Control device, foreign matter removal device, pickup device, and method for controlling pickup device

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 object and the surroundings thereof. The control device includes a control unit that acquires the height of the periphery of the object detected by the detection unit, and controls the pickup unit such that the pickup unit picks up the object at a rotation angle of the pickup member determined according to a position at which the height of the periphery is relatively low.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification discloses a control device, a foreign object removal device, a pickup device, and a control method for the pickup device. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a pickup device for a pickup object, for example, the following pickup device has been proposed: a pickup robot that conveys an object from a conveyance source to a conveyance destination, and a robot hand that is connected to the pickup robot and holds the object. The robot hand includes a suction pad that sucks the object and a clamping portion that clamps the object sucked by the suction pad (for example, refer to Patent Document 1, etc.). In this pickup device, it is possible to perform a screening process for electronic component chips more efficiently.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-186321

[0005] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the device of Patent Document 1, although it has a suction pad and a gripping hand, can automatically sort objects, and can perform a more reliable pickup process, insufficient research has been done on picking up objects more reliably.

[0007] This 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 a control method for the pickup device that can pick up objects more reliably.

[0008] This disclosure adopts the following means to achieve the above main object.

[0009] That is, the control device of this disclosure is for a pickup device, and the above pickup device includes: a pickup unit that picks up an object through a pickup member; and a detection unit that detects the object and its surroundings.

[0010] The above control device includes a control unit that obtains the height of the surroundings of the object detected by the above detection unit, and controls the above pickup unit so that the above pickup unit picks up the object at a rotation angle of the above pickup member determined based on a position relatively lower according to the height of the surroundings.

[0011] This control device determines the rotation angle of the pickup member based on a position relatively lower in the surroundings that becomes an obstacle when picking up an object through the pickup member, and thus can pick up the object while further reducing the influence of surrounding obstacles. Therefore, in this control device, considering surrounding obstacles, it is possible to pick up objects more reliably. Brief Description of the Drawings

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

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

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

[0015] Figure 4 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the surrounding area A and the operating range P of the picking member 49.

[0016] Figure 5 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the surrounding area A and the operating range P of the picking member 49B.

[0017] Figure 6 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the captured images 71 and 82 of the detection unit 31.

[0018] Figure 7 It is a flowchart showing an example of a foreign matter removal processing routine.

[0019] Figure 8 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of setting the rotation angle θ of the picking member 49.

[0020] Figure 9 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the picking process of the foreign matter 14 of the picking member 49.

[0021] Figure 10 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of setting the rotation angle θ of the picking member 49B. Detailed implementation mode

[0022] The embodiments for implementing the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 It 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 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the schematic structure of the foreign matter removal device 30. Figure 3 It is a perspective view showing an example of the schematic structure of the removal unit 40. Figure 4 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the surrounding area A and the operating range Pa of the picking member 49. Figure 5 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the surrounding area A and the operating range P of the picking member 49B. Figure 5 (A) thereof is a perspective view. Figure 5 (B) thereof is an explanatory diagram of the operating range Pb. Figure 6It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the captured images 71 and 82 captured by the detection unit 31. In addition, in the present embodiment, the left - right direction, the front - back direction, and the up - down direction are as Figures 1 - 3 , Figure 6 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.

[0023] 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 the objects of recycling 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 - 25.

[0024] 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, etc.). 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.

[0025] The conveying devices 20 - 25 as the conveying line are devices that place the processing material 12 on the conveying surface and convey it along the conveyance direction D, and are configured as, for example, belt conveyors. In addition, the conveying devices 20 - 25 only need to be devices that convey the processing material 12, and may have a structure other than a belt conveyor.

[0026] The foreign - substance removal device 30 is configured as a picking device for picking up the object, and is a device that places the processing material 12 on the conveying surface of the conveying device 22, conveys the processing material 12 in the conveying line, and picks up and removes the foreign substances 14. As Figure 2 shown, the foreign - substance removal device 30 is composed of a detection unit 31, a removal unit 40, and a control device 50. In addition, the foreign - substance removal device 30 is provided with 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.

[0027] The detection unit 31 is a device that detects the waste material 13 and foreign matter 14 as the objects and the state around the 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 material 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 the 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 material 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 onto 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 conveyed onto the conveying device 22. The measuring unit 33 detects the height of the processing material 12 and the like on the conveying device 22. The measuring unit 33 can also be arranged, for example, 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 irradiated onto 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 using the information in the height direction of the processing material 12. On the other hand, as long as 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] The removing unit 40 is a device that picks up and removes objects such as foreign matter 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 matter 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 detection 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 matter 14 to the waste unit 36 disposed on the side of the conveying device 22. Alternatively, the removing unit 40 may be configured as other structures such as an articulated arm robot.

[0030] The X-axis slider 41 includes a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism 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. In the X-axis slider 41, the removal head 48 is moved along the X-axis direction by the drive mechanism. 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 unit 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 X-axis slider 41 is moved along the Y-axis direction by the drive mechanism.

[0031] The picking unit 45 is a unit that picks up objects such as 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 of the removal head 48 disposed on the X-axis slider 41, and moves the picking member 49 up and down along the Z-axis direction. The drive mechanism may be the same as the drive mechanisms of the X-axis slider 41 and the Y-axis slider 43. Alternatively, a camera and / or a sensor (not shown) may be disposed in the picking unit 45, and 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 that picks up an object and may hold the object. Alternatively, the picking member 49 may be a suction nozzle that adsorbs an object by negative pressure. The picking unit 45 holds 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 holding 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.

[0032] As Figure 3, Figure 4 As shown, the picking member 49 includes: a mounting portion 61, a base portion 62, a support shaft 63, and a gripping claw 64. The mounting portion 61 is a portion capable of connecting and disconnecting from the lifting portion 46 of the removal head 48. The base portion 62 is a main body on which the mounting portion 61, the support shaft 63, and the gripping claw 64 are disposed. The picking member 49 has a base portion 62 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape. A drive portion (not shown) is disposed on the base portion 62, and by this drive portion, the gripping claw 64 is rotated and its front end is opened and closed. Further, the picking member 49 is mounted on the removal head 48 in such a manner that the base portion 62 can be rotated 360° about the vertical axis of the mounting portion 61. The support shaft 63 is a member that supports the gripping claw 64 so as to be rotatable. This support shaft 63 is rotated about its axis by a drive portion (not shown) to open and close the gripping claw 64. The gripping claw 64 is a pair of members for gripping an object. The front end of the gripping claw 64 is formed with a width Wa (see Figure 3 ). Further, as Figure 4 shown, in the picking member 49, an operation range P1 as the operation range of the gripping claw 64 and a surrounding area A1 that takes into account the contact with the gripping claw 64 based on the operation range P1 of the gripping claw 64 are defined, etc. The operation range P1 is a range of a locus depicted by the front end when the gripping claw 64 is opened and closed, and corresponds to a range capable of gripping an object. The surrounding area A1 is determined as an area where the gripping claw 64 comes into contact when the base portion 62 is rotated about its axis and an area where a predetermined margin is provided for this area. The pair of gripping claws 64 of the picking member 49 operate symmetrically to grip an object such as the foreign matter 14.

[0033] In the picking member 49, the pair of gripping claws 64 operate symmetrically. However, for example, as Figure 5 shown, it may also be a picking member 49B including a rotatable gripping claw 64B and a fixed claw 65 fixed to the base portion 62B. The picking member 49B has a plurality of gripping claws 64B and fixed claws 65 having different sizes. The picking member 49B includes: a mounting portion 61B, a base portion 62B, a support shaft 63B, a gripping claw 64B, and a fixed claw 65. The mounting portion 61B and the base portion 62B have the same structure as the mounting portion 61 and the base portion 62, and their description is omitted. The gripping claw 64B is rotatably supported by the support shaft 63B. The fixed claw 65 is fixed to the base portion 62 via a bracket and does not perform operations such as rotation. The fixed claw 65 is formed with a width W2, and the gripping claw 64B is formed with a width W3 narrower than the width W2. Further, the number of claws of the gripping claw 64 and the fixed claw 65 may be the same or different, but if they are different, it is easy to grip the foreign matter 14, and thus it is preferable. In this picking member 49B, an operation range P2 of the gripping claw 64B and a surrounding area A2 when the base portion 62B is rotated are also defined, etc. Further, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the widths W1 to W3 of the gripping claws, the operation ranges P1, P2, and the surrounding areas A1, A2 are collectively referred to as width W, operation range P, and surrounding area A, respectively.

[0034] The control device 50 is a device that controls the entire foreign object 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 composed of, for example, an HDD or a flash memory. Information such as pickup component information 53 is stored in the storage unit 52, for example. The pickup component information 53 includes information related to various pickup components 49 that pick up the foreign object 14 as an object, and corresponds to, for example, the number of gripping claws, size (width W), operating range P, surrounding area A, etc. of the pickup component 49 together with identification information. The control unit 51 uses information such as the pickup component information 53 to obtain the height around the processing material 12 detected by the detection unit 31, and controls the pickup unit 45 to pick up the foreign object 14 as an object at a rotation angle of the pickup component 49 determined according to a relatively lower position of the surrounding height, which will be described in detail later.

[0035] Next, the operation of the foreign object removal device 30 configured as described above 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 explanation. In addition, the detection unit 31 may not always perform the shooting process and height sensing, but may appropriately perform them at each predetermined timing. Figure 7 It 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 this routine starts, the control unit 51 first drives the conveying device 22 (S100), and reads and obtains information related to the pickup component 49 installed on the removal head 48 from the pickup component information 53 stored in the storage unit 52 (S110). The control unit 51 obtains information such as the size and shape including the width W, surrounding area A, operating range P, etc. of the gripping claw 64 of the pickup component 49.

[0036] Next, the control unit 51 determines whether it is the foreign object detection timing (S120). For example, it can also be assumed that the shooting unit 32 shoots all of the processing material 12 conveyed by the conveying device 22 with continuous still images, and this foreign object detection timing is set as the timing when the still image is transferred to the next image. In addition, when the shooting unit 32 shoots a moving image, the detection timing can be set when a certain period for obtaining a still image has passed. In addition, the detection timing of the measurement unit 33 can be set, for example, to every certain period of time, or can be set to the same as the detection timing of the shooting unit 32.

[0037] When timing for foreign object detection in S120, the control unit 51 acquires the captured image captured by the imaging unit 32, and acquires the height value measured by the measurement unit 33, and performs detection processing of the waste 13 and the foreign object 14 using the captured image and the height value (S130). As the detection processing of the processing material 12, the control unit 51, for example, performs processing of detecting a region having a brightness different from that of the conveying surface of the conveying device 22 and regarding the region as the region of the processing material 12. In addition, the control unit 51 may obtain the region of the processing material 12 based on the height of the obtained conveying surface. Further, the control unit 51 can determine the presence or absence of the foreign object 14 based on whether there is a region of the foreign object 14 having a brightness value different from that of the waste 13 in the captured image (see Figure 4 )

[0038] Next, the control unit 51 determines whether there is a foreign object 14 in the captured image of the conveying device 22 (S140). When there is a foreign object 14 in the conveying device 22, the control unit 51 obtains the position of the center of gravity G of the foreign object 14 by calculation (S150). For example, the control unit 51 reads the captured image, performs binarization processing on the image, extracts the contour of the foreign object 14 from the binarized image, and calculates the center of gravity inside the contour, thereby being able to obtain the center of gravity of the foreign object 14. For example, the control unit 51 can geometrically calculate a point where the first moment around a certain figure is 0 and regard this point as the center of gravity. For example, the calculation of the center of gravity includes a method of calculating the moment based on the gray level of the image and a method of obtaining it based on the contour, etc., but an appropriate method suitable for the device structure can be adopted. In addition, since the calculation of the center of gravity is a well-known technique, the detailed description of the calculation formula, etc. is omitted here.

[0039] When the center of gravity G of the foreign object 14 is obtained, the control unit 51 acquires the surrounding area A determined according to the type of the pickup member 49 mounted on the removal head 48, and acquires the height around the foreign object 14 based on the center of gravity G (S160). The control unit 51 acquires the height of the circular surrounding area A centered on the center of gravity G of the foreign object 14 from the measurement result of the measurement unit 33. In addition, the control unit 51 may also acquire the height of the entire area including the periphery of the surrounding area A from the measurement result of the measurement unit 33. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of setting the rotation angle θ of the pickup member 49, Figure 8 (A) of is a conceptual diagram of the center of gravity G of the foreign object 14 and the surrounding height, and the pickup member 49, Figure 8 (B) of is a conceptual diagram of obtaining a relatively lower position, Figure 8 (C) of is a conceptual diagram in which the pickup member 49 rotated by the rotation angle θ1 is arranged on the foreign object 14. In Figure 8 (A) of, Figure 8 (C) of, the height around the foreign object 14 is represented by contour lines. As Figure 8As shown in (A), the control unit 51 acquires the detection values of the positions and heights of the obstacles existing around the foreign object 14.

[0040] Next, the control unit 51 acquires the position (S170) of the relatively lower surrounding height corresponding to the surrounding area A1 around the pickup member 49 and the width W1 of the holding claws 64. For example, as Figure 8 shown in (B), the control unit 51 performs the following processing: calculates the position where the movement range P1 of the holding claws 64 coincides with the surrounding height and the pair of holding claws 64 can be at a relatively lower height. The control unit 51 calculates the height of the pickup member 49 such that the front end of the holding claws 64 comes to a height lower than the height of the center of gravity G of the foreign object 14, and at this time, there is a position where the obstacles do not enter the surrounding area of the movement range P1 of the holding claws 64 as much as possible. The control unit 51 can also calculate such a position as the rotation angle θ of the pickup member 49 centered on the center of gravity G. In addition, in Figure 8 (B), as an example, the height of the practice field of the surrounding area A1 is shown, but the control unit 51 performs the same processing on the inside of the circumference of the surrounding area A1 and calculates the rotation angle θ where the obstacles least enter the movement range P1.

[0041] Next, the control unit 51 determines whether there are multiple suitable positions in S170 (S180). When there are not multiple suitable positions, the rotation angle θ of the corresponding suitable position is set as the rotation position of the pickup member 49 in the vertical direction (S190). This rotation angle can be represented, for example, as Figure 3 shown, with the state where the rotation axis of the pickup member 49 is located along the Y-axis direction in the front being set as the initial angle of 0°, and the angle of rotation in the clockwise direction. As Figure 8 shown in (B) and (C), when the rotation angle θ at which the holding claws 64 can be located at the lowest position is uniquely determined, this rotation angle θ1 is set as the rotation position of the pickup member 49. On the other hand, in S180, when there are multiple suitable positions, the rotation position of the pickup member 49 is set using the rotation angle θ smaller than the initial angle (S200). For example, when there is a foreign object 14 in a state where there are no obstacles in the surrounding area A1, the holding claws 64 can be in the lowest position regardless of which position the pickup member 49 is rotated to. In this case, for example, the initial angle of the pickup member 49 is directly set as the rotation position of the pickup member 49. If the rotation angle is relatively small, the time for rotating the pickup member 49 can be further shortened.

[0042] After S200 or after S190, the control unit 51 causes the pickup member 49 to rotate axially to a set rotation angle (S210), and determines whether the pickup timing of the foreign matter 14 to be picked up has been reached (S220). When the pickup timing has not been reached, it directly stands by. The control unit 51 can set the pickup timing based on the time when the removal head 48 moves directly above the foreign matter 14. On the other hand, when the pickup timing has been reached, the control unit 51 executes the process of picking up the foreign matter 14 (S230). Regarding the picking up of the foreign matter 14, for example, the control unit 51 causes the pickup member 49 to move along the movement path to the foreign matter 14, lowers the pickup member 49, and holds the pickup member 49 by the holding claws 64. Figure 9 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the process of picking up the foreign matter 14 by the pickup member 49. As Figure 9 shown, since the holding claws 64 are rotated at a position where the height of the obstacle is relatively low, the foreign matter removing device 30 can further suppress picking up objects other than the foreign matter 14, and can pick up the foreign matter 14 more reliably.

[0043] Figure 10 It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of setting the rotation angle θ of the pickup member 49B. Figure 10 (A) thereof is a conceptual diagram of the center of gravity G of the foreign matter 14 and the surrounding height, and the pickup member 49B. Figure 10 (B) thereof is a conceptual diagram for obtaining a relatively lower position. Figure 10 (C) thereof is a conceptual diagram in which the pickup member 49B rotated by the rotation angle θ2 is disposed on the foreign matter 14. In the pickup member 49B, similar to the pickup member 49, based on the surrounding area A2, the movement range P2, the widths W1, W2, etc. corresponding to the pickup member 49B, the rotation angle θ2 of the pickup member 49B that makes the holding claws 64B and the fixed claws 65 in a relatively lower position can be obtained.

[0044] Next, the control unit 51 causes the pickup member 49 to move to the disposal unit 36, releases the foreign matter 14 on the disposal unit 36, and causes the pickup member 49 to move to the next position (S240). Regarding the "next position", the control unit 51 may cause it to move to the initial position when there is no foreign matter 14 to be picked up next, and cause it to move to the position where the foreign matter 14 is located when there is a next foreign matter 14. After S240, or when there is no foreign matter 14 in S140, the control unit 51 determines whether the regeneration process of the processing material 12 is completed (S250). When the regeneration process of the processing material 12 is not completed, the control unit 51 executes the processes after S120. That is, the control unit 51 detects the foreign matter 14, sets the rotation angle θ of the pickup member 49, and executes the process of removing the foreign matter 14. On the other hand, when the regeneration process of the processing material 12 is completed in S250, the control unit 51 stops the conveying device 22 (S260), and ends this routine.

[0045] Here, the correspondence between the components of this embodiment and the components of the present disclosure is clarified. The control device 50 of this embodiment corresponds to an example of the control device of the present disclosure, the foreign matter removal device 30 corresponds to an example of the picking device and the foreign matter removal device, the picking unit 45 corresponds to an example of the picking unit, the detection unit 31 corresponds to an example of the detection unit, and the control unit 51 corresponds to an example of the control unit. In addition, the conveying device 22 corresponds to an example of the conveying device, and the foreign matter 14 corresponds to an example of the object. In addition, in this embodiment, by explaining the operation of the foreign matter removal device 30, an example of the control method of the picking device of the present disclosure is also clarified.

[0046] The foreign matter removal device 30 described above is configured as the picking device of the present disclosure, and includes: a picking unit 49 that picks up the foreign matter 14 as the object included in the processing material 12 conveyed by the conveying device 22 along the conveying direction D by the picking member 49; a detection unit 31 that is located on the upstream side in the conveying direction D of the picking unit 45 and detects the foreign matter 14; and a control device 50 having a control unit 51 that obtains the height around the foreign matter 14 detected by the detection unit 31 and controls the picking unit 45 so that the picking unit 45 picks up the foreign matter 14 at the rotation angle θ of the picking member 49 determined according to the position where the surrounding height is relatively low. Since the control device 50 determines the rotation angle θ of the picking member 49 according to the position where the surrounding height is relatively low and becomes an obstacle when picking up the foreign matter 14 by the picking member 49, the object can be picked up while further reducing the influence of surrounding obstacles. Therefore, in this control device 50, the foreign matter 14 can be picked up more reliably by considering the surrounding obstacles.

[0047] In addition, the control unit 51 calculates the center of gravity of the foreign object 14 and obtains the height of the surroundings centered on the center of gravity of the foreign object 14. Therefore, obstacles around the foreign object 14 are considered with the center of gravity where gravity acts as the center, so that the foreign object 14 can be picked up more reliably. In addition, the control unit 51 obtains the height of the surrounding area A determined according to the movement range P of the picking member 49 for picking up the foreign object 14. Therefore, the picking of the foreign object 14 can be performed more reliably considering the movement range P of the picking member 49. Moreover, the picking member 49B has a plurality of gripping claws with different sizes, and the control unit 51 picks up the foreign object 14 at the rotation angle θ of the picking member 49B corresponding to the height of the surrounding area A of the foreign object 14 and the width W of the gripping claw. In this control device 50, by adopting the rotation angle θ considering the size of the gripping claw, the picking of the foreign object 14 can be performed more reliably. In addition, when there are multiple candidates for the rotation angle θ of the picking member 49, the control unit 51 adopts a relatively small rotation angle θ. In this control device 50, the foreign object 14 can be picked up more reliably with relatively fewer operations. Moreover, the picking member 49 has a pair of gripping claws 64. The control unit 51 calculates the center of gravity G of the foreign object 14, obtains the height of the surrounding area A centered on the center of gravity G of the foreign object 14, sets the rotation angle θ of the picking member 49 according to a pair of positions where the height of the surrounding area A is relatively low, and controls the picking unit 45 to rotate the picking member 49 at the set rotation angle θ to pick up the foreign object 14. In this control device 50, obstacles are considered with the center of gravity G where gravity acts as the center, and the foreign object 14 is picked up at the optimal rotation position θ avoiding the obstacles according to the shape of the picking member 49. Therefore, the foreign object 14 can be picked up more reliably. In addition, in the foreign object removing device 30, since the above-described control device 50 is provided, the picking of the foreign object 14 as the object can be performed more reliably.

[0048] In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to any of the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0049] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the control unit 1 calculates the center of gravity G of the foreign object 14 and obtains the height of the surrounding area A centered on the center of gravity G of the foreign object 14. However, it is not particularly limited thereto, and the height of the surrounding area A centered on a point other than the center of gravity G may also be obtained. For example, the control unit 51 may use the center on the image of the foreign object 14 instead of the center of gravity G. In this control device 50, it is also possible to more reliably pick up the foreign object 14 while considering the height of surrounding obstacles. In addition, from the viewpoint of the stability during and after picking up the foreign object 14, it is preferable for the control device 50 to use the center of gravity G. In the above-described embodiment, the height of the circular surrounding area A centered on the center of gravity G of the foreign object 14 is obtained. However, it is not particularly limited to a circular shape. For example, the height of the surrounding area A having a polygonal or elliptical shape may also be obtained. When the rotation angle θ is defined in multiple stages, for example, the surrounding area A may be a hexagon, an octagon, a dodecagon, etc.

[0050] In the above-described embodiment, the height of the surrounding area A determined according to the operation range P of the picking member 49 for picking up the foreign object 14 is obtained. However, it is not particularly limited thereto, and the surrounding area A that does not consider the operation range P may also be used. In addition, from the viewpoint of the contact between the picking member 49 and the obstacle, it is preferable for the control device 50 to use the surrounding area A corresponding to the operation range P.

[0051] In addition, when there are multiple candidates for the rotation angle θ of the picking member 49, the control unit 51 adopts a relatively small rotation angle. However, it is not particularly limited thereto, and this process may also be omitted. In addition, since the control device 50 adopting a relatively small rotation angle can further shorten the preparation time for picking up the foreign object 14, it is preferable.

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, as the picking device, the foreign object removing device 30 for removing the foreign object 14 has been mainly described. However, it is not particularly limited thereto, and it may also be a picking device including a picking unit, a detection unit, and a control device. The picking unit picks up an object by a picking member, the detection unit detects the object and its surroundings, and the control device has a control unit that obtains the height of the surroundings of the object detected by the detection unit and controls the picking unit so that the picking unit picks up the object at a rotation angle θ of the picking member determined according to a position relatively lower based on the height of the surroundings. In this picking device, it is also possible to more reliably pick up the foreign object 14 while considering the height of surrounding obstacles. In addition, in the foreign object removing device 30, as the processing material 12, a mixture of waste materials 13 such as stones, sands, and concrete to be recycled and foreign objects 14 such as paper, resin, wood, and metal is provided, and the foreign object 14 is used as the object to be processed. However, as long as the object contained in the picking processing material is picked up, it is not particularly limited to the waste material 13 or the foreign object 14. The processing agent or the object can be set as any object.

[0053] In the above-described embodiments, the present disclosure has been described as the foreign matter removal device 30 including the control device 50, but it is not particularly limited thereto. The present disclosure may also be the control device 50 itself, a control method of the foreign matter removal device 30 executed by a computer, a program of the control method, an information processing method executed by the control device 50, or a program thereof.

[0054] Here, the present disclosure may also be configured as follows. For example, a control method of a pickup device for a pickup device executed by a computer, the pickup device including: a pickup unit that picks up an object by a pickup member; and a detection unit that detects the object and its surroundings, the control method of the pickup device including the following steps: obtaining the height of the surroundings of the object detected by the detection unit, and controlling the pickup unit so that the pickup unit picks up the object at a rotation angle of the pickup member determined according to a position relatively lower than the height of the surroundings.

[0055] In this control method of the pickup device, similar to the above-described control device, by further reducing the influence of surrounding obstacles, the pickup of the object can be performed more reliably. In addition, in this control method, various modes of the above-described control device can be adopted, and steps for implementing each function of the above-described control device can also be added.

[0056] In this specification, there is also disclosed the technical idea of changing the "control device according to claim 1 or 2" in claim 4 at the time of the original application to the "control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3", the technical idea of changing the "control device according to claim 1 or 2" in claim 5 at the time of the original application to the "control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4", the technical idea of changing the "control device according to claim 1 or 2" in claim 6 at the time of the original application to the "control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5", the technical idea of changing the "control device according to claim 1 or 2" in claim 7 at the time of the original application to the "control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6", and the technical idea of changing the "control device according to claim 1 or 2" in claim 8 at the time of the original application to the "control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6".

[0057] Industrial Applicability

[0058] The present invention can be used in technical fields such as industrial waste recycling.

[0059] Description of Reference Numerals

[0060] 10 Recycling system, 12 Processing material, 13 Waste material, 14 Foreign matter, 15 Primary crusher, 16 Primary magnetic separator, 17 Screening machine, 18 Secondary crusher, 19 Secondary magnetic separator, 20 - 25 Conveying device, 30 Foreign matter removal device, 31 Detection unit, 32 Imaging unit, 33 Measuring unit, 35 Support unit, 36 Disposal unit, 40 Removal unit, 41 X-axis slider, 43 Y-axis slider, 45 Pickup unit, 46 Lifting unit, 48 Removal head, 49, 49B Pickup member, 50 Control device, 51 Control unit, 52 Storage unit, 53 Pickup member information, 61, 61B Mounting part, 62, 62B Base part, 63, 63B Support shaft, 64, 64B Gripping claw, 65 Fixed claw, 71 Captured image, 72 Captured image, A, A1, A2 Surrounding area, D Conveying direction, G Center of gravity, M Operator, P, P1, P2 Operating range, W, W1 - W3 Width, θ, θ1, θ2 Rotation angle.

Claims

1. A control device for a pick-up device, the pick-up device comprising: a pick-up unit that picks up an object by a pick-up member; and a detection unit that detects the object and its surroundings, The control device includes a control unit that obtains the height of the surroundings of the object detected by the detection unit, and controls the pick-up unit so that the pick-up unit picks up the object at a rotation angle of the pick-up member determined according to a position relatively lower according to the height of the surroundings.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit calculates the center of gravity of the object and obtains the height of the surroundings centered on the center of gravity of the object.

3. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The control unit obtains the height of the surroundings of a range determined according to the operation range in which the pick-up member picks up the object.

4. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The pick-up member has a plurality of gripping claws with different sizes, The control unit causes the pick-up unit to pick up the object at a rotation angle of the pick-up member corresponding to the height and width of the surroundings of the object.

5. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, When there are multiple candidates for the rotation angle of the pick-up member, the control unit adopts a relatively small rotation angle.

6. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The pick-up member has a pair of gripping claws, The control unit calculates the center of gravity of the object, obtains the height of the surroundings centered on the center of gravity of the object, sets the rotation angle of the pick-up member according to a pair of positions that are relatively lower according to the height of the surroundings, and controls the pick-up unit so that the pick-up unit rotates and picks up the object at the set rotation angle.

7. A foreign object removal device, which is a foreign object removal device for the pick-up device, the foreign object removal device comprising: A pick-up unit that picks up a foreign object as the object included in the component conveyed along the conveying direction by a conveying device by a pick-up member; A detection unit located on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the pick-up unit, which detects the foreign object; and The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

8. A pick-up device, comprising: A pick-up unit that picks up an object by a pick-up member; A detection unit that detects the object and its surroundings; and The control device according to claim 1 or 2.

9. A control method for a pick-up device, for a pick-up device, executed by a computer, the pick-up device comprising: a pick-up unit that picks up an object by a pick-up member; and a detection unit that detects the object and its surroundings, The control method for the pick-up device includes the following steps: Obtain the height of the surroundings of the object detected by the detection unit, and control the pick-up unit so that the pick-up unit picks up the object at a rotation angle of the pick-up member determined according to a position relatively lower according to the height of the surroundings.

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