Control system for steering device, control method for steering device, and computer program product

Abstract

Provided are a control system for a steering device, a control method for a steering device, and a computer program, with which the movement of the steering device can be controlled so as to be able to be brought into contact with an appropriate contact force during physical contact between a held object held by the steering device and a surrounding object. In a control system of a manipulation device according to the present disclosure, the manipulation device is provided with an arm and a hand attached to the arm so as to grip an object to be gripped. The control system is provided with: an environment recognition unit that recognizes surrounding objects in the environment around the steering device; an arm control unit that controls the operation of the arm; and a hand control unit that predicts the state of contact between the object to be held and the surrounding object, and that adjusts the holding force of the hand on the basis of the prediction of the state of contact.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system of an operating device, a control method of an operating device and a program. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 7131323) discloses a control system for a steering device, wherein the steering device switches between position control and impedance control when an impact is detected, and returns to the original position after avoiding the impact. Summary of the invention

[0003] In the technology involved in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the movement of the operating device cannot be controlled so as to make contact with an appropriate contact force when a held object held by a manipulation device is in physical contact with a surrounding object (e.g., placing or lifting, etc.). Specifically, when a manipulation device is used to place a held object (e.g., an egg) on ​​a surrounding object (e.g., a workbench top plate), if the held object is pressed against the surrounding object while the held object is being held firmly, there is a possibility that excessive contact force from the surrounding object will be transmitted to the held object, causing the held object to break, or even damaging the surrounding object. On the other hand, when a manipulation device is used to place a held object (e.g., a book) on a surrounding object (e.g., a bookshelf), if the held object is not being held firmly, there is a possibility that the held object cannot be smoothly placed on the surrounding object because the contact force transmitted from the surrounding object to the held object is insufficient.

[0004] In view of such problems, the present disclosure aims to provide a control system, a control method and a program for a manipulation device that can control the movement of a manipulation device during physical contact between an object held by the manipulation device and surrounding objects so that contact can be made with an appropriate contact force.

[0005] In the control system of the operating device disclosed in the present invention, the operating device includes an arm and a hand mounted on the arm to hold an object to be held, and the control system of the operating device includes: an environment recognition unit, which recognizes surrounding objects in the environment around the operating device; an arm control unit, which controls the movement of the arm; and a hand control unit, which predicts the contact state between the held object and the surrounding objects, and adjusts the holding force of the hand according to the prediction of the contact state.

[0006] According to the above structure, the control system of the manipulation device disclosed in the present invention recognizes the surrounding objects through the object recognition engine, predicts the contact state between the held object and the surrounding objects, and adjusts the hand's gripping force according to the prediction of the contact state. By adopting this method, the control system of the manipulation device can control the movement of the manipulation device during the physical contact between the held object held by the manipulation device and the surrounding objects, so that the contact can be made with an appropriate contact force.

[0007] In addition, in the control system of the operating device disclosed in the present invention, the arm control unit controls the arm in such a manner that the held object is placed on the peripheral object, and the hand control unit determines whether the difference between the position coordinates of the peripheral object and the position coordinates of the hand holding the held object is below a predetermined threshold value, and when it is determined that the difference is below the predetermined threshold value, the gripping force of the hand is adjusted in such a manner that it is weakened compared to the current gripping force.

[0008] For example, when a manipulation device is used to place a held object (e.g., an egg) on ​​a surrounding object (e.g., a workbench top plate), if the held object is pressed against the surrounding object while the held object is held firmly, there is a possibility that the contact force from the surrounding object is transmitted to the held object, causing the held object to be damaged, or even damaging the surrounding objects. On the other hand, when the held object is held gently, there is a risk that the holding state (e.g., the position and posture in the hand) performed by the manipulation device changes during the operation of the held object, or that the held object falls. However, according to the above-mentioned structure, the control system of the manipulation device of the present disclosure weakens the holding force of the hand before the held object is about to contact the surrounding objects, and releases the contact force by moving the held object in the hand when the contact force is applied, thereby reducing the contact force applied to the held object and the surrounding objects. Therefore, the control system can reduce the possibility that the held object is damaged, or even damages the surrounding objects. At the same time, the control system can reduce the risk of changes in the gripping state of the operating device or the risk of the gripping object falling while the control system is operating the gripped object.

[0009] Furthermore, in the control system of the manipulation device of the present disclosure, the hand control unit determines the relationship between the type of the gripped object and the type of the surrounding objects, and adjusts the gripping force of the hand based on the relationship.

[0010] For example, in the physical contact between the object held by the operating device and the surrounding objects, the appropriate contact force will be different according to the type of each object. According to the above structure, the control system of the operating device of the present disclosure can control the movement of the operating device in the physical contact between the object held by the operating device and the surrounding objects, so as to make contact with the appropriate contact force according to the type of the object.

[0011] In the control system of the manipulation device of the present disclosure, the hand control unit uses the movement information of the manipulation device to predict the contact state between the gripped object and the surrounding objects, and adjusts the gripping force of the hand according to the predicted contact state.

[0012] For example, the movement information (such as speed, movement trend) of the main body of the operating device has a great influence on the prediction of the contact state between the held object and the surrounding objects. According to the above structure, the control system of the operating device disclosed in the present invention can implement the prediction of the contact state with good accuracy.

[0013] In the control method of the operating device disclosed in the present invention, the operating device includes an arm and a hand mounted on the arm to hold a held object, wherein surrounding objects in the environment surrounding the operating device are identified; the movement of the arm is controlled; the contact state between the held object and the surrounding objects is predicted, and the holding force of the hand is adjusted according to the prediction of the contact state.

[0014] According to the above structure, in the control method of the operating device disclosed in the present invention, the surrounding objects are recognized by the object recognition engine, and the contact state between the held object and the surrounding objects is predicted, and the hand holding force is adjusted according to the prediction of the contact state. By adopting this method, in the control method of the operating device disclosed in the present invention, the movement of the operating device can be controlled during the physical contact between the held object held by the operating device and the surrounding objects, so that the contact can be made with an appropriate contact force.

[0015] The computer program product disclosed in the present invention enables a computer to control a manipulation device, wherein the manipulation device includes an arm and a hand mounted on the arm for holding an object to be held, wherein the computer program product enables the computer to perform the following processing, namely: identifying surrounding objects in the environment surrounding the manipulation device; controlling the movement of the arm; predicting the contact state between the held object and the surrounding objects, and adjusting the gripping force of the hand according to the prediction of the contact state.

[0016] According to the above structure, in the computer program product of the present disclosure, the surrounding objects are identified by the object recognition engine, and the contact state between the held object and the surrounding objects is predicted, and the hand's gripping force is adjusted according to the prediction of the contact state. By adopting this method, in the computer program product of the present disclosure, the movement of the operating device can be controlled during the physical contact between the held object held by the operating device and the surrounding objects, so that the contact can be made with an appropriate contact force.

[0017] According to the present disclosure, a control system, a control method and a program for a manipulation device can be provided, which can control the movement of a manipulation device during physical contact between an object held by the manipulation device and a surrounding object so that contact can be made with an appropriate contact force.

[0018] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description given below and the accompanying drawings which are given as illustrations only and thus should not be regarded as limiting the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is an external perspective view showing an example of the structure of the robot according to the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device according to the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device according to the first embodiment.

[0022] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the operation of the control device according to the first embodiment.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the control device according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted as necessary for the purpose of clarifying the description.

[0025] (First Embodiment)

[0026] First, use Figure 1 The structure of the robot 1 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0027] Figure 1 FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the structure of the robot 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the robot 1 includes a control device 10 , a manipulation device 20 , an environment sensor 30 , and a tactile sensor 40 .

[0028] The control device 10 is a computer. The control device 10 controls the manipulation device 20, the environmental sensor 30, and the tactile sensor 40. The control device 10 is mounted on the main body of the robot 1. In addition, the control device 10 may be provided outside the main body of the robot 1, and control may be performed by communicating with the robot 1. In addition, the control device 10 may not be a single computer, but a control system 10 implemented by using a plurality of computers.

[0029] The manipulator 20 is mounted on the main body of the robot 1 in a rotatable manner. The manipulator 20 is a mobile manipulator that is mounted on the main body of the robot 1 having a travel mechanism and can travel freely in an environment. In addition, the manipulator 20 may also be a fixed type of manipulator in a factory or the like. The manipulator 20 includes an arm 21 and a hand 22. The arm 21 is a robot arm. The arm 21 includes one or more connecting rods and a joint that is rotatably connected to each connecting rod. The end of one side of the connecting rod is connected to the main body of the robot 1 via a joint. In addition, the end of the other side of the connecting rod is connected to the hand 22 via a joint. The hand 22 is a manipulator for grasping an object. For example, the hand 22 is a multi-fingered hand having a plurality of fingers.

[0030] The environment sensor 30 is provided in the head of the robot 1 or the like. The environment sensor 30 is a sensor that measures environment information, which is information about the surrounding environment of the manipulation device 20. Specifically, the environment sensor 30 is a 3D depth sensor, and measures an image including surrounding objects and a distance to the surrounding objects as environment information.

[0031] The tactile sensor 40 is disposed in the gripping area of ​​the hand 22. The tactile sensor 40 is a sensor that measures the current gripping force of the gripped object of the hand 22. For example, the tactile sensor 40 is a thin film type tactile sensor, and is a sensor that measures the gripping force of the hand 22 by measuring the friction force or pressure applied to the measurement area. In addition, the tactile sensor 40 may also be a multi-array type tactile sensor, and the friction force or pressure applied to the measurement area is measured at multiple points simultaneously. By utilizing the gripping force information obtained by the tactile sensor 40, it is possible to infer the contact force acting between the gripped object and the surrounding objects when the gripped object and the surrounding objects come into contact. By collecting and analyzing the contact force data, it is possible to predict whether the contact force is appropriate before contact.

[0032] Next, use Figure 2 Next, the configuration of the control device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0033] Figure 2 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of the control device 10 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the control device 10 includes an environment recognition unit 11 , an arm control unit 12 , and a hand control unit 13 .

[0034] The environment recognition unit 11 recognizes the surrounding environment of the manipulation device 20. Specifically, the environment recognition unit 11 obtains environmental information from the environment sensor 30. The environment recognition unit 11 recognizes the gripped object and surrounding objects of the manipulation device 20 based on the environmental information and using an object recognition engine such as a deep learning model. At this time, the environment recognition unit 11 recognizes the type of the gripped object and the type of surrounding objects. In addition, the environment recognition unit 11 recognizes the position coordinates of the surrounding objects based on the robot coordinate system based on the environmental information.

[0035] The arm control unit 12 controls the movement of the arm 21 of the manipulator 20. Specifically, the arm control unit 12 determines the surrounding object on which the grasped object is placed from among the recognized surrounding objects. The arm control unit 12 calculates the trajectory plan of the arm 21 in such a way that the grasped object is placed on the surrounding object. And the arm control unit 12 controls the movement of the arm 21 in such a way that the arm 21 moves along the trajectory plan. In addition, the arm control unit 12 determines the surrounding object that is lifted as the grasped object from among the recognized surrounding objects. The arm control unit 12 calculates the trajectory plan of the arm 21 in such a way that the grasped object is lifted. And the arm control unit 12 controls the movement of the arm 21 in such a way that the arm 21 moves along the trajectory plan. During the movement of the arm 21, the arm control unit 12 calculates the position coordinates of the fingertips of the hand 22 based on the robot coordinate system reference based on the joint angles and link lengths of the arm 21.

[0036] The hand control unit 13 controls the movement of the hand 22 of the operating device 20. Specifically, the hand control unit 13 predicts the contact state between the held object and the surrounding objects. The prediction of the contact state refers to the prediction of the possibility of the held object contacting the surrounding objects, or the prediction of whether the held object and the surrounding objects are about to contact. In addition, the prediction of the contact state refers to the prediction of the type of the held object and the type of the surrounding objects, and whether the contact force transmitted to each object when the objects are in contact is appropriate. Moreover, the hand control unit 13 implements control to adjust the holding force of the hand 22 according to the prediction of the contact state. Specifically, the hand control unit 13 obtains the current holding force of the hand 22 from the tactile sensor 40. The hand control unit 13 adjusts the current holding force of the hand 22 in a manner that is weakened to a predetermined value according to the prediction of the contact state. In addition, the hand control unit 13 adjusts the current holding force of the hand 22 in a manner that is strengthened to a predetermined value according to the prediction of the contact state. Here, the predetermined value is a value of the gripping force calculated based on the pressure or friction force applied in the measurement area of ​​the tactile sensor 40. In addition, the predetermined value may also be a value of the gripping force calculated based on the number of measurement points measured in the measurement area of ​​the tactile sensor 40 when multiple points are measured simultaneously.

[0037] For example, when the arm control unit 12 controls the movement of the arm 21 in such a way that the gripped object is placed on the surrounding objects, the hand control unit 13 performs the following processing. The hand control unit 13 determines whether the difference between the position coordinates of the surrounding objects based on the robot coordinate system and the position coordinates of the fingertips of the hand 22 is below a predetermined threshold value during the movement of the arm 21. In other words, the hand control unit 13 predicts the possibility of the gripped object contacting the surrounding objects or whether the gripped object is about to contact the surrounding objects. When the hand control unit 13 determines that the difference between the position coordinates of the contacted object and the position coordinates of the fingertips of the hand 22 is below a predetermined threshold value, the current gripping force of the hand 22, that is, the gripping force in the operation of the arm 21, is adjusted to a predetermined value. By adopting this method, even if the contact force transmitted to each object when the objects are in contact is excessive, the hand control unit 13 can reduce the possibility of damage to each object by reducing the contact force. At the same time, the hand control unit 13 can reduce the risk of the gripping state of the gripping device changing or the gripping object falling during the operation of the gripped object by weakening the gripping force just before the contact. In addition, without being limited to the above structure, the hand control unit 13 can also adjust the current gripping force of the hand 22 in a manner that increases until it reaches a predetermined value when it is determined that the difference between the position coordinates of the contacted object and the position coordinates of the fingertips of the hand 22 is below a predetermined threshold.

[0038] Furthermore, when the arm control unit 12 controls the movement of the arm 21 in such a manner that the gripped object is placed on the surrounding objects, the hand control unit 13 implements the following processing. The hand control unit 13 determines the relationship between the type of the gripped object and the type of the surrounding objects. That is, the hand control unit 13 predicts what the type of the gripped object and the type of the surrounding objects are, and whether the contact force transmitted to each object when the objects are in contact is appropriate. The hand control unit 13 adjusts the gripping force of the hand 22 based on the relationship between the type of the gripped object and the type of the surrounding objects. For example, when the gripped object is an egg and the surrounding objects are workbenches, since it can be predicted that the contact force transmitted to each object is excessive and there is a possibility of damage to each object, the hand control unit 13 weakens the current gripping force of the hand 22, that is, the gripping force during the operation of the arm 21, to a predetermined value. On the other hand, when the held object is a book and the surrounding object is a bookshelf, it is predicted that the contact force transmitted to the object is insufficient and cannot be placed smoothly, so the hand control unit 13 increases the current holding force of the hand 22 to a predetermined value.

[0039] In addition, when the arm control unit 12 controls the movement of the arm 21 to lift other peripheral objects placed on the peripheral objects as the gripped object, the hand control unit 13 implements the following processing. The hand control unit 13 determines the relationship between the type of the gripped object and the type of the peripheral objects. The hand control unit 13 adjusts the gripping force of the hand 22 based on the relationship between the type of the gripped object and the type of the peripheral objects. In the case where the gripped object or the peripheral objects at the loading destination are sticky objects, since it can be predicted that the contact force (such as tension) transmitted to the object is excessive and the gripped object cannot be lifted smoothly, the hand control unit 13 increases the current gripping force of the hand 22 to a predetermined value.

[0040] Moreover, in the case where the operating device 20 is a mobile operating device that can move freely in the environment, the movement information (such as speed, movement trend) of the mobile operating device 20 has a great influence on the prediction of the contact state of the hand control unit 13. Therefore, the hand control unit 13 uses the movement information of the operating device 20 to predict the contact state between the held object and the surrounding objects. For example, the hand control unit 13 obtains the movement information of the operating device 20 from the arm control unit 12. In addition, in the case where a speed sensor (not shown) is installed in the operating device 20, the hand control unit 13 can also obtain the movement information of the operating device 20 from the speed sensor. The hand control unit 13 adjusts the gripping force of the hand 22 according to the prediction of the contact state. Therefore, the control device 10 can implement the prediction of the contact state between the held object and the surrounding objects with good accuracy.

[0041] In addition, regarding the timing of the hand control unit 13 adjusting the gripping force of the hand 22, if the adjustment timing is too early, the gripping force of the gripped object may become excessive (or insufficient) before contact. Therefore, the timing of adjusting the gripping force of the hand 22 is expected to be adjusted after the contact state between the gripped object and the surrounding objects is predicted, and at the latest when the gripped object is actually gripped. Therefore, the hand control unit 13 adjusts the gripping force of the hand 22 after a predetermined period has passed from the moment the contact state is predicted. For example, the hand control unit 13 adjusts the gripping force of the hand 22 when it is determined that the possibility of collision between the gripped object and the surrounding objects has increased after a predetermined period has passed from the moment the contact state is predicted. In addition, the hand control unit 13 adjusts the gripping force of the hand 22 when it is determined that the relative distance between the gripped object and the surrounding objects has become closer after a predetermined period has passed from the moment the contact state is predicted. Therefore, regarding the timing of adjusting the gripping force of the hand 22, the control device 10 can reduce the possibility that the gripping force of the gripped object becomes excessive (or insufficient) before contact if the adjustment timing is too early.

[0042] Next, use Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 Next, an example of the operation of the control device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 3 It is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device 10 according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the operation of the control device 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0043] As a prerequisite for the following actions, the arm control unit 12 of the control device 10 calculates the trajectory plan of the arm 21 in such a way that the gripped object contacts the workbench as a peripheral object, and starts to control the movement of the arm 21 in such a way that the arm 21 moves along the trajectory plan.

[0044] like Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 As shown, first, in step S101 , the environment recognition unit 11 of the control device 10 calculates the position coordinates of the table top in the robot coordinate system based on the environment information obtained from the environment sensor 30 .

[0045] Next, in step S102 , the arm control unit 12 calculates the position coordinates of the fingertips of the hand 22 based on the joint angles and link lengths of the arm 21 in the robot coordinate system.

[0046] Next, in step S103, the hand control unit 13 determines whether the difference between the position coordinates of the workbench top plate based on the robot coordinate system and the position coordinates of the fingertips of the hand 22 based on the robot coordinate system is less than a predetermined threshold value. In the case where it is determined that the difference between the position coordinates of the workbench top plate and the position coordinates of the fingertips of the hand 22 is less than the predetermined threshold value ("Yes" in step S103), the processing proceeds to step S104. On the other hand, in the case where it is determined that the difference between the position coordinates of the workbench top plate and the position coordinates of the fingertips of the hand 22 is not less than the predetermined threshold value ("No" in step S103), the processing returns to step S101.

[0047] In step S104, the hand control unit 13 weakens the current gripping force of the hand 22, that is, the gripping force during the operation of the arm 21, to a predetermined value. The predetermined value indicates a gripping force at which the gripped object does not slip from the hand 22.

[0048] Next, use Figure 5 Another example of the operation of the control device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 5 It is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the control device 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0049] As a prerequisite for the following actions, the arm control unit 12 of the control device 10 calculates the trajectory plan of the arm 21 in a manner that causes the held object to contact the surrounding objects, and starts to control the movement of the arm 21 in a manner that causes the arm 21 to move along the trajectory plan.

[0050] and Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 Similarly to the operation shown, the control device 10 executes the processing of step S101 to step S103 described above.

[0051] In step S201 , after the “Yes” process in step S103 , the hand control unit 13 calculates the relationship between the type of the held object and the types of the surrounding objects.

[0052] In step S202, the hand control unit 13 adjusts the gripping force of the hand 22 based on the relationship between the type of the gripped object and the type of the surrounding objects. For example, when the gripped object is an egg and the surrounding objects are a workbench, since it can be predicted that the contact force transmitted to each object is excessive and each object is likely to be damaged, the hand control unit 13 weakens the current gripping force of the hand 22, that is, the gripping force in the operation of the arm 21, to a predetermined value. On the other hand, when the gripped object is a book and the surrounding objects are bookshelves, since it can be predicted that the contact force transmitted to the object is insufficient and cannot be placed smoothly, the hand control unit 13 increases the current gripping force of the hand 22 to a predetermined value.

[0053] As described above, the control device 10 involved in the first embodiment adjusts the hand's gripping force based on the prediction of the contact state between the held object and the surrounding objects. By adopting this method, the control system 10 can control the movement of the manipulation device 20 so that the contact can be made with an appropriate contact force when the held object held by the manipulation device 20 is in physical contact with the surrounding objects.

[0054] In addition, the control device 10 involved in the first embodiment weakens the current gripping force of the hand 22 to a predetermined value before the gripped object is about to come into contact with the surrounding objects. By adopting this method, the control device 10 releases the contact force by moving the gripped object in the hand 22 when the contact force is generated, thereby reducing the contact force applied to the gripped object and the surrounding objects. Therefore, the control device 10 can reduce the possibility of the gripped object being damaged or damaging the surrounding objects. At the same time, the control system 10 can reduce the risk of the gripping state of the gripping device being changed or the gripped object falling during the operation of the gripped object.

[0055] In addition, the control device 10 adjusts the gripping force of the hand 22 based on the relationship between the type of the gripped object and the type of the surrounding objects. By adopting this method, the control system 10 can control the movement of the manipulation device according to the type of the object in the physical contact between the gripped object gripped by the manipulation device and the surrounding objects so that the contact can be made with an appropriate contact force.

[0056] Furthermore, in the comparative example, when the object being held is placed on the surrounding object using the manipulation device, the contact force can be reduced by placing the object at a relatively low speed, but in this case, there is a disadvantage that the operation time is increased. However, since the control device 10 does not place the object at a relatively low speed, there is no disadvantage that the operation time is increased.

[0057] In addition, although in the comparative example, there is also a method of making the arm soft by feedback control after the gripped object receives the contact force from the surrounding objects, the feedback control needs to be run for at least one cycle, and there is a possibility that the contact force cannot be sufficiently reduced. However, the control device 10 can adjust the contact force by predicting the contact state between the gripped object and the surrounding objects and appropriately adjusting the gripping force of the hand 22 of the manipulation device 20 according to the prediction of the contact state.

[0058] The control device 10 in the above-described embodiment is constituted by hardware or software, or by both hardware and software, and may be constituted by one piece of hardware or software, or may be constituted by a plurality of pieces of hardware or software.

[0059] Specifically, the control device 10 in the above-mentioned embodiment is composed of a computer having a processor and a memory. The processor may be, for example, a microprocessor, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor may also include a plurality of processors. The memory is composed of a combination of a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory. The memory may also include a storage configured in a manner separate from the processor. In this case, the processor may also access the memory via an I / O interface not shown. The processor executes one or more programs including a command group, which is used to enable the computer to implement the algorithm described using the accompanying drawings.

[0060] The program can be stored using various types of non-transitory computer readable media and provided to the computer. Non-transitory computer readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., floppy disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), CD-Rs (Compact Disc Recordable), CD-R / Ws (Compact Disc Rewritable), semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (random access memory). In addition, the program can also be provided to the computer via various types of transitory computer readable media. Examples of transitory computer readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. Transitory computer readable media can provide the program to a computer via a wired communication line such as electric wires and optical fibers, or a wireless communication line.

[0061] It is clear from the disclosure described in this way that the disclosed embodiments can be changed in many ways. Obviously such changes should not be regarded as departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and for those skilled in the art, all such changes should be included in the appended claims.

[0062] Each figure is only an example for illustrating one or more embodiments. Each figure may also be associated with one or more other embodiments, rather than just with a specific embodiment. As can be understood by those skilled in the art, the various features or steps described with reference to any one of the figures can be combined with the features or steps shown in one or more other figures to produce, for example, an embodiment that is not explicitly illustrated or described. The features or steps shown in any one of the figures for the purpose of illustrating the exemplary embodiments are not necessarily all necessary features or steps, and some features or steps may be omitted. The order of the steps recorded in any one of the figures may also be appropriately changed.

Claims

1. A control system for a manipulation device, the manipulation device comprising an arm and a hand mounted on the arm for holding an object to be held, wherein: The control system of the operating device comprises: An environment recognition unit, which recognizes surrounding objects in the environment surrounding the operating device; an arm control unit, which controls the movement of the arm; The hand control unit predicts the contact state between the gripped object and the surrounding objects, and adjusts the gripping force of the hand according to the predicted contact state.

2. The control system of the operating device according to claim 1, wherein: The arm control unit controls the arm in such a manner that the grasped object is placed on the surrounding object. The hand control unit determines whether the difference between the position coordinates of the surrounding object and the position coordinates of the hand holding the held object is below a predetermined threshold, and when it is determined that the difference is below the predetermined threshold, adjusts the holding force of the hand in a manner that is weakened compared to the current holding force.

3. The control system of the operating device according to claim 1, wherein: The hand control unit determines the relationship between the type of the held object and the types of the surrounding objects, and adjusts the holding force of the hand based on the relationship.

4. A control system for an operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The hand control unit predicts the contact state between the gripped object and the surrounding objects using the movement information of the manipulation device, and adjusts the gripping force of the hand according to the predicted contact state.

5. A method for controlling a manipulation device, the manipulation device comprising an arm and a hand mounted on the arm for holding an object, wherein: Identifying surrounding objects in the environment surrounding the operating device; controlling the movement of the arm; The contact state between the held object and the surrounding objects is predicted, and the holding force of the hand is adjusted according to the predicted contact state.

6. A computer program product that causes a computer to execute control of a manipulation device, the manipulation device comprising an arm and a hand mounted on the arm to hold an object to be held, wherein: The program product enables the computer to execute the following processing, namely: Identifying surrounding objects in the environment surrounding the operating device; controlling the movement of the arm; The contact state between the held object and the surrounding objects is predicted, and the holding force of the hand is adjusted according to the predicted contact state.

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