Robot system and teaching method for robot system

Abstract

To provide a robot system which enables a user to teach a robot while easily grasping which position of a workpiece the robot is working on.SOLUTION: The robot system 100 includes an illumination unit 20 that irradiates a workpiece 200 on which work is performed by a robot 10 with illumination light, an area imaging unit 40 that images a region including an irradiated part P of the workpiece 200 irradiated with the illumination light, a display unit 60 that displays an image captured by the area imaging unit 40, a robot arm 12 that moves the illumination unit 20 and the workpiece 200 relative to each other, and a robot controller 70 that receives teaching of an operation of the robot arm 12 such that the irradiated part P irradiated with the illumination light becomes a part on which work is performed by the robot 10 in a state in which the image captured by the area imaging unit 40 is displayed on the display unit 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a robotic system and a method for teaching a robotic system. [Background technology]

[0002] Teaching devices for robot systems have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an offline teaching device for a vision sensor. This offline teaching device includes a storage device that stores the shapes and dimensions of a workpiece, a robot that performs work on the workpiece, and a vision sensor that measures the workpiece, and a display that displays virtual images of the workpiece, robot, and vision sensor based on the data stored in the storage device. This offline teaching device is configured to arrange the workpiece, robot, and vision sensor on the display and enable offline teaching and adjustment of the vision sensor. Specifically, this offline teaching device is configured to arrange a camera on the display, capture an image of a measurement portion of the workpiece with the arranged camera, and generate a camera image of the captured measurement portion. The generated camera image of the measurement portion is then displayed on a display device. This allows the user to determine which position is the measurement portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4266946 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, even when a camera image of a measurement portion is displayed on a display device as described in Patent Document 1, if the camera image is small, it may be difficult for the user to grasp which position on the workpiece is the measurement portion. Therefore, it is desired that the user be able to instruct the robot while easily grasping which position on the workpiece the robot is working on.

[0005] This disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one purpose of this disclosure is to provide a robot system and a teaching method for a robot system that allow a user to teach a robot while easily understanding which position on the workpiece the robot is working on. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A robot system according to a first aspect of this disclosure includes an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto a workpiece on which work is to be performed by a robot, an area imaging unit that images an area including the irradiated portion of the workpiece irradiated with the illumination light, a display unit that displays the image captured by the area imaging unit, a robot arm that moves the illumination unit and the workpiece relatively, and a control unit that receives instructions for the operation of the robot arm so that the irradiated portion irradiated with the illumination light becomes the portion on which work is to be performed by the robot, while the image captured by the area imaging unit is displayed on the display unit.

[0007] In the robot system according to the first aspect of this disclosure, as described above, the control unit, while displaying the image captured by the area imaging unit on the display unit, accepts instructions for the robot arm to operate such that the illuminated portion illuminated with the illumination light is the portion where the robot will perform work. This allows the user to easily understand which portion of the workpiece the robot is working on by checking the image of the wide range of the workpiece captured by the area imaging unit. As a result, the user can instruct the robot while easily understanding which portion of the workpiece the robot is working on.

[0008] A teaching method for a robot system according to a second aspect of this disclosure includes irradiating a workpiece on which work is to be performed by the robot with illumination light from an illumination unit, capturing an image of an area including the irradiated portion of the workpiece irradiated with the illumination light by an area imaging unit, displaying the image captured by the area imaging unit on a display unit, and, with the image captured by the area imaging unit displayed on the display unit, receiving instruction for the operation of the robot arm by a control unit so that the irradiated portion irradiated with the illumination light becomes the portion on which work is to be performed by the robot.

[0009] A teaching method for a robot system according to a second aspect of this disclosure includes, as described above, a control unit that receives a teaching instruction for the robot arm to operate such that an irradiated portion irradiated with illumination light is an area where the robot will perform work, while an image captured by the area imaging unit is displayed on the display unit. This allows a user to easily understand which portion of the workpiece the robot is working on by checking the image of the wide range of the workpiece captured by the area imaging unit. As a result, a teaching method for a robot system can be provided that allows a user to teach the robot while easily understanding which portion of the workpiece the robot is working on. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, as described above, the user can instruct the robot while easily understanding which position on the workpiece the robot is working on. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a robotic system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a robotic system according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an illumination unit, a line imaging unit, and an area imaging unit of a robot system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of an illumination unit, a line imaging unit, and an area imaging unit of a robot system according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state before a cover member is inserted into an illumination unit of a robot system according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a cover member is attached to an illumination unit of the robot system according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining inspection of a workpiece according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the tip of the focal point indicating member is located at the center of the irradiation area. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a teaching method for a robot system according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the tip of the focal point indicating member is shifted from the center of the irradiated area. FIG. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a strip-shaped captured image captured by a line imaging unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a flow chart for explaining an inspection method using a robot system. [Figure 13] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the area imaging unit is attached to the line imaging unit by a detachable member. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the detachable member is detached from the line imaging unit. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the operation of a robot arm is being taught based on a mark attached to a workpiece. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments embodying the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] (Robot system configuration) The overall configuration of a robot system 100 according to one embodiment will be described.

[0014] 1, the robot system 100 is a robot system 100 for inspecting the appearance of a workpiece 200. The workpiece 200 is, for example, a product or part related to an automobile, agricultural machinery, ceramics, or household electrical appliances. Note that the workpiece 200 is not particularly limited.

[0015] The robot system 100 includes a robot 10, an illumination unit 20, a line imaging unit 30, an area imaging unit 40, an attachment member 50, a cover member 21 shown in Fig. 2, a focal position indicating member 53, a display unit 60, and a robot controller 70. The robot controller 70 is an example of a control unit.

[0016] The robot 10 performs an inspection of the surface 200a of the workpiece 200. For example, the robot 10 is a vertical articulated robot. The robot 10 includes a base 11 and a robot arm 12 connected to the base 11. The base 11 is fixed to an installation surface such as a floor, wall, or ceiling. The base 11 may be attached to a movable carriage. The robot arm 12 has multiple joints. Each of the multiple joints has a servo motor as a drive source. The robot arm 12 moves the illumination unit 20, the line imaging unit 30, and the area imaging unit 40 relative to the workpiece 200. In this embodiment, the illumination unit 20, the line imaging unit 30, and the area imaging unit 40 are attached to the robot arm 12, and the robot arm 12 moves the illumination unit 20, the line imaging unit 30, and the area imaging unit 40 relative to the stationary workpiece 200. The inspection is an example of an operation performed by a robot.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the line imaging unit 30 and the area imaging unit 40 are attached to a tip member 13 attached to the tip of the robot arm 12. A base end portion 13a of the tip member 13 is attached to the robot arm 12, and the illumination unit 20, the line imaging unit 30, and the area imaging unit 40 are attached to a tip end portion 13b. The tip member 13 rotates, for example, around a rotation axis L1 at the tip of the robot arm 12. The illumination unit 20 is attached to one end of the portion 13b so that the illumination direction is aligned with the focus of the line imaging unit 30. The line imaging unit 30 and the area imaging unit 40 are attached to the other end of the portion 13b. The line imaging unit 30 is, for example, directly attached to the portion 13b. That is, in this embodiment, the illumination unit 20 and the line imaging unit 30 are fixed to the robot arm 12.

[0018] The illumination unit 20 irradiates the workpiece 200 with illumination light. For example, the illumination unit 20 irradiates the surface 200a of the workpiece 200 with illumination light. As shown in FIG. 5, the portion 20a of the illumination unit 20 that irradiates the illumination light has a rectangular shape. Therefore, the portion 20a of the illumination unit 20 irradiates the illumination light over a relatively wide range. The illumination unit 20 is, for example, an LED or a fluorescent lamp.

[0019] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 , the cover member 21 is attached to cover the portion 20a of the illumination unit 20 that emits illumination light. The cover member 21 also includes a slit-shaped opening 21a. For example, the cover member 21 is formed from resin using a 3D printer. The color of the cover member 21 is, for example, black so that light does not leak from anywhere other than the opening 21a. The color of the cover member 21 may be any color as long as it is made of a light-blocking material that does not transmit light. A light-blocking material may be attached to the surface of the cover member 21 formed using a 3D printer. The opening 21a is formed along the long side direction of the portion 20a of the rectangular illumination unit 20. For example, an opening 20c is formed in a side surface of the housing 20b of the illumination unit 20, and the cover member 21 is inserted through the opening 20c. As a result, the cover member 21 inserted through the opening 20c covers the portion 20a of the illumination unit 20 as shown in FIG. 6 . As a result, the illumination unit 20 irradiates the workpiece 200 with linear illumination light through the slit-shaped opening 21a. Note that, as shown in Fig. 6, it may be attached to the portion 20a of the illumination unit 20. In this case, there is no need to form the opening 20c.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 7, the line imaging unit 30 captures a line image of the workpiece 200. The line imaging unit 30 captures a line image of the surface 200a of the workpiece 200 while being moved by the robot arm 12. For example, the line imaging unit 30 is a camera in which several thousand to several tens of thousands of square or rectangular light receiving elements that detect light are arranged in a single horizontal row or in several rows. When the light receiving elements are arranged in a single horizontal row, the width of the captured image in the movement direction A of the line imaging unit 30 shown in FIG. 7 is one pixel. Furthermore, the line imaging unit 30 captures an image of the workpiece 200 from a direction perpendicular to the surface 200a of the workpiece 200.

[0021] FIG. 8 is an example of an image captured by the area imaging unit 40, in which the surface 200a of the workpiece 200 and the irradiated portion P of the linear irradiation light irradiated from the illumination unit 20 are captured. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the area imaging unit 40 captures an image of an area including the irradiated portion P of the workpiece 200 irradiated with the illumination light. Specifically, the area imaging unit 40 captures an area that is larger than the irradiated portion P and includes the irradiated portion P of the surface 200a of the workpiece 200. The area imaging unit 40 is, for example, a two-dimensional camera. The irradiated portion P corresponds to the image captured by the line imaging unit 30. In other words, the irradiated portion P has a size approximately equal to the size of the image having a width of one pixel captured by the line imaging unit 30. The area imaging unit 40 captures, for example, most of the area of ​​the surface 200a of the workpiece 200.

[0022] 4, in this embodiment, the area imaging unit 40 is disposed on the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30. The optical axis L2 refers to a line that passes through the center of the lens included in the line imaging unit 30 and is perpendicular to the lens. The area imaging unit 40 is disposed on the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30 when teaching the operation of the robot arm 12, and is moved to a position that is not within the imaging range of the line imaging unit 30 except when teaching is being performed.

[0023] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , the mounting member 50 is a member for mounting the area imaging unit 40 to the robot arm 12. The mounting member 50 is formed of resin using, for example, a 3D printer. The mounting member 50 is fixed to, for example, the tip member 13 with a fastening member such as a screw. The mounting member 50 includes a main body 51, which is, for example, L-shaped, with one end attached to the tip member 13 and the area imaging unit 40 attached to the other end. The mounting member 50 also includes a position changing mechanism 52. The position changing mechanism 52 changes the position of the area imaging unit 40 relative to the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30. The position changing mechanism 52 includes a base end 52 a and a tip end 52 b. The base end 52 a is attached to the main body 51, and the area imaging unit 40 is attached to the tip end 52 b. The base end 52a and the tip end 52b are connected via a hinge 52c, and the base end 52a rotates relative to the base end 52a. This changes the state of the area imaging unit 40 between being positioned on the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30 and being displaced from the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30. The position of the area imaging unit 40 is changed, for example, manually by the user. Alternatively, the position of the area imaging unit 40 may be changed by a driving mechanism such as a motor.

[0024] In this embodiment, the focal position indicating member 53 is a member attached to the robot arm 12 so that its tip is positioned at the focal position of the line imaging unit 30. Specifically, the focal position indicating member 53 is a rod-shaped member whose tip is tapered. The base end of the focal position indicating member 53 is connected to the portion 13b of the tip member 13. The focal position indicating member 53 is also positioned along the rotation axis L1 of the tip of the robot arm 12. The robot arm 12 then moves the illumination unit 20, the line imaging unit 30, the area imaging unit 40, and the focal position indicating member 53 relative to the stationary workpiece 200.

[0025] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8 , the display unit 60 displays the image captured by the area imaging unit 40. Specifically, the display unit 60 displays the workpiece 200, the illumination light irradiated onto the surface 200a of the workpiece 200, and the tip of the focal position indicating member 53, all of which are captured by the area imaging unit 40. The irradiated portion P shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to the imaging range of the line imaging unit 30, for example, one to several tens of times. The imaging range of the irradiated portion P is not limited to this. Furthermore, since the line imaging unit 30 captures an image while scanning the surface 200a of the workpiece 200, the image captured by the line imaging unit 30 becomes a band-shaped image as shown in FIG. 11 . Furthermore, the display unit 60 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like.

[0026] The robot controller 70 controls the operation of the robot 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the robot controller 70 includes a processing unit 71 and a storage unit 72. The processing unit 71 includes a processor and performs various processes related to the operation of the robot 10. The storage unit 72 includes a non-volatile memory and stores various information such as programs for operating the robot 10. The programs for operating the robot 10 are generated by the user operating the teaching device 90.

[0027] The image processing device 80 performs image processing on the image captured by the line imaging unit 30. The image processing device 80 also controls the timing of imaging by the line imaging unit 30. The image processing device 80 includes a processing unit 81 and a storage unit 82. The processing unit 81 includes a processor, and performs various processes related to the image captured by the line imaging unit 30 and the timing of imaging by the line imaging unit 30. The storage unit 82 includes a non-volatile memory, and stores various information such as programs for performing image processing.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the teaching device 90 is a teaching device 90 for the robot 10. The teaching device 90 receives a teaching operation for teaching the robot controller 70 how to move the robot arm 12. The teaching device 90 includes a display unit 91 and an operation unit 92. The user operates the operation unit 92 to move the robot arm 12, and the movement of the robot arm 12 is taught to the robot controller 70. The teaching device 90 is called a teaching pendant.

[0029] In this embodiment, the robot controller 70 receives instructions for the operation of the robot arm 12 so that the irradiation portion P irradiated with the illumination light becomes the portion where work is performed by the robot 10, with the image captured by the area imaging unit 40 displayed on the display unit 60. Specifically, the robot controller 70 receives instructions for the operation of the robot arm 12 so that the irradiation portion P irradiated with the illumination light becomes the inspection portion to be imaged by the line imaging unit 30, with the image of an area larger than the irradiation portion P and including the irradiation portion P captured by the area imaging unit 40 displayed on the display unit 60 as shown in FIG.

[0030] (Robot system teaching method) The following describes a teaching method for the robot system 100. The teaching method for the robot system 100 is a method for teaching the robot arm 12 to operate.

[0031] 4, the user moves the area imaging unit 40 onto the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30. The user also attaches the focal point position indicating member 53 to the tip member 13.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 9, in step S1, the user operates the teaching device 90, and the robot controller 70 receives a command to start teaching the robot 10 how to move.

[0033] In step S2, the robot controller 70 causes the lighting unit 20 to start irradiating the surface 200a of the workpiece 200 on which the robot 10 is performing work with illumination light. Specifically, the illumination portion P irradiated by the lighting unit 20 corresponds to the imaging portion of the line imaging unit 30.

[0034] In step S3, the robot controller 70 causes the area imaging unit 40 to start imaging an area including the irradiation portion P illuminated with the illumination light. Specifically, the area imaging unit 40 images an area including the irradiation portion P but larger than the irradiation portion P.

[0035] In step S4, the robot controller 70 causes the display unit 60 to display the image captured by the area imaging unit 40. Specifically, the display unit 60 displays the workpiece 200, the irradiation portion P, and the tip of the focal position indicating member 53 captured by the area imaging unit 40. Note that the illumination unit 20, the area imaging unit 40, and the display unit 60 may be controlled by a control unit other than the robot controller 70.

[0036] In step S5, while the image captured by the area imaging unit 40 is displayed on the display unit 60, the user operates the teaching device 90. This causes the robot controller 70 to receive instructions for the robot arm 12 to operate so that the illuminated area P illuminated with illumination light is the area where the robot 10 will perform work. For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , when the tip of the focal point indicating member 53 is positioned at the center of the illuminated area P illuminated by the illumination unit 20, the focus of the line imaging unit 30 is aligned with the surface 200a of the workpiece 200. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10 , when the tip of the focal point indicating member 53 is positioned at a location offset from the center of the illuminated area P, the focus of the line imaging unit 30 is not aligned with the surface 200a of the workpiece 200. The user instructs the robot arm 12 to operate so that the focus of the line imaging unit 30 is aligned with the surface 200a of the workpiece 200. The term "the tip of the focal position indicating member 53 is located at a position offset from the center of the irradiated portion P" includes both the meaning that the tip of the focal position indicating member 53 is located at a position offset from the center of the irradiated portion P and the meaning that the tip of the focal position indicating member 53 is located at a position offset away from the irradiated portion P as shown in FIG. 10 . In either case, in the present disclosure, the user can instruct the robot arm 12 to operate so that the focus of the line imaging unit 30 is aligned with the surface 200a of the workpiece 200. FIG. 11 shows a strip-shaped image G captured by the line imaging unit 30 when the robot arm 12 actually operates based on the operation instructed by the user with the focus of the line imaging unit 30 aligned with the surface 200a of the workpiece 200. It has been confirmed that the image captured by the line imaging unit 30 shown in FIG. 11 matches the movement trajectory of the irradiated portion P shown in FIG. 8 .

[0037] (Inspection method using a robot system) An inspection method using the robot system 100 will now be described.

[0038] First, as a preliminary preparation, the user manually moves the area imaging unit 40 so as to deviate from the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 4. That is, the tip 52b of the position changing mechanism 52 is rotated, and the area imaging unit 40 is moved from the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30. Furthermore, if the focal position indication member 53 is attached to the tip member 13, the user detaches the focal position indication member 53 from the tip member 13.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 12, in step S11, a command to start inspection is input by the user to the robot controller 70 from an input unit such as the teaching device 90 or a personal computer.

[0040] In step S12, the robot controller 70 moves the robot arm 12 based on the taught operation of the robot arm 12.

[0041] In step S13, the robot controller 70 causes the lighting unit 20 to start irradiating the surface 200a of the workpiece 200 with illumination light.

[0042] In step S14, the robot controller 70 causes the line imaging unit 30 to start imaging the portion of the surface 200a of the workpiece 200 that is irradiated with the illumination light. Note that the illumination unit 20 and the line imaging unit 30 may be controlled by a control unit other than the robot controller 70.

[0043] In step S15, the processing unit 81 of the image processing device 80 detects defects such as scratches, foreign objects, and dents in the workpiece 200 based on the image captured by the line imaging unit 30. The detected defect results are displayed on the display unit 60. For example, the display unit 60 displays a sign such as an arrow indicating the position of the defect so as to overlap the 3D image or actual image of the workpiece 200. The processing unit 81 of the image processing device 80 may also detect conditions of the workpiece 200 other than defects.

[0044] In step S16, the robot controller 70 determines whether the inspection work has been completed. That is, the robot controller 70 determines whether all of the taught movements of the robot arm 12 have been executed. Note that, as the inspection work, only a part of the taught movements of the robot arm 12 may be executed. The operations from step S12 to step S15 are repeated until step S16 becomes yes.

[0045] [Effects of this embodiment] With the image captured by the area imaging unit 40 displayed on the display unit 60, the robot controller 70 accepts instructions to operate the robot arm 12 so that the illuminated portion P illuminated with the illumination light is the portion where the robot 10 will perform work. This allows the user to easily understand which portion of the workpiece 200 the robot 10 is working on by checking the wide-range image of the workpiece 200 captured by the area imaging unit 40. As a result, the user can instruct the robot 10 while easily understanding which portion of the workpiece 200 the robot 10 is working on.

[0046] The robot system 100 includes a line imaging unit 30 that captures a line-shaped image of a workpiece 200 as an inspection task performed by the robot 10. The robot arm 12 moves the illumination unit 20, the line imaging unit 30, and the workpiece 200 relative to one another. The illumination unit 20 corresponds to the imaging area of ​​the line imaging unit 30, and the area imaging unit 40 captures an area larger than the irradiation area P. The robot controller 70 receives instructions for the operation of the robot arm 12 so that the irradiation area P illuminated with illumination light becomes the imaging area of ​​the line imaging unit 30 while the image captured by the area imaging unit 40 is displayed on the display unit 60. Here, because the image captured by the line imaging unit 30 is linear, it is difficult for a user to determine which position on the workpiece 200 is being imaged. Therefore, as described above, an image of an area larger than the irradiation area P is displayed on the display unit 60. Therefore, by visually checking the illumination light displayed on the display unit 60, a user can easily visually determine which position on the workpiece 200 is the inspection area to be imaged by the line imaging unit 30. As a result, the user can instruct the robot arm 12 to operate so that the line imaging unit 30 properly captures the inspection portion. This eliminates the need to re-teach the robot arm 12 to operate for the inspection work. Furthermore, even if re-teaching for the inspection work is required, the number of re-teachments can be reduced. Furthermore, by visually checking the illumination light displayed on the display unit 60, the user can easily recognize which part of the workpiece 200 is the inspection portion.

[0047] The area imaging unit 40 is disposed on the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30, and the robot arm 12 moves the illumination unit 20, the line imaging unit 30, the area imaging unit 40, and the workpiece 200 relative to one another. This ensures that the imaging range of the line imaging unit 30 is included within the imaging range of the area imaging unit 40. Furthermore, because the imaging angle of the area imaging unit 40 relative to the workpiece 200 and the imaging angle of the line imaging unit 30 relative to the workpiece 200 match, the user can easily visually recognize the inspection area as seen from the imaging angle of the line imaging unit 30 by visually checking the illumination light displayed on the display unit 60.

[0048] The illumination unit 20 and the line imaging unit 30 are fixed to the robot arm 12. The robot system 100 includes a mounting member 50 that mounts the area imaging unit 40 to the robot arm 12. The mounting member 50 includes a position change mechanism 52 that changes the position of the area imaging unit 40 with respect to the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30. When teaching the operation of the robot arm 12, the position of the area imaging unit 40 is changed by the position change mechanism 52 so that the area imaging unit 40 is positioned on the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30. This allows the position of the area imaging unit 40 to be changed to a position shifted from the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30 when actually inspecting the workpiece 200, thereby preventing the area imaging unit 40 from interfering with imaging by the line imaging unit 30.

[0049] The illumination unit 20 irradiates the workpiece 200 with linear illumination light. This allows the linear imaging range imaged by the line imaging unit 30 to be simulated on the workpiece 200 by the linear illumination light. Therefore, by visually checking the linear illumination light displayed on the display unit 60, the user can easily visually recognize the linear imaging range imaged by the line imaging unit 30.

[0050] The robot system 100 includes a removable cover member 21 that is attached to cover the portion of the illumination unit 20 that emits illumination light and includes a slit-shaped opening 21a. The illumination unit 20 emits linear illumination light onto the workpiece 200 through the slit-shaped opening 21a. This makes it possible to easily emit linear illumination light onto the workpiece 200 using the cover member 21, even when the illumination range of the illumination unit 20 is wide.

[0051] The robot system 100 includes a focal point position indicating member 53 attached to the robot arm 12 so that its tip is positioned at the focal position of the line imaging unit 30. The display unit 60 displays the irradiated portion P imaged by the area imaging unit 40 and the tip of the focal point position indicating member 53. This makes it possible to easily teach the robot arm 12 to operate so that the line imaging unit 30 is in focus by teaching the robot arm 12 to operate so that the tip of the focal point position indicating member 53 is positioned at the irradiated portion P.

[0052] [Variations] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0053] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the robot controller 70 receives instruction for an operation to inspect the workpiece 200, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the robot controller 70 may receive instruction for an operation for a task other than inspection, such as welding. In this case, the robot controller 70 receives instruction for an operation of the robot arm 12 in a state in which the illumination unit 20 irradiates the portion of the workpiece 200 where an operation such as welding is to be performed with light.

[0054] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the robot arm 12 was a vertical articulated robot, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the robot arm 12 may be a horizontal articulated robot or the like other than a vertical articulated robot.

[0055] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the robot arm 12 moves the line imaging unit 30, the area imaging unit 40, and the lighting unit 20, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the positions of the line imaging unit 30, the area imaging unit 40, and the lighting unit 20 may be fixed, and the robot arm 12 may move the workpiece 200.

[0056] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the area imaging unit 40 is disposed on the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30 when teaching the robot arm 12 to move, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, when teaching the robot arm 12 to move, the area imaging unit 40 may be disposed at a position slightly shifted from the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30.

[0057] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the area imaging unit 40 is attached to the robot arm 12 by the attachment member 50. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 , the area imaging unit 40 may be attached to the robot arm 12 by a detachable member 150. The detachable member 150 is a member that is detachable from the line imaging unit 30. The area imaging unit 40 is fixed to the detachable member 150. For example, the detachable member 150 engages with the tip and inner side of the cylindrical housing 30a of the line imaging unit 30 by an engagement portion 151. The engagement portion 151 is biased toward the outside of the line imaging unit 30, and is fixed to the line imaging unit 30 by the biasing force. As shown in FIG. 14 , when a user presses a release button (not shown) that releases the engagement of the engagement portion 151, the detachable member 150 is detached from the line imaging unit 30 together with the area imaging unit 40. Furthermore, with the area imaging unit 40 attached to the line imaging unit 30 by the detachable member 150, the area imaging unit 40 is disposed on the optical axis L2 of the line imaging unit 30. Note that the detachable member 150 and the line imaging unit 30 may each be formed with a male thread and a female thread, and the detachable member 150 may be fixed by screwing it into the line imaging unit 30. In this way, the detachable member 150 allows the area imaging unit 40 to be detached from the robot arm 12 when actually inspecting the workpiece 200, thereby suppressing interference between the area imaging unit 40 and other members when inspecting the workpiece 200.

[0058] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which a line-shaped illumination light is emitted from the illumination unit 20 by attaching the removable cover member 21 including the slit-shaped opening 21a to the illumination unit 20, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the part of the illumination unit 20 that emits the illumination light may itself be formed in a line shape.

[0059] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the operation of the robot arm 12 was instructed using the focal position indicating member 53 attached to the robot arm 12 so that the focus of the line imaging unit 30 was aligned with the surface 200a of the workpiece 200. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a fixed-focus imaging unit may be used as the area imaging unit 40, and the robot controller 70 may accept instructions for the operation of the robot arm 12 by considering the position of the robot arm 12 when the image captured by the area imaging unit 40 displayed on the display unit 60 is in focus as the focused position of the line imaging unit 30. Note that a fixed-focus imaging unit does not have a mechanism for automatically adjusting the focus, as in an autofocus system, and has a fixed focusing distance. If the image captured by the area imaging unit 40 is out of focus, this indicates that the distance between the line imaging unit 30 and the workpiece 200 is too close or too far. On the other hand, if the image captured by the area imaging unit 40 is in focus, this indicates that the distance between the line imaging unit 30 and the workpiece 200 is appropriate. Therefore, by teaching the robot arm 12 to move while maintaining the image captured by the area imaging unit 40 in focus, it becomes possible to teach the robot arm 12 to move in an appropriate state where the line imaging unit 30 is in focus. By using a fixed-focus imaging unit in this way, it is possible to teach the robot arm 12 to move in an appropriate state where the line imaging unit 30 is in focus, without having to separately install a component such as the focus position indicating member 53.

[0060] 15, a strip-shaped marker M with a ruler-like scale may be attached to the surface 200a of the workpiece 200, and the user may instruct the robot arm 12 to operate while visually checking the positional relationship between the focal position indicating member 53 and the marker M displayed on the display unit 60. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, when the focal position indicating member 53 is arranged along the strip-shaped marker M, the focus of the line imaging unit 30 is aligned with the surface 200a of the workpiece 200. On the other hand, when the focal position indicating member 53 is aligned along the strip-shaped marker M but intersects with it, the focus of the line imaging unit 30 is not aligned with the surface 200a of the workpiece 200.

[0061] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the user instructs the robot arm 12 to move so that the tip of the focal point indicating member 53 is positioned at the center of the irradiation portion P irradiated with illumination light, as shown in Fig. 8 , but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Fig. 10 , if the tip of the focal point indicating member 53 is deviated from the center of the irradiation portion P, the robot controller 70 may automatically correct the movement of the robot arm 12 based on the image shown in Fig. 10 so that the tip of the focal point indicating member 53 is positioned at the center of the irradiation portion P.

[0062] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the robot controller 70 receives instructions for the operation of the robot arm 12 and the image processing device 80 detects defects in the workpiece 200 based on the captured images, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the robot controller 70 may both teach the operation of the robot arm 12 and detect defects in the workpiece 200. Furthermore, both teaching the operation of the robot arm 12 and detecting defects in the workpiece 200 may be performed by a control unit other than the robot controller 70 and the image processing device 80.

[0063] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the user instructs the robot arm 12 to operate so that the tip of the focal position indicating member 53 is positioned at the center of the irradiation portion P irradiated from the lighting unit 20, with the focus of the line imaging unit 30 aligned with the surface 200a of the workpiece 200, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, instead of the focal position indicating member 53 made of a rod-shaped member, a sensor that measures distance, such as a laser displacement meter, may be disposed, and the user may instruct the robot arm 12 to operate while measuring the distance to the surface 200a of the workpiece 200, so that the focus of the line imaging unit 30 is aligned with the surface 200a of the workpiece 200.

[0064] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, integrated circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it includes transistors and other circuitry. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the recited functions or hardware that is programmed to perform the recited functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. Where the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or processor.

[0065] [Aspect] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are examples of the following aspects.

[0066] (Aspect 1) an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto a workpiece on which work is performed by the robot; an area imaging unit that images an area including an irradiated portion of the workpiece irradiated with illumination light; a display unit that displays an image captured by the area capturing unit; a robot arm that moves the lighting unit and the workpiece relatively; a control unit that receives instructions for operating the robot arm so that the illuminated area illuminated with illumination light becomes an area where work is performed by the robot while an image captured by the area imaging unit is displayed on the display unit.

[0067] (Aspect 2) a line imaging unit that images the workpiece in a line as an inspection operation by the robot; the robot arm moves the lighting unit, the line imaging unit, and the workpiece relatively; the irradiated portion corresponds to the imaging portion of the line imaging unit, the area imaging unit images an area larger than the illuminated portion, The control unit of the robot system of aspect 1 accepts instructions for the operation of the robot arm so that the illuminated portion illuminated with illumination light becomes the imaged portion of the line imaging unit while the image captured by the area imaging unit is displayed on the display unit.

[0068] (Aspect 3) the area imaging unit is disposed on an optical axis of the line imaging unit, 3. The robot system according to aspect 2, wherein the robot arm moves the illumination unit, the line imaging unit, the area imaging unit, and the workpiece relative to one another.

[0069] (Aspect 4) the illumination unit and the line imaging unit are fixed to the robot arm; a detachable member for attaching and detaching the area imaging unit to the robot arm, The robot system of aspect 3, wherein the area imaging unit is attached to the robot arm by the detachable member so as to be positioned on the optical axis of the line imaging unit when teaching the robot arm to operate.

[0070] (Aspect 5) the illumination unit and the line imaging unit are fixed to the robot arm; a mounting member for mounting the area imaging unit to the robot arm; the mounting member includes a position change mechanism that changes the position of the area imaging unit relative to the optical axis of the line imaging unit, A robot system according to aspect 3 or aspect 4, wherein when teaching the operation of the robot arm, the position of the area imaging unit is changed by the position change mechanism so that the area imaging unit is positioned on the optical axis of the line imaging unit.

[0071] (Aspect 6) The robot system according to any one of aspects 2 to 5, wherein the illumination unit irradiates the workpiece with a linear illumination light.

[0072] (Aspect 7) a removable cover member that is attached to cover a portion of the illumination unit that emits illumination light and includes a slit-shaped opening; 7. The robot system of claim 6, wherein the illumination unit irradiates the workpiece with linear illumination light through the slit-shaped opening.

[0073] (Aspect 8) a focal point position indicating member attached to the robot arm so that a tip end thereof is positioned at a focal point position of the line imaging unit; The robot system according to any one of aspects 2 to 7, wherein the display unit displays the irradiated portion and the tip of the focal point indicating member captured by the area capturing unit.

[0074] (Aspect 9) the area imaging unit is a fixed-focus imaging unit, The robot system according to any one of aspects 2 to 8, wherein the control unit accepts instructions for the operation of the robot arm by regarding the position of the robot arm when the image captured by the area capturing unit displayed on the display unit is in focus as the position where the line capturing unit is in focus.

[0075] (Aspect 10) Illuminating a workpiece on which work is to be performed by the robot with illumination light from an illumination unit; capturing an image of an area including an irradiated portion of the workpiece irradiated with illumination light by an area imaging unit; displaying the image captured by the area capturing unit on a display unit; a control unit receiving instruction for the operation of the robot arm so that the illuminated portion illuminated with illumination light becomes the portion where work is performed by the robot, while an image captured by the area imaging unit is displayed on the display unit.

[0076] (Aspect 11) The irradiation portion corresponds to an imaging portion of a line imaging unit that images the workpiece in a line shape, A teaching method for a robot system described in aspect 10, wherein the control unit accepts instruction for the operation of the robot arm so that the illuminated portion illuminated with illumination light becomes the imaged portion imaged by the line imaging unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 10. Robot 12 Robotic Arm 20 Lighting Department 21 Cover member 21a opening 30 Line imaging unit 40 Area imaging unit 50 Mounting material 52 Position change mechanism 53 Focus position indicator 60 Display section 70 Robot controller (control unit) 100 Robot Systems 150 Detachable member 200 Work L2 optical axis P irradiated area

Claims

1. an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto a workpiece on which work is performed by the robot; an area imaging unit that images an area including an irradiated portion of the workpiece irradiated with illumination light; a display unit that displays an image captured by the area capturing unit; a robot arm that moves the lighting unit and the workpiece relatively; a control unit that receives instructions for operating the robot arm so that the illuminated area illuminated with illumination light becomes an area where work is performed by the robot while an image captured by the area imaging unit is displayed on the display unit.

2. a line imaging unit that images the workpiece in a line as an inspection operation by the robot; the robot arm moves the lighting unit, the line imaging unit, and the workpiece relatively; the irradiated portion corresponds to the imaging portion of the line imaging unit, the area imaging unit images an area larger than the illuminated portion, 2. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit accepts instructions for the operation of the robot arm so that the illuminated portion illuminated with illumination light becomes the imaged portion of the line imaging unit while the image captured by the area imaging unit is displayed on the display unit.

3. the area imaging unit is disposed on an optical axis of the line imaging unit, The robot system according to claim 2 , wherein the robot arm moves the illumination unit, the line imaging unit, the area imaging unit, and the workpiece relative to one another.

4. the illumination unit and the line imaging unit are fixed to the robot arm; a detachable member for attaching and detaching the area imaging unit to the robot arm, The robot system according to claim 3 , wherein the area imaging unit is attached to the robot arm by the detachable member so as to be positioned on an optical axis of the line imaging unit when teaching the robot arm to operate.

5. the illumination unit and the line imaging unit are fixed to the robot arm; a mounting member for mounting the area imaging unit to the robot arm; the mounting member includes a position change mechanism that changes the position of the area imaging unit relative to the optical axis of the line imaging unit, 4. The robot system according to claim 3, wherein the position of the area imaging unit is changed by the position changing mechanism so that the area imaging unit is positioned on the optical axis of the line imaging unit when teaching the operation of the robot arm.

6. The robot system according to claim 2 , wherein the illumination unit irradiates the workpiece with a linear illumination light.

7. a removable cover member that is attached to cover a portion of the illumination unit that emits illumination light and includes a slit-shaped opening; The robot system according to claim 6 , wherein the illumination unit irradiates the workpiece with linear illumination light through the slit-shaped opening.

8. a focal point position indicating member attached to the robot arm so that a tip end thereof is positioned at a focal point position of the line imaging unit; The robot system according to claim 2 , wherein the display unit displays the irradiated portion and the tip of the focal point indicating member, which are imaged by the area imaging unit.

9. the area imaging unit is a fixed-focus imaging unit, 3. The robot system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit accepts instructions for the operation of the robot arm by regarding the position of the robot arm when the image captured by the area capturing unit displayed on the display unit is in focus as the position where the line capturing unit is in focus.

10. Illuminating a workpiece on which work is to be performed by the robot with illumination light from an illumination unit; capturing an image of an area including an irradiated portion of the workpiece irradiated with illumination light by an area imaging unit; displaying the image captured by the area capturing unit on a display unit; a control unit receiving instruction for the operation of the robot arm so that the illuminated portion illuminated with illumination light becomes the portion where work is performed by the robot, while an image captured by the area imaging unit is displayed on the display unit.

11. The irradiation portion corresponds to an imaging portion of a line imaging unit that images the workpiece in a line shape, 11. The teaching method for a robot system according to claim 10, wherein the control unit accepts the instruction for the operation of the robot arm so that the illuminated portion illuminated with illumination light becomes the imaged portion imaged by the line imaging unit.

Images