Foreign matter separation system, foreign matter separation method, steps, and computer-readable recording medium storing steps

Abstract

A foreign matter separation system, a foreign matter separation method, a procedure, and a computer-readable recording medium storing the procedure are provided, which can reduce the amount of waste removed along with foreign matter in a waste group. The foreign matter separation system (1) includes: a conveying device (20) for lifting and conveying a portion of the waste group (SS); a conveying waste foreign matter detection unit (30) for detecting foreign matter (D) in the waste group (SS) lifted by the conveying device (20); and a control device (40) for determining the position of the foreign matter in the lifted waste group (SS) when the foreign matter (D) is detected by the conveying waste foreign matter detection unit (30), and controlling the conveying device (20) based on the determined position of the foreign matter (D) so that the waste (S) and the foreign matter (D) in the lifted waste group (SS) fall to different locations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a foreign matter separation system, a foreign matter separation method, steps, and a computer-readable recording medium storing the steps for separating foreign matter from a waste group. Background Technology

[0002] In iron and steel plants, in order to produce steel products while reducing environmental impact, it is desirable to increase the utilization of iron scrap as a raw material. Generally speaking, iron scrap groups consisting of multiple iron scraps include foreign objects that are undesirable when utilizing iron scrap, such as substances that are different in type and size from the iron scrap, incompatible substances, contaminated substances, and hazardous substances.

[0003] As a method for automatically detecting foreign objects included in a group of iron scrap, the iron scrap inspection method shown in Patent Document 1 has been proposed in the past.

[0004] In the scrap metal inspection method shown in Patent Document 1, the method works in conjunction with scrap metal yard equipment to inspect large piles of scrap metal accumulated on the cargo racks of trucks parked at truck parking positions. The inspection method repeatedly performs the following steps until the scrap metal piles disappear from the truck cargo racks: a photographing step, photographing the large piles of scrap metal accumulated on the cargo racks of trucks parked at truck parking positions; an inspection step, wherein a detection device, using a trained model, determines whether a prohibited substance is reflected in the photographed data for each of the scrap metal piles that is highly likely to contain prohibited substances; if a prohibited substance is reflected, the operator removes the prohibited substance, thereby inspecting the scrap metal piles reflected in the photographed data; and a moving step, using a lifting magnet or the like, moving the inspected scrap metal piles reflected in the photographed data from the truck cargo racks to the inspected scrap metal storage area.

[0005] This allows for the efficient detection of prohibited substances from mountains of scrap metal piled up on truck cargo platforms.

[0006] Furthermore, as a device for detecting and removing foreign objects mixed in iron scrap, for example, the foreign object detection device and foreign object removal device shown in Patent Document 2 have been proposed in the past.

[0007] Patent Document 2 discloses a foreign object detection device comprising: an object image acquisition unit that acquires and captures an image of an object including ferrous scrap; and an image discrimination unit that, based on the object image, distinguishes between ferrous scrap and other foreign objects from the object, thereby detecting foreign objects. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a foreign object removal device comprising: the same foreign object detection device; a foreign object location determination unit that determines the location of the foreign object in actual space based on the determination result of the category determination unit; and a foreign object removal unit that removes the foreign object from the object based on the location determined by the foreign object location determination unit. Moreover, the foreign object removal unit has a holding unit that is movable in three dimensions relative to the object including ferrous scrap.

[0008] Therefore, the foreign object detection device can accurately detect foreign objects in iron scrap mixed with foreign objects, and can also remove foreign objects from the object.

[0009] Existing technical documents

[0010] Patent documents

[0011] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-176909

[0012] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-163078 Summary of the Invention

[0013] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0014] However, the following issues exist in the iron scrap inspection method shown in Patent Document 1, the foreign matter detection device shown in Patent Document 2, and the foreign matter removal device.

[0015] That is, in the case of the iron scrap inspection method shown in Patent Document 1, although the detection device can detect the prohibited substances included in the iron scrap group, the removal of the prohibited substances needs to be carried out by the operator through manual operation or the like.

[0016] Furthermore, in the case of the foreign object detection device and the foreign object removal device shown in Patent Document 2, although foreign objects can be removed automatically, it is difficult to lift only the foreign objects included in the iron scrap group by means of the holding part provided by the foreign object removal unit. Sometimes, iron scrap that is not the object to be removed will be lifted and removed together with the foreign objects.

[0017] Therefore, the present invention was made to address previous issues, and its object is to provide a foreign matter separation system, a foreign matter separation method, a program, and a computer-readable recording medium storing the program, which can reduce the amount of waste removed along with foreign matter in a waste group.

[0018] Methods for solving problems

[0019] To address the aforementioned issues, one aspect of the present invention relates to a foreign matter separation system that separates foreign matter included in a waste group from waste material. This system comprises: a transport device for lifting and transporting a portion of the waste group; a transported waste foreign matter detection unit for detecting foreign matter in the waste group lifted by the transport device; and a control device that, when foreign matter is detected in the lifted waste group by the transported waste foreign matter detection unit, determines the position of the foreign matter in the lifted waste group, and, based on the determined position of the foreign matter in the lifted waste group, controls the transport device to cause the waste and foreign matter in the lifted waste group to fall to different locations, thereby separating the foreign matter included in the waste group from the waste material.

[0020] Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention relates to a foreign matter separation method for separating foreign matter included in a waste group from waste materials. This foreign matter separation method includes: a lifting step, in which a control device controls a transport device to lift a portion of the waste group; a transport waste foreign matter detection step, in which a transport waste foreign matter detection unit detects foreign matter in the waste group lifted in the lifting step; a position determination step, in which the control device determines the position of the foreign matter in the lifted waste group if foreign matter is detected in the transport waste foreign matter detection step; and a separation step, in which the control device, based on the position of the foreign matter in the lifted waste group determined in the position determination step, controls the transport device to drop the waste and foreign matter in the lifted waste group to different locations, thereby separating the foreign matter included in the waste group from the waste materials.

[0021] Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention relates to a procedure for causing the control device to perform: a lifting step, controlling the conveying device to lift a portion of the waste group; a position determination step, determining the position of the foreign object in the lifted waste group if a foreign object is detected in the waste group lifted in the lifting step by the foreign object detection unit; and a separation step, based on the position of the foreign object in the lifted waste group determined in the position determination step, controlling the conveying device to drop the waste and foreign objects in the lifted waste group to different locations, separating the foreign objects included in the waste group from the waste.

[0022] Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention involves a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a control device to perform: a lifting step, controlling a transport device to lift a portion of the waste group; a position determination step, determining the position of the foreign object in the lifted waste group if a foreign object is detected in the lifted waste group by a foreign object detection unit; and a separation step, controlling the transport device to drop the waste and foreign objects in the lifted waste group to different locations based on the position of the foreign object determined in the position determination step, thereby separating the foreign object included in the waste group from the waste.

[0023] Invention Effects

[0024] According to the foreign matter separation system, foreign matter separation method, program, and computer-readable recording medium storing the program, the amount of waste removed along with foreign matter in a waste group can be reduced. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is an overall structural diagram of the foreign matter separation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the functional block diagram of the foreign matter separation system.

[0027] Figure 3 It is used for explanation Figure 1 The flowchart shows the processing flow in the foreign matter separation system.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware structure of a control device.

[0029] Figure 5 This is an example of a pre-captured image obtained by taking pictures of a pile of waste material placed on a semi-trailer using a camera device, and a diagram of the lifted portion of the waste material pile based on a lifting magnet.

[0030] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of controlling a lifting magnet, which acts as a handling device, to separate foreign objects from a waste mass.

[0031] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating an example of controlling a grab bucket as a transport device to separate foreign objects included in a waste mass from waste.

[0032] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating an example of controlling a shovel, which acts as a transport device, to separate foreign objects included in a waste mass from waste.

[0033] Figure 9 This is a functional block diagram of the foreign matter separation system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 10 It is used for explanation Figure 9 The flowchart shows the processing flow in the foreign matter separation system.

[0035] Figure 11 This is an example of a pre-captured image obtained by taking a picture of the waste group placed on a semi-trailer beforehand using a camera device when using the foreign matter separation system involved in the modified example to separate foreign matter included in the waste group from the waste, and a diagram of the lifting part of the waste group based on the lifting magnet.

[0036] Figure 12 This diagram illustrates an example of using a modified foreign object separation system to separate foreign objects from a group of waste when foreign objects obstruct the lifting of the waste. The system controls a lifting magnet, which functions as a handling device, to separate the foreign objects from the waste. Figure 12 The top side shows the status of the semi-trailer's loading platform as viewed from above, while the bottom side shows the status of the semi-trailer's loading platform as viewed from the side. Detailed Implementation

[0037] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments shown below illustrate apparatus and methods for embodying the technical concept of the present invention. The technical concept of the present invention does not define the material, shape, structure, arrangement, etc. of the structural components as described in the following embodiments.

[0038] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are schematic. Therefore, it should be noted that the relationship between thickness and planar dimensions, ratios, etc., differs from reality, and the accompanying drawings also include parts where the dimensional relationships and ratios differ from each other.

[0039] (First Implementation)

[0040] exist Figure 1 The overall structure of the foreign matter separation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0041] Figure 1 The foreign matter separation system 1 shown is a system for separating foreign matter D included in a waste group SS from waste S. In this embodiment, the waste group SS is transported to a designated location while being placed on the loading platform of a semi-trailer 50.

[0042] In the waste group SS, in addition to multiple waste materials (iron-based waste materials) S, one or more foreign objects D may also be included, depending on the circumstances. Here, foreign object D refers to all substances that are not desired when utilizing waste material S, including substances that are different in type and size from waste material S, prohibited substances, confined substances, hazardous substances, etc. In this embodiment, the foreign object D includes, for example, objects containing tramp elements such as motors, substances whose internal air may explode such as confined substances, substances unsuitable for utilization such as oversized items, and non-metallic iron objects such as rubber.

[0043] Through the foreign matter separation system 1, the waste S in the waste group SS placed on the cargo platform of the semi-trailer 50 is separated and transported to the waste placement area 51, and the foreign matter D in the waste group SS is separated and transported to the foreign matter placement area 52.

[0044] The foreign object separation system 1 includes a pre-capture camera 10, a handling device 20, a handling waste foreign object detection unit 30, and a control device 40.

[0045] The pre-capture camera 10 is a camera that captures images of the waste group SS placed on the loading platform of the semi-trailer 50 from above the loading platform. That is, the pre-capture camera 10 captures images of the waste group SS before it is partially lifted by the lifting magnet 21, which is a handling device 20.

[0046] Furthermore, the handling device 20 is a device that lifts and transports a portion of the waste group SS placed on the loading platform of the semi-trailer 50, and is a lifting magnet 21 that lifts and transports a portion of the waste group SS by magnetic force. The handling device 20 is not limited to the lifting magnet 21; for example, it could be... Figure 7 The grab bucket shown or as Figure 8 The shovel 23 shown. (As shown) Figure 1 As shown, the lifting magnet 21, which is the conveying device 20, can move in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The lifting magnet 21 moves in the vertically downward direction to hold a portion of the waste group SS, moves in the vertically upward direction to lift a portion of the held waste group SS, and moves in the horizontal direction to transport a portion of the lifted waste group SS.

[0047] The waste material foreign object detection unit 30 is a device for detecting foreign objects D in the waste material group SS lifted by the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20 (see reference). Figure 6 ),like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the device includes: a camera 31 for capturing images of the waste mass SS lifted by the lifting magnet 21; an image acquisition unit 45 of the control device 40 (described later) for acquiring images captured by the camera 31; and a foreign object detection unit 46 of the control device 40 (described later) for detecting foreign objects D in the lifted waste mass SS from the images acquired by the image acquisition unit 45.

[0048] The camera device 31 is a camera that captures images of the waste group SS lifted by the lifting magnet 21, which serves as the transport device 20. The shooting direction of the waste group SS based on the camera device 31 can be any direction, for example, shooting the lifted waste group SS from the side or from below. In this embodiment, the camera device 31 and the pre-recorded camera device 10 are assumed to be different cameras, but the same camera can also be used.

[0049] The image acquisition unit 45 is a component of the control device 40, and acquires the images captured by the camera device 31.

[0050] The foreign object detection unit 46 is a component of the control device 40, and it detects foreign objects D in the lifted waste mass SS from the captured images obtained by the image acquisition unit 45. Regarding the method for detecting foreign objects D based on the captured images obtained by the foreign object detection unit 46, any method can be used. In this embodiment, the foreign object detection unit 46 uses a learning model that has learned from captured images of the waste mass SS including foreign objects D, inputs the captured images obtained by the image acquisition unit 45 into the learning model, and detects foreign objects D in the waste mass SS. That is, the foreign object detection unit 46 determines whether there are foreign objects D in the waste mass SS.

[0051] The control device 40 has the function of controlling the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, to lift a portion of the waste group SS. Furthermore, the control device 40 has the function of determining the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS when a foreign object D is detected in the lifted waste group SS by the foreign object detection unit 30. Additionally, the control device 40 has the function of controlling the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, based on the determined position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS, so that the waste S and the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS fall to different locations, separating the foreign object D included in the waste group SS from the waste S.

[0052] First, in order to realize the function of controlling the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, to lift part of the waste group SS, the control device 40 includes a pre-image acquisition unit 41, a pre-waste foreign object detection unit 42, a pre-position determination unit 43, and a conveying control unit 44.

[0053] The image acquisition unit 41 acquires the pre-captured image G (refer to) captured by the pre-capture camera 10. Figure 5 ).exist Figure 5 The image shows an example of a pre-captured image G acquired by the pre-image acquisition unit 41, and a lifting section X of the waste group SS based on the lifting magnet 21.

[0054] Furthermore, the pre-emptive foreign object detection unit 42 detects foreign objects D in the waste group SS before it is lifted from the pre-captured image G acquired by the pre-image acquisition unit 41. Regarding the method for detecting foreign objects D based on the pre-captured image G obtained by the pre-emptive foreign object detection unit 42, any method can be used, but in this embodiment, the pre-emptive foreign object detection unit 42 uses a learning model that has learned from captured images of the waste group SS including foreign objects D, and inputs the pre-captured image G acquired by the pre-image acquisition unit 41 into this learning model to detect foreign objects D in the waste group SS. That is, the pre-emptive foreign object detection unit 42 determines whether there are foreign objects D in the waste group SS. Figure 5 In the example shown, two foreign objects D were detected in the waste group SS.

[0055] Furthermore, when the foreign object D in the waste group SS before lifting is detected by the prior waste foreign object detection unit 42, the prior position determination unit 43 determines the position (position coordinates) of the foreign object D in the waste group SS before lifting from the prior captured image G. Figure 5 In the example shown, the locations of two foreign objects D are determined within the waste group SS. In determining the location of the foreign object D, other information about it (type, estimated weight, estimated length (size), etc.) can also be determined.

[0056] Furthermore, based on the position of the foreign object D in the waste group SS before lifting, determined by the pre-positioning unit 43, the transport control unit 44 controls the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, to lift a portion of the waste group SS including the foreign object D. At this time, the transport control unit 44 first moves the lifting magnet 21 horizontally so that it is positioned above the position of the foreign object D in the waste group SS before lifting, as determined by the pre-positioning unit 43. Next, the transport control unit 44 controls the lifting magnet 21 to move vertically downwards while holding a portion of the waste group SS including the foreign object D, and then moves the lifting magnet 21 vertically upwards to lift the held portion of the waste group SS. Figure 5 In the example shown, the handling control unit 44 controls the lifting of a portion of the waste group SS, including the foreign object D, located at the lifting section X, via the lifting magnet 21. Additionally, in Figure 5In the example shown, the lifting magnet 21 is controlled such that the foreign object D is located at the center of the lifting part X, but it can also be controlled such that the foreign object D is located at the outer periphery of the lifting part X. By positioning the foreign object D at the outer periphery of the lifting part X, when the camera device 31 captures an image of the waste group SS lifted by the lifting magnet 21, the foreign object becomes more easily captured in the image, and the foreign object D can be easily detected from the image.

[0057] At this time, the waste material S, excluding the foreign object D, is also lifted by the lifting magnet 21. If the foreign object D is non-magnetic, it may not adhere to the magnet of the lifting magnet 21, but in this case, the foreign object D is lifted along with the surrounding waste material S. Alternatively, in this case, a handling device other than the lifting magnet 21, such as a crane, that does not rely on magnetic force can be used. Furthermore, the handling control unit 44 can use information other than the position of the foreign object D (type, estimated weight, estimated length (size), etc.) to control the position and magnetic force of the lifting magnet 21 when the waste material group SS is lifted by the lifting magnet 21.

[0058] In addition, the control device 40 includes a position determination unit 47, a foreign object separation control unit 48, and the aforementioned transport control unit 44 in order to realize the aforementioned functions of determining the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS and separating the foreign object D included in the waste group SS from the waste S.

[0059] When the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS is detected by the transport waste foreign object detection unit 30 (camera device 31, image acquisition unit 45, and transport waste foreign object detection unit 46), the position determination unit 47 determines the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS from the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 45. In this embodiment, a portion of the waste group SS is lifted by the lifting magnet 21 controlled by the aforementioned transport control unit 44. Then, when the transport waste foreign object detection unit 30 detects the foreign object D in the waste group SS lifted by the lifting magnet 21, the position determination unit 47 determines the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS from the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 45. When determining the position of the foreign object D, other information about the foreign object D (type, estimated weight, estimated length (size), etc.) can also be determined.

[0060] Furthermore, the foreign object separation control unit 48 controls the holding force of the conveying device 20 to maintain the raised state of the waste group SS based on the position of the foreign object D in the raised waste group SS determined by the position determination unit 47.

[0061] Furthermore, the transport control unit 44 controls the horizontal transport of the lifted waste group SS based on the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS, which is determined by the position determination unit 47.

[0062] Then, the control device 40 adjusts the holding force of the waste group SS held in a raised state based on the transport device 20 by the foreign object separation control unit 48, and at the same time controls the transport of the raised waste group SS by the transport control unit 44, thereby separating the foreign object D included in the waste group SS from the waste S.

[0063] If reference Figure 1 and Figure 6 To specifically describe the foreign object separation control, when separating foreign object D, the foreign object separation control unit 48 controls the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet 21, which serves as the transport device 20, based on the position of foreign object D in the waste group SS. Simultaneously, the transport control unit 44 controls the transport of the waste group SS based on the position of foreign object D in the waste group SS. Specifically, as... Figure 6As shown, the location of the foreign object D in the waste group SS is determined based on whether the distance d between the boundary line L of the waste group SS and the background in the captured image and the foreign object D is below a certain value. Then, if the distance d is below the certain value, the transport control unit 44 determines that the foreign object D can be dropped, controls the position of the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, to move above the foreign object placement part 52, and the foreign object separation control unit 48 determines that the foreign object D can be dropped, weakens the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, and sets it to a holding force (magnetic force) that allows the foreign object D to be dropped. As a result, the foreign object D is dropped and placed in the foreign object placement part 52. On the other hand, when the distance d is greater than a predetermined value, the transport control unit 44 determines that the waste S can fall, and controls the position of the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, to move above the waste placement area 51. Meanwhile, the foreign object separation control unit 48 determines that the waste S can fall, and weakens the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, to a holding force (magnetic force) that allows the waste S to fall. Thus, the waste S falls and is placed in the waste placement area 51. Afterwards, the transport waste foreign object detection unit 30 takes another picture of the waste group SS after the waste S falls, and the position determination unit 47 determines the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS. The aforementioned process of dropping waste S onto waste placement portion 51 is repeated until the distance d becomes below a certain value. When the distance d becomes below a certain value, the position of the lifting magnet 21, which is the conveying device 20, is moved above the foreign object placement portion 52 by the conveying control unit 44. The holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet 21, which is the conveying device 20, is weakened by the foreign object separation control unit 48, causing the foreign object D to drop onto the foreign object placement portion 52, thereby separating the foreign object D from the waste S.

[0064] Then, for the waste S remaining in the raised waste group SS after the foreign object D falls into the foreign object placement area 52, the transport control unit 44 determines that the waste S can fall, controls the position of the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, to move above the waste placement area 51. Meanwhile, the foreign object separation control unit 48 determines that the waste S can fall, weakens the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, and sets it to a holding force (magnetic force) that allows the waste S to fall. Thus, the waste S falls and is placed in the waste placement area 51.

[0065] Additionally, a higher-level computer (not shown) is connected to the transport control unit 44. The higher-level computer then inputs the stop position information of the semi-trailer 50, the position information of the waste loading area 51, and the position information of the foreign object loading area 52 into the transport control unit 44. Based on the stop position information of the semi-trailer 50, the position information of the waste loading area 51, and the position information of the foreign object loading area 52 input from the higher-level computer, the transport control unit 44 performs horizontal movement control (transport control) of the lifted waste group SS.

[0066] Next, if referring to Figure 4 The hardware structure of the control device 40 is described as follows: the control device 40 consists of an arithmetic processing unit 401 equipped with a CPU 402. The CPU 402 is connected via an internal bus 403 to an internal storage device 404 (such as RAM and ROM), an external storage device 405, an input device 406 (such as a keyboard and mouse), and an output device 407. The output device 407 outputs commands from the transport control unit 44 and commands from the foreign object separation control unit 48 to the lifting magnet 21, which serves as the transport device 20.

[0067] The external storage device 405 of the control device 40 is configured to include a readable disk drive such as a hard disk drive or a solid-state drive, and a drive device such as a CD, DVD, or BD that reads data from the recording medium 408. The recording medium 408 is provided in the external storage device 405, and the recording medium 408 stores a program for causing the control device 40 to perform the following functions, and to install the read steps onto the disk drive. Here, the aforementioned functions are: a prior image acquisition function based on the prior image acquisition unit 41 (step S2 described later), a prior waste and foreign object detection function based on the prior waste and foreign object detection unit 42 (step S3 described later), a foreign object position determination function based on the prior position determination unit 43 (step S4 described later), a waste group lifting control function based on the transport control unit 44 (steps S5 and S11 described later), an image acquisition function based on the image acquisition unit 45 (steps S7 and S13 described later), a foreign object detection function based on the transport waste and foreign object detection unit 46 (steps S8 and S14 described later), a foreign object position determination function based on the position determination unit 47 (step S9 described later), a foreign object separation control function based on the control of the transport device 20 by the foreign object separation control unit 48 and the transport control unit 44 (step S10 described later), and a waste transport control function based on the transport control unit 44 (step S15 described later). The installation of this program is not limited to the use of the recording medium 408; the program can also be downloaded via the network.

[0068] The CPU 402 of the control device 40 executes the following functions according to the commands of the installed program: a pre-image acquisition function based on the pre-image acquisition unit 41 (step S2 described later); a pre-waste and foreign object detection function based on the pre-waste and foreign object detection unit 42 (step S3 described later); a foreign object position determination function based on the pre-position determination unit 43 (step S4 described later); a waste group lifting control function based on the transport control unit 44 (steps S5 and S11 described later); and an image acquisition function based on the image acquisition unit 45 (steps S7 and S13 described later). The foreign object detection function of the waste foreign object detection unit 46 (steps S8 and S14 described later), the foreign object position determination function based on the position determination unit 47 (step S9 described later), the foreign object separation control function based on the control of the transport device 20 by the foreign object separation control unit 48 and the transport control unit 44 (step S10 described later), and the waste transport control function based on the transport control unit 44 (step S15 described later) output commands from the transport control unit 44 and the foreign object separation control unit 48 to the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20.

[0069] Next, refer to Figure 3 The process flow of the foreign matter separation system 1 is described. Figure 3 It is used for explanation Figure 1 The flowchart shows the processing flow in the foreign matter separation system.

[0070] First, in step S1, the pre-capture camera 10 captures a photograph of the waste group SS placed on the platform of the semi-trailer 50 from above the platform. That is, the pre-capture camera 10 captures a photograph of the waste group SS before it is partially lifted by the lifting magnet 21, which is the handling device 20 (pre-capture step).

[0071] Next, in step S2, the pre-image acquisition unit 41 of the control device 40 acquires the pre-captured image G (refer to) captured by the pre-capture camera 10. Figure 5 (Pre-capture image acquisition steps).

[0072] Next, in step S3, the pre-extraction foreign object detection unit 42 of the control device 40 detects foreign objects D in the waste group SS before lifting from the pre-captured image G obtained in step S2 (pre-extraction foreign object detection step).

[0073] In step S3, if foreign object D is detected (if the determination result is yes (YES)), proceed to step S4; if foreign object D is not detected (if the determination result is no (NO)), proceed to step S11.

[0074] In step S4, since a foreign object D is detected in the waste group SS before lifting, the pre-position determination unit 43 of the control device 40 determines the position (position coordinates) of the foreign object D in the waste group SS before lifting from the pre-captured image G obtained in step S2 (pre-position determination step).

[0075] Next, in step S5, the transport control unit 44 of the control device 40, based on the position of the foreign object D in the waste group SS before lifting determined in step S4, controls the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, to lift a portion of the waste group SS including the foreign object D (lifting step). At this time, the transport control unit 44 first moves the lifting magnet 21 in the horizontal direction so that the lifting magnet 21 is above the position of the foreign object D in the waste group SS before lifting determined in step S4. Then, the transport control unit 44 controls the lifting magnet 21 to move in the vertically downward direction to hold a portion of the waste group SS including the foreign object D, and then controls the lifting magnet 21 to move in the vertically upward direction to lift the held portion of the waste group SS.

[0076] Next, in step S6, the camera device 31 of the waste handling foreign object detection unit 30 captures the waste group SS that was lifted in step S5 (capture step).

[0077] Next, in step S7, the image acquisition unit 45 of the transported waste foreign object detection unit 30 acquires the image captured in step S6 (image acquisition step).

[0078] Next, in step S8, the foreign object detection unit 46 of the transport waste foreign object detection unit 30 detects foreign objects D in the lifted waste group SS from the captured image obtained in step S7 (transport waste foreign object detection step).

[0079] In step S8, if foreign object D is detected (if the determination result is yes (YES)), proceed to step S9; if foreign object D is not detected (if the determination result is no (NO)), proceed to step S15.

[0080] Furthermore, regarding the detection of foreign object D in step S8 (the foreign object detection step for transporting waste), in step S3, the foreign object detection unit 42 has already detected the foreign object D in the waste group SS before lifting from the previously captured image G, so generally, the determination result is yes.

[0081] Here, in step S3, if no foreign object D is detected in the waste group SS before lifting (the determination result is no) and the process moves to step S11, the process returns to normal operation. The transport control unit 44 of the control device 40 controls the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, to lift a portion of the waste group SS (lifting step). In this lifting step, the transport control unit 44 first moves the lifting magnet 21 horizontally based on the stop position information of the semi-trailer 50 input from a higher-level computer (not shown), so that the lifting magnet 21 is positioned above the determined position of the waste group SS before lifting on the platform of the semi-trailer 50. Next, the transport control unit 44 controls the lifting magnet 21 to move vertically downward to hold a portion of the waste group SS, and then moves the lifting magnet 21 vertically upward to lift the held portion of the waste group SS.

[0082] Then, in step S12, the camera device 31 of the transport waste foreign object detection unit 30 captures the waste group SS that was lifted in step S11 (capture step).

[0083] Next, in step S13, the image acquisition unit 45 of the transported waste foreign object detection unit 30 acquires the image captured in step S12 (image acquisition step).

[0084] Next, in step S14, the foreign object detection unit 46 of the transport waste foreign object detection unit 30 detects foreign objects D in the lifted waste group SS from the captured image obtained in step S13 (transport waste foreign object detection step).

[0085] In step S14, if foreign object D is detected (if the determination result is yes), proceed to step S9; if foreign object D is not detected (if the determination result is no), proceed to step S15.

[0086] In step S9, a foreign object D is detected in the lifted waste group SS. Therefore, the position determination unit 47 of the control device 40 determines the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS from the captured image obtained in step S7 or step S13 (position determination step).

[0087] Next, in step S10, the foreign object separation control unit 48 and the transport control unit 44 of the control device 40 control the lifting magnet 21, which serves as the transport device 20, based on the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS determined in step S9, so that the waste S and the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS fall to different locations, separating the foreign object D included in the waste group SS from the waste S (separation step). Specifically, the foreign object separation control unit 48 of the control device 40 controls the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet 21, which serves as the transport device 20, to maintain the lifted state of the waste group SS based on the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS determined in step S9. In addition, the transport control unit 44 of the control device 40 controls the horizontal transport of the lifted waste group SS based on the lifting magnet 21, which serves as the transport device 20, based on the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS determined in step S9.

[0088] The specific method for separating foreign object D is as described above. The location of foreign object D in the waste group SS is determined as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the control is performed based on whether the distance d between the waste group SS and the boundary line L of the background in the captured image and the foreign object D is below a certain value. If the distance d is below the certain value, the transport control unit 44 determines that the foreign object D can fall and controls the position of the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, to move above the foreign object placement area 52. Furthermore, if the foreign object separation control unit 48 determines that the foreign object D can fall, it weakens the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet, which is the transport device 20, and sets it to a holding force (magnetic force) that allows the foreign object D to fall. Thus, the foreign object D falls and is placed in the foreign object placement area 52. On the other hand, if the distance d is greater than the certain value, the transport control unit 44 determines that the waste S can fall and controls the position of the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, to move above the waste placement area 51. Furthermore, the foreign object separation control unit 48 determines that the waste S can fall, and weakens the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet of the conveying device 20 to a holding force (magnetic force) that allows the waste S to fall. As a result, the waste S falls and is placed in the waste placement area 51. Thereafter, the waste foreign object detection unit 30 takes another picture of the waste group SS after the waste S falls, and the position determination unit 47 determines the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS. The process of dropping the waste S to the waste placement area 51 is repeated until the distance d becomes a certain value or less. When the distance d becomes a certain value or less, the conveying control unit 44 moves the position of the lifting magnet 21 of the conveying device 20 to above the foreign object placement area 52, and the foreign object separation control unit 48 weakens the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet 21 of the conveying device 20 to drop the foreign object D to the foreign object placement area 52, thereby separating the foreign object D from the waste S.

[0089] Then, regarding the waste S remaining in the raised waste group SS after the foreign object D falls to the foreign object placement area 52, the transport control unit 44 determines that the waste S can fall, and controls the position of the lifting magnet, which is the transport device 20, to move above the waste placement area 51. The foreign object separation control unit 48 determines that the waste S can fall, and weakens the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet, which is the transport device 20, to a holding force (magnetic force) that allows the waste S to fall. As a result, the waste S falls and is placed in the waste placement area 51.

[0090] Furthermore, since the foreign object D was not included in the lifted waste group SS in step S15, it was transferred to normal operation. The transport control unit 44 of the control device 40 controlled the position of the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, to move above the waste placement area 51. In addition, the foreign object separation control unit 48 weakened the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, and set it to a holding force (magnetic force) that could cause the waste S to fall, so that the waste group SS fell and was placed in the waste placement area 51.

[0091] Thus, the processing in foreign matter separation system 1 is completed.

[0092] Thus, the foreign matter separation system 1 according to the first embodiment includes a lifting magnet 21 as a transport device 20 for lifting and transporting a portion of the waste group SS, and a transport waste foreign matter detection unit 30 for detecting foreign matter D in the waste group SS lifted by the lifting magnet 21. Furthermore, the foreign matter separation system 1 includes a control device 40, which, when the transport waste foreign matter detection unit 30 detects foreign matter D in the lifted waste group SS, determines the position of the foreign matter D in the lifted waste group SS, and, based on the determined position of the foreign matter D in the lifted waste group SS, controls the lifting magnet 21 to cause the waste S and foreign matter D in the lifted waste group SS to fall to different locations, thereby separating the foreign matter D included in the waste group SS from the waste S.

[0093] Therefore, it is possible to automatically remove only the foreign object D included in the waste group SS, thereby reducing the amount of waste S removed along with the foreign object D in the waste group SS. That is, compared to the case where only the foreign object D is lifted from the waste group SS and removed, the amount of waste S removed along with the foreign object D can be reduced.

[0094] Furthermore, according to the foreign object separation system 1 of the first embodiment, the transport waste foreign object detection unit 30 includes: a camera device 31 for capturing images of a group of waste SS lifted by a lifting magnet 21, which is a transport device 20; an image acquisition unit 45 for acquiring images captured by the camera device 31; and a transport waste foreign object detection unit 46 for detecting foreign objects D in the lifted group of waste SS from the images acquired by the image acquisition unit 45.

[0095] Therefore, by capturing images of the waste group SS lifted by the lifting magnet 21 using the camera device 31, foreign objects D in the lifted waste group SS can be detected.

[0096] Furthermore, according to the foreign matter separation system 1 of the first embodiment, the control device 40 includes a position determination unit 47, which determines the position of the foreign matter D in the lifted waste group SS from an image captured when the foreign matter D in the lifted waste group SS is detected by the transport waste foreign matter detection unit 30. The control device 40 also includes a foreign matter separation control unit 48 and a transport control unit 44. The foreign matter separation control unit 48 controls the holding force of the lifting magnet 21 (which is a transport device) to maintain the lifted state of the waste group SS based on the position of the foreign matter D in the lifted waste group SS determined by the position determination unit 47. The transport control unit 44 controls the transport of the lifted waste group SS based on the lifting magnet 21. Then, by adjusting the holding force of the lifting magnet 21 to maintain the lifted state of the waste group SS through the foreign matter separation control unit 48 and controlling the transport of the lifted waste group SS through the transport control unit 44, the foreign matter D included in the waste group SS is separated from the waste S.

[0097] Therefore, based on the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS, the holding force of the lifting magnet 21, which is the conveying device 20, is adjusted by the foreign object separation control unit 48 to maintain the lifted state of the waste group SS, and the conveying control unit 44 controls the conveying of the lifted waste group SS, thereby automatically and with high precision removing only the foreign object D included in the waste group SS.

[0098] Furthermore, the foreign object separation system according to the first embodiment also includes: a pre-capture camera 10, which captures images of the waste group SS before a portion of it is lifted by the lifting magnet 21, which is a transport device 20. The control device 40 includes: a pre-capture image acquisition unit 41, which acquires a pre-captured image G captured by the pre-capture camera 10; and a pre-capture foreign object detection unit 42, which detects foreign objects D in the waste group SS before lifting from the pre-captured image G acquired by the pre-capture image acquisition unit 41. The control device 40 also includes: a pre-position determination unit 43, which determines the position of the foreign object D in the waste group SS before lifting from the pre-captured image G when the pre-capture foreign object detection unit 42 detects the foreign object D; and a transport control unit 44, which controls the lifting magnet 21, which is a transport device 20, to lift a portion of the waste group SS including the foreign object D, based on the position of the foreign object D determined by the pre-position determination unit 43.

[0099] Therefore, the detection and position of the foreign object D in the waste group SS before lifting can be determined using the image captured by the camera device 10, and based on the position of the foreign object D, a part of the waste group SS including the foreign object D can be lifted by the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20.

[0100] Furthermore, the foreign object separation method according to the first embodiment includes: a lifting step (steps S5 and S11), wherein the control device 40 controls the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, to lift a portion of the waste group SS; a foreign object detection step for the conveyed waste (steps S6 to S8 and S12 to S14), wherein the foreign object detection unit 30 for the conveyed waste detects foreign objects D in the waste group SS lifted in the lifting step; and a position determination step (step S9), wherein the control device 40 determines the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS when it detects foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS in the foreign object detection step. Furthermore, the foreign object separation method includes a separation step (step S10), wherein the control device 40 controls the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, based on the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS determined in the position determination step, so that the waste S and the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS fall to different locations, and the foreign object D included in the waste group SS is separated from the waste S.

[0101] Therefore, it is possible to automatically remove only the foreign object D included in the waste group SS, thereby reducing the amount of waste S removed along with the foreign object D in the waste group SS. That is, compared to the case where only the foreign object D is lifted from the waste group SS and removed, the amount of waste S removed along with the foreign object D can be reduced.

[0102] Furthermore, according to the procedure involved in the first embodiment, the control device 40 is configured to perform: a lifting step (steps S5 and S11), controlling the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, to lift a portion of the waste group SS; a position determination step (step S9), determining the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS if the foreign object D in the waste group SS is detected by the conveying waste foreign object detection unit 30 in the lifting step; and a separation step (step S10), controlling the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, to cause the waste S and the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS to fall to different locations, and separating the foreign object D included in the waste group SS from the waste S.

[0103] Therefore, according to the command of this step, the control device 40 executes the lifting step (step S5, step S11), the position determination step (step S9), and the separation step (step S10), which can automatically remove only the foreign matter D included in the waste group SS, and can reduce the amount of waste S removed together with the foreign matter D in the waste group SS.

[0104] Furthermore, according to the computer-readable recording medium 408 storing a program according to the first embodiment, the program is used to cause the control device 40 to perform: a lifting step (step S5, step S11), controlling the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, to lift a portion of the waste group SS; a position determination step (step S9), determining the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS if the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS is detected by the conveying waste foreign object detection unit 30; and a separation step (step S10), controlling the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, to cause the waste S and the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS to fall to different locations, and separating the foreign object D included in the waste group SS from the waste S.

[0105] Therefore, the control device 40 executes the lifting step (step S5, step S11), the position determination step (step S9), and the separation step (step S10) according to the commands of the program stored in the recording medium 408, and can automatically remove only the foreign matter D included in the waste group SS, thereby reducing the amount of waste S removed together with the foreign matter D in the waste group SS.

[0106] (Second Implementation)

[0107] Next, refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10The foreign matter separation system, foreign matter separation method, program, and computer-readable recording medium storing the program according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 9 This is a functional block diagram of the foreign matter separation system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 It is used for explanation Figure 9 The flowchart shows the processing flow in the foreign matter separation system.

[0108] Figure 9 The foreign matter separation system 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention shown is... Figure 1 The foreign matter separation system 1 shown in the first embodiment is also a system for separating foreign matter D included in the waste group SS from the waste S.

[0109] Unlike Figure 1 The foreign matter separation system 1 according to the first embodiment shown, and the foreign matter separation system 1 according to the second embodiment, omit the pre-camera device 10 and include a handling device 20, a handling waste foreign matter detection unit 30, and a control device 40.

[0110] In the foreign matter separation system 1 according to the first embodiment, before the waste group SS is lifted by the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, the camera device 10 performs a pre-viewing operation on the semi-trailer 50 (see reference 1). Figure 1 The waste material group SS on the loading platform is photographed. Then, the pre-image acquisition unit 41 acquires the pre-captured image G (refer to) captured by the pre-capture camera 10. Figure 5 The foreign object detection unit 42 detects foreign objects D in the waste group SS before lifting from the pre-captured image G acquired by the pre-captured image acquisition unit 41. Then, if the foreign object D in the waste group SS before lifting is detected by the pre-captured foreign object detection unit 42, the pre-position determination unit 43 determines the position (position coordinates) of the foreign object D in the waste group SS before lifting from the pre-captured image G.

[0111] In contrast, in the foreign matter separation system 1 according to the second embodiment, the pre-capture camera 10, the pre-image acquisition unit 41, the pre-determination waste foreign matter detection unit 42, and the pre-position determination unit 43 are omitted, and no pre-capture is performed before the waste group SS is lifted by the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20. In the foreign matter separation system 1 according to the second embodiment, the transport control unit 44 of the control device 40 performs horizontal movement control of the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, based on the stop position information of the semi-trailer 50 input from a higher-level computer (not shown), so that the lifting magnet 21 is positioned above the loading platform of the stopped semi-trailer 50. Then, the transport control unit 44 controls the lifting magnet 21 to lift a portion of the waste group SS.

[0112] The transport device 20 in the foreign matter separation system 1 according to the second embodiment is the same as the transport device 20 in the foreign matter separation system 1 according to the first embodiment, which lifts and transports the foreign matter separation system 1 onto the semi-trailer 50 (see reference). Figure 1 The device for handling a portion of the waste group SS on the loading platform is a lifting magnet 21 that lifts and moves a portion of the waste group SS by magnetic force. The lifting magnet 21, as part of the handling device 20, and... Figure 1 The magnet shown is also capable of moving in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The lifting magnet 21 moves in the vertically downward direction to hold a portion of the waste group SS, moves in the vertically upward direction to lift a portion of the held waste group SS, and moves in the horizontal direction to transport a portion of the lifted waste group SS.

[0113] The foreign object detection unit 30 for transported waste is similar to the foreign object detection unit 30 for the foreign object separation system 1 according to the first embodiment. It is a detection unit that detects foreign objects D in the waste group SS lifted by the lifting magnet 21, which is a transport device 20. It includes: a camera device 31 for capturing images of the waste group SS lifted by the lifting magnet 21; an image acquisition unit 45 of the control device 40 (described later) for acquiring images captured by the camera device 31; and a foreign object detection unit 46 of the control device 40 (described later) for detecting foreign objects D in the lifted waste group SS from the images acquired by the image acquisition unit 45.

[0114] The camera device 31 is the same as the camera device 31 of the foreign matter separation system 1 according to the first embodiment, and is a camera that captures the waste group SS lifted by the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20.

[0115] The image acquisition unit 45 is a component of the control device 40, and acquires the images captured by the camera device 31.

[0116] The foreign object detection unit 46 is a component of the control device 40. It detects foreign objects D in the lifted waste mass SS from the captured images obtained by the image acquisition unit 45. The method for detecting foreign objects D from captured images based on the foreign object detection unit 46 can be any method, but in the second embodiment, the foreign object detection unit 46 uses a learning model that has learned from captured images of the waste mass SS including foreign objects D. The captured images obtained by the image acquisition unit 45 are input into this learning model to detect foreign objects D in the waste mass SS. In other words, the foreign object detection unit 46 determines whether there are foreign objects D in the waste mass SS.

[0117] The control device 40 has the function of controlling the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, to lift a portion of the waste group SS. Furthermore, the control device 40 has the function of determining the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS when a foreign object D is detected in the lifted waste group SS by the foreign object detection unit 30. Additionally, the control device 40 has the function of controlling the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, based on the determined position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS, so that the waste S and the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS fall to different locations, thus separating the foreign object D included in the waste group SS from the waste S.

[0118] First, the control device 40 includes a transport control unit 44 to control the lifting magnet 21, which is a transport device 20, to lift a portion of the waste group SS. As described above, the transport control unit 44 controls the lifting magnet 21, which is a transport device 20, to lift a portion of the waste group SS, including the foreign object D, based on the stop position information of the semi-trailer 50 input from a higher-level computer (not shown). At this time, as described above, the transport control unit 44 moves the lifting magnet 21 horizontally based on the stop position information of the semi-trailer 50 input from a higher-level computer (not shown), so that the lifting magnet 21 is positioned above the loading platform of the semi-trailer 50. Next, the transport control unit 44 controls the lifting magnet 21 to move vertically downward to hold a portion of the waste group SS including the foreign object D, and then controls the lifting magnet 21 to move vertically upward to lift the held portion of the waste group SS.

[0119] In addition, the control device 40 includes a position determination unit 47, a foreign object separation control unit 48, and the aforementioned transport control unit 44 in order to realize the aforementioned functions of determining the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS and separating the foreign object D included in the waste group SS from the waste S.

[0120] When the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS is detected by the transport waste foreign object detection unit 30 (camera device 31, image acquisition unit 45 and transport waste foreign object detection unit 46), the position determination unit 47 determines the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS from the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 45.

[0121] Furthermore, the foreign object separation control unit 48 controls the holding force of the conveying device 20 to maintain the raised state of the waste group SS based on the position of the foreign object D in the raised waste group SS determined by the position determination unit 47.

[0122] Furthermore, the transport control unit 44 controls the horizontal transport of the lifted waste group SS based on the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS, which is determined by the position determination unit 47.

[0123] Then, the control device 40 adjusts the holding force of the conveying device 20 that keeps the waste group SS in a raised state through the foreign matter separation control unit 48, and controls the conveying of the raised waste group SS through the conveying control unit 44, thereby separating the foreign matter D included in the waste group SS from the waste S.

[0124] If we were to describe the foreign object separation control in detail, the determination of the location of the foreign object D in the waste group SS would be the same as in the first embodiment. Figure 6 As shown, the control is performed based on whether the distance d between the waste group SS and the boundary line L of the background in the captured image and the foreign object D is below a certain value. If the distance d is below the certain value, the transport control unit 44 determines that the foreign object D can fall, and controls the position of the lifting magnet (which is the transport device 20) to move above the foreign object placement area 52. Furthermore, the foreign object separation control unit 48 determines that the foreign object D can fall, and weakens the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet (which is the transport device 20) to a holding force (magnetic force) that allows the foreign object D to fall. Thus, the foreign object D falls and is placed in the foreign object placement area 52. On the other hand, when the distance d is greater than a predetermined value, the transport control unit 44 determines that the waste S can fall, and controls the position of the lifting magnet, which is the transport device 20, to move above the waste placement area 51. Meanwhile, the foreign object separation control unit 48 determines that the waste S can fall, and weakens the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet, which is the transport device 20, to a holding force (magnetic force) that allows the waste S to fall. Thus, the waste S falls and is placed in the waste placement area 51. Afterwards, the transport waste foreign object detection unit 30 takes another picture of the waste group SS after the waste S falls, and the position determination unit 47 determines the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS. The process of dropping waste S to waste placement area 51 is repeated until the distance d becomes below a certain value. When the distance d becomes below the certain value, the position of the lifting magnet 21, which is the conveying device 20, is moved above the foreign object placement area 52 by the conveying control unit 44. The holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet 21, which is the conveying device 20, is weakened by the foreign object separation control unit 48, so that the foreign object D falls to the foreign object placement area 52, thereby separating the foreign object D from the waste S.

[0125] Then, for the waste S remaining in the raised waste group SS after the foreign object D has fallen to the foreign object placement area 52, the transport control unit 44 determines that the waste S can fall, controls the position of the lifting magnet of the transport device 20 to move above the waste placement area 51, and the foreign object separation control unit 48 determines that the waste S can fall, weakens the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet of the transport device 20 and sets it to a holding force (magnetic force) that allows the waste S to fall. As a result, the waste S falls and is placed in the waste placement area 51.

[0126] Next, regarding the hardware structure of the control device 40, it is the same as in the first embodiment. Figure 4 As shown, the control device 40 consists of an arithmetic processing unit 401 equipped with a CPU 402. The CPU 402 is connected via an internal bus 403 to an internal storage device 404 such as RAM and ROM, an external storage device 405, an input device 406 such as a keyboard and mouse, and an output device 407. The output device 407 outputs commands from the transport control unit 44 and commands from the foreign object separation control unit 48 to the lifting magnet 21, which serves as the transport device 20.

[0127] The external storage device 405 of the control device 40 is configured to include a disk drive that can be read, such as a hard disk drive or a solid-state drive, and a drive device such as a CD, DVD, or BD that reads data from the recording medium 408. The recording medium 408 is provided in the external storage device 405, and the recording medium 408 stores a program for causing the control device 40 to perform the following functions. The read program is installed on the disk drive. Here, the aforementioned functions are: a waste group lifting control function based on the transport control unit 44 (step S21 described later), an image acquisition function based on the image acquisition unit 45 (step S23 described later), a foreign object detection function based on the transport waste foreign object detection unit 46 (step S24 described later), a foreign object position determination function based on the position determination unit 47 (step S25 described later), a foreign object separation control function based on the foreign object separation control unit 48 and the transport control unit 44 that controls the transport device 20 (step S26 described later), and a waste transport control function based on the transport control unit 44 (step S27 described later). The installation of this program is not limited to the use of recording medium 408; it can also be downloaded from the network.

[0128] The CPU 402 of the control device 40 executes the following functions according to the commands of the installed program: waste group lifting control function based on the transport control unit 44 (step S21 described later); image acquisition function based on the image acquisition unit 45 (step S23 described later); foreign object detection function based on the transport waste foreign object detection unit 46 (step S24 described later); foreign object position determination function based on the position determination unit 47 (step S25 described later); foreign object separation control function based on the foreign object separation control unit 48 and the transport control unit 44 to control the transport device 20 (step S26 described later); and waste transport control function based on the transport control unit 44 (step S27 described later). It outputs commands from the transport control unit 44 and commands from the foreign object separation control unit 48 to the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20.

[0129] Next, refer to Figure 10 The processing flow of the foreign matter separation system 1 according to the second embodiment will be described.

[0130] First, in step S21, the transport control unit 44 of the control device 40 controls the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, to lift a portion of the waste group SS including the foreign object D, based on the stop position information of the semi-trailer 50 input from the upper-level computer (not shown), (lifting step). At this time, the transport control unit 44 moves the lifting magnet 21 horizontally based on the stop position information of the semi-trailer 50 input from the upper-level computer (not shown), so that the lifting magnet 21 is positioned above the loading platform of the semi-trailer 50. Next, the transport control unit 44 moves the lifting magnet 21 vertically downward to hold a portion of the waste group SS including the foreign object D, and then moves the lifting magnet 21 vertically upward to lift the held portion of the waste group SS.

[0131] Next, in step S22, the camera device 31 of the transported waste foreign object detection unit 30 captures the waste group SS that was lifted in step S21 (capture step).

[0132] Next, in step S23, the image acquisition unit 45 of the transported waste foreign object detection unit 30 acquires the image captured in step S22 (image acquisition step).

[0133] Next, in step S24, the foreign object detection unit 46 of the transport waste foreign object detection unit 30 detects foreign objects D in the lifted waste group SS from the captured image obtained in step S23 (transport waste foreign object detection step).

[0134] In step S24, if foreign object D is detected (if the determination result is yes), proceed to step S25; if foreign object D is not detected (if the determination result is no), proceed to step S27.

[0135] In step S25, a foreign object D is detected in the lifted waste group SS, so the position determination unit 47 of the control device 40 determines the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS from the captured image obtained in step S23 (position determination step).

[0136] Next, in step S26, the foreign object separation control unit 48 and the transport control unit 44 of the control device 40 control the lifting magnet 21, which serves as the transport device 20, based on the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS determined in step S25, so that the waste S and the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS fall to different locations, separating the foreign object D included in the waste group SS from the waste S (separation step). Specifically, the foreign object separation control unit 48 of the control device 40 controls the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet 21, which serves as the transport device 20, to maintain the lifted state of the waste group SS based on the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS determined in step S25. Furthermore, the transport control unit 44 of the control device 40 controls the horizontal transport of the lifted waste group SS based on the lifting magnet 21, which serves as the transport device 20, based on the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS determined in step S9.

[0137] The specific method for separating foreign object D is the same as in the first embodiment. The location of foreign object D in the waste group SS is determined based on whether the distance d between the boundary line L of the waste group SS and the background in the captured image and the foreign object D is less than a certain value (see reference). Figure 6Furthermore, when the distance d is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the transport control unit 44 determines that the foreign object D can fall and controls the position of the lifting magnet 21, which serves as the transport device 20, to move above the foreign object placement area 52. Additionally, the foreign object separation control unit 48 determines that the foreign object D can fall and weakens the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet, which serves as the transport device 20, to a holding force (magnetic force) that allows the foreign object D to fall. Thus, the foreign object D falls and is placed in the foreign object placement area 52. On the other hand, when the distance d is greater than a predetermined value, the transport control unit 44 determines that the waste material S can fall and controls the position of the lifting magnet 21, which serves as the transport device 20, to move above the waste material placement area 51. Additionally, the foreign object separation control unit 48 determines that the waste material S can fall and weakens the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet, which serves as the transport device 20, to a holding force (magnetic force) that allows the waste material S to fall. Thus, the waste material S falls and is placed in the waste material placement area 51. Subsequently, the waste foreign object detection unit 30 takes another picture of the waste group SS after the waste S has fallen, and the position determination unit 47 determines the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS. The process of dropping the waste S to the waste placement part 51 is repeated until the distance d becomes below a certain value. When the distance d becomes below the certain value, the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, is moved above the foreign object placement part 52 by the transport control unit 44. The holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, is weakened by the foreign object separation control unit 48, causing the foreign object D to fall to the foreign object placement part 52, thereby separating the foreign object D from the waste S.

[0138] Then, regarding the waste S remaining in the raised waste group SS after the foreign object D falls to the foreign object placement area 52, the transport control unit 44 determines that the waste S can fall, controls the position of the lifting magnet of the transport device 20 to move above the waste placement area 51, and the foreign object separation control unit 48 determines that the waste S can fall, weakens the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet of the transport device 20 and sets it to a holding force (magnetic force) that allows the waste S to fall. As a result, the waste S falls and is placed in the waste placement area 51.

[0139] Furthermore, since the foreign object D was not included in the lifted waste group SS in step S27, it was transferred to normal operation. The transport control unit 44 of the control device 40 controlled the position of the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, to move above the waste placement part 51. In addition, the foreign object separation control unit 48 weakened the holding force (magnetic force) of the lifting magnet 21, which is the transport device 20, and set it to a holding force (magnetic force) that could cause the waste S to fall, so that the waste group SS fell and was placed on the waste placement part 51.

[0140] Thus, the processing in foreign matter separation system 1 is completed.

[0141] Thus, the foreign matter separation system 1 according to the second embodiment includes: a lifting magnet 21, which serves as a conveying device 20, for lifting and conveying a portion of the waste group SS; and a waste foreign matter detection unit 30 for detecting foreign matter D in the waste group SS lifted by the lifting magnet 21. Furthermore, the foreign matter separation system 1 includes a control device 40 that, when the waste foreign matter detection unit 30 detects foreign matter D in the lifted waste group SS, determines the position of the foreign matter D in the lifted waste group SS, and, based on the determined position of the foreign matter D in the lifted waste group SS, controls the lifting magnet 21 to cause the waste S and foreign matter D in the lifted waste group SS to fall to different locations, thereby separating the foreign matter D included in the waste group SS from the waste S.

[0142] Therefore, it is possible to automatically remove only the foreign object D included in the waste group SS, thereby reducing the amount of waste S removed along with the foreign object D in the waste group SS. That is, compared to the case where only the foreign object D is lifted from the waste group SS and removed, the amount of waste S removed along with the foreign object D can be reduced.

[0143] Furthermore, in the foreign matter separation system 1 according to the second embodiment, unlike the foreign matter separation system 1 according to the first embodiment, the pre-capture camera 10, the pre-image acquisition unit 41, the pre-waste foreign matter detection unit 42, and the pre-position determination unit 43 are omitted, and pre-capture photography is not performed before the waste group SS is lifted by the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20. Therefore, the equipment and the foreign matter separation process can be simplified.

[0144] Furthermore, according to the foreign object separation system 1 of the second embodiment, the transport waste foreign object detection unit 30 includes: a camera device 31 for capturing images of a group of waste SS lifted by a lifting magnet 21, which is a transport device 20; an image acquisition unit 45 for acquiring images captured by the camera device 31; and a transport waste foreign object detection unit 46 for detecting foreign objects D in the lifted group of waste SS from the images acquired by the image acquisition unit 45.

[0145] Therefore, by capturing images of the waste group SS lifted by the lifting magnet 21 using the camera device 31, foreign objects D in the lifted waste group SS can be detected.

[0146] Furthermore, according to the foreign matter separation system 1 of the second embodiment, the control device 40 includes a position determination unit 47, which determines the position of the foreign matter D in the lifted waste group SS from an image captured when the foreign matter D in the lifted waste group SS is detected by the transport waste foreign matter detection unit 30. The control device 40 also includes a foreign matter separation control unit 48 and a transport control unit 44. The foreign matter separation control unit 48 controls the holding force of the lifting magnet 21 (which serves as a transport device) to maintain the lifted state of the waste group SS based on the position of the foreign matter D in the lifted waste group SS determined by the position determination unit 47. The transport control unit 44 controls the transport of the lifted waste group SS based on the lifting magnet 21. By adjusting the holding force of the lifting magnet 21 to maintain the lifted state of the waste group SS by the foreign matter separation control unit 48 and controlling the transport of the lifted waste group SS by the transport control unit 44, the foreign matter D included in the waste group SS is separated from the waste S.

[0147] Therefore, based on the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS, the holding force of the lifting magnet 21, which is the conveying device 20, is adjusted by the foreign object separation control unit 48 to maintain the lifted state of the waste group SS, and the conveying control unit 44 controls the conveying of the lifted waste group SS, thereby automatically and with high precision removing only the foreign object D included in the waste group SS.

[0148] Furthermore, the foreign object separation method according to the second embodiment includes: a lifting step (step S21), wherein the control device 40 controls the lifting magnet 21, which serves as the transport device 20, to lift a portion of the waste group SS; a transport waste foreign object detection step (steps S22-S24), wherein the transport waste foreign object detection unit 30 detects foreign objects D in the waste group SS lifted in the lifting step; and a position determination step (step S25), wherein if the control device 40 detects foreign objects D in the lifted waste group SS in the transport waste foreign object detection step, it determines the position of the foreign objects D in the lifted waste group SS. Furthermore, this foreign object separation method includes a separation step (step S26), wherein the control device 40, based on the position of the foreign objects D in the lifted waste group SS determined in the position determination step, controls the lifting magnet 21, which serves as the transport device 20, to cause the waste S and foreign objects D in the lifted waste group SS to fall to different locations, thereby separating the foreign objects D included in the waste group SS from the waste S.

[0149] Therefore, it is possible to automatically remove only the foreign object D included in the waste group SS, thereby reducing the amount of waste S removed along with the foreign object D in the waste group SS. That is, compared to the case where only the foreign object D is lifted from the waste group SS and removed, the amount of waste S removed along with the foreign object D can be reduced.

[0150] Furthermore, according to the procedure involved in the second embodiment, the control device 40 is configured to perform: a lifting step (step S21), wherein the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, is controlled to lift a portion of the waste group SS; a position determination step (step S25), wherein, if a foreign object D is detected in the waste group SS lifted in the lifting step by the conveying waste foreign object detection unit 30, the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS is determined; and a separation step (step S26), wherein, based on the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS determined in the position determination step, the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, is controlled to cause the waste S and the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS to fall to different locations, and the foreign object D included in the waste group SS is separated from the waste S.

[0151] Therefore, the control device 40 executes the lifting step (step S21), the position determination step (step S25), and the separation step (step S26) according to the command of this step, and can automatically remove only the foreign matter D included in the waste group SS, thereby reducing the amount of waste S removed together with the foreign matter D in the waste group SS.

[0152] Furthermore, according to the computer-readable recording medium 408 storing a program according to the second embodiment, the program is used to cause the control device 40 to perform: a lifting step (step S21), wherein the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, is controlled to lift a portion of the waste group SS; a position determination step (step S25), wherein if a foreign object D is detected in the waste group SS lifted in the lifting step by the conveying waste foreign object detection unit 30, the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS is determined; and a separation step (step S26), wherein, based on the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS determined in the position determination step, the lifting magnet 21, which is a conveying device 20, is controlled to cause the waste S and the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS to fall to different locations, and the foreign object D included in the waste group SS is separated from the waste S.

[0153] Therefore, the control device 40 executes the lifting step (step S21), the position determination step (step S25), and the separation step (step S26) according to the commands of the program stored in the recording medium 408, and can automatically remove only the foreign matter D included in the waste group SS, thereby reducing the amount of waste S removed together with the foreign matter D in the waste group SS.

[0154] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto and can be modified and improved in various ways.

[0155] For example, in the foreign matter separation system 1 according to the first and second embodiments, a lifting magnet 21 is used as a conveying device 20, but the use of a lifting magnet 21 is not limited to this case. For example, as Figure 7 As shown, a grab bucket 22 can also be used as the transport device 20, or as... Figure 8 As shown, a shovel 23 is used as the transport device. When using a grab bucket 22 as the transport device 20, as... Figure 7 As shown, by widening the opening width of the claw 22a of the grab bucket 22, the holding force of the transport device 20 can be adjusted. Furthermore, when using the shovel 23 as the transport device, as... Figure 8 As shown, by changing the tilt of the bucket 23a of the shovel 23, the holding force of the conveying device 20 can be adjusted.

[0156] Furthermore, in the foreign matter separation system 1 according to the first embodiment, the transport control unit 44 of the control device 40 controls the lifting magnet 21, which is a transport device 20, to lift a portion of the waste group SS including the foreign matter D, based on the position of the foreign matter D in the waste group SS before lifting, determined by the pre-position determination unit 43. That is, as Figure 5 As shown in the example, the handling control unit 44 controls the lifting of a portion of the waste group SS, including the foreign object D, from the lifting section X via the lifting magnet 21. Furthermore, through subsequent operations, the foreign object D included in the lifted waste group SS is separated from the waste S.

[0157] In contrast, as in the foreign matter separation system described in the variant example not shown, the transport control unit of the control device controls the transport device to lift a portion of the waste group SS excluding foreign matter D, based on the position of foreign matter D in the waste group SS before lifting, determined by the pre-positioning unit. Then, the transport control unit can also control the transport device to transport a portion of the waste group SS excluding the lifted foreign matter D to the transport destination. Figure 11 The image shows the separation of foreign matter D from waste group SS from waste S using the foreign matter separation system involved in the modified example, with the image captured by a pre-recorded camera on the semi-trailer 50 (see reference). Figure 1 An example of a pre-captured image obtained by photographing a waste group SS on a conveying device, and an example of a lifted portion Y of the waste group SS based on a conveying device. That is, as shown in the image. Figure 11As shown, in the modified example, the transport control unit of the foreign matter separation system control device first moves the transport device horizontally so that it is positioned above a location that avoids the position of the foreign matter D in the waste group SS before lifting, as determined by the pre-positioning unit. Next, the transport control unit moves the transport device vertically downwards to hold a portion of the waste group SS excluding the foreign matter D (the waste group SS at the lifting point Y), and then moves the transport device vertically upwards to lift the held portion of the waste group SS. The transport control unit can then control the transport device to transport the portion of the waste group SS excluding the lifted foreign matter D to the transport destination. By repeating this process, the waste S can be transported to the transport destination while the foreign matter D remains on the loading platform of the semi-trailer 50.

[0158] Furthermore, in the foreign object separation system involved in the modified example, if the foreign object D causes obstruction and the waste material S cannot be lifted, such as Figure 12 As shown, the foreign object D can also be appropriately moved aside to lift the waste material S and advance it for transport. That is, in Figure 12 In the case where a foreign object D obstructs the lifting of waste S, a portion V1 of the waste group SS containing foreign object D is removed, and the remaining collection W1 of waste S is lifted and transported. Furthermore, for the removed portion V1 of the waste group SS containing foreign object D, a portion V2 of the waste group SS containing that portion V1 is removed, and the remaining collection W2 of waste S is lifted and transported. This operation can be repeated. Figure 12 The example shown illustrates how, in a situation where a foreign object D obstructs the lifting of waste S, a modified foreign object separation system is used to control the conveying device and separate the foreign object D, which is included in the waste group SS, from the waste. Figure 12 In this embodiment, for example, when removing a portion V2 of the waste group SS containing foreign object D, similar to the first and second embodiments, the lifted portion V2 of the waste group SS containing foreign object D is photographed, the position of foreign object D is determined from the photographed image, and based on the position of foreign object D, the conveying device is controlled so that the waste S and foreign object D in the portion V2 of the waste group SS are moved to different locations, and foreign object D can be separated from waste S.

[0159] Furthermore, the determination of the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS of the foreign object separation system 1 according to the first and second embodiments is not limited to the case where the distance d between the boundary line L of the waste group SS and the background in the photographic image and the foreign object D is below a predetermined value. For example, the determination of the position of the foreign object D in the lifted waste group SS can also be based on whether the position (height in the vertical direction) of the foreign object in the waste group SS in the photographic image exceeds a certain threshold.

[0160] Furthermore, the location for placing waste SS is not limited to the loading platform of a semi-trailer 50, but can also be a yard, etc.

[0161] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0162] 1 Foreign object separation system; 10 Pre-capture camera device; 20 Handling device; 21 Lifting magnet; 22 Grab bucket; 22a Claw; 23 Shovel; 23a Bucket; 30 Waste handling foreign object detection unit; 31 Camera device; 40 Control device; 41 Pre-capture image acquisition unit; 42 Pre-capture waste foreign object detection unit; 43 Pre-capture position determination unit; 44 Handling control unit; 45 Image acquisition unit; 46 Waste handling foreign object detection unit; 47 Position determination unit; 48 Foreign object separation control unit; 401 Processing unit; 402 CPU; 403 Internal bus; 404 Internal storage device; 405 External storage device; 406 Input device; 407 Output device; 408 Recording medium; D Foreign object; G Pre-captured image; S Waste; SS Waste group.

Claims

1. A foreign matter separation system for separating foreign matter included in a waste group from waste materials, characterized in that, have: A handling device that lifts and moves a portion of the waste mass; A foreign object detection unit for transporting waste detects foreign objects in a group of waste materials lifted by the transport device; and The control device, when detecting foreign objects in the lifted waste group through the foreign object detection unit, determines the position of the foreign objects in the lifted waste group, and controls the conveying device based on the determined position of the foreign objects in the lifted waste group so that the waste and foreign objects in the lifted waste group fall to different locations, thereby separating the foreign objects included in the waste group from the waste.

2. The foreign matter separation system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The transported waste foreign object detection unit includes: a camera device for capturing images of a group of waste materials lifted by the transport device; an image acquisition unit for acquiring images captured by the camera device; and a transported waste foreign object detection unit for detecting foreign objects in the lifted group of waste materials from the images acquired by the image acquisition unit.

3. The foreign matter separation system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The control device includes: a position determination unit that determines the position of the foreign object in the lifted waste group from the captured image when the foreign object is detected in the lifted waste group by the foreign object detection unit; and a foreign object separation control unit that controls the adjustment of the holding force of the transport device to maintain the lifted state of the waste group based on the position of the foreign object in the lifted waste group determined by the position determination unit. The system includes a transport control unit that controls the transport of a group of waste materials lifted by the transport device. The control unit adjusts the holding force that maintains the lifted state of the waste group based on the transport device through the foreign matter separation control unit, and controls the transport of the lifted waste group through the transport control unit, thereby separating foreign matter included in the waste group from the waste.

4. The foreign matter separation system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The foreign object separation system also includes a pre-capture camera that captures images of the waste group before it is lifted by the transport device. The control device includes: a pre-capture image acquisition unit that acquires the pre-captured image captured by the pre-capture camera; a pre-capture foreign object detection unit that detects foreign objects in the waste group before lifting from the pre-captured image acquired by the pre-capture image acquisition unit; a pre-capture position determination unit that, if foreign objects are detected in the waste group before lifting by the pre-capture foreign object detection unit, determines the position of the foreign objects in the waste group before lifting from the pre-captured image; and a transport control unit that, based on the position of the foreign objects in the waste group before lifting determined by the pre-capture position determination unit, controls the transport device to lift a portion of the waste group including the foreign objects.

5. A foreign matter separation method of separating foreign matter included in a waste group from a waste, characterized by, include: In the lifting step, the control device controls the conveying device to lift a portion of the waste group; The foreign object detection step in the handling of waste involves the foreign object detection unit detecting foreign objects in the waste group that is lifted during the lifting step. In the location determination step, if the control device detects a foreign object in the lifted waste group during the foreign object detection step of the transported waste, it determines the location of the foreign object in the lifted waste group. as well as In the separation step, the control device controls the conveying device based on the position of the foreign objects in the lifted waste group determined in the position determination step, so that the waste and foreign objects in the lifted waste group fall to different locations, thereby separating the foreign objects included in the waste group from the waste.

6. A program for causing a control device to perform: The lifting step involves controlling the conveying device to lift a portion of the waste group. The location determination step involves determining the location of the foreign object in the lifted waste group if a foreign object is detected in the waste group lifted during the lifting step by the foreign object detection unit. as well as In the separation step, based on the location of the foreign objects in the lifted waste group determined in the location determination step, the conveying device is controlled to drop the waste and foreign objects in the lifted waste group to different locations, thereby separating the foreign objects included in the waste group from the waste.

7. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program that causes a control device to execute: The lifting step involves controlling the conveying device to lift a portion of the waste group. The location determination step involves determining the location of the foreign object in the lifted waste group if a foreign object is detected in the waste group lifted during the lifting step by the foreign object detection unit. as well as In the separation step, based on the location of the foreign objects in the lifted waste group determined in the location determination step, the conveying device is controlled to drop the waste and foreign objects in the lifted waste group to different locations, thereby separating the foreign objects included in the waste group from the waste.

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