Control device, foreign matter removal device, pickup device, and information processing method

Abstract

A control device according to the present disclosure is used in a pickup device including: a pickup unit that picks up an object by a pickup member; and a detection unit that detects the passage of the object when the object is housed in a housing unit into which the object picked up by the pickup unit is placed. The control device finds processing information relating to successful pickup movement and / or failed pickup movement of the object on the basis of pickup information relating to pickup of the object and detection information relating to the object detected by the detection unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification discloses a control device, a foreign object removal device, a pickup device, and an information processing method. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a pickup device for pickup objects, for example, a pickup device has been proposed that includes: a turntable that disperses recyclables; and a sorting device that identifies recyclables and determines the placement positions of the recyclables, and sorts the recyclables arranged on the turntable. The sorting device is configured to be able to perform a rotational movement in the same direction and at the same speed with respect to the same rotation center as the rotation center of the turntable (for example, refer to Patent Document 1, etc.). In this pickup device, manufacturing costs can be reduced by achieving miniaturization, and it can be applied to various types of waste, and has high discrimination performance.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-164903 Summary of the Invention

[0005] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the device of Patent Document 1, although it is possible to count the number of objects such as waste and calculate the number of objects that cannot be recycled, insufficient research has been done to clarify the operation efficiency when picking up the pickup objects and improve this operation efficiency.

[0007] The present disclosure has been completed to solve such problems, and the main object is to provide a control device, a foreign object removal device, a pickup device, and an information processing method that can further improve the operation efficiency of picking up pickup objects and moving them to a storage unit.

[0008] The present disclosure employs the following means to achieve the above main object.

[0009] That is, the control device disclosed in this specification is for a pickup device, and the pickup device includes: a pickup unit that picks up an object by a pickup member; and a detection unit that detects the passage of the object when the object is received in a storage unit into which the object picked up by the pickup unit is placed.

[0010] The control device includes a control unit that obtains processing information related to the success and / or failure of the pickup movement of the object based on pickup information related to the pickup of the object and detection information of the object detected by the detection unit.

[0011] In this control device, it is possible to detect the passage of an object and thereby detect the movement of the object into the housing section. Additionally, by using the picking information related to the picking of the object and the detection information of the object detected by the detection section, the control device can numerically represent the information related to the success or failure of picking the object even without inspecting the picking component itself. Therefore, in this control device, by using the numerically represented content, it is possible to further improve the operation efficiency of picking the object and moving it into the housing section. Description of the Drawings

[0012] Figure 1 FIG. is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the structure of the recovery system 10.

[0013] Figure 2 FIG. is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the schematic structure of the foreign matter removal device 30.

[0014] Figure 3 FIG. is a perspective view showing an example of the schematic structure of the removal section 40.

[0015] Figure 4 FIG. is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the captured images 71 and 82 captured by the detection section 31.

[0016] Figure 5 FIG. is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the information stored in the storage section 52.

[0017] Figure 6 FIG. is a flowchart showing an example of a foreign matter removal processing routine.

[0018] Figure 7 FIG. is a flowchart showing an example of a state estimation processing routine.

[0019] Figure 8 FIG. is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the notification screen 80 displayed on the display section 38.

[0020] Figure 9 FIG. is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the structure of the picking system 10B. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0021] A mode for implementing the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 FIG. is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the structure of the recovery system 10 for recovering waste materials, which is shown as an example of a picking system. Figure 2 FIG. is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the schematic structure of the foreign matter removal device 30. Figure 3 FIG. is a perspective view showing an example of the schematic structure of the removal section 40. Figure 4 FIG. is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the captured images 71 and 82 captured by the detection section 31. Figure 5This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the pickup information 53, detection information 54, processing information 55, and estimation information 56 stored in the storage unit 52. In addition, in the present embodiment, the left-right direction, front-back direction, and up-down direction are as Figures 1 to 4 shown. In addition, in the present embodiment, the direction in which the processing material 12 to be processed is conveyed is referred to as the conveyance direction D.

[0022] The processing material 12, which is the object to be processed by the recycling system 10, is a mixture of waste materials 13 such as stones, sands, and concrete that are to be recycled and foreign substances 14 including paper, resin, wood, and metal. As Figure 1 shown, the recycling system 10 includes: a primary crusher 15, a primary magnetic separator 16, a screening machine 17, a foreign substance removal device 30, a secondary crusher 18, a secondary magnetic separator 19, and conveying devices 20 to 25.

[0023] The primary crusher 15 is a device that performs primary crushing on the processing material 12 as a raw material. This primary crusher 15 crushes the processing material 12, for example, to be below a predetermined primary size (such as 40 cm or less). The primary magnetic separator 16 is a device that removes foreign substances of magnetic bodies contained in the processing material 12 by magnetic force. The screening machine 17 is, for example, a device that separates the processing material 12 larger than the primary size from the processing material 12 smaller than the primary size by passing the processing material 12 through a mesh. The secondary crusher 18 is a device that secondarily crushes the processing material 12 into a size smaller than that of the primary crusher 15. This secondary crusher 18 crushes the processing material 12 to be below a predetermined secondary size (such as 10 cm or less). The secondary magnetic separator 19 is a device that removes magnetic bodies that have not been completely removed in the primary magnetic separator 16 and the foreign substance removal device 30 from the processing material 12.

[0024] The conveying devices 20 to 25 as a conveying line are devices that place the processing material 12 on the conveying surface and convey it along the conveying direction D, and are configured as, for example, belt conveyors. In addition, the conveying devices 20 to 25 may be any device that conveys the processing material 12, and may have a structure other than a belt conveyor.

[0025] The foreign substance removal device 30 is configured as a pickup device for the object to be picked up, and is a device that places the processing material 12 on the conveying surface of the conveying device 22 and conveys the processing material 12 within the conveying line to pick up and remove the foreign substance 14. As Figure 2 shown, the foreign substance removal device 30 includes a detection unit 31, a removal unit 40, and a control device 50. In addition, the foreign substance removal device 30 includes a disposal unit 36. The conveying device 22 places the processing material 12 on the conveying surface and conveys the processing material 12 at a predetermined conveying speed.

[0026] The detection unit 31 is a device for detecting waste 13 and foreign matter 14. The detection unit 31 is arranged on the upstream side in the conveying direction D with respect to the removal unit 40. The detection unit 31 includes: a photographing unit 32 that photographs the processing material 12 including the waste 13 and the foreign matter 14 conveyed by the conveying unit 22; and a measuring unit 33 that measures the height of the processing material 12. The photographing unit 32 is configured, for example, as a camera that photographs an image of the processing material 12 placed on the conveying surface of the conveying device 22 and conveyed. The photographing unit 32 photographs a predetermined range including the processing material 12 from above the conveying surface of the conveying device 22 and outputs image data to the control device 50. As Figure 4 shown, the photographing unit 32 photographs the photographed images 71 and 82 including the waste 13 and the foreign matter 14. The photographed image 71 is an example of an image in a state where the processing material 12 is not conveyed on the conveying device 22. The photographed image 72 is an example of an image in a state where the processing material 12 and the foreign matter 14 are being conveyed on the conveying device 22. The measuring unit 33 detects the height of the processing material 12 or the like on the conveying device 22. The measuring unit 33 can be, for example, also arranged on the upstream side in the conveying direction D with respect to the removal unit 40 and configured as a stereo camera including two cameras. Alternatively, the measuring unit 33 can also be a sensor that detects the reflected wave obtained by irradiating the conveying surface to obtain the height of the reflection position. The photographing unit 32 and the measuring unit 33 are held above the conveying surface of the conveying device 22 by a holding member arranged so as to straddle the conveying device 22 in the left-right direction. The measuring unit 33 outputs information related to the detected height of the processing material 12 to the control device 50. In addition, the foreign matter removal device 30 including the measuring unit 33 can perform the conveying control of the processing material 12 by using the information in the height direction of the processing material 12. On the other hand, if the foreign matter removal device 30 can measure the height of the processing material 12, either the photographing unit 32 or the measuring unit 33 can be omitted.

[0027] The disposal unit 36 is a dust collection box that serves as a housing unit for housing the foreign matter 14. The foreign matter 14 picked up by the picking unit 45 of the removal unit 40 is dropped into the disposal unit 36. In addition, in the disposal unit 36, there can also be provided a plurality of housing containers, which are distinguished according to the weight and material of the foreign matter 14. A detection unit 37 for detecting the object dropped is arranged at the opening edge of the disposal unit 36. The detection unit 37 is configured as a device that detects the passage of the foreign matter 14 when the foreign matter 14 is housed in the disposal unit 36 for putting in the foreign matter 14. The detection unit 37 can be, for example, also a sensor capable of detecting the passing object, such as a non-contact sensor. The detection unit 37 can also be a region sensor that takes the entire opening of the disposal unit 36 as the detection region. As the non-contact sensor, for example, it can also include an irradiation unit that irradiates infrared rays or laser light and a light receiving unit that detects the directly irradiated light or the reflected light. Alternatively, the detection unit 37 can also photograph the entire opening of the disposal unit 36 and detect the passage of the object based on the photographed image.

[0028] The removing unit 40 is a device that picks up and removes objects such as foreign matters 14 contained in the processing material 12 conveyed by the conveying device 22 along the conveying direction D through the picking member 49. The removing unit 40 is configured as an XY robot, for example. The removing unit 40 detects and removes the foreign matters 14 present in the processing material 12 based on the captured image captured by the imaging unit 32. The removing unit 40 is provided on the downstream side in the conveying direction D with respect to the detecting unit 31. The removing unit 40 includes an X-axis slider 41, a Y-axis slider 43, and a picking unit 45. The removing unit 40 discards the picked-up foreign matters 14 to the waste unit 36 disposed on the side of the conveying device 22. In addition, the removing unit 40 may be configured as other structures such as an articulated arm robot.

[0029] The X-axis slider 41 includes a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism 42 includes: a guide rail installed along a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction D of the conveying device 22, a slider that moves along the guide rail, and a drive motor that drives the slider. The guide rail is fixed to the slider of the Y-axis slider 43 installed along the conveying direction D on the conveying unit 22. A removal head 48 provided with a lifting unit 46 is fixed to the slider of the X-axis slider 41. The drive mechanism may also be a linear motion mechanism based on a ball screw including a lead screw shaft and a nut, for example. In addition, as long as the drive mechanism is a linear motion mechanism, it is not particularly limited and may also be a linear motor or the like. In the X-axis slider 41, the drive mechanism moves the removal head 48 along the X-axis direction. The Y-axis slider 43 includes a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism includes: a guide rail installed along the conveying direction D, a slider that moves along the guide rail, and a drive motor that drives the slider. The guide rail is fixed to the support portion 35 installed along the conveying direction D on the conveying unit 22. The X-axis slider 41 is disposed on the slider of the Y-axis slider 43. In the Y-axis slider 43, the drive mechanism moves the X-axis slider 41 along the Y-axis direction.

[0030] The picking unit 45 is a unit that picks up objects such as the foreign matter 14 through the picking member 49. For example, it includes: a lifting unit 46, a removal head 48, and a picking member 49. The lifting unit 46 is a drive mechanism for the removal head 48 fixed to the X-axis slider 41, and moves the picking member 49 up and down along the Z-axis direction. This drive mechanism may also be the same mechanism as the drive mechanisms of the X-axis slider 41 and the Y-axis slider 43. A camera and / or a sensor is arranged in the picking unit 45, and is configured to be able to obtain information on the foreign matter 14 held by the picking member 49. The picking member 49 is a member for picking up an object, and may be a gripping claw for gripping an object. Alternatively, the picking member 49 may be a suction nozzle that sucks an object by negative pressure. The picking unit 45 grips and releases the foreign matter 14 through the opening and closing operation of the picking member 49, and picks up and removes it from the processing material 12. The picking unit 45 opens and closes the picking member 49 through a gripping drive unit (not shown). The picking member 49 moves in the X, Y, and Z directions within a predetermined range of the conveying unit 22 through the X-axis slider 41, the Y-axis slider 43, and the lifting unit 46.

[0031] The control device 50 is a device that controls the entire foreign matter removal device 30, and includes a control unit 51 and a storage unit 52. The control unit 51 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU, and controls the entire device. The control unit 51 outputs control signals to the detection unit 31 and the removal unit 40, and inputs signals from the detection unit 31 and the removal unit 40. The storage unit 52 is a storage medium for storing information, and is constituted by, for example, an HDD or a flash memory. As Figure 5As shown, for example, pick-up information 53, detection information 54, processing information 55, estimation information 56, etc. are stored in the storage unit 52. The pick-up information 53 is information related to the pick-up of the foreign object 14 as the object, and includes, for example, the number of attempts of the pick-up process, the actual pick-up times of actually picking up the foreign object 14, etc. The detection information 54 is information on the foreign object 14 detected by the detection unit 37, and includes the number of times the foreign object 14 passes through the housing part of the discard unit 36, etc. The processing information 55 is information related to the success and / or failure of the pick-up movement of the foreign object 14, and includes, for example, the success rate, failure rate, number of successes, number of failures, etc. of the pick-up movement of the foreign object 14. The estimation information 56 includes the state of the pick-up component 49, such as one or more of the to-be-inspected state that needs to be inspected, the to-be-maintained state that needs to be maintained, and the to-be-repaired state that needs to be repaired based on fault diagnosis. In the control device 50, the pick-up information 53, the detection information 54, the processing information 55, and the estimation information 56 are respectively associated with each period, for example, every hour, every day, every week. The control unit 51 executes a process of obtaining the processing information 55 related to the success and / or failure of the pick-up movement of the foreign object 14 based on the pick-up information 53 and the detection information 54. Alternatively, the control unit 51 outputs the estimation information 56 that estimates the state of the pick-up component 49 based on the pick-up information 53 and the detection information 54.

[0032] In addition, a display unit 38 and an input unit 39 are connected to the control device 50. The display unit 38 is a display for displaying images. The input unit 39 accepts inputs from the operator M and includes a keyboard, a mouse, etc.

[0033] Next, the operation of the foreign object removal device 30 configured as such will be described. First, the process of removing the foreign object 14 from the processing material 12 and producing the waste 13 will be described. In addition, in the foreign object removal device 30, it is assumed that the detection unit 31 always performs the shooting process of the shooting image of the shooting unit 32 and the height sensing of the measurement unit 33 for the description. Alternatively, the detection unit 31 may not always perform the shooting process and the height sensing, but may appropriately implement them at each predetermined timing. Figure 6It is a flowchart showing an example of a foreign object removal processing routine executed by the control unit 51 of the control device 50. This routine is stored in the storage unit 52 and is executed by the control unit 51 after the foreign object removal device 30 is started. When starting this routine, the control unit 51 first drives the conveying device 22 (S100) and determines whether it is the foreign object detection timing (S110). For example, it can also be set that the imaging unit 32 captures all of the processing material 12 conveyed by the conveying device 22 with still images without interruption, and this foreign object detection timing is set as the timing when the still image is transferred to the next image. Additionally, when the imaging unit 32 captures a moving image, the detection timing can be set when a certain period for obtaining a still image has elapsed. Also, the detection timing of the measurement unit 33 can be set, for example, to every certain period of time, or can be set to be the same as the detection timing of the imaging unit 32.

[0034] When it is the foreign object detection timing in S110, the control unit 51 acquires the captured image captured by the imaging unit 32, and also acquires the height value measured by the measurement unit 33, and performs the detection process of the waste material 13 and the foreign object 14 using the captured image and the height value (S120). As the detection process of the waste material 13, the control unit 51, for example, performs the process of detecting an area with a brightness different from that of the conveying surface of the conveying device 22 and regarding this area as the area of the processing material 12. Additionally, the control unit 51 can also obtain the area of the waste material 13 based on the height of the acquired conveying surface. Furthermore, the control unit 51 can determine the presence or absence of the foreign object 14 based on whether there is an area of the foreign object 14 in the captured image (refer to Figure 4 ).

[0035] Next, the control unit 51 determines whether there is a foreign object 14 in the captured image of the conveying device 22 (S130). When there is a foreign object 14 in the conveying device 22, the control unit 51 executes the picking process of the foreign object 14 (S140). In the picking process of the foreign object 14, the control unit 51 sets a movement path for picking up the foreign object 14 and releasing it at the waste disposal unit 36, moves the picking member 49 to the position where the foreign object 14 exists according to the moving speed of the foreign object 14, and picks up the foreign object 14. When executing the picking process of the foreign object 14, the control unit 51 updates by increasing the trial number of picking up the foreign object 14 by 1 within the corresponding period included in the picking information 53 (S150), and determines whether the picking up of the foreign object 14 is successful using the captured image of the picking member 49, the sensor output value, etc. (S160). When the picking member 49 successfully picks up the foreign object 14, the control unit 51 updates by adding 1 to the actual picking number of the picking information 53 within the corresponding period (170).

[0036] After S170, or after the foreign object 14 has not been successfully picked up by the pickup member 49 in S160, the control unit 51 moves the pickup member 49 to the release position of the foreign object 14 set on the disposal unit 36, releases the foreign object 14, and moves the pickup member 49 to a predetermined initial position (S180). The control unit 51 determines whether the passage of the foreign object 14 is detected based on the detection signal from the detection unit 37 disposed on the disposal unit 36 (S190). When the passage of the foreign object 14 is detected, the control unit 51 updates the number of passages included in the detection information 54 by incrementing it by 1 during the corresponding period (S200).

[0037] After S200, or when there is no foreign object 14 in S130, or when it is not the foreign object detection timing in S110, the control unit 51 determines whether the regeneration process of the processing material 12 is completed (S210). When the regeneration process of the processing material 12 is not completed, the control unit 51 executes the processes after S110. That is, the control unit 51 detects the foreign object 14 and repeatedly executes the removal process of the foreign object 14 while updating the trial number, the actual pickup number, the number of passages, and the like. On the other hand, when the regeneration process of the processing material 12 is completed in S210, the control unit 51 stops the conveying device 22 (S220) and ends this routine.

[0038] Next, the process in which the control unit 51 estimates the state of the pickup member 49 will be described. Figure 7It is a flowchart showing an example of a state estimation processing routine executed by the control unit 51 of the control device 50. This routine is stored in the storage unit 52 and is executed in parallel with the execution of the foreign object removal processing routine after the foreign object removal device 30 is started. When starting this routine, the control unit 51 first determines whether it is the estimation timing for estimating the state of the pickup member 49 (S300). The estimation timing can be any timing that can appropriately determine the state of the pickup member 49. For example, it can be set to when the period of the information stored in the storage unit 52 has elapsed, etc. When it is currently the estimation timing, the control unit 51 calculates the success rate and / or failure rate of picking up the foreign object 14 based on the latest pickup information 53 and detection information 54, and updates the processing information (S310). The control unit 51 can calculate the success rate according to, for example, Formula 1 or Formula 2 below. Or, the control unit 51 can calculate the failure rate according to Formula 3 or 4 below. In addition, regarding the success rate and failure rate, when using the actual number of pickups, the dropping of the foreign object 14 during the period from the pickup of the foreign object 14 to its release can be grasped, and when using the number of trials, the pickup failure of the foreign object 14 and the dropping during the period to its release can be grasped. In addition, when calculating the success rate and failure rate by the number of trials, in the foreign object removal device 30, the structure for detecting the successful pickup of the foreign object 14 can be omitted. In addition, in the processing information 55, in addition to or instead of the success rate, the number of successful times can also be included. Similarly, in the processing information 55, in addition to or instead of the failure rate, the number of failure times can also be included. The number of successful times is represented by the number of passes, and the number of failure times is the value obtained by subtracting the number of passes from the number of trials or the actual number of pickups.

[0039] Success rate (%) = 100 - (number of trials - number of passes) / (number of trials) × 100... (Formula 1)

[0040] Success rate (%) = 100 - (actual number of pickups - number of passes) / (actual number of pickups) × 100... (Formula 2)

[0041] Failure rate (%) = (number of trials - number of passes) / (number of trials) × 100... (Formula 3)

[0042] Failure rate (%) = (actual number of pickups - number of passes) / (actual number of pickups) × 100... (Formula 4)

[0043] Next, the control unit 51 determines whether the calculated success rate is lower than a predetermined allowable value (S320). Here, the allowable value can also be set based on experience to a value that can predict a defect in the pickup component 49. Here, the range of the allowable value defines a first range value that requires inspection (for example, the success rate is less than 95%, etc.), a second range that requires maintenance (the success rate is less than 90%, etc.), a third range that requires repair (the success rate is less than 85%, etc.), and so on. Next, the control unit 51 investigates which range of the allowable value the success rate is in (S330). When the success rate is within the first range, the control unit 51 causes the inspection information to be displayed and output to the display unit 38 as the estimated information of the pickup component 49 (S340). The inspection information includes information urging the execution of the inspection of the pickup component 49. On the other hand, when the success rate is within the second range in S330, the control unit 51 causes the maintenance information to be displayed and output to the display unit 38 as the estimated information of the pickup component 49 (S350). The maintenance information includes information urging the execution of the maintenance of the pickup component 49. Alternatively, when the success rate is within the third range in S330, the failure information is displayed and output to the display unit 38 as the estimated information of the pickup component 49 (S360). The failure information includes information urging the execution of the repair of the pickup component 49.

[0044] In addition, in S320, the control unit 51 determines whether the calculated success rate is lower than a predetermined allowable value, but it is not particularly limited to this. It may also determine whether the calculated failure rate exceeds a predetermined limit value. Here, the limit value can also be set based on experience to a value that can predict a defect in the pickup component 49. Here, the limit value defines a first limit value that requires inspection (for example, the failure rate exceeds 5%, etc.), a second allowable value that requires maintenance (the failure rate exceeds 10%, etc.), a third allowable value that requires repair (the failure rate exceeds 15%, etc.), and so on. And, the control unit 51 can also, in the same manner as above, when the failure rate exceeds the predetermined limit value, determine whether the failure rate is in the first range, the second range, and the third range. In the case of the first range, the inspection information is displayed and output, in the case of the second range, the maintenance information is displayed and output, and in the case of the third range, the failure information is displayed and output.

[0045] Figure 8 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the notification screen 80 displayed on the display unit 38. The cursor 81, the estimated information display column 82, the processing information display column 83, the confirmation key 84, etc. are arranged on the notification screen 80. The cursor 81 is operated by the operator M when selecting information. The estimated information display column 82 includes information for estimating the state of the pickup component 49 and the content of the operation to be performed, etc. The processing information display column 83 includes information such as the current pickup information 53, the detection information 54, the processing information 55, and the estimated information 56. The confirmation key 84 is a key pressed by the operator M after confirming the displayed information. In addition, in Figure 8The inspection information is displayed on the notification screen 80. However, the notification screen 80 can also display maintenance information, failure information, etc. The operator M can confirm the content of the notification screen 80, identify the state of the picking member 49, and can confirm the state of the picking member 49, etc.

[0046] In the foreign matter removing device 30, there is a high risk of significant damage to the picking member 49 that holds waste materials such as rubble 13 and foreign matter 14. As an example of damage to the picking member 49, for example, wear or cracking of the contact surface caused by contact with the waste material 13 can be cited. On the other hand, for the detection of damage to the picking member 49, it can be cited that the picking member 49 is photographed with a camera or the like or contacted with a contact sensor or the like for detection. However, any of the above methods requires additional equipment such as a camera and a sensor, and a confirmation operation must be performed during operation, which sometimes reduces the efficiency of the foreign matter 14 removal process. In the foreign matter removing device 30, the state of the picking member 49 can be estimated by detecting the number of removal trials, the actual picking number, and the passing number of the waste portion 36 of the picking member 49 that can normally be counted. For example, when the success rate of removing the foreign matter 14 gradually decreases, the control unit 51 can estimate the state such as wear of the picking member 49, and can urge the operator M to perform inspection or maintenance. Or, when the success rate of removing the foreign matter 14 suddenly decreases, the control unit 51 can estimate the state of a failure such as damage to the picking member 49, and can urge the operator M to repair the damage. In addition, even in the case of the use failure rate, the control unit 51 can estimate the state of the picking member 49 in the same manner as the success rate.

[0047] After the information is notified in S340 to 360, or when the success rate is equal to or higher than the allowable value in S320, or when it is not the estimation timing in S300, the control unit 51 determines whether the regeneration process of the processing material 12 is completed (S370). When the regeneration process of the processing material 12 is not completed, the control unit 51 executes the processes after S300. That is, when it is the estimation timing, the control unit 51 updates the processing information 55 and the like, and reports the information related to the state of the picking member 49 estimated from the processing information 55 to the operator M. On the other hand, when the regeneration process of the processing material 12 is completed in S370, the control unit 51 ends this routine.

[0048] Here, the correspondence between the components of the present embodiment and the components of the present disclosure is clarified. The control device 50 of the present embodiment is equivalent to an example of the control device of the present disclosure, the foreign matter removal device 30 is equivalent to an example of the picking device and the foreign matter removal device, the picking section 45 is equivalent to an example of the picking section, the discarding section 36 is equivalent to an example of the storage section, the detection section 37 is equivalent to an example of the detection section, and the control section 51 is equivalent to an example of the control section. In addition, the conveying device 22 is equivalent to an example of the conveying device, and the processing material 12 is equivalent to an example of the object. In addition, in the present embodiment, by explaining the operation of the foreign matter removal device 30, an example of the information processing method of the present disclosure is also clarified.

[0049] The foreign matter removal device 30 described above constitutes the picking device of the present disclosure, and the foreign matter removal device 30 comprises: a picking part 49, which picks up the foreign matter 14 as an object contained in the processing material 12 transported by the conveying device 22 along the conveying direction D through the picking part 49; a detection part 37, which detects the passage of the foreign matter 14 when the foreign matter 14 is received in the waste part 36 as a receiving part for the foreign matter 14 picked up by the picking part 45; a detection part 31, which is located on the upstream side of the picking part 45 in the conveying direction D, and detects the foreign matter 14; and a control device 50, which comprises a control part 51, and the control part 51 controls the picking part 45 based on the detection result of the detection part 31 to pick up the foreign matter 14 and discard it to the waste part 36. In addition, the control unit 51 obtains processing information 55 related to the success of picking up and moving the foreign object 14 and / or the failure of picking up and moving the above-mentioned object based on the picking information 53 related to the picking up of the foreign object 14 and the detection information 54 of the foreign object 14 detected by the detection unit 37. In the control device 50, the passage of the foreign object 14 can be detected and the movement of the foreign object 14 to the disposal unit 36 ​​can be detected. In addition, by using the picking information 53 and the detection information 54, the control device 50 can digitize the information related to the success or failure of picking up the foreign object 14 even without checking the picking component 49 itself. Therefore, in the control device 50, by using the digitized content, the state of the picking component 49 can be estimated, and the efficiency of picking up the object and moving it to the storage unit can be further improved.

[0050] In addition, the control unit 51 outputs estimation information 56 that estimates the state of the pickup member based on the pickup information 53 and the detection information 54. In this control device 50, it is possible to detect the passage of the foreign object 14 and detect the movement of the foreign object 14 toward the discard unit 36. In addition, by using the pickup information 53 of the foreign object 14, the control device 50 can obtain information related to the success or failure of the pickup member 49 to pick up the foreign object 14 without inspecting the pickup member 49 itself, and can estimate the state of the pickup member 49. Therefore, in this control device 50, by using the estimated state of the pickup member 49, it is possible to further improve the working efficiency of picking up the foreign object 14 and moving it toward the discard unit 36. In addition, the control unit 51 outputs estimation information 56 that estimates the state of the pickup member 49 based on the obtained processing information 55. In this control device 50, by using the information related to the success or failure of the pickup of the foreign object 14, the state of the pickup member 49 can be estimated without inspecting the pickup member 49 itself. And, in this control device 50, by implementing responses corresponding to the state of the pickup member 49, it is possible to further improve the working efficiency of picking up the foreign object 14 and moving it toward the discard unit 36. Furthermore, the control unit 51 uses the pickup information 53, which includes the number of trial attempts to pick up the foreign object 14 and / or the actual number of pickups in which the pickup of the foreign object 14 is detected. In this control device 50, the number of trial attempts or the actual number of pickups can be used to further improve the working efficiency of picking up the foreign object 14 and moving it toward the discard unit 36.

[0051] In addition, the control unit 51 obtains processing information 55 including a success rate and / or the number of successes based on the picking information 53 and the detection information 54. In this control device 50, the success rate or the number of successes of the picking process can be used to further improve the operation efficiency of picking up the foreign object 14 and moving it to the disposal unit 36. In this control device 50, when the obtained success rate and / or the number of successes is lower than a predetermined allowable value, the control unit 51 outputs estimation information 56 that estimates the state of the picking member 49. Further, the control unit 51 obtains processing information 55 including a failure rate and / or the number of failures based on the picking information 53 and the detection information 54. In this control device 50, the failure rate or the number of failures of the picking process can be used to further improve the operation efficiency of picking up the foreign object 14 and moving it to the disposal unit 36. In this control device 50, when the obtained failure rate and / or the number of failures exceeds a predetermined limit value, the control unit 51 outputs estimation information 56 that estimates the state of the picking member 49. Additionally, the control unit 51 outputs estimation information 56 including one or more pieces of information among failure information, maintenance information, and inspection information. The failure information is information including a failure diagnosis of the picking member 49, the maintenance information is information for performing maintenance of the picking member 49, and the inspection information is information for performing inspection of the picking member 49. In this control device, by using the failure information, the maintenance information, and the inspection information to further improve the state of the picking member, the operation efficiency of picking up the object to be picked and moving it to the storage unit can be further improved.

[0052] In addition, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to any of the above-described embodiments and can be implemented in various ways as long as it belongs to the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0053] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the control unit 51 obtains the processing information 55 related to the successful picking and movement of the foreign object 14 and the failed picking and movement of the foreign object 14 based on the picking information 53 and the detection information 54, and reports the estimation information 56 based on the processing information 55. However, it is not particularly limited thereto, and either obtaining the processing information 55 or reporting the estimation information 56 may be omitted. In addition, the control unit 51 obtains the processing information 55 related to the successful picking and movement of the foreign object 14 and the failed picking and movement of the foreign object 14. However, it is not particularly limited thereto, and either the successful picking and movement or the failed picking and movement of the foreign object 14 may be omitted. In such a control device 50, the operation efficiency of picking up the foreign object 14 and moving it to the disposal unit 36 can also be further improved by any of these processes.

[0054] In the above-described embodiment, the trial number and the actual pick-up number are included in the pick-up information 53, but it is not particularly limited thereto, and either one may be omitted. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the estimation information 56 includes failure information, maintenance information, and inspection information, but it is not particularly limited thereto, and one or more of them may be omitted. In this control device 50, the operation efficiency of picking up the foreign object 14 and moving it to the disposal unit 36 can also be further improved by any of the processes.

[0055] In the above-described embodiment, as the pick-up device, the foreign object removal device 30 for removing the foreign object 14 has been mainly described, but it is not particularly limited thereto. Figure 9 FIG. is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of another pick-up system 10B. The pick-up system 10B includes: a conveying device 22B, a supply device 26, a pick-up device 30B, a disposal unit 36, and a detection unit 37. The pick-up device 30B is composed of a detection unit 37 disposed in the disposal unit 36, a processing unit 40B having a pick-up unit 45B, and a control device 50B having a control unit 51. The pick-up device 30B is a device that configures a component as the object 14B disposed in the supply device 26 onto the disposed component 27 conveyed by the conveying device 22B. In the pick-up device 30B, based on the image captured by the imaging unit 32B, it is determined whether there is a defective condition of the object 14B, and the object 14B with a defective condition is discarded into the disposal unit 36. The disposal unit 36 is a storage unit into which the object 14B picked up by the pick-up unit 45B is placed. The detection unit 37 is a sensor that detects the passage of the object 14B when the object 14B is received in the disposal unit 36. The pick-up unit 45B picks up the object 14 through a pick-up member 49B. The pick-up unit 45B includes: an arm robot 41B, an identification unit 44, and a pick-up unit 45B. The arm robot 41B has a plurality of arm portions and moves the pick-up unit 45B between the supply device 26, the conveying device 22B, and the disposal unit 36. The identification unit 44 is disposed in the pick-up unit 45B and captures the object 14B on the supply device 26 and the like. The pick-up unit 45B includes: a pick-up head 48B disposed at the front end of the arm robot 41B; and a pick-up member 49B mounted on the pick-up head 48B and having a gripping claw. Similar to the above-described control device 50, the control device 50B also obtains the processing information 55 or reports the estimation information 56 through the pick-up information 53 and the detection information 54. Since the pick-up device 30B includes the above-described control device 50B, the operation efficiency of picking up the object 14B and moving it to the disposal unit 36 as the storage unit can be further improved. In this pick-up device 30B, the operation efficiency of picking up the object 14B and moving it to the disposal unit 36 can also be further improved.

[0056] In the above-described embodiment, the object is discarded to the discard unit 36. However, it is not particularly limited to discarding, and when the object is stored in the storage unit, the number of passes may be counted. In this picking device, the operation efficiency of picking up the object and moving it to the storage unit can be further improved.

[0057] In the above-described embodiment, the present disclosure has been described as the foreign object removal device 30 including the control device 50. However, it is not particularly limited thereto, and the present disclosure may be the control device 50 itself, may be the control method of the foreign object removal device 30 executed by a computer, may be the program of this control method, may be the information processing method executed by the control device 50, or may be this program.

[0058] Here, the control device method of the present disclosure may be configured as follows.

[0059] For example, the control device of the present disclosure is used for a picking device, and the picking device includes: a picking unit that picks up an object through a picking member; and a detection unit that detects the passage of the object when the object is stored in a storage unit for the object picked up by the picking unit to be placed in.

[0060] The control device includes a control unit that outputs estimation information estimating the state of the picking member based on picking information related to the picking of the object and detection information of the object detected by the detection unit.

[0061] In this control device, the movement of the object to the storage unit can be detected by detecting the passage of the object. In addition, by using the information related to the picking of the object, the control device can obtain information related to the success or failure of the picking of the object by the picking member without checking the picking member itself, and can estimate the state of the picking member. Therefore, in this control device, by using the estimated state of the picking member, the operation efficiency of picking up the object and moving it to the storage unit can be further improved.

[0062] The information processing method of the present disclosure is used for a picking device and is executed by a computer. The picking device includes: a picking unit that picks up an object through a picking member; and a detection unit that detects the passage of the object when the object is stored in a storage unit for the object picked up by the picking unit to be placed in.

[0063] The above information processing method includes the following steps:

[0064] Based on picking information related to the picking of the object and detection information of the object detected by the detection unit, processing information related to the success of the picking movement of the object and / or the failure of the picking movement of the object is obtained.

[0065] In this information processing method, similar to the above control device, information related to the success or failure of picking up an object can be digitized. By using the digitized content, the operation efficiency of picking up the object and moving it to the storage section can be further improved. Additionally, in this information processing method, various modes of the above control device can be adopted, and steps for implementing each function of the above control device can also be added.

[0066] The information processing method of the present disclosure is for a picking device and is executed by a computer. The above picking device includes: a picking section that picks up an object through a picking member; and a detection section that detects the passage of the object when the object is received in a storage section for the object picked up by the above picking section.

[0067] The above information processing method includes the following steps:

[0068] Based on picking information related to the picking up of the above object and detection information of the object detected by the above detection section, estimation information estimating the state of the above picking member is output.

[0069] In this information processing method, similar to the above control device, information related to the success or failure of the picking member to pick up an object can be obtained. By estimating the state of the picking member, the operation efficiency of picking up the object and moving it to the storage section can be further improved. Additionally, in this information processing method, various modes of the above control device can be adopted, and steps for implementing each function of the above control device can also be added.

[0070] In this specification, the technical idea of changing "the control device according to claim 1 or 2" to "the control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3" in claim 4 at the initial application, the technical idea of changing "the control device according to claim 1 or 2" to "the control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9" in claim 10 at the initial application, and the technical idea of changing "the control device according to claim 1 or 2" to "the control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9" in claim 11 at the initial application are also disclosed.

[0071] Industrial Applicability

[0072] The present invention can be applied to technical fields such as the recycling of industrial waste.

[0073] Description of Reference Numerals

[0074] 10 Recycling system, 10B Pickup system, 12 Process material, 13 Scrap, 14 Foreign matter, 14B Object, 15 Primary crusher, 16 Primary magnetic separator, 17 Sieve, 18 Secondary crusher, 19 Secondary magnetic separator, 20 - 25, 22B Conveyor, 26 Feeding device, 30 Foreign matter removal device, 30B Pickup device, 31 Detection unit, 32, 32B Imaging unit, 33 Measurement unit, 35 Support unit, 36, 36B Disposal unit, 37, 37B Detection unit, 40 Removal unit, 40B Processing unit, 41 X-axis slider, 41B Arm robot, 43 Y-axis slider, 44 Identification unit, 45, 45B Pickup unit, 46 Lifting unit, 48 Removal head, 48B Pickup head, 49, 49B Pickup component, 50, 50B Control device, 51 Control unit, 52 Storage unit, 53 Pickup information, 54 Detection information, 55 Processing information, 56 Estimation information, 71 Captured image, 72 Captured image, 80 Notification screen, 81 Cursor, 82 Estimation information display column, 83 Processing information display column, 84 Confirmation key, D Conveyor direction, M Operator.

Claims

1. A control device for a picking device, the picking device comprising: a picking unit that picks up an object by a picking member; and a detection unit that detects the passage of the object when the object is received in a receiving unit into which the object picked up by the picking unit is placed. The control device includes a control unit that obtains processing information related to successful picking movement of the object and / or failed picking movement of the object based on picking information related to the picking of the object and detection information of the object detected by the detection unit.

2. A control device for a picking device, the picking device comprising: a picking unit that picks up an object by a picking member; and a detection unit that detects the passage of the object when the object is received in a receiving unit into which the object picked up by the picking unit is placed. The control device includes a control unit that outputs estimation information estimating the state of the picking member based on the picking information related to the picking of the object and the detection information of the object detected by the detection unit.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein, the control unit outputs estimation information estimating the state of the picking member based on the obtained processing information.

4. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the control unit uses the picking information, which includes the number of trial attempts to pick up the object and / or the actual number of times the state of picking up the object is detected.

5. The control device according to claim 1 or 3, wherein, the control unit obtains the processing information including the success rate and / or the number of successful times through the picking information and the detection information.

6. The control device according to claim 5, wherein, when the obtained success rate and / or the number of successful times is lower than a predetermined allowable value, the control unit outputs estimation information estimating the state of the picking member.

7. The control device according to claim 1 or 3, wherein, the control unit obtains the processing information including the failure rate and / or the number of failures through the picking information and the detection information.

8. The control device according to claim 7, wherein, when the obtained failure rate and / or the number of failures exceeds a predetermined limit value, the control unit outputs estimation information estimating the state of the picking member.

9. The control device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, the control unit outputs the estimation information including one or more pieces of information among failure information, maintenance information, and inspection information, the failure information being information including a failure diagnosis of the picking member, the maintenance information being information for performing maintenance of the picking member, and the inspection information being information for performing inspection of the picking member.

10. A foreign object removing device, which is a foreign object removing device for the picking device, the foreign object removing device comprising: a picking unit that picks up a foreign object as the object included in a processing material conveyed in a conveying direction by a conveying device by a picking member. a detection unit for detecting the passage of the foreign object when the foreign object is received in the receiving unit into which the foreign object picked up by the picking unit is received; a detection unit, located at an upstream side of the pickup unit in the conveying direction, for detecting the foreign matter; and The control device according to claim 1 or 2, The control unit controls the pickup unit based on the detection result of the detection unit to pick up the foreign matter and discard it into the storage unit.

11. A picking device comprising: A picking unit, which picks up an object through a picking component; a detection unit that detects passage of the object when the object is accommodated in the accommodation unit into which the object picked up by the pickup unit is placed; and The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

12. An information processing method for a picking device, executed by a computer, wherein the picking device comprises: a picking unit for picking up an object by a picking component; and a detecting unit for detecting the passage of the object when the object is received in a receiving unit for receiving the object received by the picking unit. The information processing method comprises the following steps: Based on the picking-up information related to the picking-up of the object and the detection information of the object detected by the detection unit, processing information related to the success of the picking-up movement of the object and / or the failure of the picking-up movement of the object is obtained.

13. An information processing method for a picking device, executed by a computer, wherein the picking device comprises: a picking unit for picking up an object by a picking component; and a detecting unit for detecting the passage of the object when the object is received in a receiving unit for receiving the object received by the picking unit. The information processing method comprises the following steps: Based on the pickup information related to the pickup of the object and the detection information of the object detected by the detection unit, estimated information in which the state of the pickup member is estimated is output.

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