Control system and control device

Abstract

To more appropriately control the time required for operation of a robot.SOLUTION: A control system 1 comprises: a multi-joint robot 30 with a gripping member 31a; and a control device 40 that controls operation of the multi-joint robot 30. The control device 40 causes the multi-joint robot 30 to perform: a main operation, in which the gripping member 31a at least holds or releases an ingredient; and an auxiliary operation that supports the main operation. Furthermore, the control device 40 allows switching between: a first mode in which the auxiliary operation is executed for a first duration relative to a time for which the main operation is executed; and a second mode in which the auxiliary operation is executed for a second duration, shorter than the first duration, relative to the time for which the main operation is executed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, various tasks have been performed by robots that hold objects using mechanisms such as gripping members and suction members. For example, when holding and plating food, a robot can hold the food stored in a container such as a tray or food box, transport it to the container or other location where it will be released, and then release it. Such technology relating to a robot having a function of holding and releasing is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7364283 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses performing various operations to bring the weight of food released into a container closer to a specified amount. For example, it discloses operations such as detecting the height of the surface of the food inside the storage container, waiting until the measurement value of the held food stabilizes, and removing food that has adhered to the holding member. By performing such various operations, the weight of food released into the container can be brought closer to the specified amount with greater accuracy and maintenance of the robot and storage container can be simplified.

[0005] Incidentally, in some cases, the importance of such operations may be low. For example, when the sales mode of the released food is by weight and the selling price is determined in proportion to the weight, some error may be allowed in the weight of the food released and packed in each container. Alternatively, for example, even if the maintenance of the robot or the storage container becomes somewhat complicated, it may be allowed. And in such cases, there is a need to shorten the time required until release as much as possible rather than accurately approaching the specified amount of the weight of the food packed in the container or simplifying the maintenance of the robot or the storage container.

[0006] However, the conventional technology has not been able to sufficiently address such problems and there is still room for improvement. Further, such problems are not limited to the case where the object to be held and released is food, but are common to various fields in the industrial field and the like where robots perform holding and releasing.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to more appropriately control the time required for the operation of a robot.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] To solve the above problems, a control system according to an embodiment of the present invention is a control system including a robot provided with a holding member and a control device that controls the operation of the robot, wherein the control device causes the robot to perform at least one of holding and releasing an object by the holding member as a main operation, and an auxiliary operation performed to assist the main operation, and switches between a first mode in which the time for executing the auxiliary operation is a first length with respect to the time for executing the main operation, and a second mode in which the time for executing the auxiliary operation is a length shorter than the first length with respect to the time for executing the main operation. This is the gist of the present invention. characterized by

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, the time required for the operation of the robot can be more appropriately controlled.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Embodiment] [Configuration] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are schematic diagrams showing the overall configuration of the control system 1 according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of control systems 1 are arranged side by side, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view in which the main part of the control system 1 is enlarged. Here, the control system 1 is assumed to apply the present invention to a system for serving food ingredients. Therefore, in the following description, a case where the control system 1 grips ingredients such as side dishes and serves the gripped ingredients into a side dish container will be taken as an example for explanation. Also, in the following description, the weight will be taken as an example of the amount of the ingredients to be served, but the present invention can be applied to various physical quantities such as volume, bulk, mass, etc. other than weight.

[0012] However, this is only an example for explanation and is not intended to limit the scope of application of the present invention. The present invention is applicable to various systems held by robots in general. The present embodiment shown as a preferred example is a system that realizes holding by forming a container shape by closing a pair of gripping members and performing gripping using this container shape. However, in addition to this, for example, the present invention may be applied to a system that realizes holding by an adsorption pad that adsorbs an object by bringing the space between the adhered object closer to a vacuum. Alternatively, for example, the present invention may be applied to a system that realizes holding by scooping up an object with a gripping member having a spoon shape or a ladle shape. In addition, for example, the present invention may be applied to a system that realizes holding by sandwiching an object with a gripping member having a tong shape or a claw shape. In addition, the object to be held is not limited to food ingredients, and for example, it can also be applied to a system that holds parts of industrial products such as electronic devices as the object to be held. That is, the present invention is an invention that can be applied to systems in general that realize holding.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the control system 1 includes a food ingredient storage unit 10, a container supply unit 20, an articulated robot 30, a control device 40, and a shielding unit 50. A belt conveyor 2 for automatically transporting containers is installed adjacent to the control system 1.

[0014] The food ingredient storage unit 10 has a storage space 10A for storing food ingredients such as vegetables to be served in the control system 1. This storage space 10A may be constituted by, for example, the food ingredient storage unit 10 itself, or may be constituted by a general-purpose container such as a large vat or tray that can be installed in the food ingredient storage unit 10. And in this storage space 10A, for example, mashed salads (salads containing ingredients with viscosity or adhesiveness) such as potato salad, okara, dried grated daikon radish, namasu, hijiki, boiled beans, butter corn, etc. are stored. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the food ingredient storage unit 10 stores a plurality of servings (for example, dozens of servings to hundreds of servings) of one type of food ingredient. And by a plurality of control systems 1 serving the corresponding food ingredients such as vegetables into the corresponding containers, the serving work of the vegetables can be completed. The storage space 10A of the food ingredient storage unit 10 can be manually replaced by an operator or automatically replaced by the articulated robot 30.

[0015] In the control system 1, the container supply unit 20 supplies containers to a predetermined position (the mounting position P1 in FIG. 2) where ingredients are to be mounted. The container supply unit 20 houses a plurality of containers. When the control system 1 starts operating, the containers are supplied one by one to the mounting position P1. Also, a weight sensor 21 for measuring the weight of the container is installed at the mounting position P1. When the ingredients are mounted at the mounting position P1, the weight of the mounted ingredients (i.e., the weight increased by the mounting) is measured. The data of the weight measured at this time is output to the control device 40. Then, when the weight measurement is completed, the container is carried out to the belt conveyor 2 by the ejection mechanism provided in the container supply unit 20.

[0016] Also, a container detection sensor 22 is arranged near the position where the container supply unit 20 ejects the container to the belt conveyor 2. The container detection sensor 22 is a sensor that detects a container being conveyed on the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2. The data of the detection result of the container measured at this time is output to the control device 40. The container supply unit 20 ejects the container with the ingredients mounted on the conveying surface at a timing when the container detection sensor 22 does not detect other containers (containers that have been mounted by other articulated robots 30) being conveyed on the conveying surface. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the containers from colliding with each other on the conveying surface. Although it is the reason for other containers to be conveyed from upstream, as shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, it is because a plurality of control systems 1 are installed.

[0017] The articulated robot 30 is constituted by, for example, a horizontal articulated robot or a vertical articulated robot, etc., and includes a hand 31 capable of gripping the ingredients to be mounted, and a robot arm 32 that moves the hand 31 to an arbitrary position within the movable range. Also, in the joint that holds the hand 31 of the multi-joint robot 30, as an example of means for acquiring the physical quantity of the workpiece held by the hand 31 with the gripping member 31a, a weight sensor 30A for measuring the weight of the gripped workpiece is installed. Further, in the joint that holds the hand 31 of the multi-joint robot 30, as an example of means for detecting that the hand 31 has come into contact with the workpiece, a force sensor 30B for measuring the reaction force from the contacted workpiece (including the force sense obtained by being contacted on the surface) is installed. The data of the weight of the workpiece measured by the weight sensor 30A (that is, the weight of the gripped workpiece) and the data of the reaction force from the workpiece measured by the force sensor 30B (that is, the detection result of the contact with the workpiece) are output to the control device 40.

[0018] Furthermore, the joint that holds the hand 31 is provided with an axis for rotating the hand 31 in the twisting direction with respect to the robot arm 32. Therefore, when the hand 31 grips the workpiece, by changing the orientation of the hand 31, the direction in which the hand 31 opens and closes can be adjusted. Thereby, when the hand 31 reaches near the inner wall surface of the container, it becomes possible to change the orientation of the hand 31 so that the hand 31 opens and closes in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the accommodation space 10A, making it easier to grip the workpiece near the inner wall surface of the container.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the shape of the gripping member 31a installed at the tip of the hand 31. Note that in FIG. 3, only one of the pair of gripping members 31a used is shown. As shown in FIG. 3, the gripping member 31a in the present embodiment is composed of a top plate portion, a main plate portion, a first side plate portion, and a second side plate portion. The top plate portion has a rectangular plane. Also, when the plane of the top plate portion is in a horizontal state, the main plate portion extends obliquely from one end in the longitudinal direction of this plane toward a position vertically below the other end in the longitudinal direction of this plane. Further, the first side plate portion and the second side plate portion extend vertically downward from both ends of the plane of the top plate portion when the plane of the top plate portion is in a horizontal state. In the following description, when describing each of the gripping members 31a used in this pair without distinction, it is simply referred to as "gripping member 31a".

[0020] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship among the accommodation space 10A, the hand 31, the gripping member 31a, the robot arm 32, and the workpiece when performing operations such as gripping operations. In FIG. 11, the vertical direction is referred to as the Z direction, the first horizontal direction (the direction orthogonal to the paper surface) orthogonal to this Z direction is referred to as the Y direction, and the second horizontal direction orthogonal to each of these Z direction and Y direction is referred to as the X direction. That is, the Z direction, the Y direction, and the X direction are directions orthogonal to each other.

[0021] The hand 31 is disposed at the tip of the robot arm 32. Further, the gripping member 31a is coupled to the hand 31 by a coupling member and thus supported by the hand 31. Then, the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a coupled thereto can move within the movable range in each of the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction according to the operation of the robot arm 32 controlled by the control device 40. Further, the hand 31 realizes a gripping operation by opening and closing the pair of gripping members 31a in the Y direction by an actuator (not shown). Further, the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a coupled thereto can rotate about the Z direction as the rotation axis. With such a configuration, in the present embodiment, the position and orientation of the hand 31 and the gripping member 31a can be arbitrarily changed, and thereby it is possible to appropriately execute operations such as gripping operations with various movements.

[0022] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the opening and closing of a pair of gripping members 31a. The gripping members 31a shown in FIG. 3 are coupled to the hand 31 by a coupling member such that their respective openings face each other. Also, the X, Y, and Z directions in FIG. 5 are the same as the respective directions defined in FIG. 4. The pair of gripping members 31a are in an open state by performing an opening operation along the opening and closing direction (Y direction) as shown in FIG. 5(a). Also, when performing a gripping operation, the pair of gripping members 31a are in a closed state by performing a closing operation along the opening and closing direction (Y direction) as shown in FIG. 5(b).

[0023] Then, when the pair of gripping members 31a are in a closed state and the gripping members 31a come into contact with each other, at least the inner surface where the tips and the side plate portions are closed becomes a container shape for gripping the ingredients. In the case of such a shape of the gripping member 31a, with respect to ingredients such as minced salad, by vertically inserting the tip of the gripping member 31a from the surface, closing the pair of gripping members 31a at a predetermined depth, and lifting the ingredients, it is possible to grip a substantially constant amount of ingredients and take them out from the storage space 10A. Also, after transferring the pair of gripping members 31a that have performed gripping onto the container at the plating position P1, the pair of gripping members 31a are in an open state, and the container shape opens, so that the ingredients taken out by gripping are released, and it is possible to plate a substantially constant amount of ingredients in the container.

[0024] Returning to FIGS. 1 and FIG. 2, the control device 40 is configured by an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a programmable controller, and controls the entire control system 1 by executing various programs. For example, the control device 40 controls operations such as the operation of the container supply unit 20 supplying a container, and the multi-joint robot 30 gripping an ingredient from the ingredient storage unit 10, transferring it to the position of the container, and releasing the ingredient into the container to plate the ingredient. More specifically, for example, the control device 40 controls the driving of the robot arm 32 to move the hand 31 to a preset predetermined position at a predetermined route and speed, and controls the driving of the actuator of the hand 31 to realize operations such as gripping and releasing an ingredient by the gripping member 31a.

[0025] In the control system 1, the shielding part 50 is composed of a plate-like member that surrounds the area where the ingredient storage part 10, the container supply part 20, and the articulated robot 30 are installed and encloses information. The plate-like member constituting the shielding part 50 is made of a transparent material such as glass or resin, and it is possible to visually recognize the operating status of the control system 1 from the outside. Also, a door that can be opened and closed is installed on a part of the side wall formed by the shielding part 50. When replacing the storage space 10A of the ingredient storage part 10, adding a container to the container supply part 20, or performing maintenance on the control system 1, etc., the operator can open the door of the shielding part 50 and perform various operations.

[0026] [Hardware Configuration of Control Device 40] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device 40. As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 711, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 712, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 713, a bus 714, an input part 715, an output part 716, a storage part 717, a communication part 718, and a drive 719.

[0027] The CPU 711 executes various processes according to the programs recorded in the ROM 712 or the programs loaded from the storage part 717 to the RAM 713. In the RAM 713, data and the like necessary for the CPU 711 to execute various processes are also appropriately stored.

[0028] The CPU 711, ROM 712, and RAM 713 are interconnected via the bus 714. The input part 715, output part 716, storage part 717, communication part 718, and drive 719 are connected to the bus 714.

[0029] The input unit 715 is equipped with an input device such as a mouse or a keyboard, and receives the input of various information to the control device 40. Note that the input unit 715 may be equipped with a microphone and receive the input of various information by voice input of an operator. The output unit 716 is composed of a display, a speaker, etc., and outputs images and sounds. The storage unit 717 is composed of a hard disk or a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), etc., and stores various data managed by each server. The communication unit 718 controls communication with other devices via a network.

[0030] A removable medium 731 made of a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, etc. is appropriately mounted on the drive 719. The program read from the removable medium 731 by the drive 719 is installed in the storage unit 717 as necessary. Note that the above hardware configuration is the basic configuration of the control device 40, and it is possible to have a configuration without some hardware, a configuration with additional hardware, or a change in the implementation form of the hardware.

[0031] [Functional Configuration] Next, the functional configuration of the control device 40 will be described. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 40. As shown in FIG. 7, by executing a program for controlling the operation of the control system 1, in the CPU 711 of the control device 40, a sensor information acquisition unit 151, a material state determination unit 152, a material amount determination unit 153, a multi-joint robot control unit 154, a container supply control unit 155, and a recording control unit 156 function. Further, in the storage unit 717, a parameter storage unit 171 and a history database (history DB) 172 are formed.

[0032] The parameter storage unit 171 stores various parameters used when the control system 1 operates. For example, the parameter storage unit 171 stores the position of the storage space 10A of the ingredient storage unit 10, the position of the container supplied from the container supply unit 20, the position of the area where the ingredients are placed in the container, the relationship between the insertion amount of the hand 31 into the ingredient when gripping the ingredient and the weight of the gripped ingredient (data in the form of a function or a table, etc.), parameters defining the operation pattern of the articulated robot 30, and the like. In the present embodiment, the insertion amount of the hand 31 into the ingredient serves as an index for estimating the weight (physical quantity) of the ingredient. That is, from the relationship between the insertion amount of the hand 31 into the ingredient and the weight of the gripped ingredient, the actual weight (target gripping weight) of the gripped ingredient is estimated based on the insertion amount of the hand 31 into the ingredient.

[0033] The history DB 172 stores, as history, the control-related parameters acquired when the control system 1 operates, or the measurement data of the weight of the ingredients placed by the control system 1. The history DB 172 also stores an ingredient state map indicating the state of the ingredients in the storage space 10A of the ingredient storage unit 10.

[0034] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the ingredient state map stored in the history DB 172, and is a view of the storage space 10A of the ingredient storage unit 10 as seen from directly above. As shown in FIG. 8, in the present embodiment, the storage space 10A is managed as a plurality of regions (here, regions A1 to C4) divided into a plurality of columns (here, columns A to C) and a plurality of rows (here, rows 1 to 4). Then, the recording control unit 156 described later detects the state of the ingredients in each region based on the measurement data of the weight and the reaction force of the ingredients acquired when the control system 1 performs a gripping operation, the determination result by the ingredient state determination unit 152 described later, and the measurement data of the weight of the ingredients distributed by the control system 1, and stores them in association with the numbers (here, regions A1 to C4) for managing each region, thereby generating an ingredient state map. In this case, the state of the ingredients refers to the remaining amount of the ingredients in each region, the height of the ingredients determined by the ingredient state determination unit 152 described later, and the flatness.

[0035] Also, when the accommodation space 10A is newly replaced after the ingredients in the accommodation space 10A are distributed, the ingredient state map is updated assuming that a predetermined amount of ingredients (for example, an amount of ingredients sufficient for the accommodation space 10A) are accommodated in a predetermined state (for example, a flat state).

[0036] When the multi-joint robot 30 performs a gripping operation, for example, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 8, the gripping operation is performed in a clockwise or counterclockwise order along the inner wall surface forming the accommodation space 10A. For example, the gripping operation is performed in the order of region A1, region B1, region C1, region C2, ···. Alternatively, depending on the state of the ingredients in the accommodation space 10A, for example, in regions not along the inner wall surface of the accommodation space 10A (here, regions B2, B3, and B4), the gripping operation is appropriately performed.

[0037] The sensor information acquisition unit 151 acquires sensor information, which is information detected by various sensors installed in the control system 1. For example, the sensor information acquisition unit 151 acquires data on the weight of the ingredients measured by the weight sensor 30A installed at the joints of the multi-joint robot 30, data on the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B, data on the weight of the ingredients measured by the weight sensor 21 of the container supply unit 20, and data on the detection result of the container measured by the container detection sensor 22.

[0038] The ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the state of the ingredients based on the data on the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B. For example, the ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the height of the ingredients in the accommodation space 10A (the height from the bottom surface of the accommodation space 10A to the surface of the ingredients accommodated in the accommodation space 10A) and the flatness of the surface (how rough the surface is) from the data on the reaction force from the ingredients measured by the force sensor 30B. In the present embodiment, the operation performed by the ingredient state determination unit 152 is referred to as a surface detection operation. Further, in the present embodiment, instead of a method of determining the state of the ingredient by image analysis using a camera, a method of measuring the state of the ingredient based on the reaction force using the force sensor 30B is used. Therefore, for example, the introduction cost and management cost of the camera can be reduced, and since it is not necessary to consider the blind spots of the camera, etc., the arrangement of the multi-joint robot 30 and the position of the storage space 10A, etc., can be selected more flexibly. Also, since no camera is used, it is not necessary to consider the influence of steam generated from the ingredient and lighting on the photography.

[0039] Further, when the ingredient state determination unit 152 recognizes the height and surface flatness of the ingredient, it determines whether or not these conform to the conditions for gripping the ingredient (for example, whether or not the height and flatness of the ingredient are equal to or greater than the set threshold values). The flatness of the surface of the ingredient can be defined based on, for example, the absolute value of the size of the unevenness on the surface, and can be defined so that the larger the value, the flatter the surface of the ingredient. Also, it may be possible to determine the flatness for each part of the surface of the ingredient. Further, the ingredient state determination unit 152 determines whether or not the state of the ingredient in the storage space 10A allows a specified amount of the ingredient to be gripped in a single gripping operation.

[0040] Based on the weight data of the ingredient measured by the weight sensor 30A of the multi-joint robot 30 and the weight data of the ingredient measured by the weight sensor 21 of the container supply unit 20, the ingredient amount determination unit 153 determines whether or not a specified amount of the ingredient has been gripped and whether or not a specified amount of the ingredient has been loaded into the container.

[0041] The multi-joint robot control unit 154 controls the operation of the multi-joint robot 30 and causes the multi-joint robot 30 to execute a series of operations for plating ingredients according to the operation pattern defined in the control system 1. For example, in order to improve the accuracy of gripping the ingredients by a specified amount, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 performs an operation of detecting the height of the surface of the ingredients in the ingredient storage unit 10 (surface detection operation), an operation of gripping the ingredients by the hand 31 of the multi-joint robot 30 (gripping operation), an operation of transferring the gripped ingredients to a container (transfer operation), an operation of releasing the gripped ingredients (release operation), an operation of shaping by leveling the released ingredients (shaping operation), an operation of removing the adhering ingredients by dropping the ingredients adhering to the gripping member 31a onto the surface of the released ingredients (adhering ingredient removal operation), etc. to the multi-joint robot 30.

[0042] In addition, when causing the multi-joint robot 30 to execute these series of operations, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 performs "operation mode control". This operation mode control is a process of classifying the operations to be executed by the multi-joint robot 30 into "main operations" and "auxiliary operations" and shortening the execution time of the auxiliary operations with respect to the execution time of the main operations according to the set operation mode. Details of the operation mode control will be described later.

[0043] The container supply control unit 155 controls the container supply unit 20 and causes the container for plating the ingredients to be plated in the control system 1 to be supplied to the plating position P1 at a predetermined timing. In addition, the container supply control unit 155 controls the container supply unit 20 and causes the container with the ingredients plated to be carried out to the belt conveyor 2.

[0044] The recording control unit 156 stores, as log data, the control-related parameters acquired when the control system 1 performs the gripping operation and the measurement data of the weight of the ingredients allocated by the control system 1 in the history DB 172. In addition, the recording control unit 156 creates and updates the ingredient state map showing the state of the ingredients in the storage space 10A of the ingredient storage unit 10 described above with reference to FIG. 7, and also stores this ingredient state map in the history DB 172.

[0045] Next, the details of each operation executed by the multi-joint robot 30 based on the control of the multi-joint robot control unit 154 will be described.

[0046] [Surface detection operation and gripping operation] In the control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the relationship between the depth (insertion amount) of inserting the gripping member 31a into the ingredient and the weight of the ingredient gripped at that time is grasped in advance according to the type of the ingredient and the gripping member 31a used. For example, the density of the ingredient to be gripped (a parameter representing the weight per unit depth) is measured in advance, and the weight to be gripped can be calculated (estimated) by a function having as elements the multiplication value of the density of the ingredient and the depth of inserting the gripping member 31a. Thereby, the weight of the ingredient to be gripped can be estimated by a simple calculation.

[0047] Also, the weight calculated in this way can be held as data in a format such as the above-described ingredient state map. Further, since the range of the surface of the ingredient whose flatness decreases in one gripping operation can be grasped, a pitch for shifting the gripping position for each gripping operation is set on the surface of the ingredient in the storage space 10A. Also, based on the preset depth and pitch of inserting the gripping member 31a, an operation pattern for gripping how to grip the ingredient from which position on the surface of the ingredient is set. Then, the gripping operation is performed as follows according to this gripping operation pattern.

[0048] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a surface detection operation and a gripping operation by the multi-joint robot 30. As shown in FIG. 9, when the multi-joint robot 30 grips the workpiece, the workpiece is gripped in the following procedure: (1) approaching the workpiece, (2) detecting the surface of the workpiece, (3) inserting the gripping member 31a into the workpiece, (4) closing the gripping member 31a to set the gripping member 31a in a closed state, (5) measuring the weight (physical quantity) of the gripped workpiece. When the gripped weight conforms to a specified amount, the workpiece is transferred to and released into the container. Note that the gripped weight conforming to the specified amount means that, for example, the weight of the gripped workpiece is within a predetermined error range (within ±15% or the like) with respect to the target weight. However, considering the case where the workpiece adheres to the gripping member 31a and is not released, it is also possible to set the error when the gripped weight is greater than the specified amount to be larger than the error when the workpiece adheres less. On the other hand, when the gripped weight does not conform to the specified amount, further, (6) the workpiece is released (returned) to the gripped position in the accommodation space 10A. (7) When the weight of the gripped workpiece exceeds (for example, when the weight of the gripped workpiece exceeds the upper limit of the specified amount range), the depth at which the gripping member 31a is inserted into the workpiece is corrected to be shallower than the previous time, and the workpiece is gripped. (8) When the weight of the gripped workpiece is insufficient (for example, when the weight of the gripped workpiece is below the lower limit of the specified amount range), the depth at which the gripping member 31a is inserted into the workpiece is corrected to be deeper than the previous time, and the workpiece is gripped. The workpiece is re-gripped in this procedure.

[0049] Detecting the surface of the workpiece in the surface detection operation in step (2) is possible by measuring the reaction force received when the gripping member 31a of the multi-joint robot 30 contacts the workpiece by the force sensor 30B. Also, when inserting the gripping member 31a into the workpiece in step (3), it is possible to calculate the insertion amount from the control parameters (such as the rotation angle of the joints) of the multi-joint robot 30, or calculate the insertion amount from the elapsed time since the surface of the workpiece was detected in step (2) and the insertion was started.

[0050] Also, in step (8), even if the gripping member 31a is inserted deeper into the material than last time, if the specified amount of the material cannot be gripped (when the height of the material at the planned gripping position is lower than the insertion depth required to take the specified amount), etc., it is also possible to control so that the total amount of the material gripped in multiple times becomes the specified amount by gripping the material from a plurality of locations on the surface of the material. In this case, for example, it is possible to control so that the total depth (total insertion amount) of inserting the gripping member 31a at a plurality of locations on the surface of the material is the same as the depth of inserting the gripping member 31a into the material when gripping the specified amount of the material at once. Further, for example, when performing gripping from the second time onward, the gripped material is once released to the next planned gripping position, and the gripping member 31a is inserted into the material up to the depth at which it is inserted when gripping the specified amount of the material at once with respect to the surface of the material where the released material exists, and it is also possible to control so that the specified amount of the material is gripped again at once.

[0051] Regarding the relationship between the depth (insertion amount) of inserting the gripping member 31a into the material and the weight of the material gripped at that time, in addition to calculating (estimating) from the density of the material, the data of the depth at which the gripping member 31a is inserted and the data of the weight of the material gripped at that time may be machine-learned, and the weight to be gripped may be estimated using the machine learning model generated by the machine learning. Also, in the process of this machine learning, the density of the material may be calculated, and using the calculated density, the weight of the material gripped may be calculated from the depth (insertion amount) of inserting the gripping member 31a into the material.

[0052] [Transfer operation] FIG. 10(a) and FIG. 10(b) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the transfer operation and the release operation by the articulated robot 30. In FIG. 10(a), the Y direction is the opening and closing direction when the gripping member 31a performs gripping and releasing, the X direction is the direction orthogonal to the opening and closing direction in the horizontal plane, and the Z direction is the height direction. That is, FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section perpendicular to the X direction of the pair of gripping members 31a (i.e., the YZ plane). The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction in this FIG. 10(a) are the same as the respective directions defined in FIG. 4. Note that since each of FIGS. 10(b) and 10(c) described later, as well as FIGS. 11, 12, and 14, shows a similar vertical cross section (i.e., the YZ plane), the illustration of each direction is omitted in these figures.

[0053] The articulated robot 30 grips the ingredients accommodated in the accommodation space 10A by performing a gripping operation as shown in FIG. 9. Then, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the articulated robot 30 transfers the pair of gripped gripping members 31a onto the container at the mounting position P1. Then, the articulated robot 30 lowers the gripping member 31a to the height at which release is to be performed. In the figure and the following description, the ingredient gripped by the gripping member 31a is appropriately referred to as the "gripped ingredient".

[0054] [Release operation] Next, as shown in FIG. 10(b), when the articulated robot 30 lowers to the height at which release is to be performed and then stops descending, it opens the gripping member 31a in the opening and closing direction to an open state, thereby releasing the gripped ingredient from the gripping member 31a. This release is performed, for example, at a height close to the bottom surface of the container, at the center in the horizontal plane of the container. By releasing at such a position, it is possible to prevent the released ingredient from scattering outside the container.

[0055] In this case, the releasing material released at the center of the container is piled up high in a mountain shape at the center of the container. On the other hand, at the end portion of the area to be filled in the container, the releasing material does not spread, and when the container is viewed from directly above in the vertical direction, the bottom surface of the container can be seen. As described above, when the bottom surface can be seen in this way, customers who purchase the filled product feel that the total amount of the released material filled is small. Therefore, in this embodiment, after the releasing operation, a shaping operation described below is executed.

[0056] Also, when the material has viscosity or adhesiveness, as shown in the figure, a part of the gripping material may adhere to the inner surface of the gripping member 31a. However, in this embodiment, the adhered material can be dropped by an adhered material removing operation described later. In the drawings and the following description, the material released by the gripping member 31a is appropriately referred to as "released material". Also, the material adhered to the gripping member 31a is appropriately referred to as "adhered material".

[0057] [Shaping operation] FIG. 10(c) and FIG. 11 are schematic diagrams showing an example of the shaping operation by the articulated robot 30. As shown in FIG. 10(c), after performing the releasing operation, the articulated robot 30 raises the gripping member 31a to a position vertically above the released material filled while keeping the open state. Next, as shown in FIG. 11(d), the articulated robot 30 closes the gripping member 31a at a position vertically above the released material filled to make it in a closed state. That is, the gripping member 31a is raised and closed so as not to contact the released material filled. Since the gripping member 31a is not in contact with the released material in this way, the filled state of the released material at this point has not changed from the filled state immediately after release.

[0058] Next, as shown in Fig. 11(e), while keeping the gripping member 31a in the closed state, the multi-joint robot 30 is lowered toward the surface at the center (i.e., the center of the container) of the mound-shaped release material. As a result, the outer surface of the tip of the gripping member 31a comes into contact with the apex portion of the mound-shaped release material at the center of the container. In this case, the height to which the gripping member 31a is lowered can be appropriately set according to the characteristics of the release material (e.g., viscosity, adhesiveness, density), the shape of the release material, the amount of the release material, the size of the container, etc. As an example, the tip of the gripping member 31a is lowered until it is positioned at a height lower than the height of the apex of the release material at the center of the container and higher than the height assumed as the leveled height. For ease of understanding the height of the apex of the release material and the height assumed as the leveled height, each of these heights is shown in the figure by a dashed line.

[0059] Next, as shown in Fig. 11(f), while the outer surface of the tip of the gripping member 31a remains in contact with the release material, the gripping member 31a is opened to the open state. Along with this, a shaping operation is realized for regions on the surface of the release material where the height is relatively higher than other regions.

[0060] Thus, due to the characteristics of the release operation by the opening and closing gripping member 31a, the material in the region where the height inevitably becomes relatively high (here, the center of the container) is moved to the region where the height inevitably becomes relatively low (here, the edge of the container), thereby leveling the surface and uniformly shaping the height. Also, by leveling the surface of the release material in this way, the material can be spread to the edge portion of the region to be filled in the container. Therefore, the problem of the bottom surface of the container being visible after filling can be solved. In addition, the surface state of the material filled in the container can be made into a visually appealing flat state. That is, the drawbacks of the release operation by the opening and closing gripping member 31a can be compensated, and the state of the released release material can be shaped into a more appropriate state.

[0061] In addition, this shaping operation can be realized only by operating the gripping member 31a. Therefore, there is also an effect that it is not necessary to separately prepare a dedicated member or mechanism for leveling the surface of the releasing material. Furthermore, according to the control system 1, by performing the release with reference to the center of the container, it is possible to prevent the material from scattering outside the container during the release. Furthermore, according to the control system 1, with the outer surface of the gripping member 31a in contact with the apex of the mountain-shaped releasing material at the center of the container, the gripping member 31a is set in an open state. Thereby, after making it possible to level efficiently, the shaping operation can be executed.

[0062] [Adhering material removing operation] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the adhering material removing operation by the articulated robot 30. As described above, by performing the gripping operation, the releasing operation, and the shaping operation, it is possible to realize the loading of the material and to make the state of the loaded releasing material more appropriate. However, with the gripping operation and the releasing operation, an adhering material has adhered to the inner surface of the gripping member 31a. Also, with the shaping operation, an adhering material has adhered to the outer surface of the gripping member 31a. If the gripping member 31a is transferred to the accommodation space 10A in this state, there is a risk that the adhering material will fall and scatter during the transfer path. And when the adhering material scatters in this way, it becomes necessary for the operator to perform cleaning manually. Also, since the scattered material will be discarded, there is a loss of the material. Therefore, in the present embodiment, after performing the shaping operation, the adhering material removing operation described below is performed.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 12(g), after performing the releasing operation, the articulated robot 30 raises the gripping member 31a together with the adhering material.

[0064] Next, as shown in Fig. 12(h), the multi-joint robot 30 drops the attachment member onto the surface of the release member in the container by moving the gripping member 31a together with the attachment member. In this case, the movement is, for example, repeating vertical movement. Alternatively, for example, repeating horizontal movement or combining vertical movement and horizontal movement. Regarding the movement range (stroke) at this time and the number of times these movements are repeated, it can be set in advance in consideration of the size of the member, the shape of the member, the speed required for the mounting work, etc. Also, instead of setting it in advance like this, control may be performed according to the actual dropping situation. For example, the weight of the attachment member attached to the gripping member 31a may be measured by the weight sensor 30A, and the movement may be repeated until the weight of this attachment member falls below the threshold value. Also, in this case, if the weight of the attachment member does not fall below the threshold value even after repeating the movement a plurality of times, the movement range may be widened and the attachment member may be dropped with a larger movement. As a result, the release member attached to the gripping member 31a along with the shaping operation, the gripping operation, and the release operation falls onto the surface of the release member already mounted on the container. Therefore, for example, in the path of transfer to the storage space 10A, it is possible to prevent the attachment member from falling and scattering. Note that, as shown in Fig. 12(g), when the gripping member 31a is raised, if the gripping member 31a is raised higher than necessary, the attachment member may scatter outside the container along with the operation for dropping described above with reference to Fig. 12(h). Therefore, the gripping member 31a may be raised to such an extent that it does not interfere with this operation.

[0065] [Operation Mode Control] When causing the multi-joint robot 30 to execute various operations as described above, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 performs operation mode control. In operation mode control, first, various operations performed by the multi-joint robot 30 are classified into main operations and auxiliary operations.

[0066] The main operation is an essential operation for releasing the ingredients stored in the ingredient storage unit 10 into the container. For example, the following series of three operations are classified as main operations. (1) A gripping operation in which the ingredient is gripped by the hand 31 of the articulated robot 30 (2) A transfer operation in which the gripped ingredient is transferred to the container (3) A releasing operation in which the gripped ingredient is released

[0067] On the other hand, the auxiliary operation is not an essential operation, but is an operation for enhancing the accuracy of gripping a specified amount of ingredients or simplifying the maintenance of the articulated robot 30 and the ingredient storage unit 10. For example, the following operations are classified as auxiliary operations. (a) A surface detection operation for detecting the height of the surface of the ingredients in the ingredient storage unit 10 in order to enhance the accuracy of gripping a specified amount of ingredients (b) A standby operation in which waiting is performed while measuring until the weight of the gripped ingredient stabilizes (c) A shaping operation for shaping the ingredients served by leveling the released ingredients (d) An adhering ingredient removing operation for removing the adhering ingredient by dropping the ingredient adhering to the gripping member 31a onto the surface of the released ingredient (e) An arranging operation for arranging the state of the ingredients in the ingredient storage unit 10 Note that the auxiliary operation is performed between the series of main operations consisting of the above (1) to (3), before the series of main operations consisting of the above (1) to (3) starts, or after the series of main operations ends.

[0068] By performing the auxiliary operation, it is possible to enhance the accuracy of gripping a specified amount of ingredients or simplify the maintenance of the articulated robot 30 and the ingredient storage unit 10, etc., but during that time, the main operation cannot be performed. Therefore, when performing the auxiliary operation, the time required to complete the series of main operations consisting of the above (1) to (3) (so-called tact time) naturally becomes longer.

[0069] However, depending on the user or the situation, there is a need to minimize the time required to fill one container with ingredients rather than improving the accuracy of gripping a specified amount of ingredients. For example, this may be the case when some error in the weight of the ingredients dispensed into each container can be tolerated, or when some complexity in maintenance can be tolerated. Alternatively, for example, in a food factory, there may be a time limit that the ingredients must be filled within a predetermined time (e.g., within 30 minutes to 120 minutes) after being stored in the ingredient storage unit 10 from the perspective of maintaining the freshness of the ingredients and hygiene.

[0070] Even in such cases, always allocating a fixed amount of time to the auxiliary operation does not meet the user's needs. Therefore, in this embodiment, by performing operation mode control, the multi-joint robot 30 is controlled to behave in a manner that meets the user's needs. Specifically, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 switches between a first mode in which the time for executing the auxiliary operation is set to a first length with respect to the time for executing the main operation, and a second mode in which the time for executing the auxiliary operation is set to a second length that is shorter than the first length with respect to the time for executing the main operation. Thereby, the length of the time required for the auxiliary operation can be adjusted, and the multi-joint robot 30 can be controlled to behave more in line with the user's needs. Thereby, for example, according to the condition of the accuracy of gripping a specified amount of ingredients, the first mode and the second mode can be switched, and the time required for the operation of the multi-joint robot 30 can be more appropriately controlled.

[0071] In this embodiment, as an example, a surface detection operation for detecting the height of the surface of the ingredients in the ingredient storage unit 10 is used as the auxiliary operation, and this surface detection operation is targeted for control by the operation mode control. However, this is merely an example for explanation purposes and is not intended to limit the scope of application of the present invention. Auxiliary operations other than the surface detection operation may also be controlled by the operation mode control. Further, a plurality of auxiliary operations may also be controlled by the operation mode control. Furthermore, instead of switching between two modes, i.e., the first mode and the second mode, three or more modes may be switched.

[0072] As described above, in the present embodiment, the relationship between the depth inserted into the ingredient and the weight of the ingredient held at that time is grasped in advance by a function according to the density of the ingredient or the like. Then, by inserting the gripping member 31a into the ingredient by a depth corresponding to a specified amount from the surface of the ingredient, the ingredient can be gripped by the specified amount. That is, the surface detection operation for detecting the height of the surface of the ingredient in the ingredient storage unit 10 is an important auxiliary operation for improving the accuracy of gripping the ingredient by a specified amount.

[0073] However, when the selling mode of the packaged ingredient (prepared food) is by weight or when there is a time limit required by the user, it is desired to shorten the time required to complete a series of main operations rather than improving the accuracy of gripping the ingredient by a specified amount. Therefore, the articulated robot control unit 154 shortens the time required to complete a series of main operations by shortening the time required for the surface detection operation, which is an auxiliary operation.

[0074] For this purpose, the articulated robot control unit 154 receives an operation for selecting an operation mode by the user through the input unit 715 and determines whether to operate in the first mode or the second mode according to the operation. That is, according to the operation by the user, it switches between operating in the first mode and operating in the second mode.

[0075] When operating in the first mode, the articulated robot control unit 154 divides the material storage unit 10 into 12 regions as shown in the material state map of FIG. 8, and performs a surface detection operation each time a gripping operation is performed in each of the 12 regions. As a result, from the actual surface height, the gripping member 31a can be inserted into the material by a depth corresponding to a specified amount, and the accuracy of gripping the material by the specified amount can be improved.

[0076] On the other hand, when operating in the second mode, the articulated robot control unit 154 controls so that the time required for the surface detection operation is shortened. For this purpose, the articulated robot control unit 154 does not divide the material storage unit 10 into 12 regions, but largely divides it into 4 regions. For example, in the material state map of FIG. 8, three regions, region A1, region B1, and region C1, are treated as one large region. Then, a surface detection operation is performed in region A1, and the gripping member 31a is inserted into the material by a depth corresponding to a specified amount from the detected actual surface height. On the other hand, in regions B1 and C1, the surface detection operation is not performed, and the gripping member 31a is inserted into the material by the same depth as in region A1.

[0077] Alternatively, the articulated robot control unit 1,54 performs a surface detection operation in a certain region and applies the detected actual surface height to other neighboring regions as well. For example, when the actual surface height detected by performing a surface detection operation in region C1 is 20 [cm], it is estimated that the surface height of region C2 is also 20 [cm]. Then, in region C2, the surface detection operation is not performed, and assuming the surface height is 20 [cm], the gripping member 31a is inserted into the material by a depth corresponding to a specified amount from there.

[0078] Alternatively, the articulated robot control unit 154 reduces the frequency with which the surface detection operation is performed. For example, instead of performing the surface detection operation every time a gripping operation is performed in each region, the surface detection operation is performed only once every N times (N is any integer, for example, 3 times). Then, for the remaining two times, the current surface height is estimated by subtracting a specified amount of the ingredient gripped in the previous gripping operation from the actually detected surface height, and the gripping member 31a is inserted into the ingredient by a depth corresponding to the specified amount from this estimated surface height.

[0079] In either method, the number of times the surface detection operation, which is an auxiliary operation, is performed can be reduced relative to the number of times the gripping operation, which is the main operation, is performed, thereby shortening the time required for the surface detection operation.By shortening the time required for the surface detection operation, which is an auxiliary operation, in this way, the time required to complete a series of main operations can be shortened.

[0080] In addition, since the ingredients are initially stored flat in the ingredient storage section 10, if the same specified amount of ingredients are repeatedly gripped in each area, each area will remain flat. Therefore, even if the number of times the surface detection operation is performed is reduced in this way, the accuracy of gripping the specified amount of ingredients will not be extremely reduced. In this way, by performing the operation mode control, the time required for the operation of the articulated robot 30 can be more appropriately controlled.

[0081] [Overall operation] Next, the overall operation of the control system 1 will be described. 13 and 14 are flowcharts showing the flow of the ingredient plating process executed by the control system 1. The ingredient plating process is started, for example, when an operator performs an operation to start the ingredient plating process.

[0082] When the ingredient loading process starts, in step S11 of FIG. 13, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines the operation mode. That is, it determines whether to operate in the first mode or the second mode. This determination is made based on an operation by the user to select the operation mode. That is, in the present embodiment, the first mode and the second mode can be selected according to the user's desires (needs).

[0083] In step S12, the articulated robot control unit 154 prepares to grip the ingredients by reading data for operation (data such as operation pattern data and the insertion amount data of the hand 31) for a series of operations in the ingredient loading process from the parameter storage unit 171. Note that since the operation data is different between the first mode and the second mode, the articulated robot control unit 154 reads the operation data corresponding to the operation mode determined in step S11.

[0084] In step S13, the articulated robot control unit 154 transfers the hand 31 to the accommodation space 10A according to the operation pattern data.

[0085] In step S14, the articulated robot control unit 154 determines whether to perform the surface detection operation which is an auxiliary operation. As described above, in the first mode, the surface detection operation is performed each time the main operation of gripping is performed. Therefore, in the first mode, it is always determined as Yes. On the other hand, in the second mode, the number of times of performing the surface detection operation is reduced with respect to the number of times of performing the gripping operation. Therefore, in the second mode, it is determined as Yes only when the surface detection operation is performed, and it is determined as No when the surface detection operation is not performed. The criteria for whether to perform the surface detection operation in any case are as described in the column of [Operation Mode Control]. When the surface detection operation is to be performed, it is determined as Yes in step S14, and the process proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, when the surface detection operation is not to be performed, it is determined as No in step S14, and the process proceeds to step S15.

[0086] In step S15, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 lowers the hand 31 and causes the workpiece state determination unit 152 to perform a surface detection operation based on the reaction force data from the workpiece measured by the force sensor 30B. Thereby, the surface height of the workpiece can be detected.

[0087] In step S16, based on the operation pattern data read in step S12 and the surface height of the workpiece in the accommodation space 10A recognized in step S15, the depth at which the gripping member 31a is inserted into the workpiece is determined. If step S15 has not been performed, the surface height of the region where the gripping member 31a is to be inserted this time is estimated based on the surface height of the workpiece in other regions, and the depth at which the gripping member 31a is inserted is determined. In step S17, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 inserts the gripping member 31a into the workpiece up to the determined insertion depth, and then closes the gripping member 31a to grip the workpiece.

[0088] In step S18, the workpiece amount determination unit 153 measures the weight (physical quantity) of the gripped workpiece and determines whether or not a specified amount of the workpiece is gripped. If a specified amount of the workpiece is gripped, it is determined as Yes in step S19, and the process proceeds to step S20. On the other hand, if a specified amount of the workpiece is not gripped, it is determined as No in step S19, and the process is performed again from step S16. In this case, if the gripped workpiece exceeds the specified amount, in step S16 performed again, the insertion depth is re-determined to be shallower. On the other hand, if the gripped workpiece is less than the specified amount, in step S16 performed again, the insertion depth is re-determined to be deeper. Note that the operations from step S16 to step S19 correspond to the main gripping operation.

[0089] In step S20, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 transfers the gripping member 31a to the position of the container. Note that this corresponds to the transfer operation which is the main operation. In step S21, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 releases the gripping tool material gripped by the gripping member 31a to a predetermined area (for example, the center of the container on the horizontal plane) in the container. Note that this corresponds to the releasing operation which is the main operation.

[0090] Proceeding to FIG. 14, in step S22, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 raises the gripping member 31a while keeping it open. In step S23, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 closes and lowers the gripping member 31a. In step S24, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 levels the surface of the releasing tool material by opening the gripping member 31a while it is in contact with the releasing tool material. Thereby, the shaping operation is realized.

[0091] In step S25, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 drops the adhering tool material by the adhering tool material removing operation.

[0092] In step S26, the recording control unit 156 stores the control-related parameters acquired in the tool material filling process and the measurement data (history data) of the weight of the filled tool material in the history DB172. Also, the recording control unit 156 updates the tool material state map indicating the state of the tool material in the accommodation space 10A of the tool material accommodation unit 10, and stores this updated tool material state map in the history DB172 as well. Note that in this case, when there is an excess or deficiency in the weight of the filled tool material, an alert may be output to the operator or the like.

[0093] In step S27, the multi-joint robot control unit 154 determines whether or not it meets the condition for ending the tool material filling process. In this case, as the condition for ending the tool material filling process, it can be defined that the tool material has been filled into a planned number of containers, or an operation to end the tool material filling process has been performed by the operator, etc. If the conditions for ending the ingredient loading process are not met, it is determined as No in step S27, and the process is restarted from step S13. On the other hand, if the conditions for ending the ingredient loading process are met, it is determined as Yes in step S27, and the ingredient loading process ends.

[0094] As described above, the control system 1 according to the present embodiment switches between a first mode in which the time for executing the auxiliary operation is set to a first length with respect to the time for executing the main operation, and a second mode in which the time for executing the auxiliary operation is set to a second length shorter than the first length with respect to the time for executing the main operation. Thereby, the length of the time required for the auxiliary operation can be adjusted, and the articulated robot 30 can be controlled to behave more in line with the user's needs. That is, according to the control system 1, the time required for the operation of the articulated robot 30 can be more appropriately controlled.

[0095] [Modification Example 1] In the above-described embodiment, the surface detection operation is used as the auxiliary operation to perform the operation mode control and shorten the time required for the surface detection operation. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and operation mode control may be performed using an operation as exemplified below as the auxiliary operation, and the time required for this auxiliary operation may be shortened. When modified in this way, operation mode control may be performed using only one operation as the auxiliary operation, or operation mode control may be performed using a plurality of operations (for example, the surface detection operation and the shaping operation) as the auxiliary operations. Also, in this case, the same operation mode may be used for the plurality of operations, or different operation modes may be used for the plurality of operations. For example, the operation mode may be the first mode for a certain auxiliary operation, and the operation mode may be the second mode for another auxiliary operation.

[0096] (Standby Operation) In step S18 shown in FIG. 13, the weight of the gripping material is being measured. At this time, since a part of the gripping material or the adhering material may naturally fall, the measured weight value of the gripping material may not be stable immediately after gripping. In such a case, by waiting vertically above the accommodation space 10A until the measured weight value of the gripping material stabilizes, the measurement accuracy can be improved. This waiting operation may be set as an auxiliary operation.

[0097] And in the first mode, by performing the waiting operation every time the gripping operation is performed, the weight value of the gripping material can be measured with high accuracy. On the other hand, in the second mode, the time required for the waiting operation is shortened. For example, when the gripping operation is performed M times (M is an arbitrary integer, for example, 3 times), the waiting operation is performed only for the M-th time, and the waiting operation is not performed for the other times. Alternatively, the waiting operation is performed every time the gripping operation is performed, but the length of the waiting time in one waiting operation is made shorter than that in the first mode.

[0098] Alternatively, in the first mode, for example, on the condition that a stable state of the measured weight value variation amount (for example, a state where the variation is only a few grams) continues for a predetermined time (for example, 0.3 seconds). In this case, after the condition is once satisfied, although the weight value variation amount measured due to a subsequent fall becomes slightly unstable again, it becomes stable again and the condition is satisfied again, and this cycle of becoming slightly unstable again is repeated. However, since it converges in the direction of stability over time, when the condition is satisfied only a predetermined number of times (for example, 3 times), the waiting operation is terminated. On the other hand, in the second mode, when the condition is satisfied only a shorter number of times (for example, 1 time), the waiting operation is terminated. As described above, in the second mode, the time required for the waiting operation can be shortened.

[0099] (Deposit removal operation) In step S25 shown in FIG. 14, the material adhering to the gripping member 31a was removed. This deposit removal operation may also be set as an auxiliary operation. In the first mode, every time the releasing operation is performed, the deposit removing operation is carried out, thereby preventing the adhered ingredients from scattering unintentionally. On the other hand, in the second mode, when the gripping operation is performed L times (L is an arbitrary integer, for example, 3 times), the deposit removing operation is carried out only for the L-th time, and the deposit removing operation is not carried out for the other times. Thereby, in the second mode, the time required for the deposit removing operation can be shortened.

[0100] Also, when there is not much ingredient adhering to the gripping member 31a, there is no need to perform the deposit removing operation. Therefore, it may be determined whether or not to perform the deposit removing operation. For example, in the first mode, when an ingredient of a reference weight (for example, 10 grams) or more is adhered, the deposit removing operation is carried out. On the other hand, in the second mode, the reference weight is relaxed. For example, if the reference weight is 10 grams in the first mode, the reference weight is set to 20 grams in the second mode. Alternatively, in the second mode, the frequency of determining whether or not to perform the deposit removing operation is reduced. For example, instead of performing this determination every time the releasing operation is performed, when the releasing operation is performed X times (X is an arbitrary integer, for example, 3 times), the deposit removing operation is carried out only for the X-th time, and the deposit removing operation is not carried out in other cases. Thereby, in the second mode, the time required for the deposit removing operation can be shortened.

[0101] Note that as the deposit removing operation, not only removing the adhered ingredients by finely moving up and down or left and right as shown in FIG. 12, but also moving in a more finely vibrating manner, or suddenly stopping during the downward movement of the gripping member 31a to remove the adhered ingredients. Alternatively, the adhered ingredients may be removed by opening and closing (for example, normal opening and closing, continuous opening and closing, high-speed opening and closing) the gripping member 31a regardless of gripping or releasing. Also, as the deposit removing operation, not only the operation of removing the ingredients adhering to the gripping member 31a, but also the operation of removing the ingredients adhering to the inner wall surface of the ingredient storage portion 10 may be performed. For example, an operation of lowering the gripping member 31a while rubbing it against the inner wall surface of the ingredient storage portion 10 may be used as the deposit removing operation.

[0102] (Shaping operation) In step S24 shown in FIG. 14, the material in the container was shaped by leveling the adhering material. This shaping operation may also be regarded as an auxiliary operation. Similar to each of the above-described auxiliary operations, for example, in the first mode, the shaping operation is performed every time the releasing operation is performed, but in the second mode, the shaping operation may be performed only when the releasing operation is performed several times. Alternatively, in the second mode, the operating speed of the gripping member 31a during the shaping operation may be made higher than that in the first mode. Thereby, in the second mode, the time required for the shaping operation can be shortened.

[0103] Note that as the shaping operation, not only leveling the surface as shown in FIG. 11, but also, for example, an operation of shaping the material into a mountain shape by closing the gripping member 31a while raising it in a state where the gripping member 31a is in contact with the released material may be performed. Alternatively, for example, an operation of flattening the material by horizontally moving the gripping member 31a in a state where the gripping member 31a is in contact with the material that has been released once may also be performed.

[0104] (Log output operation) In step S26 shown in FIG. 14, the recording control unit 156 stored the control-related parameters acquired in the material loading process and the measurement data (history data) of the weight of the loaded material in the history DB 172. This history data is so-called log data and can be utilized for purposes such as analyzing the operation status of each operation by the articulated robot 30 and analyzing the cause when there is a problem with any operation.

[0105] The data that is the source of this log data is acquired by the articulated robot 30 and transmitted to the control device 40 all at once at the timing when a series of main operations are completed. However, it takes about several seconds to transmit this data. Therefore, this log output operation may also be regarded as an auxiliary operation. Similar to each of the above-described auxiliary operations, for example, in the first mode, a log output operation is performed every time a series of main operations are performed, but in the second mode, the log output operation may be performed only when a series of main operations are performed several times. Thereby, in the second mode, the time required for the log output operation can be shortened.

[0106] (Other auxiliary operations) Operations other than the above-described operations can also be used as auxiliary operations. Other examples of such operations are given below.

[0107] When the multi-joint robot 30 is holding a material having a predetermined weight (for example, 500 grams) or more, the movement of the multi-joint robot 30 may be restricted for the purpose of preventing the material from scattering or reducing the load applied to the multi-joint robot 30. This restricting operation may also be an auxiliary operation. For example, in the second mode, the predetermined weight may be loosened compared to the first mode (for example, if it is 500 grams in the first mode, it may be 800 grams in the second mode).

[0108] In the case of shredded materials (for example, cabbage) or long and thin materials (noodles or bean sprouts), etc., the materials stored in the material storage unit 10 may get entangled with each other, making it difficult to grip a specified amount. Therefore, prior to the gripping operation in the main operation, preliminary gripping may be performed to appropriately separate from the stored materials and then release them, making it easier to handle as a new lump of material. This preliminary gripping operation may also be an auxiliary operation.

[0109] When the material stored in the material storage unit 10 is in a flat state, it may be difficult to grip. Therefore, prior to the gripping operation in the main operation, preliminary gripping is performed to adjust the state of the stored material. For example, for a material with a flat surface, a preliminary gripping is performed to adjust it to a mountain-like shape having convex portions that are easy to grip. This operation of adjusting the state of the material in the material storage unit 10 may also be an auxiliary operation.

[0110] When the flatness of the surface of the material accommodated in the material accommodating portion 10 is low (rough), the insertion depth for gripping a specified amount becomes unclear. Therefore, prior to the gripping operation, the surface may be flattened by the gripping member 31a. For example, by utilizing the fact that the tip of the gripping member 31a is flat (has a linear edge portion), the bottom surface of the material accommodating portion 10 and the tip of the gripping member 31a are maintained in a parallel state, and the gripping member 31a is moved from the bottom surface of the material accommodating portion 10 at the same height. This operation of making the height of the surface of the material flat may be used as an auxiliary operation.

[0111] When the depth of the material in the material accommodating portion 10 is not sufficient for performing the gripping operation, a specified amount cannot be gripped. Therefore, prior to the gripping operation, the gripping member 31a may be used to gather the material against one wall surface of the material accommodating portion 10 to make the depth sufficient for performing the gripping operation. This operation of adjusting the state of the material in the material accommodating portion 10 may be used as an auxiliary operation.

[0112] Depending on the properties of the material (for example, having viscosity or adhesiveness), the material adhering to the gripping member 31a may accumulate and it may become difficult to remove. Therefore, the gripping member 31a may be moved to the cleaning position and a fluid (cleaning liquid or compressed air) may be sprayed onto the gripping member 31a, or the gripping member 31a may be immersed in the cleaning liquid to clean the gripping member 31a. This operation of cleaning the gripping member 31a may be used as an auxiliary operation.

[0113] By using each of the operations exemplified above as auxiliary operations, and similar to the other auxiliary operations described above, in the second mode, the time required for the auxiliary operations can be shortened by reducing the number or frequency of times the auxiliary operations are executed, shortening the time for executing the auxiliary operations, or varying the execution conditions.

[0114] [Modification Example 2] In the above-described embodiment, the control device 40 determines whether to operate in the first mode or the second mode according to the operation of the user. In this case, for example, an operator such as a worker in a food factory or the like, who is the user, directly selects whether to operate in the first mode or the second mode using a touch panel or the like corresponding to the output unit 716 shown in FIG. 6. Not limited to this, the control device 40 may receive an input operation of "conditions" desired by the user, and determine whether to operate in the first mode or the second mode by automatically determining a mode that matches the desired conditions.

[0115] In this case, the condition is the schedule of the place where the user works (for example, a food factory). That is, as a deadline until when or until what date, the schedule regarding delivery such as how many containers (that is, delivery items) with ingredients already arranged are required is input as a condition. The control device 40 that has received this input calculates the required tact time based on the time until the delivery deadline and the number of delivery items required. Then, if it is possible to meet this tact time when assuming the first mode, the first mode is recommended to the user. Alternatively, the operation in the first mode is started as it is. On the other hand, if it is not possible to meet this tact time when assuming the first mode, the second mode is recommended to the user. Alternatively, the operation in the second mode is started as it is.

[0116] Alternatively, the condition is the quality required at the location where the user works (e.g., a food factory). For example, it is a condition such as how much deviation from the specified amount of the weight of the packaged ingredients is acceptable, or how much maintenance (e.g., cleaning of the adhering ingredients) of the ingredient storage unit 10 and the gripping member 31a is acceptable. And, if these conditions can be satisfied when the second mode is assumed, the second mode is recommended to the user. Alternatively, the operation in the second mode is started as it is. On the contrary, if these conditions cannot be satisfied when the second mode is assumed, the first mode is recommended to the user. Alternatively, the operation in the first mode is started as it is.

[0117] In addition, as described in Modification 1, the control system 1 can also set a plurality of operations as auxiliary operations respectively. In this case, the operation mode may be made different by the auxiliary operations. For example, for a certain auxiliary operation, it may be the first mode, and for another auxiliary operation, it may be the second mode. In this case, the control device 40 may recommend, for example, setting different modes for each auxiliary operation in order to satisfy the conditions input by the user as described above. For example, it may be recommended to set the first mode for the auxiliary operation with a high degree of influence to satisfy the conditions, and to set the second mode for the conditions with a low degree of influence.

[0118] [Modification 3] In the above-described embodiment and Modification 2, the operation mode of the user is selected or the operation mode is set according to the conditions input by the user. Not limited to this, according to the type of the ingredient to be gripped in the gripping operation, the operation mode may be recommended, or the operation in the recommended mode may be started as it is.

[0119] Regarding the surface detection operation, an example of the case where the operation mode is recommended will be described. For example, assume that the ingredient to be gripped is potato salad. In this case, the area where the gripping operation is performed will be in a sunken state, but the other adjacent areas will remain in their original state. Then, as a whole, it will not be flat but will have undulations. That is, the surface height of the ingredient will vary depending on the area. Therefore, in such a case, it is desirable to perform the surface detection operation each time the gripping operation is performed, so the control device 40 recommends the first mode.

[0120] On the other hand, in the case of hijiki, kinpira, or ingredients with a lot of moisture (for example, a sticky soup-like ingredient), the area where the gripping operation is performed will be in a sunken state, but the ingredients in the other adjacent areas will flow into this sunken part. Then, as a whole, it will be flat and have no undulations. That is, the surface height of the ingredient will be uniform depending on the area. Therefore, in such a case, it is not necessary to perform the surface detection operation each time the gripping operation is performed, so the control device 40 recommends the second mode.

[0121] In addition, for example, if the ingredient has viscosity or adhesiveness, it is likely to adhere to the gripping member 31a. Therefore, when such an ingredient is the target of the gripping operation. Regarding the operation of removing the adhered ingredient, the first mode is recommended. In this way, by the control device 40 recommending the operation mode, it becomes possible to improve the convenience for the user.

[0122] [Modification Example 4] As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of control systems 1 are arranged for one belt conveyor 2 to form one line. The same containers are conveyed on this line, and each control system 1 is assumed to fill the same type of ingredient with the same specified amount. Therefore, the conditions required for each control system 1 are the same, and the tact time to be satisfied is also the same.

[0123] Therefore, the operation mode set in any one of the control systems 1 is also set in other control systems 1 on the same line. For example, when the first mode is set in any one of the control systems 1, the other control systems 1 also switch the setting to the first mode. This eliminates the need to operate each of the plurality of control systems 1. Therefore, it is possible to improve the convenience for the user.

[0124] [Configuration Example] As described above, the control system 1 in the present embodiment includes an articulated robot 30 having a gripping member 31a and a control device 40 that controls the operation of the articulated robot 30. The control device 40 causes the articulated robot 30 to execute a main operation of performing at least one of holding and releasing the ingredient by the gripping member 31a and an auxiliary operation performed to assist the main operation. Furthermore, the control device 40 switches between a first mode in which the time for executing the auxiliary operation is set to a first length with respect to the time for executing the main operation, and a second mode in which the time for executing the auxiliary operation is set to a second length that is shorter than the first length with respect to the time for executing the main operation. This makes it possible to adjust the length of time required for the auxiliary operation, and the articulated robot 30 can be controlled to behave more in line with the user's needs. For example, for a user who wants to improve the accuracy of gripping a specified amount of ingredients or simplify the maintenance of the articulated robot 30 and the ingredient storage unit 10 by performing the auxiliary operation, the auxiliary operation can be performed for a sufficient length of time. On the other hand, depending on the user or the situation, if the user wants to shorten the time required to ladle the ingredients into one container as much as possible rather than improving the accuracy of gripping a specified amount of ingredients or simplifying the maintenance, the time for the auxiliary operation can be shortened to shorten the time required until the ladling is completed. That is, according to the control system 1, the time required for the operation of the articulated robot 30 can be more appropriately controlled.

[0125] The control device 40 switches between a first mode and a second mode according to conditions regarding physical quantities required by the control system 1. Thereby, for example, according to conditions regarding how much deviation from a specified amount of the weight (physical quantity) of the ingredients to be loaded is allowable, the first mode and the second mode are switched, and the time required for the operation of the articulated robot 30 can be more appropriately controlled.

[0126] As an auxiliary operation, it includes an operation of detecting at least the surface height of the ingredients to be held. In the second mode, the control device 40 makes the time for executing the auxiliary operation a second length that is shorter than the first length by adjusting the execution target range or the execution frequency of the operation of detecting the surface height of the ingredients compared to the first mode. Thereby, the length of the time required for the operation of detecting the surface height of the ingredients can be adjusted, and the time required for the operation of the articulated robot 30 can be more appropriately controlled.

[0127] As an auxiliary operation, it includes an operation of waiting until the measured value of the physical quantity of at least the held ingredients stabilizes. In the second mode, the control device 40 makes the time for executing the auxiliary operation a second length that is shorter than the first length by adjusting the execution time per execution or the execution frequency of the waiting operation compared to the first mode. Thereby, the length of the time required for the operation of waiting until the measured value of the physical quantity of the held ingredients stabilizes can be adjusted, and the time required for the operation of the articulated robot 30 can be more appropriately controlled.

[0128] As an auxiliary operation, it includes an operation of removing at least the ingredients attached to the gripping member 31a. In the second mode, the control device 40 makes the time for executing the auxiliary operation a second length that is shorter than the first length by adjusting the determination criterion of whether to execute the removing operation or the execution frequency compared to the first mode. Thereby, the length of time required for the operation of removing the ingredients adhering to the gripping member 31a can be adjusted, and the time required for the operation of the articulated robot 30 can be more appropriately controlled.

[0129] The control device 40 determines whether to switch between the first mode and the second mode according to what the ingredient to be held is. Thereby, the length of time required for the auxiliary operation can be adjusted according to the properties of the ingredients, etc., and the time required for the operation of the articulated robot 30 can be more appropriately controlled.

[0130] The control device 40 recommends either the first mode or the second mode to the user based on satisfying the restrictions required by the user of the control system 1. Thereby, the length of time required for the auxiliary operation can be adjusted according to the restrictions (i.e., needs) required by the user, and the time required for the operation of the articulated robot 30 can be more appropriately controlled.

[0131] The control system 1 has a plurality of articulated robots 30, and the control device 40 switches between the first mode and the second mode so that the plurality of articulated robots 30 are in the same mode. Thereby, for example, the time required for the operation of the articulated robot 30 can be more appropriately controlled comprehensively in units of food factories or in units of lines sharing a transport device such as a single belt conveyor.

[0132] Note that the above-described embodiments and modified examples are examples of embodiments of the present invention, and various embodiments for realizing the functions of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiments and modifications, the case where the present invention is applied to a control system for arranging side dishes has been described as an example. However, the present invention can be applied to systems for gripping various objects. For example, the present invention can be applied to a system for gripping materials with high viscosity or adhesiveness, such as kneaded mortar, concrete, plaster, and clay. The present invention is suitable for gripping an object having a viscosity of medium viscosity or higher (5000 mPa·s) or higher at the working temperature or room temperature. In addition, the present invention can be implemented by appropriately combining the examples described in the above-described embodiments. The above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or by software. In other words, the functional configuration of FIG. 7 is merely illustrative and is not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient that the control system 1 is provided with a function capable of executing the above-described series of processes as a whole, and the functional blocks used to realize this function are not particularly limited to the example of FIG. 7. In addition, one functional block may be configured by hardware alone, by software alone, or by a combination thereof.

[0133] When the series of processes are executed by software, the program constituting the software is installed in a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer incorporated in dedicated hardware. Further, the computer may be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, for example, a general-purpose personal computer.

[0134] The storage medium for storing the program is composed of a removable medium distributed separately from the device body, or a storage medium pre-installed in the device body, etc. The removable medium is composed of, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory, etc. The optical disk is composed of, for example, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a Blu-ray Disc (registered trademark), etc. The magneto-optical disk is composed of an MD (Mini-Disk), etc. The flash memory is composed of, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or an SD card. Also, the storage medium pre-installed in the device body is composed of, for example, a ROM or a hard disk in which the program is stored, etc.

[0135] In addition, in this specification, the steps of describing the program recorded on the recording medium include not only the processes performed in chronological order along that order, but also the processes that are executed in parallel or individually even if they are not necessarily processed in chronological order. Also, in this specification, the term of the system shall mean the entire device composed of a plurality of devices, a plurality of means, etc.

[0136] The above embodiments show an example to which the present invention is applied, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. That is, the present invention can be variously modified such as omission and substitution without departing from the gist of the present invention, and various embodiments other than the above embodiments can be adopted. The various embodiments and their modifications that the present invention can adopt are included in the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

Explanation of Signs

[0137] 1 Control system, 2 Belt conveyor, 10 Ingredients storage section, 10A Storage space, 20 Container supply section, 21, 30A Weight sensor, 22 Container detection sensor, 30 Multi-joint robot, 30B Force sensor, 31 Hand, 31a Gripping member, 32 Robot arm, 40 Control device, 50 Shielding section, 151 Sensor information acquisition section, 152 Ingredients state determination section, 153 Ingredients quantity determination section, 154 Multi-joint robot control section, 155 Container supply control section, 156 Recording control section, 171 Parameter storage section, 172 History database (History DB), 711 CPU, 712 ROM, 713 RAM, 714 Bus, 715 Input section, 716 Output section, 717 Storage section, 718 Communication section, 719 Drive, 731 Removable media

Claims

1. A control system comprising a robot provided with a holding member and a control device for controlling the operation of the robot, wherein the control device, causes the robot to perform at least one of holding and releasing an object by the holding member, which is a main operation, and an auxiliary operation performed to assist the main operation, and causes the robot to execute the auxiliary operation for a first length of time with respect to the time of executing the main operation in a first mode, and for a second length shorter than the first length with respect to the time of executing the main operation in a second mode, and switches between the first mode and the second mode, characterized in that the control system is configured as described above.

2. The control device, switches between the first mode and the second mode according to conditions related to physical quantities required by the control system, characterized in that the control system according to claim 1 is configured as described above.

3. The auxiliary operation includes at least an operation of detecting the surface height of the object to be held, wherein the control device, in the second mode, adjusts the execution target range or execution frequency of the operation of detecting the surface height of the object to be shorter than that in the first mode, so that the time for executing the auxiliary operation is the second length shorter than the first length, characterized in that the control system according to claim 1 or 2 is configured as described above.

4. The auxiliary operation includes at least an operation of waiting until the measured value of the physical quantity of the held object stabilizes, wherein the control device, in the second mode, adjusts the execution time per execution or execution frequency of the waiting operation to be shorter than that in the first mode, so that the time for executing the auxiliary operation is the second length shorter than the first length, characterized in that the control system according to claim 1 or 2 is configured as described above.

5. The auxiliary operation includes at least an operation of removing the object attached to the holding member, wherein the control device, in the second mode, adjusts the determination criterion for whether to execute the removing operation or the execution frequency to be shorter than that in the first mode, so that the time for executing the auxiliary operation is the second length shorter than the first length, characterized in that the control system according to claim 1 or 2 is configured as described above.

6. The control device, ​ Determine whether to switch between the first mode and the second mode according to what the object to be held is. The control system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

7. The control device is Based on satisfying the restrictions required for the control system, recommend one of the first mode and the second mode to the user. The control system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

8. The control system has a plurality of the robots. The control device switches between the first mode and the second mode so that the plurality of robots are in the same mode. The control system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

9. A control device provided with control means for controlling the operation of a robot provided with a holding member, The control means is A main operation of performing at least one of holding and releasing the object by the holding member, An auxiliary operation performed to assist the main operation, Cause the robot to execute, A first mode in which the time for executing the auxiliary operation is set to a first length with respect to the time for executing the main operation, and a second mode in which the time for executing the auxiliary operation is set to a length shorter than the first length with respect to the time for executing the main operation. Switch between them. A control device characterized by that.

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