System, robot-mounted moving device and program used for controlling operation of robot-mounted moving device

Abstract

To provide a system performing work using a movable robot which improves working efficiency.SOLUTION: A system 1 includes a robot-mounted moving device 11, a storage part 12, and a control device 13. The control device 13 determines whether the robot-mounted moving device 11 can hold an insufficient end effector on the basis of status information, when determining that the robot-mounted moving device 11 does not hold at least one of end effectors required for work, allows the robot-mounted moving device 11 to perform preparation work of moving to the storage part 12 before performing the work, when determining that it can hold the end effector, and allows the robot-mounted moving device 11 to perform work based on work information, after the robot-mounted moving device 11 holds the insufficient end effectors stored in the storage part 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system comprising a robot-mounted moving device capable of moving relative to an object, a storage unit housing an end effector that can be held by the robot-mounted moving device, and a control device that controls the operation of the robot-mounted moving device, a robot-mounted moving device used in the system, and a program used to control the operation of the robot-mounted moving device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a production system that uses a robot or an automated guided vehicle to produce an object. In this production system, for example, a plurality of machine tools are appropriately arranged in a factory, and the automated guided vehicle transports unmachined workpieces, tools, etc. to each machine tool. The automated guided vehicle also collects the workpieces machined by each machine tool and the used tools, etc. Such a production system is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1.

[0003] The production system of Patent Document 1 uses a traveling robot that can move on a traveling path. On one side of the traveling path, multiple material supply pallets with assembly works placed on each are arranged. The traveling robot moves in front of each material supply pallet in sequence and picks up an assembly work from each material supply pallet. When picking up an assembly work, the traveling robot replaces the gripping hand currently attached to the robot with a gripping hand corresponding to the shape of the assembly work. The replacement gripping hand is placed on a gripping hand stand provided on the traveling robot. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-46882 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Generally, when a mobile robot needs to replace its gripping hand, it moves to a hand station that houses multiple types of replacement gripping hands and replaces the gripping hand. In this case, the mobile robot needs to move to the hand station every time it needs to replace the gripping hand. In contrast, in the production system of Patent Document 1, the mobile robot is provided with a replacement gripping hand. Therefore, the mobile robot does not need to move to the hand station and replace the hand every time the type of workpiece to be picked changes. This improves work efficiency.

[0006] However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose how to prepare a replacement gripping hand on the gripping hand stand. In addition, Patent Document 1 does not disclose whether the mobile robot can perform all the work with the gripping hands provided on the gripping hand stand. For example, it is assumed that after the mobile robot uses some gripping hands to take out an assembly work from a material supply pallet, it does not prepare a gripping hand corresponding to the next assembly work to be taken out from the material supply pallet. Such a situation is likely to occur when there are many types of gripping hands used by the mobile robot during work or when the work content is changed. In this case, the mobile robot needs to interrupt the work and go to a hand station or the like to take the necessary gripping hand. As a result, the work efficiency may decrease.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to improve the work efficiency in a system that uses a mobile robot to perform work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The system of the present invention comprises: a robot-mounted mobile device having a robot having a mounting section to which an end effector is attached, and a mobile vehicle having one or more loading sections on which the robot is mounted and capable of loading the end effector attached to the mounting section, and capable of moving to a work position set with respect to an object; a storage section that stores a plurality of types of end effectors that can be attached to the mounting section; A control device for controlling the operation of the robot-mounted moving device, The control device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires task information including information on a task to be performed by the robot-mounted mobile device and information on the type of end effector required to perform the task, and status information including information on the type of end effector attached to the mounting unit and information on the type of end effector loaded on the loading unit; a discrimination processing unit that discriminates whether the robot-mounted moving device holds all types of end effectors required for the task based on the task information and the status information acquired by the acquisition unit; and an operation control unit that controls an operation of the robot-mounted moving device based on a result of the discrimination by the discrimination processing unit, The operation control unit is When the discrimination processing unit determines that the robot-mounted mobile device has all the types of end effectors required for the task, the discrimination processing unit causes the robot-mounted mobile device to execute the task based on the task information, On the other hand, when it is determined in the discrimination processing section that the robot-mounted mobile device does not hold at least one of the end effectors required for the work, the discrimination processing section determines whether the robot-mounted mobile device can hold the missing end effector based on the state information, and when it is determined that the end effector can be held, Before performing the work, a preparatory operation is performed to move the robot-mounted mobile device to the storage unit, and after the robot-mounted mobile device holds the missing end effector stored in the storage unit, the robot-mounted mobile device is caused to perform a work based on the work information (first aspect).

[0009] In the system of the first aspect, the control device acquires work information and status information before the robot-mounted mobile device executes a task. The work information includes information on the type of end effector required for the task, and the status information includes information on the type of end effector currently held by the robot-mounted mobile device. The robot-mounted mobile device holds an end effector, which is a general term for a mode in which the end effector is attached only to the mounting unit, a mode in which the end effector is loaded only on one or more loading units, and a mode in which the end effector is attached and loaded on both the mounting unit and one or more loading units. The control device determines whether the robot-mounted mobile device currently holds an end effector required for executing a task based on the work information and status information. If the end effector required for the task is insufficient, the control device moves the robot-mounted mobile device to a storage unit. The control device causes the robot-mounted mobile device to start a task after the robot-mounted mobile device holds the missing end effector. That is, in this system, the robot-mounted mobile device prepares an end effector required for the task before executing the task. Therefore, the robot-mounted mobile device can replace the end effector on the robot-mounted mobile device without having to move to a storage unit to replace the end effector during work. Therefore, the above system can improve work efficiency.

[0010] In the system of the first aspect, the status information further includes information on the type of end effector that can be held by the robot-mounted mobile device, and when the discrimination processing unit determines that the robot-mounted mobile device does not hold at least one of the end effectors required for the work, the operation control unit determines the number of available mounting units and loading units, and whether the available mounting units or loading units correspond to the missing end effector, based on the status information, and when it is determined that an available mounting unit or loading unit is available and that the available mounting unit or loading unit corresponds to the missing end effector, a mode (second aspect) can be adopted in which the operation control unit is configured to execute the preparatory work.

[0011] In the system of the second aspect, the available mounting section or loading section corresponds to the missing end effector. Therefore, for example, when the robot-mounted moving device is moving, the end effector is unlikely to shift from the attachment position in the mounting section or the loading position in the loading section. Therefore, the robot-mounted moving device can easily transport the end effector. Also, when the robot replaces the end effector, it is easy for the robot to attach the end effector loaded on the loading section to the mounting section. Therefore, according to the system of the second aspect, it is possible to further improve the work efficiency.

[0012] In the system of the first or second aspect, the operation control unit can adopt an aspect (third aspect) in which, when the discrimination processing unit determines that the robot-mounted moving device does not hold at least one of the end effectors required for the task, the operation control unit determines whether the robot-mounted moving device can hold the missing end effector based on the status information, and if it is determined that the robot-mounted moving device cannot hold the missing end effector, moves the robot-mounted moving device to the storage unit after having caused the robot-mounted moving device to perform at least part of the task based on the task information and before the task requiring the missing end effector, and has the robot-mounted moving device hold the missing end effector stored in the storage unit and then have the robot-mounted moving device perform the task requiring the missing end effector.

[0013] In the system of the third aspect, when the robot-mounted mobile device cannot hold the missing end effector, it moves to the storage section to hold the missing end effector during the execution of the work. Here, the robot-mounted mobile device cannot hold the missing end effector means, for example, a state in which another end effector is already attached to the mounting section and other end effectors are loaded on all the loading sections, or a state in which there is space in the loading section but the loading section does not correspond to the missing end effector. In other words, the robot-mounted mobile device cannot hold the missing end effector means that the robot-mounted mobile device has no place to hold the end effector, and does not mean that the robot-mounted mobile device cannot work using the end effector. The missing end effector that is determined to be unable to be held can be attached to the mounting section of the robot and used for the work. Such a situation can occur, for example, when there are many types of end effectors required for the work. In the system of the third aspect, even if such a situation occurs, the robot-mounted mobile device can hold the missing end effector and continue the work. Therefore, the system of the third aspect can perform a task that requires many types of end effectors. Also, the system can perform a task even with a robot-mounted mobile device that can hold a small number of end effectors (for example, a small robot-mounted mobile device).

[0014] In the system of the first or second aspect, the one or more loading sections may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the end effector that can be loaded onto the loading section (fourth aspect).

[0015] In the system of the fourth aspect, the shape of the loading section corresponds to the shape of the end effector. Therefore, according to the system of the fourth aspect, the end effector is less likely to shift from the loading position on the loading section. Therefore, the transport performance of the end effector by the robot-mounted moving device is improved.

[0016] In the system of the first or second aspect, a fifth aspect can be adopted in which the one or more loading sections have a fixing mechanism for fixing the end effector that can be loaded onto the loading section.

[0017] In the system of the fifth aspect, the shape of the loading section has a fixing mechanism. Therefore, according to the system of the fifth aspect, the end effector is less likely to shift from the loading position on the loading section. Therefore, the transport performance of the end effector by the robot-mounted moving device is improved.

[0018] In the system of the first or second aspect, a sixth aspect (sixth aspect) can be adopted in which the work information is information describing the work content to be executed by the robot-mounted mobile device.

[0019] According to the system of the sixth aspect, the control device can grasp the work content to be executed by the robot-mounted moving device.

[0020] In the system of the first or second aspect, a seventh aspect can be adopted in which the storage unit is provided in a range that includes the work position, but outside the operating range of the robot-mounted mobile device when the robot-mounted mobile device performs work on the object.

[0021] In the system of the seventh aspect, the storage unit is located at a predetermined distance or more away from the object on which the robot-mounted mobile device performs the work. Therefore, the robot-mounted mobile device cannot hold (e.g., go to retrieve) the missing end effectors stored in the storage unit while remaining at the work position on a certain object. Therefore, it takes a certain amount of time for the robot-mounted mobile device to move to the storage unit to hold the missing end effectors. However, in the system of the seventh aspect, the robot-mounted mobile device performs a preparatory work of holding the required end effectors in advance before performing the work. Therefore, according to this system, even if the storage unit is provided at a certain distance from the object, the robot-mounted mobile device does not need to move to the storage unit, improving the work efficiency.

[0022] The present invention also provides a robot having a mounting portion to which an end effector is attached, a mobile vehicle that carries the robot and has one or more loading units capable of loading an end effector attached to the mounting unit, and that is movable to a work position set with respect to an object; A control device for controlling the operation of the robot and the operation of the vehicle, The control device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires task information including information on a task to be performed and information on a type of end effector required to perform the task, and status information including information on the type of end effector attached to the mounting unit and information on the type of end effector loaded on the loading unit; a determination processing unit that determines whether all types of end effectors required for the task are held based on the task information and the status information acquired by the acquisition unit; an operation control unit that controls an operation of the robot and an operation of the vehicle based on a result of the discrimination by the discrimination processing unit, The operation control unit is When it is determined in the discrimination processing unit that all types of end effectors required for the task are held, the task is executed based on the task information. On the other hand, when it is determined in the discrimination processing unit that at least one of the end effectors required for the work is not held, it is determined whether or not the missing end effector can be held based on the state information, and when it is determined that the missing end effector can be held, The present invention relates to a robot-mounted mobile device that is configured to perform a preparatory task of moving the mobile vehicle to a storage unit in which a missing end effector is stored before performing the task, and then to perform a task based on the task information after retaining the missing end effector stored in the storage unit.

[0023] The present invention also provides a program used in a control device for controlling an operation of a robot-mounted mobile device including a robot having a mounting section to which an end effector is mounted, and a mobile vehicle that mounts the robot, has one or more loading sections capable of loading an end effector attached to the mounting section, and is movable to a work position set with respect to an object, the program comprising: Computer, an acquisition unit that acquires task information including information on a task to be performed by the robot-mounted mobile device and information on the type of end effector required to perform the task, and status information including information on the type of end effector attached to the mounting unit and information on the type of end effector loaded on the loading unit; a discrimination processing unit that discriminates whether the robot-mounted moving device holds all types of end effectors required for the task based on the task information and the status information acquired by the acquisition unit; a program for causing the robot to function as an operation control unit that controls an operation of the robot-mounted moving device based on a result of the discrimination by the discrimination processing unit, The operation control unit is When the discrimination processing unit determines that the robot-mounted mobile device has all the types of end effectors required for the task, the discrimination processing unit causes the robot-mounted mobile device to execute the task based on the task information, On the other hand, when it is determined in the discrimination processing unit that the robot-mounted mobile device does not hold at least one of the end effectors required for the work, the discrimination processing unit determines whether the robot-mounted mobile device can hold the missing end effector based on the state information, and when it is determined that the robot-mounted mobile device can hold the missing end effector, The program involves performing preparatory work of moving the robot-mounted mobile device to a storage unit in which the missing end effector is stored before performing the work, and having the robot-mounted mobile device hold the missing end effector stored in the storage unit and then having the robot-mounted mobile device perform work based on the work information. Effect of the Invention

[0024] As described above, according to the system of the present invention, in a system that uses a mobile robot to perform work, it is possible to improve work efficiency. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the robot-mounted moving device of the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a top view of the robot-mounted moving device of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the control device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of work information acquired by the control device of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of state information acquired by the control device of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the process of the control device of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram of communication between the management device and the control device in a case where the robot-mounted mobile device of the first embodiment holds all types of end effectors necessary for a task. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram of communication between the management device and the control device when the robot-mounted mobile device of the first embodiment does not hold at least one of all types of end effectors required for the work and is capable of holding the missing end effector. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of the control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the process of the control device of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic overall configuration of a system according to a first embodiment. The system 1 is a production system that automatically transports and processes materials in a factory to finish them into products. The system 1 includes a robot-mounted moving device 11, a storage unit 12 that stores end effectors for replacement of the robot-mounted moving device 11, and a control device 13 that controls the operation of the robot-mounted moving device 11. The system 1 further includes a material stocker 14 that stores materials before processing, a machine tool 15 that processes the materials, and a product stocker 16 that stores products after processing, as objects set as destinations of the robot-mounted moving device 11. The system 1 further includes a management device 17 that manages the work of the robot-mounted moving device 11 and the machine tool 15.

[0028] The management device 17, the control device 13, the robot-mounted moving device 11, and the machine tool 15 are connected to each other via a network 10 such as the Internet. The management device 17 issues work instructions to the control device 13 and the machine tool 15 via the network 10. The control device 13 controls the operation of the robot-mounted moving device 11 based on the work instructions from the management device 17. The robot-mounted moving device 11 can move to work positions set for each of the storage unit 12, the material stocker 14, the machine tool 15, and the product stocker 16 based on instructions from the control device 13. The robot-mounted moving device 11 performs work at each of the work positions of the storage unit 12, the material stocker 14, the machine tool 15, and the product stocker 16 based on instructions from the control device 13. The machine tool 15 processes the material into a product based on the work instructions from the management device 17. The machine tool 15 is a known machine tool equipped with a communication function to connect to the network 10, such as an NC lathe or a machining center. The material stocker 14 and the product stocker 16 are disposed near the machine tool 15 .

[0029] The storage unit 12 is disposed at a position at a predetermined distance or more from the object, i.e., the material stocker 14, the product stocker 16, and the machine tool 15. More specifically, the storage unit 12 is provided outside the operating range of the robot-mounted moving device 11 in the work performed by the robot-mounted moving device 11 on a certain object. For example, the robot-mounted moving device 11 performs the work of attaching the jaw of the machine tool 15 and the work of attaching a material on the machine tool 15. The working positions of the robot-mounted moving device 11 may differ in these two works. The operating range of the robot-mounted moving device 11 is the range between the working position in the work of attaching the jaw and the working position in the work of attaching the material. In other words, the operating range of the robot-mounted moving device 11 corresponds to the moving range of the robot-mounted moving device 11 from the start to the end of the work on a certain object. In other words, the storage unit 12 is disposed at a position where the end effector stored in the storage unit 12 cannot be held unless the robot-mounted moving device 11 moves from the working position where the robot-mounted moving device 11 performs the work on a certain object.

[0030] 2 is a right side view of the robot-mounted mobile device of the first embodiment. The robot-mounted mobile device 11 includes a robot 111, a mobile vehicle 112 on which the robot 111 is mounted, and a battery 113 that supplies power to the robot 111, the mobile vehicle 112, and the control device 13.

[0031] The robot 111 includes three arms: a first arm 1111 which is a manipulator unit, a second arm 1112 provided at the tip of the first arm 1111, and a third arm 1113 provided at the tip of the second arm 1112. The robot 111 is a multi-joint robot in which the first arm 1111, the second arm 1112, and the third arm 1113 are connected by joints so as to be connected in series. A mounting unit 1114 to which an end effector E1 is attached is provided at the tip of the third arm 1113. The mounting unit 1114 includes a support shaft 1115 and a support bar 1116. The end effector E1 is attached to the mounting unit 1114 by being attached to the support shaft 1115. The support bar 1116 is attached to the tip of the support shaft 1115. A camera 1117 is attached to the support bar 1116. The robot 111 moves the end effector E1 and the camera 1117 in three-dimensional space under the control of the control device 13. However, the structure of the robot 111 is not limited to such an articulated type, and any known structure that can be used may be adopted.

[0032] The control device 13 and the battery 113 are placed inside the vehicle 112. The control device 13 is composed of a computer including a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. The control device 13 receives instructions from the management device 17 via the network and executes a computer program stored in a recording medium, thereby achieving control of the robot 111 and the vehicle 112. The same is true for the management device 17.

[0033] 3 is a top view of the robot-mounted moving device of the first embodiment. The moving vehicle 112 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. The robot 111 is mounted on an upper surface 1121 of the moving vehicle 112. The moving vehicle 112 includes pallets 1122, 1123 provided on the upper surface 1121. The pallets 1122, 1123 store materials W1 and products W2 depending on the work content of the robot-mounted moving device 11. The moving vehicle 112 further includes a plurality of loading units 1124, 1125, 1126 provided on the upper surface 1121. The plurality of loading units 1124-1126 and the pallets 1122, 1123 are provided within the movable range of the robot 111.

[0034] Each of the multiple loading units 1124-1126 is capable of loading an end effector E attached to the mounting unit 1114 of the robot 111. The type of end effector that can be loaded on each of the multiple loading units 1124-1126 is not particularly limited. For example, each of the multiple loading units 1124-1126 may be capable of loading a different type of end effector, or may be capable of loading the same type of end effector. Some of the multiple loading units 1124-1126 may be capable of loading a different type of end effector than the other loading units. Furthermore, the number of loading units may be multiple or may be one.

[0035] Each of the multiple loading units 1124-1126 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the end effector to be loaded. The manner in which the multiple loading units 1124-1126 load the end effector is not particularly limited. For example, the multiple loading units 1124-1126 may include a fixing mechanism for fixing the end effector to be loaded. The multiple loading units 1124-1126 may have a concave shape to accommodate the end effector to be loaded. In short, the multiple loading units 1124-1126 only need to have a shape that maintains the loading position of the end effector so that the robot 111 can grasp and replace the end effector during the operation of the robot-mounted moving device 11.

[0036] The mobile vehicle 112 is equipped with a sensor (not shown) (for example, a distance measuring sensor using laser light) capable of recognizing its own position within the factory. The mobile vehicle 112 is configured to be able to travel without tracks within the factory including the area where the machine tool 15 is placed under the control of the control device 13. The mobile vehicle 112 is configured to be able to move to each of the work positions set for each of the machine tool 15, the material stocker 14, and the product stocker 16.

[0037] 4 is a functional block diagram of the control device of the first embodiment. The control device 13 includes an acquisition unit 131, a discrimination processing unit 132, an operation control unit 133, a storage unit 134, and a transmission unit 135.

[0038] The acquisition unit 131 acquires work information. The work information is input from the management device 17 to the control device 13. When the acquisition unit 131 acquires the work information, it stores it in the storage unit 134 and notifies the discrimination processing unit 132 of that fact. The work information includes information on the work to be executed by the robot-mounted mobile device 11 and information on the type of end effector required to execute the work.

[0039] 5 is an explanatory diagram of the work information acquired by the control device of the first embodiment. The work information includes three jobs AC as instructions to the robot-mounted moving device 11. Job A is an instruction to the robot-mounted moving device 11 to take out the material W1 from the material stocker 14 and load it on the pallets 1122, 1123. Specifically, job A describes instruction A1 to move the robot-mounted moving device 11 to the material stocker 14, instruction A2 to take out the material W1 from the material stocker 14, and instruction A3 to load the taken-out material W1 on the pallets 1122, 1123. Job A also describes a material end effector E1 used by the robot 111 to grip the material W1.

[0040] Job B is an instruction for making the robot-mounted moving device 11 and the machine tool 15 process the material W1 into the product W2. Specifically, job B describes an instruction B1 for moving the robot-mounted moving device 11 to the machine tool 15, an instruction B2 for attaching a jaw to the machine tool 15, an instruction B3 for attaching the material W1 to the machine tool 15, an instruction B4 for removing the processed product W2 from the machine tool 15, an instruction B5 for loading the removed product W2 on pallets 1122 and 1123, and an instruction B31 for making the machine tool 15 process the material W1 into the product W2. Also described in job B are the material end effector E1, the jaw end effectors E21 and E22 used by the robot-mounted moving device 11 to grip the jaws used by the machine tool 15 to grip the material W1 during processing, and the product end effector E3 used by the robot-mounted moving device 11 to grip the product W2.

[0041] Job C is an instruction to the robot-mounted moving device 11 to store the processed product W2 in the product stocker 16. Specifically, job C describes an instruction C1 to the robot-mounted moving device 11 to move to the product stocker 16, an instruction C2 to take out the product W2 from the pallets 1122, 1123, and an instruction C3 to store the taken-out product W2 in the product stocker 16. Job C also describes a product end effector E3 that the robot 111 uses to grip the product W2.

[0042] In this way, by the acquisition unit 131 acquiring the work information, the control device 13 can grasp the work to be executed by the robot-mounted moving device 11 and the type of end effector required to execute the work.

[0043] 4, the acquisition unit 131 acquires status information. The status information is input from the management device 17 periodically or irregularly and is stored in the memory unit 134. When the acquisition unit 131 receives work information, it acquires the status information from the memory unit 134. However, the acquisition unit 131 may acquire the status information before acquiring the work information. The status information includes information on the type of end effector attached to the mounting unit 1114 and information on the type of end effector loaded on the loading units 1124-1126.

[0044] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the state information acquired by the control device of the first embodiment. The state information describes whether or not an end effector is attached to the mounting unit 1114. If an end effector is attached to the mounting unit 1114, the state information describes the type of the attached end effector. Here, as an example, it is assumed that the mounting unit 1114 describes the material end effector E1. Also, the state information describes whether or not an end effector is loaded on each of the multiple loading units 1124-1126. If there is a loading unit on which an end effector is loaded, the state information describes the type of the loaded end effector. Here, as an example, it is assumed that the jaw end effector E21 is attached to the loading unit 1124, the jaw end effector E22 is attached to the loading unit 1125, and no end effector is attached to the loading unit 1126.

[0045] The state information also describes the type of end effector that can be attached to the mounting unit 1114 and the type of end effector that can be loaded on each of the multiple loading units 1124-1126. Here, as an example, it is assumed that the material end effector E1 can be attached to the mounting unit 1114. It is assumed that the loading unit 1124 can load the jaw end effector E21, the loading unit 1125 can load the jaw end effector E22, and the loading unit 1126 can load the product end effector E3.

[0046] The status information is updated every time the control device 13 transmits an instruction to the robot-mounted moving device 11. For example, assume that the control device 13 instructs the robot-mounted moving device 11 to load the product end effector E3 on the loading section 1126. In this case, the description of the loading section 1126 in the status information is rewritten from "no end effector loaded" to "the product end effector E3 loaded." That is, the status information is updated based on the content of the instruction given by the control device 13 to the robot-mounted moving device 11. The updated status information is stored in the storage section 134 and transmitted to the management device 17 periodically or irregularly.

[0047] However, the update of the status information is not limited to the above. The status information may be updated by transmitting update information from the robot-mounted moving device 11 to the management device 17 via the network 10. For example, the robot-mounted moving device 11 may include a sensor that detects the type of end effector attached to the mounting unit 1114 and the type of end effectors loaded on the multiple loading units 1124-1126. The robot-mounted moving device 11 transmits the detection results of the sensor to the management device 17 periodically or irregularly. The management device 17 updates the status information based on the received detection results.

[0048] In this way, by the acquiring unit 131 acquiring the status information, the control device 13 can grasp the end effector held by the robot-mounted moving device 11, i.e., the type of end effector mounted on the mounting unit 1114 and the type of end effector loaded on the loading units 1124-1126. Upon acquiring the status information and the above-mentioned work information, the acquiring unit 131 notifies the discrimination processing unit 132 accordingly.

[0049] 4, when the discrimination processing unit 132 receives a notification from the acquisition unit 131, it discriminates whether the robot-mounted moving device 11 holds all types of end effectors necessary for the work based on the work information and state information stored in the storage unit 134. In the first embodiment, the work information describes that the material end effector E1, the jaw end effectors E21 and E22, and the product end effector E3 are necessary. If the state information describes that the robot-mounted moving device 11 holds all of these end effectors E1, E21, E22, and E3, the discrimination processing unit 132 judges that the robot-mounted moving device 11 holds all types of end effectors necessary for the work. The discrimination processing unit 132 saves the discrimination result in the storage unit 134 and notifies the operation control unit 133 of the same.

[0050] On the other hand, if the state information contains a description that the robot-mounted moving device 11 does not hold at least one of these end effectors E1, E21, E22, E3, the discrimination processing unit 132 judges that the robot-mounted moving device 11 does not hold all types of end effectors required for the work. Here, as an example, it is assumed that the discrimination processing unit 132 judges that the robot-mounted moving device 11 does not hold the product end effector E3. In this case, the discrimination processing unit 132 judges whether the robot-mounted moving device 11 can hold the missing product end effector E3 based on the state information.

[0051] 6, the discrimination processing unit 132 checks the availability of the mounting unit 1114 and the multiple loading units 1124-1126. Specifically, the discrimination processing unit 132 determines whether or not an end effector is attached to the mounting unit 1114 based on the status information stored in the memory unit 134. The discrimination processing unit 132 also calculates the number of loading units on which no end effector is loaded based on the status information stored in the memory unit 134. In this way, the discrimination processing unit 132 grasps the availability of the mounting unit 1114 and the multiple loading units 1124-1126. Here, the discrimination processing unit 132 grasps that the loading unit 1126 is available.

[0052] The discrimination processing unit 132 judges whether or not the vacant loading unit 1126 corresponds to the missing product end effector E3 based on the status information. That is, the discrimination processing unit 132 judges whether or not the product end effector E3 can be loaded onto the vacant loading unit 1126. Here, since the loading unit 1126 can load the product end effector E3, the discrimination processing unit 132 judges that the robot-mounted moving device 11 can hold the missing end effector. The discrimination processing unit 132 saves the discrimination result in the memory unit 134 and notifies the operation control unit 133 of the fact.

[0053] With reference to FIG. 4, when the operation control unit 133 receives a notification from the discrimination processing unit 132, it controls the operation of the robot-mounted moving device 11 based on the discrimination result stored in the storage unit 134. Specifically, when the discrimination processing unit 132 determines that the robot-mounted moving device 11 holds all types of end effectors necessary for the work, the operation control unit 133 causes the robot-mounted moving device 11 to perform the work based on the work information. The operation control unit 133 transmits the work information to the robot 111 and the mobile vehicle 112 via the transmission unit 135. The operation control unit 133 transmits the work information to the machine tool 15 via the transmission unit 135. The operation control unit 133 updates the status information stored in the storage unit 134 based on the transmitted work information. The operation control unit 133 transmits the updated status information to the management device 17 via the transmission unit 135. However, when the management device 17 is aware of the updated status information, the operation control unit 133 does not need to transmit the updated status information to the management device 17. In short, it is sufficient that management device 17 is aware of the latest state information, and there is no particular limitation on the method by which management device 17 obtains the latest state information.

[0054] When the discrimination processing unit 132 determines that the robot-mounted moving device 11 does not hold at least one of the end effectors required for a task and that the robot-mounted moving device 11 can hold the missing end effector, the operation control unit 133 causes the robot-mounted moving device 11 to perform a preparatory task before performing the task. More specifically, the operation control unit 133 creates preparatory task information based on the discrimination result. The operation control unit 133 transmits the preparatory task information to the robot 111 and the mobile vehicle 112 via the transmission unit 135. The preparatory task information describes an instruction to the robot-mounted moving device 11 to move to the storage unit 12 and hold the missing product end effector E3.

[0055] More specifically, the preparatory work information describes instructions to the robot-mounted moving device 11 to move to the storage unit 12, instructions to remove the missing product end effector E3 from the storage unit 12, and instructions to load the removed product end effector E3 onto the loading unit 1126. The operation control unit 133 updates the status information stored in the memory unit 134 based on the transmitted preparatory work information.

[0056] However, the manner in which the missing end effector is held by the robot-mounted moving device 11 is not limited to the case in which the robot-mounted moving device 11 itself takes out the missing end effector from the storage unit 12. For example, another robot provided in the storage unit 12 may hold the missing end effector on the robot-mounted moving device 11. In short, the preparatory work at least requires moving the robot-mounted moving device 11 to the storage unit 12, and the method in which the robot-mounted moving device 11 holds the missing end effector is not particularly limited.

[0057] The operation control unit 133 causes the robot-mounted mobile device 11 to perform a task based on the task information after the robot-mounted mobile device 11 holds the missing product end effector E3 stored in the storage unit 12. More specifically, the operation control unit 133 transmits the task information to the robot 111 and the mobile vehicle 112 via the transmission unit 135. The operation control unit 133 also transmits the task information to the machine tool 15 via the transmission unit 135. The operation control unit 133 updates the status information stored in the memory unit 134 based on the transmitted task information.

[0058] 7 is a flowchart showing the processing of the control device of the first embodiment. First, the control device 13 acquires status information from the management device 17 (step S111). As a result, the control device 13 grasps the type and number of end effectors held by the robot-mounted moving device 11. Next, the control device 13 acquires work information from the management device 17 (step S112). As a result, the control device 13 grasps the content of the work to be performed. However, the execution order of steps S111 and S112 may be reversed, or may be performed simultaneously.

[0059] Next, the control device 13 judges whether the robot-mounted mobile device 11 holds all types of end effectors required for the work based on the acquired work information and status information (step S113). When the control device 13 judges that the robot-mounted mobile device 11 holds all types of end effectors required for the work (YES in step S113), it causes the robot-mounted mobile device 11 to perform the work based on the work information (step S114).

[0060] On the other hand, if the control device 13 determines that the robot-mounted mobile device 11 does not hold at least one of the end effectors required for the work (NO in step S113), it determines whether the robot-mounted mobile device 11 can hold the missing end effector based on the status information (step S115). If the control device 13 determines that the robot-mounted mobile device 11 can hold the missing end effector (YES in step S115), it causes the robot-mounted mobile device 11 to perform a preparatory work (step S116). After causing the robot-mounted mobile device 11 to perform the preparatory work, the control device 13 causes the robot-mounted mobile device 11 to perform a work based on the work information (step S114).

[0061] 8 is a sequence diagram of communication between the management device and the control device in the case where the robot-mounted mobile device of the first embodiment holds all types of end effectors required for the work. The management device 17 transmits status information to the control device 13 via the network 10 periodically or irregularly (step S121). Next, the management device 17 transmits work information to the control device 13 via the network (step S122). Next, the control device 13 determines that the robot-mounted mobile device 11 holds all types of end effectors required for the work based on the acquired work information and status information (step S123). Next, the control device 13 causes the robot-mounted mobile device 11 to perform the work based on the work information (step S124).

[0062] 9 is a sequence diagram of communication between the management device and the control device when the robot-mounted mobile device of the first embodiment does not hold at least one of all types of end effectors required for a task and can hold the missing end effector. The management device 17 transmits status information to the control device 13 via the network 10 periodically or irregularly (step S131). Next, the management device 17 transmits work information to the control device 13 via the network (step S132).

[0063] Next, the control device 13 determines, based on the acquired work information and status information, that the robot-mounted mobile device 11 does not hold at least one of the end effectors required for the work, and is capable of holding the missing end effector (step S133). Next, the control device 13 transmits the determination result to the management device 17 via the network (step S134). Next, the management device 17 creates preparatory work information based on the received determination result (step S135). Next, the management device 17 transmits the created preparatory work information to the control device 13 via the network (step S136).

[0064] Next, the control device 13 causes the robot-mounted mobile device 11 to perform the preparatory work based on the received preparatory work information (step S137). Next, the control device 13 causes the robot-mounted mobile device 11 to perform the work based on the work information (step S138).

[0065] In this way, in the system 1 of the first embodiment, before the robot-mounted moving device 11 executes the work, the control device 13 acquires the work information and the status information. Based on these pieces of information, the control device 13 determines whether the robot-mounted moving device 11 currently holds the end effector required for executing the work. If the end effector required for the work is insufficient, the control device 13 moves the robot-mounted moving device 11 to the storage unit 12 and holds the missing end effector. Thereafter, the control device 13 causes the robot-mounted moving device 11 to start the work. This allows the robot-mounted moving device 11 to prepare the end effector required for the work before executing the work. Therefore, the robot-mounted moving device 11 can replace the end effector on the robot-mounted moving device 11 without moving to the storage unit 12 to replace the end effector in the middle of the work. Therefore, according to the above system 1, the work efficiency can be improved.

[0066] Other embodiments will be described below. In the following description, the description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0067] <Second embodiment> 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic overall configuration of a system according to the second embodiment. The system 2 of the second embodiment differs from the system 1 of the first embodiment in that a control device 23 is provided separately from the robot-mounted moving device 21. The control device 23 has the functions of both the control device 13 and the management device 17 in the first embodiment.

[0068] 11 is a functional block diagram of the control device of the second embodiment. The acquisition unit 231 acquires work information from an input terminal. The input terminal may be connected to the control device 23 by wire or wirelessly. The acquisition unit 231 also acquires status information from the robot-mounted moving device 21 periodically or irregularly.

[0069] The control device 23 executes the same processing as in the first embodiment based on the acquired work information and status information, and transmits the work information and / or preparatory work information to the robot-mounted moving device 21 via the transmission unit 235. The robot-mounted moving device 21 is provided with another control device capable of communicating with the control device 23. The control device 23 controls the operation of the robot-mounted moving device 21 via this other control device. Other processing of the operation control of the robot-mounted moving device 21 in the control device 23 is similar to that in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0070] <Third embodiment> The system of the third embodiment differs from the systems of the first and second embodiments in that additional processing is executed in the control device. The other configurations of the system of the third embodiment may be similar to those of the systems of the first and second embodiments.

[0071] 12 is a flowchart showing the processing of the control device of the third embodiment. The control device of the third embodiment includes additional processing steps S311-S313. Specifically, the discrimination processing unit determines that the robot-mounted mobile device does not hold at least one of the end effectors required for the work (NO in step S113), and further determines that the robot-mounted mobile device cannot hold the missing end effector (NO in step S115).

[0072] In this case, the operation control unit causes the robot-mounted mobile device to execute at least a part of the work up to the work requiring the missing end effector based on the work information (step S311). The operation control unit causes the robot-mounted mobile device to move to the storage unit before the work requiring the missing end effector (step S312). After the robot-mounted mobile device holds the missing end effector stored in the storage unit, the operation control unit causes the robot-mounted mobile device to execute the remaining work (step S313). The remaining work includes the work requiring the missing end effector.

[0073] <Modification> In the above-mentioned first to third embodiments, the case where the system is applied to a production system that processes materials has been described. However, the system may be applied to a system that does not perform processing. For example, the system may be applied to a transport system that transports a transported object. In short, the system may be a system in which a robot-mounted moving device is loaded with an end effector for replacement and moves relative to the target object.

[0074] In the above-mentioned first to third embodiments, the system is described as having one robot-mounted moving device and one storage unit. However, the system may have a plurality of robot-mounted moving devices, and may have a plurality of storage units. In addition, the objects on which the robot-mounted moving device performs work are not limited to material stockers, machine tools, and product stockers. The objects may be other devices such as a conveying device, a cleaning machine, and an inspection device.

[0075] In the above-mentioned first to third embodiments, the case where the control device receives the work information from the management device or the input terminal has been described. However, the work information may be stored in advance in the storage unit of the control device. In this case, the acquisition unit in the control device acquires the work information from the storage unit when it receives a work start signal input from, for example, the management device or the input terminal.

[0076] In the above-described first to third embodiments, the control device includes a storage unit. However, the storage unit may be provided outside the control device. In this case, the control device accesses the external storage unit via a network, for example.

[0077] The above-described embodiment is illustrative in all respects and is not restrictive. Modifications and changes are possible for those skilled in the art. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention includes modifications from the embodiments within the scope of the claims and the equivalent scope. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1,2: System 10: Network 11, 21: Robot-mounted moving device 111: Robot 1114: Mounting part 112: Mobile car 1124-1126: Loading section 113: Battery 12: Storage section 13,23: Control device 131,231: Acquisition Department 132: discrimination processing unit 133: Operation control section 14: Material stocker (target object) 15: Machine tools (object) 16: Product stocker (object) 17: Management device E, E1-E3: End effector

Claims

1. a robot-mounted mobile device having a robot having a mounting section to which an end effector is attached, and a mobile vehicle having one or more loading sections on which the robot is mounted and capable of loading the end effector attached to the mounting section, and capable of moving to a work position set with respect to an object; a storage section that stores a plurality of types of end effectors that can be attached to the mounting section; A control device for controlling the operation of the robot-mounted moving device, The control device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires task information including information on a task to be performed by the robot-mounted mobile device and information on the type of end effector required to perform the task, and status information including information on the type of end effector attached to the mounting unit and information on the type of end effector loaded on the loading unit; a discrimination processing unit that discriminates whether the robot-mounted moving device holds all types of end effectors required for the task based on the task information and the status information acquired by the acquisition unit; and an operation control unit that controls an operation of the robot-mounted moving device based on a result of the discrimination by the discrimination processing unit, The operation control unit is When the discrimination processing unit determines that the robot-mounted mobile device has all the types of end effectors required for the task, the discrimination processing unit causes the robot-mounted mobile device to execute the task based on the task information, On the other hand, when it is determined in the discrimination processing section that the robot-mounted mobile device does not hold at least one of the end effectors required for the work, the discrimination processing section determines whether the robot-mounted mobile device can hold the missing end effector based on the state information, and when it is determined that the end effector can be held, The system is configured to perform a preparatory task of moving the robot-mounted mobile device to the storage unit before performing the task, and to have the robot-mounted mobile device perform a task based on the task information after the robot-mounted mobile device holds the missing end effector stored in the storage unit.

2. 2. The system of claim 1, The state information further includes information on a type of end effector that the robot-mounted mobile device can hold, The operation control unit is When it is determined in the discrimination processing unit that the robot-mounted moving device does not hold at least one end effector required for the task, determining the number of vacant mounting units and load units and whether the vacant mounting units or load units correspond to the missing end effectors based on the status information; The system is configured to execute the preparatory work when it is determined that there is an available mounting unit or load unit and that the available mounting unit or load unit corresponds to the missing end effector.

3. 3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, The operation control unit is When it is determined in the discrimination processing unit that the robot-mounted mobile device does not hold at least one of the end effectors required for the work, the discrimination processing unit determines whether the robot-mounted mobile device can hold the missing end effector based on the state information, and when it is determined that the robot-mounted mobile device cannot hold the missing end effector, The system is configured to move the robot-mounted mobile device to the storage unit after having the robot-mounted mobile device perform at least a portion of the work based on the work information and before the work requires the missing end effector, and to have the robot-mounted mobile device perform the work requiring the missing end effector after the robot-mounted mobile device holds the missing end effector stored in the storage unit.

4. 3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, The one or more loading sections include: A system having a shape corresponding to the shape of the end effector that can be loaded onto the loading section.

5. 3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, The one or more loading sections include: The system has a fixing mechanism that fixes the end effector that can be loaded onto the loading section.

6. 3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, The work information is information describing the work to be performed by the robot-mounted mobile device.

7. 3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, The storage unit includes: A system, the system being provided in a range including the work position, outside a motion range of the robot-mounted mobile device in the work performed by the robot-mounted mobile device on the object.

8. a robot having a mounting portion to which an end effector is attached; a mobile vehicle that is capable of mounting the robot and that has one or more loading units capable of loading an end effector attached to the mounting unit, and that is capable of moving to a work position set with respect to an object; A control device for controlling the operation of the robot and the operation of the vehicle, The control device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires task information including information on a task to be performed and information on a type of end effector required to perform the task, and status information including information on the type of end effector attached to the mounting unit and information on the type of end effector loaded on the loading unit; a determination processing unit that determines whether all types of end effectors required for the task are held based on the task information and the status information acquired by the acquisition unit; an operation control unit that controls an operation of the robot and an operation of the vehicle based on a result of the discrimination by the discrimination processing unit, The operation control unit is When the discrimination processing unit determines that all types of end effectors required for the task are held, the task is executed based on the task information. On the other hand, when it is determined in the discrimination processing unit that at least one of the end effectors required for the work is not held, it is determined whether or not the missing end effector can be held based on the state information, and when it is determined that the missing end effector can be held, A robot-mounted mobile device configured to perform a preparatory task of moving the mobile vehicle to a storage unit in which a missing end effector is stored before performing the task, and to perform a task based on the task information after retaining the missing end effector stored in the storage unit.

9. A program used in a control device for controlling an operation of a robot-mounted mobile device including a robot having a mounting section to which an end effector is mounted, and a mobile vehicle that mounts the robot, has one or more loading sections capable of loading an end effector attached to the mounting section, and is movable to a work position set with respect to an object, the program comprising: Computer, an acquisition unit that acquires task information including information on a task to be performed by the robot-mounted mobile device and information on the type of end effector required to perform the task, and status information including information on the type of end effector attached to the mounting unit and information on the type of end effector loaded on the loading unit; a discrimination processing unit that discriminates whether the robot-mounted moving device holds all types of end effectors required for the task based on the task information and the status information acquired by the acquisition unit; a program for causing the robot to function as an operation control unit that controls an operation of the robot-mounted moving device based on a result of the discrimination by the discrimination processing unit, The operation control unit is When the discrimination processing unit determines that the robot-mounted mobile device has all the types of end effectors required for the task, the discrimination processing unit causes the robot-mounted mobile device to execute the task based on the task information, On the other hand, when it is determined in the discrimination processing unit that the robot-mounted mobile device does not hold at least one of the end effectors required for the work, the discrimination processing unit determines whether the robot-mounted mobile device can hold the missing end effector based on the state information, and when it is determined that the robot-mounted mobile device can hold the missing end effector, A program that performs a preparatory task of moving the robot-mounted mobile device to a storage unit in which a missing end effector is stored before performing the task, and causes the robot-mounted mobile device to perform a task based on the task information after the robot-mounted mobile device holds the missing end effector stored in the storage unit.

Images