot is controlled to grasp the target amount of 100 g at once, 95 to 105 g will be grasped, resulting in a large error of up to 5 g. Therefore, for example, the target amount for the first grasp can be set to 80 g. Then, the actual grasped amount will be 76 to 84 g. Therefore, for additional grasps, the target amount can be set to 16 to 24 g. In this case, the error will be significantly smaller, at a maximum of 0.8 to 1.6 g. In other words, the convergence rate to the target amount will be higher, enabling the robot to approach the target amount with high accuracy. To achieve such control, the depth to which the gripping members 313 are inserted may be changed each time the ingredients are gripped. Alternatively, gripping members 313 with the same insertion depth but different expected amounts of ingredients to be gripped may be used. For example, as in the example described above, two gripping members 313 may be used simultaneously to initially grip many ingredients, and then one gripping member 313 may be used to grip a small amount of ingredients. Alternatively, the gripping members 313 may be made different in size or shape, and the ingredients may be gripped initially with a gripping member 313 that can grip many ingredients, and then with a gripping member 313 that can grip a small amount of ingredients.

[0073] Furthermore, if the ingredient does not match the target amount, it does not move to the container, and moves to the container and performs the release operation only when the ingredient matches the target amount. Therefore, the gripping mechanism 31 does not need to move back and forth multiple times between the ingredient storage container 10 where the gripping operation is performed and the container where the release operation is performed, and can release the target amount of ingredient into the container and serve it in one movement. In contrast, with conventional technology, the gripping mechanism had to move back and forth between the location where it grips and the location where it releases the ingredients multiple times before the target amount of ingredients was served in the container, which resulted in the problem of the gripping mechanism having to travel a long distance and therefore taking a long time to serve the ingredients. However, with the control of this embodiment, it is possible to place the target amount of ingredients into the container with a single movement as described above. Therefore, the control of this embodiment can solve the problems of the conventional technology. This also has the effect of improving the takt time, for example.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ingredients are gripped by multiple gripping members 313 and then released and plated onto the container at once. This reduces the risk of ingredients scattering as they are moved to the container. Also, because the number of releases on the container is reduced, it is possible to prevent the ingredients from falling off, resulting in a more stable presentation.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(c), for example, if the amount of ingredients matches the target amount when some of the gripping members 313 have gripped the ingredients, the target amount can be placed in the container without having the remaining gripping members 313 perform gripping. This flexible operation method prevents some of the gripping members 313 from performing unnecessary gripping, thereby suppressing deterioration of the gripping members 313. It also reduces power consumption associated with gripping.

[0076] Furthermore, since a plurality of gripping members 313 are used, it becomes possible to use, for example, first gripping member 313 and second gripping member 313 to grip different ingredients (that is, different objects).

[0077] Furthermore, since multiple gripping members 313 are used, it is possible to make the first gripping member 313 and the second gripping member 313 different in size or shape (i.e., non-uniform). This makes it possible to simultaneously handle ingredients of different shapes and sizes, thereby increasing the versatility of the gripping members.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is easier to optimize the pressure on the ingredients, preventing damage or crushing of the ingredients. For example, if an object can be grasped with one gripping member 313, it is possible to weaken the pressure applied to the ingredients as the object is grasped, compared to when one object is grasped simultaneously with multiple gripping members 313. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the ingredients (for example, the ingredients being crushed, cracked, or broken). This is because, in this embodiment, it is possible to flexibly set the number of gripping members 313 used to grasp one object.

[0079] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by arranging multiple gripping members 313 in one gripping mechanism 31, it is possible to complete a task that would conventionally require multiple gripping mechanisms with just one gripping mechanism. This makes it possible to reduce the installation area of ​​the entire control system 1. In addition, because only one articulated robot 30 is required, the degree of freedom in arranging the devices and ingredient storage containers 10 that make up the control system 1 is also improved.

[0080] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiple gripping members 313 perform gripping operations separately at different times, so vibrations are transmitted to the other gripping members 313. Therefore, if a load cell or force sensor arranged on the gripping members 313 were to be used to detect the weight, it would be difficult to achieve accurate detection. However, in this embodiment, the weight of the gripped ingredients is detected by the first weighing scale 51 arranged below the ingredient-accommodating container 10, so this problem does not occur. However, this does not preclude the use of a load cell or force sensor. For example, if there is a need to know the weight of the ingredients held by each of the multiple gripping members 313, a load cell or force sensor may be arranged on each of the multiple gripping members 313. This makes it possible to know the weight of the ingredients held by each of the multiple gripping members 313.

[0081] As described above, this embodiment provides various effects by using a plurality of gripping members 313 to perform work flexibly. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the problem to be solved by the present invention, which is to "provide greater flexibility to the working method of the robot," can be solved.

[0082] [Overall operation] Next, the overall operation of the control system 1 will be described. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the ingredient plating process executed by the control system 1. The ingredient plating process is started, for example, when an operator performs an operation to start the ingredient plating process.

[0083] When the ingredient plating process is started, in step S11, the articulated robot control unit 152 reads operation data for executing a series of operations in the ingredient plating process (for example, operation pattern data, data on the position and shape of the ingredient storage container 10, etc.) from the parameter storage unit 171. This makes preparations for carrying out the gripping operation, release operation, and removal operation described above.

[0084] In step S12, the articulated robot control unit 152 moves the gripping mechanism 31 to a standby position above the ingredient-accommodating container 10. In step S13, the articulated robot control unit 152 causes the gripping members 313 to grip the group of ingredients in the ingredient storage container 10. The gripping members to grip the group of ingredients in the ingredient storage container 10 are, for example, the first and second gripping members 313 from the left on the paper in the initial gripping situation as shown in FIG. 7(a), the third gripping member 313 from the left on the paper in the additional gripping situation as shown in FIG. 7(c), and the fourth gripping member 313 from the left on the paper in the further additional gripping situation as shown in FIG. 8(a).

[0085] In step S14, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines whether the weight of the ingredient being held matches the target amount. If it matches the target amount, step S14 returns Yes, and the process proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, if it does not match the target amount, step S14 returns No, and the process proceeds to step S15.

[0086] In step S15, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines whether the current gripping operation has failed. For example, if all gripping members 313 have gripped ingredients in a weight that is insufficient for the target amount, or if an excess weight of ingredients is gripped over the target amount during repeated gripping, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines that the current gripping operation has failed. If failure is confirmed, step S15 is judged as Yes, and the process proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, if failure is not confirmed, step S15 is judged as No, and the process returns to step S13. Then, the object to be grasped is grasped by the grasping member 313.

[0087] In step S16, the articulated robot control unit 152 releases the gripped ingredient without moving the gripping mechanism 31. After that, the process returns to step S13. Then, gripping is performed by the gripping member 313 that is to grip the ingredient this time.

[0088] In step S17, the articulated robot control unit 152 moves the gripping mechanism 31 above the container. In step S18, the articulated robot control unit 152 causes the gripping mechanism 31 to release the ingredients into the container.

[0089] In step S19, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines whether the weight of the ingredients placed in the container matches the target amount. If it matches the target amount, step S19 returns Yes, and the process proceeds to step S21. On the other hand, if it does not match the target amount, step S19 returns No, and the process proceeds to step S20.

[0090] In step S20, the articulated robot control unit 152 causes the gripping mechanism 31 to perform the removal operation shown in Fig. 9(c) After that, the process returns to step S18, and a determination is made.

[0091] In step S21, the articulated robot control section 152 moves the gripping mechanism 31 to a standby position above the ingredient-accommodating container 10, and keeps it on standby there. In step S22, the record control unit 154 stores in the history DB 172 the control-related parameters acquired in the ingredient plating process and the measurement data (history data) of the weight of the plated ingredients.

[0092] In step S23, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines whether or not a condition for ending the ingredient plating process has been met. In this case, the condition for ending the ingredient plating process is that ingredients have been plated into the planned number of containers or that an operation to end the ingredient plating process has been performed by the worker. If the conditions for terminating the ingredient plating process are not met, a No determination is made in step S23, and the process is restarted from step S13. On the other hand, if the conditions for terminating the ingredient plating process are met, a Yes determination is made in step S23, and the ingredient plating process ends.

[0093] According to the ingredient arrangement process described above, it is possible to realize the flexible operation as described above with reference to Figures 7 to 9. Furthermore, various advantageous effects as described above with reference to Figures 7 to 9 are achieved.

[0094] [Variations] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The present invention can be embodied in various other embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and various modifications such as omissions and substitutions can be made. For example, not only can any of the modifications described below be applied to the embodiments of the present invention, but also some or all of the modifications described below can be appropriately combined and applied to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0095] [Variation 1] In the above-described embodiment, all of the gripping members 313 are set to the same height and gripping is performed sequentially. However, this is not limiting, and control may be performed such that the heights are varied when gripping is performed. 11 is a schematic diagram showing height control in this modification. As described above, the air cylinder 312 allows each of the multiple gripping members 313 to move up and down. This position is relative to the connecting portion 311. Therefore, for example, as shown in the figure, the height of the gripping member 313 that will perform the additional gripping this time is made different from the height of the gripping member 313 adjacent to this gripping member 313. Specifically, the gripping member 313 that will perform the additional gripping this time is moved to a relatively lower position, while the gripping member 313 adjacent to this gripping member 313 is moved to a relatively higher position and retracted. This makes it possible to avoid impeding the gripping operation by the gripping member 313 that will perform the current gripping. This is just one example, and for example, the air cylinder may be arranged so that its advance / retract direction is the horizontal direction in the drawing, and the adjacent gripping members 313 may be moved horizontally in the drawing to be retracted. Alternatively, the adjacent gripping members 313 may be retracted by tilting them toward the depth or toward the front in the drawing using another mechanism that rotates, such as a motor.

[0096] [Variation 2] In the above-described embodiment, the weight to be held is adjusted in stages by sequentially holding the object with the multiple holding members 313. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the weight to be held may be adjusted in stages by sequentially holding the object with multiple holding portions provided on one holding member 313. 12A and 12B are schematic diagrams illustrating control of sequential gripping by multiple gripping units in this modification. In this modification, for example, as shown in Fig. 12A, gripping mechanism 31 includes gripping member 313A, which is a modified version of gripping member 313. Grip member 313A includes multiple (here, three, for example) gripping units, namely, first gripping unit 313c1, second gripping unit 313c2, and third gripping unit 313c3. 12(b), first, the first gripping portion 313c1 and the second gripping portion 313c2 move so that their tips (lower ends) approach the center, thereby gripping with the two gripping members 313. If the ingredient gripped in this way is insufficient for the target amount, the third gripping portion 313c3 also moves so that its tip (lower end) approaches the center, thereby gripping with the three gripping members 313. In this way, the weight to be gripped can be adjusted in stages. It should be noted that a plurality of gripping members such as gripping member 313A may be arranged in gripping mechanism 31. Then, after performing the stepwise gripping as shown in Fig. 12 with one of gripping members 313A, a similar operation can be further performed with another gripping member 313A, thereby realizing even more stepwise gripping.

[0097] [Variation 3] In the above-described embodiment, the determination is made by comparing the target amount with the weight of the ingredients. However, the determination is not limited to this, and the target amount may be compared with the amount of the ingredients from another perspective. For example, the determination may be made by comparing the target amount with the volume of the ingredients. Alternatively, the determination may be made by comparing the target amount with the number of ingredients. The volume and number of ingredients can be determined, for example, by photographing the ingredients that are grasped or released with a camera and analyzing the photographed image using a technique such as machine learning.

[0098] [Variation 4] In the above-described embodiment, the weight corresponding to the target amount is grasped and all of it is released and served in the container. However, this is not limiting, and only some of the grasping members 313 may be released and served in the container. For example, let's assume the target weight is 70g. Then, let's say the weight of the ingredients that were grasped is as follows:

[0099] First gripping member 313: 40 [g] Second gripping member 313: 25 [g] Third gripping member 313: 20 [g] Fourth gripping member 313: 30 [g]

[0100] In this case, the gripping member 312 moves above the container, and only the first gripping member 313 and the fourth gripping member 313 release, thereby placing the target amount of 70 [g] of ingredients into the container. Then, the weight held by each holding member 313 is as follows:

[0101] First gripping member 313: 0 [g] Second gripping member 313: 25 [g] Third gripping member 313: 20 [g] Fourth gripping member 313: 0 [g]

[0102] Then, in the next gripping operation, while the second gripping member 313 and the third gripping member 313 continue to grip, the first gripping member 313 and the fourth gripping member 313 are made to grip additional ingredients so that the gripped ingredient reaches the target amount of 70 [g]. This reduces the total number of gripping operations and allows for more efficient gripping operations. To realize the operation of this modified example, a load cell or a force sensor is provided on each of the multiple gripping members 313. This makes it possible to know the weight of the ingredient being gripped by each of the multiple gripping members 313, thereby realizing the operation of this modified example described above. However, even if a load cell or force sensor is not used, it is possible to estimate the weight of the ingredient held by each of the gripping members 313 from the timing of opening and closing of each gripping member 313 and the accompanying fluctuation in the weight of the ingredient detected by first weighing meter 51. Then, the operation of this modified example described above may be realized based on this estimated weight.

[0103] [Variation 5] In the above-described embodiment, it is determined that the current gripping operation has failed if the weight of the gripped ingredient exceeds the target amount, but this is not limiting. For example, there are cases where the granularity of the weight of an ingredient can be known in advance. For example, rather than fine-grained ingredients such as hijiki seaweed or potato salad, the target of grasping is not an ingredient with a small grain, but rather an ingredient with a large grain, such as fried chicken or broccoli, or an ingredient that forms a clump when grasped, such as spinach. In the case of such ingredients, it is known that at least 20 g can be grasped when grasping. Therefore, if the target amount can currently be grasped by, for example, 10 g, it is clear that an additional grasp will involve grasping an amount in excess of the target amount. Therefore, in such a case, it may be determined that the current gripping operation has failed without any additional gripping, and the gripped ingredient may be released as shown in Figure 8(e) and a new gripping operation may be performed. This makes it possible to continue the gripping operation without performing additional gripping operations that are likely to fail, thereby shortening the operation time.

[0104] [Configuration example] As described above, the control system 1 in this embodiment includes the articulated robot 30 and the control device 70. The articulated robot 30 has a robot arm 32 that moves from a first position to a second position, and a plurality of gripping members 313 that are moved together with the robot arm 32 to grip ingredients. The control device 70 controls the second gripping member 313 of the articulated robot 30 to grip the ingredient while the first gripping member 313 of the articulated robot 30 is gripping the ingredient, while keeping the first gripping member 313 and the second gripping member 313 positioned at the first position by the robot arm 32.

[0105] The control device 70 determines whether or not to cause the second gripping member 313 to grip the ingredients based on the amount of ingredients gripped by the first gripping member 313, and does not cause the second gripping member 313 to grip the ingredients depending on the result of the determination.

[0106] A target amount to be gripped by the multiple gripping members 313 is set. The control device 70 causes the first gripping member 313 to grip the ingredient, and then causes the second gripping member 313 to grip the ingredient, thereby bringing the amount of ingredient gripped by the articulated robot 30 closer to the target amount. The control device 70 then causes the robot arm 32 to move the first gripping member 313 and the second gripping member 313 to the second position.

[0107] The first gripping member 313 and the second gripping member 313 are gripping members 313 that are expected to grip different amounts of ingredients.

[0108] When causing one of the first gripping member 313 and the second gripping member 313 to grip an ingredient, the control device 70 causes the other gripping member 313 to retreat to a position where it does not interfere with the gripping of the other member.

[0109] The control system 1 further includes a first weighing scale 51 that detects the amount of the ingredient at the first position. The control device 70 controls the gripping of the first gripping member 313 and the second gripping member 313 based on the amount of the ingredient at the first position detected by the first weighing scale 51.

[0110] The above-described embodiment and modifications are merely examples of embodiments of the present invention, and various embodiments that realize the functions of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment and modified examples, the present invention has been described as being applied to a control system for serving prepared foods, but the present invention can also be applied to systems for gripping various objects. For example, the present invention can be applied to systems for gripping highly viscous or adhesive materials such as kneaded mortar, concrete, plaster, and clay. The present invention is suitable for gripping objects with a viscosity of at least medium (5000 mPa·s) at working temperature or room temperature. Furthermore, the examples described in the above-described embodiments can be combined as appropriate to implement the present invention. The above-described series of processes 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 for the control system 1 to be provided with a function that can execute the above-described series of processes as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the example in Fig. 6. Furthermore, one functional block may be configured as a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination thereof.

[0111] When a series of processes is executed by software, the programs that make up the software are installed into a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware, or may be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, such as a general-purpose personal computer.

[0112] The storage medium for storing the program may be a removable medium distributed separately from the device itself, or may be a storage medium pre-installed in the device itself. Removable media may be, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory. Optical disks may be, for example, CD-ROMs (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), or Blu-ray Discs (registered trademarks). Magneto-optical disks may be, for example, MDs (Mini-Disks). Flash memories may be, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memories or SD cards. Storage media pre-installed in the device itself may be, for example, a ROM, SSD, HDD, or the like in which the program is stored.

[0113] In this specification, the steps describing the program to be recorded on the recording medium include not only processes that are performed in chronological order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed in chronological order but are performed in parallel or individually. In addition, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall device that is made up of a plurality of devices, a plurality of means, etc.

[0114] The above-described embodiment shows an example of application of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In other words, the present invention can be modified in various ways, such as by omission or substitution, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and various embodiments other than the above-described embodiment can be adopted. The various embodiments and modifications that the present invention can adopt are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 1 Control system, 2 Belt conveyor, 10 Ingredient storage container, 20 Container supply device, 21 Extrusion mechanism, 30 Articulated robot, 31 Grip mechanism, 311 Connection part, 312 Air cylinder, 313, 313A Grip member, 313a First gripping part, 313b Second gripping part, Rod-shaped gripping part 313c-1, 313c-2, 313c-3, 32 Robot arm, 41 Storage state detection sensor, 42 Container detection sensor, 51 First weighing scale, 52 Second weighing scale, 60 Base part, 61 Caster, 70 Control device, 151 Information acquisition part, 152 Articulated robot control part, 153 Container supply control part, 154 Recording control part, 171 Parameter storage part, 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

1. a robot having a movement mechanism that moves from a first position to a second position, and a plurality of holding members that are moved together by the movement mechanism, each holding a separate object; a control means for controlling a second holding member of the robot to hold the object while the first holding member and the second holding member are positioned at the first position by the movement mechanism, while the first holding member and the second holding member are held at the first position, in a state where the object is held by a first holding member of the robot; Equipped with a target amount to be held by the plurality of holding members is set, The control means After the object is held by the first holding member, the object is held by the second holding member, thereby bringing the amount of the object held by the robot closer to a target amount; Thereafter, the first holding member and the second holding member are moved to the second position by the moving mechanism. A control system comprising:

2. a robot having a movement mechanism that moves from a first position to a second position, and a plurality of holding members that are moved together by the movement mechanism, each holding a separate object; a control means for controlling a second holding member of the robot to hold the object while the first holding member and the second holding member are positioned at the first position by the movement mechanism, while the first holding member and the second holding member are held at the first position, in a state where the object is held by a first holding member of the robot; a first detection means for detecting an amount of the object not held by any of the plurality of holding members at the first position; Equipped with the control means calculates the amount of the object held by the plurality of holding members based on the amount of the object detected by the first detection means, and when it is determined based on the calculated amount of the object that the amount of the object cannot be held in accordance with the target amount to be held, further performs control to release the object held by the plurality of holding members to the first position. A control system comprising:

3. the control means determines whether to cause the second holding member to hold the object based on the amount of the object held by the first holding member, and does not cause the second holding member to hold the object according to the result of the determination.

3. A control system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The first holding member and the second holding member are holding members having different assumed amounts of objects to be held.

3. A control system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The first holding member and the second holding member are holding members different from each other in at least one of shape and size.

3. A control system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The control means When one of the first holding member and the second holding member is caused to hold the object, the other is retracted to a position that does not interfere with the holding of the other.

3. A control system according to claim 1 or 2.

Images