Robot control system and robot control program

Abstract

To eliminate work waste and reduce control burden by executing plural work-types of work steps in a direct manner.SOLUTION: A robot control system according to the present invention is configured to, when a necessary tool 70 does not exist in a vicinity during work being performed on a target object, execute, by using a transfer device 54, transfer (transferring a tool storage shelf 52T) work of a shelf 52 equivalent to normal stored-item carry-in / out work by interrupting the normal stored-item carry-in / out work with the transfer work. Thus, this transfer work can omit work for a humanoid robot 1 to move between a work site and a storage site so as to be performed concurrently with the normal stored-item carry in / out work, thereby, enabling eliminating work waste due to exchange of the tool 70.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot control system and a robot control program. [Background technology]

[0002] Humanoid robots are used in factory production lines to perform tasks automatically. Patent Document 1 describes posture control of a humanoid robot.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a robot arm having multiple joints that is driven by an elastic actuator, and which is controlled by a hand support member that is arranged at the hand of the robot arm and supports the robot arm by contacting a support surface, and a control unit that controls the contact force between the hand support member and the support surface while also controlling the position and posture of the hand of the robot arm. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-093506 A [Patent Document 2] WO2011 / 001569 publication Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, conventional picking tasks in warehouses using humanoid robots currently rely on human hands when picking up items (such as shampoo, conditioner, cosmetics, toothpaste, instant ramen, snack bags, etc., which vary in shape, weight, hardness, and fragility) from shelves on which they are displayed, and then packing them into the appropriate packaging (boxes, etc.).

[0006] Even if the structure of the robot's gripping section is changed to a finger type, the fingers and arms move slowly, resulting in low productivity. Furthermore, when performing tasks other than gripping luggage, the gripping section must grip the necessary tools (e.g., drills, screwdrivers, etc.), which is an indirect task that requires management control of the gripping state, and this can result in a large control burden.

[0007] Furthermore, the robot's gripping part may need to be replaced with a different tool type depending on the work target, and this replacement work may result in a loss of work throughout the entire process, including normal work (e.g., retrieval and storage work, etc.).

[0008] In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a robot control system and a robot control program that can eliminate work loss and reduce the control burden by directly executing multiple types of work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The robot control system of the present invention includes a transport control unit that moves a transport device between a storage base that stores objects and multiple types of tools that can be attached to the robot and the robot's workspace, a robot control unit that controls a robot present in the workspace using a tool attached to the robot placed in the workspace, a normal work instruction unit that instructs the transport control unit to move the object using the transport device for the purpose of the robot control unit performing normal work on the object, an acquisition unit that acquires tool replacement request information from the robot control unit, and an interrupt work instruction unit that, when the acquisition unit acquires the tool replacement request information, interrupts the normal work and instructs the transport control unit to transport the tool.

[0010] According to the present invention, a transport control unit that moves a transport device between a storage base that stores objects and multiple types of tools that can be attached to the robot and the robot's workspace, and a robot control unit that controls the robot present in the workspace using the tools attached to the robot placed in the workspace, work in cooperation with each other.

[0011] The normal work instruction unit instructs the transport control unit to move the object using the transport device for the purpose of the normal work of the robot on the object. When the acquisition unit acquires the tool replacement request information from the bot control unit during the normal work, the interrupt work instruction unit interrupts the normal work and instructs the transport control unit to transport the tool.

[0012] This makes it possible to eliminate work loss and reduce the control burden by directly executing a plurality of types of work.

[0013] The present invention is characterized in that the instructions given to the transport control unit by the interrupt work instruction unit include an instruction to take the specified tool from the storage base and transport it to the work space, and an instruction to transport the tool after it has been removed by the robot to the storage base and store it there.

[0014] The present invention is characterized in that the normal operations of the robot on an object in the work space include an out-of-stock operation of taking the object out of the storage base, and an in-stock operation of taking the object into the storage base.

[0015] In the present invention, the work of the transport device is performed by the robot or another robot as part of the normal work.

[0016] In the present invention, the robot is characterized by comprising a camera that takes an image of the object and identifies the type of the object, and a motion processing unit that specifies the position of the object.

[0017] The camera identifies the photographed object (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as baggage) based on the photographed image information. In other words, the camera has the role of acquiring information for identifying the type of object (shape, size, hardness, etc.).

[0018] The motion processing unit (MoPU) outputs vector information of the movement of a point indicating the location of an object along a predetermined coordinate axis as position information together with the movement information. In other words, the movement information output from the MoPU contains only information indicating the movement (movement direction and movement speed) of the center point (or center of gravity) of the object on the coordinate axes (x-axis, y-axis, z-axis). In other words, it is possible to accurately guide the trajectory of the gripping unit when it approaches the object.

[0019] A robot control system according to the present invention is characterized in that a computer is operated as the normal work instruction unit, the acquisition unit, and the interrupt work instruction unit of the management server.

[0020] The above summary of the invention does not list all of the necessary features of the present invention. Also, subcombinations of these features may also be inventions. Effect of the Invention

[0021] As described above, according to the present invention, the control burden can be reduced by directly executing a plurality of types of work. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a humanoid robot according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a side view of a humanoid robot according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the palm side of the grip part according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 1A is a front view of a robot tool stored in a holder according to a first embodiment, and FIGS. 1B to 1D are front views showing states of work by the robot tool according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a humanoid robot according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure of gripping control when gripping an object with a gripper in conjunction with the overall movement of the humanoid robot. [Figure 7] 13 is a control flowchart showing details of a robot tool application processing subroutine. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a front view of a gripping portion according to a second embodiment, and FIG. 11B is a table showing a list of work types of the gripping portion according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a warehouse of a logistics center in a third embodiment, where (A) is an oblique view of a storage base for storing luggage as an object, (B) is an enlarged view showing the storage state of the luggage, and (C) is an enlarged view showing the storage state of tools. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram when controlling a robot and a transport device in cooperation with each other, which is executed by a storage base management server according to the third embodiment. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart showing a work instruction control main routine according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of computer hardware that functions as an information processing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Also, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0024] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a front view of a humanoid robot 1 according to a first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the humanoid robot 1 according to the first embodiment includes an upper body 2, legs 3, and a connector 4 that rotatably connects the upper body 2 to the legs 3, and is placed, for example, on a production line in a factory to perform work on a line including shelves on which packages 100 (see Fig. 3) or the like that are to be picked are displayed, or on objects (such as fallen objects) on the floor. Note that the work includes not only picking, which is to grasp packages 100 from shelves, but also packing, which is to place the grasped packages 100 in a predetermined case (such as a cardboard box).

[0025] The upper body 2 has two arms 5 and 6. The arms 5 and 6 are attached to the left and right of the upper body 2 so as to be freely rotatable. Furthermore, a gripping part 20 (described in detail later) for gripping luggage 100 is attached to the tip of the arms 5 and 6. The number of arms is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.

[0026] The leg 3 has two wheels 7, 8 attached to its lower portion, enabling the humanoid robot 1 to move on the floor on which it is placed.

[0027] The connecting portion 4 rotatably connects the upper body portion 2 and the legs 3. Therefore, the upper body portion 2 can lean forward and backward with respect to the legs 3. Therefore, the humanoid robot 1 according to the first embodiment can lean the upper body portion 2 forward with respect to the legs 3, as shown in Fig. 2, and pick up luggage 100 placed on a shelf, luggage 100 placed on the floor, and luggage 100 that has fallen to the floor during work.

[0028] In addition, the legs 3 have a balancing function to prevent the humanoid robot 1 from falling over when the upper body 2 leans forward or backward relative to the legs 3 or when the humanoid robot 1 moves.

[0029] 1, the connecting part 4 has a function of changing the distance between the upper body part 2 and the legs 3. Therefore, the vertical position of the upper body part 2 relative to the legs 3 can be adjusted as shown by the arrow A so as to match the height of the workbench in the production line.

[0030] Moreover, the driving of the humanoid robot 1 according to the first embodiment is controlled by a control system 10 implemented within the humanoid robot 1.

[0031] (Structure of gripping portion 20) 3, the gripping unit 20 attached to the tip of the arms 5, 6 has a structure similar to that of a human hand (Intelligent Hand System). The gripping unit 20 is attached to the arms 5, 6 so as to be freely rotatable. The gripping unit 20 is a portion beyond the wrist that connects to the arms 5, 6, and the gripping unit 20 is detachable from this wrist portion and can be replaced with a robot tool 21EX, which will be described later.

[0032] (Gripping part 20) 3, the grip portion 20 according to the first embodiment has a palm portion as a base corresponding to a so-called human palm, and five fingers 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, and 22E, each having a plurality of joints, are attached to the palm portion. Note that, although the number of fingers on the grip portion 20L is five in the first embodiment, the number of fingers may be different, such as three fingers.

[0033] A palm sensor 26 is attached to the palm of the hand. The high-resolution camera constituting the palm sensor 26 according to the first embodiment identifies the photographed baggage 100 based on the captured image information, i.e., whether it is a care product such as shampoo, conditioner, cosmetics, or toothpaste, or whether it is food such as instant ramen or a bag of snacks.

[0034] In other words, the high-resolution camera serves to obtain information for identifying the type of luggage 100 (shape, size, hardness, etc.).

[0035] Meanwhile, the MoPU constituting palm sensor 26 of the first embodiment together with the high-resolution camera outputs, from images of luggage 100 captured at a frame rate of 1000 frames / second or more, motion information indicating the motion of the captured luggage 100 (in this case, the relative motion between arms 5, 6) at a frame rate of, for example, 1000 frames / second or more. Note that the frame rate may be increased when detecting a moving luggage 100, and may be decreased when detecting a fixed object (a luggage 100 that does not move).

[0036] The MoPU outputs, as motion information, vector information of the movement along a predetermined coordinate axis of a point indicating the location of the luggage 100. In other words, the motion information output from the MoPU does not include information necessary to identify what the photographed luggage 100 is (the above-mentioned care product or food), but only includes information indicating the movement (movement direction and movement speed) of the center point (or center of gravity) of the luggage 100 on the coordinate axes (x-axis, y-axis, z-axis).

[0037] That is, the trajectory of the gripper 20 as it approaches the luggage 100 can be accurately guided.

[0038] Information output from the palm sensor 26, which includes a high-resolution camera and a MoPU, is supplied to the information processing device 14.

[0039] The information processing device 14 uses information from the palm sensor 26 including a high-resolution camera and an MoPU to pinpoint the position of the luggage 100 with high precision, calculates the degree of spread of the fingers 22A, 22B, 22C when gripping, the strength of the grip, and the suction force of the suction pad 24, and precisely controls the minute movements of the arms 5, 6 and the gripping portion 20, making it possible to handle the picking of various luggage 100.

[0040] (Robot Tool 21EX) In the first embodiment, the main purpose of the work type for the load 100 is to grip the load 100 with the gripping unit 20 .

[0041] On the other hand, there are cases where the type of work performed on the load 100 is not gripping, but other types of work (for example, painting, gripping to increase strength, drilling, etc.).

[0042] In this case, it is possible for the gripping unit 20 to grip tools corresponding to various tasks and face the load 100; however, when continuously performing the same type of task, the burden of maintaining and controlling the gripping state (such as controlling the relative position between the gripping unit and the tool being gripped) is large.

[0043] Therefore, in the first embodiment, instead of the gripping unit 20, a robot tool 21EX (in the first embodiment, three types, 21EXA, 21EXB, and 21EXC) is provided according to the type of work to be performed on the luggage 100, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, and, as necessary, the gripping unit 20 is replaced with the robot tool 21EX to perform work according to a type of work other than gripping the luggage 100.

[0044] (Storage example of Robot Tool 21EX) As shown in FIG. 1, the humanoid robot 1 has a belt 28 attached to the lower part of the upper body 2 (at the so-called waist position), and holders (not shown) are attached to the belt 28 to detachably hold each of the three robot tools 21EXA, 21EXB, and 21EXC.

[0045] In FIG. 1, three robot tools 21EX are shown, but the number of robot tools 21EX may be one type, two types, or four or more types, and the number to be attached can be determined according to the attributes of the luggage 100 described below.

[0046] FIG. 4 shows the detailed configurations of three types of robot tools 21 (21EXA, 21EXB, 21EX) that are equipped on the humanoid robot 1 of the first embodiment apart from the gripping part 20, and their relationships with their uses.

[0047] FIG. 4(A) is a front view of the belt 28 attached to the humanoid robot 1 of FIG.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 4(A), the robot tools 21EX are detachably attached.

[0049] 4(B) to (D) show states in which the robot tool 21EXA is gripping the load 100. FIG.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 4(B), the type of work of the robot tool 21EXA is painting, and a spray gun is attached as a tool.

[0051] A spray gun is a type of pistol-shaped painting device used for spray painting. It uses compressed air from a compressor (not shown) to spray the paint in a mist form from the tip of the spray gun, making it possible to paint the surface evenly.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4(C), the type of work of the robot tool 21EXB is gripping, similar to the gripping unit 20, but it is structured to be able to grip special luggage 100 that is difficult for the gripping unit 20 to grip.

[0053] That is, the robot tool 21EXB has a structure similar to that of a fork used as an attachment for heavy machinery, for example. In the first embodiment, the robot tool 21EXB has a two-finger structure, and the two fingers open and close due to pressure supplied from a pressure source through piping, which increases the strength with which the tool can grip the load 100, although it has lower versatility compared to a gripping operation (gripping unit 20) using a motor or the like.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 4(D), the type of work of the robot tool 21EXC is drilling, and a drill is attached as a tool.

[0055] A drill bit of a predetermined diameter can be removably attached to the drill, and the drill bit is pre-installed according to the hole size to be drilled in the load 100.

[0056] Here, if the type of work (gripping) is different from what can be processed by the gripping unit 20, the most suitable robot tool 21 is selected based on the type of work to be performed on the luggage 100 (see Table 1), and the gripping unit 20 is replaced with the selected robot tool 21 to perform the processing.

[0057] [Table 1]

[0058] Although not shown in the figure, a palm sensor 26 is also attached to each robot tool 21EX.

[0059] 5 is a schematic diagram of an example of a control system for a humanoid robot according to the first embodiment. The control system 10 includes a sensor 12 mounted on the humanoid robot, a palm sensor 26 including a high-resolution camera and an MoPU, and an information processing device 14.

[0060] The sensor 12 sequentially acquires information indicating at least the distance and angle between the luggage 100 around the humanoid robot 1 and the arms 5 and 6 on which the humanoid robot 1 is working. The sensor 12 may be a high-performance camera, a solid-state LiDAR, a multi-color laser coaxial displacement meter, or a variety of other sensors. Other examples of the sensor 12 include a vibration meter, a thermo camera, a hardness meter, a radar, a LiDAR, a high-pixel, telephoto, ultra-wide-angle, 360-degree, high-performance camera, vision recognition, fine sound, ultrasound, vibration, infrared, ultraviolet, electromagnetic waves, temperature, humidity, spot AI weather forecast, high-precision multi-channel GPS, low-altitude satellite information, or long-tail incident AI data.

[0061] In addition to the above information, the sensor 12 detects images, distance, vibration, heat, smell, color, sound, ultrasonic waves, ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, etc. Other information detected by the sensor 12 includes the movement of the center of gravity of the humanoid robot 1, the material of the floor on which the humanoid robot 1 is placed, the outside air temperature, the outside air humidity, the up / down / side / diagonal inclination angle of the floor, the amount of moisture, etc.

[0062] The sensor 12 performs these detections, for example, every nanosecond.

[0063] Palm sensor 26 (high resolution camera and MoPU) is a sensor provided on gripping portion 20 of arm portions 5, 6, and has a camera function for photographing baggage 100 and a position identification function for identifying the position of baggage 100, separately from sensor 12.

[0064] When one MoPU 12 is used, it is possible to obtain vector information of the movement of a point indicating the location of the luggage 100 along each of two coordinate axes (x-axis and y-axis) in a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system. Using the principle of a stereo camera, two MoPUs 12 may be used to output vector information of the movement of a point indicating the location of the luggage 100 along each of three coordinate axes (x-axis, y-axis, z-axis) in a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system. The z-axis is the axis along the depth direction (travel of the vehicle).

[0065] The information processing device 14 includes an information acquisition unit 140 , a control unit 142 , and an information storage unit 144 .

[0066] The information acquisition unit 140 acquires information about the baggage 100 detected by the sensor 12 and the palm sensor 26 (high-resolution camera and MoPU).

[0067] The control unit 142 uses the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 140 from the sensor 12 and AI (Artificial Intelligence) to control the rotational movement of the connecting unit 4, the movement of the arms 5, 6, and the like.

[0068] Furthermore, the control unit 142 uses the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 140 from the palm sensor 26 (high resolution camera and MoPU) to grasp the type (shape, size, hardness, etc.) and position of the luggage 100 in detail, and controls the palm side 20A to face the luggage 100 according to the external shape and position, to be sucked by the suction pad 24, and to be gripped by the three finger portions 22A, 22B, 22C (grasping control). Note that the type of luggage 100 may be grasped based on the external shape information, and gripping control (only "suction", only "grasping", a combination of "suction" and "grasping", etc.) may be selected.

[0069] For example, the control unit 142 executes the following processes as an overall operation. (1) The connecting portion 4 is driven to tilt the upper body portion 2 forward or backward so that the luggage 100 on a shelf or the floor can be picked up. (2) The arms 5, 6 and the gripping portion are driven so that the load 100 can be grasped. (3) The upper body 2 is driven up and down relative to the legs 3 to match the height of the workbench on the production line. (4) Maintain balance to prevent humanoid robot 1 from falling over. (5) The driving of the wheels 7, 8 is controlled so that the humanoid robot 1 can push a cart or the like.

[0070] For example, when picking up luggage 100 lying on the floor, the information processing device 14 acquires information about the luggage 100 detected by the sensor 12, and using the acquired information about the luggage 100 and AI, controls the connecting part 4 and the arms 5 and 6 to pick up the luggage 100 lying on the floor and move the picked-up luggage 100 to a predetermined position.

[0071] The operation of the first embodiment will be described below.

[0072] (Grip control of luggage 100) FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure of gripping control when the gripper 20 grips the cargo 100. As shown in FIG.

[0073] In step 150, it is determined whether or not an instruction to grasp the luggage 100 has been given. If a positive determination is made, the process proceeds to step 152, in which the humanoid robot 1 is moved (e.g., the arms 5 and 6 are operated) so that the palm side faces the target luggage 100, and the process proceeds to step 154.

[0074] In step 154, the palm side 20A is faced and information about the baggage 100 is detected by the palm sensor 26 (high resolution camera and MoPU).

[0075] In the next step 156, the information detected by the palm sensor 26 is analyzed to ascertain the type (shape, size, hardness, etc.) and position of the baggage 100 in detail, and the process proceeds to step 158.

[0076] In step 158, a selection process is performed for the type of work (gripping or a type of work other than gripping) of the gripper 20 according to the attributes of the luggage 100. The selection process will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 7, and if the type of work is gripping in the selection process of Fig. 7, the process proceeds to step 160.

[0077] In step 160, a task for gripping the load 100 is selected. For example, a task is selected from "suction" only, "grabbing" only, a combination of "suction" and "grabbing", etc., and the process proceeds to step 162.

[0078] In step 162, gripping of the load 100 ("suction" only, "grab" only, "suction" and "grab") is performed.

[0079] In the next step 164, it is determined whether the gripping of the luggage 100 was successful, and if a positive determination is made, the gripped luggage 100 is carried to a predetermined location, and the process proceeds to step 150 to wait for an instruction to grip the next luggage 100.

[0080] If the determination in step 164 is negative, the process proceeds to step 166, where error processing is executed, and the process returns to step 150.

[0081] The gripper 20 is fitted with a palm sensor 26 including a high-resolution camera and an MoPU. By mounting the gripper 20 having the above structure on the arms 5 and 6 of the humanoid robot 1, an object can be reliably picked up by the suction surface, and even if the humanoid robot 1 moves quickly, the baggage 100 can be carried without dropping from the gripper 20.

[0082] In addition, since the palm sensor 26 (high-resolution camera and MoPU) is mounted on the palm side 20A, the baggage 100 can be captured with high accuracy, and the device can also be used for tasks that require minute movements.

[0083] Furthermore, very soft and fragile items can be gripped by the movement of the fingers 22A, 22B, 22C without using the suction pad 24, and damage to the soft cargo 100 can be prevented by adjusting the gripping force.

[0084] (Details of robot tool application process) FIG. 7 is a control flow chart showing details of the work type selection process (robot tool application process) subroutine in step 158 in FIG.

[0085] In step 198, it is determined whether the type of work is grasping or a work other than grasping. If the type of work is determined to be grasping in this step 198, an instruction is given to return to step 160 in Fig. 6, and this routine ends.

[0086] If it is determined in step 199 that the task type is other than grasping, the process proceeds to step 200, where the robot tool 21 is selected based on the task type for the load 100 (see Table 1).

[0087] That is, as shown in Table 1, the type of robot tool 21 required is determined according to the type of work to be performed on the load 100.

[0088] The selection of the type of robot tool based on the type of work for the luggage 100 shown in Table 1 is merely an example, and may be determined based on the type and number of robot tools possessed.

[0089] In the first embodiment, three types of robot tools 21 are attached to the belt 28, and a selection is made from these three types of robot tools 21, but the number of robot tools attached to the belt 28 may be increased, or multiple types of robot tools 21 may be selected and attached in advance to the belt 28 depending on the work site. Also, a different type of robot tool 21 may be attached to each humanoid robot 1.

[0090] In the next step 201A, it is determined whether or not the selected robot tool is equipped, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 201B, where a request is made to procure the robot tool. In the next step 201C, the engraving process of the robot tool is executed, and the process proceeds to step 202. Also, if the determination is positive in step 201A, the process proceeds to step 202.

[0091] In the next step 202, the tool attached to the replacement arm 6 (or 5) (usually the gripper 20, but there are also cases where another robot tool 21 has already been attached) is removed.

[0092] In the next step 204, the arm 6 (or 5) on the replacement side is moved to the position of the belt 28, and the robot tool 21 is attached.

[0093] In the next step 206, the tool originally attached to the replacement arm 6 (or 5) that is being held by the non-replacement arm 5 (or 6) is stored in a holder on the belt 28, and the process proceeds to step 208.

[0094] In step 208, the programmed tasks are executed for each robot tool. In the next step 210, a restart of the flow chart in Fig. 6 (transition to step 150) is instructed, and this routine ends.

[0095] As described above, in the first embodiment, in addition to controlling the gripping operation by the gripper 20, the robot tool 21 is prepared in advance according to the type of work to be performed on the load 100, for example.

[0096] As a result, the control burden (such as the burden associated with controlling the relative position between the gripper 20 and the tool) that arises when the gripper of the comparative example grips and works on the tool required for the type of work can be eliminated by directly attaching the robot tool 21.

[0097] (Second embodiment: "Replacing finger tips") A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Note that the same components as those in the second embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description of the components will be omitted.

[0098] The second embodiment is characterized in that the tip of the finger, which is the gripping portion 20, can be changed into a tool according to the type of work, like the robot tool described in the first embodiment.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 8(A), the hand tool 50 of the second embodiment is basically intended to grip a load 100, similar to the gripping portion 20 of the first embodiment.

[0100] Each finger can be attached or detached from the hand tool 50. In the state shown in Fig. 8(A), the first joint portion 50A (the "finger tip" shown in Fig. 8(B)) for the main purpose is attached.

[0101] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 8(B), each finger portion is replaceable with a first joint portion 50B to 50F having a shape according to the type of work.

[0102] The first joint portion 50B is a "tweezer," or what is commonly called tweezers, and is used to pinch and grasp thin members.

[0103] The first joint portion 50C is a "stick" and is used when holding a part with a rod-shaped member.

[0104] The first joint portion 50D is a "cotton swab" and is a spherical cotton swab that is used to wipe off dirt from parts or remove moisture.

[0105] The first joint portion 50E is a "camera" and is used when photographing a part (particularly a close-up shot).

[0106] The first joint portion 50F is a "screwdriver" and is used when tightening or loosening a screw.

[0107] The hand tool according to the second embodiment is particularly suitable for tasks such as assembling and disassembling small parts (electronic parts, precision parts, etc.).

[0108] (Third embodiment: "Improved efficiency of robot tool replacement") A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the components will be omitted.

[0109] In the third embodiment, a case will be described as an example in which the humanoid robot 1 mainly performs the work of storing and retrieving the baggage 100, which is an object.

[0110] The third embodiment is characterized in that it assumes a situation in which a necessary tool 70 (tool 70 is a collective term for the gripper 20, robot tool 21, and hand tool 50 in the first and second embodiments) is not present at hand when working on an object, and so must be taken out from a predetermined storage location, and a situation in which an unnecessary tool 70 must be stored in a storage location. In this case, the third embodiment is specialized in the tasks of taking out the tool 70 and storing the tool 70, thereby improving the efficiency of these tasks.

[0111] When the humanoid robot 1 moves between the work site and the storage location to replace the tool 70, at least the travel time between the work site and the storage location becomes a work loss.

[0112] Therefore, in order to take advantage of the work of storing and unloading the objects, the storage location of the tool 70 and the logistics center DC (see FIG. 9) where the objects are stored are located in the same area. The logistics center DC will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0113] (Logistics Center Configuration) FIG. 9(A) is a perspective view of a storage base 51 which is a warehouse of a logistics center DC according to this embodiment and which stores luggage 100 (see FIG. 9(B)) as an object.

[0114] A plurality of shelves 52 (some of which have indicators) are arranged on the storage base 51. As an example, six shelves 52 are arranged in one row, and two rows form a so-called "island." The formation of the islands, the number of shelves 52, etc. are not limited to the arrangement in FIG. 9(A).

[0115] As shown in FIG. 9(B), the shelf 52 is provided with a plurality of storage spaces 52A, and each storage space 52A is capable of storing luggage 100.

[0116] A plurality of transport devices 54 are arranged within the storage base 51 so as to be movable within the storage base 51 .

[0117] The operation of the conveying device 54 is controlled by commands from a storage base management server 56, which collectively manages all the controlled equipment in the storage base 51, and the conveying device 54 moves, for example, between a predetermined waiting position, an arrangement position on the shelf 52, and a picking station 58.

[0118] When the transport device 54 faces the shelf 52, it enters into the gap under the shelf 52 and lifts it up, lifting it off the floor surface of the storage base 51. Therefore, by moving the transport device 54, the shelf 52 can be moved to a desired position.

[0119] A plurality of picking stations 58 are arranged at predetermined positions of the storage base 51. In Fig. 9(A) , two picking stations 58 are illustrated, but there may be one or three or more picking stations 58. A humanoid robot 1 is arranged in each picking station 58.

[0120] The humanoid robot 1 performs the instructed task under the management of the storage base management server 56 in cooperation with an information processing device 14 (see FIG. 6) mounted on the humanoid robot 1 itself.

[0121] That is, at each picking station 58, when the shelf 52 is placed at the entrance 58A of the picking station 58 by the conveying device 54, the humanoid robot 1 receives instructions from the storage base management server 56 and performs the storage and retrieval operations of the luggage 100.

[0122] The entering and leaving operations themselves are controlled by an information processing device 14 (see FIG. 5) that each humanoid robot 1 has.

[0123] The picking station 58 is provided with an entrance 58A where the shelves 52 are arranged, as well as a work space 58B where sorting and packing are performed.

[0124] The outgoing work involves removing the packages 100 stored on the shelves 52 according to their destinations, sorting them for each destination, and packing them into boxes 60 (transportation members) for each destination.

[0125] The warehousing operation involves sorting the luggage 100 that has arrived at the warehouse into the storage shelves 52 on which it will be stored, and arranging the sorted luggage 100 in predetermined positions on the shelves 52.

[0126] In this embodiment, each task of the warehousing work and each task of the warehousing work are defined as follows.

[0127] (Shipping work 1) Picking work This is a task in which the humanoid robot 1 picks up the specified baggage 100 from the shelf 52 that has arrived at the entrance 58A and moves it to the work space 19.

[0128] (Shipping Work 2) Assortment Work This is a task in which the parcels 100 taken out to the work space 58B are placed in boxes 60 according to their destinations, and the boxes are then packed.

[0129] (Shipping out work 3) Shipping out work This is the task of requesting the next shelf 52 after the picking operation from the shelf 52 arranged at the frontage 58A has been completed.

[0130] (Storage work 1) Picking work This is the task of removing the ordered cargo 100 from the truck or pallet that has arrived at the entrance 58A and moving it to the work space 58B.

[0131] (Storage work 2) Assortment work This is the task of storing the baggage 100 taken out to the work space 58B in the shelf 52 appropriate for the storage destination.

[0132] (Storage work 3) Storage work This is a task in which the sorting operation for the shelf 52 arranged at the frontage 58A has been completed and the next shelf 52 is requested.

[0133] Here, information on the work of each humanoid robot 1 is sequentially sent from the information processing device 14 of the humanoid robot 1 to the storage base management server 56. As a result, the storage base management server 56 collectively manages the operating states (work progress information) of multiple humanoid robots 1.

[0134] 9(A), a part of the shelf 52 differs from the shelf 52 that stores the luggage 100 and serves as a tool storage shelf 52T that stores the tools 70 to be attached to the arms 5, 6 of the humanoid robot 1. In the storage space 52A of this tool storage shelf 52T, the tools 70 are stored (see FIG. 9(C)).

[0135] One tool 70 is stored in one storage space 52A, but it is preferable to store the same tool 70 in multiple storage spaces 52A assuming multiple humanoid robots 1. Although one tool storage shelf 52T is shown in Fig. 9(A), multiple tool storage shelves 52T may be provided.

[0136] The storage base management server 56 can transport the tool storage shelf 52T to the picking station 58 by the same control as that for controlling the transport device 54 to transport the package 100 to the picking station 58.

[0137] That is, by having the humanoid robot 1 working at the picking station 58 notify the storage base management server 56 of a request to replace the tool 70, the humanoid robot 1 can continue working at the picking station 58 while waiting for the tool storage shelf 52T to arrive.

[0138] The humanoid robot 1 picks up the necessary tool 70 from the tool storage shelf 52T upon arrival, and performs an operation of returning the currently mounted tool 70 to the tool storage shelf 52T.

[0139] In other words, there is no lost work due to travel time between the work site and the storage area.

[0140] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram for executing simultaneous progress work control, which is executed in cooperation with the storage base management server 56 and each information processing device 14 of the humanoid robot 1.

[0141] The storage base management server 56 includes a work status management unit 62. The work status management unit 62 is connected to a work schedule database 64 and a communication I / F 66.

[0142] The communication I / F 66 communicates with the information processing device 14 of the humanoid robot 1 and the control device 54A of the transport device 54, and exchanges information.

[0143] The work status management unit 62 sequentially obtains information regarding the work schedule from the work schedule database 64, and also obtains work progress information of the controlled objects (the information processing device 14 of the humanoid robot 1, the control device 54A of the transport device 54) performing work on the storage base 51 via the communication I / F 66, thereby managing the work schedule, including instructions for allocating the next task.

[0144] The communication I / F 66 is connected to a humanoid robot work status information acquisition unit 68. The humanoid robot work status information acquisition unit 68 acquires information on the work status when the humanoid robot 1 is working (for example, the position of the picking station 58, the identification of the shelf 52 arranged in the entrance 58A, and whether a notification of a request to replace the tool 70 has been output, etc.), and acquires detailed information on specific work in the retrieval work or retrieval work, and the tool replacement work.

[0145] If the acquired information is work progress information (position information and gripping part information of the humanoid robot 1), the humanoid robot work status information acquisition unit 68 notifies the work status management unit 62 so that a future work plan is constructed and work allocation instructions, etc. are executed.

[0146] Furthermore, when the acquired information is tool request information, the humanoid robot working status information acquisition unit 68 sends it to a tool information identification unit 74. The tool information identification unit 74 identifies the requested tool type and storage location based on the tool request information, and sends information relating to the identified requested tool type and storage location to a tool transport instruction unit 76.

[0147] The tool transport instruction unit 76 is connected to the work status management unit 62. When the tool transport instruction unit 76 determines that it is necessary to transport the tool 70 (taking out the tool 70 and storing the tool 70), it instructs the work status management unit 62 to perform a tool exchange operation so as to interrupt a normal leaving or entering work.

[0148] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a main routine of normal work instruction control based on a work schedule by the storage base management server 56, which is executed in the storage base 51 (see FIG. 9).

[0149] In step 290, it is determined whether or not a request for the tool 70 (tool transport instruction) has been made, and if a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 300 to execute a normal retrieval or entry operation.

[0150] If the determination in step 290 is negative, the process proceeds to step 292 to perform the tool transport operation.

[0151] (Tool transportation work) In step 292, the requested tool 70 is identified, that is, the tool type and storage location are identified, and the process proceeds to step 294.

[0152] In step 294, the controller 54A of the transfer device 54 is instructed to transfer the tool storage shelf 52T in which the tool 70 is stored.

[0153] Next, in step 296, an instruction to exchange rules is given to the information processing device 14 of the humanoid robot 1, and the process proceeds to step 298.

[0154] By the instruction to the control device 54A of the transport device 54 in step 294 and the instruction to the information processing device 14 of the humanoid robot 1 in step 296, the transport device 54 and the humanoid robot 1 perform replacement of the tool 70 by executing their respective processes.

[0155] In step 298, it is determined whether or not a notification of the end of tool exchange has been received. If the determination is affirmative, the process returns to step 290.

[0156] (Shipping and receiving work) In step 300, the work schedule is read, and then the process proceeds to step 302 to execute the allocation process. The allocation process in step 302 can be executed using a worksheet or the like that indicates which shelf 52 is to be transported to which picking station 58 by which transport device 54, and which humanoid robot 1 is to perform the retrieval or storage work.

[0157] In the next step 304 , an instruction is given to the transport device 54 to transport the shelf 52 , and then in step 306 , an instruction is given to the humanoid robot 1 to perform a retrieval or storage operation, and the process proceeds to step 308 .

[0158] In step 308, it is determined whether or not a work completion notification has been received. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 310 to confirm the work instruction object, and then to step 312 to update the work progress log for each work instruction object, and then to step 314.

[0159] Also, if there is no notification of the end of work in step 308, the process proceeds to step 314 to continue and perform other work.

[0160] In step 314, it is determined whether or not there is a next job, and if the determination is affirmative (there is a next job), the process returns to step 290 and the above steps are repeated. If the determination is negative (there is no next job) in step 314, this routine ends.

[0161] As described above, in the third embodiment, when the necessary tool 70 is not available for work on an object, the normal retrieval or storage work is interrupted to perform the same work of transporting the shelf 52 (transporting the tool storage shelf 52T) as that retrieval or storage work, using the transport device 54. This eliminates the need for the humanoid robot 1 to travel between the work site and the storage location, and the work is performed in parallel with the normal retrieval or storage work, eliminating the loss of work caused by replacing the tool 70.

[0162] In the third embodiment, the shelf 52 (and the tool storage shelf 52T) is provided with the transport device 54, but instead of the transport device 54, the humanoid robot 1 may be used.

[0163] That is, the tool 70 may be transported during normal operations in which one (one) humanoid robot 1 goes to retrieve luggage 100 from shelf 52 of storage base 51, moves to picking station 58 to work on it, and then takes it out of storage, or the robot 100 that has been received is picked up at picking station 58 and placed on the shelf.

[0164] In this case, the humanoid robot 1 that serves as a substitute for the transport device and the humanoid robot 1 that works at the picking station 58 may be the same or different.

[0165] 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a computer 1200 functioning as the information processing device 14. A program installed in the computer 1200 can cause the computer 1200 to function as one or more "parts" of the device according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment (including the examples), or can cause the computer 1200 to execute operations or one or more "parts" associated with the device according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment (including the examples), and / or can cause the computer 1200 to execute a process or a step of the process according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment (including the examples). Such a program can be executed by the CPU 1212 to cause the computer 1200 to execute specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0166] The computer 1200 according to the first to third embodiments includes a CPU 1212, a RAM 1214, and a graphic controller 1216, which are connected to each other by a host controller 1210. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 1222, a storage device 1224, a DVD drive, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 1210 via an input / output controller 1220. The DVD drive may be a DVD-ROM drive, a DVD-RAM drive, etc. The storage device 1224 may be a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, etc. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a ROM 1230 and a keyboard, which are connected to the input / output controller 1220 via an input / output chip 1240.

[0167] The CPU 1212 operates according to a program stored in the ROM 1230 and the RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphic controller 1216 retrieves image data generated by the CPU 1212 into a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 1214 or into itself, and causes the image data to be displayed on the display device 1218.

[0168] The communication interface 1222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The storage device 1224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 1212 in the computer 1200. The DVD drive reads programs or data from a DVD-ROM or the like and provides them to the storage device 1224. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and / or writes programs and data to an IC card.

[0169] The ROM 1230 stores therein a boot program or the like that is executed by the computer 1200 upon activation, and / or a program that depends on the hardware of the computer 1200. The input / output chip 1240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 1220 via a USB port, a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, and the like.

[0170] The programs are provided by a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM or an IC card. The programs are read from the computer-readable storage medium, installed in the storage device 1224, the RAM 1214, or the ROM 1230, which are also examples of computer-readable storage media, and executed by the CPU 1212. Information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 1200, and brings about cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or method may be constructed by implementing operations or processing of information according to the use of the computer 1200.

[0171] For example, when communication is performed between the computer 1200 and an external device, the CPU 1212 may execute a communication program loaded in the RAM 1214 and instruct the communication interface 1222 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Under the control of the CPU 1212, the communication interface 1222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer area provided in the RAM 1214, the storage device 1224, a DVD-ROM, or a recording medium such as an IC card, and transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes reception data received from the network to a reception buffer area or the like provided on the recording medium.

[0172] Furthermore, the CPU 1212 may cause all or a necessary portion of a file or database stored in an external recording medium such as the storage device 1224, a DVD drive (DVD-ROM), an IC card, etc. to be read into the RAM 1214, and perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may then write back the processed data to the external recording medium.

[0173] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored in the recording medium and undergo information processing. The CPU 1212 may execute various types of processing on the data read from the RAM 1214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information search / replacement, etc., as described throughout the present invention and specified by the instruction sequence of the program, and write back the results to the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may also search for information in a file, database, etc. in the recording medium. For example, when a plurality of entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 1212 may search for an entry whose attribute value of the first attribute matches a specified condition from among the plurality of entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0174] The above-described programs or software modules may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium on the computer 1200 or in the vicinity of the computer 1200. In addition, a recording medium such as a hard disk or a RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable storage medium, thereby providing the programs to the computer 1200 via the network.

[0175] The blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams in the first to third embodiments may represent stages of a process in which an operation is performed or "parts" of an apparatus responsible for performing the operation. Particular stages and "parts" may be implemented by dedicated circuitry, programmable circuitry provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or a processor provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The dedicated circuitry may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. The programmable circuitry may include reconfigurable hardware circuits including AND, OR, XOR, NAND, NOR, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, and memory elements, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and programmable logic arrays (PLAs).

[0176] A computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions that are executed by a suitable device, such that a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon comprises an article of manufacture that includes instructions that can be executed to create means for performing the operations specified in the flowcharts or block diagrams. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, and the like. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memories (RAMs), read-only memories (ROMs), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs or flash memories), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), static random access memories (SRAMs), compact disk read-only memories (CD-ROMs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), Blu-ray disks, memory sticks, integrated circuit cards, and the like.

[0177] The computer readable instructions may include either assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk®, JAVA®, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages.

[0178] Computer readable instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, or to a programmable circuit, either locally or over a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet, etc., to cause the processor of the general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, or to a programmable circuit, to execute the computer readable instructions to generate means for performing the operations specified in the flowcharts or block diagrams. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, etc.

[0179] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0180] It should be noted that the order of execution of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before" or "prior to," and that the process may be performed in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using "first," "next," and the like for convenience, this does not mean that the process must be performed in this order.

[0181] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0182] It should be noted that the order of execution of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before" or "prior to," and that the process may be performed in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using "first," "next," and the like for convenience, this does not mean that the process must be performed in this order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0183] 1 humanoid robot, 2 upper body, 3 legs, 4 connecting portion, 5, 6 arms, 7, 8 wheels, 10 control system, 12 sensor, 14 information processing device, 20 (20L, 20R) gripping portion, 20A palm side, 20B main body, 22A, 22B, 22C fingers, 24 (24X, 24Y) suction pad, 24A pad portion, 24B nipple, 26 palm sensor, 100 luggage, 50 hand tool, 50A first joint portion, 50B first joint portion, 50C first joint portion, 50D first joint portion, 50E first joint portion, 50F first joint portion, 1200 computer, 1210 host controller, 1212 CPU, 1214 RAM, 1216 graphic controller, 1218 display device, 1220 I / O controller, 1222 communication interface, 1224 storage device, 1230 ROM, 1240 I / O chip

Claims

1. a transport control unit that moves a transport device between a storage base that stores objects and a plurality of types of tools that can be attached to the robot and a work space of the robot; a robot control unit that controls a robot present in the work space by using a tool attached to the robot placed in the work space; a normal work instruction unit that instructs the transport control unit to move the object using the transport device for the purpose of performing a normal work on the object by the robot control unit; an acquisition unit that acquires the tool replacement request information from the robot control unit; an interruption work instruction unit that instructs the transport control unit to interrupt the normal work and transport the tool when the acquisition unit acquires the tool replacement request information; A robot control system having the following:

2. The instruction to the transport control unit by the interruption work instruction unit is The robot control system of claim 1 , further comprising instructions to take out the specified tool from the storage base and transport it to the work space, and instructions to transport the tool after it has been removed by the robot to the storage base and store it there.

3. 2. The robot control system according to claim 1, wherein normal operations of the robot on an object in the workspace include an unloading operation for unloading the object from the storage base and an inloading operation for storing the object into the storage base.

4. The robot control system according to claim 1 , wherein the work of the transport device is executed by the robot or another robot as part of the normal work.

5. 2. The robot control system of claim 1, wherein the robot is equipped with a camera that takes an image of the object and identifies the type of the object, and a motion processing unit that specifies the position of the object, and the robot control unit controls the operation of the robot using information from the motion processing unit as part of input information.

6. A robot control program that causes a computer to operate as each part of the robot control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images