Miniaturized unloading robot capable of being placed on two sides

Abstract

The invention discloses a miniaturized double-side placement unloading robot which comprises a movable chassis, a small cooperative arm, an end effector, follow-up telescopic roller conveying lines, a visual sensor and a control system, the small cooperative arm is installed at the top of the movable chassis, and the follow-up telescopic roller conveying lines are arranged on the two sides of the movable chassis; the end effector is installed at the tail end of the small cooperative arm, the visual sensor is installed on the end effector, and the control system is arranged in the movable chassis. The follow-up type telescopic roller conveying line comprises a telescopic support, the top of the telescopic support is rotationally connected with a conveying roller, conveying racks are arranged on the two sides of the telescopic support, and moving rolling wheels are installed at the bottoms of the conveying racks. Through reasonable layout planning, the space resource utilization rate is increased, the follow-up roller conveying line is adopted, unloading paths at the far ends of the small cooperative arms are reduced, deep cooperation of cargo distribution and path optimization is achieved, and the working efficiency is effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of warehousing logistics, and particularly to a miniaturized double-sided unloading robot. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the global economy, the warehousing logistics industry has become increasingly crucial in the modern supply chain system. Traditional unloading methods mainly rely on manual labor or large-scale mechanical equipment, which expose many problems in terms of efficiency, cost, adaptability, etc. Although large unloading equipment has improved the unloading efficiency to a certain extent, it has many limitations. Its large size requires a large operating space and is difficult to operate in narrow warehouse aisles or compact warehousing environments, restricting the effective utilization of warehouse space. Industries represented by tobacco and cold-chain food have put forward higher requirements for the platform loading and unloading scenarios. Narrow aisles (such as within 2 meters), elevator transportation, and in-vehicle operations in freight carriages have become the norm. The traditional heavy equipment has insufficient space adaptability. With the acceleration of the automation and intelligentization process of the logistics industry, the market demand for lightweight and miniaturized unloading products has increased significantly.

[0003] The prior art CN 217915319U discloses an automatic loading and unloading robot, which can accurately identify the geometric parameters and stacking states of various goods outer packages by using visual sensors. The combination of a robotic arm, an end effector, and a mobile chassis is used for mechanized automatic loading and unloading. Compared with traditional manual loading and unloading, the application of this device has greatly improved the loading and unloading efficiency, shortened the vehicle detention time, increased the utilization rate of the fleet, and saved transportation costs. However, this device uses a single-sided placement conveyor line, with a relatively large overall size, difficult to operate in restricted spaces, prone to interference with the surrounding environment, and a large proportion of the movement of the distal end of the robotic arm, resulting in an extended operation cycle and low work efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a miniaturized double-sided unloading robot, which improves the utilization rate of space resources through reasonable layout planning, and adopts a follow-up type roller conveyor line to reduce the long-distance extension of the collaborative arm, effectively improving the work efficiency.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A miniaturized double-sided unloading robot, comprising a mobile chassis, a small collaborative arm, an end effector, a follow-up type telescopic roller conveyor line, a visual sensor, and a control system. The small collaborative arm is installed on the top of the mobile chassis, the follow-up type telescopic roller conveyor line is arranged on both sides of the mobile chassis, the end effector is installed at the end of the small collaborative arm, the visual sensor is installed on the end effector, and the control system is arranged inside the mobile chassis; the follow-up type telescopic roller conveyor line includes a telescopic bracket, the top of the telescopic bracket is rotatably connected to a transmission roller, and conveying racks are arranged on both sides of the telescopic bracket, and moving rollers are installed at the bottom of the conveying racks.

[0006] The small collaborative arm, end effector and vision sensor are powered by integrated DC power supply, and the vision sensor is a 3D camera.

[0007] The control system includes a main controller, a collaborative arm controller for controlling the movement of the small collaborative arm, a chassis motion controller for controlling the movement of the mobile chassis, a vision processor, a PLC controller and a user interaction machine. The vision processor is signal-connected to the vision sensor and communicates with the main controller. The PLC controller is respectively connected to the end effector and the follow-up conveyor line for control. The user interaction machine is a handheld device and is signal-connected to the main controller.

[0008] The mobile chassis is a cubic frame structure, with a collaborative arm mounting base arranged on the top, driving rollers arranged on the bottom, and guard plates installed on the periphery. Radar sensors are arranged at the diagonal corners of the front and rear ends of the mobile chassis.

[0009] Range sensors are arranged at the front and rear ends and both sides of the mobile chassis.

[0010] Pressure sensors are arranged on the follow-up telescopic roller conveyor line and are signal-connected to the control system.

[0011] The end effector includes a support frame, a telescopic cylinder, a suction cup mounting frame and a plurality of suction cups. The telescopic cylinder is installed on the support frame. The suction cup mounting frame is horizontally arranged on the cylinder shaft of the telescopic cylinder, and a plurality of suction cups are evenly arranged on the bottom surface of the suction cup mounting frame.

[0012] Advantages of the present invention: (1) The present invention adopts a follow-up telescopic roller conveyor line, which is arranged on both sides of the mobile chassis and is divided by the center line. The small collaborative arm can convey the goods on the left to the left directionally and the goods on the right to the right directionally, shortening the single unloading path, reducing the ineffective movement of the robotic arm, reducing the unloading path at the far end, realizing the deep coordination of goods diversion and path optimization, improving the efficiency. At the same time, the follow-up telescopic roller line can change the conveying length according to the actual situation of the unloading site, improving the adaptability.

[0013] (2) The present invention adopts a small collaborative arm with a lightweight design, installs the vision sensor on the end effector, and uses integrated DC power supply, making the wiring simple, abandoning additional auxiliary equipment, and having a small overall size, significantly improving the space adaptability of the equipment in complex warehousing scenarios. Description of the Drawings

[0014] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the drawings: Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention; Figure 2Schematic structural diagram of the follow-up type telescopic roller conveyor line of the present invention; Figure 3 Schematic structural diagram of the mobile chassis of the present invention; Figure 4 Schematic structural diagram of the end effector of the present invention; In the figure: 1, mobile chassis; 2, small collaborative arm; 3, end effector; 4, vision sensor; 5, follow-up type telescopic roller conveyor line; 6, radar sensor; 7, ranging sensor; 101, collaborative arm mounting base; 102, driving roller; 103, guard plate; 301, support frame; 302, telescopic cylinder; 303, suction cup mounting bracket; 304, suction cup; 501, telescopic bracket; 502, transmission roller; 503, conveyor frame; 504, moving roller. Detailed implementation manners

[0015] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Apparently, the described embodiments are only a part rather than all of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0016] The technical solutions of the present invention will be described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined or replaced with each other according to the actual situation. For the same or similar concepts or processes, they may not be repeated in some embodiments. Embodiment

[0017] As Figures 1 to 4 shown, the present invention provides a miniaturized double-sided placement unloading robot, which is characterized by including a mobile chassis 1, a small collaborative arm 2, an end effector 3, a follow-up type telescopic roller conveyor line 5, a vision sensor 4 and a control system. The small collaborative arm 2 is installed on the top of the mobile chassis 1, the follow-up type telescopic roller conveyor line 5 is arranged on both sides of the mobile chassis 1, the end effector 3 is installed at the end of the small collaborative arm 2, the vision sensor 4 is installed on the end effector 3, and the control system is arranged inside the mobile chassis 1; the follow-up type telescopic roller conveyor line 5 includes a telescopic bracket 501, the top of the telescopic bracket 501 is rotatably connected to a transmission roller 502, conveying frames 503 are arranged on both sides of the telescopic bracket 501, and moving rollers 504 are installed at the bottom of the conveying frames 503.

[0018] By setting follow-up telescopic roller conveyor lines 5 at both ends of the mobile chassis 1, the small collaborative arm 2, based on the visual recognition of the visual sensor 4 and the center line zoning strategy, conveys the goods on the left to the left directionally and the goods on the right to the right directionally, shortening the single unloading path, reducing the ineffective movement of the robotic arm, reducing the unloading path at the far end, realizing the deep coordination of goods diversion and path optimization, and improving the efficiency; moreover, the distance between the transmission rollers 502 can be changed by pulling the telescopic bracket 501 to adapt to goods of different lengths, or the transmission length can be changed according to the actual unloading site conditions, improving the adaptability of the device.

[0019] Furthermore, the small collaborative arm 2, the end effector 3 and the visual sensor 4 are powered by integrated DC power supply, and the visual sensor 4 is a 3D camera. The rotation of the end effector 3 driven by the small collaborative arm 2 can change the viewing angle between the 3D camera and the goods, realizing image acquisition of the entire vertical working plane and other angles, and through the integrated DC power supply, effectively solving the difficulty of external power supply wiring, and abandoning additional auxiliary equipment, making the overall body small and compact, and capable of easily shuttling through narrow channels and limited spaces, significantly improving the space adaptability of the device in complex warehousing scenarios.

[0020] Furthermore, the control system includes a main controller, a collaborative arm controller for controlling the movement of the small collaborative arm, a chassis motion controller for controlling the movement of the mobile chassis, a visual processor, a PLC controller and a user interaction machine. The visual processor is signal-connected to the visual sensor 4 and communicates with the main controller. The PLC controller is respectively control-connected to the end effector 3 and the follow-up conveyor line 5. The user interaction machine is a handheld device and is signal-connected to the main controller. The main controller is responsible for coordinating and managing the operation of the entire system. By receiving the image data and distance information of the visual sensor 4, as well as the instructions input by the user, according to the preset algorithms and logics, it sends control signals to each actuator; the collaborative arm controller precisely adjusts the joint angles and movement speeds of the collaborative arm according to the instructions of the main controller to realize actions such as grasping, transporting and unloading of goods; the chassis motion controller can control the traveling direction, speed and start / stop of the mobile chassis according to the distance information and the instructions of the main controller to ensure that the chassis can accurately move to the appropriate position, providing a good foundation for the work of the collaborative arm; an emergency stop function is set on the user interaction machine.

[0021] Furthermore, the mobile chassis 1 is of a cubic frame structure, with a collaborative arm mounting base 101 provided at the top, drive rollers 102 provided at the bottom, and a guard plate 103 mounted on the periphery. Radar sensors 6 are provided at the diagonal corners of the front and rear ends of the mobile chassis. The use of a cubic frame structure can reduce the overall structural weight. The guard plate 103 can be selected as a metal guard plate or a plastic sheet for protection according to requirements. The radar sensors 6 are used to detect the spatial information of obstacles in the front and rear directions, ensuring that obstacles can be detected and avoided in a timely manner during the movement process to prevent the chassis from being stuck or hitting the wall. To ensure safety, an emergency stop button is also provided on the mobile chassis 1.

[0022] Furthermore, distance sensors 7 are provided at the front and rear ends and both sides of the mobile chassis 1. The distance sensors 7 are used to detect the distance between the goods to be unloaded and the system, the distance between the goods and the traveling direction, and the distance between the goods and lateral obstacles, so that the control system can adjust the traveling path of the chassis according to these data to ensure the safe movement of the robot in a complex environment.

[0023] Furthermore, pressure sensors are provided on the follow-up telescopic roller conveyor line 5 and are connected to the control system by signals. When the conveyor line is in an empty state, the control system can control the conveyor belt to stop running according to this information to avoid energy waste. When goods are placed on the conveyor line, the control system controls the conveyor line to start and transfer the goods.

[0024] Furthermore, the end effector 3 includes a support frame 301, a telescopic cylinder 302, a suction cup mounting frame 303, and a plurality of suction cups 304. The telescopic cylinder 302 is mounted on the support frame 301. The suction cup mounting frame 303 is horizontally arranged on the cylinder shaft of the telescopic cylinder 302. A plurality of suction cups 304 are evenly arranged on the bottom surface of the suction cup mounting frame 303. The use of the negative pressure adsorption principle realizes the stable grasping and fixing of goods, and it is not easy to damage or scratch the goods. Moreover, the suction cup mounting frame 303 can perform reciprocating motion by the telescopic movement of the cylinder shaft of the telescopic cylinder 302 to cope with complex loading and unloading environments.

[0025] The unloading operation process of the present invention is as follows: 1. Initial positioning: When facing a whole surface of goods, the small collaborative arm 2 is in the initial state of the origin. The mobile chassis 1 judges the distance between the goods and the system through the radar sensors 6 and the distance sensors 7 and transmits the data to the control system. The control system sends a movement instruction according to these data, so that the mobile chassis 1 reaches within the working range of the small collaborative arm 2 and adjusts the mobile chassis 1 to the initial pose, that is, aligns the axis of the collaborative arm mounting base 101 on the mobile chassis 1 with the center plane of the carriage approximately, and at the same time keeps the mobile chassis parallel to the carriage.

[0026] 2. Visual recognition: The small collaborative arm 2 moves to the photographing posture, and a 3D camera installed on the end effector 3 is used to take an all-round photograph for recognition and analysis. Based on image recognition technology, the vision processor accurately recognizes and locates the position, shape, and palletizing form of the goods. The small collaborative arm 2 moves along the path according to the instruction to flexibly obtain the position information of the goods to be unloaded.

[0027] 3. Path planning and unloading: The main controller formulates the optimal unloading path according to the recognition result. After the measurement is completed, the small collaborative arm 2 starts to operate. During the unloading process, the small collaborative arm 2 transfers the goods on the left side of the center line to the follow-up telescopic roller conveyor line 5 on the left side according to the instruction, and unloads the goods on the right side of the center line onto the follow-up telescopic roller conveyor line 5 on the right side. This zoning unloading strategy can effectively reduce the movement distance of the small collaborative arm 2 and improve the unloading efficiency.

[0028] 4. Circular operation: After the unloading process of one side of the goods is completed, the small collaborative arm 2 returns to the origin state. The mobile chassis 1 autonomously moves to the next side of the goods, and repeats the above process to enter the unloading process of the next side of the goods, realizing continuous operation and ensuring the unloading efficiency.

[0029] In addition to the above preferred embodiments, the present invention has other implementation manners. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the scope claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A miniaturized double-sided unloading robot, characterized in that: The invention comprises a mobile chassis (1), a small collaborative arm (2), an end effector (3), a follower telescopic roller conveyor line (5), a visual sensor (4) and a control system, wherein the small collaborative arm (2) is mounted on the top of the mobile chassis (1), the follower telescopic roller conveyor line (5) is arranged on both sides of the mobile chassis (1), the end effector (3) is mounted on the end of the small collaborative arm (2), the visual sensor (4) is mounted on the end effector (3), and the control system is arranged inside the mobile chassis (1); the follower telescopic roller conveyor line (5) comprises a telescopic bracket (501), the top of the telescopic bracket (501) is rotatably connected to a transmission roller (502), conveyor frames (503) are arranged on both sides of the telescopic bracket (501), and a moving roller (504) is installed at the bottom of the conveyor frame (503).

2. A miniaturized double-sided unloading robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The small collaborative arm (2), the end effector (3) and the visual sensor (4) are powered by an integrated direct current, and the visual sensor (4) is a 3D camera.

3. A miniaturized double-sided unloading robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control system comprises a main controller, a collaborative arm controller for controlling the movement of a small collaborative arm, a chassis motion controller for controlling the movement of a mobile chassis, a visual processor, a PLC controller and a user interaction machine, wherein the visual processor is signal-connected to a visual sensor (4) and is communication-connected to the main controller, the PLC controller is control-connected to an end effector (3) and a follower conveyor line (5) respectively, and the user interaction machine is a handheld device and is signal-connected to the main controller.

4. A miniaturized double-sided unloading robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mobile chassis (1) is a cubic frame structure, with a cooperative arm mounting base (101) arranged on the top, a driving roller (102) arranged on the bottom, and a guard plate (103) arranged on the periphery, and radar sensors (6) arranged at the diagonals at the front and rear ends of the mobile chassis.

5. The miniaturized double-sided unloading robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Distance measuring sensors (7) are arranged at the front and rear ends and both sides of the mobile chassis (1).

6. The miniaturized double-sided unloading robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The follow-up telescopic roller conveyor line (5) is provided with a pressure sensor, and is connected to the control system signal.

7. The miniaturized double-sided unloading robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end effector (3) comprises a support frame (301), a telescopic cylinder (302), a suction cup mounting frame (303) and a plurality of suction cups (304); the telescopic cylinder (302) is mounted on the support frame (301); the suction cup mounting frame (303) is horizontally arranged on a cylinder shaft of the telescopic cylinder (302); and the plurality of suction cups (304) are evenly arranged on the bottom surface of the suction cup mounting frame (303).

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