Positioning conveying device

Abstract

To provide a positioning conveying device that enables high-accuracy positioning at low cost.SOLUTION: A positioning conveying device includes: a base; three or more driving wheels attached to the base, which require no turn-back action and are capable of omnidirectional movement; motors respectively provided for the three or more driving wheels; a first camera and a second camera mounted on the base at the same interval as that between a first indicator and a second indicator fixed to a floor surface, the first and second cameras capturing images of the respective indicators; and a control unit for controlling the motors. The control unit controls the rotation of each of the three or more driving wheels to reduce the deviation amount of the positioning conveying device in three directions, namely, two orthogonal directions in the horizontal plane and a rotational direction around a vertical axis, based on the positions of the first indicator captured by the first camera and the second indicator captured by the second camera.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a positioning and conveying device that conveys and positions an article. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional conveyance devices have, for example, a base, wheels, and position detection sensors. The magnetic sensors, laser scanners, and cameras used in position detection sensors have low measurement accuracy, resulting in a problem of the stopping position being off by more than ±10 mm or ±1° from the target position. In addition, steering-type wheels are often used, but this requires a turning motion to change direction when correcting the position, which can further deviate the position. This makes it difficult to achieve high-precision positioning.

[0003] Conventionally, the loading and unloading of articles onto processing equipment requires highly accurate positioning, which requires a lot of manual work, and automation is desired. However, as mentioned above, it is difficult for conventional conveying devices to achieve highly accurate positioning, making it difficult to load and unload articles onto and from processing equipment using the conveying device alone. For this reason, proposals have been made to add guide mechanisms to the floor surface or positioning mechanisms to the top plate of the conveying device, but these solutions result in high costs.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a roll body transport device that is characterized by comprising a mounting table on which the body of the roll body is placed, a detection unit that detects the position of the mounting table relative to a predetermined reference position, a movement unit that moves the mounting table in a non-vertical direction, a rotation unit that rotates the mounting table, and a control unit that controls at least one of the movement unit and the rotation unit so that the position of the mounting table detected by the detection unit approaches the reference position when the main body of the roll body transport device is stopped to transfer the roll body to a roll body receiving device.

[0005] Patent Document 2 discloses a positioning method for a conveying device that has a loading platform on which an item is placed, that automatically travels, and stops using a sign as a target, in which the conveying device is provided with a positioning means for the loading platform in three directions, namely, two perpendicular directions in a horizontal plane and a rotational direction around a vertical axis, and an optical sensor that detects the sign, and the optical sensor detects the amount of deviation between the conveying device and the sign, and based on the amount of deviation, calculates a positioning correction value, which is the amount of movement in the three directions that should reduce the amount of deviation in the loading platform, and based on the positioning correction value, drives the positioning means in the three directions to move the loading platform. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-52983 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-186459 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present disclosure is an invention made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has a main object to provide a positioning and conveying device that is low-cost and capable of highly accurate positioning. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present disclosure provides a positioning and conveying device that conveys an item and positions the item for attachment / detachment to / from a processing device, the positioning and conveying device comprising: a base that supports the item; three or more drive wheels attached to the base and capable of omnidirectional movement without the need for turning; a motor provided on each of the three or more drive wheels; a first camera and a second camera that capture images of a first marker and a second marker fixed to a floor surface and are mounted on the base at the same interval as the interval between the first marker and the second marker; and a control unit that controls the motors, wherein the control unit controls the rotation of each of the three or more drive wheels to reduce the amount of positional deviation of the positioning and conveying device in three directions: two perpendicular directions in a horizontal plane and a rotational direction around a vertical axis, measured from the position of the first marker captured by the first camera and the position of the second marker captured by the second camera. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a positioning and transporting device that is low-cost and capable of highly accurate positioning. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1A to 1C are a schematic front view, a schematic side view, and a schematic bottom view showing an example of a conveying device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are a schematic side view and a schematic front view of the vicinity of a drive wheel in a conveying device of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a first marker, a second marker, a first camera, and a second camera in the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a conveying device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a positioning process of the transport device of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a method for calculating the amount of deviation of the transport device in the X, Y, and θ directions. [Figure 7] This shows the positional relationship between the sign and the camera after horizontal positioning is complete. [Figure 8] 10A to 10C are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a process of mounting a roll body on a processing device by the conveying device of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a roll body according to the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 4 is a schematic bottom view of the transport device for explaining the positions of the first camera and the second camera. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings and the like. However, the present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to the description of the embodiments exemplified below. Furthermore, to clarify the explanation, the drawings may schematically depict the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part compared to the actual form, but these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the interpretation of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in this specification and each drawing, elements similar to those previously described with reference to the preceding drawings will be designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions may be omitted as appropriate.

[0012] In this specification, when describing a mode in which another component is placed on a certain component, the terms "above" or "below" are used, unless otherwise specified, to include both a case in which another component is placed directly above or below a certain component so as to be in contact with the component, and a case in which another component is placed above or below a certain component with another component interposed therebetween. Also, in this specification, when describing a mode in which another component is placed on the surface of a certain component, the terms "on the surface side" or "on the surface" are used, unless otherwise specified, to include both a case in which another component is placed directly above or below a certain component so as to be in contact with the component, and a case in which another component is placed above or below a certain component with another component interposed therebetween.

[0013] The positioning and conveying device of the present disclosure will be described below. FIG. 1(a) is a schematic front view showing an example of a positioning and conveying device of the present disclosure. FIG. 1(b) is a schematic side view of the positioning and conveying device of FIG. 1(a). FIG. 1(c) is a schematic bottom view of the positioning and conveying device of FIG. 1(a) viewed from below. Also, FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are a schematic side view and a schematic front view, respectively, of the vicinity of the drive wheels in FIG. 1(a). Note that in this specification, the "positioning and conveying device" may be simply referred to as the "conveying device."

[0014] The conveying device 1 shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(c) is a positioning conveying device that conveys an article P and positions the article P for installation in a processing device. In FIGS. 1(a) to 1(c), a roll 70 is used as the article P. The conveying device 1 has a base 10 that supports the article P and four drive wheels 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D that are attached to the base 10 and are capable of moving in all directions relative to a floor surface F. As shown in FIG. 2(b), a motor 12A that drives the drive wheel 11A is attached to the drive wheel 11A. Similarly, although not shown, motors 12B to 12D that drive the drive wheels 11B to 11D are attached to the drive wheels 11B to 11D, respectively. The drive wheel 11A and the motor 12A are fixed to the bottom of the conveying device via a linear motion mechanism 13 and a suspension mechanism 14. Although not shown, drive wheels 11B to 11D and motors 12B to 12D are similarly fixed to the bottom of the conveyance device via linear motion mechanisms 13 and suspension mechanisms 14. Suspension mechanisms 14 expand and contract to follow the unevenness of the floor surface, allowing all drive wheels 11A to 11D to contact the ground and ensuring that the drive force of each drive wheel is transmitted to the floor surface.

[0015] 1(a) to 1(c), the conveyance device 1 is mounted on a base 10 and has a first camera 21a for capturing an image of a first marker M1 and a second camera 21b for capturing an image of a second marker M2, both of which are placed on a floor surface F. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the first camera 21a and the second camera 21b are positioned so that the distance L1 between the first camera 21a and the second camera 21b is the same as the distance L2 between the first marker M1 and the second marker M2. At least one of the first camera 21a and the second camera 21b is preferably located at the center C of rotation around the vertical axis of the conveyance device.

[0016] The conveying device 1 has two laser scanners 15 with a measurement range of 270°, which are provided at diagonal corners of the base 10, for acquiring distance information between the conveying device 1 and surrounding objects (for example, a wall surface), and an elevation lifter 16 that can adjust the height position of the article P. Two elevation lifters 16 are arranged to support the vicinity of both ends of the article P (roll body 70).

[0017] 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a positioning and conveying device according to the present disclosure. The positioning and conveying device 1 has a control unit 22 that controls four motors 12A to 12D. The control unit 22 controls the rotation of each of the drive wheels 11A to 11D to reduce the amount of positional deviation of the positioning and conveying device in three directions, namely, two orthogonal directions in a horizontal plane and a rotational direction around a vertical axis, measured from the position of the first marker photographed by the first camera and the position of the second marker photographed by the second camera.

[0018] FIG. 5 shows a flowchart illustrating the positioning process performed by the positioning and transport device according to the present disclosure. First, the transport device is roughly positioned (S1). For example, the transport device estimates its own position based on distance information from the surroundings acquired by a laser scanner 15 or the like and a pre-stored map, determines a route to the destination, and travels autonomously. At this time, it is preferable to move and stop the transport device at a position where the positional deviations in the X and Y directions calculated in (S3) described below are ±10 mm or less, and the positional deviation in the θ direction is ±3° or less. In the following description, the direction connecting the first and second cameras is defined as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction is defined as the Y direction.

[0019] Next, the first camera 21a captures an image of the first sign M1, and the second camera 21b captures an image of the second sign M2 (S2). At this time, the angle of view is determined so that the signs fit within the imaging areas of the first and second cameras, taking into account the stopping position accuracy of the laser scanner used in (S1) above. Furthermore, the number of pixels required for the first and second cameras at the angle of view determined above is determined so that the amount of positional deviation can be measured with an accuracy equal to or higher than the required positioning accuracy.

[0020] Next, the amount of misalignment of the transport device in three directions (X, Y, and θ directions)—two perpendicular directions in the horizontal plane and the rotational direction around the vertical axis—is calculated (S3). Figure 6 shows an example of a method for calculating the amount of misalignment of the transport device. The pixel resolution [mm / px] is calculated using the known dimensions of the markers, and the distance x1 [mm] and y1 [mm] in the X direction from the center O1 of the first camera's imaging area to the first marker M1, and the distance y2 [mm] in the Y direction from the center O2 of the second camera's imaging area to the second marker M2 are calculated. Here, x1 and y1 acquired by the first camera's imaging become the amount of misalignment of the transport device in the X direction and the Y direction, respectively. The amount of misalignment of the transport device in the θ direction [°] is calculated using the known distance L2 between the markers using the following formula:

[0021]

number

[0022] Next, it is determined whether the calculated deviations of the conveyance device in the X, Y, and θ directions are within the allowable range (S4). If all of the deviations in the X, Y, and θ directions are within the allowable range (Yes), positioning is complete. On the other hand, if at least one of the deviations in the X, Y, and θ directions is outside the allowable range (No), the rotation angle [°] of each drive wheel to the target position is calculated (S5), and the control unit sends commands to each motor to move the conveyance device (S6). After movement, the camera again captures an image of the sign (S2) and calculates the deviation of the conveyance device (S3). If the deviation is within the allowable range (Yes), positioning is complete. Steps (S5), (S6), (S2), (S3), and (S4) are repeated until the result is either outside the allowable range (No) or within the allowable range (Yes). This completes horizontal positioning. Figure 7 shows the positional relationship between the sign and the camera after horizontal positioning is complete. In the present disclosure, positioning is possible so that the deviation from the target position in the X and Y directions is ±0.5 mm or less, and the deviation in the θ direction is ±0.03° or less.

[0023] Next, the article P is positioned in the height direction so that the height of the article P can be attached to the attachment section of the processing device. For example, when a roll body 70 is transported as the article P, as shown in FIG. 8(a), deformation of the roll body 70 may cause the height positions at both ends of the roll body 70 (for example, the height position of the winding axis G) to shift. Therefore, the height positions at both ends of the roll body 70 (for example, the height position of the winding axis G) are measured using cameras 51a and 51b of monitoring devices provided on both sides of the transport device 1, and adjustments are made using at least one of the left and right lifters 16 of the transport device 1 so that the height positions of the attachment section (chuck mechanism 81) of the processing device 80 and both ends of the roll body 70 match (FIG. 8(b)).

[0024] After adjusting the height direction of the article, the conveying device 1 is moved to the mounting position of the processing device 80. After that, the positioning in the planar direction is performed again, and then the roll body 70 is mounted on the chuck mechanism 81 of the processing device 80 as shown in Fig. 8(c). This completes the mounting of the article on the processing device.

[0025] The conveying device disclosed herein is capable of obtaining its horizontal position with high accuracy by using each camera to read signs fixed to two locations on the floor at the same distance as the installation distance between the two cameras.

[0026] Furthermore, since there is no need to add a guide mechanism to the floor surface or a positioning mechanism to the top plate of the conveying device, high-precision positioning is possible at low cost. Furthermore, the dangerous task of attaching and detaching items to and from the device can be automated, improving worker safety and preventing a decline in work efficiency due to labor shortages. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, by repeating the above operations (S2) to (S6), the conveying device can be moved, for example, by a few millimeters at a time to perform horizontal positioning. Therefore, for example, it is less susceptible to the effects of unevenness on the floor than positioning performed by a single large movement operation.

[0027] 1. Drive wheels The transport device of the present disclosure is mounted on a base and has three or more drive wheels that enable omnidirectional movement without the need for turning. "Ability to move omnidirectionally without the need for turning" refers to the ability of the transport device to move forward, backward, left, right, turn, and tilt without the need for the drive wheels to rotate around a vertical axis. This does not include drive wheels whose direction of movement is determined by the drive wheels rotating around a vertical axis. By having such drive wheels, the drive wheels do not need to rotate around a vertical axis, which reduces positional deviation when changing direction, enabling high-precision positioning. Examples of such drive wheels include Mecanum wheels, omniwheels, and spherical wheels. The number of drive wheels varies depending on the type of drive wheels, but is at least three and may be four or more. In the present disclosure, three or four is preferable. The transport device of the present disclosure may also have driven wheels.

[0028] A Mecanum wheel is, for example, a wheel with barrel-shaped rollers attached around the entire circumference of the main wheel, with the rotation axis tilted at 45 degrees relative to the circumferential direction of the main wheel. A mobile mechanism containing four or more Mecanum wheels can move in any direction on a plane by the main wheel's driving rotation and the driven rotation of the barrel-shaped rollers attached to the circumference. The direction and speed of movement are determined by the vector composition of each of the four or more wheels.

[0029] An omniwheel is, for example, a wheel with multiple rollers attached around the entire circumference of the main wheel, with their rotation axes facing in the circumferential direction of the main wheel. A mobility mechanism including three or more omniwheels can move in any direction on a plane by the main wheel's driving rotation and the driven rotation of the rollers attached to the circumference.

[0030] The spherical wheel includes a driving sphere and a rotor that contacts the circumferential surface of the driving sphere. A movement mechanism including three or more spherical wheels can move in any direction on a plane by transmitting power to the sphere via the rotor. For example, the spherical-drive omnidirectional movement device described in Japanese Patent No. 5305285 can be used as the spherical wheel.

[0031] In addition, there are cases where the floor surface is not flat or the center of gravity of the item is shifted from the center of the conveying device. In such cases, if the conveying device has four or more drive wheels, there is a possibility that one or more of the drive wheels will not touch the floor surface. Therefore, it is preferable that the drive wheels be attached to the base via a suspension mechanism. By using a suspension mechanism, all drive wheels can be kept in contact with the floor, and the drive force of each drive wheel can be reliably transmitted to the floor surface. This makes omnidirectional movement more accurate.

[0032] 2. Motor The conveying device has a motor attached to each of the three or more drive wheels to drive the drive wheels. As shown in FIGS. 2(b) and 4, the output shaft of motor 12A is connected to drive wheel 11A, allowing drive wheel 11A to be driven by motor 12A. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 4, the output shaft of motor 12B is connected to drive wheel 11B, allowing drive wheel 11B to be driven by motor 12B. The output shaft of motor 12C is connected to drive wheel 11C, allowing drive wheel 11C to be driven by motor 12C. The output shaft of motor 12D is connected to drive wheel 11D, allowing drive wheel 11D to be driven by motor 12D.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 4, it is preferable that feedback rotation sensors 17A to 17D are attached to the motors 12A to 12D, respectively. The feedback rotation sensors 17A to 17D detect the rotation of the output shafts of the motors 12A to 12D, respectively. Rotary encoders can be used as the feedback rotation sensors 17A to 17D.

[0034] 3. Camera The transport device in the present disclosure has a first camera that captures an image of a first marker fixed to the floor surface and a second camera that captures an image of a second marker fixed to the floor surface. The distance between the first camera and the second camera is the same as the distance between the first marker and the second marker. The distance between the first marker and the second marker is the distance between the centers of the two markers. Similarly, the distance between the first camera and the second camera is the distance between the centers of the two cameras.

[0035] FIG. 10 is a schematic bottom view of the transport device illustrating the positions of the first and second cameras. As shown in FIG. 10(a), the first camera 21a is preferably mounted so that the center of rotation C of the transport device about the vertical axis coincides with the center of the camera. In the case of a transport device with four Mecanum wheels, the center of rotation C about the vertical axis is the intersection of a line connecting the midpoints of opposing drive wheels (the midpoint between 11A and 11B, the midpoint between 11C and 11D) and a line connecting the midpoints of adjacent drive wheels (the midpoint between 11A and 11C, the midpoint between 11B and 11D), as shown in FIG. 10. This is because the sign is less likely to fall out of the imaging area of ​​the first camera 21a when the transport device is turned in the above operation (S6). On the other hand, the second camera 21b is preferably located a predetermined distance from the center of the first camera 21a. This is to increase the positional deviation of the sign due to the deviation of the transport device in the θ direction and improve the accuracy of measuring the sign position with the camera. In this case, the ratio (L1 / L0) of the distance L1 between the cameras to the length L0 of the base 10 in the X direction is preferably 0.40 or more, and more preferably 0.45 or more. On the other hand, the ratio (L1 / L0) is, for example, 0.5 or less.

[0036] When the first camera 21a is attached to the center of rotation around the vertical axis of the conveying device, the number of second cameras 21b may be one, or in order to expand the imaging area, multiple cameras may be arranged side by side (Figure 10(c)).

[0037] In the present disclosure, neither the first nor the second camera may be attached to the center of rotation C around the vertical axis of the conveying device. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the ratio (L1 / L0) of the distance L1 between the cameras to the length L0 of the base 10 in the X direction is preferably 0.5 or more, and more preferably 0.9 or more. This is because it improves the positioning accuracy. On the other hand, the distance L1 between the cameras is preferably 1200 mm or less. This is because it is less likely that the sign will fall out of the imaging area after rough positioning.

[0038] Furthermore, when neither the first camera nor the second camera is attached to the center C of rotation around the vertical axis of the transport device, the number of second cameras 21b may be one, or from the viewpoint of widening the imaging area, multiple cameras may be arranged side by side (FIG. 10(d)). Similarly, the number of first cameras 21a may be one, or from the viewpoint of widening the imaging area, multiple cameras may be arranged side by side.

[0039] The positions of the first and second cameras are not limited to those described above. For example, at least one of the first and second cameras may be attached by a support member extending from the base to the outside of the base. In this case, the distance between the first and second cameras can be made longer than the length L0 of the base, improving positioning accuracy.

[0040] For example, a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) is used as the first camera 21a and the second camera 21b.

[0041] 4. Control Unit The positioning and transporting device according to the present disclosure includes a control unit that controls three or more motors. The control unit controls the rotation of each of the drive wheels to reduce the amount of positional deviation of the transporting device in three directions, namely, two orthogonal directions in a horizontal plane and a rotational direction around a vertical axis, measured from the position of a first marker photographed by a first camera and the position of a second marker photographed by a second camera. The control unit is mounted on, for example, a base.

[0042] 4, the control unit 22 preferably includes a positional deviation calculation unit 23 that calculates the amount of positional deviation of the conveyance device, a determination unit 24 that determines whether the calculated positional deviation is within an allowable range, and a motor rotation angle calculation unit 25 that calculates the rotation angle of each drive wheel to reduce the amount of positional deviation if it is determined that the calculated positional deviation is outside the allowable range. At least one of the positional deviation calculation unit, the determination unit, and the motor rotation angle calculation unit may be located outside the conveyance device. In this case, the control unit and at least one of the positional deviation calculation unit, the determination unit, and the motor rotation angle calculation unit are preferably connected wirelessly.

[0043] The control unit 22 receives a drive command based on the calculated rotation angle of each drive wheel, and controls the motors 12A to 12D via the drive circuits 18A to 18D to drive the drive wheels 11A to 11D, respectively, thereby moving the conveyance device.

[0044] Furthermore, it is preferable that the control unit 22 inputs motor rotation detection signals from the feedback rotation sensors 17A to 17D and controls the motors 12A to 12D via the drive circuits 18A to 18D. That is, it is preferable that the control unit 22 feedback-controls the motors 12A to 12D.

[0045] 5.Transportation equipment (1) Sensor For the rough positioning process (S1) above, the transport device preferably has a sensor for acquiring distance information between the transport device and surrounding objects (e.g., walls, etc.). Examples of sensors include a laser scanner, a camera, and a ToF (Time of Flight) camera. The transport device can estimate its own position based on the results of multiple distance measurements acquired by the sensor and a map that stores the positions of objects such as walls in advance, determine the route to the target position, and travel autonomously. The number of sensors in the transport device is not particularly limited, but two or more is preferable. This is because it allows for the acquisition of position information over a wide range. For example, if the measurement range of the laser scanner is 270°, position information for the entire periphery of the transport device can be acquired by placing two laser scanners diagonally on the base.

[0046] (2) Lifting device The transport device preferably has a lifter that raises and lowers the article to load and unload it from the processing device. When the article is a roll, as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the lifter 16 is preferably disposed between the mounting table 19 and the base 10. Furthermore, two lifters 16 are preferably disposed to support the vicinity of both ends of the roll 70. This is because the height position of the roll can be adjusted so that the height position of the mounting unit (chuck mechanism) of the processing device and the height positions of both ends of the roll are the same. In FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the roll 70 is placed on the mounting table 19 with its body in contact with the mounting table. The mounting table 19 has, for example, a V-shaped cross section to prevent the roll 70 from rolling during transport.

[0047] 6.Other The positioning and conveying device of the present disclosure is a device that conveys an article and positions the article for attachment / detachment to / from a processing device. The article may be, but is not limited to, a roll body. When the article is a roll body, the processing device may include the above-mentioned chuck mechanism or a mechanism for gripping the roll body with a cantilever shaft.

[0048] Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a roll body. As shown in Fig. 9, roll body 70 has, for example, a core 72 and a sheet 71 wound around core 72. Core 72 extends along winding axis G of roll body 70. Core 72 has a hollow portion 73 extending along winding axis G in the radial center.

[0049] The positioning and transporting device according to the present disclosure moves using a first marker and a second marker fixed to a floor surface as targets. The first marker and the second marker are, for example, markers. The first marker and the second marker are preferably printed on the same sheet so that the distance between the markers does not deviate. Furthermore, the sheet is preferably made of a material that is less prone to deformation, such as metal.

[0050] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and any embodiment that has substantially the same configuration as the technical idea described in the claims of the present disclosure and exhibits similar effects is included within the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Example]

[0051] (Example) The transport and planar positioning of the roll 70 using the transport device shown in FIG. 1 were performed according to the flowchart in FIG. 5. Mecanum wheels were used for the drive wheels 11A-11D. Approximately 13-megapixel CMOS cameras were used for the first and second cameras, and the height distance between the floor and the camera was set so that the pixel resolution was approximately 0.028 mm / px. The camera's imaging area was approximately 87 mm in the X direction and approximately 115 mm in the Y direction. The first camera was positioned at the center of the base 10, which is the center of rotation C around the vertical axis of the transport device. The second camera was positioned so that the inter-camera distance L1 from the first camera was the same as the distance L2 between the first and second markers. L1 and L2 were 500 mm, and the length L0 of the base 10 was 1200 mm. The length of the roll was 1500 mm. The fit gap between the roll and the chuck mechanism was approximately 1 mm. The first and second markers were each 20 mm square. According to the flowchart in Figure 5, a rough positioning process (S1) was performed to keep the deviation within ±10 mm and ±3°, and then operations (S2) to (S5) were repeated until the deviation of the conveying device was within the allowable range (deviation in the X and Y directions ±0.5 mm or less, deviation in the θ direction ±0.03° or less).

[0052] Thus, the present disclosure provides, for example, the following inventions.

[0053] [1] A positioning and conveying device that conveys an article and positions the article for attachment and detachment to a processing device, a base for supporting the article; Three or more drive wheels attached to the base and capable of omnidirectional movement without the need for turning; a motor provided on each of the three or more drive wheels; a first camera and a second camera mounted on the base at the same interval as the interval between the first and second markers, the first and second cameras capturing images of the first and second markers fixed to a floor surface, respectively; a control unit that controls the motor, The control unit A positioning and conveying device that controls the rotation of each of the three or more drive wheels to reduce the amount of positional deviation of the positioning and conveying device in three directions: two perpendicular directions in a horizontal plane and a rotational direction around a vertical axis, measured from the position of the first sign photographed by the first camera and the position of the second sign photographed by the second camera.

[0054] [2] The positioning and conveying device according to [1], wherein the drive wheels are attached to the base via a suspension mechanism.

[0055] [3] The positioning and conveying device according to [1] or [2], wherein the drive wheel is a Mecanum wheel, an omni wheel, or a spherical wheel.

[0056] [4] The positioning and conveying device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the first camera is disposed at the center of rotation around a vertical axis of the conveying device.

[0057] [5] The control unit a positional deviation calculation unit that calculates the positional deviation amounts in the three directions of the positioning and transporting device; a determination unit that determines whether the calculated positional deviation amount is within an allowable range; A positioning and conveying device according to any one of [1] to [4], further comprising: a motor rotation angle calculation unit that calculates the rotation angles of each of the three or more drive wheels to reduce the amount of positional deviation when the calculated amount of positional deviation is determined to be outside an acceptable range.

[0058] [6] The positioning and transporting device according to any one of [1] to [5], further comprising a sensor for acquiring distance information between the positioning and transporting device and a surrounding object.

[0059] [7] the article is a roll, the processing device has a chuck mechanism that grips the roll body from both sides, The positioning and transporting device is described in any one of [1] to [6], and has a lifting lifter that raises and lowers the roll body so that the height position of the chuck mechanism of the processing device and the height positions of both ends of the roll body are the same height. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1... Positioning and transport device 11A~11D...Drive wheels 12A~12D...Motor 14...Suspension mechanism 15... Laser scanner 16 ... Lifting lifter 21a... Camera 1 21b... Second camera 22 ... Control section M1 … 1st marker M2…Second sign

Claims

1. A positioning and conveying device that conveys an article and positions the article for attachment and detachment to a processing device, a base for supporting the article; Three or more drive wheels attached to the base and capable of omnidirectional movement without the need for a turning motion; a motor provided on each of the three or more drive wheels; a first camera and a second camera mounted on the base at the same interval as the interval between the first and second markers, the first and second cameras capturing images of the first and second markers fixed to a floor surface, respectively; a control unit that controls the motor, The control unit A positioning and conveying device that controls the rotation of each of the three or more drive wheels to reduce the amount of positional deviation of the positioning and conveying device in three directions: two perpendicular directions in a horizontal plane and a rotational direction around a vertical axis, measured from the position of the first sign photographed by the first camera and the position of the second sign photographed by the second camera.

2. 2. The positioning and transporting device according to claim 1, wherein the drive wheels are attached to the base via a suspension mechanism.

3. The positioning and transporting device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive wheel is a Mecanum wheel, an omni wheel, or a spherical wheel.

4. The positioning and transporting device according to claim 1 , wherein the first camera is disposed at a rotation center of the transporting device about a vertical axis.

5. The control unit a positional deviation calculation unit that calculates the positional deviation amounts in the three directions of the positioning and conveying device; a determination unit that determines whether the calculated positional deviation amount is within an allowable range; 2. The positioning and transporting device according to claim 1, further comprising: a motor rotation angle calculation unit that calculates a rotation angle of each of the three or more drive wheels to reduce the amount of positional deviation when the calculated amount of positional deviation is determined to be outside an allowable range.

6. The positioning and transporting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor for acquiring distance information between the positioning and transporting device and a surrounding object.

7. the article is a roll, the processing device has a chuck mechanism that grips the roll body from both sides, The positioning and transporting device according to claim 1, further comprising a lifting lifter that raises and lowers the roll body so that the height position of the chuck mechanism of the processing device and the height positions of both ends of the roll body are the same height.

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