Working system

Abstract

The invention provides a work system which can improve the control precision of the position or posture of an end effector. The work system includes: a support portion that supports an end effector in a displaceable state, the end effector being capable of working on a workpiece; the first driving device can drive the end effector in a first stroke through the supporting part; a second driving device capable of driving the end effector with respect to the support portion with a second stroke smaller than the first stroke; a detection device that detects at least one of a position and a posture of the end effector using a detection member provided on at least a portion of the end effector; and a control device, in which the control device generates control information for controlling at least one of the end effector, the first driving device, and the second driving device, in accordance with a result of the detection device.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the original application number 201980096123.0, the application date April 12, 2019, and the invention name is "Drive system, terminal effector system, terminal effector unit and adapter". Technical Field

[0002] The invention relates to an operating system. Background Art

[0003] Previously, there has been disclosed a technology related to a robot device having a robot arm and an end effector, and used for, for example, assembling products (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the above-mentioned prior art, it is difficult to improve the positioning accuracy of the end effector.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent No. 4,994,639 Summary of the invention

[0007] According to a first embodiment, a robot system is provided, comprising: a terminal effector capable of operating a workpiece; a support portion, supporting the terminal effector in a displaceable state; a first drive portion, capable of driving the terminal effector with a first stroke via the support portion; a detection portion, capable of detecting a position of the terminal effector; and a second drive portion, disposed between the support portion and the terminal effector, capable of driving the terminal effector relative to the support portion with a second stroke, which is smaller than the first stroke, based on position information of the terminal effector detected by the detection portion.

[0008] According to a second embodiment, there is provided a terminal effector system, comprising: a terminal effector capable of operating a workpiece; a support portion having a connection element capable of connecting the terminal effector to a robot unit, and supporting the terminal effector in a displaceable state; a detection portion for detecting position information of the terminal effector; and a drive portion disposed between the terminal effector and the support portion, capable of driving the terminal effector relative to the support portion with a second stroke smaller than a first stroke of the robot unit based on the position information of the terminal effector detected by the detection portion.

[0009] According to a third embodiment, a terminal effector unit is provided, comprising: a terminal effector capable of operating a workpiece; a support portion having a connection element capable of connecting the terminal effector to a robot unit, and supporting the terminal effector in a displaceable state; and a drive portion disposed between the terminal effector and the support portion, and capable of electromagnetically driving the terminal effector relative to the support portion.

[0010] According to a fourth embodiment, an adapter is provided, comprising: a support portion having a first connection element connectable to a robot unit, the adapter supporting the terminal effector when the terminal effector is displaceable; a base portion having a second connection element connectable to the terminal effector; and a drive portion disposed between the support portion and the base portion, the drive portion being able to electromagnetically drive the terminal effector via the base portion relative to the support portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the robot system according to the present embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the connection portion between the arm and the end effector according to the present embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the linear motor according to the present embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of position detection of the end effector according to the present embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing another example of position detection of the end-effector according to the present embodiment.

[0016] Figure 6 It is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the detection unit according to this embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7 It is a diagram showing a specific example of the arrangement of the detection unit according to the present embodiment.

[0018] Figure 8 It is a diagram showing an example of a detection method of the detection unit according to the present embodiment.

[0019] Fig. 9 It is a diagram showing another example of the arrangement of the detection unit according to the present embodiment.

[0020] Fig.10 It is a perspective view showing an example of the external appearance structure of the end effector according to the present embodiment.

[0021] Fig.11It is a bottom view showing an example of the external appearance structure of the end effector according to the present embodiment.

[0022] Fig.12 It is a side view showing an example of the external appearance structure of the end effector according to the present embodiment.

[0023] Fig.13 This is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the hand of the end effector according to the present embodiment is holding a workpiece.

[0024] Fig.14 It is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device according to the present embodiment.

[0025] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0026] 1: Robotic system

[0027] 2: Robotic unit

[0028] 3: Terminal effector unit

[0029] 10: Control device

[0030] 11: Arm position control unit

[0031] 12: Terminal effector position control unit

[0032] 13: Terminal effector operation control unit

[0033] 14: Generation Department

[0034] 20: Arm

[0035] 21: First arm

[0036] 22: Second arm

[0037] 23: Third arm

[0038] 24: Fourth arm

[0039] 25: Fifth arm

[0040] 30: Arm driving unit (first driving unit)

[0041] 31: First arm driving unit

[0042] 32: Second arm driving unit

[0043] 33: Third arm driving unit

[0044] 34: Fourth arm driving unit

[0045] 35: Fifth arm driving unit

[0046] 40: Arm with support

[0047] 41: Support

[0048] 50: Base driving unit (second driving unit)

[0049] 60: End effector with pedestal

[0050] 61: Pedestal part

[0051] 62, 62A, 62B, 62C: terminal effector

[0052] 62A1, 62B1, 62C1: Camera

[0053] 62A2: Laser irradiation unit

[0054] 62B2: Hands

[0055] 62C2: Vacuum unit

[0056] 70: Adapter

[0057] 100: Upper device

[0058] 200, 201, 202, 203: Detection department

[0059] 251: Arm end

[0060] 300, 300A, 300B, 300C, 301, 302, 303, 304: Laser tracker

[0061] 310: Irradiation Department

[0062] 311: First arm position detection unit

[0063] 315: Fifth arm position detection unit

[0064] 320: Light receiving unit

[0065] 400: Photography Department

[0066] 411: Connection end

[0067] 412: Middle

[0068] 413: Damper element

[0069] 414: Spring element

[0070] 500: Linear motor

[0071] 501: Magnetic field generating unit

[0072] 502: Magnetization

[0073] 510: First linear motor

[0074] 520: Second linear motor

[0075] 530: Third linear motor

[0076] 540: Fourth linear motor

[0077] 550: Fifth linear motor

[0078] 560: Sixth linear motor

[0079] 601: End of pedestal

[0080] 611: Position detection unit

[0081] 611A: The first stereo camera

[0082] 611B: Second stereo camera

[0083] 612: Reflector

[0084] 613: Hands

[0085] 613A: First-hand

[0086] 613B: Second Hand

[0087] 613C: Third Hand

[0088] 614: Touch sensor

[0089] 615: Camera driver

[0090] 616: Luminous Department

[0091] 617: Hand drive unit

[0092] 621: bottom of hand

[0093] 622: Camera arm

[0094] A, B: Direction

[0095] AxZ: Z-axis

[0096] C1, C2: convex part

[0097] G: Center of gravity

[0098] P1, P1, P3, P4, P5, P6: Point

[0099] R1, R2: concave part

[0100] V1, V2: Vertex

[0101] WK, WK1, WK2: Workpiece

[0102] x0~x4, y0~y4, z0~z2: coordinates

[0103] X, Y, Z, Xr, Yr, Zr, Xe, Ye, Ze: Axis

[0104] θ: Angle

[0105] θ1, θ2, θ3: angle DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0106] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0107] [Structure of the robot system]

[0108] Figure 1 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the robot system 1 according to the present embodiment. The robot system 1 includes a robot unit 2 , an end effector unit 3 , a detection unit 200 , and a control device 10 .

[0109] The robot unit 2 includes an arm portion 20 and an arm driving portion 30 .

[0110] The end-effector unit 3 includes a support portion 41 , a pedestal driving portion 50 , a pedestal portion 61 , and an end-effector 62 .

[0111] The pedestal portion 61 and the end effector 62 may be collectively referred to as the end effector with a pedestal 60. The end effector with a pedestal 60 may also be simply referred to as the end effector.

[0112] In the following description, the case where the base 61 and the end effector 62 are configured as separate parts is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the base 61 and the end effector 62 may be configured integrally.

[0113] In addition, the arm portion 20 and the support portion 41 may be integrally configured. In the following description, the arm portion 20 and the support portion 41 may be collectively referred to as the arm portion 40 with the support portion.

[0114] The detection unit 200 detects the position of the terminal effector 62. In addition, the detection unit 200 may detect the posture of the terminal effector 62. The detection unit 200 detects the position and posture of the terminal effector 62. Here, the position of the terminal effector 62 refers to the coordinates of the terminal effector 62 in the space where the robot unit 2 is installed. The posture of the terminal effector 62 refers to the orientation of the terminal effector 62 at a certain position in the space where the robot unit 2 is installed (or the direction of the terminal effector 62). In the following description, the position and posture of the terminal effector 62 are sometimes not distinguished, and it is described as the position of the terminal effector 62 (or the posture of the terminal effector 62).

[0115] The control device 10 controls the arm driving unit 30 included in the robot unit 2 , thereby controlling the position or posture or both of the robot unit 2 .

[0116] The robot unit 2 of the present embodiment is a multi-joint arm type robot. As an example, the robot unit 2 includes five arms (e.g., a first arm portion 21 to a fifth arm portion 25) connected in sequence by joints. The robot unit 2 includes five arm driving units 30 (e.g., a first arm driving unit 31 to a fifth arm driving unit 35) corresponding to the five arms. That is, the robot unit 2 includes a multi-joint arm. Furthermore, the robot unit 2 is not limited to a multi-joint arm type robot, and may also be, for example, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a drone), a multi-rotor aircraft or other flying object.

[0117] As an example, the arm driving unit 30 includes a servo motor (not shown) and an arm position detecting unit 30I.

[0118] The first arm driving unit 31 uses a servo motor to displace (e.g., rotate) the first arm 21 with respect to the installation surface of the robot unit 2. The first arm driving unit 31 includes a first arm position detecting unit 311. The first arm position detecting unit 311 detects the displacement amount (e.g., rotation angle) of the first arm 21 with respect to the installation surface of the robot unit 2.

[0119] The second arm driving unit 32 uses a servo motor to displace (e.g., rotate) the second arm 22 with respect to the first arm 21. The second arm driving unit 32 includes a second arm position detecting unit 312. The second arm position detecting unit 312 detects the displacement amount (e.g., rotation angle) of the second arm 22 with respect to the first arm 21.

[0120] In addition, since the configurations of the third to fifth arm driving units 33 to 35 and the third to fifth arm position detecting units 313 to 315 are the same as those described above, their descriptions are omitted.

[0121] The end effector 62 has various shapes and functions according to the purpose of the robot system 1, and is attached to the end of the fifth arm 25. Figure 2 The structure of the connection portion between the arm 20 and the end effector 62 will be described in detail.

[0122] [Structure of the connection between the arm and the end effector]

[0123] Figure 21 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the connection portion between the arm 20 and the end effector 62 of the present embodiment. The arm 20 (in this example, the fifth arm 25 ) and the end effector 62 are connected via the support 41 , the pedestal drive 50 , and the pedestal 61 .

[0124] Furthermore, it can be said that the arm 20 and the end effector 60 with a pedestal are connected via the support portion 41 and the pedestal driving portion 50 .

[0125] In the following description, the description of the pedestal portion 61 in the end effector 60 with a pedestal may be omitted, and only the end effector 62 may be described. When the description of the pedestal portion 61 is omitted, for example, the arm 20 and the end effector 62 are described as being connected via the support portion 41 and the pedestal driving portion 50.

[0126] The end effector 62 is connected to the base end 601 of the base part 61 in a detachable or non-detachable manner. The end effector 62 can operate on the workpiece WK of the operation object. The end effector can also be called a part having the function of the robot directly operating on the operation object. As an example, the end effector 62 has a multi-finger (or two-finger) hand that can hold the workpiece WK, a processing head for laser processing or ultrasonic processing, a camera, an ejector that ejects molten metal, resin or particles for spray processing, a manipulator, an air blower, and the like.

[0127] The end effector 62 has various shapes and functions corresponding to the purpose of the robot system 1. For example, the end effector 62A includes a camera 62A1 and a laser irradiation unit 62A2, and has a laser cutter function for cutting a workpiece WK (not shown). In other words, the end effector 62A includes a laser irradiation unit 62A2 (second irradiation unit) for irradiating processing light (for example, laser light) for processing the workpiece WK to the workpiece WK.

[0128] The end effector 62B includes a camera 62B1 and a hand 62B2, and has a robot function for holding and moving a workpiece WK (not shown). The end effector 62C includes a camera 62C1 and a vacuum unit 62C2, and has a robot function for sucking and moving a workpiece WK (not shown).

[0129] The support portion 41 includes a connection end portion 411. The connection end portion 411 is detachably or non-detachably connected to the arm end portion 251 of the fifth arm portion 25. The support portion 41 has a recess. The support portion 41 has the connection end portion 411 at one end and a recess at the other end. The pedestal driving portion 50 or the intermediate portion 412 is disposed in the recess of the support portion 41.

[0130] That is, the support portion 41 includes a connection element connected to the robot unit 2. As an example of the connection element, there is a connection end portion 411.

[0131] The pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) includes a linear motor 500, which displaces the position of the pedestal 61 relative to the support 41. As an example, the linear motor 500 is a voice coil motor, which includes a magnetic field generating unit 501 and a magnetizing unit 502. The magnetic field generating unit 501 generates a magnetic field using a supplied driving current. The magnetizing unit 502 generates a repulsive force or an attractive force using the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating unit 501. The linear motor 500 changes the distance between the magnetic field generating unit 501 and the magnetizing unit 502 using the repulsive force or the attractive force, thereby displacing the pedestal 61 relative to the support 41. As an example, when a repulsive force is generated between the magnetic field generating unit 501 and the magnetizing unit 502, the distance between the support 41 and the pedestal 61 increases. In addition, when an attractive force is generated between the magnetic field generating unit 501 and the magnetizing unit 502, the distance between the support 41 and the pedestal 61 decreases. The magnetic field generating unit 501 is arranged on the support 41. The magnetic field generating part 501 is arranged in the recessed part formed in the supporting part 41. The magnetizing part 502 is arranged in the pedestal part 61. The magnetizing part 502 is arranged in the recessed part formed in the pedestal part 61. Although the example in which the magnetic field generating part 501 is arranged in the supporting part 41 and the magnetizing part 502 is arranged in the pedestal part 61 is given, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the magnetic field generating part 501 may be arranged in the pedestal part 61 and the magnetizing part 502 may be arranged in the supporting part 41.

[0132] The pedestal driving unit 50 may drive the support unit 41 without bringing the support unit 41 into contact with the pedestal unit 61 (or the end effector 60 with a pedestal) (ie, in a non-contact state).

[0133] Furthermore, the pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) does not contribute to supporting the weight of the end effector 62. The weight of the end effector 62 is supported by the supporting unit 41.

[0134] Here, the robot unit 2 includes an intermediate portion connecting the support portion 41 with the end effector 62 (or the end effector 60 with a pedestal). The intermediate portion supports the weight of the end effector 62.

[0135] The middle part 412 supports the weight of the end effector 62. The middle part 412 includes, for example, a damper element 413 or a spring element 414. The middle part 412 includes an elastic member to reduce the vibration of the end effector 62. The elastic member may also be elastic and its force can be adjusted. In this case, the robot unit 2 includes an adjustment part (not shown) to adjust the elastic force of the elastic member. For example, the elastic member may also be an air spring. In this case, the adjustment part (not shown) can adjust the air pressure of the air spring, and the elastic force is adjusted by adjusting the air pressure of the air spring.

[0136] In addition, the intermediate portion 412 attenuates vibration applied from the outside. The intermediate portion 412 suppresses displacement of the end effector 62 (or the end effector 60 with a pedestal) due to its own weight.

[0137] The intermediate portion 412 supports the end effector 62 in the direction of gravity regardless of the posture of the end effector 62 .

[0138] Furthermore, the intermediate portion 412 may include an element (eg, a piezoelectric element) for reducing the vibration of the end effector 62 in addition to the elastic member.

[0139] Here, one end of the end effector unit 3 (for example, the end connected to the fifth arm 25) is a fixed end, and the other end (for example, the end on the end effector 62 side) is a free end. The robot unit 2 drives the arm 20, thereby changing the position or posture of the fixed end with respect to the end effector unit 3. In the end effector unit 3, the change in the position or posture of the fixed end affects the position or posture of the end effector 62 as the free end.

[0140] Typically, in the robot unit 2, it is difficult to precisely control the position or posture of the front end (i.e., the fixed end with respect to the terminal effector unit 3) of the arm 20 due to the influence of external forces such as ground vibration, the weight and rigidity of the arm 20, the driving force of the arm driving unit 30, etc.

[0141] The robot unit 2 of this embodiment is driven by the pedestal driving unit 50 without bringing the support portion 41 into contact with the pedestal portion 61 (or the terminal effector 60 with a pedestal) (i.e., in a non-contact state), thereby suppressing the influence of the displacement of the position or posture of the front end of the arm 20 (i.e., the fixed end with respect to the terminal effector unit 3) on the position or posture of the terminal effector 62.

[0142] [Modification of the structure of the connection portion between the arm and the end effector]

[0143] The structure of the connection portion between the arm 20 and the base 61 (or the end-effector 60 with a base) may have various modifications. When the shape or function of the end-effector 62 is changed, the end-effector unit 3, the end-effector 62, or the end-effector 60 with a base may be replaced. When the end-effector unit 3, the end-effector 62, or the end-effector 60 with a base is replaced, the following modifications may occur due to the difference in the structure of the connection portion between the arm 20 and the end-effector 62.

[0144] (1) A case where the arm end portion 251 and the support portion 41 are detachable.

[0145] In this case, the support portion 41 , the pedestal driving portion 50 , and the end effector 60 with a pedestal (the pedestal portion 61 and the end effector 62 ) are assembled in advance.

[0146] When the end effector 60 with a pedestal is installed, the support portion 41 , the pedestal driving portion 50 , and the end effector 60 with a pedestal in a combined state are connected to the arm end portion 251 .

[0147] (2) The supporting portion 41 and the pedestal driving portion 50 are detachable.

[0148] In this case, the arm end portion 251 of the arm portion 20 and the connection end portion 411 of the support portion 41 are combined in advance.

[0149] When the pedestal end effector 60 (the pedestal portion 61 and the end effector 62 ) is mounted, the pedestal driving portion 50 and the pedestal end effector 60 in a combined state are connected to the support portion 41 .

[0150] (3) The case where the base portion 61 and the end effector 62 are detachable.

[0151] In this case, the arm end portion 251 of the arm portion 20 is assembled in advance with the connection end portion 411 of the support portion 41. In addition, the support portion 41, the pedestal driving portion 50, and the pedestal portion 61 are assembled in advance.

[0152] When the end effector 62 is mounted, the support portion 41 , the pedestal driving portion 50 , and the pedestal portion 61 in a combined state are connected to the end effector 62 .

[0153] (4) The arm end portion 251 and the support portion 41 , and the pedestal portion 61 and the end effector 62 are respectively attachable and detachable.

[0154] In this case, the support portion 41 , the pedestal driving portion 50 , and the pedestal portion 61 are assembled in advance.

[0155] When the end effector 62 is mounted, the combined support portion 41, the pedestal drive portion 50, and the pedestal portion 61 are connected to the end effector 62. Furthermore, the combined support portion 41, the pedestal drive portion 50, and the end effector 60 with a pedestal (the pedestal portion 61 and the end effector 62) are connected to the arm end portion 251.

[0156] In the following description, the arm 20 and the support 41 are also collectively referred to as the arm with a support 40. For example, in the case of (2), when the end effector 60 with a pedestal is mounted, the pedestal drive unit 50 and the end effector 60 with a pedestal (the pedestal 61 and the end effector 62) in the combined state are connected to the arm with a support 40.

[0157] When the arm 20 is a multi-joint arm as in the robot unit 2 of the present embodiment, the arm 40 with a support portion refers to the entirety or a part of the multi-joint arm.

[0158] Furthermore, it can be understood that a part of the arm portion 20 and the support portion 41 function as a support portion.

[0159] The support portion 41 supports the end effector 62 (or the end effector 60 with a pedestal) in a state where the end effector 62 (or the end effector 60 with a pedestal) is displaceable.

[0160] As described above, the support portion 41 is driven by the arm driving portion 30 (first driving portion). That is, the arm driving portion 30 (first driving portion) can drive the end effector 62 (or the end effector 60 with a pedestal) via the support portion 41 .

[0161] In addition, the pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) is arranged between the supporting unit 41 and the terminal effector 62 (or the terminal effector 60 with a pedestal), and drives the terminal effector 62 (or the terminal effector 60 with a pedestal) relative to the supporting unit 41 based on the position of the terminal effector 62 (or the terminal effector 60 with a pedestal) detected by the detecting unit 200.

[0162] In the description of this embodiment, driving the end effector 62 also includes driving the end effector 60 with a pedestal. Also, displacing the end effector 62 also includes displacing the end effector 60 with a pedestal.

[0163] Here, the magnitude of the displacement when the arm driving unit 30 drives the end effector 62 is also referred to as the first stroke. In addition, the magnitude of the displacement when the pedestal driving unit 50 drives the end effector 62 is also referred to as the second stroke. The magnitude of the displacement when the pedestal driving unit 50 drives the end effector 62 is smaller than the magnitude of the displacement when the arm driving unit 30 drives the end effector 62. That is, the second stroke is smaller than the first stroke.

[0164] In other words, the arm driving unit 30 (first driving unit) can drive the end effector 62 with a first stroke via the support 41. In addition, the pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) can drive the end effector 62 with respect to the support 41 with a second stroke smaller than the first stroke.

[0165] Furthermore, the stroke mentioned here may also be expressed as the moving range, moving width, length of the moving track, movable range, etc. of the terminal effector 62 .

[0166] Furthermore, as described above, the arm portion 20 of the present embodiment includes five arms (e.g., the first arm portion 21 to the fifth arm portion 25), and can drive the support portion 41 in six degrees of freedom relative to the ground contact surface of the first arm portion 21. In other words, the arm driving portion 30 (first driving portion) can drive the terminal effector 62 in the six degrees of freedom via the support portion 41 with a first stroke.

[0167] In the following description, the support portion 41, the pedestal drive portion 50, and the pedestal portion 61 are also collectively referred to as the adapter 70. For example, in the case of (4), when the end effector 62 is mounted, the adapter 70 (i.e., the support portion 41, the pedestal drive portion 50, and the pedestal portion 61 in a combined state) is connected to the end effector 62. Furthermore, the adapter 70 and the end effector 62 are connected to the arm end portion 251.

[0168] For example, the adapter 70 includes: a support portion (e.g., support portion 41), having a first connecting element (e.g., connecting end 411) connectable to the robot unit 2, supporting the terminal effector 62 when the terminal effector 62 is displaceable; a pedestal portion 61, having a second connecting element (e.g., pedestal end 601) connectable to the terminal effector 62; and a pedestal driving portion 50, disposed between the support portion (e.g., support portion 41) and the pedestal portion 61, capable of electromagnetically driving the terminal effector 62 relative to the support portion (e.g., support portion 41) via the pedestal portion 61.

[0169] The adapter 70 may also have an intermediate portion 412 . The intermediate member 412 is disposed between the support portion 41 and the base portion 61 .

[0170] [Linear motor configuration example]

[0171] Reference Figure 3 An example of arrangement of the linear motor 500 in the pedestal driving unit 50 will be described.

[0172] Figure 3 1 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the linear motors 500 of the present embodiment. In this example, the pedestal driving unit 50 includes six linear motors 500. In the following description, when necessary, a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis is used as a coordinate system of the adapter 70 (or the support portion 41 and the pedestal portion 61). Here, the Z-axis is an axis that connects the end effector 62 and the workpiece WK that is the object of action of the end effector 62.

[0173] In the pedestal drive unit 50, linear motors 500 (first linear motor 510, second linear motor 520, and third linear motor 530) are respectively arranged at three points on the XY plane of the pedestal unit 61. In the pedestal drive unit 50, linear motors 500 (fourth linear motor 540 and fifth linear motor 550) are respectively arranged at two points (point P4 and point P5) on the XZ plane of the pedestal unit 61. In addition, in the pedestal drive unit 50, a linear motor 500 (sixth linear motor 560) is arranged at one point on the YZ plane of the pedestal unit 61.

[0174] Here, the arrangement of the linear motor 500 when the coordinates of the center of gravity G of the base portion 61 are set to (x2, y2, z1) will be described in more detail.

[0175] The first linear motor 510, the second linear motor 520, and the third linear motor 530 may also be respectively arranged at the vertices of a triangle (e.g., an equilateral triangle) on the XY plane with the axis in the Z-axis direction (Z-direction centroid axis AxZ) passing through the center of gravity G of the pedestal 61 as the center. For example, the first linear motor 510 is arranged at point P1 (x2, y3, z0), the second linear motor 520 is arranged at point P2 (x3, y1, z0), and the third linear motor 530 is arranged at point P3 (x1, y1, z0).

[0176] The fourth linear motor 540 and the fifth linear motor 550 may also be disposed in the XZ plane at positions opposite to each other across an axis in the Y-axis direction (Y-direction centroid axis AxY) passing through the center of gravity G of the pedestal 61. For example, the fourth linear motor 540 is disposed at point P4 (x3, y0, z1), and the fifth linear motor 550 is disposed at point P5 (x1, y0, z1).

[0177] The sixth linear motor 560 may be disposed at a position on an axis in the X-axis direction (X-direction centroid axis AxX) passing through the center of gravity G of the pedestal 61. For example, the sixth linear motor 560 is disposed at point P6 (x0, y2, z1).

[0178] Furthermore, the phrase “the linear motor 500 is disposed at the point P” includes the meaning that “the linear motor 500 is disposed at a position where a force generated by the linear motor 500 is applied to the point P”.

[0179] [Linear motor drive example]

[0180] The pedestal driving unit 50 causes the linear motor 500 to generate the same repulsive force (or attractive force), thereby displacing the position of the pedestal 61 relative to the support 41. The displacement of the pedestal 61 caused by the pedestal driving unit 50 only needs to have at least one degree of freedom. The pedestal driving unit 50 reduces the vibration generated in the end effector 62 (or the end effector 60 with a pedestal).

[0181] Furthermore, when six linear motors 500 are arranged as described above, the pedestal driving unit 50 can provide the pedestal 61 with three degrees of freedom in the directions of the XYZ axes and three degrees of freedom around the XYZ axes, for a total of six degrees of freedom displacement. That is, the pedestal driving unit 50 can electromagnetically drive the end effector 62 in the directions of the six degrees of freedom relative to the support portion 41.

[0182] The middle portion 412 can support the terminal effector 62 in six degrees of freedom. More specifically, the middle portion 412 has six supporting elements, and the distribution of supporting forces among the six supporting elements can be adjusted to support the terminal effector 62 in the six degrees of freedom directions, wherein the six degrees of freedom directions are a first direction as a gravity direction, a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, a fourth direction with the first direction as a surrounding axis, a fifth direction with the second direction as a surrounding axis, and a sixth direction with the third direction as a surrounding axis.

[0183] In this case, the intermediate portion 412 may correspond to the posture of the end effector 62 , and support the end effector 62 using different ones of the six support elements.

[0184] Specifically, the middle portion 412 includes: a first support element that supports at least a portion of the weight of the terminal effector 62 in the direction of gravity when the terminal effector 62 is in a first posture; and a second support element that supports at least a portion of the weight of the terminal effector 62 in the direction of gravity when the terminal effector 62 is in a second posture different from the first posture.

[0185] The example in which the middle portion 412 has six supporting elements is given for explanation, but the invention is not limited thereto, and for example, a structure having three supporting elements may be used. The number of supporting elements of the middle portion 412 may be one or more.

[0186] The number of supporting elements of the intermediate portion 412 may be the same as or different from the number of driving elements (e.g., linear motors 500) of the pedestal driving portion 50. The number of supporting elements of the intermediate portion 412 may be less than or greater than the number of driving elements of the pedestal driving portion 50.

[0187] The middle portion 412 is arranged between a recessed portion and a convex portion, wherein the recessed portion is formed on one side of the support portion 41 and the terminal effector 60 with a pedestal (or the pedestal portion 61), and the convex portion is inserted into the recessed portion and formed on the other side of the support portion 41 and the terminal effector 60 with a pedestal (or the pedestal portion 61).

[0188] In this case, the pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) is arranged between the concave portion and the convex portion.

[0189] A specific example of displacing the end effector 62 in each direction will be described below.

[0190] (1) Displacement in the X-axis direction

[0191] The pedestal driving unit 50 drives the sixth linear motor 560 to apply a displacement force to the point P6 (x0, y2, z1) of the pedestal unit 61. As a result, the pedestal unit 61 is displaced in the X-axis direction.

[0192] (2) Displacement in the Y-axis direction

[0193] The pedestal driving unit 50 drives the fourth linear motor 540 and the fifth linear motor 550 at the same amount, and applies displacement force to the point P4 (x3, y0, z1) and the point P5 (x1, y0, z1). As a result, the pedestal unit 61 is displaced in the Y-axis direction.

[0194] (3) Displacement in the Z-axis direction

[0195] The pedestal driving unit 50 drives the first linear motor 510, the second linear motor 520, and the third linear motor 530 at the same amount at the same time, and applies displacement force to the point P1 (x2, y3, z0), the point P2 (x3, y1, z0), and the point P3 (x1, y1, z0). As a result, the pedestal 61 is displaced in the Z-axis direction. That is, the pedestal driving unit 50 can drive the end effector 62 in a plane (for example, an XY plane) perpendicular to the axis (for example, the Z-axis) connecting the end effector 62 to the workpiece WK.

[0196] (4) Displacement around the X-axis

[0197] The pedestal driving unit 50 does not drive the first linear motor 510, but drives the second linear motor 520 and the third linear motor 530 by the same amount, and does not apply displacement force to the point P1 (x2, y3, z0), but applies displacement force to the point P2 (x3, y1, z0) and the point P3 (x1, y1, z0). As a result, the pedestal unit 61 is displaced around the X-axis.

[0198] Furthermore, the stage driving unit 50 may also be driven so as to displace the first linear motor 510 in a direction opposite to the displacement directions of the second linear motor 520 and the third linear motor 530 .

[0199] (5) Displacement around the Y axis

[0200] The pedestal driving unit 50 drives the second linear motor 520 or the third linear motor 530 to apply displacement force to the point P2 (x3, y1, z0) or the point P3 (x1, y1, z0). As a result, the pedestal unit 61 is displaced around the Y axis.

[0201] Furthermore, the stage driving unit 50 may also drive the second linear motor 520 and the third linear motor 530 in opposite directions.

[0202] (6) Displacement around the Z axis

[0203] The pedestal driving unit 50 drives the fourth linear motor 540 or the fifth linear motor 550 to apply displacement force to the point P4 (x3, y0, z1) or the point P5 (x1, y0, z1). As a result, the pedestal unit 61 is displaced around the Z axis.

[0204] Furthermore, the stage driving unit 50 may also drive the fourth linear motor 540 or the fifth linear motor 550 in opposite directions.

[0205] As described above, the pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) can change the posture of the end effector 62 .

[0206] For example, the pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) can change the posture of the end effector 62 in the six degrees of freedom.

[0207] More specifically, the pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) has six driving elements (for example, linear motors 500), which can adjust the driving force between the six driving elements and drive the terminal effector 62 relative to the support portion 41 in six degrees of freedom directions, wherein the six degrees of freedom directions are a first direction as a gravity direction, a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, a fourth direction with the first direction as a surrounding axis, a fifth direction with the second direction as a surrounding axis, and a sixth direction with the third direction as a surrounding axis.

[0208] [Position detection of end effector]

[0209] A specific example of detecting the position of the end effector 62 by the detection unit 200 will be described. In the description of this embodiment, detecting the position of the end effector 62 also includes detecting the position of the end effector 60 with a pedestal.

[0210] In the driving of the end effector 62 by the stage driving unit 50, the displacement of the end effector 62 is performed, for example, by position feedback of the end effector 62. The position feedback of the end effector 62 is performed based on the deviation between the target position of the end effector 62 and the current position of the end effector 62. The following describes a method for detecting the current position of the end effector 62.

[0211] [(1) Position detection using an external sensor (laser tracker)]

[0212] Figure 4 1 is a diagram showing an example of position detection of the end effector 62 of the present embodiment. As an example, the end effector 62A includes a camera 62A1 and a laser irradiation unit 62A2, and has a laser cutter function for cutting a predetermined position of the workpiece WK.

[0213] In this example, the robot system 1 includes a laser tracker 300 as the detection unit 200. The laser tracker 300 includes an irradiation unit 310 and a light receiving unit 320. The detection unit 200 detects the position information of the end effector 62A, and outputs the detected position information of the end effector 62A to the control device 10 as control information for the cutting position of the workpiece WK depending on the laser irradiation unit 62A2.

[0214] The irradiation unit 310 irradiates the tracking light (e.g., laser light) to the end effector 62 (or the end effector 60 with a stand. The same applies to the following description in this paragraph). As an example, the irradiation unit 310 periodically changes the irradiation direction of the tracking light (e.g., laser light) by using a known method (e.g., a galvanometer mirror) to scan the measurement space. By scanning the space, the irradiation unit 310 can irradiate the tracking light to the end effector 62 in accordance with the change even when the position or posture of the end effector 62 or both of them have changed.

[0215] The light receiving unit 320 receives reflected light of the tracking light irradiated by the irradiating unit 310 and reflected by the end effector 62 .

[0216] The laser tracker 300 detects the position of the end effector 62 based on the light reception result obtained by the light receiving unit 320 .

[0217] As an example, the detection unit 200 detects the position information of the end effector 62 during a period in which the workpiece WK is irradiated with the processing light generated by the laser irradiation unit 62A2 (second irradiation unit).

[0218] The robot system 1 operates based on a predetermined processing path and position information detected by the detection unit 200. The processing path is stored in a storage unit (not shown), for example. Specifically, the arm driving unit 30 (first driving unit) drives the end effector 62 via the support unit 41. The support unit 41 supports the end effector 62 along the gravity direction. The pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) drives the end effector 62 in a non-contact state in a direction perpendicular to the irradiation direction of the irradiated processing light.

[0219] Furthermore, the robot system 1 may include an acceleration sensor (not shown) for detecting acceleration information of the end effector 62. In this case, the stage driving unit 50 (second driving unit) drives the end effector 62 in a non-contact state in a direction perpendicular to the irradiation direction based on the processing path, the position information detected by the detection unit 200, and the acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor (not shown).

[0220] In addition, the robot system 1 may also include a position sensor (not shown) disposed between the support portion 41 and the end effector 62 to detect relative position information between the support portion 41 and the end effector 62. In this case, the pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) drives the end effector 62 in a non-contact state in a direction perpendicular to the irradiation direction based on the processing path, the position information detected by the detection unit 200, the acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor (not shown), and the relative position information detected by the position sensor (not shown).

[0221] Here, various known methods can be applied to the position detection of the end effector 62 using the laser tracker 300 .

[0222] For example, the laser tracker 300 may also detect the position information of the terminal effector 62 based on the ranging result using the time of flight (TOF) method, wherein the time of flight (TOF) method is based on the difference between the irradiation timing of the irradiation unit 310 and the light receiving timing of the light receiving unit 320 .

[0223] In addition, the laser tracker 300 may also determine the geometric positional relationship by triangulation based on the measurement results of the reflection positions of the reflected light generated by the tracking light irradiating the plurality of optical paths from the irradiation unit 310, thereby detecting the position information of the end effector 62. In this case, in order to improve the measurement accuracy of the reflection position of the reflected light, a variable focus lens (e.g., a zoom lens) may be used in the light receiving optical system of the light receiving unit 320.

[0224] Furthermore, in the position detection of the end effector 62 using the laser tracker 300 , a distance measurement method using a light comb formed by extremely short-duration light pulses can also be applied.

[0225] In addition, the robot system 1 may include a reflector 612 in the end effector 62 (or the end effector 60 with a pedestal, which is the same in the following description of this paragraph). The reflector 612 includes, for example, a retro-reflective material, and reflects the tracking light (for example, laser light) irradiated by the irradiation unit 310 .

[0226] In this case, the laser tracker 300 acquires the three-dimensional position information of the reflector 612 based on the light reception result of the light receiving unit 320 , thereby detecting the position information of the end effector 62 .

[0227] Furthermore, although the detection unit 200 is a laser tracker 300 that detects position (or posture) using light, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the detection unit 200 may detect position (or posture) using sound such as ultrasonic waves or radio waves.

[0228] [(2) Position detection using an external sensor (camera)]

[0229] Figure 5 2 is a diagram showing another example of position detection of the end effector 62 according to the present embodiment. In this example, the robot system 1 includes an imaging unit 400 as the detection unit 200. The imaging unit 400 captures an image of the end effector 62 to generate image data. The imaging unit 400 detects the position of the end effector 62 based on the generated image data.

[0230] In addition, the robot system 1 may include a light emitting unit 616 in the terminal effector 62 (or the terminal effector 60 with a pedestal. The same applies to the following description in this paragraph). The light emitting unit 616 includes, for example, an infrared light emitting diode (LED) that emits light by itself. In this case, the imaging unit 400 includes, for example, an infrared camera that is configured to capture infrared wavelengths. The imaging unit 400 acquires the three-dimensional position information of the light emitting unit 616 based on the image data obtained by capturing the light emitting unit 616 with the infrared camera, thereby detecting the position information of the terminal effector 62.

[0231] [External sensor configuration example]

[0232] Figure 6: is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the detection unit 200 of the present embodiment. Here, the so-called detection unit 200 refers to, for example, a portion including the irradiation unit 310 and the light receiving unit 320, or a portion including the camera of the imaging unit 400, that is, a measuring head. In addition, the so-called configuration of the detection unit 200 refers to the configuration of the measuring head. The laser tracker 300 or the imaging unit 400 is taken as an example of the detection unit 200, and is configured at multiple locations (for example, four locations) in the space where the robot unit 2 is set. In the following description, when necessary, the three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system of the Xr axis, the Yr axis, and the Zr axis is used as a coordinate system for representing the coordinates in the space where the robot unit 2 is set.

[0233] The detection unit 200 (laser tracker 300 or imaging unit 400) detects the relative position between the configuration position in space and the terminal effector 62 (or the terminal effector 60 with a pedestal, which is the same in the following description of this paragraph) of the robot unit 2, thereby detecting the position or posture of the terminal effector 62.

[0234] In the example shown in this figure, four laser trackers 300 (laser trackers 301 to 304) are configured. In this example, laser trackers 301 and 302 detect the end effector 62A, laser tracker 303 detects the end effector 62B, and laser tracker 304 detects the end effector 62B.

[0235] [Example of arrangement of external sensors (modification)]

[0236] Figure 7 : is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the detection unit 200 of the present embodiment. As described above, the detection unit 200 may be configured at only one location in the space where the robot unit 2 is set, or may be configured at multiple locations. In this example, the detection unit 200 (detection unit 201 to detection unit 203) is configured at multiple locations (for example, three locations) in the space where the robot unit 2 is set. The detection units 201 to 203 may also be configured at equal intervals on the Xr-Yr plane in the space. For example, the detection units 201 to 203 are configured at the vertices of an equilateral triangle on the Xr-Yr plane in the space. In this case, the angle θ1 formed by the position of the detection unit 201 and the position of the detection unit 202, the angle θ2 formed by the position of the detection unit 202 and the position of the detection unit 203, and the angle θ3 formed by the position of the detection unit 203 and the position of the detection unit 201 are all 120°. By configuring the detection unit 200 in this way, even when the position (or posture or both) of the end effector 62 changes, the end effector 62 (or the pedestal 61 or the end effector with a pedestal 60 ) can be less likely to be located in a blind spot of the detection unit 200 .

[0237] According to the robot system 1 including three detection units 200 as described, when one detection unit 200 (measuring head) is used to detect the displacement of one degree of freedom, the detection unit 200 as a whole can detect the displacement of three degrees of freedom, and when one detection unit 200 (measuring head) is used to detect the displacement of two degrees of freedom, the detection unit 200 as a whole can detect the displacement of six degrees of freedom.

[0238] In addition, the respective detection units 200 may detect the same part (area) of the robot cell 2 as the detection object, or may detect different parts (areas) from each other. When the respective detection units 200 detect different parts (areas), for example, the detection unit 201 detects the left side of the end effector 62 (or the base unit 61 or the end effector 60 with a base) as the detection object, the detection unit 202 detects the right side of the end effector 62 (or the base unit 61 or the end effector 60 with a base) as the detection object, and the detection unit 203 detects the front side of the end effector 62 (or the base unit 61 or the end effector 60 with a base) as the detection object.

[0239] Furthermore, each detection unit 200 may change the position of the detection object along with the change of the position (or posture or both) of the end effector 62. For example, along with the change of the position (or posture or both) of the end effector 62, the detection unit 201 changes the position of the detection object from the left side of the end effector 62 (or the base unit 61 or the end effector 60 with a base) to the front, the detection unit 202 changes the position of the detection object from the right side of the end effector 62 (or the base unit 61 or the end effector 60 with a base) to the left side, and the detection unit 203 changes the position of the detection object from the front side to the right side of the end effector 62 (or the base unit 61 or the end effector 60 with a base).

[0240] The arrangement of the detection unit 200 shown here is an example, and for example, a configuration may be adopted in which four detection units 200 are provided, each of which is arranged at the position of a vertex of a regular tetrahedron in the space in which the robot cell 2 is installed.

[0241] [Modification of the Detection Method of the Detection Unit 200 (Feature Point Servo Method)]

[0242] In the above, an example is described in which the detection unit 200 (for example, the laser tracker 300 or the imaging unit 400) sets the reflector 612 or the light emitting unit 616 disposed on the end effector unit 3 as the position of the detection target and detects the position (or posture or both) of the end effector 62, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The detection unit 200 may also set the characteristic part (characteristic point) of the appearance shape of the end effector 62 (or the base unit 61 or the end effector 60 with a base) as the position of the detection target and detect the position (or posture or both) of the end effector 62. Here, the method of controlling the position (or posture) of the end effector 62 based on the position of the characteristic point detected by the detection unit 200 is also referred to as a characteristic point servo method.

[0243] Figure 8 It is a diagram showing an example of a detection method of the detection unit 200 according to the present embodiment.

[0244] In the feature point servo method, corners (vertices), projections (convex parts), recesses (concave parts), steps, boundaries, patterns, etc. in the appearance of the end effector 62 (or the base part 61 or the end effector with a base 60) may be used as feature points. Which of the appearances of the end effector 62 is used as a feature point may be determined in advance or may be determined by learning during the operation of the robot system 1.

[0245] As an example, the laser tracker 300A uses the vertex V1 and the vertex V2 of the end effector 62 (or the base 61 or the end effector 60 with a base) as the position of the detection object. The laser tracker 300B uses the convex part C1 and the convex part C2 of the end effector 62 (or the base 61 or the end effector 60 with a base) as the position of the detection object. The laser tracker 300C uses the concave part R1 and the concave part R2 of the end effector 62 (or the base 61 or the end effector 60 with a base) as the position of the detection object.

[0246] Each laser tracker 300 uses tracking light (e.g., laser light) to scan the feature points. The laser tracker 300 includes a known scanning element (e.g., a galvanometer mirror), changes the scanning state (e.g., the vibration state of the galvanometer mirror) for each feature point of the detection object, and irradiates the tracking light. As an example, the laser tracker 300 sets the scanning state to line scanning for a certain feature point (e.g., vertex V1 and vertex V2), and sets the scanning state to triangle scanning for another feature point (e.g., convex portion C1 and convex portion C2).

[0247] The laser tracker 300 extracts feature points by scanning the tracking light, and detects the change of the position (or posture or both) of the extracted feature points as the position (or posture) of the feature points of the end effector 62 (or the base 61 or the end effector 60 with a base). Here, the laser tracker 300 may be configured as follows: instead of scanning the entire outer shape of the end effector 62 (or the base 61 or the end effector 60 with a base), a predetermined spatial range around the feature points is scanned. According to the laser tracker 300 configured in this way, compared with the case of scanning the entire outer shape of the end effector 62 (or the base 61 or the end effector 60 with a base), the scanning range can be reduced, so the scanning cycle can be increased, and the displacement of the end effector 62 can be tracked at a higher speed.

[0248] In addition, the laser tracker 300 may estimate the position (or posture or both) of the end effector 62 based on the displacement speed or target position of the end effector 62 (or the pedestal 61 or the end effector 60 with a pedestal). In this case, the laser tracker 300 determines the scanning range of the tracking light based on the estimated position (or posture or both).

[0249] Furthermore, in the case of the feature point servo method, even if the position of the detection target observed from the detection unit 200 becomes a blind spot due to the change in the position (or posture or both) of the end effector 62 (or the base unit 61 or the end effector 60 with a base), other feature points that are not blind spots can be set as the position of the detection target, and the position (or posture or both) of the end effector 62 (or the base unit 61 or the end effector 60 with a base) can be continuously detected. Therefore, in the case of the feature point servo method, a configuration can be set to detect by the detection units 200 arranged at a plurality of positions, or a configuration can be set to detect by one detection unit 200.

[0250] [(3) Position detection using end-effector-mounted sensors (vision servo)]

[0251] Fig. 9 2 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the detection unit 200 of the present embodiment. In this example, the end effector 62 includes a position detection unit 611 as the detection unit 200. The position detection unit 611 includes, for example, a stereo camera (not shown), and detects the relative position between the end effector 62 and the workpiece WK. That is, the position detection unit 611 (second detection unit) detects the position of the workpiece WK.

[0252] In any of the above configurations, the detection unit 200 may be configured to detect not only the position of the end effector 62 but also the posture of the end effector 62. That is, the detection unit 200 detects the position and posture of the end effector 62. The detection unit 200 outputs position information indicating the detected position of the end effector 62 and posture information indicating the posture of the end effector 62 to the control device 10.

[0253] [Specific example of the structure of the terminal effector]

[0254] Reference Figure 10 to Figure 13 A specific example of the structure of the end effector 62 including the position detection unit 611 will be described.

[0255] Fig.10 It is a perspective view showing an example of the external appearance structure of the end effector 62 according to the present embodiment.

[0256] Fig.11 It is a bottom view showing an example of the external appearance structure of the end effector 62 according to the present embodiment.

[0257] Fig.12 It is a side view showing an example of the external appearance structure of the end effector 62 according to the present embodiment.

[0258] In the following description, a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system of the Xe axis, the Ye axis, and the Ze axis is used as a coordinate system for indicating the position of each part of the end effector 62 (or the end effector with a pedestal 60 ) when necessary.

[0259] The end effector 62 includes a position detection unit 611 , a hand unit 613 , a touch sensor 614 , and a camera driving unit 615 .

[0260] The hand 613 includes a first hand 613A, a second hand 613B, and a third hand 613C, which are respectively installed on the hand bottom 621. The first hand 613A and the second hand 613B are driven by the hand driving unit 617 to slide in the Xe axis direction. The first hand 613A and the second hand 613B can be opened and closed according to the size of the gripped object (for example, the workpiece WK). The third hand 613C does not move in the Xe axis direction.

[0261] The touch sensor 614 is provided at the front end of the hand 613 to detect the pressure applied to the hand 613 when the workpiece WK is gripped. The touch sensor 614 is preferably a three-axis force sensor capable of detecting pressure applied in the directions of the Xe axis, the Ye axis, and the Ze axis.

[0262] The position detection unit 611 can detect the position of the workpiece WK. The position detection unit 611 includes a first stereo camera 611A and a second stereo camera 611B.

[0263] Furthermore, in this example, the position detection unit 611 detects the position based on the optical information obtained by the camera, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the position detection unit 611 may detect the position using an ultrasonic sensor, a sonar sensor, an electric wave sensor such as a radar, a magnetic sensor, or an electrostatic capacitance sensor.

[0264] The first stereo camera 611A has a photographing optical axis in a direction intersecting the Ze axis, and photographs the front end of the hand 613. The first stereo camera 611A can obtain depth information near the front end of the hand 613. Furthermore, the first stereo camera 611A may also include a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor.

[0265] The first stereo camera 611A is attached to the front end of the camera arm 622. The camera arm 622 is attached to the hand base 621 and is driven by the camera driving unit 615 (third driving unit) to be displaceable in the A direction or the B direction in the figure. By driving the camera arm 622 by the camera driving unit 615, the first stereo camera 611A can change the shooting direction of the front end of the hand 613.

[0266] That is, the end effector 62 includes the camera driving unit 615 (third driving unit) that drives the first stereo camera 611A (second detecting unit) to change the orientation.

[0267] Furthermore, the camera arm 622 may be configured to displace the shooting direction of the first stereo camera 611A in the direction of angle θ in the figure. In this case, the camera driving unit 615 (third driving unit) is also driven to change the direction of the first stereo camera 611A (second detection unit).

[0268] The second stereo camera 611B has a photographing optical axis in the Ze axis direction from the hand bottom 621 to the front end of the hand 613, and photographs the front end of the hand 613. The second stereo camera 611B has a palm built-in vision function and can acquire images from the upper surface of the workpiece WK.

[0269] Fig.13 1 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the hand 613 of the end effector 62 of the present embodiment is holding the workpiece WK.

[0270] The position detection unit 611 uses the first stereo camera 611A and the second stereo camera 611B to obtain the depth information of the workpiece WK1 (for example, a screw) being held by the hand 613 and the workpiece WK2 (for example, a screw hole) nearby. The position detection unit 611 calculates the three-dimensional shape of the workpiece WK (for example, the workpiece WK1 and the workpiece WK2) based on the acquired depth information. The position detection unit 611 adjusts the position or posture of the hand 613 based on the calculated three-dimensional shape of the workpiece WK. For example, the position detection unit 611 performs eccentricity adjustment of the hand 613 (for example, displacement adjustment of the hand 613 in the Xe-Ye plane), tilt adjustment of the hand 613 (for example, tilt adjustment of the Ze axis relative to the workpiece WK2), and further, the position detection unit 611 calculates the distance between the workpieces (for example, the distance between the workpiece WK1 and the workpiece WK2 in the Ze axis direction).

[0271] In addition, the position detection unit 611 may also perform edge extraction of the image of the workpiece WK. In this case, the accuracy of the three-dimensional information of the workpiece WK can be improved.

[0272] [Functional structure of control device]

[0273] Fig.14 1 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 10 according to the present embodiment. The control device 10 includes an arm position control unit 11 , an end-effector position control unit 12 , an end-effector operation control unit 13 , and a generation unit 14 .

[0274] The arm position control unit 11 controls the arm driving unit 30 based on the target position provided by the host device 100 and the current position of the arm 20 detected by the arm position detection unit 30I. As a result, the position of the end effector 62 attached to the arm 20 moves toward the provided target position.

[0275] That is, the arm driving unit 30 (first driving unit) can change the posture of the end effector 62 via the support unit 41. In other words, the arm driving unit 30 (first driving unit) can drive the end effector 62 in six degrees of freedom directions via the support unit 41.

[0276] Furthermore, the arm driving unit 30 (first driving unit) may be configured to drive the end effector 62 via the supporting unit 41 based on the position information of the end effector 62 detected by the detecting unit 200 .

[0277] The end effector position control unit 12 controls the stage driving unit 50 based on the target position provided by the host device 100 and the position of the end effector 62 detected by the detection unit 200. As a result, the position of the end effector 62 attached to the arm 20 moves toward the provided target position.

[0278] For example, the stage driving unit 50 (second driving unit) positions the end effector 62 relative to the workpiece WK based on the position of the end effector 62 detected by the detection unit 200 .

[0279] [Example of driving using the end effector of the pedestal drive unit]

[0280] (1) The pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) drives the end effector 62 based on the position of the end effector 62 detected by the detection unit 200 so that the position of the end effector 62 relative to the workpiece WK does not change.

[0281] For example, the arm 20 of the robot unit 2 may vibrate due to external disturbance, etc. In this case, the pedestal driving unit 50 displaces the end effector 62 in the opposite direction to the displacement caused by the vibration of the arm 20, thereby driving the end effector 62 so that the position of the end effector 62 relative to the workpiece WK does not change.

[0282] (2) The stage driving unit 50 (second driving unit) drives the end effector 62 so as to maintain a predetermined target position of the end effector 62 based on the position information of the end effector 62 detected by the detection unit 200. The target position is stored in a storage unit (not shown), for example.

[0283] (3) The pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) drives the end effector 62 based on the position information of the end effector 62 detected by the detection unit 200 and the target position information of the end effector 62 determined in advance with respect to the workpiece WK.

[0284] (4) When the end effector 62 is in the first posture, the pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) drives the end effector 62 in a plane including the second direction and the third direction based on the position information of the end effector 62 detected by the detection unit 200. When the end effector 62 is in the second posture, the pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) drives the end effector 62 in a plane including the third direction and the first direction based on the position information of the end effector 62 detected by the detection unit 200. When the end effector 62 is in the third posture, the pedestal driving unit 50 (second driving unit) drives the end effector 62 in a plane including the first direction and the second direction based on the position information of the end effector 62 detected by the detection unit 200.

[0285] Here, as described above, the so-called first direction refers to, for example, the direction of gravity, the so-called second direction refers to a direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the so-called third direction refers to a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. Furthermore, the second direction may also be a direction intersecting the first direction, and the third direction may also be a direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction.

[0286] In any of the driving examples, the stage driving unit 50 (second driving unit) drives the end effector 62 using different driving elements among the six driving elements (for example, the linear motor 500 ) according to the posture of the end effector 62 .

[0287] Here, as described above, the magnitude of the displacement of the end effector 62 driven by the stage driving unit 50 (the second stroke) is smaller than the magnitude of the displacement of the end effector 62 driven by the arm driving unit 30 (the first stroke).

[0288] That is, the arm position control unit 11 controls the rough position of the end effector 62 (ie, coarse motion control). The end effector position control unit 12 controls the fine position of the end effector 62 (ie, fine motion control).

[0289] The robot system 1 of the present embodiment precisely controls the position or posture of the end effector 62 through coarse motion control by the arm position control unit 11 and fine motion control by the end effector position control unit 12. That is, according to the robot system 1 of the present embodiment, the control accuracy of the position or posture of the end effector 62 can be improved.

[0290] The end effector operation control unit 13 controls various actuators included in the end effector 62. In the case of the end effector 62 shown in the above example, the end effector 62 includes a camera driving unit 615 and a hand driving unit 617. In this case, the end effector operation control unit 13 controls the camera driving unit 615 and the hand driving unit 617 based on the end effector operation instruction provided by the host device 100.

[0291] The generation unit 14 generates three-dimensional information of the workpiece WK based on the detection result (second detection unit) obtained by the position detection unit 611. When the workpiece WK1 (for example, a screw) is fastened to the workpiece WK2 (for example, a screw hole) as described above, the generation unit 14 generates three-dimensional information of the workpiece WK1 and the workpiece WK2 detected by the position detection unit 611. In this case, the arm position control unit 11 and the end effector position control unit 12 move the end effector 62 based on the displacement amount calculated from the relative position of the three-dimensional shape of the workpiece WK1 and the three-dimensional shape of the workpiece WK2.

[0292] For example, when the workpiece WK1 (e.g., a screw) is fastened to the workpiece WK2 (e.g., a screw hole), the target position information of the end effector 62 determined in advance with respect to the workpiece WK is provided from the host device 100 to the control device 10. In this case, the arm position control unit 11 and the end effector position control unit 12 drive the arm drive unit 30 and the pedestal drive unit 50 based on the position information of the end effector 62 detected by the detection unit 200 and the target position information of the end effector 62 determined in advance with respect to the workpiece WK, thereby controlling the position or posture or both of the end effector 62. In addition, the control device 10 may be provided outside the robot system 1, or a control unit that performs a part of the processing performed by the control device 10 may be provided in the robot system 1, and a control unit that performs another part of the processing performed by the control device 10 may be provided outside the robot system 1.

[0293] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific structure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present invention. The structures described in the above-described embodiments can also be combined.

[0294] Furthermore, each unit included in each device in the above-described embodiments may be realized by dedicated hardware, or may be realized by a memory and a microprocessor.

[0295] Furthermore, each part included in each device may also include a memory and a central processing unit (CPU), and the functions of each part included in each device may be realized by loading a program for realizing the functions into the memory and executing the program.

[0296] In addition, a program for realizing the functions of each part included in each device may be recorded in a computer-readable recording medium, and a computer system may read and execute the program recorded in the recording medium, thereby performing processing using each part included in the control unit. Furthermore, the "computer system" described here is defined as a computer system including an operating system (OS) or hardware such as peripheral devices.

[0297] In addition, in the case of utilizing the World Wide Web (WWW) system, the "computer system" is assumed to include a web page providing environment (or display environment).

[0298] In addition, the so-called "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as floppy disks, magneto-optical disks, read-only memories (ROM), read-only optical disks (CD-ROM), and storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. Furthermore, the "computer-readable recording medium" is set to the following recording medium: it also includes a communication line when sending a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, which dynamically maintains the program for a short period of time, and a volatile memory inside a computer system that becomes a server or client in the above case, which maintains the program for a fixed time. In addition, the program may also be a part of the function, and further, it may be a combination with a program already recorded in the computer system that can realize the function.

Claims

1. A work system, characterized in that: include: A support portion that supports the end effector capable of operating the workpiece in a state where the end effector can be displaced; a first driving device capable of driving the end effector with a first stroke via the support portion; a second driving device capable of driving the end effector relative to the support portion with a second stroke smaller than the first stroke; a detection device for detecting at least one of a position and a posture of the end-effector by using a detection member provided on at least a portion of the end-effector; as well as Control device, in, The control device generates control information for controlling at least one of the end effector, the first driving device, and the second driving device according to a result of the detection device.

2. The operating system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second driving device comprises: a bottom portion for connecting the support portion and the end effector, The detection component is configured on the bottom.

3. The operating system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The second driving device is disposed between the supporting portion and the end effector.

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