Commodity moving device, control method thereof, and computer program

Abstract

Provided is a product moving device (1) provided with: an arm section (20) provided with a gripping section (10) for gripping a product; a moving mechanism (80) that moves between the storage rack and the display rack; an acquisition unit (34, 36) that acquires the position of the arm unit (20); and a control unit (150) that controls the arm, the gripping unit, the moving mechanism, and the acquisition unit. The control unit (150) is configured to execute the following processes: acquiring, by the acquisition unit, a position of the arm with respect to a reference position of the product moving device when the product moving device is activated from an operation stop state; determining whether the arm portion is located in a predetermined area between the stock rack and the display rack; and moving the arm portion into the predetermined region when the arm portion is not located in the predetermined region.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a commodity moving device and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In Patent Document 1, a commodity replenishment system that replenishes commodities in an unmanned manner for labor saving in business is disclosed. The commodity replenishment system includes: a photographing device that photographs a commodity to be replenished; and an articulated robot device that moves the commodity. The articulated robot device picks up a commodity to be replenished from a predetermined position arranged in advance and moves the commodity to a display shelf.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-110755 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] In a system such as that of Patent Document 1, generally, before restarting a stopped system and starting the operation of the robot device, the system needs to more accurately identify the position and posture of the robot device at that time point. This is because, when starting the operation of the robot device without identifying the position and posture of the robot device at restart, depending on the position and posture of the robot device at that time point, it is possible that the hand and arm of the robot device accidentally come into contact with or collide with surrounding equipment, etc., resulting in damage to the hand and arm of the robot device or surrounding equipment, etc. The identification of the position and posture of the robot device can include calibration for correcting the error between the position and posture of the robot device identified by the system and the actual position and posture of the robot device.

[0008] Such calibration sometimes involves driving operations of various parts including the hand and arm of the robot device. For example, in a case where the hand of the robot device before the start of calibration is in a state of being in contact with the display shelf, it is possible that the hand of the robot device and the display shelf are damaged due to the driving operations of the various parts of the robot device during calibration execution.

[0009] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a commodity moving device and the like that can prevent damage to the commodity moving device and surrounding equipment, etc. when restarting and starting the operation of the commodity moving device.

[0010] Solutions to the Problems

[0011] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a merchandise moving device for moving merchandise placed on a stock shelf to a display shelf different from the stock shelf. The merchandise moving device includes: an arm portion having a gripping portion for gripping the merchandise; a moving mechanism that moves in a region between the stock shelf and the display shelf; an acquisition portion that acquires the position of the arm portion; and a control portion that controls the arm portion, the gripping portion, the moving mechanism, and the acquisition portion. The control portion is configured to perform the following processes: acquiring, by the acquisition portion, the position of the arm portion relative to a reference position of the merchandise moving device when starting the merchandise moving device from a stopped state; determining whether the arm portion is within a specified region between the stock shelf and the display shelf; and moving the arm portion into the specified region when the arm portion is not within the specified region.

[0012] Other characteristic matters and advantages of the present disclosure can be understood from the following description and drawings provided by way of illustration and not limitation.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a merchandise moving device or the like that can prevent damage to the merchandise moving device and equipment around it when restarting and starting the operation of the merchandise moving device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is a top view schematically showing the configuration of shelves in a store and a merchandise moving device arranged in the store.

[0016] Figure 2 (a) of is a view of the display shelf observed from the front surface side, Figure 2 and (b) of is a view of the display shelf observed from the back surface side.

[0017] Figure 3 It is a side view schematically showing the structure of the merchandise moving device.

[0018] Figure 4 It is a perspective view showing the peripheral structure of the front end of the arm portion of the merchandise moving device.

[0019] Figure 5 It is a block diagram showing the structure of the merchandise moving device.

[0020] Figure 6 It is an image of the display shelf taken by the first camera (left side) of the merchandise moving device.

[0021] Figure 7 It is a flowchart showing the replenishment operation of the merchandise by the merchandise moving device.

[0022] Figure 8 It is a flowchart for explaining an operation example of the merchandise moving device.

[0023] Figure 9 This is a diagram conceptually showing the positional relationship between the upper and lower portions of the first lifting mechanism in the rotational direction around the support column.

[0024] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing the operation of retracting the arm portion into the area between the two guide rails. Detailed Embodiment

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] <Configuration Structure of the Store>

[0027] First, the configuration structure of the store will be described. Figure 1 This is a top view schematically showing the arrangement of the shelves in the store and the merchandise moving device arranged in the store. Figure 2 (a) of this figure is a view of the display shelf observed from the front surface side, and (b) of this figure is a view of the display shelf observed from the rear surface side.

[0028] As Figure 1 shown, the interior of the store is divided into an in-store space SH1 and a backyard space SH2. The in-store space SH1 is a space where customers select and purchase merchandise T. The backyard space SH2 is a space for storing the inventory of merchandise T. A display shelf 410, a stock shelf 420, and a merchandise moving device 1 are arranged in the store. A track composed of two guide rails R is laid on the floor between the display shelf 410 and the stock shelf 420 in the store, and the merchandise moving device 1 is configured to move in the left-right direction shown in the figure along these guide rails R.

[0029] As Figure 2 shown in (a) and (b) of this figure, the display shelf 410 has a plurality of shelves 411 (also referred to as the layers of the display shelf). A plurality of types of merchandise T are arranged on the shelves 411. For example, the same type of merchandise T is arranged in 2 or 3 columns. The merchandise T may also be arranged in only 1 column. A plurality of partition plates 412 for separating the merchandise T in each column are provided on the upper surface of each shelf 411. In Figure 2 an example where the same type of merchandise T is arranged in 2 columns is shown in the figure, and in this example, a partition plate 412 is provided every 2 columns of merchandise T. The arrangement of the partition plates 412 is not limited to this, and the partition plates 412 can be arranged at intervals of 1 column or more than 2 columns.

[0030] The front surface of the display shelf 410 faces the in-store space SH1, and customers can take out the product T from the front surface side of the display shelf 410. The shelf 411 is inclined such that the front surface side of the display shelf 410 is relatively lower than the rear surface side. Thus, when a customer takes out the product T, the other products T arranged behind the product T slide on the shelf 411 and move to the front surface side.

[0031] The rear surface of the display shelf 410 faces the backyard space SH2, and a store clerk or the product moving device 1 replenishes the product T to the display shelf 410 from the rear surface side of the display shelf 410. Although not shown in the figure, doors may also be provided on the front surface and the rear surface of the display shelf 410. In Figure 1 For the sake of simplicity of illustration, only one display shelf 410 is depicted, but a plurality of display shelves 410 may be arranged in the store.

[0032] The stock shelf 420 is arranged in the backyard space SH2 so as to face the display shelf 410, and the front surface of the stock shelf 420 faces the rear surface of the display shelf 410. The stock shelf 420 has a plurality of shelves (layers) arranged in the height direction, similarly to the display shelf 410. The products to be replenished to the display shelf 410, i.e., the replenishment target products, are arranged on the shelves of the stock shelf 420. The replenishment target products may be arranged by a store clerk or the product moving device 1.

[0033] <Structure of the product moving device 1>

[0034] Refer to Figure 1 、 Figures 3 to 5 The product moving device 1 will be described below. Figure 3 is a side view schematically showing the structure of the product moving device 1. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the peripheral structure of the front end of the arm portion of the product moving device 1. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the structure of the product moving device 1.

[0035] The product moving device 1 includes a gripping portion 10, an arm portion 20, a contact detection sensor 30, first cameras 50R and 50L, a second camera 60, a third camera 70, a horizontal movement mechanism 80, a lifting mechanism 90, and a control device 150. The product moving device 1 is a robot that moves in the space between the display shelf 410 and the stock shelf 420. The product moving device 1 grips the product T in the stock shelf 420 by the gripping portion 10, and then moves the gripped product T to the display position (the aisle where the product T is displayed) of the product on the display shelf 410.

[0036] As Figure 4As shown, the gripping part 10 has a pair of gripping members 11a and 11b for gripping an object. The pair of gripping members 11a and 11b have a shape that can grip near the lid member Tb of the product T which is a plastic bottle beverage and can grip the outer peripheral part of the product T which is a canned beverage. In addition to being composed of the pair of gripping members 11a and 11b, the gripping part 10 may also have an adsorption structure for adsorbing and holding the object, and may also have a structure for holding the object by using adhesive force, magnetic force, etc.

[0037] The arm part 20 has a plurality of link members 21, 22, and 23. The plurality of link members 21, 22, and 23 constitute a multi-joint robotic arm. As an example, the multi-joint robotic arm may also be a 6-axis arm having degrees of freedom in the linear directions along the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction respectively and having degrees of freedom in each direction around the X-axis, around the Y-axis, and around the Z-axis. In addition to this, the multi-joint robotic arm may also have any mechanism such as a Cartesian coordinate robotic arm, a polar coordinate robotic arm, a cylindrical coordinate robotic arm, a selective compliance assembly robot arm (SCARA) type robotic arm, etc. One end of the arm part 20 is fixed to the lifting mechanism 90. The gripping part 10 is provided at the front end of the arm part 20. The movement of the arm part 20 is controlled by the control device 150.

[0038] The arm part 20 can move the gripping part 10 to the side of the storage rack 420 or to the side of the display rack 410 by moving each of the link members 21, 22, and 23. Although the orientation of the arm part 20 is not fixed in a specific direction, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the direction in which each of the link members 21, 22, and 23 extends is referred to as the extension direction Ax of the arm part 20 (refer to Figure 4 ). The arm part 20 advances the gripping part 10 toward the product T to grip the product T. The extension direction Ax of the arm part 20 corresponds to the advancing direction of the gripping part 10 in the gripping operation.

[0039] At each joint portion that rotationally drives the respective link members 21, 22, and 23 of the arm 20, there is provided an encoder that outputs the absolute value of the rotational angle of each link member 21, 22, and 23, namely, an absolute encoder (not shown). Generally, even when the absolute encoder rotates during a period when it is not activated, when the absolute encoder is powered on and activated, the absolute encoder can output the absolute value of the rotational angle at that time point. As absolute encoders, optical and magnetic absolute encoders are known, and descriptions regarding the details of their structures are omitted here. The lengths of the respective link members 21, 22, and 23 of the arm 20 of the merchandise moving device 1 are known. Therefore, the control device 150 can obtain the position of the tip of the arm 20 with respect to the lifting mechanism 90 (particularly the center of the lifting mechanism 90) on which the arm 20 is mounted (the center position of the wrist portion of the gripping portion 10) by accumulating the rotational angles of the respective joint portions that rotationally drive the respective link members 21, 22, and 23 output from the respective absolute encoders. In this way, the absolute encoders provided at the respective joint portions function as sensors for obtaining the posture information of the arm 20.

[0040] The contact detection sensor 30 is a sensor that detects the contact of the merchandise T held by the gripping portion 10, the gripping portion 10, or the arm 20 with an obstacle such as the wall or pillar of the display rack 410 when the merchandise T held by the gripping portion 10 is placed on the shelf 411 of the display rack 410. The contact detection sensor 30 can use, for example, a torque sensor, an acceleration sensor, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a motor input current sensor, or the like.

[0041] As the torque sensor, for example, a strain gauge that detects the torque generated on the shaft of each joint of the arm 20 can be used. As the acceleration sensor, various types of acceleration sensors such as a capacitive type or a piezoresistive type provided on the gripping portion 10 or the arm 20 can be used.

[0042] An Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) is a device that detects inertial motion in three dimensions (translational motion and rotational motion in the directions of three orthogonal axes). This inertial measurement unit includes an acceleration sensor that detects translational motion and an angular velocity (gyroscope) sensor that detects rotational motion. Among them, the angular velocity can be detected using the gyroscope sensor to obtain the angle or angle change of the object. For example, when gears or a combination of gears and a toothed belt are used as the drive transmission unit of the wrist portion of the gripping unit 10, redundancy may occur in the movement of the wrist portion of the gripping unit 10 due to the clearance between gears and the stretching of the toothed belt. Therefore, for example, during the operation of placing the product T held by the gripping unit 10 on the shelf 411 of the display rack 410, when the arm portion 20 is further operated to apply an additional force to the gripping unit 10 while the product T is in contact with the shelf 411, some displacement will occur in the wrist portion of the gripping unit 10, and the posture (i.e., angle) of the gripping unit 10 will change. Thus, by using the IMU provided in the gripping unit 10 to detect such possible angle changes of the gripping unit 10 during the operation of placing the product T on the shelf 411, the contact situation between the product T and the shelf 411 can be detected.

[0043] When a servo motor or the like is used to drive the joints of the arm portion 20, when an external force that causes an angular deviation from the angle maintaining the gripping posture is generated, it operates in such a way that the angular deviation becomes zero in order to maintain the original angle. When the arm portion 20 is further moved while the product T held by the gripping unit 10, the gripping unit 10, or the arm portion 20 is in contact with an obstacle such as the wall or pillar of the display rack 410, a current for driving the servo motor to counteract this load is input to the servo motor. Thus, by using a motor input current sensor to detect the current input to the servo motor for such an operation, the contact situation between the product T held by the gripping unit 10, the gripping unit 10, or the arm portion 20 and an obstacle such as the wall or pillar of the display rack 410 can be detected. The motor input current sensor can be constituted by, for example, the control unit 151 described later (refer to Figure 5 ).

[0044] The two first cameras 50R and 50L are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the arm portion 20. The first camera 50L mounted on the first side surface 23a on the left side of the arm portion 20 faces the first orientation A1 along the direction orthogonal to the extension direction Ax of the arm portion 20 (refer to Figure 4)。The first camera 50L is mainly used for photographing the display shelf 410. The first camera 50R installed on the second side 23b faces the second orientation A2 opposite to the first orientation A1. The second side 23b is a plane parallel to the first side 23a and is the right side of the arm 20 on the side opposite to the first side 23a. The first camera 50R is mainly used for photographing the inventory shelf 420. In this way, the first cameras 50R and 50L are configured to face opposite directions, so that the first cameras 50R and 50L can be used to simultaneously photograph the display shelf 410 and the inventory shelf 420 respectively while keeping the arm 20 in the same posture.

[0045] The performance of the first cameras 50R and 50L can be the same or different. However, below, for simplicity of explanation, an example in which the two cameras have the same performance is described. However, the purpose and shooting conditions for photographing the display shelf 410 are different from the purpose and shooting conditions for photographing the inventory shelf 420. Therefore, of course, cameras with different performances can also be used in accordance with their respective purposes and conditions.

[0046] The first cameras 50R and 50L may, for example, also have an imaging element that generates an imaging image (in one example, an RGB image) formed by a two-dimensional arrangement of pixels; and a depth sensor, which is a distance detection device that generates distance data. The depth sensor only needs to be able to obtain the distance data to the object, and is not limited to a specific method. For example, a stereo lens method or a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) method can be used. The depth sensor may, for example, also generate a Depth image. In other embodiments of the present invention, either one or both of the first cameras 50R and 50L may use ultrasonic elements to obtain distance data.

[0047] In addition, the first camera 50L faces the first orientation A1. However, this means that the imaging direction of the imaging element and the depth sensor of the first camera 50L is the orientation A1. Similarly, the first camera 50R facing the second orientation A2 means that the imaging direction of the imaging element and the depth sensor of the first camera 50R is the orientation A2. The orientation A1 and the orientation A2 do not necessarily need to be 180° opposite orientations, as long as they can photograph the merchandise display shelf 410 and the inventory shelf 420.

[0048] One or both of the first cameras 50R and 50L may also be provided on the holding unit 10. The first cameras 50R and 50L do not necessarily need to be provided on the same member. For example, the first camera 50R may be mounted on one of the link members 21 to 23, and the first camera 50L may be mounted on another of the link members 21 to 23. However, when the first cameras 50R and 50L are provided on the same member, the coordinate system is made common compared to the case where the cameras 50R and 50L are respectively provided on different link members. Therefore, there is an advantage that the calculation of image processing becomes simple.

[0049] The second camera 60 is used to photograph the state in which the holding unit 10 holds the commodity T, the relative positional relationship between the commodity T held by the holding unit 10 and the shelf 411 of the display rack 410, and the like. Similar to the above-described first cameras 50R and 50L, the second camera 60 may also include, for example, an imaging element that generates an imaging image (in one example, an RGB image) formed by a two-dimensional arrangement of pixels, and a depth sensor that generates distance data.

[0050] As an example, the second camera 60 is provided at a position close to the holding unit 10 on the lower side of the link member 23 closest to the holding unit 10 among the link members 21 to 23 of the arm 20. The imaging direction of the imaging element and the depth sensor of the second camera 60 is directed vertically downward ( Figure 3 , Figure 4 the -z direction) or downward and forward (slightly closer to the +x direction side than Figure 3 , Figure 4 the -z direction). Thereby, the second camera 60 can photograph at least the lower part of the commodity T held by the holding unit 10 and the shelf 411 located in front of the holding unit 10.

[0051] The third camera 70 is, for example, a camera that changes its orientation according to the operation of an operator in the distance to photograph a specified object. As an example, the third camera 70 is mounted on a part of the lifting mechanism 90. The third camera 70 can perform horizontal movement and lifting movement in the space between the display rack 410 and the stock rack 420 as the horizontal movement mechanism 80 and the lifting mechanism 90 operate. In addition, the part of the lifting mechanism 90 on which the third camera 70 is mounted can rotate around the support column 95, and the third camera 70 is configured to be able to rotate and move in the left-right direction around the support column 95 as this part rotates, so as to photograph the display rack 410 or the stock rack 420 as needed.

[0052] The third camera 70 can also be, for example, a camera in a stereo lens format. Although not limited, the third camera 70 can also have a wider viewing angle than the first cameras 50R, 50L, and the second camera 60.

[0053] The horizontal movement mechanism 80 has a bottom plate 81 and a drive mechanism (not shown). The bottom plate 81 is for supporting the lifting mechanism 90 and slides along a guide rail R (refer to Figure 1 ) laid between the display rack 410 and the inventory rack 420 in the store. The drive mechanism (not shown) includes a motor, rollers, etc., and this drive mechanism (not shown) operates based on a control signal from the control device 150 (refer to Figure 5 ) to move the lifting mechanism 90 to a specified position along the guide rail.

[0054] At both ends (the left and right ends in the illustrated X direction) or near them in the moving direction of the guide rail along the bottom plate 81, there is provided a terminal detection sensor 32 (refer to Figure 5 ), and this terminal detection sensor 32 detects the case where the bottom plate 81 reaches the first position which is an end in one direction or the second position which is an end in the other direction of the guide rail R (refer to Figure 1 ). As the terminal detection sensor 32, for example, a limit switch that can detect in an electrical or mechanical manner the case of abutting against an abutting portion (not shown) provided near both ends of the guide rail R (refer to Figure 1 ), a light sensor that detects the return light using a reflector provided near both ends of the guide rail R (refer to Figure 1 ) can be used. Since the bottom plate 81 is equipped with such a terminal detection sensor 32, when the bottom plate 81 moves on the guide rail R and the terminal detection sensor 32 detects the detected portion (the above-mentioned abutting portion, reflector, etc.) provided on the guide rail R, the movement of the bottom plate 81 can be stopped so that the bottom plate 81 does not move further and detach from the guide rail R. In addition, the calibration of the position of the bottom plate 81 on the guide rail R can also be performed by intentionally moving the bottom plate 81 in either direction along both ends of the guide rail R until the terminal detection sensor 32 detects the detected portion provided on the guide rail R.

[0055] The lifting mechanism 90 has a support column 95, a first lifting mechanism 91 as a main body portion, and a second lifting mechanism 92. The support column 95 is fixed to the bottom plate 81 and extends in the vertical direction.

[0056] The first lifting mechanism 91 has a drive mechanism (not shown). The drive mechanism (not shown) includes a motor, a linear guide, etc., and this drive mechanism (not shown) operates based on a control signal from the control device 150 (refer to Figure 5) is actuated by a control signal. By actuating a drive mechanism (not shown), the first elevating mechanism 91 is configured to move up and down in the vertical direction along the support column 95 and to be rotationally driven in the left-right direction about the support column 95. Further, the upper portion 91a, which is the first main body portion of the first elevating mechanism 91 on which the third camera 70 is mounted, is configured to be rotationally driven in the left-right direction about the support column 95 with respect to the lower portion 91b, which is the second main body portion of the first elevating mechanism 91. The above-described third camera 70 is mounted on the upper portion 91a of the first elevating mechanism 91, and the upper portion 91a functions as the head of the merchandise moving device 1 that can rotate in the left-right direction.

[0057] A sensor 40 for detecting the reference position height of the support column 95 is provided in the first elevating mechanism 91 (see Figure 5 ). For example, a sensor 40 such as an electric or mechanical limit sensor is provided in the first elevating mechanism 91, and a detected portion (not shown) such as a contact portion is provided at a prescribed reference height position in the vertical direction of the support column 95. By moving the first elevating mechanism 91 relative to the support column 95 in the vertical direction until detection using the sensor 42 and the detected portion is performed, position alignment and calibration of the reference height position of the first elevating mechanism 91 with respect to the support column 95 can be performed. The sensor 40 is configured to be able to detect, for example, the upper limit position and the lower limit position of the first elevating mechanism 91 with respect to the support column 95.

[0058] A sensor 34 for detecting the reference position in the rotational direction about the support column 95 of the support column 95 is provided in the upper portion 91a of the first elevating mechanism 91 (see Figure 5 ). As the sensor 34, for example, a limit switch that can detect, electrically or mechanically, contact with a contact portion (not shown) provided at a prescribed reference position of the support column 95, a light sensor that detects return light using a reflector provided at a prescribed reference position of the support column 95, or the like can be used. Since the upper portion 91a of the first elevating mechanism 91 is provided with such a sensor 34, by rotationally driving the upper portion 91a about the support column 95 until the sensor 34 detects the detected portion (the above-described contact portion, reflector, etc.) provided at the reference position of the support column 95, calibration of the rotational direction position of the upper portion 91a of the first elevating mechanism 91 with respect to the support column 95 can be performed.

[0059] Further, a sensor 36 is provided in the upper portion 91a or the lower portion 91b of the first elevating mechanism 91 (see Figure 5), the sensor 36 detects the relative position of the lower part 91b of the first lifting mechanism 91 with respect to the upper part 91a in the rotational direction centered on the support column 95. As the sensor 36, for example, a magnetic sensor is provided on one of the upper part 91a and the lower part 91b, and a magnet (not shown) serving as a detected part detected by the magnetic sensor is provided on the other. As the magnetic sensor, for example, a Hall sensor, which is a sensor applying the Hall effect, can be used. The Hall sensor converts the intensity and orientation of a magnetic field into the magnitude of a voltage with positive and negative polarities. For example, by rotating the lower part 91b relative to the upper part 91a centered on the support column 95 until the magnetic sensor detects the magnet, it is possible to detect that the upper part 91a and the lower part 91b are arranged at positions where the positions of the magnetic sensor 36 and the magnet in the rotational direction coincide with each other. As the sensor 36, an optical sensor or a limit switch can also be used instead of the magnetic sensor.

[0060] Further, a distance measuring sensor 38 is provided on the upper part 91a of the first lifting mechanism 91 (refer to Figure 3 and Figure 5 ). The distance measuring sensor 38 is used to measure the distance between the equipment around the merchandise moving device 1 (particularly the walls located in the extending directions of both ends of the guide rail R) and the merchandise moving device 1. As the distance measuring sensor 38, for example, a reflection type laser sensor of the ToF (Time of Flight) method can be used. The reflection type laser sensor of the ToF method can measure the distance to the surface of an object based on the time from when a pulsed laser is projected until it is reflected from the surface of the object and returns. Since the upper part 91a of the first lifting mechanism 91 is provided with such a distance measuring sensor 36, by directing the distance measuring sensor 38 in one direction of the extending direction of the guide rail R to measure the distance to the wall located in this direction, and rotating the upper part 91a so that the distance measuring sensor 38 is directed in the other direction of the extending direction of the guide rail R to measure the distance to the wall located in this direction, it is possible to measure the distances to the respective walls located in the two directions of the extending direction of the guide rail R.

[0061] The second lifting mechanism 92 is held by the first lifting mechanism 91. One end of the arm part 20 is attached to the second lifting mechanism 92. The second lifting mechanism 92 has a drive mechanism (not shown). The drive mechanism (not shown) includes a motor, a linear guide, etc., and the drive mechanism (not shown) operates based on a control signal from the control device 150 (refer to Figure 5 ). By operating the drive mechanism (not shown), the second lifting mechanism 92 also moves up and down in the vertical direction.

[0062] A sensor 42 is provided on the first lifting mechanism 91 or the second lifting mechanism 92 (refer toFigure 5 ) The sensor 42 is configured to detect the relative position of the second lifting mechanism 92 with respect to the first lifting mechanism 91 in the vertical direction. For example, a sensor 42 such as a magnetic sensor, an optical sensor, an electrical or mechanical limit sensor is provided on one of the first lifting mechanism 91 and the second lifting mechanism 92, and a detected part (not shown) such as a magnet, a reflector, or an abutting part is provided on the other of the first lifting mechanism 91 and the second lifting mechanism 92. By moving the second lifting mechanism 92 relative to the first lifting mechanism 91 in the vertical direction until the detection using the sensor 42 and the detected part is performed, the second lifting mechanism 92 can be arranged at the reference height position of the first lifting mechanism 91. The sensor 42 and the detected part are configured to detect, for example, the upper limit height and the lower limit height of the second lifting mechanism 92 relative to the first lifting mechanism 91.

[0063] When it is necessary to grip the commodity T existing at a specified height, the lifting mechanism 90 moves the arm part 20 and the gripping part 10 to a position near the height at which the commodity T can be gripped by the first lifting mechanism 91, and finely adjusts the height of the arm part 20 and the gripping part 10 by the second lifting mechanism 92.

[0064] In addition, in the present embodiment, the first lifting mechanism 91 and the second lifting mechanism 92 are provided as the lifting mechanism. However, in other aspects of the present invention, a configuration in which only one lifting mechanism is provided may also be adopted.

[0065] <Structure of the control device 150>

[0066] As Figure 5 shown, the control device 150 includes a control unit 151, a storage unit 160, an input unit 191, an output unit 193, and a communication unit 195. In Figure 5 this, the control device 150 is depicted as a single element. However, the control device 150 does not necessarily need to be physically one element and may be composed of a plurality of physically separated elements.

[0067] The input unit 191 is a device for receiving inputs from an operator. The input unit 191 can be composed of devices for inputting to a computer such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel. The input unit 191 may also include a voice input device such as a microphone. In addition, the input unit 191 may also include a gesture input device that discriminates the movement of the operator by image recognition.

[0068] The output unit 193 is a device for the merchandise moving device 1 to output warnings to a store clerk or the like, and is constituted by, for example, one or a combination of a speaker, a display, a light emitting device, and a vibration device. The communication unit 195 has a function of receiving data from the outside and a function of transmitting data to the outside. In the case where the merchandise moving device 1 has a remotely operable structure, an input from an operator is received via an operation unit of an external device (not shown) by the communication unit 195, and the control device 150 causes the merchandise moving device 1 to perform a prescribed action based on this input. Further, the communication between the operation unit of the external device and the communication unit 195 may be either wired communication or wireless communication.

[0069] In the case where the merchandise moving device 1 has a remotely operable structure, the operation unit 191 may also be a device worn by the operator. This device includes a display device (not shown) and an operation device (not shown). The display device may also be, for example, a head-mounted display (HMD) having a display that can be visually recognized by the operator. The operation device may also include, for example, one or more input sensors that can detect the movement of a part of the operator's body (such as a hand or an arm).

[0070] The storage unit 160 includes transient or non-transient storage media such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The storage unit 160 stores computer programs executed by the control unit 151, a learned model described later, and the like. The computer programs stored in the storage unit 160 include references Figure 8 and Figure 9 commands and the like described later for implementing the control method of the merchandise moving device 1 performed by the control unit 151.

[0071] The storage unit 160 has an acquisition data storage unit 160a and a reference data storage unit 160b. In the acquisition data storage unit 160a, for example, captured image data captured by each of the cameras 50R, 50L, 60, and 70 is saved. In the reference data storage unit 160b, various data required for the operation of the merchandise moving device 1 is saved. These various data include, for example, data related to the merchandise display rack 410 and the inventory rack 420 (respective shape data, position data, or aisle coordinate data, etc.), and data related to the merchandise T (shape data, position data, etc.). In particular, in the present embodiment, data related to the distance between the center position of each aisle on each shelf 411 of the display rack 410 and the partition plates 412 on its left and right is stored in the reference data storage unit 160b.

[0072] The control unit 151 is composed of, for example, one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units). The control unit 151 functions as an operation control unit 152, a camera control unit 153, and an image data processing unit 155 by executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 160.

[0073] The operation control unit 152 generates control signals for causing the holding unit 10, the arm unit 20, the horizontal movement mechanism 80, the lifting mechanism 90, and each part of the control device 150 to operate. The operation control unit 152 generates control signals with reference to the input signals from the operation unit 191 and various data stored in the storage unit 160. The generation of the control signals can also be performed using the processing results in the image data processing unit 155. The operation control unit 152 also transmits and receives data via the communication unit 195 and performs a prescribed output via the output unit 193.

[0074] The camera control unit 153 controls the operations of the cameras 50R, 50L, 60, and 70. Regarding the imaging timing of each of the cameras 50R, 50L, 60, and 70, for example, the data pre-stored in the reference data storage unit 160b can also be used to determine it.

[0075] The image data processing unit 155 performs various information processes using the captured image data and distance data (depth data) captured by the cameras 50R, 50L, 60, and 70. As an example, the image data processing unit 155 performs image analysis on the image data captured by the first camera 50R to identify the products arranged in the inventory shelf 420. The image data processing unit 155 includes a displayability determination unit 155a, a gripping object determination unit 155b, a passage determination unit 155c, and a product position determination unit 155d.

[0076] The displayability determination unit 155a determines, based on at least one of the captured image data and distance data captured by the first camera 50L, whether there is a space Sp (refer to Figure 6 ) where a product can be further arranged behind the last product T arranged in the display shelf 410. Figure 6 It is an image of the display shelf 410 captured by the first camera 50L of the product moving device 1. When there is a space Sp, it is necessary to replenish the product T. Therefore, when there is a space Sp, the displayability determination unit 155a sends a notice to the operation control unit 151 indicating the intention to replenish the product T on the shelf 411 below the space Sp. The operation control unit 151 performs a replenishment operation for the product T when it receives this notice.

[0077] The gripping object determination unit 155b performs at least one of the processes of determining whether there is a replenishment target product as a gripping object in the stock shelf 420, determining the size or shape of the replenishment target product, and determining the gripping position of the replenishment target product, based on at least one of the captured image data and the distance data captured by the first camera 50R. In Figure 1 In the case of the product T having the lid member Tb as shown, the gripping object determination unit 155b sets the gripping position, for example, near the lid member Tb. On the other hand, in the case where the product T is a canned beverage or the like without a lid member, the gripping object determination unit 155b may also set the side portion of the container as the gripping position.

[0078] The passage determination unit 155c performs image analysis on the image of the rear surface of the display shelf 410 captured by the product moving device 1 to determine the coordinates of each passage on the shelf 411 and the central position of each passage (the central position in the width direction of each passage). The passage determination unit 155c may further determine the coordinates of the product T on the display shelf 410. In addition, the passage determination unit 155c may assign an image such as a point to the position in the image corresponding to the determined coordinates.

[0079] The product position determination unit 155d analyzes the captured image data captured by the second camera 60 when the product T held by the gripping unit 10 is moved above the product placement position (the passage of the placement target) of the shelf 411 of the product display shelf 410 to determine the positional relationship in the arrangement direction of the plurality of passages between the reference position of the passage on the shelf 411 for placing the product and the product arranged above the passage.

[0080] (Product replenishment operation by the product moving device 1)

[0081] Figure 7 It is a flowchart showing the replenishment operation of the product T by the product moving device 1.

[0082] First, in step S11, the rear surface of the display shelf 410 is photographed by the first camera 50L provided on the arm portion 20 of the product moving device 1. The product moving device 1 moves the arm portion 20, the horizontal movement mechanism 80, and the lifting mechanism 90 so that each layer of the display shelf 410 can be photographed using the first camera 50L. Then, the product moving device 1 operates the first camera 50L to obtain an image of the rear surface of the display shelf 410 and obtains the distance data up to the product T arranged on the display shelf 410.

[0083] Next, in step S12, a determination as to whether or not to display is made. "Determining whether or not to display" is a step in which the displayability determination unit 155a in the image data processing unit 155 of the merchandise moving device 1 analyzes an image of the rear surface of the display shelf that has been captured to determine which merchandise T can be displayed on which shelf 411 (in other words, which merchandise T is the merchandise that needs to be replenished). The merchandise moving device 1 acquires Figure 6 an image of the rear surface of the display shelf 410 as such.

[0084] The lane determination unit 155c in the image data processing unit 155 of the merchandise moving device 1 determines the lanes on the shelves 411 of the merchandise display shelf 410 based on the captured data captured by the first camera 50L. Moreover, since the image data processing unit 155 of the merchandise moving device 1 can acquire distance data up to the merchandise T (depth data Dep visually shown in Figure 6 ), in the case where the display quantity of merchandise T in lanes such as "7" and "8" has decreased, it is possible to recognize that there is a space Sp behind the merchandise T. The displayability determination unit 155a of the merchandise moving device 1 determines whether there is a space Sp for the merchandise T based on the distance data up to the merchandise T, and thereby determines whether it is possible to further display the merchandise T in lanes "7" and "8". Through the process of step S12, it is determined which merchandise T needs to be replenished on which shelf 411 of the display shelf 410.

[0085] In addition, the method for determining whether a merchandise needs to be replenished is not limited to the above method, and various methods can be used. For example, it is also possible to determine what percentage of the merchandise T is arranged in a prescribed three-dimensional space, and determine that the merchandise T needs to be replenished when this value is below a prescribed reference value.

[0086] Next, in step S13, the stock shelf 420 is photographed. The merchandise moving device 1 operates the arm unit 20, the horizontal movement mechanism 80, the lifting mechanism 90, and the first camera 50R to photograph the stock shelf 420 from the front surface side. As an example, the merchandise moving device 1 photographs the stock shelf 420 layer by layer to acquire a photographed image indicating the stock status of the merchandise T. It is not necessary to photograph the stock shelf 420 after photographing the display shelf 410, and the stock shelf 420 may be photographed before photographing the display shelf 410.

[0087] Next, in step S14, the image data processing unit 155 of the merchandise moving device 1 analyzes the captured image of the inventory rack 420 obtained in step S13 to identify the merchandise arranged in the inventory rack 420. In addition, the gripping object determination unit 155b of the image data processing unit 155 determines the gripping position of the merchandise. Through the processes up to this point, the merchandise moving device 1 obtains information indicating which merchandise T needs to be replenished at which position on which shelf 411 of the display rack 410, and information indicating the position in the inventory rack 420 where the replenishment target merchandise corresponding to the merchandise T is located and the gripping position of the replenishment target merchandise.

[0088] Next, in step S15, the merchandise moving device 1 performs a merchandise replenishment operation (pick-up and placement operation) based on the information obtained above. Specifically, the motion control unit 152 of the control unit 151 (refer to Figure 5 ) of the merchandise moving device 1 causes the arm unit 20, the horizontal movement mechanism 80, and the lifting mechanism 90 to operate, so that the gripping unit 10 moves toward a predetermined replenishment target merchandise in the inventory rack 420. Then, the gripping unit 10 grips the predetermined gripping position of the replenishment target merchandise and lifts the replenishment target merchandise. After that, the motion control unit 152 causes the arm unit 20, the horizontal movement mechanism 80, and the lifting mechanism 90 to operate, so that the gripped merchandise T is moved to a predetermined placement position on the display rack 410, and the merchandise T is released from the gripping unit 10, thereby placing the merchandise T at the predetermined position. Thereafter, the merchandise moving device 1 repeats the same pick-up and placement operations to complete the replenishment of the merchandise T.

[0089] The above series of processes are the basic operations for the merchandise moving device 1 to automatically replenish the merchandise T from the inventory rack 420 to the display rack 410. Before such a merchandise moving device 1 restarts a stopped system and starts the operation of the merchandise moving device 1, the system needs to identify the position and posture of the merchandise moving device 1 itself and its respective parts at that time point. When starting the operation of the merchandise moving device 1 without identifying these positions and postures, depending on these positions and postures at the time of restart, the gripping unit 10 and the arm unit 20 may collide with the display rack or the like due to the driving operations of the respective parts at the start of the operation of the merchandise moving device 1, resulting in damage to them. The present embodiment provides a solution for preventing damage to the merchandise moving device and the surrounding equipment when restarting the merchandise moving device and starting the operation.

[0090] <Operation Example>

[0091] Figure 8 is a flowchart for explaining an operation example of the merchandise moving device 1 of the present embodiment.

[0092] First, in step S21, the distance between the upper part 91a (head) of the first lifting mechanism 91 of the merchandise moving device 1 and the central part of the front end of the arm part 20 of the first lifting mechanism 92 of the merchandise moving device 1 (corresponding to the wrist part of the arm part 20) is obtained to determine whether there is a possibility of contact between the upper part 91a (head) and the central part of the front end of the arm part 20.

[0093] In step S21, the control unit 151 of the merchandise moving device 1 acquires the position of the front end of the arm part 20 relative to the center of the lifting mechanism 90 (the central position of the wrist part of the holding part 10). As described above, the acquisition of this position can be achieved by the control unit 151 accumulating the rotation angles of the respective joint parts that rotate and drive the respective link members 21, 22, 23 output from the respective absolute encoders. When the distance between the center position of the lifting mechanism 90 and the position of the front end of the arm part 20 is equal to or greater than a specified distance, the control unit 151 determines that there is no possibility of contact between the upper part 91a (head) and the central part of the front end of the arm part 20, and the process proceeds to step S22.

[0094] Next, in step S22, the motion control unit 152 of the control unit 151 of the merchandise moving device 1 (refer to Figure 5 ) calibrates the position of the upper part 91a (head) of the first lifting mechanism 91 of the merchandise moving device 1 relative to the reference position in the rotation direction around the support column 95.

[0095] Figure 9 FIG. is a diagram conceptually showing the positional relationship between the upper part 91a and the lower part 91b of the lifting mechanism 91 in the rotation direction around the support column 95. As Figure 9 shown in (a) of Figure 9 , the motion control unit 152, for example, rotates the upper part 91a of the lifting mechanism 91 around the support column 95 by at least one full rotation in one direction, or rotates it by at least half a rotation in each of the left and right directions around the support column 95. During these rotation operations, the sensor 34 provided on the upper part 91a of the lifting mechanism 91 ( Figure 9 the "△" mark in

[0096] Next, in step S23, the motion control unit 152 detects the position of the lower part 91b of the lifting mechanism 91 of the merchandise moving device 1 in the rotation direction around the support column 95. As Figure 9As shown in (b) of [description], the motion control unit 152, for example, causes the upper part 91a of the lifting mechanism 91 to rotate around the support column 95 in one direction by at least one full turn, or rotate around the support column 95 in each of the left and right directions by at least half a turn. During these rotational motions, the sensor 36 provided on the upper part 91a or the lower part 91b of the first lifting mechanism 91 is used to detect the position of the lower part 91b in the rotational direction centered on the support column 95. As an example, in the case where a Hall sensor is used as the sensor 36, as the Hall sensor (as an example, provided on the upper part 91a) provided on one of the upper part 91a and the lower part 91b Figure 9 and the "〇" mark in [description] approaches the magnet (as an example, provided on the lower part 90b) provided on the other of them Figure 9 and the "●" mark in [description], the output voltage rises, and as it moves away from the closest position, the output voltage drops. Therefore, the position at which the output voltage obtained from the Hall sensor during the rotational motion of the upper part 90a is at a peak can be detected as the position where the relative positions of the upper part 91a and the lower part 91b in the rotational direction coincide with each other.

[0097] In the above step S22, the position of the upper part 91a relative to the reference position in the rotational direction around the support column 95 is detected, and calibration is performed to make this position the origin position. Therefore, the motion control unit 152 calculates the position where the upper part 91a and the lower part 91b coincide with each other in the rotational direction detected in step S22 as the position after the upper part 90a has rotated by how many degrees in which direction (left or right) from the origin position of the upper part 91a (refer to Figure 9 the (c) of [description]), so that the position where the lower part 91b of the first lifting mechanism 91 is arranged after moving by how many degrees in which direction (left or right) from the reference position in the rotational direction around the support column 95 can be obtained. In addition, the positional relationship between the respective sensors 34 and 36 on the upper part 91a is known in the system of the merchandise moving device 1 and is stored, for example, in the storage unit 160.

[0098] Next, in step S24, the motion control unit 152 determines the position and posture of the arm portion 20 in the merchandise moving device 1. The rotational angles of the respective joint portions that rotationally drive the respective link members 21, 22, and 23 of the arm portion 20 can be obtained by the absolute encoders provided in the respective joint portions as described above. In addition, the length dimensions of the respective link members 21, 22, and 23 are known in the system of the merchandise moving device 1 and are stored in the storage unit 160, for example. And the motion control unit 152 obtains, in step S23, the position where the lower portion 91b of the first elevating mechanism 91 provided with the arm portion 20 is arranged after moving by how many degrees in which direction (left or right) from the reference position in the rotational direction around the support column 95. Therefore, the motion control unit 152 can calculate and obtain the position and posture of the arm portion 20 relative to the merchandise moving device 1 based on this information.

[0099] Next, in step S25, the motion control unit 152 determines whether the position of the arm portion 20 is within the area between the two guide rails R, which is the track on the floor between the display rack 410 and the inventory rack 420 in the store. In the system of the merchandise moving device 1, the positional relationship between the merchandise moving device 1 and the two guide rails R on which it is placed is known and is stored in the storage unit 160, for example. Therefore, the motion control unit 152 can determine whether the position of the arm portion 20 obtained in step S24 is within the area between the two guide rails R. When the position of the arm portion 20 is within the area between the two guide rails R, it is regarded as a safe position where the arm portion 20 and the gripping portion 10 will not accidentally come into contact with the racks 410 and 420 when starting the merchandise moving operation later.

[0100] When it is determined in step S25 that the arm portion 20 is not within the area between the two guide rails R ("No"), the process proceeds to step S26. In step S26, the motion control unit 152 drives the arm portion 20 so as to retract the arm portion 20 into the area between the two guide rails R. As an example, as Figure 10 shown, the operation of retracting the arm portion 20 into the area between the two guide rails R is preferably performed by rotationally driving the respective joint portions of the arm portion 20 and the lower portion 91b of the first elevating mechanism 91 so that the arm portion 20 moves in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the guide rails R. By retracting the arm portion 20 into the area between the two guide rails R by moving the arm portion 20 in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the guide rails R in this way, even when a part of the arm portion 20 and the gripping portion 10 are located between the upper and lower shelves of the racks 410 and 420, the possibility of their contact with the shelves, support column portions, etc. of the racks 410 and 420 during the retracting operation of the arm portion 20 can be suppressed.

[0101] When it is determined in step S25 that the arm 20 is within the region between the two guide rails R ("Yes"), or when the operation of retracting the arm 20 into the region between the two guide rails R is performed in step S26, the process proceeds to step S27. In step S27, the motion control unit 152 moves the second lifting mechanism 92 downward in the vertical direction relative to the first lifting mechanism 91 until it is detected by the sensor 42 and the detected portion that the second lifting mechanism 92 is at the lower limit height, thereby performing calibration related to the lower limit height position of the second lifting mechanism 92 relative to the first lifting mechanism 91. Also, in step S27, the motion control unit 152 moves the first lifting mechanism 91 downward along the column 95 until it is detected by the lower sensor of the sensor 40 that the first lifting mechanism 91 is at the lower limit position, thereby performing calibration related to the lower limit position of the first lifting mechanism 91 relative to the column 95.

[0102] Next, in step S28, the motion control unit 152 measures the distances from the merchandise moving device 1 to the walls extending from the two ends of the guide rails R respectively, so as to obtain the position of the merchandise moving device 1 on the guide rails R. In the system of the merchandise moving device 1, the relationship between the direction of the reference position in the rotational direction around the column 95 and the direction in which the two guide rails R extend is known and is stored, for example, in the storage unit 160. Therefore, the motion control unit 152 rotationally drives the upper portion 90a so that the distance measuring sensor 38 provided on the upper portion 90a of the lifting mechanism 90 faces one of the extending directions of the two guide rails R, and causes the distance measuring sensor 38 to operate to measure the distance to the wall extending in this direction. Then, the motion control unit 152 rotationally drives the upper portion 90a so that the distance measuring sensor 38 faces the other extending direction of the two guide rails R, to measure the distance to the wall extending in this direction. Thus, the distances to the walls extending from the two ends of the guide rails R respectively can be measured.

[0103] In the system of the merchandise moving device 1, the distance from one end of the two guide rails R to the wall in its extending direction, the distance from the other end of the two guide rails R to the wall in its extending direction, and the length of the two guide rails R (the distance between the two ends) are known, and this information is also stored, for example, in the storage unit 160. Thus, the motion control unit 152 can obtain the position of the merchandise moving device 1 on the guide rails R based on the respective distances to these two walls measured as described above and the above-mentioned known information. For example, the position of the center of the column 95 of the merchandise moving device 1 can be set as the position of the merchandise moving device 1 on the guide rails R.

[0104] Next, in step S29, the motion control unit 152 moves the arm unit 20 to a safe posture (safe position). The safe posture of the arm unit 20 refers to a state in which each link member of the arm unit 20 is folded so that the arm unit 20 is located in the vicinity of the lifting mechanism 90. When the merchandise moving device 1 is moved in a state where the arm unit 20 is extended, the front end of the arm unit 20 may come into contact with a shelf or a wall depending on the situation. However, by setting the arm unit 20 to such a safe posture, the possibility of such contact can be reduced.

[0105] Next, in step S30, the motion control unit 152 operates the horizontal movement mechanism 80 to move the merchandise moving device 1 in either direction along the guide rail R, and performs position detection and calibration of the merchandise moving device 1 with respect to a reference position on the guide rail R. The motion control unit 152 moves the merchandise moving device 1 along the guide rail R until the end detection sensor 32 detects a detected portion provided near both ends of the guide rail R, and sets the position where the end detection sensor 32 detects the detected portion as the reference position on the guide rail R, thereby calibrating the position of the merchandise moving device 1 on the guide rail R.

[0106] Finally, in step S31, the motion control unit 152 moves the first lifting mechanism 91 upward along the column 95 until the upper sensor of the sensor 40 detects that the first lifting mechanism 91 is at the upper limit position, thereby performing calibration related to the upper limit position of the first lifting mechanism 91 with respect to the column 95. And in step S29, the motion control unit 152 moves the second lifting mechanism 92 vertically upward with respect to the first lifting mechanism 91 until the upper limit height of the second lifting mechanism 92 is detected by the sensor 42 and the detected portion, thereby performing calibration related to the upper limit height position of the second lifting mechanism 92 with respect to the first lifting mechanism 91.

[0107] Through the above, calibration related to the rotational direction and vertical position of the first lifting mechanism 91 with respect to the column 95, the rotational direction and vertical position of the second lifting mechanism 92 with respect to the first lifting mechanism 91, the position (posture) of the arm unit 20, and the position of the merchandise moving device 1 on the guide rail R is completed. When the above operations are completed, the merchandise moving device 1 is arranged at the starting position at either end on the guide rail R in a state where the arm unit 20 is arranged in a safe posture. The merchandise moving device 1 starts the above-described merchandise moving operation from this starting position.

[0108] As described above, according to the present embodiment, after it is determined that the arm unit 20 is arranged in the area between the guide rails R on which the merchandise moving device 1 is mounted or the arm unit 20 is moved to the area between the guide rails R, a calibration operation accompanied by the vertical movement of the lifting mechanism 90 of the merchandise moving device 1 and the movement of the horizontal movement mechanism 80 on the guide rail R is executed.

[0109] It can be performed by the following process to determine that the region where the arm 20 is disposed between the guide rails R of the merchandise moving device 1: Rotate the upper part 90a of the lifting mechanism 90 around the support column 95 to perform position detection and calibration of the reference position of the upper part 90a relative to the support column 95; and perform position detection of the reference position of the lower part 90b relative to the support column 95. In the operation of only rotating the upper part 90a around the support column 95, a part of the merchandise moving device 1 has no possibility of contacting the devices around the merchandise moving device 1, etc. Therefore, in the operation of determining the region where the arm 20 is disposed between the guide rails R, breakage of the arm 20, the gripping part 10, and the surrounding devices, etc. cannot occur.

[0110] Moreover, by moving the arm 20 in the direction orthogonal to the guide rails R to perform the retraction operation of the arm 20 into the region between the guide rails R, the possibility of a part of the arm 20 and the gripping part 10 contacting the shelves and support columns of the racks 410 and 420 during this retraction operation can be minimized. And by moving the merchandise moving device 1 on the guide rails R in a state where the arm 20 is disposed in the region between the guide rails R, it is possible to prevent a part of the arm 20 and the gripping part 10 from contacting the shelves and support columns of the racks 410 and 420 during this movement.

[0111] In addition, it is reliable that as long as the arm 20 is located within the region between the two guide rails R, the arm 20 and the gripping part 10 at its front end are in positions away from the surrounding devices such as the racks 410 and 420. Therefore, even if a calibration operation is performed from this state to move the lifting mechanism 90 and the horizontal movement mechanism 80 of the merchandise moving device 1, the possibility of the arm 20 and the gripping part 10 contacting the surrounding devices, etc. is low. Based on such an estimation, the motion control unit 152 can perform a calibration operation accompanied by the up-and-down movement of the lifting mechanism 90 and the movement of the horizontal movement mechanism 80 on the guide rails R after determining that the arm 20 is located within the region between the two guide rails R or after the arm 20 retracts into the region between the two guide rails R.

[0112] As above, the present invention has been described by the embodiments of the invention, but the above embodiments do not limit the invention related to the claims. In addition, a mode obtained by combining the features described in the embodiments of the present invention can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention. And it is also obvious for those skilled in the art to make various changes or improvements to the above embodiments.

Claims

1. A commodity moving device for moving a commodity placed on a storage rack to a display rack different from the storage rack, the commodity moving device comprising: An arm portion having a gripping portion for gripping the commodity; A moving mechanism that moves in the area between the inventory rack and the display rack; An acquisition unit that acquires the position of the arm portion; and A control unit that controls the arm portion, the gripping portion, the moving mechanism, and the acquisition unit, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the following processes: Acquire, by the acquisition unit, the position of the arm portion relative to the reference position of the merchandise moving device when starting from the operation stop state; Determine whether the arm portion is within a specified area between the inventory rack and the display rack; and When the arm portion is not within the specified area, move the arm portion into the specified area.

2. The commodity moving device according to claim 1, wherein, A track for the moving mechanism to move is provided between the inventory rack and the display rack, and the specified area is an area on the track, Moving the arm portion into the specified area includes horizontally moving the arm portion in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the track.

3. The commodity moving device according to claim 1, wherein, The merchandise moving device further includes: A pillar that has the reference position and is fixed to the moving mechanism; and A main body portion on which the arm portion is provided, and the main body portion is supported by the pillar so as to be rotatable about the pillar, The main body portion includes: A first main body part that rotates about the pillar; And A second main body part that rotates about the pillar independently of the first main body part, The acquisition unit includes: A first sensor that is provided on the first main body part and is used to detect the reference position of the pillar; A second sensor that detects the position of the second main body part relative to the first main body part in the rotational direction about the pillar; and A third sensor that acquires the posture information of the arm portion, Acquiring the position of the arm portion relative to the reference position of the merchandise moving device by the acquisition unit includes the following processes: Rotating the first main body part about the pillar until the first sensor detects the position of the reference position of the pillar, to calibrate the position of the first main body part relative to the reference position of the pillar; Rotating the first main body part about the pillar until the second sensor detects the position of the second main body part; Based on the reference position acquired by the first sensor and the position of the second main body part acquired by the second sensor, acquire the rotational position of the second main body part relative to the reference position of the pillar in the rotational direction about the pillar; and Based on the rotational position of the second main body part and the posture information of the arm portion acquired by the third sensor, determine the position of the arm portion relative to the reference position of the merchandise moving device.

4. The commodity moving device according to claim 3, wherein, The main body portion is configured to be movable along the pillar in the vertical direction, and the arm portion is configured to be movable relative to the main body portion in the vertical direction, The commodity moving device includes: a fourth sensor that detects the height of the main body portion relative to the support column; and a fifth sensor that detects the height of the arm portion relative to the main body portion. The control unit is configured to further execute the following processes: Moving the arm portion downward relative to the main body portion until the fifth sensor detects that the arm portion is at the lower limit height position of the main body portion to calibrate the position of the arm portion relative to the lower limit height position of the main body portion; and Moving the main body portion downward relative to the support column until the fourth sensor detects that the main body portion is at the lower limit height position of the support column to calibrate the position of the main body portion relative to the lower limit height position of the support column.

5. The commodity moving device according to claim 4, wherein, A track for the moving mechanism to move is provided between the inventory rack and the display rack, and the specified area is an area on the track. The commodity moving device includes a sixth sensor that detects the position of the commodity moving device on the track. The control unit is configured to further execute the following process: detecting the position of the commodity moving device on the track through the sixth sensor.

6. The merchandise moving device according to claim 5, wherein, The control unit is configured to further execute the following process: moving the arm portion to a safe position.

7. The merchandise moving device according to claim 6, wherein, The commodity moving device includes a seventh sensor that detects the end position of the track in at least one direction of the extending direction of the track. The control unit is configured to further execute the following process: moving the moving mechanism in the at least one direction until the seventh sensor detects the end position to calibrate the position of the commodity moving device relative to the end position of the track.

8. A control method for a merchandise moving device, the merchandise moving device being configured to move merchandise placed on a storage rack to a display rack different from the storage rack, The merchandise moving device includes: An arm portion having a gripping portion for gripping the merchandise; A moving mechanism that moves in an area between the storage rack and the display rack; An acquisition unit that acquires the position of the arm portion; and A control unit that controls the arm portion, the gripping portion, the moving mechanism, and the acquisition unit, The control method includes the following processes executed by the control unit: Acquire, by the acquisition unit, the position of the arm portion relative to a reference position of the merchandise moving device when starting the merchandise moving device from an operation stop state; Determining whether the arm portion is within a specified area between the inventory rack and the display rack; And When the arm portion is not within the specified area, moving the arm portion into the specified area.

9. A computer program executable by a processor, the computer program including instructions for implementing the method according to claim 8.

Images