Transfer system

Abstract

To provide a transfer system and the like, which can more properly hold an article by using a five-axis robot.SOLUTION: A transfer system (1) comprises: a transfer part (12) that is a five-axis robot including a drive part (12b) having a rotation mechanism (121) for rotating a picking head (12a) and a tilt mechanism (122) for tilting the picking head (12a) around a tilt axis orthogonal to a rotation axis of the rotation mechanism (121); and a drive control part (15c) that controls the rotation mechanism (121) so that a suction object surface of an article (W) and the tilt axis can be parallel to each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transfer system for transferring goods in logistics. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in logistics warehouses and the like, a transfer system equipped with a picking device (transfer device) such as a robot arm has been used to efficiently sort and separate a large number of different items into shipping containers according to their destinations.Regarding this type of transfer system, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a multi-axis robot is controlled based on the posture of a workpiece detected by image processing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-245283 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, six-axis robots are conventionally used as picking devices, but five-axis robots (XYZ directional axes + head rotation axis + head tilt axis = 5 axes) are sometimes used as picking devices because they have a simpler structure and are more adaptable to multi-row conveyor layouts. In this case, it is necessary to use a five-axis robot, which has one fewer axis than conventional six-axis robots, to properly hold items.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a transfer system or the like that can appropriately hold an article using the five-axis robot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a transfer system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a transfer unit that is a five-axis robot including a picking head including an adsorption unit that adsorbs an item, and a drive unit that raises and lowers the picking head and moves the picking head in two directions in a planar view, the drive unit having a rotation mechanism that rotates the picking head and a tilt mechanism that tilts the picking head around a tilt axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism, a camera unit that acquires image data of the item, an image processing unit that detects the posture of the item from the image data, and a drive control unit that controls the drive unit and controls the rotation mechanism so that the adsorption surface of the item and the tilt axis are parallel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a transfer system or the like that can appropriately hold an article using the five-axis robot. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an overview of a transfer system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a transfer system. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an overview of a transfer system. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a picking head and a drive unit. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the transfer system. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the image processing step for detecting the posture of the article shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating specific examples of the axis of the tilt axis of the transfer unit, the suction target surface of the article, and the roll axis. [Figure 8] 5 is a diagram illustrating a specific example in which two of the suction portions shown in FIG. 4 are used as specific suction portions and are caused to suction onto the target surface of the article. FIG. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a specific example of changing a specific adsorption portion. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a specific example in which one suction portion is used as a specific suction portion and is suctioned to the suction target surface of an article. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another specific example of the picking head. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. In the following description, an example of a transfer system for transferring an article W from a first container 17 to a second container 18 will be described.

[0010] (Overview of the transfer system) First, an overview of the transfer system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an overview of the transfer system 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an overview of the transfer system 1. The transfer system 1 transfers an item W in a logistics warehouse or the like. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the transfer system 1 of this embodiment includes a conveying unit 11, a transfer unit 12, a camera unit 13, a support frame 14, a control unit 15, and a terminal unit 16.

[0011] (Transportation section) The conveying unit 11 conveys the first container 17 and the second container 18, which contain the items 2, in the Y direction (front-rear direction). Specifically, the conveying unit 11 includes loading conveyors 11a and 11b provided on the lower side in the Z direction and unloading conveyors 11c and 11d provided on the upper side in the Z direction. The loading conveyors 11a and 11b transport the first container 17 and the second container 18 to the front side in the Y direction, respectively. The unloading conveyors 11c and 11d transport the first container 17 and the second container 18 to the rear side in the Y direction, respectively.

[0012] Furthermore, the transport unit 11 includes a moving mechanism 11e and a housing 11f. The moving mechanism 11e sequentially moves the first containers 17 from the loading conveyor 11a to the first transfer position P1, and sequentially moves the second containers 18 from the loading conveyor 11b to the second transfer position P2. The moving mechanism 11e also sequentially moves the first containers 17 arranged at the first transfer position P1 to the unloading conveyor 11c, and sequentially moves the second containers 18 arranged at the second transfer position P2 to the unloading conveyor 11d. The housing 11f houses the moving mechanism 11e.

[0013] (Transfer section) The transfer unit 12 is installed at the front end (one end) of the conveying unit 11 in the Y direction, and holds the articles 2 stored in the first container 17 arranged at the first transfer position P1, and transfers them to the second container 18 arranged at the second transfer position P2. The transfer unit 12 is installed above the movement mechanism 11e and housing 11f of the conveying unit 11 in the Z direction by a stand or the like (not shown).

[0014] The transfer unit 12 includes a picking head 12a that holds the item W, and a drive unit 12b that raises and lowers the picking head 12a in the Z direction and moves the picking head 12a in two directions, the X direction and the Y direction, in a plan view. The picking head 12a includes, for example, one or more, for example, three, first to third suction units 12a1 to 12a3 (FIG. 4) that adsorb the item W. The picking head 12a adsorbs the item W stored in the first container 17 from above and holds the item W in a suspended state.

[0015] The drive unit 12b includes a fixed rail 12c, a first movable rail 12d, a second movable rail 12e, and a support arm 12f. The fixed rail 12c is installed along the X direction. The first movable rail 12d is installed along the Z direction and moves back and forth in the X direction along the fixed rail 12c. The second movable rail 12e is installed along the Y direction and moves back and forth in the Z direction along the first movable rail 12d.

[0016] As will be described in detail later, the driving unit 12b also has a rotation mechanism 121 (FIG. 3) that rotates the picking head 12a. The driving unit 12b also has a tilt mechanism 122 (FIG. 4) that tilts the picking head 12a around a tilt axis 122A (FIG. 4) that is perpendicular to a rotation axis 121A (FIG. 4) of the rotation mechanism 121. In other words, a five-axis robot is used in the transfer unit 12. Specifically, in the transfer unit 12, the driving unit 12b is configured to be able to move the picking head 12a in each of the X, Y, and Z directions, to perform a rotation operation by the rotation mechanism 121, and to perform a tilt operation by the tilt mechanism 122.

[0017] The support arm 12f is installed along the Z direction and moves back and forth in the Y direction along the second movable rail 12e. A picking head 12a is attached to the support arm 12f on its lower side in the Z direction. This allows the transfer unit 12 to move the picking head 12a back and forth in the three directions of X, Y, and Z by controlling the operation of the drive unit 12b.

[0018] As described above, the transfer unit 12 uses a five-axis robot, which has a simpler structure than a transfer unit such as a six-axis robot, and the transfer unit 12 is easily adaptable to a multi-row conveyor layout. Therefore, by using the transfer unit 12, the degree of freedom in layout design of the transfer system 1 is improved.

[0019] (Camera section) The camera unit 13 is disposed above the transfer unit 12 and photographs the items W to create photographed images. The camera unit 13 includes a first camera 13a and a second camera 13b. The first camera 13a photographs the first container 17 disposed at the first transfer position P1, thereby photographing one or more items W contained in the first container 17. The second camera 13b photographs the second container 18 disposed at the second transfer position P2, thereby photographing one or more items W contained in the second container 18. The camera unit 13 may include a light or the like, and the first camera 13a and the second camera 13b may each photograph the items W under illumination by a light or the like at a predetermined illuminance.

[0020] (support frame) The support frame 14 is a frame that supports the camera unit 13. The support frame 14 includes support units 14a, 14a that are installed adjacent to the transfer unit 12 in the X direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the Y direction in a plan view, and beam members 14b, 14b that are installed between the support units 14a, 14a. The first camera 13a and the second camera 13b are installed at appropriate positions on the beam member 14b on the front side in the Y direction. The number of beam members 14b may be one, or three or more.

[0021] Each of the support sections 14a includes two pillar members 14c and 14d, a beam member 14e, and a reinforcing member 14f. The pillar members 14c and 14d are arranged in the Y direction and are fixed to the installation location of the transfer system 1 by fixing members 14g and 14h. The beam member 14e and the reinforcing member 14f are installed between the pillar members 14c and 14d.

[0022] Beam members 14b may be installed on girder member 14e or on pillar members 14c and 14d. Reinforcing member 14f may be two or more, or may be omitted. If each of supports 14a is supported by four or more pillar members, beam members 14b may be omitted. In this case, first camera 13a and second camera 13b may be installed in appropriate locations on supports 14a and 14a.

[0023] (Control unit and terminal unit) The control unit 15 controls each unit in the transfer system 1, and is configured by a computer including, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. The operation control of each unit is performed by causing the computer to execute a control program. The control unit 15 will be described in detail later.

[0024] The terminal unit 16 is used by a worker S (FIG. 2) to operate the transfer system 1. The terminal unit 16 has an input unit 16a such as a keyboard, touch panel, joystick, etc., and a display unit 16b that displays predetermined information. The control unit 15 and the terminal unit 16 are examples of control devices for the transfer system 1, and are installed outside a front guard unit 24 (described later) and on the opposite side of the work area 25 from the side where the transfer unit 12 is provided (the front side in the Y direction).

[0025] Specifically, the control unit 15 is connected to the transport unit 11, the transfer unit 12, the camera unit 13, and the terminal unit 16 via electrical wiring (not shown). The control unit 15 acquires predetermined information, such as the operating status, from the transport unit 11 and the transfer unit 12, and outputs predetermined command signals, such as instruction signals, to the transport unit 11 and the transfer unit 12. The control unit 15 outputs predetermined instruction signals, such as on / off signals, to the first camera 13a and the second camera 13b of the camera unit 13, and acquires photographic data from the first camera 13a and the second camera 13b. The control unit 15 receives instruction signals and the like in response to operations by the worker S from the terminal unit 16, and transmits information acquired from the transport unit 11, the transfer unit 12, and the camera unit 13 to the terminal unit 16.

[0026] (guard) In the transfer system 1 of this embodiment, the transfer unit 12 moves the picking head 12a back and forth in three directions: X, Y, and Z. For this reason, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a guard is provided around the transfer unit 12 from the perspective of safety to significantly reduce the possibility of a worker S or the like coming into contact with the transfer unit 12. Specifically, in this embodiment, a side guard unit 21, a front guard unit 24, and a rear guard unit 41 are provided as guards in this order from the control device side toward the rear in the Y direction.

[0027] (Side guard part) 1 and 2, each of the support sections 14a includes a lateral guard section 21 that separates the transfer section 12 from the outside in the X direction. The lateral guard section 21 includes a transparent plate 22 and a frame member 23 that holds the transparent plate 22. This prevents people, including a worker S, from entering from the X direction and coming into contact with the transfer section 12, thereby improving the safety of the transfer system 1.

[0028] Furthermore, since the support parts 14a are each provided with the side guard parts 21, there is no need to provide new guard parts on the outer side of the support parts 14a in the X direction to separate the transfer part 12 from the outside in the X direction. As a result, the transfer system 1 can be made more compact.

[0029] Incidentally, the two support members 14a are installed adjacent to the transfer member 12 in the X direction, and are therefore also adjacent to the housing 11f of the transport member 11, which is located below the transfer member 12 in the Z direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the side guard members 21 are omitted from the area below the support members 14a, i.e., the area facing the housing 11f. This makes it possible to reduce the area in which the side guard members 21 are provided. On the other hand, the housing 11f prevents the worker S from entering from below the support members 14a and coming into contact with the transfer member 12. In other words, in the area below the support members 14a, the housing 11f serves as a partition between the transfer member 12 and the outside in the X direction.

[0030] (Front guard) 1 and 2, in the transfer system 1, a front guard unit 24 is provided to separate a work area 25, which is set on the opposite side of the transfer unit 12 from the transport unit 11 in a plan view, from the outside. The front guard unit 24 is connected to two support units 14a.

[0031] The work area 25 is a space for manual transfer in which a worker S holds and transfers an item W. In other words, the transfer system 1 of this embodiment is capable of both automatic transfer in which the transfer unit 12 holds and automatically transfers an item W, and manual transfer in which the worker S enters the work area 25 and holds and transfers the item W. In addition, the front guard unit 24 is provided adjacent to the work area 25 around the periphery of the work area 25.

[0032] Specifically, the front guard section 24 includes a plurality of fixed guard sections 26 and movable guard sections 27 connected together. The fixed guard sections 26 include a transparent plate 31 and a frame member 32 that holds the transparent plate 31. The lower corners of the frame member 32 in the Z direction are fixed to the installation location of the transfer system 1 by fixing members 26a. Furthermore, the fixed guard sections 26, 26 on the rear side in the Y direction are connected to the front sides in the Y direction of the support sections 14a, 14a, respectively.

[0033] The movable guard portion 27 constitutes an entrance door for the worker S to enter and exit the work area 25, and includes a fixing frame member 33 and a movable member 34 provided within the fixing frame member 33. A lower corner of the fixing frame member 33 in the Z direction is fixed to the installation location of the transfer system 1 by a fixing member 33a. The movable member 34 is provided rotatably relative to the fixing frame member 33 via a hinge member (not shown) or the like. The movable member 34 includes a transparent plate 35 and a frame member 36 that holds the transparent plate 35.

[0034] As a result, it is possible to prevent people, including the worker S, from inadvertently entering the work area 25 and coming into contact with the transfer unit 12, thereby improving the safety of the transfer system 1. Furthermore, since the front guard unit 24 is provided adjacent to the work area 25, it is possible to prevent an increase in the installation space of the transfer system 1 due to the provision of the front guard unit 24.

[0035] In addition, when the transfer system 1 is capable of only automatic transfer, the work area 25 may be set as a monitoring area for an observer to monitor the transfer unit 12. Alternatively, the work area 25 may be omitted. In this case, the front guard unit 24 may be provided adjacent to the transfer unit 12 on the front side of the transfer unit 12 in the Y direction.

[0036] (rear guard) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transfer system 1 is provided with rear guard sections 41, 41 that are adjacent in the X direction to the front end of the transport section 11 in the Y direction and that separate the front end from the outside in the X direction. The rear guard section 41 includes a transparent plate 42 and a frame member 43 that holds the transparent plate 42. The front sides of the rear guard sections 41 in the Y direction are linked (connected) to the rear sides of the support sections 14a in the Y direction, respectively. Furthermore, the lower corners of the frame member 43 in the Z direction are fixed to the installation location of the transfer system 1 by fixing members 43a. Furthermore, reinforcing members 44, 45 are provided between the rear guard sections 41, 41.

[0037] This makes it possible to prevent people, including the worker S, from entering through the conveying section 11 and coming into contact with the transfer section 12, thereby improving the safety of the transfer system 1. Furthermore, because the rear guard section 41 is provided adjacent to the conveying section 11, it is possible to prevent an increase in the installation space of the transfer system 1 due to the provision of the rear guard section 41.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front guard section 24, the side guard section 21, and the rear guard section 41 are provided with transparent plates 22, 31, 35, and 42 as substantial guards. As a result, in this embodiment, the worker S of the transfer system 1 can monitor the conveying section 11 and the transfer section 12 from outside the transfer system 1 as an observer. Note that instead of the transparent plates 22, 31, 35, and 42, fences, nets, or other types of guards may be used.

[0039] [Transfer system control block] Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram showing an overview of the transfer system 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the control unit 15 includes an image acquisition unit 15a, an image processing unit 15b, and a drive control unit 15c.

[0040] The image acquisition unit 15a acquires image data captured by the camera unit 13. Specifically, the image acquisition unit 15a acquires image data of the first container 17 captured by the first camera 13a. The image acquisition unit 15a also acquires image data of the second container 18 captured by the second camera 13b. The image acquisition unit 15a sends the acquired image data to the image processing unit 15b.

[0041] The image processing unit 15b performs predetermined image processing on the image data to acquire transfer data for adsorbing (holding) the item W to the picking head 12a and transferring the item W. The image processing unit 15b sends the acquired data to the drive control unit 15c. Details of the image processing by the image processing unit 15b will be described later.

[0042] The drive control unit 15c controls the transfer unit 12 based on the result of the image recognition processing acquired from the image processing unit 15b. For example, the drive control unit 15c controls the rotation mechanism 121 (FIG. 4) so ​​that the tilt axis 122A (FIG. 4) is parallel to the suction target surface WS (FIG. 7) of the article W. Details of the control of the rotation mechanism 121 (FIG. 4) and the tilt mechanism 122 (FIG. 4) by the drive control unit 15c will be described later.

[0043] (Detailed configuration of the picking head and drive unit) 4 is a diagram illustrating the structure of picking head 12a and drive unit 12b. As shown in 401 and 410 of FIG. 4, picking head 12a includes first suction portion 12a1, second suction portion 12a2, third suction portion 12a3, and base portion 12a4. Drive unit 12b includes rotation mechanism 121 and tilt mechanism 122.

[0044] The rotation mechanism 121 includes a rotation shaft 121A that is connected to the picking head 12a via a tilt shaft 122A provided in the tilt mechanism 122 and rotates the picking head 12a. The rotation shaft 121A is connected to a drive member such as a motor (not shown) provided on the support arm 12f, and the drive member operates in accordance with instructions from the drive control unit 15c. As a result, the picking head 12a rotates in a desired direction via the tilt shaft 122A in response to the rotation of the rotation shaft 121A.

[0045] The tilt mechanism 122 includes a tilt axis 122A that is perpendicular to the rotation axis 121A of the rotation mechanism 121. One end of the tilt axis 122A is connected to the rotation axis 121A, and the other end is connected to the base 12a4 of the picking head 12a. As shown by 401 to 403 in FIG. 4, the tilt mechanism 122 tilts the picking head 12a around the tilt axis 122A by operating a tilt axis (not shown) that tilts the base 12a4 with respect to the Z direction in accordance with an instruction from the drive control unit 15c. As a result, in the picking head 12a, the suction directions of the first suction portion 12a1 to the third suction portion 12a3, i.e., the holding direction of the item W, change as shown by 401 to 403 in FIG. 4.

[0046] Furthermore, first suction portion 12a1 to third suction portion 12a3 of picking head 12a are integrally attached to base portion 12a4. As shown in 410 of Fig. 4, first suction portion 12a1 and second suction portion 12a2 are arranged on either side of axis T of tilt shaft 122A when picking head 12a is viewed from the lifting direction (Z direction). Furthermore, second suction portion 12a2 and third suction portion 12a3 are arranged side by side in the direction of axis T of tilt shaft 122A.

[0047] [Transfer system control] 5 to 10, the control of the transfer system 1 will be described. As a basic operation example of the transfer system 1, the control unit 15 controls the transfer operation of moving the picking head 12a back and forth between the first container 17 and the second container 18 based on the result of image processing of the image data captured by the camera unit 13, thereby transferring the item W in the first container 17 to the second container 18.

[0048] (Example of transfer system operation) Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a detailed operation example of the transfer system 1. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the image processing step for detecting the posture of the article W shown in Fig. 5.

[0049] In controlling the transfer operation of transferring the article W in the first container 17 to the second container 18, as shown in step S1 of Fig. 5, the image acquisition unit 15a acquires image data of the first container 17 from the first camera 13a as photographed data. Then, the image acquisition unit 15a outputs the acquired photographed data to the image processing unit 15b.

[0050] Next, the image processing unit 15b performs predetermined image processing on the image data from the image acquisition unit 15a to extract an image of the item W contained in the first container 17 and identify the positions of the item W in the X, Y, and Z directions (hereinafter referred to as "XYZ coordinates"). In other words, the image processing unit 15b identifies the XYZ coordinates of the item W to be transferred in the first container 17 based on the XYZ coordinates identified from the image data of the first container 17.

[0051] Next, the image processing unit 15b detects the posture of the article W whose XYZ coordinates have been identified (step S2). Specifically, as shown in step S11 of Fig. 6, the image processing unit 15b executes 3D (dimensional) image recognition processing on the article W. As a result, the image processing unit 15b acquires and recognizes each value of the XYZ coordinates of the article W to be transferred in the first container 17. Note that the 3D image recognition processing is well known, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0052] Next, the image processing unit 15b detects the tilt angles Rx, Ry, and Rz of the article W in the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction based on the result of the 3D image recognition process (step S12). Furthermore, the image processing unit 15b obtains the tilt direction K (FIG. 8) of the article W using the detected values ​​of the tilt angles Rx and Ry.

[0053] Next, the image processing unit 15b calculates the position of the center of gravity WL (FIG. 7) of the article W or the attraction target surface WS (FIG. 7) of the article W (step S13). Specifically, the image processing unit 15b uses the acquired values ​​of the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the article W to determine the position of the position of the center of gravity WL, that is, the values ​​of the X, Y, and Z coordinates.

[0054] Next, the image processing unit 15b sets an axis that is perpendicular to the acquired tilt direction K (FIG. 7) and passes through the determined center of gravity position WL (FIG. 7) as the roll axis R0 (FIG. 7) of the article W (step S14). The setting of the roll axis R0 of the article W will be described in detail later.

[0055] Next, the image processing unit 15b determines a specific suction portion from the first suction portion 12a1 to the third suction portion 12a3 to be suctioned to the suction target surface WS according to the dimensions of the suction target surface WS of the article W (step S15). Note that the image processing unit 15b determines at least one of the first suction portion 12a1 to the third suction portion 12a3 as the specific suction portion, as will be described in detail later.

[0056] 5, the drive control unit 15c uses data from the image processing unit 15b, including data related to the determined specific adsorption portion, to control the rotation mechanism 121 and tilt mechanism 122 of the drive unit 12b. As will be described in detail later, the drive control unit 15c controls the operations of the rotation mechanism 121 and tilt mechanism 122 using data related to the tilt direction K of the article W, data related to the position of the center of gravity WL, and data related to the roll axis R0.

[0057] Next, the drive control unit 15c transfers the item W using data from the image processing unit 15b regarding the second container 18 to which the item W is to be transferred (step S4). Specifically, the image processing unit 15b identifies the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the position where the item W is to be placed in the second container 18 based on the image data of the second container 18 acquired from the second camera 13b. The image processing unit 15b then sends the X, Y, and Z coordinate values ​​of the placement position to the drive control unit 15c. After the picking head 12a adsorbs and holds the item W, the drive control unit 15c transfers the held item W into the second container 18 using the X, Y, and Z coordinate values ​​of the placement position input from the image processing unit 15b.

[0058] (Example of roll axis and tilt axis) 7 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of the axis T of the tilt axis 122A of the transfer unit 12, and the suction target surface WS and roll axis R0 of the article W. In the following description, a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped article W will be illustrated as an example. The first suction portion 12a1, the second suction portion 12a2, and the third suction portion 12a3 are simplified and illustrated as 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In the following description, a case will first be described in which the image processing unit 15b determines the first suction portion 12a1 to the third suction portion 12a3 as specific suction portions because the dimensions of the suction target surface WS are larger than the total suction area of ​​the first suction portion 12a1 to the third suction portion 12a3.

[0059] (1) Example when three adsorption parts are specific adsorption parts 7, for example, when the roll axis R0 passes through the center of gravity WL of the article W, is perpendicular to the tilt direction K, and is aligned with the width direction, the attraction target surface WS of the article W is tilted in the longitudinal direction as indicated by the double-headed arrow R1 in the drawing. Then, the drive control unit 15c uses data related to the roll axis R0 from the image processing unit 15b to drive the rotation mechanism 121 so that the attraction target surface WS and the tilt axis 122A are parallel to each other.

[0060] 7, drive control unit 15c controls the rotational drive of rotation mechanism 121 so that the direction of axis center T of tilt axis 122A coincides with the direction of roll axis R0. Furthermore, drive control unit 15c rotates rotation mechanism 121 regardless of the roll angle, which is the rolling angle of roll axis R0 with respect to the Z direction, that is, the tilt angle Rz detected in step S12.

[0061] Furthermore, when the image processing unit 15b causes the drive control unit 15c to align the direction of the axis T of the tilt axis 122A with the direction of the roll axis R0, the image processing unit 15b controls the rotational drive of the rotation mechanism 121 so that the rotational movement angle of the base 12a4 of the picking head 12a becomes small.

[0062] Specifically, before rotation mechanism 121 is driven to rotate, if first suction portion 12a1 to third suction portion 12a3 are positioned as shown in the drawing on the left side of 702 in Fig. 7, image processing unit 15b selects counterclockwise rotation so as to reduce the rotational angle of base portion 12a4. Then, drive control unit 15c rotates base portion 12a4 as shown by arrow LK when aligning the orientation of axis center T of tilt axis 122A with the orientation of roll axis R0.

[0063] On the other hand, before rotation of the rotation mechanism 121 is performed, if the positions of the first to third suction portions 12a1 to 12a3 are as shown in the drawing on the right side of 702 in Fig. 7, the image processing unit 15b selects the clockwise direction so as to reduce the rotational angle of the base portion 12a4. Then, the drive control unit 15c rotates the base portion 12a4 as shown by the arrow RK when aligning the direction of the axis center T of the tilt axis 122A with the direction of the roll axis R0.

[0064] Furthermore, as indicated by the double-headed arrow R1 in 701 in FIG. 7, when the article W is tilted in its longitudinal direction, of the roll angles of the roll axis R0 in the X, Y, and Z directions, no roll angle occurs in the X direction. In other words, the roll angles in the Y and Z directions are the tilt angles Ry and Rz detected in step S12, respectively, and the roll angle in the X direction is 0°, the same as the tilt angle Rx detected in step S12. Then, the image processing unit 15b outputs the tilt angles Ry and Rz to the drive control unit 15c as the tilt angle of the tilt axis 122A. Thereafter, the drive control unit 15c tilts the tilt mechanism 122 to the tilt angle indicated by the tilt angles Ry and Rz.

[0065] 7, when the image processing unit 15b determines the specific suction units that will cause the first to third suction units 12a1 to 12a3 to suction onto the target surface, the drive control unit 15c controls the drive unit 12b so that the central positions of the first to third suction units 12a1 to 12a3 coincide with the center of gravity WL of the item W. In other words, the drive control unit 15c causes the first to third suction units 12a1 to 12a3 to perform the suction process for the item W with the central position of the base 12a4 of the picking head 12a coinciding with the center of gravity WL of the item W.

[0066] 7, for example, when the roll axis R0 passes through the center of gravity WL of the article W, is perpendicular to the tilt direction K, and is aligned with the longitudinal direction, the attraction target surface WS of the article W is tilted in the width direction as indicated by the double-headed arrow R2 in the drawing. Then, the drive control unit 15c uses data related to the roll axis R0 from the image processing unit 15b to drive the rotation mechanism 121 so that the attraction target surface WS and the tilt axis 122A are parallel to each other.

[0067] 7, drive control unit 15c controls the rotational drive of rotation mechanism 121 so that the direction of axis center T of tilt axis 122A coincides with the direction of roll axis R0. Furthermore, drive control unit 15c rotates rotation mechanism 121 regardless of the roll angle, which is the rolling angle of roll axis R0 with respect to the Z direction, that is, the tilt angle Rz detected in step S12.

[0068] Furthermore, as indicated by the double-headed arrow R2 in 703 in FIG. 7, when the article W is tilted in its width direction, of the roll angles of the roll axis R0 in the X, Y, and Z directions, no roll angle in the Y direction occurs. In other words, the roll angles in the X and Z directions are the tilt angles Rx and Rz detected in step S12, respectively, and the roll angle in the Y direction is 0°, the same as the tilt angle Ry detected in step S12. Then, the image processing unit 15b outputs the tilt angles Rx and Rz to the drive control unit 15c as the tilt angle of the tilt axis 122A. Thereafter, the drive control unit 15c tilts the tilt mechanism 122 to the tilt angle indicated by the tilt angles Rx and Rz.

[0069] 7, when the image processing unit 15b determines the specific suction units that will cause the first to third suction units 12a1 to 12a3 to suction onto the target surface, the drive control unit 15c controls the drive unit 12b so that the central positions of the first to third suction units 12a1 to 12a3 coincide with the center of gravity WL of the item W. In other words, the drive control unit 15c causes the first to third suction units 12a1 to 12a3 to perform the suction process for the item W with the central position of the base 12a4 of the picking head 12a coinciding with the center of gravity WL of the item W.

[0070] 7, for example, when the roll axis R0 passes through the center of gravity WL of the article W, is perpendicular to the tilt direction K, and is aligned with a diagonal axis tilted in both the width direction and the length direction, the attraction target surface WS of the article W tilts about the diagonal axis as indicated by the double-headed arrow R3 in the drawing. Then, the drive control unit 15c uses data on the roll axis R0 from the image processing unit 15b to drive the rotation mechanism 121 so that the attraction target surface WS and the tilt axis 122A are parallel to each other.

[0071] 7, drive control unit 15c controls the rotational drive of rotation mechanism 121 so that the direction of axis center T of tilt axis 122A and the direction of roll axis R0 coincide. Also, drive control unit 15c rotates rotation mechanism 121 regardless of the roll angle, which is the rolling angle of roll axis R0 with respect to the Z direction, that is, the tilt angle Rz detected in step S12.

[0072] Furthermore, as indicated by the double-headed arrow R3 in 705 of FIG. 7, when the article W is tilted about the diagonal axis, roll angles relative to the X, Y, and Z directions occur among the roll angles of the roll axis R0 relative to the X, Y, and Z directions. In other words, the roll angles relative to the X, Y, and Z directions are equal to the tilt angles Rx, Ry, and Rz detected in step S12, respectively. Then, the image processing unit 15b outputs the tilt angles Rx, Ry, and Rz to the drive control unit 15c as the tilt angle of the tilt axis 122A. The drive control unit 15c then tilts the tilt mechanism 122 to the tilt angles indicated by the tilt angles Rx, Ry, and Rz.

[0073] 7, when the image processing unit 15b determines the specific suction units that will cause the first to third suction units 12a1 to 12a3 to suction onto the target surface, the drive control unit 15c controls the drive unit 12b so that the central positions of the first to third suction units 12a1 to 12a3 coincide with the center of gravity WL of the item W. In other words, the drive control unit 15c causes the first to third suction units 12a1 to 12a3 to perform the suction process for the item W with the central position of the base 12a4 of the picking head 12a coinciding with the center of gravity WL of the item W.

[0074] (2) Example when two adsorption parts are specific adsorption parts FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a specific example in which two of the first suction portion 12a1 to the third suction portion 12a3 shown in FIG. 4 are used as specific suction portions to be adsorbed onto the suction target surface WS of the article W.

[0075] In the processing of step S15, if the image processing unit 15b determines two of the first suction portion 12a1 to the third suction portion 12a3 as specific suction portions depending on the dimensions of the suction target surface WS of the article W, it further determines the specific suction portions by the following procedure.

[0076] 8, in the process of step S15, the image processing unit 15b determines that the dimension of the attraction target surface WS is smaller than the total value of the attraction areas of the first attraction portion 12a1 to the third attraction portion 12a3. Furthermore, the image processing unit 15b determines that the dimension of the attraction target surface WS is larger than the total value of the attraction areas of any two of the attraction portions.

[0077] Next, the image processing unit 15b calculates the angle α between the long side WN and the short side WM of the attachment surface WS, for example, the long side WN and the line L12. The line L12 is a line that passes through the center positions of the first attachment portion 12a1 and the second attachment portion 12a2. The image processing unit 15b also calculates the angle β between the long side WN and the line L13. The line L13 is a line that passes through the center positions of the first attachment portion 12a1 and the third attachment portion 12a3. The image processing unit 15b also calculates the angle γ between the long side WN and the line L23. The line L23 is a line that passes through the center positions of the second attachment portion 12a2 and the third attachment portion 12a3.

[0078] Furthermore, image processing unit 15b compares the obtained angles α, β, and γ and acquires angle α, which is the smallest angle. Image processing unit 15b then determines first suction portion 12a1 and second suction portion 12a2 corresponding to the acquired angle α as specific suction portions. Drive control unit 15c then controls the rotational drive of rotation mechanism 121 so that the orientation of axis center T of tilt axis 122A coincides with the orientation of roll axis R0. Drive control unit 15c also rotates rotation mechanism 121 regardless of the roll angle, which is the rolling angle of roll axis R0 with respect to the Z direction, i.e., the tilt angle Rz detected in step S12.

[0079] Furthermore, image processing unit 15b outputs the roll angle of roll axis R0, i.e., the tilt angles Rx, Ry, and Rz detected in step S12, as the tilt angle of tilt axis 122A to drive control unit 15c. Drive control unit 15c then controls the tilt of tilt mechanism 122 to achieve the tilt angle indicated by the tilt angles Rx, Ry, and Rz.

[0080] Furthermore, when the first suction portion 12a1 and the second suction portion 12a2 are determined as the specific suction portions, the drive control portion 15c causes the first suction portion 12a1 and the second suction portion 12a2 to perform the suction process for the article W with the central positions of the first suction portion 12a1 and the second suction portion 12a2 coinciding with the center position WL of the center of gravity of the article W. When two suction portions are determined as the specific suction portions, the suction operation by the two determined suction portions is performed with the central positions of the two suction portions coinciding with the center position WL of the center of gravity.

[0081] (3) When changing the specific adsorption part 9 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of changing a specific suction portion. In FIG. 9, in the process of step S15, the image processing unit 15b compares the dimensions of a virtual circumscribing rectangle RT that circumscribing two or more suction portions selected from the plurality of suction portions with the dimensions of the suction target surface WS. Then, if the dimensions of the circumscribing rectangle RT fit within the outline of the suction target surface WS, the image processing unit 15b determines the suction portion within the circumscribing rectangle RT as the specific suction portion.

[0082] 9, the image processing unit 15b compares, for example, the dimensions of the circumscribing rectangle RT of the first suction portion 12a1 and the second suction portion 12a2 with the dimensions of the suction target surface WS. If the dimensions of the circumscribing rectangle RT are smaller than the dimensions of the suction target surface WS, that is, if the dimensions fit within the outline of the suction target surface WS, the image processing unit 15b determines the first suction portion 12a1 and the second suction portion 12a2 as the specific suction portions, as described above.

[0083] On the other hand, as shown in the left drawing of Fig. 9, if the image processing unit 15b determines that the dimensions of the circumscribing rectangle RT are such that the circumscribing rectangle RT does not fit within the contour of the target surface WS, it determines that the first suction portion 12a1 and the second suction portion 12a2 included in the circumscribing rectangle RT cannot be determined as specific suction portions. In other words, the image processing unit 15b determines that the two suction portions cannot be set as specific suction portions. Then, the image processing unit 15b compares the dimensions of one suction portion, for example, the circumscribing rectangle (not shown) of the first suction portion 12a1, with the dimensions of the target surface WS.

[0084] When the image processing unit 15b determines that the dimensions of the suction target surface WS are smaller than the dimensions of the circumscribed rectangle of the first suction unit 12a1, it determines that the transfer operation of the item W is impossible. Then, the control unit 15 notifies the worker S that the transfer operation of the item W is impossible, for example, via the display unit 16b.

[0085] On the other hand, when the image processing unit 15b determines that the dimensions of the attraction target surface WS are larger than the dimensions of the circumscribed rectangle of the first attraction unit 12a1, it determines that the first attraction unit 12a1 can attract the article W and determines the first attraction unit 12a1 as the specific attraction unit. Thereafter, as shown in the right drawing of Fig. 9, the drive control unit 15c controls the rotational drive of the rotation mechanism 121 so that the orientation of the axis center T of the tilt axis 122A coincides with the orientation of the roll axis R0. Furthermore, the drive control unit 15c rotates the rotation mechanism 121 regardless of the roll angle, which is the rolling angle of the roll axis R0 with respect to the Z direction, i.e., the tilt angle Rz detected in step S12.

[0086] Furthermore, image processing unit 15b outputs the roll angle of roll axis R0, i.e., the tilt angles Rx, Ry, and Rz detected in step S12, as the tilt angle of tilt axis 122A to drive control unit 15c. Drive control unit 15c then controls the tilt of tilt mechanism 122 to achieve the tilt angle indicated by the tilt angles Rx, Ry, and Rz.

[0087] In addition, when the first suction portion 12a1 is determined to be the specific suction portion, the drive control portion 15c causes the first suction portion 12a1 to perform the suction process of the item W while the center position of this first suction portion 12a1 coincides with the center of gravity position WL of the item W.

[0088] (4) Example of a case where one adsorption part is a specific adsorption part FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a specific example in which one suction portion is used as a specific suction portion to be suctioned onto the suction target surface WS of the article W. In FIG.

[0089] 10, when image processing unit 15b determines second suction unit 12a2 as the specific suction unit, drive control unit 15c controls the rotational drive of rotation mechanism 121 so that the direction of axis center T of tilt axis 122A coincides with the direction of roll axis R0. Furthermore, drive control unit 15c rotates rotation mechanism 121 regardless of the roll angle, which is the rolling angle of roll axis R0 with respect to the Z direction, that is, the tilt angle Rz detected in step S12.

[0090] Furthermore, image processing unit 15b outputs the roll angle of roll axis R0, i.e., the tilt angles Rx, Ry, and Rz detected in step S12, as the tilt angle of tilt axis 122A to drive control unit 15c. Drive control unit 15c then controls the tilt of tilt mechanism 122 to achieve the tilt angle indicated by the tilt angles Rx, Ry, and Rz.

[0091] Furthermore, the drive control unit 15c causes the second suction portion 12a2 to perform the suction process on the item W while the center position of the second suction portion 12a2 coincides with the center of gravity position WL of the item W.

[0092] 10, when image processing unit 15b determines third suction unit 12a3 as the specific suction unit, drive control unit 15c controls the rotational drive of rotation mechanism 121 so that the direction of axis center T of tilt axis 122A coincides with the direction of roll axis R0. Furthermore, drive control unit 15c rotates rotation mechanism 121 regardless of the roll angle, which is the rolling angle of roll axis R0 with respect to the Z direction, that is, the tilt angle Rz detected in step S12.

[0093] Furthermore, image processing unit 15b outputs the roll angle of roll axis R0, i.e., the tilt angles Rx, Ry, and Rz detected in step S12, as the tilt angle of tilt axis 122A to drive control unit 15c. Drive control unit 15c then controls the tilt of tilt mechanism 122 to achieve the tilt angle indicated by the tilt angles Rx, Ry, and Rz.

[0094] Furthermore, the drive control unit 15c causes the third suction portion 12a3 to perform the suction process on the item W while the center position of the third suction portion 12a3 coincides with the center of gravity position WL of the item W.

[0095] 10, when image processing unit 15b determines first suction unit 12a1 as the specific suction unit, drive control unit 15c controls the rotational drive of rotation mechanism 121 so that the direction of axis center T of tilt axis 122A coincides with the direction of roll axis R0. Furthermore, drive control unit 15c rotates rotation mechanism 121 regardless of the roll angle, which is the rolling angle of roll axis R0 with respect to the Z direction, that is, the tilt angle Rz detected in step S12.

[0096] Furthermore, image processing unit 15b outputs the roll angle of roll axis R0, i.e., the tilt angles Rx, Ry, and Rz detected in step S12, as the tilt angle of tilt axis 122A to drive control unit 15c. Drive control unit 15c then controls the tilt of tilt mechanism 122 to achieve the tilt angle indicated by the tilt angles Rx, Ry, and Rz.

[0097] Furthermore, the drive control unit 15c causes the first suction unit 12a1 to perform the suction process on the item W while the center position of the first suction unit 12a1 coincides with the center of gravity WL of the item W.

[0098] (Effects of Transfer System 1) As described above, the transfer system 1 of this embodiment includes a picking head 12a including first to third suction units 12a1 to 12a3 that suction an item W. The transfer system 1 also includes a drive unit 12b that raises and lowers the picking head 12a and moves the picking head 12a in the X and Y directions in a plan view. The drive unit 12b includes a rotation mechanism 121 that rotates the picking head 12a and a tilt mechanism 122 that tilts the picking head 12a around a tilt axis 122A that is perpendicular to the rotation axis 121A of the rotation mechanism 121. The transfer system 1 also includes a camera unit 13 that acquires image data of the item W and an image processing unit 15b that detects the orientation of the item W from the image data. The transfer system 1 also includes a drive control unit 15c that controls the drive unit 12b and controls the rotation mechanism 121 so that the suction target surface WS of the item W is parallel to the tilt axis 122A.

[0099] With the above configuration, in the transfer system 1 of this embodiment, when the picking head 12a approaches the article W, it is possible to adjust the angle of the picking head 12a so that at least one of the first suction portion 12a1 to the third suction portion 12a3 faces the inclined suction target surface WS. Therefore, in the transfer system 1 of this embodiment, the article W can be appropriately held using the five-axis robot.

[0100] Furthermore, in the transfer system 1 of this embodiment, the drive control unit 15c controls the rotation mechanism 121 so that the orientation of the tilt axis 122A and the orientation of the roll axis R0 coincide with each other, thereby simplifying the configuration of the transfer unit 12 and, in turn, the transfer system 1. Specifically, the picking head 12a may be provided with a rotation structure that rotates the base 12a4, and the first suction unit 12a1 to the third suction unit 12a3 may be rotated as needed to adsorb the item W. However, in the transfer system 1 of this embodiment, the drive control unit 15c controls the rotation mechanism 121 as described above, and therefore, the first suction unit 12a1 to the third suction unit 12a3 may be rotated as needed to adsorb the item W by at least one of the suction units, without providing the above-described rotation structure.

[0101] In the above description, the roll axis R0 is set for all articles W. However, the present invention is not limited to this as long as the rotation mechanism 121 is controlled so that the suction target surface WS of the article W and the tilt axis 122A are parallel to each other.

[0102] Specifically, the present invention may set the roll axis R0 of the article W only when the tilt angles Rx and Ry detected in step S12 exceed a predetermined angle, and control the rotation mechanism 121 so that the orientation of the tilt axis 122A coincides with the orientation of the roll axis R0. Alternatively, when the tilt angles Rx and Ry are within a predetermined angle, the tilt mechanism 122 is tilt-controlled using the tilt angle Rz detected in step S12 as the tilt angle without setting the roll axis R0. Furthermore, the article W may be attracted by the specific attraction portion while the center of the specific attraction portion coincides with the center of gravity WL of the attraction target surface WS.

[0103] In the above description, the picking head 12a is described as having three suction portions, for example, a first suction portion 12a1, a second suction portion 12a2, and a third suction portion 12a3, which can function as the specific suction portion. However, the picking head of the present invention is not limited to this, and is not limited in any way as long as it has at least one suction portion that functions as the specific suction portion.

[0104] Specifically, as illustrated in Fig. 11, the picking head 22a may include, for example, four suction portions: a first suction portion 22a1, a second suction portion 22a2, a third suction portion 22a3, and a fourth suction portion 22a4, and a base portion 12a5. Note that in Fig. 11, the first suction portion 22a1, the second suction portion 22a2, the third suction portion 22a3, and the fourth suction portion 22a4 are simply illustrated as 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively.

[0105] (Software implementation example) The functions of the transfer system 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "device") can be realized by a program that causes a computer to function as the device, and a program that causes a computer to function as each control block of the device (particularly each part included in the control unit 15).

[0106] In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The control device and storage device execute the program to realize each function described in the embodiment.

[0107] The program may be non-transitory and may be recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0108] In addition, some or all of the functions of each control block can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each control block is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of each control block can be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0109] Furthermore, each process described in the above embodiment may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI ​​may run on the control device or on another device (for example, an edge computer or a cloud server).

[0110] 〔summary〕 A first aspect of the transfer system of the present invention comprises a picking head including an adsorption portion that adsorbs an item; a drive unit that raises and lowers the picking head and moves the picking head in two directions in a planar view, the drive unit having a rotation mechanism that rotates the picking head and a tilt mechanism that tilts the picking head around a tilt axis that is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism; a camera unit that acquires image data of the item; an image processing unit that detects the posture of the item from the image data; and a drive control unit that controls the drive unit and controls the rotation mechanism so that the adsorption surface of the item and the tilt axis are parallel.

[0111] According to the above configuration, when the picking head approaches an object, the angle of the picking head can be adjusted so that the suction unit faces the inclined surface of the object to be picked up. Therefore, even when a five-axis robot is used, the suction unit can reliably pick up the object's surface to be picked up.

[0112] A second aspect of the present invention is a transfer system of the first aspect, wherein the image processing unit calculates the center of gravity position of the item or the surface to be adsorbed, and sets an axis passing through the center of gravity position in a direction perpendicular to the inclination direction of the item as the roll axis of the item, and the drive control unit controls the rotation mechanism so that the orientation of the tilt axis and the orientation of the roll axis coincide.

[0113] According to the above configuration, the drive control unit controls the rotation mechanism so that the orientation of the tilt axis coincides with the orientation of the roll axis passing through the center of gravity. This allows for more appropriate angle adjustment of the picking head even when a five-axis robot is used, and ensures that the pickup target surface of the item can be reliably picked up by the pickup unit.

[0114] A third aspect of the present invention is a transfer system of the first or second aspect, wherein the picking head includes a plurality of the suction units, the image processing unit determines a specific suction unit from the plurality of suction units to be adsorbed onto the surface to be adsorbed based on the dimensions of the surface to be adsorbed, and the drive control unit adsorbs the specific suction unit onto the surface to be adsorbed.

[0115] According to the above configuration, when a plurality of suction units are provided on the picking head, the image processing unit determines a specific suction unit according to the dimensions of the target surface. Furthermore, the drive control unit controls the rotation mechanism so that the specific suction unit determined by the image processing unit adheres to the target surface. This ensures that the target surface of the article can be reliably suctioned by the specific suction unit, even when a five-axis robot is used.

[0116] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a transfer system of the third aspect, wherein the image processing unit may compare the dimensions of a virtual circumscribing rectangle circumscribing two or more suction parts selected from the plurality of suction parts with the dimensions of the surface to be adsorbed, and determine the specific suction part.

[0117] According to the above configuration, when a picking head is provided with multiple suction units, the image processing unit determines the specific suction unit by comparing the dimensions of a virtual circumscribing rectangle circumscribing two or more suction units with the dimensions of the surface to be picked up. This allows the specific suction unit to be appropriately determined even when a five-axis robot is used and multiple suction units are provided with the picking head. As a result, the surface to be picked up of the item can be more reliably picked up by the specific suction unit.

[0118] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a transfer system of the fourth aspect, wherein the image processing unit may determine the suction portion within the circumscribing rectangle as the specific suction portion if the circumscribing rectangle has dimensions that fit within the outer contour of the surface to be adsorbed.

[0119] According to the above configuration, when a picking head is provided with multiple suction units, if the image processing unit determines that the circumscribing rectangle fits within the outline of the pickup target surface, it determines the suction unit within the circumscribing rectangle as the specific suction unit. This allows for more appropriate determination of the specific suction unit even when a five-axis robot is used, even when a picking head is provided with multiple suction units. As a result, the pickup target surface of the item can be more reliably picked up by the specific suction unit.

[0120] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a transfer system according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the picking head includes a first suction portion and a second suction portion, and when the picking head is viewed from the lifting direction, the first suction portion and the second suction portion may be arranged on either side of the tilt axis.

[0121] According to the above configuration, the first suction portion and the second suction portion are arranged on either side of the tilt axis in the picking head, so that even when a five-axis robot is used, the surface of the item to be picked up can be reliably picked up by at least one of the first suction portion or the second suction portion.

[0122] A seventh aspect of the present invention is a transfer system of the sixth aspect, wherein the picking head further includes a third suction portion, and the second suction portion and the third suction portion may be arranged side by side in the direction of the tilt axis.

[0123] According to the above configuration, the picking head is provided with a third suction unit arranged alongside the second suction unit in the tilt axis direction, so that even when a five-axis robot is used, the object surface to be picked up can be reliably picked up by at least one of the first suction unit, the second suction unit, and the third suction unit.

[0124] An eighth aspect of the present invention provides a control method for a transfer system including a picking head including a suction unit that suctions an item, and a drive unit that raises and lowers the picking head and moves the picking head in two directions in a plan view, the drive unit having a rotation mechanism that rotates the picking head and a tilt mechanism that tilts the picking head around a tilt axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism, the control method including the steps of: acquiring image data of the item; image processing; detecting the orientation of the item from the image data; and controlling the rotation mechanism so that the suction target surface of the item and the tilt axis are parallel. In this case, the same effects as those of the first aspect can be achieved.

[0125] The transfer system and its control method according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer, in which case the control program of the transfer system that realizes the transfer system and its control method on a computer by causing the computer to operate as each part and each step (software element) that the transfer system and its control method respectively comprise, and the computer-readable recording medium on which it is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0126] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Configurations obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1 Transfer system 12a Picking Head 12a1 1st suction part (specific suction part) 12a2 2nd suction part (specific suction part) 12a3 3rd suction part (specific suction part) 12b Drive unit 22a Picking Head 22a1 1st suction part (specific suction part) 22a2 2nd suction part (specific suction part) 22a3 3rd suction part (specific suction part) 22a4 4th suction part (specific suction part) 121 Rotation mechanism 121A Rotating shaft 122 Tilt mechanism 122A Tilt Axis W Goods WS Adsorption target surface WL center of gravity position R0 Roll axis RT circumscribed rectangle

Claims

1. a transfer unit that is a five-axis robot including a picking head including a suction unit that suctions an item; and a drive unit that raises and lowers the picking head and moves the picking head in two directions in a plan view, the drive unit having a Z-axis lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the picking head along the Z-axis direction, a rotation mechanism that rotates the picking head, and a tilt mechanism that tilts the picking head around a tilt axis that is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism; a camera unit for acquiring image data of the item; an image processing unit that detects the orientation of the article from the image data; a drive control unit that controls the drive unit and controls the rotation mechanism so that the suction target surface of the article and the tilt axis are parallel to each other; A transfer system comprising:

2. The drive unit an X-axis movement mechanism that moves the picking head along an X-axis direction in a plan view; a Y-axis movement mechanism that moves the picking head along a Y-axis direction in a plan view; The transfer system of claim 1 , further comprising:

3. A transfer system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotation axis is arranged along the Z-axis direction.

4. the picking head includes a plurality of the suction units, the image processing unit determines a specific suction portion to be suctioned onto the suction target surface from the plurality of suction portions according to a size of the suction target surface; The transfer system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive control unit causes the specific suction unit to suction the target surface.

5. The transfer system described in claim 4, wherein the image processing unit compares the dimensions of a virtual circumscribing rectangle circumscribing two or more of the suction parts selected from the plurality of suction parts with the dimensions of the surface to be adsorbed, and determines the specific suction part.

6. The transfer system according to claim 5 , wherein the image processing unit determines the suction portion within the circumscribing rectangle as the specific suction portion when the circumscribing rectangle has dimensions that fit within the outline of the surface to be suctioned.

7. the picking head includes a first suction portion and a second suction portion, The transfer system according to claim 1 , wherein when the picking head is viewed from the Z-axis direction, the first suction unit and the second suction unit are disposed on either side of the tilt axis.

8. the picking head further includes a third suction unit, The transfer system according to claim 7 , wherein the second suction portion and the third suction portion are arranged side by side in the direction of the tilt axis.

Images