Moving device

Abstract

To solve the problem that, when moving two displacement parts in the same direction of movement, control corresponding to a positional relation of the displacement parts in the direction of movement may be required sometimes.SOLUTION: A moving device 1 comprises: a first linear actuator 11 configured to move a first displacement part 13 in a first direction; a second linear actuator 21 configured to move a second displacement part 23 in the first direction; a mobile main body 61 which is attached to the first displacement part 13 and the second displacement part 23; a force sensor 71 configured to detect a force which acts between the first displacement part 13 and the mobile main body 61; and a control section 90 which controls operation of at least one of the first linear actuator 11 and the second linear actuator 21 based on a detection result of the force sensor 71. Control corresponding to a positional relation of two displacement parts in the same direction can be performed in simple configuration by the moving device 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a moving device that can move a moving body attached to two displacement portions in a moving direction. [Background technology]

[0002] A moving device using a linear actuator that moves a moving body in one axial direction is used for various purposes.

[0003] One such moving device, for example, uses a linear actuator to move a stage (moving body) placed on multiple linear guides. In such a configuration, depending on the application, a single linear actuator may not provide enough driving force. Furthermore, due to the layout of the components, the actuator may have to be located close to one of the linear guides, resulting in an extreme imbalance between the driving side and the driven side. When such a problem is a concern, a moving device may be constructed by arranging two actuators so that each actuator moves a displacement unit in the same direction, and attaching a stage to both displacement units (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-128783 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when two actuators are arranged so that each displacement part moves in the same direction, as described above, the relative positions of the displacement parts in the direction of movement become important. For example, when an actuator using a ball screw with nuts as displacement parts is used, if there is a misalignment in the position of the two nuts in the direction of movement, the resistance during operation increases, which increases the required driving force and shortens the life of the device.

[0006] In addition, the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 describes that the orthogonality of the beam is calculated using the difference between the left and right movement amounts, measured using a scale arranged on the linear motor, and when the orthogonality deviates from a certain range, it is controlled so that it falls within that range. However, there may be situations in which the method using the scale cannot be used.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a movement device that can perform control according to the positional relationship between two displacement units in the same direction with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The moving device of the first invention is a moving device comprising: a first linear actuator configured to move the first displacement part in a first direction; a second linear actuator configured to move the second displacement part in the first direction; a moving body main body attached to the first displacement part and the second displacement part, respectively, arranged across the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator, and configured to move in the first direction by the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator operating together; a force sensor arranged between the first displacement part and the moving body main body, configured to detect the magnitude of the force acting between the first displacement part and the moving body main body; and a control unit that controls the operation of at least one of the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator based on the detection result of the force sensor.

[0009] With this configuration, it is possible to perform control according to the positional relationship in the first direction between the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion with a simple configuration.

[0010] In addition, the moving device of the second invention is a moving device in which, compared to the first invention, the control unit operates at least one of the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator so as to reduce the magnitude of the force acting between the first displacement part and the moving body main body detected by the force sensor.

[0011] With this simple configuration, the movable body can be moved without changing the positional relationship between the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion in the first direction.

[0012] Furthermore, the moving device of the third invention is a moving device in which, compared to the first invention, the control unit is configured to determine whether the detection result of the force sensor satisfies a predetermined tolerance condition, and if it determines that the tolerance condition is not satisfied, to perform adjustment control to change the positional relationship between the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion by operating at least one of the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator.

[0013] With this simple configuration, the movable body can be moved while the positional relationship between the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion in the first direction is adjusted with high precision based on predetermined allowable conditions.

[0014] Furthermore, the moving device of the fourth invention is a moving device in which, compared to the third invention, the control unit determines whether the tolerance conditions are met using the magnitude of the force moment around an axis perpendicular to a plane in which the first displacement part and the second displacement part can both be located, and the magnitude of the force in the compression direction, both detected by the force sensor.

[0015] With this simple configuration, the movable body can be moved while the positional relationship between the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion in the first direction is adjusted with high precision based on predetermined allowable conditions.

[0016] In addition, the moving device of the fifth invention is a moving device that, compared to the first invention, includes a third linear actuator configured to move the first linear actuator in a second direction different from the first direction, and a fourth linear actuator configured to move the second linear actuator in the second direction, and the control unit further controls the operation of at least one of the third linear actuator and the fourth linear actuator based on the detection result of the force sensor.

[0017] With this configuration, it is possible to perform control according to the positional relationship between the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion in the first direction and the second direction with a simple configuration. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, in a movement device, control can be performed according to the positional relationship between two displacement units in the same direction with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a robot system according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the moving device. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the moving device. [Figure 5] A flowchart showing an example of the control operation of the control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of a moving device and a robot system using the same will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] The coordinates shown in the following drawings indicate directions and are common to all the drawings. The Z direction of the coordinate system is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. The X direction is perpendicular to the Z direction, and the Y direction is perpendicular to the Z direction and perpendicular to the X direction. The Z direction is sometimes referred to as the up-down direction (the positive direction on the Z axis as viewed from the origin of the coordinate system shown is up), the Y direction is sometimes referred to as the left-right direction (the positive direction on the Y axis as viewed from the origin of the coordinate system shown is right), and the X direction is sometimes referred to as the front-to-back direction (the positive direction on the X axis as viewed from the origin of the coordinate system shown is back or front). The up-to-down direction is sometimes referred to as the first direction, the front-to-back direction as the second direction, and the left-to-right direction as the third direction.

[0022] In the following description, the shape and positional relationship of each part may be explained by indicating each direction in this way, but the specified directions are merely for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the orientation or posture of each device, etc., when used according to the present invention. Furthermore, expressions indicating directions and expressions indicating states such as horizontal, vertical, orthogonal, etc., usually only indicate that they can be roughly understood as such, and are not necessarily to be referred to or interpreted strictly as such.

[0023] (Embodiment)

[0024] The outline of this embodiment is as follows. The moving device is configured to move a moving body in a first direction using at least two linear actuators. A force sensor is provided to detect a force acting between the moving body and a displacement unit that moves in the first direction in at least one of the linear actuators. The operation of at least one of the two linear actuators can be controlled by a control unit according to the detection result of the force sensor. This makes it possible to adjust the positional relationship between the displacement units, such as the misalignment in the first direction of the displacement units of each linear actuator, and to maintain the posture of the moving body and move the moving body smoothly in the first direction.

[0025] The configuration of the moving device thus constructed and the configuration of a robot system, which is one example of its use, will be described below.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a robot system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] The robot system 100 includes a moving device 1 and a moving carriage 6.

[0028] In this embodiment, the moving device 1 includes a first linear actuator 11, a second linear actuator 21, a third linear actuator 31, a fourth linear actuator 41, a moving body main body 61, a force sensor 71, and a control unit 90. The first linear actuator 11 and the second linear actuator 21 may be referred to as a first moving unit 110. The third linear actuator 31 and the fourth linear actuator 41 may be referred to as a second moving unit 120. In other words, it can be said that the moving device 1 includes the first moving unit 110, the second moving unit 120, the moving body main body 61, and the control unit 90.

[0029] The first moving section 110 supports the moving body main body 61. The first moving section 110 displaces the moving body main body 61 in a first direction. The second moving section 120 supports the first moving section 110 and moves the first moving section 110 in a second direction. That is, the second moving section 120 displaces the moving body main body 61 in the second direction. In this embodiment, the up-down direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane is defined as the first direction (Z direction), and the second direction is defined as the front-rear direction perpendicular to the first direction (X direction).

[0030] The mobile device 1 is configured to be able to move the position of the mobile body main body 61 in a first direction and a second direction by the first mobile unit 110 and the second mobile unit 120. For example, various end effectors, robot hands, etc. may be attached to the mobile body main body 61, but this is not limited to these. The robot system 100 is configured to be able to realize operations performed by the robot system 100 by changing the position of the mobile body main body 61 by the mobile device 1. Note that the mobile device 1 does not necessarily have to have the second mobile unit 120. Furthermore, the mobile device 1 may have a third mobile unit that moves the mobile body main body 61 in a third direction (for example, a left-right direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction).

[0031] The moving device 1 is fixed to the moving dolly 6. For example, the third linear actuator 31 and the fourth linear actuator 41 of the second moving unit 120 are fixed to the moving dolly 6. Note that if the second moving unit 120 is not provided in the moving device 1, for example, the lower end of the first linear actuator 11 and the lower end of the second linear actuator 21 may be fixed to the moving dolly 6. For example, the moving dolly 6 may have a base to which the base end of the second moving unit 120 is fixed, and multiple traveling means fixed to the base and capable of traveling on a traveling surface such as a floor. The shape of the base is not important, and for example, it may be a plate-shaped member. The traveling means are usually wheels, but may also be rollers, caterpillars, ball casters, or other devices. Furthermore, the moving dolly 6 has a driving means for driving the traveling means, but this is not necessary. In the latter case, the moving dolly 6 may be moved manually. Furthermore, the manually moved mobile dolly 6 may have a fixing means for fixing the running means so that the mobile dolly 6 does not move when the moving units 110, 120 perform local operations. The fixing means may be, for example, wheel stoppers. While the moving units 110, 120 perform local operations, the mobile dolly 6 can perform the operations in a larger area.

[0032] The robot system 100 has a reception unit (not shown) for receiving operations and instructions from a user regarding the mobile carriage 6 or the moving units 110, 120. The reception unit may be realized by hardware or by software such as a driver that drives a predetermined device. The robot system 100 also has a system control unit (not shown) that controls the operation of the mobile carriage 6 or the moving units 110, 120. The system control unit may be configured to function as a control unit 90, as described below.

[0033] Next, the configuration of the moving device 1 will be described.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the moving device 1. As shown in FIG.

[0035] In Fig. 2, the second moving section 120 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. In Fig. 2 and the following figures, the schematic configuration of the moving device 1 is shown, and detailed configuration is omitted. The detailed configuration can be appropriately selected using known structures and means.

[0036] In this embodiment, the first linear actuator 11 and the second linear actuator 21 are configured using, for example, a ball screw mechanism. That is, the first linear actuator 11 has a screw shaft 12, a first displacement unit 13 having a nut attached to the screw shaft 12, and a motor 15 as a driving means for rotating the screw shaft 12. As the motor 15 is driven to rotate the screw shaft 12, the first displacement unit 13 moves along the screw shaft 12. Meanwhile, the second linear actuator 21 has a screw shaft 22, a second displacement unit 23 having a nut attached to the screw shaft 22, and a motor 25 as a driving means for rotating the screw shaft 22. As the motor 25 is driven to rotate the screw shaft 22, the second displacement unit 23 moves along the screw shaft 22.

[0037] In this embodiment, the screw shafts 12, 22 of the linear actuators 11, 21 are arranged parallel to each other and aligned in the third direction (left-right direction). The screw shafts 12, 22 are arranged side by side parallel to the first direction. That is, the first linear actuator 11 is configured to be able to move the first displacement portion 13 in the first direction. The second linear actuator 21 is configured to be able to move the second displacement portion 23 in the first direction. Note that the first linear actuator 11 and the second linear actuator 21 may have, for example, the screw shafts 12, 22 and motors 15, 25 having the same specifications, but are not limited to this.

[0038] In this embodiment, the third linear actuator 31 and the fourth linear actuator 41 are also configured using, for example, a ball screw mechanism. The third linear actuator 31 has a screw shaft 32, a third displacement unit 33 having a nut attached to the screw shaft 32, and a motor 35 as a driving means for rotating the screw shaft 32. As the motor 35 is driven to rotate the screw shaft 32, the third displacement unit 33 moves along the screw shaft 32. The fourth linear actuator 41 has a screw shaft 42, a fourth displacement unit 43 having a nut attached to the screw shaft 42, and a motor 45 as a driving means for rotating the screw shaft 42. As the motor 45 is driven to rotate the screw shaft 42, the fourth displacement unit 43 moves along the screw shaft 42.

[0039] In this embodiment, the screw shafts 32, 42 are arranged substantially parallel to each other and aligned in the third direction (left-right direction). The screw shafts 32, 42 are arranged side by side parallel to the second direction. That is, the third linear actuator 31 is configured to move the third displacement portion 33 in the second direction. Furthermore, the fourth linear actuator 41 is configured to move the fourth displacement portion 43 in the second direction. Note that the third linear actuator 31 and the fourth linear actuator 41 may have, for example, the screw shafts 32, 42 and the motors 35, 45 having the same specifications, but are not limited to this.

[0040] A first linear actuator 11 is attached to the third displacement portion 33. The first linear actuator 11 is configured to be movable in the second direction by the third linear actuator 31. A second linear actuator 21 is attached to the fourth displacement portion 43. The second linear actuator 21 is configured to be movable in the second direction by the fourth linear actuator 41. The third linear actuator 31 and the fourth linear actuator 41 both move the displacement portions 33, 43 at the same speed, thereby making it possible for the first moving portion 110 to move in the second direction.

[0041] In this embodiment, the movable body main body 61 is a beam-shaped member that is provided so that the third direction is the longitudinal direction. The shape of the movable body main body 61 is not important. A structure formed by combining a plurality of members may be provided as the movable body main body 61.

[0042] The movable body main body 61 is disposed across the first linear actuator 11 and the second linear actuator 21. The movable body main body 61 is attached to each of the first displacement section 13 and the second displacement section 23 at attachment sections 65 near each end of the movable body main body 61 in the longitudinal direction. The movable body main body 61 being attached to the displacement sections 13, 23 may include not only a state in which the movable body main body 61 is directly attached to the displacement sections 13, 23, but also a state in which the movable body main body 61 is attached to the displacement sections 13, 23 via other members or the like. For example, when the movable body main body 61 is attached to a member attached to the second displacement section 23, it may also be said that the movable body main body 61 is attached to the second displacement section 23.

[0043] The movable body main body 61 is attached to the first displacement portion 13 and the second displacement portion 23 in this manner, and moves in the first direction when the first linear actuator 11 and the second linear actuator 21 operate together. In other words, the first linear actuator 11 and the second linear actuator 21 move the displacement portions 13, 23 at the same speed together, thereby enabling the movable body main body 61 to move in the first direction.

[0044] The force sensor 71 can detect the magnitude of the force acting between the first displacement portion 13 and the movable body main body 61. In this embodiment, the force sensor 71 is disposed between the first displacement portion 13 and the movable body main body 61. In other words, the first displacement portion 13 and the movable body main body 61 are connected via the force sensor 71. The force sensor 71 is fixed to the first displacement portion 13 and the mounting portion 65 on the first linear actuator 11 side, respectively. The force sensor 71 is, for example, a six-axis force sensor, but is not limited to this. For example, it may be a three-axis force sensor. By using the detection results of the force sensor 71, it is possible to identify, for example, forces in each direction acting between the first displacement portion 13 and the mounting portion 65, and force moments around axes passing through the mounting portion 65 and parallel to each direction. Hereinafter, moments and forces may be collectively referred to simply as forces.

[0045] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the moving device 1. As shown in FIG.

[0046] The control unit 90 includes a determination unit 91, a drive control unit 92, and a drive circuit unit 95. The control unit 90 is configured to be able to acquire information output from the force sensor 71. The control unit 90 is also configured to control the operation of each of the linear actuators 11, 21, 31, and 41, such as by supplying power to each of the linear actuators 11, 21, 31, and 41 to operate them.

[0047] The determination unit 91 is configured to determine whether or not predetermined control conditions are satisfied regarding the control of the operations of the linear actuators 11, 21, 31, and 41. For example, as will be described later, the determination unit 91 determines whether or not predetermined tolerance conditions are satisfied when predetermined adjustment conditions are satisfied.

[0048] The drive control unit 92 outputs a control signal to a drive circuit unit 95 for operating the linear actuators 11, 21, 31, and 41. For example, based on the control signal, the drive circuit unit 95 supplies power from a power source (not shown) to the motors 15, 25, 35, and 45 of the linear actuators 11, 21, 31, and 41. Note that the configuration of the drive circuit unit 95 and the control signal for operating the drive circuit unit 95 can be set appropriately depending on the types of motors 15, 25, 35, and 45 used, etc.

[0049] In this embodiment, the control unit 90 controls the operation of at least one of the first linear actuator 11 and the second linear actuator 21 based on the detection result of the force sensor 71. For example, when a predetermined adjustment condition is satisfied, the determination unit 91 determines whether the detection result of the force sensor 71 satisfies a predetermined tolerance condition. If the determination unit 91 determines that the tolerance condition is not satisfied, the drive control unit 92 performs adjustment control to change the positional relationship between the first displacement unit 13 and the second displacement unit 23 by operating at least one of the first linear actuator 11 and the second linear actuator 21. The adjustment control is performed, for example, by operating at least one of the first linear actuator 11 and the second linear actuator 21 so as to reduce the magnitude of the force acting between the first displacement unit 13 and the mobile body 61 detected by the force sensor 71. Note that the adjustment control may also be performed to reduce the magnitude of a component in a specific direction or the magnitude of a specific moment of the force acting between the first displacement unit 13 and the mobile body 61 detected by the force sensor 71.

[0050] The adjustment condition is, for example, the arrival of a predetermined timing. The predetermined timing can be, for example, the timing when a predetermined initialization operation or a positioning operation (calibration) is performed, but is not limited to this. The predetermined timing may also be the arrival of a preset date and time or the passage of a predetermined time since the previous predetermined operation or judgment was performed. Alternatively, the adjustment condition may be the issuance of a predetermined instruction by a user or the like.

[0051] The allowable condition may be, for example, a condition related to a force or moment in a predetermined direction detected by the force sensor 71. For example, the allowable condition may be a condition related to the magnitude of the force moment about an axis perpendicular to a plane in which the first displacement portion 13 and the second displacement portion 23 can both be located and the magnitude of the force in the compression direction, both detected by the force sensor 71. That is, in this embodiment, the determination unit 91, i.e., the control unit 90, may determine whether the allowable condition is satisfied using the magnitude of the force moment about an axis perpendicular to a plane in which the first displacement portion 13 and the second displacement portion 23 can both be located and the magnitude of the force in the compression direction, both detected by the force sensor 71. Here, in this embodiment, the moment of force about an axis perpendicular to a plane in which the first displacement portion 13 and the second displacement portion 23 can both be located can be referred to as a moment of force about an axis in the second direction (X-axis). Furthermore, the force in the compression direction can be referred to as a force in a third direction (a direction parallel to the Y-axis), i.e., a force in a direction in which the first displacement portion 13 and the second displacement portion 23 approach or move away from each other. Compressive forces include negative or tensile forces.

[0052] In this embodiment, the control unit 90 uses the force sensor 71 to control the change in the positional relationship between the first displacement portion 13 and the second displacement portion 23, so that even if a deviation occurs in the positions of the first displacement portion 13 and the second displacement portion 23 in the first direction, the deviation can be reduced or eliminated.

[0053] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the moving device 1. In FIG.

[0054] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a state in which a positional deviation D occurs between the first displacement portion 13 and the second displacement portion 23 in the first direction. That is, if the force acting between the first displacement portion 13 and the movable body main body 61 detected by the force sensor 71 is configured to be small when there is no deviation, the deviation D occurs and the distance between the first displacement portion 13 and the second displacement portion 23 changes, thereby increasing the magnitude of the force acting between the first displacement portion 13 and the movable body main body 61. Specifically, for example, the moment M1 or the compressive force (tensile force) F1 increases. In this embodiment, when the deviation D occurs and the magnitude of the force detected by the force sensor 71 increases, the positional relationship between the first displacement portion 13 and the second displacement portion 23 is adjusted, and the deviation D can be reduced or eliminated.

[0055] The control unit 90 may be further configured to control the operation of at least one of the third linear actuator 31 and the fourth linear actuator 41 based on the detection result of the force sensor 71. In this case, the determination unit 91 may determine whether or not the tolerance conditions are satisfied for the second moving unit 120 based on the detection result of the force sensor 71, similar to the determination for the first moving unit 110 as described above. For example, the positional relationship between the first linear actuator 11 and the second linear actuator 21 in the second direction may be adjusted by determining whether or not tolerance conditions are satisfied for the moment of force about the axis in the first direction (Z-axis) and the force in the third direction (Y-axis direction), which become large when there is a positional deviation between the first linear actuator 11 and the second linear actuator 21 in the second direction.

[0056] When changing the positional relationship between the first displacement unit 13 and the second displacement unit 23, the control unit 90 may be configured to change the position of one of the first displacement unit 13 and the second displacement unit 23 by controlling the operation of a specific one of the first linear actuator 11 and the second linear actuator 21, or may be configured to control the operations of both linear actuators 11, 21. The same applies when the positional relationship between the displacement units 33, 43 in the second moving unit 120 is changed.

[0057] The flow of control by the control unit 90 can be represented by the following flowchart, for example. The control unit 90 operates as follows as a result of the determination unit 91 and drive control unit 92 operating as described above. The operations of the following flowchart are, for example, periodically and repeatedly executed, but are not limited to this.

[0058] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the control operation of the control unit 90.

[0059] (Step S11) The control unit 90 determines whether or not the adjustment condition is satisfied. The control unit 90 waits until it determines that the adjustment condition is satisfied, and if it determines that the adjustment condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0060] (Step S12) The control unit 90 acquires the detection result of the force sensor 71.

[0061] (Step S13) The control unit 90 determines whether or not the permissible conditions are satisfied using the detection result of the force sensor 71. If it is determined that the permissible conditions are satisfied, the process ends; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0062] (Step S14) The control unit 90 performs adjustment control. For example, it outputs a control signal to change the position of one of the first displacement unit 13 and the second displacement unit 23 according to the detection result of the force sensor 71. When the adjustment control is completed, the process returns to step S12.

[0063] The adjustment control may be performed by moving the first displacement part 13 or the second displacement part 23 in a direction corresponding to the direction of the force acting between the first displacement part 13 and the movable body main body 61. Furthermore, the adjustment control may be performed in such a way that, depending on whether the magnitude of the force acting between the first displacement part 13 and the movable body main body 61 increases or decreases when the first displacement part 13 or the second displacement part 23 is moved in either direction, it is determined whether the first displacement part 13 or the second displacement part 23 is moved in that direction or in the opposite direction.

[0064] The adjustment control may be, for example, control to move the first displacement unit 13 or the second displacement unit 23 by a predetermined movement amount. In this case, the adjustment control is repeated until it is determined that the tolerance condition is satisfied. Note that the series of processes may end when the adjustment control ends. In this case, the adjustment control is executed again when it is determined that the adjustment condition is satisfied the next time. The adjustment control may also be, for example, control to change the position of the first displacement unit 13 or the second displacement unit 23 until a judgment condition different from the tolerance condition is satisfied. For example, the position of the first displacement unit 13 or the second displacement unit 23 may be changed until it is determined from the detection result of the force sensor 71 that the positional deviation between the first displacement unit 13 and the second displacement unit 23 in the first direction is further reduced, such as when the force acting between the first displacement unit 13 and the movable body main body 61 is minimized.

[0065] Although the above-described flowchart shows an example of the control operation when only the first moving unit 110 is considered, a similar control operation may be performed for the second moving unit 120. For example, when it is determined that the tolerance condition is not satisfied based on the detection result of the force sensor 71, the control unit 90 may perform adjustment control for one or both of the first moving unit 110 and the second moving unit 120 depending on the direction of the force acting between the first displacement unit 13 and the moving body main body 61, etc. Furthermore, adjustment control may be performed for each of the first moving unit 110 and the second moving unit 120 by changing the positions of the displacement units 13, 23, 33, and 43 so that the magnitude of the force detected by the force sensor 71 is reduced.

[0066] The configuration of the above embodiment has the following advantages. Specifically, when the two displacement units 13, 23 or the displacement units 33, 43 of the first movable unit 110 and the second movable unit 120 are moved in the same movement direction, it may be desirable to adjust the positional relationship between the displacement units in the movement direction. In such a case, according to the present embodiment, a simple configuration using the force sensor 71 can adjust the positional relationship between the two displacement units 13, 23 or the displacement units 33, 43 in the same direction. That is, with a simple configuration, the movable body main body 61 can be moved without changing the positional relationship between the first displacement unit 13 and the second displacement unit 23 in the first direction. Furthermore, the first movable unit 110 and the movable body main body 61 can be moved without changing the positional relationship between the third displacement unit 33 and the fourth displacement unit 43 in the second direction. By using the force sensor 71, it is possible to detect and adjust the positional deviation of the displacement units 13, 23 in the first direction and the positional deviation of the displacement units 33, 43 in the second direction with high accuracy.

[0067] (others)

[0068] In the above embodiment, the components of the control unit 90 that controls the mobile device 1 may be configured with dedicated hardware, or components that can be realized by software may be realized by executing a program. For example, each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory. During execution, the program execution unit may execute the program while accessing a storage unit or recording medium. The program may also be executed by being downloaded from a server or the like, or by being read from a predetermined recording medium (e.g., an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a semiconductor memory, etc.). The program may also be used as a program constituting a program product. The program may be executed by a single computer or multiple computers. That is, centralized processing or distributed processing may be performed.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, each process (each function) may be realized by centralized processing by a single device (system), or may be realized by distributed processing by multiple devices (in this case, the entire system consisting of multiple devices performing distributed processing can be understood as a single "device").

[0070] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the transfer of information between components may be performed, for example, by one component outputting information and the other component receiving information if the two components transferring the information are physically different, or by moving from a processing phase corresponding to one component to a processing phase corresponding to the other component if the two components transferring the information are physically the same.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, information related to the processing performed by each component, such as information accepted, acquired, selected, generated, transmitted, or received by each component, and information such as thresholds, formulas, and addresses used in processing by each component, may be temporarily or long-term stored in a recording medium (not shown), even if not explicitly stated in the above description. Furthermore, the storage of information in the recording medium (not shown) may be performed by each component or a storage unit (not shown). Furthermore, the reading of information from the recording medium (not shown) may be performed by each component or a reading unit (not shown).

[0072] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, if the information used by each component, such as thresholds, addresses, and various setting values ​​used by each component in processing, may be changed by the user, the user may or may not be able to change the information as appropriate, even if not explicitly stated in the above description. If the information is changeable by the user, the change may be realized, for example, by a receiving unit (not shown) that receives a change instruction from the user and a changing unit (not shown) that changes the information in accordance with the change instruction. The change instruction may be received by the receiving unit (not shown), for example, from an input device, by receiving information transmitted via a communication line, or by receiving information read from a predetermined recording medium.

[0073] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible, and these modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0074] The components of the above-described embodiments and modifications may be replaced with or combined with other components as appropriate. Also, some of the components and functions of the above-described embodiments and modifications may be omitted.

[0075] The robot system is not limited to the above-described conveying device. The robot system may not have a carriage. For example, the robot system may be fixed to a fixed base or the like.

[0076] Each linear actuator is not limited to one using a ball screw mechanism as described above. For example, the linear actuator may have a rack and pinion mechanism and a drive means for rotating the pinion. The linear actuator may also have a pair of pulleys, an endless belt stretched around the pair of pulleys, and a drive means for rotating the pulleys. The linear actuator may also use a sprocket and a chain instead of the pulleys and belt, or may have another configuration.

[0077] The mounting position of the force sensor is not limited to the above-mentioned position. For example, the force sensor may be embedded inside the movable body or disposed on the surface of the movable body so as to be able to detect the force acting on the movable body. The force sensor may also be a sensor (such as a strain gauge) capable of detecting distortion of the movable body. In addition to the force sensor provided at the attachment portion of the first displacement unit to the movable body, one or more other force sensors may be used, and adjustment control may be performed using the detection results of two or more force sensors. [Industrial Applicability]

[0078] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the movement device according to the present invention has an effect of being able to perform control according to the positional relationship between two displacement units in the same direction with a simple configuration, and is useful as a movement device or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1 moving device, 11 first linear actuator, 13 first displacement unit, 21 second linear actuator, 23 second displacement unit, 31 third linear actuator, 41 fourth linear actuator, 61 moving body main body, 71 force sensor, 90 control unit, 100 robot system

Claims

1. a first linear actuator configured to move the first displacement portion in a first direction; a second linear actuator configured to move the second displacement portion in a first direction; a movable body main body attached to the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion, respectively, disposed across the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator, and configured to move in a first direction by the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator operating together; a force sensor disposed between the first displacement portion and the movable body, the force sensor being configured to be able to detect the magnitude of a force acting between the first displacement portion and the movable body; a control unit that controls the operation of at least one of the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator based on the detection result of the force sensor.

2. The moving device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit operates at least one of the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator so as to reduce the magnitude of the force acting between the first displacement portion and the moving body main body detected by the force sensor.

3. The control unit determining whether the detection result of the force sensor satisfies a predetermined tolerance condition; The moving device described in claim 1, which is configured to perform adjustment control to change the positional relationship between the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion by operating at least one of the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator when it is determined that the tolerance condition is not met.

4. The movement device described in claim 3, wherein the control unit determines whether the tolerance condition is met using the magnitude of the force moment about an axis perpendicular to a plane in which the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion can both be located and the magnitude of the force in the compression direction, both detected by the force sensor.

5. a third linear actuator configured to move the first linear actuator in a second direction different from the first direction; a fourth linear actuator configured to move the second linear actuator in a second direction; The movement device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit further controls an operation of at least one of the third linear actuator and the fourth linear actuator based on a detection result of the force sensor.

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