Mechanical apparatus, robot system, controlling method, and method for manufacturing article

Abstract

A mechanical apparatus (100 figure 1) which may include a robot arm (120 figure 1) with a joint J5 includes a movable portion such as a link 126, a supporting portion such as a link 125 configured to

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a mechanical apparatus including a movable portion and a supporting portion. Description of the Related Art 10

[0002] In mechanical apparatuses such as industrial robots that operate in factories, a robot arm having a rotation axis for driving each link disposed on each joint is used. In such a robot arm, when conveying, processing, and sensing components, a position of an end effector such as a robot hand is required to be controlled with high accuracy. Therefore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2018-59854 proposes disposing a displacement 15 measuring apparatus for measuring external forces acting on a robot hand or a robot arm at a position between the robot arm and the robot hand, and using the result of measurement thereof to perform drive control of the robot arm. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 20

[0003] According to one aspect of the present invention, a mechanical apparatus includes a movable portion, a supporting portion configured to support the movable portion rotatably about an axis, a reference portion fixed to one of the movable portion and the supporting portion and including a reference surface having a convex shape, a measurement portion fixed to the other one of the movable portion and the supporting portion; and a detecting portion configured to 25 detect an information corresponding to a displacement between the measurement portion and the reference surface in a radial direction about the exis. Optional or preferable features of the present invention are set out in claims 2 to 25.

[0004] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] FIG 1 is a perspective view illustrating a mechanical apparatus according to a first embodiment.

[0006] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control apparatus of the mechanical apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0007] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a rotational deflection detecting portion of the mechanical apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0008] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a mechanical apparatus according to a second embodiment.

[0009] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a mechanical apparatus according to a third embodiment.

[0010] FIG. 6A is a schematic front view illustrating a rotational deflection detecting portion of the mechanical apparatus according to the third embodiment.

[0011] FIG. 6B is a schematic side view illustrating the rotational deflection detecting portion of the mechanical apparatus according to the third embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating an operation for acquiring a link parameter of the mechanical apparatus according to the third embodiment.

[0013] FIG. 8A is a view illustrating a value of a distance sensor in a case where the link parameter is equal to a curvature of a master standard.

[0014] FIG. 8B is a view illustrating a value of the distance sensor in a case where the link parameter is greater than the curvature of the master standard.

[0015] FIG. 8C is a view illustrating a value of the distance sensor in a case where the link parameter is smaller than the curvature of the master standard.

[0016] FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a mechanical apparatus according to a fourth embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0017] When rotational operation is performed about a rotation axis, rotational deflection of the rotation axis itself due to component tolerance or slanting of the rotation axis caused by an external force may occur, for example, and a so-called deflection occurs to the rotation axis. When deflection of the rotation axis occurs, error occurs to the positioning of the end effector. However, in the technique taught in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2018-59854, even if an external force that acts on the robot hand or the robot arm may be measured, the deflection quantity of the rotation axis may not be detected. Therefore, there is a drawback in that when deflection of the rotation axis occurs, drive control of the robot arm with a highly accurate positioning of the end effector cannot be performed.

[0018] The present invention described, particularly but not exclusively, in the embodiments described below, provides a technique capable of detecting a deflection quantity of a movable portion with respect to a supporting portion with high accuracy. First Embodiment Schematic Configuration of Mechanical Apparatus

[0019] A first embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to FIGs. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a mechanical apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control apparatus of the mechanical apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a rotational deflection detecting portion of the mechanical apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0020] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a mechanical apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment is an example of a robot system, which is an industrial robot capable of executing a method for manufacturing an article by gripping, conveying, and assembling works. A first work W1 is a ring-shaped component, for example, and a second work W2 is a component having a projection to which the ring-shaped component fits, for example.

[0021] The mechanical apparatus 100 includes a robot body 110, and a control apparatus 10 that controls the operation of the robot body 110. The robot body 110 includes a vertical articulated robot arm 120, and a robot hand 140 serving as an operation portion or an end effector that works as a hand of the robot body 110 and that is attached to a leading end, i.e., hand side, of the robot arm 120. That is, the robot body 110 constitutes a drive mechanism for driving and controlling the position of the robot hand 140.

[0022] The robot arm 120 includes a base end link 121 which is a base-side base portion fixed to a frame 150, and a plurality of links 122 to 127 that transmit displacement and force, wherein the plurality of links 122 to 127 are rotatably connected by joints JI to J6. In other words, each base-side link relatively rotatably supports a hand-side link about an axis at a joint. A hand-side link being a link connected to a joint towards the hand or end effector and a baseside link being a link connected to the same j oint towards the base. Each of the j oints JI to J6 of the robot arm 120 is provided with a driving apparatus having an electric motor and a reduction gear. The driving apparatus of each of the joints JI to J6 has an appropriate output that matches the magnitude of necessary torque. In the present mechanical apparatus 100, the base end link 121 fixed to the frame 150 constitutes a structural body in a fixed state, and the robot arm 120 constitutes a movement mechanism that moves a link 125 serving as a supporting portion with respect to the structural body.

[0023] Further, an angle detection apparatus including an encoder for detecting a rotation angle of a hand-side link with respect to a base-side link is disposed on each of the joints JI to J6 of the robot arm 120. The angle detected by each angle detection apparatus is output as information to the control apparatus 10 described in detail later, and the control apparatus 10 outputs commands to each driving apparatus, based on which of the hand-side links is controlled to rotate, by which the robot performs operation. As described in detail later, a rotational deflection detecting portion 200 (refer to FIG. 3) which is a displacement detection mechanism, and which may comprise as an interferometer in some embodiments, is disposed on the joint J5.

[0024] The robot hand 140 includes a hand body 141, and a plurality of fingers 142 that are supported in an openable and closable manner to the hand body 141. By performing an operation to close the plurality of fingers 142, the first work W1 may be gripped, and by performing an opening to open the plurality of fingers 142, the grip of the first work W1 may be released. By gripping the first work W1 using the plurality of fingers 142, an assembling operation of assembling the first work W1 to the second work W2 may be performed. That is, by the assembling operation of the mechanical apparatus 100, an article W0 composed of the first work W1 and the second work W2 is manufactured. Configuration of Control Apparatus

[0025] Next, the control apparatus 10 according to the present mechanical apparatus 100 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the control apparatus 10 is composed of an arithmetic processing unit 1 serving as a control portion, a keyboard 11 and a mouse 12 serving as a manipulation portion, a display 13 serving as an image display portion, and an external storage apparatus 14. Among these components, the arithmetic processing unit 1 may be composed of a hardware such as a personal computer (PC), and it is capable of storing teaching points of the robot body 110 and computing tracks, postures, positions, and coordinates.

[0026] The keyboard 11 and the mouse 12 through which the user may enter various commands are connected to the arithmetic processing unit 1. Further, the display 13 through which the commands that have been entered by an operator or the information generated based on the commands may be confirmed is connected to the arithmetic processing unit 1. Further, the external storage apparatus 14 for storing or performing backup of various information, i.e., data, is connected to the arithmetic processing unit 1. Further, if a storage area installed in the PC serving as the arithmetic processing unit 1 is sufficient, the external storage apparatus 14 may not be connected. It is also possible to connect the arithmetic processing unit 1 to a network, such as a LAN or the Internet not shown, in order to perform download of programs, store information or data in a server not shown, or have the server not shown perform a part of or all the arithmetic operations.

[0027] Further, the arithmetic processing unit 1 includes a CPU 20, a ROM 21, a RAM 22, an HDD 23, a storage disk drive 24, and various interfaces 25 to 28, which are connected via a bus 29. A basic program such as a BIOS is stored in the ROM 21. The RAM 22 is a storage apparatus for temporarily storing various data, such as an arithmetic processing result of the CPU 20.

[0028] The HDD 23 is a storage apparatus for storing various data, such as the arithmetic processing result of the CPU 20 and various data acquired from the exterior, and also stores programs 30 for having various processing performed by the CPU 20. The CPU 20 executes various processes based on the programs 30 stored in the HDD 23.

[0029] The storage disk drive 24 may read various data and programs stored in a storage disk 31. The above-mentioned keyboard 11 is connected to the interface 25, and the mouse 12 is connected to the interface 26. Further, the above-mentioned display 13 is connected to the interface 27, and the display 13 may display various images under the control of the CPU 20. The above-mentioned external storage apparatus 14 is connected to the interface 28. The external storage apparatus 14 may be composed of a storage portion such as a rewritable nonvolatile memory or an external HDD.

[0030] The present embodiment has been described based on an example where the HDD 23 is a computer-readable storage medium, and the programs 30 are stored in the HDD 23, but the present technique is not limited thereto. The programs 30 may be stored in any storage medium, as long as it is a computer-readable storage medium. For example, the ROM 21, the storage disk 31, or the external storage apparatus 14 illustrated in FIG. 2 may be used as the storage medium for supplying the programs 30. As actual examples, a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a DVD-ROM, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory, an HDD, or a ROM may be used as the storage medium. Rotational Deflection Detecting Portion

[0031] Next, the rotational deflection detecting portion 200 according to the first embodiment will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 3, in the mechanical apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, the rotational deflection detecting portion 200 serving as a displacement detection mechanism, which may configure an interferometer, is disposed on the joint J5 (refer to FIG. 1). FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an axis AX5 of the joint J5 taken in the direction of the axis

[0032] As illustrated in FIG. 3, a hand-side link 126 serving as a movable portion is rotatably supported on the base-side link 125 serving as the supporting portion about the axis AX5 serving as the rotation axis of the joint J5. A reference portion 201 having a cylindrical shape including a reference surface 201a serving as a reference for detecting rotational deflection is disposed on the axis AX5 of the movable-side link 126. The reference surface 201a is formed as a cylindrical surface that is an outer circumference surface having a cylindrical shape including a section having a shape along an arc about the axis AX5, and in other words, the reference surface 201 is formed as a cylindrical surface that is protruded in a convex shape with the axis AX5 arranged on the inner side. The reference portion 201 is formed as a hollow cylindrical shape with piping and wiring not shown passed through the inner side thereof.

[0033] Meanwhile, a first sensor retaining portion 204 and a second sensor retaining portion 205 are disposed on the base-side link 125. A first displacement sensor 202 serving as a first measurement portion capable of detecting a displacement distance to the reference surface 201a is retained on the first sensor retaining portion 204. Further, similarly, a second displacement sensor 203 serving as a second measurement portion capable of detecting a displacement distance to the reference surface 201a is retained on the second sensor retaining portion 205. The first displacement sensor 202 and the second displacement sensor 203 are composed, for example, of a noncontact-type capacitive displacement sensor, which is a sensor for detecting a distance, or displacement, by electrostatic capacitance with the reference surface 201a, and outputs displacement as an electric signal to a controller 207 serving as a detecting portion. The controller 207 is arranged on an exterior of the robot arm 120, for example, and connected to the first displacement sensor 202 and the second displacement sensor 203 via an optical fiber. The controller 207 detects electric signals, e.g. information, corresponding to the displacements between the first and second displacement sensors 202 and 203 and the reference surface 201a, and outputs the same to the arithmetic processing unit 1. The rotational deflection detecting portion 200 may be composed of an interferometer, and for example, an optical probe of an interferometer may be arranged instead of the first displacement sensor 202 and the second displacement sensor 203 described above, and the distance to the reference surface 201a in the respective positions may be sensed by a controller of the interferometer equipped with the optical probe and a photoelectric conversion sensor. In other words, the rotational deflection detecting portion 200 serving as an interferometer is composed by providing the first displacement sensor 202, the second displacement sensor 203, and the controller 207. The first displacement sensor 202 and the second displacement sensor 203 may each be a sensor, or probe, for detecting a distance using laser or ultrasonic waves instead of a sensor for detecting the displacement, and in that case, the displacement may be computed by performing arithmetic operation of the variation of distance by the arithmetic processing unit 1.

[0034] The reference surface 201a is processed and rubbed with high accuracy, and it is disposed approximately coaxially on the axis AX5 of the joint J5. By having the reference surface 201a arranged on the axis AX5, the displacement detected by the first displacement sensor 202 and the second displacement sensor 203 may be reduced, and a correction accuracy during correction of position coordinate described in detail later may be enhanced. In the present embodiment, a configuration in which the reference surface 201a is composed as a part of the link 126 has been illustrated, but a configuration where the reference surface is manufactured as an independent component and assembled in position may also be adopted.

[0035] Further, the first sensor retaining portion 204 and the second sensor retaining portion 205 are arranged such that a direction of detection of the first displacement sensor 202 and the second displacement sensor 203 is oriented toward a radiation direction about the axis AX5 from the outer diameter side of the reference surface 201a. In detail, according to the first displacement sensor 202 and the second displacement sensor 203, the first displacement sensor 202 is disposed on a first straight line LI such that a direction of detection, i.e., sensing direction, of the first displacement sensor 202 is aligned along the first straight line LI orthogonal to the axis AX5. Similarly, the second displacement sensor 203 is disposed on a second straight line L2 such that a direction of detection of the second displacement sensor 203 is aligned along the second straight line L2 orthogonal to the axis AX5 and that differs from the first straight line LI.

[0036] Further, the base-side link 125 is disposed on a third straight line L3 in a Z direction of a coordinate system of a joint J4 and that is orthogonal to the axis AX5. That is, in a state where the base-side link 125 is oriented toward a vertical direction and the third straight line L3 is along the vertical direction, the first displacement sensor 202 and the second displacement sensor 203 are arranged to be opposed to the reference portion 201 in directions intersecting the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The first straight line LI is arranged at a mounting angle \| / 1 which is 45 degrees in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing from the third straight line L3, and the second straight line L2 is arranged at a mounting angle xy2 which is 45 degrees in the clockwise direction in the drawing from the third straight line L3. That is, the first displacement sensor 202 and the second displacement sensor 203 are attached at a position each deviated by 45 degrees from the direction of arrangement of the link 125, and such that their directions opposing the reference portion 201 form a 90-degree angle with respect to each other. In other words, the first displacement sensor 202 and the second displacement sensor 203 are arranged such that a plane including the axis AX5 is arranged to pass between the first and second displacement sensors 202 and 203 and the robot hand 140. Put another way, when the base-side link 125 is disposed toward one vertical direction, the first displacement sensor 202 and the second displacement sensor 203 are arranged above a horizontal plane Pl including the axis AX5. By adopting such a configuration, a deflection width, or movable area, of the link 125 may be expanded.

[0037] As the mounting angles \| / 1 and y2 formed between the first and second displacement sensors 202 and 203 and the link 125 increase, an operation range of the link 126 is inhibited, such that a movable range that the link 125 may move without interfering with the link 126 is reduced. On the other hand, as the mounting angles yl and \| / 2 reduce, the correction accuracy in the X direction in the coordinate system of the joint J4 as described in detail later is deteriorated. In other words, the angles formed between the first and second displacement sensors 202 and 203 opposing the reference portion 201 may be an acute angle or an obtuse angle with respect to 90 degrees, and it is especially preferable if the angles are within the range of 30 to 150 degrees. Further, the first sensor retaining portion 204 and the second sensor retaining portion 205 are fixed to the link 125 in a direction oriented toward the joint J4 so as not to inhibit the moving range of the link 126. Detection of Deflection Quantity of Axis and Correction of Robot Hand Position

[0038] Next, a detection of deflection quantity of the axis AX5 in the hand-side link 126 with respect to the base-side link 125 and a correction of position of the robot hand 140 based on the deflection quantity thereof will be described.

[0039] In the rotational deflection detecting portion 200, the first displacement sensor 202 detects displacement, outputs the detection result as a detection value 51 to the arithmetic processing unit 1, and the second displacement sensor 203 detects displacement, and outputs the detection result as a detection value 52 to the arithmetic processing unit 1, i e., detection process. The deflection quantity in the X direction in the coordinate system of the joint J4 based on the detection value 51 of the first displacement sensor 202 and the detection value 52 of the second displacement sensor 203 may be expressed by the following Expression 1. Similarly, the deflection quantity in the Z direction in the coordinate system of the joint J4 based on the detection value 51 of the first displacement sensor 202 and the detection value 52 of the second displacement sensor 203 may be expressed by the following Expression 2. Based on Expression 1 and Expression 2, as the value of sin (\| / 1 + \| / 2) which is the denominator reduces, the calculated deflection quantity increases with respect to 51 and 52. Therefore, from the viewpoint of deflection error, yl + q / 2 is preferably 30 degrees or greater and 150 degrees or smaller, more preferably, 40 degrees or greater and 140 degrees or smaller, and more preferably, around 90 degrees within the range of 80 to 100 degrees. Expression 1 JI cos < / / 2 - 82 cos r / 1 sin( y / 1 + ( / 2) Expression 2 JI sin ( / / 2 + J2 sin < / / l sin(( / l + ( / / 2)

[0040] The coordinate of the robot hand 140 is calculated based on a coordinate conversion expression determined by rotation angles of the respective joints JI to J6 and a link parameter expressing the position coordinate between the rotation axes of the respective joints. That is, the arithmetic expression of the deflection quantity in the X direction and the deflection quantity in the Z direction is inserted as a translation coordinate conversion expression of the joint J4 between the coordinate conversion expression of a former half of joints JI to J4 and the coordinate conversion expression of a latter half of joints J5 and J6. Thereby, a coordinate conversion expression capable of computing the position coordinate of the robot hand 140 including the deflection quantity of the axis AX5 in the link 126 may be constructed.

[0041] Then, the arithmetic processing unit 1 substitutes the above-mentioned detection values 81 and 82 to the coordinate conversion expressions constructed as above, and performs an inverse operation such that the position coordinate of the robot hand 140 is set to the target position, so as to compute rotation angle command values of each of the joints JI to J6. That is, the rotation angle command values of each joint are corrected by performing feedback control using the detection value 61 of the first displacement sensor 202 and the detection value 82 of the second displacement sensor 203. Then, the respective joints JI to J6 are subjected to rotation drive control by the computed rotation angle command values, by which the deflection quantity of the axis at the joint J5 is corrected in a manner cancelling out the deflection quantity, and the robot hand 140 is driven to the target position with high accuracy, i.e.. driving process. Thereby, highly accurate gripping and conveying of the first work Wl, for example, by the robot hand 140 may be realized.

[0042] According to the present embodiment, an example of constructing the coordinate conversion expression of the robot hand 140 and substituting the above-mentioned detection values 61 and 62 to perform arithmetic operation has been described. However, the present technique is not limited to this example. For example, the deflection quantity in the X direction of the coordinate system of the joint J4 and the deflection quantity in the Z direction of the coordinate system of the joint J4 may be computed from the above-mentioned Expressions 1 and 2. Then, by subtracting the computed value from the target position coordinate of the robot hand 140, the robot hand 140 may be driven and controlled to the obtained position. That is, any arithmetic operation method may be adopted, as long as the deflection quantity of the axis AX5 being detected by the rotational deflection detecting portion 200 is used for correcting the position control of the robot hand 140.

[0043] According to the present embodiment, an example has been described where the position of the robot hand 140 is corrected based on the displacement detected by the rotational deflection detecting portion 200. However, the present technique is not limited thereto, and any operation of computing the deflection quantity of an axis and using the computed deflection quantity of the axis in any way may be adopted. For example, the deflection quantity of the axis being computed may be used for correcting the closing operation of the plurality of fingers 142, and for example, in a case where the work is moved by another mechanical apparatus or on a belt conveyor, the timing thereof may be corrected.

[0044] Further according to the present embodiment, two sensors, which are the first displacement sensor 202 and the second displacement sensor 203, are disposed, but it is also possible to have one, or more than three displacement sensors disposed. Further according to the present embodiment, the rotational deflection detecting portion 200 is disposed only on the joint J5, but it may be possible to dispose the rotational deflection detecting portion on other joints, or to have a plurality of rotational deflection detecting portions disposed on each of the plurality of joints. If a plurality of rotational deflection detecting portions are provided, a correction of position of the end effector with higher accuracy may be enabled. Second Embodiment

[0045] Next, a second embodiment in which a part of the first embodiment has been changed will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a mechanical apparatus according to the second embodiment. The mechanical apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment manufactures articles by gripping, conveying, and assembling works, but a mechanical apparatus 300 according to the second embodiment is for sensing a shape of a work W3. In the description of the second embodiment, components that are similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted with the same reference numbers, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0046] Specifically, the mechanical apparatus 300 has a distance sensor 340 serving as an operation portion or an end effector attached on the robot arm 120 in a robot body 310. The distance sensor 340 serving as a sensing portion is a sensor that irradiates laser, for example, and detects a reflected light to sense the distance between the distance sensor 340 and a target object. The mechanical apparatus 300 performs movement control of the position of the distance sensor 340 so that the laser scans a surface of the work W3. In that case, the distance to the surface of the work W3 is sensed by the distance sensor 340, and coordinate conversion is performed by the arithmetic processing unit 1 based on the sensed distance and rotational angles and link parameters of the respective links, and performs sensing of coordinates of each position on the surface of the work W3. The robot arm 120 and the rotational deflection detecting portion 200 disposed thereon is constituted similarly as the first embodiment, and the distance sensor 340 is subjected to highly accurate position control while having the deflection quantity of the axis corrected. Thereby, even if axial deflection occurs to the axis AX5 (refer to FIG. 2), for example, the position of the surface of the work W3 sensed by the distance sensor 340 is also controlled highly accurately to the target position, and an accurate sensing of the surface shape is enabled.

[0047] Other configurations, operations, and effects of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment, such that the descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0048] According to the second embodiment, a technique of sensing the distance to the surface of the work by the laser of the distance sensor 340 and sensing the surface shape based thereon has been described. However, the present technique is not limited thereto, and any sensor may be adopted, such as a contact-type probe used instead of the distance sensor, as long as the surface shape of the work may be sensed. Third Embodiment

[0049] Next, a third embodiment in which a part of the first and second embodiments has been varied will be described with reference to FIGs. 5, 6A, 6B, 7, 8A, 8B, and 8C. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a mechanical apparatus 400 serving as a shape sensing apparatus according to the third embodiment. FIG. 6A is a schematic front view illustrating a rotational deflection detecting portion of the mechanical apparatus 400 in the shape sensing apparatus according to the third embodiment. FIG. 6B is a schematic side view illustrating the rotational deflection detecting portion of the mechanical apparatus 400 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating an operation of acquiring a link parameter of the mechanical apparatus 400 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 8A is a view illustrating a value of a distance sensor in a case where the link parameter is equivalent to a curvature of a master standard. FIG. 8B is a view illustrating a value of the distance sensor in a case where the link parameter is greater than the curvature of a master standard. FIG. 8C is a view illustrating a value of the distance sensor in a case where the link parameter is smaller than the curvature of a master standard.

[0050] In the first and second embodiments, the mechanical apparatus 100 or the mechanical apparatus 300 is equipped with the rotational deflection detecting portion 200. In the third embodiment, the mechanical apparatus 400 serving as a sensing apparatus for sensing a work shape is equipped with a rotational deflection detecting portion 700 serving as a displacement detection mechanism. The mechanical apparatus 400 is an apparatus for sensing a surface shape of a work W4 serving as a target object at least having a surface of axisymmetric shape, for example. Further, the rotational deflection detecting portion 200 according to the first embodiment has a reference surface disposed on the movable portion and a displacement sensor disposed on the supporting portion, but in contrast, according to the rotational deflection detecting portion 700 of the third embodiment, the reference surface is disposed on the supporting portion and the displacement sensor is disposed on the movable portion. Hereafter, the third embodiment will be described in detail. In the description of the third embodiment, components that are similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted with the same reference numbers, and descriptions thereof are omitted. Configuration of Mechanical Apparatus

[0051] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the mechanical apparatus 400 serving as a sensing apparatus for sensing the shape of the work W4 has a movable mechanism 400A mounted on a surface table 402 supported on an antivibration mount 401. The movable mechanism 400A is equipped with a linear X axis fixed member 403, a linear X axis moving member 404, a linear Z axis fixed member 405, a linear Z axis moving member 406, and a rotation portion 500. The movable mechanism 400A is composed as a movement mechanism for performing drive control of the position of a distance sensor 408 serving as a sensing portion. In the present mechanical apparatus 400, a structural body in a state where the antivibration mount 401, the surface table 402, and the linear X axis fixed member 403 are fixed is configured. Further, the linear X axis moving member 404 and the linear Z axis fixed member 405 constitute a movement mechanism that moves the linear Z axis moving member 406 serving as a supporting portion with respect to the structural body.

[0052] That is, the linear X axis moving member 404 movable in linear motion in the X direction through the linear X axis fixed member 403 is disposed on the surface table 402. The linear X axis fixed member 403 and the linear X axis moving member 404 are designed to move the linear X axis moving member 404 through a bearing mechanism such as a linear guide not shown. At least either one of the linear X axis fixed member 403 and the linear X axis moving member 404 is provided with a drive mechanism such as an electric motor or a linear motor, and a coordinate sensing structure such as a linear scale or a laser length measuring device, and the position thereof in the X direction is subjected to drive control by the control apparatus 10.

[0053] Similarly, the linear Z axis moving member 406 capable of moving in linear motion in the Z direction through the linear Z axis fixed member 405 is disposed on the linear X axis moving member 404. The linear Z axis fixed member 405 and the linear Z axis moving member 406 are designed to move the linear Z axis moving member 406 through a bearing mechanism such as a linear guide not shown. At least either one of the linear Z axis fixed member 405 and the linear Z axis moving member 406 is provided with a drive mechanism such as an electric motor or a linear motor, and a coordinate sensing structure such as a linear scale or a laser length measuring device, and the position thereof in the Z direction is controlled by the control apparatus 10.

[0054] Further, the rotation portion 500 is attached to the linear Z axis moving member 406. As illustrated in FIGs. 6A and 6B, the rotation portion 500 is supported by the linear Z axis moving member 406 serving as a supporting portion, and rotatably supports a supporting arm 407A serving as a movable portion and a sensor retaining portion 407B fixed and supported thereto. Specifically, the rotation portion 500 includes a bearing 501 attached to the linear Z axis moving member 406, and rotatably supports a rotating shaft 510 by the bearing 501. Further, the rotation portion 500 is equipped with a motor 502 attached to the bearing 501 for outputting a driving force in a direction of rotation, and an encoder 503 for detecting the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 510.

[0055] Further, the supporting arm 407A and the sensor retaining portion 407B fixed to and supported on the supporting arm 407A are attached to the rotating shaft 510, and the distance sensor 408 serving as an operation portion or an end effector is fixed to and supported by the sensor retaining portion 407B. The distance sensor 408 detects, or senses, the distance to the surface of the work W4. That is, in the third embodiment, the supporting arm 407A and the sensor retaining portion 407B constitute a hand-side link serving as a movable portion, and the linear Z axis moving member 406 rotatably supporting the movable portion constitutes a baseside link serving as the supporting portion.

[0056] According to the present embodiment, a hydrostatic bearing is used as the bearing 501, but a rolling bearing may also be used. Further, a coreless motor in which cogging torque is rarely generated is preferably used as the motor 502, but other types of motors may also be used. Further, a laser encoder is used as the encoder 503, but encoders adopting any type of principle may be used, as long as the rotation angle may be obtained.

[0057] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the work W4 is arranged on a rotary table 409 arranged on the surface table 402 in a manner capable of being driven to rotate, and a sensing direction of which may be varied by rotation. A linear movement alignment table 410 and a tilt alignment table 411 are arranged on the rotary table 409, and an axis of the axisymmetric shape of the work W4 may be aligned to a center of rotation of the rotary table 409. That is, a configuration suitable for sensing the axisymmetric shape of the work W4 is realized by the linear movement alignment table 410 and the tilt alignment table 411.

[0058] The mechanical apparatus 400 is equipped with the control apparatus 10 that controls the operation of respective portions and that executes various arithmetic processing. The configuration of the control apparatus 10 is similar to the first embodiment, such that the descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0059] The linear X axis moving member 404 and the linear Z axis moving member 406 operate the coordinate sensing structure such as the linear scale or the laser length measuring device described above by the control apparatus 10 to acquire a coordinate, and performs drive control of the position in the X direction and the position in the Z direction based thereon. The rotary table 409 is similarly equipped with a drive mechanism such as a bearing and a motor, and a coordinate sensing structure such as a such as an encoder, similarly acquires the coordinate according to the command from the control apparatus 10, and controls the rotational position based thereon. Rotational Deflection Detecting Portion

[0060] Next, the rotational deflection detecting portion 700 which is a displacement detection mechanism according to the third embodiment will be described. As illustrated in FIGs. 6A and 6B, a displacement sensor 703 serving as a measurement portion is attached via a sensor retaining portion 702 to an upper portion of the supporting arm 407A supported rotatably on the linear Z axis moving member 406 by the rotation portion 500 described above. Meanwhile, a fixed arm 701 serving as a reference sphere retaining portion is fixed to and supported by the linear Z axis moving member 406, and on a tip of the fixed arm 701 is attached a reference portion 704. The reference portion 704 includes a sphere-shaped reference surface 704a serving as reference for detecting a rotational deflection on an axis AX. The reference surface 704a is formed on a spherical surface, which is a sphere-shaped outer circumference surface having a portion formed along an arc about the axis AX, and in other words, the reference surface 704a is formed on a spherical surface that protrudes in a convex shape with the axis AX arranged on the inner side. The above-mentioned displacement sensor 703 detects, or senses, the displacement of the reference portion 704 to the reference surface 704a, and outputs the displacement as an electric signal to a controller 707 serving as a detecting portion. The controller 707 is arranged, for example, on an exterior of the movable mechanism 400A, and connected via an optical fiber to the displacement sensor 703. The controller 707 detects the electric signal corresponding to the displacement of the displacement sensor 703 and the reference surface 704a as information corresponding to the displacement of the displacement sensor 703 and the reference surface 704a, and outputs the same to the arithmetic processing unit 1. Similar to the first embodiment, the rotational deflection detecting portion 700 may be composed using an interferometer, and for example, an optical probe of an interferometer may be arranged instead of the displacement sensor 703 described above, wherein the distance to the reference surface 704a may be sensed by the optical probe and the controller of the interferometer equipped with the photoelectric conversion sensor. That is, the rotational deflection detecting portion 700 serving as the interferometer is composed by providing the displacement sensor 703 and the controller 707. The displacement sensor 703 is also composed, for example, of a noncontact-type capacitive displacement sensor according to the present embodiment, but for example, a sensor, or probe, for detecting the distance using laser or ultrasonic waves may also be used.

[0061] In a state where the supporting arm 407A is oriented toward the vertical direction and a straight line LA is arranged in the vertical direction, the displacement sensor 703 is arranged to be opposed to the reference portion 704 in the vertical direction. In other words, the displacement sensor 703 is disposed such that a plane P2 including the axis AX is passed through between the displacement sensor 703 and the distance sensor 408. Especially when the supporting arm 407A is oriented toward the vertical direction, the displacement sensor 703 is arranged above a horizontal plane P2 including the axis AX.

[0062] The fixed arm 701 includes a mechanism for adjusting the X, Y, and Z positions of the reference portion 704, i.e., the reference surface 704a, not shown. The reference surface 704a is adjusted to be arranged such that the axis AX of the rotation portion 500 is substantially positioned at the center and that the straight line LA that is orthogonal to the axis AX and in the direction of detection, i.e., sensing direction, of the distance sensor 408 and that passes a focal point of the distance sensor 408 serving as a working point of the operation portion is positioned at the center. As the center of the reference surface 704a approximates the axis AX, the amount of variation of a displacement sensor 507 during rotation becomes small, such that a detection accuracy is enhanced. Further, as the center of the reference surface 704a approximates the straight line LA which is the sensing direction of the distance sensor 408, the inclination of the distance sensor 408 and the displacement sensor 703 reduces, such that the displacement detected by the displacement sensor 703 will be the pure value of the direction of detection of the displacement sensor 703, such that the detection accuracy is enhanced. Further according to the present embodiment, the reference portion 704 is composed, for example, of a steel ball, but a spherical surface with higher accuracy is preferable for enhancing the accuracy level, and if the displacement may be sensed by the displacement sensor 703, the material is not limited to steel, and it may be glass or ceramics.

[0063] Further, a mechanism for adjusting a position and posture of the displacement sensor 703 not shown is provided on the sensor retaining portion 702. The direction of detection, i.e., sensing direction, of the displacement sensor 703 is adjusted to be approximately oriented toward the axis AX of the rotation portion 500. Further, the sensor retaining portion 407B is provided with a mechanism for adjusting the position and posture of the distance sensor 408 not shown. The displacement sensor 703, the reference surface 704a, and the distance sensor 408 are preferably approximately arranged on the straight line LA, which is the direction of detection, i.e., sensing direction, of the distance sensor 408. Further, the straight line LA and the axis AX of the rotation portion 500 are preferably approximately arranged orthogonally. Thereby, even if rotational deflection or tilting of axis of the rotation portion 500 occurs, positional deviation of the respective portions on the straight line LA does not easily occur, such that the deflection quantity of the rotation portion 500 may be detected highly accurately, and the correction of the sensing operation described later may be performed with high accuracy. Operation of Mechanical Apparatus 400

[0064] According to the mechanical apparatus 400 configured as above, the detection signal, i.e., detection value, of the distance sensor 408, the displacement sensor 703, and the encoder 503 are output to the control apparatus 10. The control apparatus 10 performs drive control of various portions of the movable mechanism 400A serving as the drive mechanism and rotation control of the rotary table 409, and performs arithmetic processing of coordinate matching of the distance sensor 408 and the rotary table 409. In other words, the control apparatus 10 computes operation command values of respective portions of the movable mechanism 400A based on the shape of the work W4 serving as the sensing target and the information of the portion to be sensed. Then, the movable mechanism 400A and the rotary table 409 are cooperatively driven based on the command from the control apparatus 10, and the geometric coordinate of the work W4 in that state is scanned and sensed by the distance sensor 408, i.e., scanning process. That is, the surface shape of the work W4 is computed according to the distance to the work W4 detected by the distance sensor 408, the coordinate of the work W4, the direction of detection, or posture, of the distance sensor 408, and a link parameter L described below. Further, a static sensing of position or a profile sensing for profiling the shape is also possible, and the coordinate being sensed is subjected to arithmetic processing by the control apparatus 10 to compute the sensing result. Further, the control apparatus 10 may display the result of arithmetic processing on the display 13.

[0065] Further, in the sensing process, the displacement from the reference surface 704a is detected by the displacement sensor 703 and output as a detection value to the control apparatus 10, i.e., deflection quantity detection process. The control apparatus 10 performs correction by subtracting the detection value of the displacement sensor 703 as a deflection quantity of the rotation portion 500 from the distance to the surface of the work W4 detected by the distance sensor 408. Thereby, sensing of the surface shape of the work W4 with high accuracy by correcting the deflection quantity of the rotation portion 500, i.e., sensing process, may be performed.

[0066] Further, the rotational deflection detecting portion 700 according to the third embodiment has one displacement sensor 703, which is mounted via the sensor retaining portion 702 to the supporting arm 407A rotated as a movable portion with respect to the linear Z axis moving member 406 serving as a supporting portion. Accordingly, even when the displacement sensor 703 is rotated, it will not interfere with the linear Z axis moving member 406, and the movable range in the direction of rotation of the displacement sensor 703 may be increased. Therefore, the surface shape of the work W4 may be sensed in a wide range. Further, since the directions of detection of the displacement sensor 703 and the distance sensor 408 are the same direction, correction may be performed easily by subtracting the amount of displacement by rotational deflection detected by the displacement sensor 703 as it is, that is, by adding the value to or subtracting the value from, the distance detected by the distance sensor 408.

[0067] In the present embodiment, the surface shape of the work W4 is described as being an axisymmetric shape, but the present technique is not limited to the axisymmetric shape. The shape of the work, the material of the work, or the state of the surface may be of any type, as long as the distance may be sensed by the distance sensor 408. Calibration of Link Parameter by Master Standard

[0068] Next, a calibration of the link parameter L according to a curvature master standard 601 in the mechanical apparatus 400 according to the third embodiment will be described. That is, with reference to FIG. 7, a method for obtaining the link parameter L, which is the distance of a sensing point, i.e., working point, of the distance sensor 408 serving as an operation portion, from the axis AX of the rotation portion 500 will be described.

[0069] The computation of the link parameter L is important for specifying a correct coordinate. The link parameter L is computed using the curvature master standard 601 including a curved surface 601a having a convex shape with a known radius of curvature, i.e., curvature of a master standard R. The curved surface 601a of the curvature master standard 601 may be either a spherical surface or a cylindrical surface to be used as reference. After installing the curvature master standard 601, the distance sensor 408 is rotated by the rotation portion 500, and the value of the distance sensor 408 is acquired at multiple surface positions according to the rotation angle. Patterns of sensing values of the distance sensor with respect to the rotation angle are illustrated in FIGs. 8A, 8B, and 8C. FIGs. 8A, 8B, and 8C are graphs in which a distance d is shown in the vertical axis of the graph and a rotation angle is shown in the horizontal axis thereof, with the rotation angle set to 0 degrees, that is, the rotation angle in a state where the distance sensor 408 is oriented directly downward in FIG. 7 is set to 0 degrees, and the output of the distance sensor 408 in that state is set to 0.

[0070] If the link parameter L is equal to the curvature of a master standard R, the graph will be at a fixed distance regardless of the rotation angle, as illustrated in FIG. 8A. Meanwhile, if the link parameter L differs from the curvature of a master standard R, a distance d will be deviated according to the rotation angle, as illustrated in FIGs. 8B and 8C. Since the curvature of a master standard R is known, the link parameter L may be obtained based on the curvature of a master standard R and the distance d, such that calibration of the link parameter L is enabled.

[0071] Further, regarding the curved surface 601a of the curvature master standard 601, even if the link parameter L is not a concaved surface close to a radius, the link parameter L may be calibrated based on the amount of deviation from the curvature of a master standard R. Further, even if the curvature of the curved surface 601a is a convex surface, the calibration of the link parameter L is enabled. In that case, in order to irradiate laser light of the distance sensor 408 to the convex surface, it may be necessary to drive the axes other than the rotation portion 500 when performing sensing by the distance sensor 408. According to the present embodiment, the master standard having the curved surface 601a of the spherical surface curvature of a concaved surface close to the link parameter L is used as the curvature master standard 601. In this case, there is no need to drive axes other than the rotation portion 500 when sensing the master standard by the distance sensor 408, drive errors may be reduced. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the link parameter L may be obtained highly accurately and calibration may be performed.

[0072] The other configurations, operations, and effects according to the third embodiment are similar to the first and second embodiments, such that the descriptions thereof are omitted. Fourth Embodiment

[0073] Next, a fourth embodiment in which a part of the third embodiment has been changed will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a mechanical apparatus according to the fourth embodiment. In the third embodiment, the rotational deflection detecting portion 700 was adopted as the mechanical apparatus 400, and correction was performed when sensing the surface shape of the work. According to the fourth embodiment, the rotational deflection detecting portion 700 is adopted as a mechanical apparatus 800 serving as a machining apparatus for machining a work using laser, and a position to which laser is irradiated during machining is corrected by a deflection quantity detected by the rotational deflection detecting portion 700. In the description of the third embodiment, the same reference numbers are assigned to similar components as the first to third embodiments, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0074] As illustrated in FIG. 9, the mechanical apparatus 800 is composed by having a movable mechanism 800A serving as a drive mechanism including a robot arm 810 is fixed to and supported by the surface table 402, instead of the movable mechanism 400A of the mechanical apparatus 400 according to the third embodiment That is, the table to which a work W8 is set is similar to that of the third embodiment. The mechanical apparatus 800 is equipped with the robot arm 810, and it may also be referred to as a robot apparatus, or robot system.

[0075] In the movable mechanism 800A, the robot arm 810 is attached to and supported by a column 803 supported on the surface table 402. The robot arm 810 is composed of a rotating portion 804 serving as a joint, a first link 805, a rotating portion 806 serving as a joint, a second link 807, a rotating portion 808 serving as a joint, and a laser light emitting portion 809 serving as an operation portion and being an end effector. In the fourth embodiment, the rotational deflection detecting portion 700 is provided to detect a deflection quantity of rotation of the rotating portion 808. That is, the reference portion 704 (refer to FIGs. 6A and 6B) is fixed to and supported on the base-side second link 807 serving as a supporting portion, and the displacement sensor 703 is fixed to and supported on a supporting arm (not shown) for supporting the hand-side laser light emitting portion 809 serving as the movable portion. In the mechanical apparatus 800, a structural body is constructed with the antivibration mount 401, the surface table 402, and the column 803 in a fixed state. Further, the rotating portion 804, the first link 805, and the rotating portion 806 constitute a movement mechanism in which the second link 807 serving as the supporting portion is moved with respect to the structural body.

[0076] In the mechanical apparatus 800 configured as above, the control apparatus 10 performs drive control of various portions of the movable mechanism 800A and rotation control of the rotary table 409, and also irradiates the laser by the laser light emitting portion 809 on the work W8 to perform machining of the work W8. In this state, similar to the third embodiment, the rotational deflection detecting portion 700 detects the deflection quantity by the rotational deflection that occurs at the rotating portion 808, and based on the deflection quantity, the focal point, i.e., working point of the operation portion, of laser irradiated by the laser light emitting portion 809 is corrected. Thereby, highly accurate machining is made possible.

[0077] The other configurations, operations, and effects according to the fourth embodiment are similar to the first to third embodiments, such that the descriptions thereof are omitted. Other Embodiments

[0078] In the first to fourth embodiments described above, a case in which the rotational deflection detecting portion 200 or 700 serving as the displacement detection mechanism is applied to the mechanical apparatus, such as a robot apparatus, a sensing apparatus, or a machining apparatus has been described. However, the present technique is not limited thereto, and it may be applied to any apparatus, as long as the apparatus detects rotational deflection by the rotation of an axis. Specifically, the present technique may be applied not only to an apparatus where the deflection quantity of the axis is detected and used for correction, but also to an apparatus that simply detects the deflection quantity.

[0079] Further, the first and second embodiments were illustrated based on an example where the rotational deflection detecting portion 200 is used, and the third and fourth embodiments were illustrated based on an example where the rotational deflection detecting portion 700 is used. However, it may be possible to adopt a similar configuration as the rotational deflection detecting portion 700 in the first and second embodiment, and to adopt a similar configuration as the rotational deflection detecting portion 200 in the third and fourth embodiments. That is, the reference portion should merely be fixed to either one of the movable portion and the supporting portion and provided with a reference surface having a convex shape, and the displacement detecting portion should merely be fixed to the other one of the movable portion and the supporting portion to detect displacement of the distance to the reference surface.

[0080] Further according to the first embodiment, a technique in which a work is gripped and conveyed by the robot hand 140 has been described. However, the present technique is not limited thereto, and when conveying a work, any method for conveying a work may be adopted, such as sucking the work and conveying the same. Further, the same applies for a case where a modified example of the second to fourth embodiments is adopted to convey a work.

[0081] Further according to the second embodiment, a technique of sensing the shape of a work has been described. However, the present technique is not limited thereto, and any type of sensing, such as weighing a work or measuring a physical property such as an electrical property, may be performed. Further, the same applies for a case where a modified example of the first or fourth embodiment is adopted to sense a work.

[0082] In the third embodiment, a technique of sensing the surface shape of the work W4 as the mechanical apparatus 400 has been described, but the present technique is not limited thereto. For example, it may be possible to compose a mechanical apparatus that manufactures an article by gripping and conveying of a work by attaching a hand thereto, instead of the distance sensor 408, or that has a laser light emitting portion attached to perform machining of the work.

[0083] In the fourth embodiment, a technique of machining the work W8 as the mechanical apparatus 800 has been described, but the present technique is not limited thereto. For example, it may be possible to grip and convey the work by attaching a hand, instead of the laser light emitting portion 809, and any configuration may be adopted as a mechanical apparatus for manufacturing an article. Further, the mechanical apparatus 800 including the robot arm 810 may have a distance sensor attached instead of the laser light emitting portion 809 to compose a mechanical apparatus for sensing the surface shape of the work.

[0084] Elements of the present disclosure can also be realized by one or more processors in a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes a program supplied via a network or a storage medium to perform some of the functions of the above-described embodiments. Elements of the present disclosure may also be realized by a circuit, such as an ASIC, that realizes one or more functions.

[0085] Embodiment(s), or elements of embodiment(s), of the present invention can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be referred to more fully as a 'non-transitory computer-readable storage medium') to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and / or that includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment s), and by a method performed by the computer of the system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing the computer executable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiments) and / or controlling the one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiments). The computer may comprise one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read out and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.

[0086] While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited solely to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. Each of the embodiments of the present invention described above can be implemented solely or as a combination of a plurality of the embodiments or features thereof where necessary or where the combination of elements or features from individual embodiments in a single embodiment is beneficial. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions as understood by the skilled person to achieve the present invention.

Claims

24 01 251. A mechanical apparatus comprising:a movable portion;a supporting portion configured to support the movable portion rotatably about an5 axis;a reference portion fixed to one of the movable portion and the supporting portion and including a reference surface having a convex shape;a measurement portion fixed to the other one of the movable portion and the supporting portion; and10 a detecting portion configured to detect an information corresponding to adisplacement between the measurement portion and the reference surface in a radial direction about the axis.

2. The mechanical apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising15 a structural body; anda movement mechanism configured to move the supporting portion with respect to the structural body.

3. The mechanical apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2,20 wherein the reference portion is fixed to the supporting portion, andwherein the measurement portion is fixed to the movable portion.

4. The mechanical apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the reference portion is fixed to the movable portion, and25 wherein the measurement portion is fixed to the supporting portion.

5. The mechanical apparatus according to claim 4,24 01 25wherein the measurement portion includes a first measurement portion and a second measurement portion,wherein the first measurement portion is fixed to the supporting portionwherein a second measurement portion fixed to the supporting portion at a position5 that differs from a position of the first measurement portion, andwherein an information corresponding to a displacement between the first measurement portion and the reference surface in the radial direction about the axis and an information corresponding to a displacement between the second measurement portion and the reference surface in the radial direction about the axis are detected.

106. The mechanical apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,wherein the reference portion is arranged such that the reference surface includes a section having a shape along an arc about the axis, andwherein the measurement portion is arranged such that the section is positioned 15 between the measurement portion and the axis.

7. The mechanical apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the reference surface includes a spherical surface or a cylindrical surface.20 8. The mechanical apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising acontrol portion configured to compute, based on the information, a deflection quantity of the movable portion with respect to the supporting portion in a state where the movable portion is rotated.25 9. The mechanical apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,wherein the measurement portion and the detecting portion constitute an interferometer, and24 01 25wherein the measurement portion and the detecting portion are connected via an optical fiber.

10. The mechanical apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an operation portion is 5 attached to the movable portion.

11. The mechanical apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein an operation portion is attached to the movable portion, and wherein the measurement portion is arranged such that the axis passes through 10 between the measurement portion and the operation portion.

12. The mechanical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an operation portion is attached to the movable portion, wherein the first measurement portion is arranged such that a measurement direction 15 of the first measurement portion is aligned along a first straight line orthogonal to the axis, and wherein the second measurement portion is arranged such that a measurement direction of the second measurement portion is aligned along a second straight line orthogonal to the axis.20 13. The mechanical apparatus according to claim 12, wherein an angle formed by adirection in which the first measurement portion is opposed to the reference portion and a direction in which the second measurement portion is opposed to the reference portion is between 30 and 150 degrees.25 14. The mechanical apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising:a control portion configured to control a drive of the movable portion with respect to the supporting portion, and24 01 25wherein the control portion is configured to drive the movable portion while performing feedback of a detection result of the information.

15. The mechanical apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:5 a sensing portion configured to control the movement mechanism to scan a surface ofa target object by the operation portion to thereby sense a distance between the operation portion and the target object,wherein the sensing portion is configured to correct a sensing result of the sensing portion using the information.1016. The mechanical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the operation portion is configured to convey an article, machine the article, or sense the article.

17. The mechanical apparatus according to claim 4, the reference portion is formed by 15 a part of the movable portion.

18. The mechanical apparatus according to claim 4, the reference portion is a sphere supported by the supporting portion.20 19. The mechanical apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the supporting portionincludes a mechanism for adjusting a position of the reference portion.

20. The mechanical apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the supporting portion includes a mechanism for adjusting a position and posture of the measurement portion.2521. The mechanical apparatus according to claim 4 wherein an operation portion is attached to the movable portion,24 01 25wherein the measurement portion, the reference portion, and the operation portion are aligned along an operation direction of the operation portion.

22. A robot system comprising the mechanical apparatus according to any one of claims 5 Ito 21.

23. A method for controlling the mechanical apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 21, comprising acquiring a value corresponding to a deflection quantity of the movable portion with respect to the supporting portion in a state where the movable portion is rotated 10 based on the information, and driving the movable portion while performing feedback of the deflection quantity.

24. A method for controlling the mechanical apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:15 controlling the movement mechanism to scan a surface of a target object by theoperation portion to thereby sense a distance between the operation portion and the target object, andcorrecting a sensing result of the sensing based on the information.20 25. A method for manufacturing an article, wherein an article is manufactured using themechanical apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

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