Robot arm and robot arm driving method

Abstract

To provide a robot arm moving along a columnar structure such as lighting pole, signposts and so on that has a high degree-of-freedom and can stably move along the object structure, and is less likely to cause problems such as falling off and so on, and a robot arm driving method.SOLUTION: A robot arm A comprises a body part 1 and a hand part 2. The body part 1 has a body 10, a body 11, a body 12 and a body 13. Further, the body part 1 has a body flexion joint 30, a body flexion joint 31 and a body flexion joint 32. Further, the body part 1 has a body rotary joint 50 and a body rotary joint 51. A first hand 20 and a second hand 20 grip an outer peripheral surface of a columnar structure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot arm and a method for driving the robot arm, and more particularly to a robot arm that can move stably with a high degree of freedom along a target structure and is unlikely to fall off, and a method for driving the robot arm, for moving along a pillar-shaped structure such as a lighting pole or a sign pole. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, pillar-shaped structures such as lighting poles, sign poles, information device poles, etc. have been installed on roads. Particularly on expressways, a large number of such pillar-shaped structures have been installed and are used to ensure the safe operation of vehicles.

[0003] In addition, many of these lighting poles and other structures have been in use for a considerable number of years since they were installed, and since the majority of them are installed outdoors, they need to be inspected regularly to check for damage caused by external factors such as weather and for deterioration.

[0004] However, a huge number of lighting poles, sign poles, etc. on expressways or general roads are installed at intervals along the road, and inspecting them one by one requires a lot of time and effort.

[0005] Therefore, in order to shorten the work time and improve the work efficiency when inspecting lighting poles, sign poles, etc., there is a need to develop an inspection method that utilizes a mobile robot equipped with an inspection device.

[0006] Furthermore, as one type of mobile robot, a climbing robot capable of ascending and descending an object has been used in the past (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0007] Here, the climbing robot described in Patent Document 1 is configured to ascend and descend between floors while holding onto handrails provided on balconies on each floor of a high-rise building.

[0008] In addition, in the lifting robot described in Patent Document 1, the arm-to-arm joint axis and the tip joint axis are each rotated to change the posture of the multiple arms, and one gripping portion passes over the position grasped by the other gripping portion to perform the lifting operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Specification No. 2899694 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] However, when the climbing robot described in Patent Document 1 is applied as a mobile robot that moves along lighting poles or the like installed on roads, the following problems arise.

[0011] First, the climbing robot described in Patent Document 1 can only ascend and descend vertically while grasping the handrails installed on each floor of the balcony, and no means for moving the handrails laterally is disclosed.

[0012] In addition, the lifting robot described in Patent Document 1 cannot move in a circumferential direction along the outer circumferential surface of a lighting pole, etc. In other words, the lifting robot described in Patent Document 1 has a problem of low freedom of movement.

[0013] The structures targeted in this study, such as lighting poles, have mirrors, signboards, or fasteners for attaching these mounted midway up the pole.

[0014] However, with the climbing robot described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult for it to move along the longitudinal direction of the pillar while avoiding obstacles that are on the way up such a pillar by moving laterally or circumferentially along the outer surface of the pillar.

[0015] In addition, when the lifting robot described in Patent Document 1 moves up and down, with only one gripping part gripping the balcony handrail, the inter-arm joint axis and the tip joint axis are each rotated to change the posture of the multiple arms, and the multiple arms go through postures that are far removed from the balcony handrail.

[0016] In this case, the multiple arms would be positioned far away from the balcony railing, which would increase the burden caused by the lifting robot's own weight, and there was a risk that the gripping part would not be able to maintain its grip on the balcony railing and would fall off.

[0017] Furthermore, apart from the climbing robot described in Patent Document 1, there have been almost no proposals so far for mobile robots that are capable of stably moving along lighting poles and the like installed on roads.

[0018] The present invention has been devised in consideration of the above points, and has an object to provide a robot arm and a method for driving a robot arm that can move along a columnar structure such as a lighting pole or a sign pole with a high degree of freedom and stable movement along the target structure and is less susceptible to malfunctions such as falling off. [Means for solving the problem]

[0019] In order to achieve the above object, a robot arm of the present invention is a robot arm that moves along a predetermined structure at least a portion of which is formed in a columnar shape, the robot arm comprising: a first body; a second body connected to one end of the first body via a first bending and extending connection part that changes an angle between the second body and the first body; a third body connected to the other end of the first body via a second bending and extending connection part that changes an angle between the second body and the fourth body connected to one end of the second body via a third bending and extending connection part that changes an angle between the second body and the fourth body; a first hand supported by the third body and capable of gripping an outer peripheral surface of the predetermined structure; a first hand opening and closing connection part attached to the first hand and opening and closing the first hand; The structure includes an opening / closing connection part, a first hand rotation connection part disposed between the third body and rotatably connecting the first hand and the first hand opening / closing connection part to the third body, a second hand supported by the fourth body and capable of gripping the outer peripheral surface of the predetermined structure, a second hand opening / closing connection part attached to the second hand and opening / closing the second hand, and a second hand rotation connection part disposed between the second hand opening / closing connection part and the fourth body and rotatably connecting the second hand and the second hand opening / closing connection part to the fourth body. Note that the columnar shape here includes cylindrical and rectangular columnar shapes. Also, at least a part of the columnar shape means that a part of the overall structure of the structure corresponds to a straight columnar shape, and the other part may include, for example, a curved shape.

[0020] Here, the first body, the second body, the third body, and the fourth body can constitute a portion corresponding to the main body of the robot arm.

[0021] In addition, the robot arm can be attached to a target structure by grasping a predetermined structure with a first hand supported by the third body and capable of grasping an outer peripheral surface of the predetermined structure with the first hand. Also, the third body can constitute a part that becomes a wrist of the first hand.

[0022] In addition, the robot arm can be attached to the target structure by using a second hand supported by the fourth body and capable of gripping the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure to grasp the predetermined structure with the second hand. In addition, the fourth body can constitute a part that becomes the wrist of the second hand.

[0023] In addition, the robot arm can be attached to the target structure via both of the two gripping parts, using a first hand capable of gripping the outer peripheral surface of a specified structure and a second hand capable of gripping the outer peripheral surface of a specified structure.

[0024] In addition, the second body is connected to one end of the first body via a first bending / extending connection part that changes the angle between the first body, the third body is connected to the other end of the first body via a second bending / extending connection part that changes the angle between the first body, and the fourth body is connected to one end of the second body via a third bending / extending connection part that changes the angle between the second body. This allows the angles between the bodies to be finely changed in a structure in which the first body, the second body, the third body, and the fourth body are connected. That is, it is possible to finely bend the angles of the connection parts of the members that constitute the main body of the robot arm, and to make the main body have a complex shape. In addition, flexible posture control is possible for a structure in which the first body, the second body, the third body, and the fourth body are connected.

[0025] Moreover, the first hand rotation connection part is disposed between the first hand opening / closing connection part and the third body and rotatably connects the first hand and the first hand opening / closing connection part with respect to the third body, and the second hand rotation connection part is disposed between the second hand opening / closing connection part and the fourth body and rotatably connects the second hand and the second hand opening / closing connection part with respect to the fourth body, so that the first hand and the second hand can be rotated to easily grasp the predetermined structure with the first hand and the second hand in accordance with the orientation of the portion to be grasped. Also, when moving in the circumferential direction along the outer peripheral surface of the predetermined structure, the first hand or the second hand can be rotated to easily shift the position at which the predetermined structure is grasped with the first hand or the second hand.

[0026] In addition, when the first hand and the second hand grip the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure, the inner circumferential surfaces of the first hand and the second hand form an approximately cylindrical space, and a part of the inner circumferential surface abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure. When the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure is gripped only by the first hand, if the axis of the approximately cylindrical space on the inner circumferential surface of the first hand is inclined relative to the axis of the area of ​​the predetermined structure gripped by the first hand, the robot arm can be maintained in a state of being attached to the predetermined structure by the first hand alone. That is, the weight of the entire robot arm is applied, and the direction of the axis of the approximately cylindrical space on the inner circumferential surface of the first hand changes. Then, the direction of the axis of the approximately cylindrical space on the inner circumferential surface of the first hand is inclined relative to the axis of the area of ​​the predetermined structure gripped by the first hand. As a result, some parts of the inner circumferential surface of the first hand make strong contact with the predetermined structure and other parts make weak contact, and the difference in contact pressure creates a balance, making it difficult for the first hand to come off the predetermined structure. In other words, of the two hands, only the first hand can maintain the state in which the robot arm grasps the predetermined structure, preventing the robot arm from falling off.

[0027] Furthermore, when the first hand and the second hand grasp the outer peripheral surface of the specified structure, an approximately cylindrical space is formed with the inner peripheral surfaces of the first hand and the second hand, and a portion of the inner peripheral surface abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the specified structure. When the outer peripheral surface of the specified structure is grasped by only the second hand, if the axis of the approximately cylindrical space on the inner peripheral surface of the second hand is in a tilted positional relationship with respect to the axis of the area of ​​the specified structure grasped by the second hand, the robot arm can be maintained attached to the specified structure by only the second hand, as with the first hand.

[0028] In addition, when a drive control unit is provided that controls the drive of the first bending and extending connection unit, the second bending and extending connection unit, the third bending and extending connection unit, the first hand opening and closing connection unit, the first hand rotation connection unit, the second hand opening and closing connection unit and the second hand rotation connection unit, it is possible to cause the robot arm to move autonomously by controlling its operation via the drive control unit.

[0029] Furthermore, when changing the overall posture through driving seven members, namely the first bending / extending connection part, the second bending / extending connection part, the third bending / extending connection part, the first hand opening / closing connection part, the first hand rotation connection part, the second hand opening / closing connection part, and the second hand rotation connection part, it is possible to make the main body of the robot arm assume a complex shape by combining the driving of a relatively small number of members. In other words, it is possible to realize movement along the longitudinal direction or circumferential direction of a predetermined structure by deforming the main body of the robot arm into a complex shape.

[0030] In addition, when the opening and closing operation of the first hand by the first hand opening and closing connection part and the opening and closing operation of the second hand by the second hand opening and closing connection part, the rotation operation by the first hand rotation connection part and the second hand rotation connection part, and the angle adjustment by the first bending and extending connection part, the second bending and extending connection part, and the third bending and extending connection part are linked to move along the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface of a predetermined structure, the opening and closing operations and rotation operations of the two hands can be combined with the angle adjustment between the bodies to gradually change the overall shape of the robot arm so that fine movement in the circumferential direction is possible. As a result, the movement of the robot arm can be controlled with high precision, and movement in the circumferential direction can be more reliably performed.

[0031] In addition, when the second hand is configured to move over the first hand gripping the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure in a state in which the portion from the base of the first hand to the second bending / extending connection portion and the portion from the second bending / extending portion to the first bending / extending portion extend in a radial direction based on the axis of the predetermined structure and in the same direction, the gravitational moment generated by the weight of the robot arm when the robot arm is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure can be set to a magnitude based on the radial extension distance. That is, the gravitational moment can be made smaller than in a state in which the robot arm extends in the radial direction over the entire length of the robot arm. As a result, the robot arm can be made less likely to fall off when the second hand moves over the first hand gripping the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure.

[0032] In addition, when the first hand is configured to move over the second hand gripping the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure in a state in which the portion from the base of the second hand to the third bending / extending connection portion and the portion from the third bending / extending portion to the first bending / extending portion extend in a radial direction based on the axis of the predetermined structure and in the same direction, the gravitational moment generated by the weight of the robot arm when the robot arm is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure can be set to a magnitude based on the radial extension distance. That is, the gravitational moment can be made smaller than in a state in which the robot arm extends in the radial direction over the entire length of the robot arm. As a result, the robot arm can be made less likely to fall off when the first hand moves over the second hand gripping the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure.

[0033] In addition, when the robot arm is configured so that a second hand moves over a first hand gripping the outer peripheral surface of a specified structure, or a first hand moves over a second hand gripping the outer peripheral surface of a specified structure, the two movements can be combined to enable the robot arm to move in the direction of travel over an object that is an obstacle to movement and is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the specified structure.

[0034] In addition, when the first body rotation connection part is provided between the first body and the second bending and extension connection part and rotatably connects the third body and the second bending and extension connection part to the first body, and the second body rotation connection part is provided between the second body and the third bending and extension connection part and rotatably connects the fourth body and the third bending and extension connection part to the second body, it is possible to rotate the first body and the third body and the second body and the fourth body, respectively, and to deform the bodies into a twisted shape. This, together with the adjustment of the angle via the first bending and extension connection part, the second bending and extension connection part, and the third bending and extension connection part, makes it possible to make the main body of the robot arm have an even more complex shape. That is, it is possible to realize movement along the longitudinal direction or circumferential direction of a predetermined structure by deforming the main body of the robot arm into a complex shape.

[0035] In addition, when the opening and closing operation of the first hand by the first hand opening and closing connection part and the opening and closing operation of the second hand by the second hand opening and closing connection part are linked with the rotational operation of the first hand rotational connection part, the first body rotational connection part, the second hand rotational connection part, and the second body rotational connection part, so that the robot arm can move in the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface of a predetermined structure, the opening and closing operations and rotational operations of the two hands and the rotational operations between the bodies can be combined to gradually change the overall shape of the robot arm so that fine movements in the circumferential direction are possible. As a result, the movement of the robot arm can be controlled with high precision, and the movement in the circumferential direction can be more reliably performed.

[0036] In addition, when the second hand is configured to move over the first hand gripping the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure in a state in which the portion from the base of the first hand to the second bending / extending joint portion and the portion from the first bending / extending portion to the third bending / extending portion extend in a radial direction based on the axis of the predetermined structure and in the same direction, the gravitational moment generated by the weight of the robot arm when the robot arm is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure can be set to a magnitude based on the radial extension distance. That is, the gravitational moment can be made smaller than in a state in which the robot arm extends in the radial direction over the entire length of the robot arm. As a result, the robot arm can be made less likely to fall off when the second hand moves over the first hand gripping the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure.

[0037] In addition, when the first hand is configured to move over the second hand gripping the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure in a state in which the portion of the second hand from the base to the third bending / extending joint and the portion from the first bending / extending part to the second bending / extending part extend in the same radial direction based on the axis of the predetermined structure, the gravitational moment generated by the weight of the robot arm when the robot arm is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure can be set to a magnitude based on the radial extension distance. That is, the gravitational moment can be made smaller than in a state in which the robot arm extends in the radial direction over the entire length of the robot arm. As a result, the robot arm can be made less likely to fall off when the first hand moves over the second hand gripping the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure.

[0038] In addition, when the robot arm is configured so that a second hand moves over a first hand gripping the outer peripheral surface of a specified structure, or a first hand moves over a second hand gripping the outer peripheral surface of a specified structure, the two movements can be combined to enable the robot arm to move in the direction of travel over an object that is an obstacle to movement and is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the specified structure.

[0039] Furthermore, when the first hand and the second hand have a pair of first claw portions and a pair of second claw portions that are approximately parallel to the pair of first claw portions and are spaced apart from the pair of first claw portions, it becomes possible for one hand to adequately grasp the outer peripheral surface of a specified structure with two sets of claw portions spaced apart by a certain distance.

[0040] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the method of driving a robot arm of the present invention is a method of driving a robot arm that moves a robot arm along a predetermined structure, at least a portion of which is formed in a columnar shape, and is configured to grasp the outer peripheral surface of the predetermined structure with at least one of a first hand and a second hand formed at the end of the robot arm and configured to be openable and closable, and to move the robot arm by changing the angle of the bodies via four bodies that constitute the robot arm and three bending and extension parts that adjust the angles between each of the bodies.

[0041] Here, by grasping the outer surface of a specified structure with at least one of a first hand and a second hand formed at the end of the robot arm and configured to be openable and closable, the robot arm can be attached to the target structure via the first hand or the second hand.

[0042] In addition, by changing the angle of the bodies and moving the robot arm via the four bodies that make up the robot arm and the three bending and extension parts that adjust the angle between each body, it is possible to finely bend the angles between each body and give the main body of the robot arm complex shapes, thereby increasing the freedom of movement.

[0043] In addition, by tilting the axis of the substantially cylindrical space formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first hand relative to the axis of the region of the predetermined structure held by the first hand, when the outer peripheral surface of the predetermined structure is held by the first hand alone and the state in which the robot arm is attached to the predetermined structure is supported, the state in which the robot arm is attached to the predetermined structure can be maintained by the first hand alone. That is, the weight of the entire robot arm is applied, and the direction of the axis of the substantially cylindrical space on the inner peripheral surface of the first hand changes. Then, the direction of the axis of the substantially cylindrical space on the inner peripheral surface of the first hand is tilted relative to the axis of the region of the predetermined structure held by the first hand. As a result, some parts of the inner peripheral surface of the first hand are in strong contact with the predetermined structure and some parts are in weak contact with the predetermined structure, and the balance is achieved due to the difference in contact pressure, making it difficult for the first hand to come off the predetermined structure. In other words, the robot arm can maintain a state in which it grasps a predetermined structure using only the first hand out of the two hands, thereby preventing the robot arm from falling off.

[0044] In addition, by tilting the axis of the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner surface of the second hand relative to the axis of the area of ​​the specified structure grasped by the second hand, when the outer surface of the specified structure is grasped only with the second hand to support the state in which the robot arm is attached to the specified structure, the state in which the robot arm is attached to the specified structure can be maintained by only the second hand, as with the first hand. Effect of the Invention

[0045] The robot arm and the method of driving the robot arm according to the present invention enable a robot arm that moves along a pillar-shaped structure such as a lighting pole or a sign pole to move stably with a high degree of freedom along the target structure and is less susceptible to problems such as falling off. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0046] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an overall structure of a robot arm A which is an example of a robot arm to which the present invention is applied. [Diagram 2] 2(a) is a schematic diagram of the robot arm A shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the side, and FIG. 2(b) is a schematic diagram illustrating a simplified version of the robot arm A shown in FIG. 2(a). [Diagram 3] (a) is a schematic side view showing a columnar structure being held by two hands, and (b) is a schematic side view showing a columnar structure being held only by the hand located above. [Figure 4] (a) is a schematic side view showing a columnar structure being held by two hands, and (b) is a schematic side view showing a columnar structure being held only by the hand located below. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a schematic side view showing a state in which a columnar structure is gripped by only one hand when moving in the horizontal direction. [Figure 6] 1(a) to 1(d) are schematic diagrams showing a process in which the robot arm A rises along the columnar structure. [Figure 7] 1(a) to 1(c) are schematic diagrams showing a process in which the robot arm A moves along the circumferential direction of the columnar structure. [Figure 8] 1(a) to 1(f) are schematic diagrams showing a process in which the robot arm A overcomes and moves over an obstacle attached to a columnar structure. [Figure 9] 9(a) to 9(f) are schematic diagrams illustrating the process in which the robot arm A overcomes and moves over an obstacle attached to a pillar-like structure, following FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 10(a) to 10(f) are schematic diagrams illustrating the process in which the robot arm A overcomes and moves over an obstacle attached to a pillar-like structure, following FIG. [Figure 11] 11(a) and 11(b) are schematic diagrams illustrating a process in which the robot arm A overcomes an obstacle attached to a columnar structure, following FIG. 10. [Figure 12] 13(a) and 13(b) are schematic diagrams showing the extended portion of the robot arm A in the radial direction based on the axis of the columnar structure and in the same direction. [Figure 13]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an overall structure of a robot arm B which is an example of a robot arm to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic side view of the robot arm B shown in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] (a) is a schematic side view showing a columnar structure being held by two hands, and (b) is a schematic side view showing a columnar structure being held only by the hand located above. [Figure 16] (a) is a schematic side view showing a columnar structure being held by two hands, and (b) is a schematic side view showing a columnar structure being held only by the hand located below. [Figure 17] 1(a) to 1(d) are schematic diagrams showing a process in which a robot arm B rises along a columnar structure. [Figure 18] 11(a) to 11(f) are schematic diagrams showing a process in which the robot arm B overcomes and moves over an obstacle attached to a columnar structure. [Figure 19] 18, (a) to (f) are schematic diagrams showing a process in which the robot arm B overcomes and moves over an obstacle attached to a pillar-like structure. [Figure 20] 19(a) to 19(b) are schematic diagrams showing a process in which the robot arm B overcomes and moves over an obstacle attached to a pillar-like structure. [Figure 21] 13(a) and 13(b) are schematic diagrams showing the extended portion of the robot arm B in the radial direction based on the axis of the columnar structure and in the same direction. [Figure 22] 11(a) to 11(e) are schematic diagrams showing a process in which the robot arm B moves along the circumferential direction of the columnar structure. [Figure 23] 23(a) to (e) are schematic diagrams showing, following FIG. 22, steps in which the robot arm B moves along the circumferential direction of the columnar structure. [Figure 24] 1(a) to 1(e) are schematic diagrams showing examples of the shape of the columnar structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0047] [First embodiment of the present invention] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings for the purpose of understanding the present invention. It should be noted that the structure shown below is one example of a robot arm to which the present invention is applied, and the contents of the present invention are not limited to this, and settings can be changed as appropriate.

[0048] In the following description, the direction approximately parallel to the vertical direction is referred to as the Z-axis direction with reference to Fig. 1. Also, with reference to Fig. 1, the direction approximately parallel to the direction connecting the second hand 21 and the body 13 and perpendicular to the Z-axis direction is referred to as the X-axis direction, and the direction approximately perpendicular to both the Z-axis direction and the X-axis direction is referred to as the Y-axis direction.

[0049] Additionally, "based on FIG. 1" means that the X, Y and Z axis directions are set based on the shape of robot arm A shown in FIG. 1 (which has an approximately U-shape when viewed from the side), and even if the overall shape of robot arm A changes, the explanation may be based on the X, Y and Z axis directions set in FIG. 1.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 1, a robot arm A, which is an example of a robot arm to which the present invention is applied, includes a main body portion 1 and a hand portion 2.

[0051] This robot arm A is a component that constitutes part of an inspection device that autonomously performs maintenance and inspection on columnar structures (hereinafter referred to as "columnar structures") such as lighting poles, sign poles, or information device poles installed on highways, etc., and is the part responsible for moving the inspection device.

[0052] That is, the robot arm A is a moving device that is attached to the columnar structure and moves in the longitudinal direction and along the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure. Although not shown, the hand unit 2 (two hands described later) of the robot arm A can be equipped with various inspection devices for inspecting the columnar structure.

[0053] The various inspection devices are, for example, vibration measuring devices and plate thickness measuring devices for inspecting the internal structure of the columnar structure. In addition, an infrared thermography can be installed as an inspection device to inspect the presence or absence of water stagnation caused by rainwater or the like inside the columnar structure. Furthermore, a camera can be installed to perform image analysis using AI on the captured image. In this way, the robot arm A functions as the moving part of an autonomous inspection device for inspecting the columnar structure with various inspection devices instead of visual inspection by humans. The same can be said about the robot arm B described later, in that various inspection devices can be installed in the hand part.

[0054] In the following description, the columnar structure to which the robot arm A is attached and which moves along its outer circumferential surface is indicated by the reference symbol P (FIGS. 1 to 21). For the sake of convenience, the columnar structure P shown in each drawing only shows a part of the columnar structure.

[0055] The main body 1 is a part that constitutes the main body of the robot arm A. The main body 1 is a member that changes its shape via each of the members, which will be described later, a hand opening / closing joint, a hand rotating joint, a body bending / extending joint, and a body rotating joint.

[0056] Due to the change in the shape of the main body 1, the overall shape of the robot arm A changes to a shape suitable for each movement operation, such as lifting and lowering the columnar structure, moving in the circumferential direction, moving in the horizontal direction, etc. Also, due to the change in the shape of the main body 1, the position at which the hand unit 2 grasps the columnar structure can be changed.

[0057] The hand unit 2 is a gripping member that grips the columnar structure. The hand unit 2 is a part that is responsible for moving the robot arm A on the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure by changing the gripping position and gripping timing of the columnar structure in accordance with the change in the shape of the main body unit 1.

[0058] Here, the sizes of the main body 1 and the hand 2 can be designed appropriately according to the size and shape of the columnar structure to which the robot arm A is attached.

[0059] The shape of the columnar structure to which the robot arm A is attached may be any known shape such as a lighting pole, a sign pole, or an information pole installed on a highway, etc. For example, various shapes may be targeted, such as an inverted L-shaped sign pole (see FIG. 24(a)), a single-pole sign pole (see FIG. 24(b)), a lighting pole (see FIG. 24(c)), an F-shaped information pole (see FIG. 24(d)), and a shared lighting pole (see FIG. 24(e)).

[0060] Moreover, the main body 1 has a body 10, a body 11, a body 12, and a body 13 (see FIGS. 1, 2(a) and 2(b)).

[0061] Moreover, the main body 1 has a body bending / extending joint 30, a body bending / extending joint 31, and a body bending / extending joint 32 (see FIGS. 1, 2(a) and 2(b)).

[0062] The main body 1 also has a body rotation joint 50 and a body rotation joint 51 (see Figures 1, 2(a) and 2(b)).

[0063] Furthermore, the main body 1 has a hand rotary joint 52 and a hand rotary joint 53 (see FIGS. 1, 2(a) and 2(b)).

[0064] Here, the body bending / extending joint 30 is a connecting member for changing the angle between the body 10 and the body 11. Via this body bending / extending joint 30, the body 10 and the body 11 can be rotated so that the angle between the body 10 and the body 11 becomes a desired angle.

[0065] In addition, the body bending / extending joint 31 is a connecting member for changing the angle between the body 10 and the body 12. Via this body bending / extending joint 31, the body 10 and the body 12 can be rotated so that the angle between the body 10 and the body 12 becomes a desired angle.

[0066] In addition, the body bending / extending joint 32 is a connecting member for changing the angle between the body 11 and the body 13. Via this body bending / extending joint 32, the body 11 and the body 13 can be rotated so that the angle between the body 11 and the body 13 becomes a desired angle.

[0067] The bodies 10, 11, 12 and 13 referred to here are members corresponding to the first body, the second body, the third body and the fourth body in the claims of the present application.

[0068] Moreover, the body bending / extending joint 30, the body bending / extending joint 31, and the body bending / extending joint 32 referred to here are members corresponding to the first bending / extending connection part, the second bending / extending connection part, and the third bending / extending connection part in the claims of the present application.

[0069] The body rotation joint 50 is a member provided between the body 10 and the body bending / extending joint 31, and connects the body 12 and the body bending / extending joint 31 to the body 10 in a rotatable manner.

[0070] The body rotation joint 51 is provided between the body 11 and the body bending / extending joint 32, and is a member that rotatably connects the body 11 and the body bending / extending joint 32 to the body 11.

[0071] The body rotating joint 50 and the body rotating joint 51 referred to here are members corresponding to the first body rotating connection part and the second body rotating connection part in the claims of the present application.

[0072] The hand rotating joint 52 is provided between the body 12 and a hand opening / closing joint 40, which will be described later, and is a member that rotatably connects the first hand 20 and the hand opening / closing joint 40, which will be described later, to the body 12.

[0073] The hand rotating joint 53 is provided between the body 13 and a hand opening / closing joint 41, which will be described later, and is a member that rotatably connects a second hand 21 and the hand opening / closing joint 41, which will be described later, to the body 13.

[0074] The hand rotary joint 52 and the hand rotary joint 53 referred to here are members corresponding to the first hand rotary connection part and the second hand rotary connection part in the claims of the present application.

[0075] As shown in Fig. 1, the hand unit 2 has a first hand 20 and a second hand 21. The first hand 20 and the second hand 21 are parts that grip the outer peripheral surface of a columnar structure. The first hand 20 and the second hand 21 are configured to be drivable independently of each other via a control device (not shown).

[0076] The first hand 20 and the second hand 21 referred to here are members corresponding to the first hand and the second hand in the claims of the present application.

[0077] The first hand 20 has a pair of first claws 200 and a pair of second claws 201. The first claws 200 and the second claws 201 are configured to be openable and closable via a hand opening / closing joint 40 (see FIGS. 1, 2(a) and 2(b)) attached to the body 12.

[0078] The first claw portion 200 and the second claw portion 201 can be opened and closed to abut or move away from the outer peripheral surface of the columnar structure, switching between a state in which the first hand 20 is gripping the columnar structure and a state in which the first hand 20 is away from the columnar structure.

[0079] Similarly to the first hand 20, the second hand 21 has a pair of first claws 210 and a pair of second claws 211. The first claws 210 and the second claws 211 are configured to be openable and closable via a hand opening / closing joint 41 (see FIGS. 1, 2(a) and 2(b)) attached to the body 13.

[0080] The first claw portion 210 and the second claw portion 211 can be opened and closed to abut or move away from the outer peripheral surface of the columnar structure, switching between a state in which the second hand 21 is gripping the columnar structure and a state in which the second hand 21 is separated from the columnar structure.

[0081] Furthermore, when the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure is gripped by the first claw portion 200 and the second claw portion 201, a substantially cylindrical space is formed on the inner circumferential surface of each claw portion. A part of the columnar structure is positioned inside this substantially cylindrical space, and the columnar structure is gripped by the first claw portion 200 and the second claw portion 201.

[0082] Similarly, when the outer circumferential surface of a columnar structure is gripped by the first claw portion 210 and the second claw portion 211, a substantially cylindrical space is formed on the inner circumferential surface of each claw portion. A part of the columnar structure is positioned inside this substantially cylindrical space, and the columnar structure is gripped by the first claw portion 210 and the second claw portion 211.

[0083] It should be noted that the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner circumferential surfaces of the first claw portion 200 and the second claw portion 201, or the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner circumferential surfaces of the first claw portion 210 and the second claw portion 211, referred to here, corresponds to the approximately cylindrical space in the claims of the present application.

[0084] In addition, the drive of each of the body bending / extending joint 30, body bending / extending joint 31, body bending / extending joint 32, body rotation joint 50, body rotation joint 51, hand rotation joint 52, hand rotation joint 53, hand opening / closing joint 40, and hand opening / closing joint 41 is controlled via a servo motor (not shown).

[0085] The servo motors that drive these members are connected to a control device (not shown) by wire or wirelessly, so that the rotation angles of the servo motors can be controlled. The control device is a component that corresponds to the drive control unit in the present claims.

[0086] [A structure that maintains the attachment state with only one hand] Next, a structure will be described in which the robot arm A holds the columnar structure with only one hand while moving, and maintains the state in which the robot arm A is attached to the columnar structure.

[0087] When the robot arm A moves along the columnar structure P, i.e., when performing lifting and lowering operations, circumferential movement, or horizontal movement, etc., the shape of the main body 1 is changed, and this is combined with the opening and closing operations of the first hand 20 and the second hand 21, allowing the robot arm A to move in the desired direction.

[0088] In addition, during various movements, the columnar structure P is grasped with only one hand, while the other hand is in an open state without grasping the columnar structure P, and various parts of the main body 1 are deformed so that the other hand is positioned at a target position aligned with the direction of movement.

[0089] In other words, when robot arm A moves, only one of the two hands keeps robot arm A attached to the columnar structure P; in other words, robot arm A maintains a state in which it clings to the columnar structure P while supporting its own weight and without falling off.

[0090] At this time, an approximately cylindrical space is formed on the inner surface of each claw of the hand holding the columnar structure, making it possible to maintain the robot arm A attached to the columnar structure P using only one hand.

[0091] Using Figures 3(a) and 3(b), an example will be described in which a columnar structure P having a portion that is approximately parallel to the vertical direction is grasped by only the upper hand of the robot arm A.

[0092] First, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the first hand 20 and the second hand 21 both close their claws and grip a columnar structure P, which is an initial state.

[0093] When the columnar structure P is grasped by both the first hand 20 and the second hand 21, the robot arm A can be firmly maintained attached to the columnar structure P because the columnar structure P is grasped via the two hands.

[0094] Furthermore, when the columnar structure P is grasped by both the first hand 20 and the second hand 21, the orientations of the axis T1 of the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner surface of the first hand 20 and the axis T2 of the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner surface of the second hand 21 are approximately parallel to the axis P1 of the columnar structure (more precisely, the axis of the area of ​​the columnar structure grasped by each hand) (see Figure 3(a)).

[0095] From this point, as shown in Figure 3(b), the second hand 21 located at the lower side is opened and moves away from the columnar structure P, while only the first hand 20 located at the upper side remains closed, so that the columnar structure P is held by only the first hand 20.

[0096] In this state, the weight of the robot arm A is applied to the entire robot arm A, and the weight of the robot arm A causes a part of the robot arm A to tilt obliquely. This also causes the axis T1 of the substantially cylindrical space formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first hand 20 to tilt obliquely. As seen in FIG. 3(b), the direction of the axis T1 is slightly tilted leftward from the vertical direction (the direction of the axis P1).

[0097] In this posture of the first hand 20, due to the oblique posture, the portions of the inner circumferential surface of the first hand 20 indicated by symbols S1 and S2 come into strong contact with the columnar structure P. On the other hand, the portions of the inner circumferential surface of the first hand 20 closer to the hand base (toward the body 12) than the portion indicated by symbol S1 and the portions of the inner circumferential surface of the first hand 20 closer to the hand tip (below symbol S1) than the portion indicated by symbol S2 come into weak contact with the columnar structure P or a gap is formed between them and the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure P.

[0098] In this way, the posture of the first hand 20 is tilted at an angle, and there are areas on the inner surface of the first hand 20 that are in strong contact with the columnar structure P (symbols S1 and S2) and areas that are in weak contact with the columnar structure P or where gaps are formed between the outer surface of the columnar structure P. As a result, the contact pressure on the columnar structure P is balanced, and the first hand 20 is firmly engaged with the columnar structure P.

[0099] That is, even with only the first hand 20, it is possible to maintain the state in which the robot arm A is attached to the columnar structure P. From this state, the robot arm A can be moved by deforming the main body 1 and moving the second hand 21 to a target position aligned with the movement direction.

[0100] The ability to grasp a columnar structure with only one hand is also the same when a columnar structure P having a part that is approximately parallel to the vertical direction is grasped with only the lower hand of the robot arm A, as shown in Figure 4(b).

[0101] That is, in the initial state in which both the first hand 20 and the second hand 21 are holding the columnar structure P, as in Figure 3(a), the orientations of the axis T1 of the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner surface of the first hand 20 and the axis T2 of the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner surface of the second hand 21 are in a positional relationship that is approximately parallel to the axis P1 of the columnar structure (more precisely, the axis of the area of ​​the columnar structure held by each hand) (see Figure 4(a)).

[0102] From this point, as shown in Figure 4(b), the first hand 20 located at the upper side is opened, and the first hand 20 moves away from the columnar structure P, while only the second hand 21 located at the lower side remains closed, and the columnar structure P is grasped by only the second hand 21.

[0103] Even in this state, the posture of the robot arm A is partially tilted obliquely due to the weight of the robot arm A. This also causes the axis T2 of the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner circumferential surface of the second hand 21 to be tilted obliquely. As seen in FIG. 4(b), the direction of the axis T2 is slightly tilted leftward from the vertical direction (the direction of the axis P1).

[0104] Due to the oblique posture of the second hand 21, the portions of the inner circumferential surface of the second hand 21 indicated by reference numerals S1 and S2 come into strong contact with the columnar structure P. On the other hand, the portions of the inner circumferential surface of the second hand 21 closer to the hand base (toward the body 13) than the portion indicated by reference numeral S1 and the portions of the inner circumferential surface of the second hand 21 closer to the hand tip (below reference numeral S1) than the portion indicated by reference numeral S2 come into weak contact with the columnar structure P or a gap is formed between them and the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure P.

[0105] In this way, the posture of the second hand 21 is tilted at an angle, and there are areas on the inner surface of the second hand 21 that are in strong contact with the columnar structure P (symbols S1 and S2) and areas that are in weak contact with the columnar structure P or where gaps are formed between the outer surface of the columnar structure P. As a result, the contact pressure on the columnar structure P is balanced, and the second hand 21 is firmly engaged with the columnar structure P.

[0106] That is, in this way, the robot arm A can maintain a state where it is attached to the columnar structure P using only the second hand 21 positioned on the lower side in the vertical direction. From this state, the robot arm A can be moved by deforming the main body 1 and moving the first hand 20 to a target position aligned with the movement direction.

[0107] Furthermore, even when the robot arm A is attached along the horizontally extending shape of the columnar structure P, the robot arm A can be maintained attached to the columnar structure P by grasping the columnar structure P with only one hand of the robot arm A.

[0108] 5 shows a state in which a columnar structure P having a shape extending in the horizontal direction is held only by the first hand 20. In addition, the second hand 21 is opened and separated from the columnar structure P.

[0109] Even in this state, the posture of the robot arm A is partially tilted obliquely (the right side of the main body 1 lowers in FIG. 5) due to the weight of the robot arm A. This also causes the axis T1 of the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner circumferential surface of the first hand 20 to tilt obliquely. As seen in FIG. 5, the direction of the axis T1 is slightly tilted downward and to the right from the horizontal direction (the direction of the axis P1).

[0110] That is, because the posture of the first hand 20 is tilted obliquely, the portions of the inner circumferential surface of the first hand 20 indicated by symbols S1 and S2 come into strong contact with the columnar structure P. On the other hand, the portions of the inner circumferential surface of the first hand 20 closer to the hand base (toward the body 12) than the portion indicated by symbol S1 and closer to the hand tip (to the left of symbol S1) than the portion indicated by symbol S2 come into weak contact with the columnar structure P or a gap is formed between them and the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure P.

[0111] In this way, even when the columnar structure P has a shape extending horizontally, the posture of the first hand 20 is tilted at an angle, and there are areas on the inner surface of the first hand 20 that make strong contact with the columnar structure P (symbols S1 and S2) and areas that make weak contact with the columnar structure P or where gaps are formed between the outer surface of the columnar structure P, and the contact pressure on the columnar structure P is balanced, so that the first hand 20 is firmly engaged with the columnar structure P.

[0112] In other words, when the robot arm A is attached to and moved not only to a columnar structure P having a shape extending in the vertical direction but also to a columnar structure P having a shape extending in the horizontal direction, it is possible to maintain the robot arm A attached to the columnar structure P using only one hand.

[0113] A similar state occurs when the columnar structure P is grasped in the horizontal direction only by the second hand, but a description thereof will be omitted. Similarly, when the robot arm A moves along the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure P or moves along the columnar structure P having a curved shape, the attachment state can be maintained with only one hand.

[0114] As described above, when the robot arm A moves, it is possible to hold the columnar structure with only one hand and maintain the state in which the robot arm A is attached to the columnar structure. This allows the robot arm A to move stably without falling off the columnar structure.

[0115] Next, the specific details of the movement by the robot arm A will be described.

[0116] [Lifting operation] An example of the lifting and lowering operation of the robot arm A will be described with reference to Figures 6(a) to 6(d). Here, the movement of the robot arm A rising relative to a columnar structure P having a shape along the vertical direction is shown.

[0117] In the steady state shown in FIG. 6(a), the columnar structure P is gripped by both the first hand 20 and the second hand 21.

[0118] From this point, the second hand 21 is opened via the hand opening / closing joint 41. In addition, in conjunction with this, the bodies 10 and 11 are rotated via the body bending / extending joint 30 so that the angle indicated by the reference symbol R1 becomes 90 degrees (see FIG. 6(b)). Furthermore, the bodies 10 and 12, and the bodies 11 and 13 are rotated via the body bending / extending joint 31 and the body bending / extending joint 32, respectively, so that the angles indicated by the reference symbols R2 and R3 become 135 degrees (see FIG. 6(b)).

[0119] When transforming from the steady state shown in FIG. 6(a) to the bent state shown in FIG. 6(b), the main body 1 composed of each body shrinks in the vertical direction, and the second hand 21 separated from the columnar structure P moves upward from the height position in FIG. 6(a) (in the direction indicated by symbol Z1 in FIG. 6(b)).

[0120] 6(c), the second hand 21 is closed via the hand opening / closing joint 41 to grip the columnar structure P with the second hand 21. Furthermore, the first hand 20 is opened via the hand opening / closing joint 40.

[0121] Accordingly, the bodies 10 and 11 are rotated via the body bending / extending joint 30 so that the angle indicated by the reference character R1 becomes 180 degrees (see FIG. 6(c)). Furthermore, the bodies 10 and 12, and the bodies 11 and 13 are rotated via the body bending / extending joint 31 and the body bending / extending joint 32, respectively, so that the angles indicated by the reference characters R2 and R3 become 90 degrees (see FIG. 6(c)).

[0122] When transforming from the bent state shown in FIG. 6(b) to the state shown in FIG. 6(c), the main body 1 composed of each body extends vertically, and the first hand 20 separated from the columnar structure P moves upward (in the direction indicated by symbol Z2 in FIG. 6(c)) from the height position in FIG. 6(a) and FIG. 6(b).

[0123] Then, as shown in Fig. 6(d), the first hand 20 is closed via the hand opening / closing joint 40, and the first hand 20 grasps the columnar structure P. At this point, the shape of the robot arm A returns to the same steady state as in Fig. 6(a).

[0124] Furthermore, through a series of operations, the entire robot arm A moves vertically upward along the columnar structure P. When raising the robot arm A, the operations of Fig. 6(a) to Fig. 6(d) are repeated, whereby the robot arm A can be raised along the longitudinal direction of the columnar structure P.

[0125] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6(b) and 6(c), when the columnar structure P is grasped with only one hand, as described above, the contact pressure on the inner surface of the single hand is balanced, resulting in a state of strong engagement with the columnar structure P, and the robot arm A can maintain its attachment to the columnar structure P with only one hand.

[0126] In addition, the driving of each of the hand opening / closing joint 40, the hand opening / closing joint 41, the body bending / extending joint 30, the body bending / extending joint 31, and the body bending / extending joint 32 can be controlled via a control device.

[0127] Here, the angle adjusted by the body bending / extending joint 30 does not necessarily have to be limited to 90 degrees and 180 degrees. Also, the angles adjusted by the body bending / extending joint 31 and the body bending / extending joint 32 do not necessarily have to be limited to 135 degrees and 90 degrees. The angles shown here are just an example, and as long as the robot arm A can rise along the longitudinal direction of the columnar structure P, the angle to be adjusted can be set appropriately.

[0128] Although not shown, the robot arm A can move downward relative to the columnar structure P having a shape along the vertical direction by movements similar to those in Figs. 6(a) to 6(d).

[0129] When lowering the robot arm A, from the stationary state, the hand located above (first hand 20 in FIG. 6(a)) is opened and brought into a bent state, and the hand located above is lowered to grasp the columnar structure P. Next, the hand located below (second hand 21 in FIG. 6(a)) is opened, the main body 1 composed of each body is returned to an extended shape, and the hand located below is lowered to grasp the columnar structure P, thereby lowering the robot arm A.

[0130] Although not shown, the robot arm A can move laterally with respect to a columnar structure P having a shape along the horizontal direction by movements similar to those in Figures 6(a) to 6(d). Furthermore, even with respect to a columnar structure P having a curved shape (for example, the structure in Figure 24(e)), the robot arm A can be moved along a curve by movements similar to those in Figures 6(a) to 6(d).

[0131] [Circumference movement] Next, an example of the movement of the robot arm A in the circumferential direction along the outer circumferential surface of the pillar-shaped structure P will be described with reference to Figs. 7(a) to 7(c).

[0132] The circumferential movement referred to here means that the position of the robot arm A moves in a counterclockwise direction around the columnar structure P, with the upper view of each of Figures 7(a) to 7(c) as the reference.

[0133] In the steady state shown in FIG. 7(a), the columnar structure P is gripped by both the first hand 20 and the second hand 21.

[0134] From this position, the second hand 21 is opened via the hand opening / closing joint 41. In conjunction with this, the body 12 is rotated 20 degrees in the direction shown in FIG. 7(b) via the hand rotation joint 52, and the body 13 is rotated 20 degrees in the direction shown in FIG. 7(b) via the hand rotation joint 53. In conjunction with this, the body 10 is rotated 50 degrees in the direction shown in FIG. 7(b) via the body rotation joint 50, and the body 11 is rotated 50 degrees in the direction shown in FIG. 7(b) via the body rotation joint 51.

[0135] In the upper views of Figures 7(a) to 7(c), due to the configuration of the drawings, only hand rotary joint 52 appears out of hand rotary joint 52 and hand rotary joint 53. In addition, in the upper views of Figures 7(a) to 7(c), due to the configuration of the drawings, hand rotary joint 52 and hand rotary joint 53 are not visible in the drawings.

[0136] 7(b), the position of the second hand 21 away from the columnar structure P moves in the counterclockwise direction in the circumferential direction. After the movement, the second hand 21 is closed to grip the columnar structure P.

[0137] As a result of this series of movements from Figure 7(a) to Figure 7(b), the longitudinal direction of the second hand 21 moves from a direction approximately parallel to the X-axis direction shown in the upper diagram of Figure 7(a) by the angle indicated by symbol α in the upper diagram of Figure 7(b), and the longitudinal direction of the second hand 21 becomes the direction indicated by symbol R1.

[0138] Next, the first hand 20 is opened from the state shown in Fig. 7(b) via the hand opening / closing joint 40. In conjunction with this, the body 12 is rotated 20 degrees in the direction opposite to that shown in Fig. 7(b) via the hand rotation joint 52, and the body 13 is rotated 20 degrees in the direction opposite to that shown in Fig. 7(b) via the hand rotation joint 53. In conjunction with this, the body 10 is rotated 50 degrees in the direction opposite to that shown in Fig. 7(b) via the body rotation joint 50, and the body 11 is rotated 50 degrees in the direction opposite to that shown in Fig. 7(b) via the body rotation joint 51.

[0139] In this way, by performing a rotation operation in which each member is rotated in the direction opposite to the direction shown in Fig. 7(b), the position of the first hand 20 away from the columnar structure P moves in the counterclockwise direction in the circumferential direction (see Fig. 7(c)). After the movement, the first hand 20 is closed to grip the columnar structure P.

[0140] The moved position of the first hand 20 is vertically above the second hand 21, and the entire robot arm A moves in a counterclockwise direction around the columnar structure P. In Fig. 7(c), the robot arm A returns to the steady state, similar to Fig. 7(a).

[0141] Furthermore, when moving the robot arm A further circumferentially in the counterclockwise direction, the operations of Figs. 7(a) to 7(c) can be repeated to move the robot arm A in the forward direction.

[0142] In addition, the driving of each of the hand opening / closing joint 40, the hand opening / closing joint 41, the body rotating joint 50 and the body rotating joint 51 can be controlled via a control device.

[0143] Here, the angle adjusted by the hand opening / closing joint 40 and the hand opening / closing joint 41 does not necessarily have to be limited to 20 degrees. Also, the angle adjusted by the body rotating joint 50 and the body rotating joint 51 does not necessarily have to be limited to 50 degrees. The angles shown here are just an example, and as long as the robot arm A can move along the circumferential direction of the columnar structure P, the angle to be adjusted can be set appropriately.

[0144] In addition, although not shown in the figures, by a movement similar to that shown in Figures 7(a) to 7(c), it is also possible to perform circumferential movement in which the position of the robot arm A moves in a clockwise direction around the columnar structure P, with the upper figure of each of Figures 7(a) to 7(c) as the reference.

[0145] In this case, the initial rotation directions of the hand opening / closing joints 40 and 41 and the body rotating joints 50 and 51 should be opposite to the directions shown in Fig. 7(b). After that, the rotation directions of each joint in the next rotation operation should be the same as the directions shown in Fig. 7(b).

[0146] In this manner, the robot arm A can move along the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure P in the circumferential direction.

[0147] With this, for example, if a large structure (obstacle that impedes movement) such as a sign or a mirror is installed on part of the columnar structure P, the robot arm A can be moved to a position free of the obstacle in the circumferential direction of the columnar structure P to avoid the obstacle. Also, it becomes possible to move the robot arm A in the circumferential direction and perform the lifting and lowering operation again along the longitudinal direction of the columnar structure P.

[0148] [Overcoming obstacles] Next, an obstacle that prevents the movement of the robot arm A is attached to a part of the columnar structure P, and an example of the operation of the robot arm A to overcome this obstacle will be described with reference to Figs.

[0149] Here, the columnar structure P has a mirror M and a mounting fixture M1 for mounting the mirror M. Also, the robot arm A moves upward in the vertical direction along the longitudinal direction of the columnar structure P.

[0150] Before starting the operation, the first hand 20 and the second hand 21 are in a stationary state in which they are gripping the columnar structure P. Here, the robot arm A is positioned below the mounting metal fitting M1. From here, the second hand 21 starts to move upward.

[0151] First, the second hand 21 is opened via the hand opening / closing joint 41, and the columnar structure P is released from the second hand 21 (see FIG. 8(a)).

[0152] Furthermore, the body 11 is rotated relative to the body 10 via the body bending / stretching joint 30 so that the angle between the body 10 and the body 11 becomes 90 degrees (see FIG. 8(b)).

[0153] Furthermore, the body 10 is rotated 90 degrees around the body bending and stretching joint 31 via the body rotating joint 50 (see FIG. 8(c)).

[0154] In addition, the body 13 is rotated 180 degrees via the body bending / stretching joint 32 so that the second hand 21 faces upward instead of downward (see FIG. 8(d) and FIG. 8(e)).

[0155] Also, the body 12 is rotated 180 degrees via the hand rotation joint 52 (not shown in the figures) (see Figs. 8(f) and 9(a)). In conjunction with this movement, the body 13 is rotated via the body bending and extending joint 32 so that the angle between the body 13 and the body 11 becomes 180 degrees (see Figs. 8(f) and 9(a)).

[0156] Furthermore, the body 13 is rotated via the body bending / stretching joint 32 so that the angle between the body 13 and the body 11 becomes 90 degrees (see FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b)).

[0157] Furthermore, the body 10 is rotated 90 degrees around the body bending and stretching joint 31 via the body rotating joint 50 (see FIG. 9(c)).

[0158] Furthermore, the body 11 is rotated via the body bending / stretching joint 30 so that the angle between the body 10 and the body 11 becomes 180 degrees (see FIG. 9(d)).

[0159] In addition, the second hand 21 is closed via the hand opening / closing joint 41, and the columnar structure P is gripped by the second hand 21.

[0160] As a result of the operations up to this point, the second hand 21, which was initially located below the first hand 20 in the state shown in Figure 8 (a), moves upward and passes the first hand 20, so that the second hand 21 is positioned above the second hand 20.

[0161] Furthermore, by the operations up to this point, the second hand 21 is positioned above the mounting fixture M1. Moreover, here, the mounting fixture M1 is positioned between the second hand 21 and the first hand 20 in the vertical direction.

[0162] Next, the first hand 20 is moved upward.

[0163] First, the first hand 20 is opened via the hand opening / closing joint 40, and the columnar structure P is released from the first hand 20 (see FIG. 9(e)).

[0164] Furthermore, the body 10 is rotated relative to the body 11 via the body bending / stretching joint 30 so that the angle between the bodies 10 and 11 becomes 90 degrees (see FIG. 9(e)).

[0165] Also, the body 11 is rotated 90 degrees around the body bending and stretching joint 32 via the body rotating joint 51 (see FIG. 9(f)).

[0166] In addition, the body 12 is rotated 180 degrees via the body bending / stretching joint 31 so that the first hand 20 faces upward instead of downward (see FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b)).

[0167] In addition, the body 13 is rotated 180 degrees via a hand rotary joint 53 (not shown in the figure) (see FIGS. 10(c) and 10(d)).

[0168] In addition, the body 12 is rotated 180 degrees via the body bending / stretching joint 31 so that the first hand 20 faces upward instead of downward (see FIG. 10(e) and FIG. 10(f)).

[0169] Also, the body 11 is rotated 90 degrees around the body bending and stretching joint 32 via the body rotating joint 51 (see FIG. 11(a)).

[0170] Furthermore, the body 10 is rotated via the body bending / stretching joint 30 so that the angle between the body 10 and the body 11 becomes 180 degrees (see FIG. 11(b)).

[0171] In addition, the first hand 20 is closed via the hand opening / closing joint 40, and the columnar structure P is gripped by the first hand 20.

[0172] As a result of the operations up to this point, the first hand 20, which was below the second hand 21 in the state shown in Figure 9 (d), moves upward and passes the second hand 21, and the first hand 20 is again positioned above the second hand 21.

[0173] Furthermore, by the operations up to this point, both the first hand 20 and the second hand 21 are positioned above the metal fitting M1. That is, the robot hand A can move upward, climbing over the metal fitting M1.

[0174] By performing the operations shown in Figures 8 to 11, even if an obstacle that prevents the movement of the robot arm A is attached to a part of the columnar structure P, the robot arm A can overcome this obstacle and move further upward.

[0175] Although detailed description is omitted, the robot arm A can move from above to below, climbing over obstacles, by performing operations similar to those shown in Figures 8 to 11. Also, when the robot arm A moves laterally with respect to a columnar structure P having a shape along the horizontal direction, the robot arm A can move laterally, climbing over obstacles, by performing operations similar to those shown in Figures 8 to 11.

[0176] In addition, when performing the series of operations shown in Figures 8 to 11, the shape of the robot arm A is configured to deform so that the distance between the hand that is not holding the columnar structure P and the columnar structure P is minimized.

[0177] For example, specifically, in the state shown in Figure 12(a) (corresponding to the state in Figure 8(b)), in the radial direction based on the axis P1 of the columnar structure P and in the same direction (the direction from the columnar structure P to the right in Figure 12(a)), the members of the part of the robot arm A extending in the same direction are the section from the base of the first hand 20 to the body bending / extending joint 31 and the section from the body bending / extending joint 30 to the body bending / extending joint 32.

[0178] In addition, the distance of the part of the robot arm A extending in the same radial direction based on the axis P1 of the columnar structure P and in the same direction is within the range of the combined distance of symbols X1 and X2 shown in Figure 12(a).

[0179] In addition, the distance indicated by symbol X1 is the distance from the base of the first hand 20 to the rotation center 31c of the body bending / extending joint 31, and the distance indicated by symbol X2 is the distance from the rotation center 30c of the body bending / extending joint 30 to the body bending / extending joint 32.

[0180] The sum of the distances indicated by symbols X1 and X2 corresponds to the arm length of the gravitational moment based on the weight of robot arm A acting on the hand 21 located at the farthest position from the columnar structure P, in other words.

[0181] The combined length of X1 and X2 is sufficiently shorter than the length when the bodies 10, 11, 12, and 13 are lined up in a row to the right in Fig. 12(a) In other words, the gravitational moment acting on the hand 21 based on the weight of the robot arm A is smaller than the length when the bodies 10, 11, 12, and 13 are lined up in a row to the right in Fig. 12(a).

[0182] This means that the load acting on the robot arm A due to the gravitational moment is relatively small when the columnar structure P is gripped only by the first hand 20. Therefore, when performing the series of operations shown in Figs. 8 to 11, the robot arm A is unlikely to fall off the columnar structure P, and the structure allows for stable movement.

[0183] Fig. 12(b) shows, for example, a state corresponding to Fig. 9(c). Similarly, in this case, the distance of the part of the robot arm A extending in the same direction in the radial direction based on the axis P1 of the columnar structure P is within the range of the combined distance of symbols X3 and X4 shown in Fig. 12(b), and the load acting on the robot arm A based on the gravity moment is relatively small.

[0184] [Second embodiment of the present invention] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings to facilitate understanding of the present invention.

[0185] The difference between the second embodiment of the present invention described below and the first embodiment of the present invention described above is that the first embodiment of the present invention uses nine drive units (three body bending / extending joints, two hand opening / closing joints, two body rotating joints, and two hand rotating joints) to change the overall posture of the robot arm, whereas the second embodiment of the present invention uses seven drive units (three body bending / extending joints, two hand opening / closing joints, and two hand rotating joints) to change the overall posture of the robot arm. Details are explained below.

[0186] As shown in FIG. 13, a robot arm B, which is an example of a robot arm to which the present invention is applied, includes a main body portion 100 and a hand portion 6.

[0187] Like robot arm A, robot arm B is a component that constitutes part of an inspection device that autonomously performs maintenance and inspection on columnar structures installed on highways and other locations, and is the part responsible for moving the inspection device.

[0188] The main body 100 is a part that constitutes the main body of the robot arm B. The hand unit 6 is a gripping member that grips a columnar structure.

[0189] Here, the sizes of the main body 100 and the hand unit 6 can be designed appropriately according to the size and shape of the columnar structure to which the robot arm B is attached.

[0190] Moreover, the main body 100 has a body 110, a body 111, a body 112, and a body 113 (see FIGS. 13 and 14).

[0191] Furthermore, the main body 100 has a body bending / extending joint 70, a body bending / extending joint 71, and a body bending / extending joint 72 (see FIGS. 13 and 14).

[0192] Furthermore, the main body 100 has a hand rotary joint 90 and a hand rotary joint 91 (see FIGS. 13 and 14).

[0193] Here, the body bending / extending joint 70 is a connecting member for changing the angle between the body 110 and the body 111. Via this body bending / extending joint 70, the body 110 and the body 111 can be rotated so that the angle between the body 110 and the body 111 becomes a desired angle.

[0194] Further, the body bending / extending joint 71 is a connecting member for changing the angle between the body 110 and the body 112. Via this body bending / extending joint 71, the body 110 and the body 112 can be rotated so that the angle between the body 110 and the body 112 becomes a desired angle.

[0195] Further, the body bending / extending joint 72 is a connecting member for changing the angle between the body 111 and the body 113. Via this body bending / extending joint 72, the body 111 and the body 113 can be rotated so that the angle between the body 111 and the body 113 becomes a desired angle.

[0196] The bodies 110, 111, 112, and 113 referred to here are members corresponding to the first body, the second body, the third body, and the fourth body in the claims of the present application.

[0197] Moreover, the body bending / extending joint 70, the body bending / extending joint 71, and the body bending / extending joint 72 referred to here are members corresponding to the first bending / extending connection part, the second bending / extending connection part, and the third bending / extending connection part in the claims of the present application.

[0198] The hand rotating joint 90 is provided between the body 112 and a hand opening / closing joint 80, which will be described later, and is a member that rotatably connects the first hand 60 and the hand opening / closing joint 80, which will be described later, to the body 112.

[0199] The hand rotating joint 91 is provided between the body 113 and a hand opening / closing joint 81, which will be described later, and is a member that rotatably connects a second hand 61 and the hand opening / closing joint 81, which will be described later, to the body 113.

[0200] The hand rotary joint 90 and the hand rotary joint 91 referred to here are members corresponding to the first hand rotary connection part and the second hand rotary connection part in the claims of the present application.

[0201] 13, the hand unit 6 has a first hand 60 and a second hand 61. The first hand 60 and the second hand 61 are parts that grip the outer peripheral surface of a columnar structure. The first hand 60 and the second hand 61 are configured to be drivable independently of each other via a control device (not shown).

[0202] The first hand 60 and the second hand 61 referred to here are members corresponding to the first hand and the second hand in the claims of the present application.

[0203] The first hand 60 has a first claw portion 600 consisting of two claws and a second claw portion 601 consisting of one claw. The first claw portion 600 and the second claw portion 601 are configured to be openable and closable via a hand opening / closing joint 80 (see FIGS. 13 and 14) attached to the body 112.

[0204] The first claw portion 600 and the second claw portion 601 can be opened and closed to abut or move away from the outer peripheral surface of the columnar structure, switching between a state in which the first hand 60 is gripping the columnar structure and a state in which the first hand 60 is away from the columnar structure.

[0205] The second hand 61 has a first claw portion 610 consisting of one claw and a second claw portion 611 consisting of two claws. The first claw portion 610 and the second claw portion 611 are configured to be openable and closable via a hand opening / closing joint 81 (see FIGS. 13 and 14) attached to the body 113.

[0206] The first claw portion 610 and the second claw portion 611 can be opened and closed to abut or move away from the outer peripheral surface of the columnar structure, switching between a state in which the second hand 61 is gripping the columnar structure and a state in which the second hand 61 is away from the columnar structure.

[0207] When the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure is gripped by the first claw portion 600 and the second claw portion 601, a substantially cylindrical space is formed on the inner circumferential surface of each claw portion. A part of the columnar structure is positioned inside this substantially cylindrical space, and the columnar structure is gripped by the first claw portion 600 and the second claw portion 601.

[0208] Similarly, when the outer circumferential surface of a columnar structure is gripped by the first claw portion 610 and the second claw portion 611, a substantially cylindrical space is formed on the inner circumferential surface of each claw portion. A part of the columnar structure is positioned inside this substantially cylindrical space, and the columnar structure is gripped by the first claw portion 610 and the second claw portion 611.

[0209] It should be noted that the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner circumferential surfaces of the first claw portion 600 and the second claw portion 601, or the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner circumferential surfaces of the first claw portion 610 and the second claw portion 611, corresponds to the approximately cylindrical space in the claims of the present application.

[0210] In addition, the body bending / extending joint 70, body bending / extending joint 71, body bending / extending joint 72, hand rotating joint 90, hand rotating joint 91, hand opening / closing joint 80, and hand opening / closing joint 81 are each controlled in driving via a servo motor (not shown).

[0211] The servo motors that drive these members are connected to a control device (not shown) by wire or wirelessly, so that the rotation angles of the servo motors can be controlled. The control device is a component that corresponds to the drive control unit in the present claims.

[0212] [A structure that maintains the attachment state with only one hand] Next, a structure will be described in which the robot arm B holds the columnar structure with only one hand while moving, and maintains the state in which the robot arm is attached to the columnar structure.

[0213] When the robot arm B moves along the columnar structure P, i.e., when performing lifting and lowering operations, circumferential movement, or horizontal movement, the shape of the main body 1 is changed, and this is combined with the opening and closing operations of the first hand 60 and the second hand 61, allowing the robot arm B to move in the desired direction.

[0214] Furthermore, during various movements, similar to robot arm A, the columnar structure P is grasped with only one hand, while the other hand is in an open position without grasping the columnar structure P, and each part of the main body 100 is deformed so that the other hand is positioned at the target position aligned with the direction of movement.

[0215] In other words, when robot arm B moves, only one of the two hands keeps robot arm B attached to the columnar structure P; in other words, robot arm B maintains its state of clinging to the columnar structure P while supporting its own weight and without falling off.

[0216] At this time, an approximately cylindrical space is formed on the inner surface of each claw of the hand holding the columnar structure, making it possible to maintain the robot arm B attached to the columnar structure P using only one hand.

[0217] Using Figures 15(a) and 15(b), an example will be described in which a columnar structure P having a portion that is approximately parallel to the vertical direction is grasped by only the upper hand of the robot arm B.

[0218] First, as shown in FIG. 15(a), the first hand 60 and the second hand 61 close their respective claws and each grips a columnar structure P, which is an initial state.

[0219] When the columnar structure P is grasped by both the first hand 60 and the second hand 61, the robot arm A can be firmly maintained attached to the columnar structure P because the columnar structure P is grasped via the two hands.

[0220] Furthermore, when the columnar structure P is grasped by both the first hand 60 and the second hand 61, the orientations of the axis T1 of the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner surface of the first hand 60 and the axis T2 of the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner surface of the second hand 61 are approximately parallel to the axis P1 of the columnar structure (more precisely, the axis of the area of ​​the columnar structure grasped by each hand) (see Figure 15(a)).

[0221] From this point, as shown in Figure 15 (b), the second hand 61 located at the lower side is opened and moves away from the columnar structure P, while only the first hand 60 located at the upper side remains closed, so that the columnar structure P is held by only the first hand 60.

[0222] In this state, the weight of the robot arm B is applied to the entire robot arm B, and the weight of the robot arm B causes a part of the robot arm B to tilt obliquely. This also causes the axis T1 of the substantially cylindrical space formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first hand 60 to tilt obliquely. As seen in FIG. 15(b), the direction of the axis T1 is slightly tilted leftward from the vertical direction (the direction of the axis P1).

[0223] In this posture of the first hand 60, due to the oblique posture, the portions of the inner circumferential surface of the first hand 60 indicated by symbols S1 and S2 come into strong contact with the columnar structure P. On the other hand, the portions of the inner circumferential surface of the first hand 60 closer to the hand base (toward the body 112) than the portion indicated by symbol S1 and the portions of the inner circumferential surface of the first hand 60 closer to the hand tip (below symbol S1) than the portion indicated by symbol S2 come into weak contact with the columnar structure P or a gap is formed between them and the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure P.

[0224] In this way, the posture of the first hand 60 is tilted at an angle, and there are areas on the inner surface of the first hand 60 that are in strong contact with the columnar structure P (symbols S1 and S2) and areas that are in weak contact with the columnar structure P or where gaps are formed between the outer surface of the columnar structure P. As a result, the contact pressure on the columnar structure P is balanced, and the first hand 60 is firmly engaged with the columnar structure P.

[0225] That is, even with only one first hand 60, it is possible to maintain the state in which the robot arm B is attached to the columnar structure P. From this state, the robot arm B can be moved by deforming the main body 100 and moving the second hand 61 to a target position aligned with the movement direction.

[0226] The ability to grasp a columnar structure with only one hand is also the same when, as shown in Figure 16(b), a columnar structure P having a part that is approximately parallel to the vertical direction is grasped by only the lower hand of the robot arm B.

[0227] That is, in the initial state in which both the first hand 60 and the second hand 61 are holding the columnar structure P, as in Figure 15(a), the orientations of the axis T1 of the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner surface of the first hand 60 and the axis T2 of the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner surface of the second hand 61 are in a positional relationship that is approximately parallel to the axis P1 of the columnar structure (more precisely, the axis of the area of ​​the columnar structure held by each hand) (see Figure 16(a)).

[0228] From this point, as shown in Figure 16 (b), the first hand 60 located at the upper side is opened, and the first hand 60 moves away from the columnar structure P, while only the second hand 61 located at the lower side remains closed, and the columnar structure P is grasped by only the second hand 61.

[0229] Even in this state, the attitude of the robot arm B is partially tilted obliquely due to its own weight. This also causes the axis T2 of the approximately cylindrical space formed on the inner circumferential surface of the second hand 61 to be tilted obliquely. As seen in FIG. 16(b), the direction of the axis T2 is slightly tilted leftward from the vertical direction (the direction of the axis P1).

[0230] Due to the oblique posture of the second hand 61, the portions of the inner circumferential surface of the second hand 61 indicated by symbols S1 and S2 come into strong contact with the columnar structure P. On the other hand, the portions of the inner circumferential surface of the second hand 61 closer to the hand base (toward the body 113) than the portion indicated by symbol S1 and the portions of the inner circumferential surface of the second hand 61 closer to the hand tip (below symbol S1) than the portion indicated by symbol S2 come into weak contact with the columnar structure P or a gap is formed between them and the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure P.

[0231] In this way, the posture of the second hand 61 is tilted at an angle, and there are areas on the inner surface of the second hand 61 that are in strong contact with the columnar structure P (symbols S1 and S2) and areas that are in weak contact with the columnar structure P or where gaps are formed between the outer surface of the columnar structure P. As a result, the contact pressure on the columnar structure P is balanced, and the second hand 61 is in a state of strong engagement with the columnar structure P.

[0232] That is, in this way, the robot arm B can maintain a state where it is attached to the columnar structure P using only the second hand 61 positioned on the lower side in the vertical direction. From this state, the robot arm B can be moved by deforming the main body 100 and moving the first hand 60 to a target position aligned with the movement direction.

[0233] Furthermore, even when the robot arm B is attached along the horizontally extending shape of the columnar structure P, the robot arm B can be maintained attached to the columnar structure P by grasping the columnar structure P with only one hand of the robot arm B.

[0234] In other words, when attaching and moving the robot arm B to not only a columnar structure P having a shape extending in the vertical direction but also a columnar structure P having a shape extending in the horizontal direction, it is possible to maintain the robot arm B attached to the columnar structure P using only one hand.

[0235] As with the robot arm A, the robot arm B can grasp the columnar structure P with only one hand in the horizontal direction, and therefore a description using drawings will be omitted. Similarly, when the robot arm B moves along the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure P or moves along the columnar structure P having a curved shape, the robot arm B can maintain the attached state with only one hand.

[0236] As described above, when the robot arm B moves, it is possible to hold the columnar structure with only one hand and maintain the state in which the robot arm B is attached to the columnar structure. This allows the robot arm B to move stably without falling off the columnar structure.

[0237] Next, the specific details of the movement by the robot arm B will be described.

[0238] [Lifting operation] 17(a) to 17(d), an example of the lifting and lowering operation of the robot arm B will be described. Here, the movement of the robot arm B rising relative to a columnar structure P having a shape along the vertical direction is shown.

[0239] In the steady state shown in FIG. 17(a), the columnar structure P is gripped by both the first hand 60 and the second hand 61.

[0240] From this point, the second hand 61 is opened via the hand opening / closing joint 81. In addition, in conjunction with this, the bodies 110 and 111 are rotated via the body bending / extending joint 70 so that the angle indicated by the reference symbol R1 becomes 90 degrees (see FIG. 17(b)). Furthermore, the bodies 110 and 112, and the bodies 111 and 113 are rotated via the body bending / extending joint 71 and the body bending / extending joint 72, respectively, so that the angles indicated by the reference symbols R2 and R3 become 135 degrees (see FIG. 17(b)).

[0241] When transforming from the steady state shown in Figure 17(a) to the bent state shown in Figure 17(b), the main body 100 composed of each body shrinks in the vertical direction, and the second hand 61 separated from the columnar structure P moves upward from the height position in Figure 17(a) (in the direction indicated by symbol Z1 in Figure 17(b)).

[0242] 17(c), the second hand 61 is closed via the hand opening / closing joint 81 to grip the columnar structure P with the second hand 61. Furthermore, the first hand 60 is opened via the hand opening / closing joint 80.

[0243] In accordance with this, the bodies 110 and 111 are rotated via the body bending / extending joint 70 so that the angle indicated by the reference symbol R1 becomes 180 degrees (see FIG. 17(c)). Furthermore, the bodies 110 and 112, and the bodies 111 and 113 are rotated via the body bending / extending joint 71 and the body bending / extending joint 72, respectively, so that the angles indicated by the reference symbols R2 and R3 become 90 degrees (see FIG. 17(c)).

[0244] When transforming from the bent state shown in Figure 17(b) to the state shown in Figure 17(c), the main body 100 composed of each body extends along the vertical direction, and the first hand 60, which is separated from the columnar structure P, moves upward (in the direction indicated by symbol Z2 in Figure 17(c)) from the height position in Figures 17(a) and 17(b).

[0245] Then, as shown in Fig. 17(d), the first hand 60 is closed via the hand opening / closing joint 80, and the first hand 60 grasps the columnar structure P. At this point, the shape of the robot arm B returns to the same steady state as in Fig. 17(a).

[0246] Furthermore, through a series of operations, the entire robot arm B moves vertically upward along the columnar structure P. When raising the robot arm B, the operations of Fig. 17(a) to Fig. 17(d) are repeated, whereby the robot arm B can be raised along the longitudinal direction of the columnar structure P.

[0247] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 17(b) and 17(c), when the columnar structure P is grasped with only one hand, as described above, the contact pressure on the inner surface of the one hand is balanced, resulting in a state of strong engagement with the columnar structure P, and the robot arm B can maintain its attachment to the columnar structure P with only one hand.

[0248] In addition, the driving of each of the hand opening / closing joint 80, the hand opening / closing joint 81, the body bending / extending joint 70, the body bending / extending joint 71, and the body bending / extending joint 72 can be controlled via a control device.

[0249] Here, the angle adjusted by the body bending / extending joint 70 does not necessarily have to be limited to 90 degrees and 180 degrees. Also, the angles adjusted by the body bending / extending joint 71 and the body bending / extending joint 72 do not necessarily have to be limited to 135 degrees and 90 degrees. The angles shown here are just an example, and as long as the robot arm B can rise along the longitudinal direction of the columnar structure P, the angle to be adjusted can be set appropriately.

[0250] Although not shown, the robot arm B can move downward relative to the columnar structure P having a shape along the vertical direction by movements similar to those in Figs. 17(a) to 17(d).

[0251] When lowering the robot arm B, from the stationary state, the hand located above (first hand 60 in FIG. 17(a)) is opened and brought into a bent state, and the hand located above is lowered to grasp the columnar structure P. Next, the hand located below (second hand 61 in FIG. 17(a)) is opened, the main body 100 composed of each body is returned to an extended shape, and the hand located below is lowered to grasp the columnar structure P, thereby lowering the robot arm B.

[0252] Although not shown, the robot arm B can move laterally with respect to a columnar structure P having a shape along the horizontal direction by movements similar to those in Figures 17(a) to 17(d). Furthermore, even with respect to a columnar structure P having a curved shape (for example, the structure in Figure 22(e)), the robot arm B can move along a curve by movements similar to those in Figures 17(a) to 17(d).

[0253] [Overcoming obstacles] Next, an obstacle that prevents the movement of the robot arm B is attached to a part of the columnar structure P, and an example of the operation of the robot arm B to overcome this obstacle will be described with reference to Figs.

[0254] Here, the columnar structure P has a mirror M and a mounting fixture M1 for mounting the mirror M. Also, the robot arm B moves upward in the vertical direction along the longitudinal direction of the columnar structure P.

[0255] Before starting the operation, the first hand 60 and the second hand 61 are in a stationary state in which they are gripping the columnar structure P. Here, the robot arm B is positioned below the mounting metal fitting M1. From here, the second hand 61 starts to move upward.

[0256] First, the second hand 61 is opened via the hand opening / closing joint 81, and the columnar structure P is released from the second hand 61 (see FIG. 18(a)).

[0257] Furthermore, the body 110 is rotated relative to the body 111 via the body bending / extending joint 70 so that the angle between the bodies 110 and 111 becomes 90 degrees (see FIGS. 18(b) and 18(c)). At this time, the body 110 is rotated relative to the body 112 via the body bending / extending joint 71 so that the angle between the bodies 110 and 112 becomes 180 degrees.

[0258] In addition, the hand rotary joint 90 is rotated 180 degrees to position the body 111, the body 113 and the second hand 61, which are below the body 110 in the vertical direction, above the body 110 (see Figures 18(c), 18(d) and 18(e)).

[0259] Furthermore, body 110 is rotated relative to body 111 via body bending / extending joint 70 so that the angle between body 110 and body 111 becomes 180 degrees (see Fig. 18(f) and Fig. 19(a)). At this time, body 110 is rotated relative to body 112 via body bending / extending joint 71 so that the angle between body 110 and body 112 becomes 90 degrees.

[0260] Moreover, the second hand 61 is closed via the hand opening / closing joint 81 to grip the columnar structure P with the second hand 61 (see Figs. 19(a) and 19(b)).

[0261] As a result of the operations up to this point, the second hand 61, which was initially located below the first hand 60 as shown in Figure 18(a), moves upward and passes the first hand 60, so that the second hand 61 is positioned above the second hand 60.

[0262] Furthermore, by the operations up to this point, the second hand 61 is positioned above the mounting fixture M1. Moreover, here, the mounting fixture M1 is positioned between the second hand 61 and the first hand 60 in the vertical direction.

[0263] Next, the first hand 60 is moved upward.

[0264] First, the first hand 60 is opened via the hand opening / closing joint 80, and the columnar structure P is released from the first hand 60 (see FIG. 19(b)).

[0265] Furthermore, the body 111 is rotated relative to the body 110 via the body bending / extending joint 70 so that the angle between the bodies 110 and 111 becomes 90 degrees (see FIGS. 19(c) and 19(d)). At this time, the body 111 is rotated relative to the body 113 via the body bending / extending joint 72 so that the angle between the bodies 111 and 113 becomes 180 degrees.

[0266] In addition, the hand rotary joint 91 is rotated 180 degrees to position the body 110, the body 112 and the first hand 60, which are below the body 111 in the vertical direction, above the body 111 (see Figures 19(d), 19(e) and 19(f)).

[0267] Also, the body 111 is rotated relative to the body 110 via the body bending / extending joint 70 so that the angle between the bodies 110 and 111 becomes 180 degrees (see FIGS. 20(a) and 20(b)). At this time, the body 111 is rotated relative to the body 113 via the body bending / extending joint 72 so that the angle between the bodies 111 and 113 becomes 90 degrees.

[0268] Moreover, the first hand 60 is closed via the hand opening / closing joint 80 to grip the columnar structure P with the first hand 60 (see FIG. 20(b)).

[0269] As a result of the operations up to this point, the first hand 60, which was below the second hand 61 in the state shown in Figure 19 (b), moves upward and passes the second hand 61, and the first hand 60 is again positioned above the second hand 61.

[0270] Furthermore, by the operations up to this point, both the first hand 60 and the second hand 61 are positioned above the metal fitting M1. That is, the robot hand B can move upward, climbing over the metal fitting M1.

[0271] By performing the operations shown in Figures 18 to 20, even if an obstacle that prevents the movement of the robot arm B is attached to a part of the columnar structure P, the robot arm B can overcome this obstacle and move further upward.

[0272] Although detailed description is omitted, the robot arm B can move from above to below, climbing over obstacles, by performing operations similar to those shown in Figures 18 to 20. Also, when the robot arm B moves laterally with respect to a columnar structure P having a shape along the horizontal direction, the robot arm B can move laterally, climbing over obstacles, by performing operations similar to those shown in Figures 18 to 20.

[0273] In addition, when performing the series of operations shown in Figures 18 to 20, the shape of the robot arm B is configured to deform so that the distance between the hand that is not holding the columnar structure P and the columnar structure P is minimized.

[0274] For example, specifically, in the state shown in Figure 21(a) (corresponding to the state in Figure 18(c)), in the radial direction based on the axis P1 of the columnar structure P and in the same direction (the direction from the columnar structure P to the right in Figure 21(a)), the members of the part of the robot arm B extending in the same direction are the section from the base of the first hand 60 to the center of the body bending / extending joint 71 and the section from the center of the body bending / extending joint 71 to the end of the body bending / extending joint 70.

[0275] In addition, the distance of the part of the robot arm A extending in the same radial direction based on the axis P1 of the columnar structure P and in the same direction is within the range of the combined distance of symbols X1 and X2 shown in Figure 21(a).

[0276] In addition, the distance indicated by symbol X1 is the distance from the base of the first hand 60 to the center of the body bending / extending joint 71, and the distance indicated by symbol X2 is the distance from the center of the body bending / extending joint 71 to the end of the body bending / extending joint 70.

[0277] The combined length of the distances indicated by symbols X1 and X2 corresponds to, in other words, the arm length of the gravitational moment based on the weight of the robot arm B acting on the hand body 111 located at the farthest position from the columnar structure P.

[0278] The combined length of X1 and X2 is sufficiently shorter than the length when the bodies 110, 111, 112, and 113 are lined up in a row to the right in Fig. 21(a) In other words, the gravitational moment based on the weight of the robot arm B acting on the robot arm B is smaller than the length when the bodies 110, 111, 112, and 113 are lined up in a row to the right in Fig. 21(a).

[0279] This means that the load acting on the robot arm B due to the gravitational moment is relatively small when the columnar structure P is gripped only by the first hand 60. Therefore, when performing the series of operations shown in Figs. 18 to 20, the robot arm B is unlikely to fall off the columnar structure P, and this structure allows for stable movement.

[0280] In addition, Fig. 21(b) shows, for example, a state corresponding to Fig. 18(e). Similarly, in this case, the distance of the part of the robot arm B extending in the same direction in the radial direction based on the axis P1 of the columnar structure P is within the range of the combined distance of symbols X3 and X4 shown in Fig. 21(b), and the load acting on the robot arm B based on the gravity moment is relatively small.

[0281] [Circumference movement] Next, an example of the movement of the robot arm B in the circumferential direction along the outer circumferential surface of the pillar-shaped structure P will be described with reference to Figs. 22(a) to 22(e) and Figs. 23(a) to 23(e).

[0282] The circumferential movement referred to here means that the position of the robot arm B moves in a clockwise direction around the columnar structure P.

[0283] First, in a stationary state (not shown), the columnar structure P is gripped by both the first hand 60 and the second hand 61.

[0284] From this position, the second hand 61 is opened via the hand opening / closing joint 81. In addition, in conjunction with this, the body 110 is rotated relative to the body 111 via the body bending / extending joint 70 so that the angle between the bodies 110 and 111 becomes 90 degrees (see FIGS. 22(a) and 22(b)). At this time, the body 110 is rotated relative to the body 112 via the body bending / extending joint 71 so that the angle between the bodies 110 and 112 becomes 180 degrees.

[0285] Next, the body 112, the body bending / extending joint 71, the body 110, the body bending / extending joint 70, the body 111, the body bending / extending joint 72, the body 113, the hand rotating joint 91, the hand opening / closing joint 81, and the second hand 61 are rotated via the hand rotating joint 90 (see FIGS. 22(b) and 22(c)). This rotational movement raises the height positions of the body 111, the body 113, and the second hand 61 in the vertical direction to a position slightly lower than the height position of the body 110.

[0286] Next, the hand opening / closing joint 81 and the second hand 61 are rotated via the hand rotating joint 91 so that the second hand 61 is oriented so as to grasp the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure P (see Figures 22(c) and 22(d)).

[0287] Furthermore, the body 110 is rotated relative to the body 112 via the body bending / stretching joint 71 so that the angle between the body 110 and the body 112 becomes 90 degrees (see FIGS. 22(d) and 22(e)).

[0288] Then, by closing the second hand 61 via the hand opening / closing joint 81, the second hand 61 comes into a state where it grips the outer circumferential surface of the pillar-shaped structure P (see FIG. 22(e)).

[0289] By carrying out the operations up to FIG. 22(e), the position of the second hand 61 separated from the columnar structure P moves in the clockwise direction in the circumferential direction.

[0290] Next, from the state shown in FIG. 22(e), the first hand 60 is opened via the hand opening / closing joint 80 (see FIG. 23(a)).

[0291] Furthermore, the body 111 is rotated relative to the body 113 via the body bending / stretching joint 72 so that the angle between the body 111 and the body 113 becomes 180 degrees (see FIGS. 23(a) and 23(b)).

[0292] Next, the body 113, the body bending / extending joint 72, the body 111, the body bending / extending joint 70, the body 110, the body bending / extending joint 71, the body 112, the hand rotating joint 90, the hand opening / closing joint 80, and the first hand 60 are rotated via the hand rotating joint 91 (see FIGS. 23(b) and 23(c)). This rotational movement causes the height positions of the body 110, the body 112, and the first hand 60 to drop vertically to positions lower than the height position of the body 111.

[0293] Next, the hand opening / closing joint 80 and the first hand 60 are rotated via the hand rotating joint 90 so that the first hand 60 is oriented so as to grasp the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure P (see Figures 23(c) and 23(d)).

[0294] Furthermore, the body 111 is rotated relative to the body 110 via the body bending / extending joint 70 so that the angle between the bodies 110 and 111 becomes 180 degrees (see Figs. 23(d) and 23(e)). At this time, the body 111 is rotated relative to the body 113 via the body bending / extending joint 72 so that the angle between the bodies 111 and 113 becomes 90 degrees.

[0295] Then, although not shown, by closing the first hand 60 via the hand opening / closing joint 80, the first hand 60 comes into a state where it grips the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure P.

[0296] By performing the above operations, the position of the first hand 60, which has moved away from the columnar structure P, moves in the clockwise direction in the circumferential direction. And the position of the robot arm B moves in the clockwise direction around the columnar structure P.

[0297] Moreover, when moving the robot arm B further in the clockwise direction along the circumferential direction, the operations of Figs. 22(a) to 23(e) can be repeated to move the robot arm B in the traveling direction.

[0298] In addition, the driving of each of the hand opening / closing joint 80, hand opening / closing joint 81, hand rotating joint 90, hand rotating joint 91, body bending / extending joint 70, body bending / extending joint 71 and body bending / extending joint 72 can be controlled via a control device.

[0299] Here, the angles adjusted by the body bending / extending joint 70, the body bending / extending joint 71, and the body bending / extending joint 72 do not necessarily have to be limited to 90 degrees or 180 degrees. Also, the angles adjusted by the hand rotating joint 80 and the hand rotating joint 81 do not necessarily have to be limited to the above. The angles shown here are just an example, and as long as the robot arm B can move along the circumferential direction of the columnar structure P, the angles to be adjusted can be set appropriately.

[0300] In addition, although not shown in the figures, it is also possible to perform circumferential movement in which the position of the robot arm B moves counterclockwise around the columnar structure P by movements similar to those shown in Figures 22(a) to 23(e).

[0301] In this manner, the robot arm B can move along the outer circumferential surface of the pillar-shaped structure P in the circumferential direction.

[0302] With this, for example, if a large structure (obstacle that impedes movement) such as a sign or a mirror is installed on part of the columnar structure P, the robot arm B can be moved to a position free of the obstacle in the circumferential direction of the columnar structure P to avoid the obstacle. Also, it becomes possible to move the robot arm B in the circumferential direction and perform the lifting and lowering operation again along the longitudinal direction of the columnar structure P.

[0303] As described above, the robot arm and the method of driving the robot arm of the present invention allow a robot arm that moves along a pillar-shaped structure such as a lighting pole or a sign pole to move stably with a high degree of freedom along the target structure and is less susceptible to problems such as falling off. [Explanation of symbols]

[0304] A Robot Arm P columnar structure 1 Main unit 10. Body 11. Body 12. Body 13. Body 2 Hand section 20 1st Hand 200 (pair) first claw 201 (pair of) second claws 21 2nd Hand 210 (pair of) first claws 211 (pair of) second claws 30 Body bending joint 31 Body bending joint 32 Body bending joint 40 Hand opening and closing joint 41 Hand opening and closing joint 50 Body Rotation Joint 51 Body rotation joint 52 Hand rotation joint 53 Hand rotation joint B Robot arm P columnar structure 100 Main body 110 Body 111 Body 112 Body 113 Body 6 Hand section 60 1st Hand 600 1st claw part 601 2nd claw part 61 2nd Hand 610 1st claw part 611 2nd claw part 70 Body bending joint 71 Body bending joint 72 Body bending joint 80 Hand opening and closing joint 81 Hand opening and closing joint 90 Hand rotation joint 91 Hand rotation joint

Claims

1. A robot arm that moves along a predetermined structure having at least a portion formed in a columnar shape, A first body; a second body connected to one end of the first body via a first bending / extending connection part that changes an angle formed with the first body; a third body connected to the other end side of the first body via a second bending / extending connection part that changes an angle formed with the first body; a fourth body connected to one end of the second body via a third bending / extending connection part that changes an angle formed with the second body; a first hand supported by the third body and capable of gripping an outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure; a first hand opening / closing connection part attached to the first hand and adapted to open and close the first hand; a first hand rotation connection portion disposed between the first hand opening / closing connection portion and the third body, the first hand and the first hand opening / closing connection portion being rotatably connected to the third body; a second hand supported by the fourth body and capable of gripping an outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure; a second hand opening / closing connector attached to the second hand and configured to open and close the second hand; and a second hand rotation connection portion disposed between the second hand opening / closing connection portion and the fourth body, the second hand and the second hand opening / closing connection portion being rotatably connected to the fourth body. Robot arm.

2. When the first hand and the second hand grip the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure, inner circumferential surfaces of the first hand and the second hand form a substantially cylindrical space, and a part of the inner circumferential surface abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure, when the outer peripheral surface of the predetermined structure is gripped by only the first hand, an axis of a substantially cylindrical space on the inner peripheral surface of the first hand is inclined relative to an axis of a region of the predetermined structure gripped by the first hand, When the outer peripheral surface of the predetermined structure is gripped only by the second hand, the axis of a substantially cylindrical space on the inner peripheral surface of the second hand is inclined relative to the axis of the region of the predetermined structure gripped by the second hand.

2. The robot arm of claim 1.

3. a drive control unit that controls driving of the first bending / extending connection unit, the second bending / extending connection unit, the third bending / extending connection unit, the first hand opening / closing connection unit, the first hand rotation connection unit, the second hand opening / closing connection unit, and the second hand rotation connection unit.

3. A robot arm according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The overall posture is changed by driving seven members, namely, the first bending / extending connection part, the second bending / extending connection part, the third bending / extending connection part, the first hand opening / closing connection part, the first hand rotation connection part, the second hand opening / closing connection part, and the second hand rotation connection part.

3. A robot arm according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The opening and closing operation of the first hand by the first hand opening and closing connection part and the opening and closing operation of the second hand by the second hand opening and closing connection part, the rotation operation by the first hand rotation connection part and the second hand rotation connection part, and the angle adjustment by the first bending and extending connection part, the second bending and extending connection part, and the third bending and extending connection part are linked to be movable along the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure.

3. A robot arm according to claim 1 or 2.

6. a portion from a base of the first hand to the second bending / extending connection portion and a portion from the second bending / extending portion to the first bending / extending portion are extended in a radial direction based on an axis of the predetermined structure and toward the same direction, the second hand passes over the first hand gripping an outer peripheral surface of the predetermined structure; or The first hand is configured to move over the second hand gripping the outer peripheral surface of the predetermined structure in a radial direction based on the axis of the predetermined structure and in the same direction, with a portion from the base of the second hand to the third bending and stretching connection portion and a portion from the third bending and stretching portion to the first bending and stretching portion extending out.

3. A robot arm according to claim 1 or 2.

7. a first body rotation connection portion provided between the first body and the second bending and extending connection portion, the first body being configured to rotatably connect the third body and the second bending and extending connection portion to the first body; a second body rotation connection portion provided between the second body and the third bending and extending connection portion and rotatably connecting the fourth body and the third bending and extending connection portion to the second body; 3. A robot arm according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The opening and closing operation of the first hand by the first hand opening and closing connection part and the opening and closing operation of the second hand by the second hand opening and closing connection part are linked with the rotation operations by the first hand rotation connection part, the first body rotation connection part, the second hand rotation connection part, and the second body rotation connection part, so that the movable member can move along the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure.

8. A robotic arm as claimed in claim 7.

9. a portion of the first hand from a base portion to the second bending / extending connection portion and a portion of the first bending / extending portion to the third bending / extending portion are extended in a radial direction based on an axis of the predetermined structure and toward the same direction, the second hand passes over the first hand gripping an outer peripheral surface of the predetermined structure; or The first hand is configured to move over the second hand gripping the outer peripheral surface of the predetermined structure in a radial direction based on the axis of the predetermined structure and toward the same direction, with a portion from the base of the second hand to the third bending / extending connection portion and a portion from the first bending / extending portion to the second bending / extending portion extending out.

8. A robotic arm as claimed in claim 7.

10. The first hand and the second hand each have a pair of first claws and a pair of second claws that are substantially parallel to the pair of first claws and spaced apart from the pair of first claws.

8. A robotic arm as claimed in claim 7.

11. A method for driving a robot arm that moves the robot arm along a predetermined structure having at least a portion formed in a columnar shape, comprising the steps of: The robot arm is moved by gripping the outer peripheral surface of the predetermined structure with at least one of a first hand and a second hand formed at an end of the robot arm and configured to be openable and closable, and changing the angles of the bodies via four bodies constituting the robot arm and three bending and extending parts that adjust the angles between the bodies. How to drive a robot arm.

12. tilting an axis of a substantially cylindrical space formed on an inner circumferential surface of the first hand with respect to an axis of a region of the predetermined structure grasped by the first hand, thereby grasping an outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure with only the first hand, thereby supporting a state in which the robot arm is attached to the predetermined structure; or By tilting the axis of a substantially cylindrical space formed on the inner circumferential surface of the second hand with respect to the axis of a region of the predetermined structure that is grasped by the second hand, the outer circumferential surface of the predetermined structure is grasped only by the second hand, thereby supporting a state in which the robot arm is attached to the predetermined structure. The method for driving a robot arm according to claim 11.

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