Automatic object sorting robot control system and control method for automatic object sorting robot

Abstract

This invention provides a robot control system and control method for an automatic sorting robot that handles and sorts industrial waste, which can avoid contact with people and surrounding objects and ensure the safety of workers. [Solution] The automatic object sorting robot control system 10 comprises a robot gripping unit 13, an imaging unit 30, an object identification unit 40, a gripping position coordinate output unit 50, a robot program control unit 60, and a robot gripping control unit 70. At least one of the object identification unit 40, the gripping position coordinate output unit 50, the robot program control unit 60, and the robot gripping control unit 70 stores a unique gripping tolerance numerical range set to prevent contact between the robot gripping unit 13 and / or surrounding objects of the object to be gripped 14. In at least one component, if a physical quantity or gripping position coordinate is not within the gripping tolerance numerical range, the gripping operation is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system for an automatic sorting robot for gripping objects and a method for controlling an automatic sorting robot for gripping objects, which are improved to enhance the safety of an operator when the robot and the operator cooperate to sort gripping objects from industrial waste on a conveying member such as a belt conveyor.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in the construction and civil engineering industries, it is urgent to solve the shortage of labor due to the diversification and expansion of business. At the same time, the promotion of DX (Digital Transformation) represented by AI and robots is being accelerated as an improvement of the working environment at construction and civil engineering sites. Among these, in a limited working space, the emergence of an automatic recognition system that automatically sorts specific gripping objects such as contaminants and recyclable materials from industrial waste and grips them with a robot hand and sorts them into a sorting chute is desired.

[0003] In particular, in an automatic recognition and gripping system aiming at gripping performance through the cooperation of manual sorting that requires labor and mechanical sorting by a robot, ensuring the safety of people first is an absolute condition. However, there are mutually exclusive problems such that it becomes difficult to obtain sufficient sorting performance when trying to ensure safety, and safety is likely to be sacrificed when trying to maintain a certain sorting performance, and the establishment of system safety design means has been desired.

[0004] Generally, when introducing a robot that grips a gripping object in cooperation with a person in a limited working space, usually, in order to ensure the safety of the person, a safety fence is installed, or a contact sensor is attached to the robot arm to immediately stop the driving of the robot when the person contacts the robot arm. Alternatively, a system safety design that senses with an image sensor or a light sensor is considered to prevent interference between the robot and people or surrounding structures.

[0005] However, in this type of system safety design, the system construction costs were often excessive, or the system design was overly cautious, sacrificing the basic gripping performance for the object being gripped.

[0006] Technologies that promote digital transformation, such as robotics, include those described in Patent Documents 1 to 8. Patent Document 1 describes a soil foreign object removal device and method, which includes a foreign object detection unit to automatically sort foreign objects that are buried in the soil and difficult to remove by machine. The device creates a training image that has been machine-learned to convert the image of the foreign object into an image similar to the soil based on a distance image, and detects the position of the foreign object by comparing this training image with the distance image. Specifically, the foreign object detection unit detects the position P(x,y,z) of the foreign object based on a distance image that shows the distance to the soil containing the foreign object. A foreign object gripping position calculation unit determines the gripping position P(x,d,z) of the foreign object based on the foreign object position P(x,y,z), and the device is equipped with a foreign object removal hand as a foreign object removal unit that grips the foreign object and removes it from the soil.

[0007] Patent Document 2 relates to a layout setting method, a robot system, and a robot control device, and includes a trajectory generation step that generates a trajectory including teaching points on which a robot arm performs a specific action; a particle setting step that sets the relative positions of the teaching points and peripheral equipment so that they do not change; a second layout generation step in which the control device generates a second layout of the robot arm and peripheral equipment based on the particles; and a layout output step in which the control device outputs information about the layout determined based on the second layout.

[0008] Patent Document 3 relates to a robot system that detects the approach of people and other objects, employing a method in which the robot avoids danger when it detects the approach of an interfering object. Specifically, it includes an interference setting data unit that uses a robot model to remove points representing the robot from point cloud data and sets the remaining point cloud data as interfering object data, which is a collection of points indicating the position of the interfering object, and an approach determination unit that uses this interference setting data unit and the robot model to calculate the distance between the interfering object and the robot, and determines whether or not the interfering object and the robot are approaching based on this calculated distance.

[0009] Patent Document 4 describes a method for sorting waste in which the contents of a garbage bag are identified by a sensor system equipped with multiple sensors that monitor different properties, and these sensors are equipped with identifiers that are positioned in relation to the garbage bag as the garbage bag is transported on a conveyor through the sensor reading area, and the contents of the garbage bag are read and identified substantially simultaneously, and based on the information received from the sensors, the garbage bag is sorted into various waste components using one or more handling devices of the sorting apparatus.

[0010] Patent Document 5 relates to a robotic vacuum sorting system, in which the airflow generating system is adapted to reverse the airflow to push out objects, and the spring means is configured to move the first and second tubes from a folded state to an extended state when the airflow is reversed to generate an additional pushing movement.

[0011] Patent Document 6 relates to a waste sorting support device, and has a material estimation unit that estimates the material of various types of waste being transported by a conveyor. It is equipped with a projection device that projects an image of the estimated material onto the surface of the waste. The image of the material is deformed by the projection control unit to match the surface shape of the waste. This effectively improves the sorting accuracy of the waste and provides waste sorting support.

[0012] Patent Document 7 relates to a control device and control method that avoids contact between a robot used for moving workpieces and an operator, and reduces the impact on the workpieces. To this end, it includes a robot controller that controls the operating speed of the robot used for moving workpieces, a prediction unit that predicts contact from the robot's position and the position of a person or object, and an acceleration changing unit that changes the acceleration of the robot deceleration to perform an emergency stop if contact is predicted, depending on whether or not there is a workpiece.

[0013] Patent Document 8 relates to a robot control device, which is attached to a display device held or worn by an operator, and is designed to reduce the risk of the robot coming into contact with the operator or other objects, regardless of the relative positions of the operator and the robot. Specifically, it estimates the range that the operator can see through a transparent display, and stops the robot's operation if the robot is not present in this estimated viewing range, or if the robot is not shown within the display range of the image displayed on the display.

[0014] Therefore, the robot control device has an imaging unit that captures the environment surrounding the worker and generates an image of that environment, and a control unit that slows down or stops the movement of a predetermined robot when a predetermined robot included in that environment is not displayed on the display device (1), only a part of the predetermined robot is displayed (2), or the ratio of the area represented by the predetermined robot to the display area of ​​the display device is below a predetermined threshold (3). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0015] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7299570 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7009051 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 7522381 [Patent Document 4] Special table number 2017-524524 [Patent Document 5] Special table number 2024-510628 [Patent Document 6] Patent No. 6750920 [Patent Document 7] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-039065 [Patent Document 8] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-059112 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0016] Patent Document 1 describes a method for automatically removing impurities from construction and civil engineering soil that could not be separated and could only be removed by manual sorting, thus avoiding disposal as waste and contributing to the effective use of resources. However, it is clear that there is no description of how to ensure safety in the collaborative work of manual sorting and mechanical sorting (robot sorting), and there are no suggestions or instructions whatsoever.

[0017] Patent Document 2 describes a method for determining the optimal placement by efficiently performing a trajectory process to avoid interference with the robot arm and optimizing the layout of the robot equipment, thereby enabling high-speed optimization of the robot equipment layout. However, the methodology and configuration for ensuring safety for people and other entities different from peripheral equipment during the robot arm trajectory process differs.

[0018] Patent Document 3 addresses the concern that if robot attachments or parts are detected as interference objects, the intended operation may be impossible or the range of motion may be limited, potentially leading to a significant decrease in production efficiency. Therefore, it describes a robot system that distinguishes between the robot and interference objects and detects the approach of interference objects. However, in a collaborative robot system combining manual sorting requiring human intervention and mechanical sorting by robots, there is no mention of threshold constraints regarding the physical properties of the objects to be grasped, nor threshold constraints regarding the presence of objects to be grasped by the robot, in order to ensure human safety.

[0019] In Patent Document 4, although there is also an advantage that by using a handling device in the method of sorting garbage bags, it is possible to avoid sorting garbage bags containing metal into the main body of waste components for incineration, there is no description from the perspective of ensuring safety in the working space.

[0020] In Patent Document 5, in order to automatically sort a large amount of garbage mixture into the correct recycling parts, it is configured to improve the picking up and releasing of objects. However, similar to Patent Document 4, there is no description from the aspect of ensuring safety for workers and peripheral members in the working space.

[0021] In Patent Document 6, especially when there is a large amount of conveyed waste from the belt conveyor, although the material discrimination of the waste is instantaneous, due to the limit of the robot movement speed, it is difficult for the sorting operation to cope with the material discrimination speed and may not be able to follow well. Therefore, a practical configuration is to let a robot sort part of the waste, and the remaining waste is sorted manually by workers on the downstream side of the belt conveyor. Also, there is no description regarding incorporating the guarantee of safety in the working space.

[0022] In Patent Document 7, although it aims to protect the safety of workers in terms of avoiding contact between the robot for moving objects and the workers, in terms of the configuration, it is considered to belong to the category of sensing contact with people or objects and stopping the operation of the robot, or detecting proximity to people or objects and stopping the operation. That is, it is considered that there is no description in Patent Document 7 regarding thorough safety guarantee that avoids contact and proximity from the beginning.

[0023] In Patent Document 8, in the cases of (1) to (3), it is useful in that the operation of the robot is decelerated or stopped to avoid contact between the robot and the operator, but there is a possibility that the need for the operator to possess or wear the display device may be troublesome. It is considered that the uncertainty cannot be denied in that a configuration is used in which the operator estimates the display range in which the robot is represented on the display device as the range in which the robot can be visually recognized. From the viewpoint of being able to be used apart from the classification of waste, it is considered that it is not a dedicated device for waste classification and there is no inseparability that requires a waste gripping configuration.

[0024] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an automatic sorting robot control system for gripping objects and a control method for an automatic sorting robot for gripping objects that can avoid contact with people and surrounding objects and ensure the safety of operators in a sorting work environment when sorting industrial waste in cooperation between the robot and the operator.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0025] In order to solve the above problems, in the invention according to claim 1, a robot gripping part provided to be able to grip a gripping object conveyed in a specific direction by a conveying member, an imaging part provided to be able to image the gripping object on the conveying member, a gripping object specifying part that detects a physical quantity of the gripping object, specifies the gripping object based on the image captured by the imaging part and the physical quantity, and outputs information on the gripping object obtained by the specification, a gripping position coordinate output part that receives the information on the gripping object output from the gripping object specifying part, calculates a gripping position coordinate that is a position for gripping the gripping object by the robot gripping part, and outputs the gripping position coordinate, a robot program control part that receives the gripping position coordinate output from the gripping position coordinate output part and outputs a synchronization signal for synchronizing the conveying member and the robot gripping part, and a robot gripping control part that receives the synchronization signal output from the robot program control part and outputs an operation start signal for starting an operation of gripping the gripping object by the robot gripping part.

[0026] At least one of the components of the gripping object identification unit, the gripping position coordinate output unit, the robot program control unit, and the robot gripping control unit has a reading unit for reading a unique gripping tolerance numerical range set to prevent the robot gripping unit and / or the gripping object gripped by the robot gripping unit from coming into contact with surrounding objects. The at least one component is configured to compare the unique gripping tolerance numerical range read by the reading unit with the physical quantity or the gripping position coordinates, and to avoid the robot gripping unit performing a gripping operation on the gripping object if the physical quantity or the gripping position coordinates are not within the unique gripping tolerance numerical range.

[0027] In the configuration of claim 1, at least one of the components has a unique gripping tolerance range set so that the robot gripping unit and the object it grips do not come into contact with surrounding objects. Therefore, for objects that pose a potential risk of causing harm to people due to contact between the robot gripping unit or the object it grips, the robot gripping unit is made to avoid gripping the object, thus providing greater safety.

[0028] Conventionally, to avoid interference with people or use robot safety fences, interlock functions equipped with infrared sensors have been employed. In reality, when a part of the object grasped by the robot hand interferes with surrounding components, the risk to people increases, and measures are taken to immediately stop the robot's operation. In the case of interlock functions, the robot's operation stops when the danger actually materializes. In contrast, the present invention prioritizes safety by grasping the specific physical quantity or gripping position coordinates of the object to be grasped and proactively identifying objects that should not be grasped. In other words, it differs from conventional methods in that it prevents danger by pre-determining the risk of harm to people from the object to be grasped and avoiding the gripping operation of the robot's gripping part, thus ensuring a higher level of safety.

[0029] In particular, it is confirmed that in at least one of the components among the object-to-grasp identification unit, the gripping position coordinate output unit, the robot program control unit, and the robot gripping control unit, the physical quantity or gripping position coordinate is not within the specific permissible numerical range for gripping. Therefore, since the operation of the robot gripping unit can be stopped in multiple superimposed ways by various combinations of components, the aforementioned weighting effect on safety is all the greater.

[0030] In the invention according to claim 2, the gripping object identification unit reads a physical quantity tolerance range corresponding to the physical quantity as the unique gripping tolerance range, and determines whether the physical quantity is within the physical quantity tolerance range. If the physical quantity is within the physical quantity tolerance range, the gripping object identification unit outputs the information of the gripping object. If the physical quantity is not within the physical quantity tolerance range, the gripping object identification unit does not output the information of the gripping object, thereby preventing the robot gripping unit from performing a gripping operation on the gripping object.

[0031] In the configuration of claim 2, the object identification unit determines whether the physical quantity is within the permissible range of the physical quantity. If the physical quantity is not within the permissible range of the physical quantity, the robot gripping unit avoids gripping the object. Therefore, while ensuring high accuracy in identifying the object to be gripped, it is also possible to prevent the risk of contact with surrounding objects as a precautionary measure, thus providing excellent safety.

[0032] In the invention according to claim 3, the gripping position coordinate output unit reads a first position coordinate range as the inherent permissible gripping numerical range and determines whether the gripping position coordinates are within the first position coordinate range. If the gripping position coordinates are within the first position coordinate range, the gripping position coordinate output unit outputs the gripping position coordinates. If the gripping position coordinates are not within the first range, the gripping position coordinate output unit does not output the gripping position coordinates, thereby preventing the robot gripping unit from performing a gripping operation on the object to be gripped.

[0033] In the configuration of claim 3, it is determined whether or not the gripping position coordinates are within the first position coordinate range, and if the gripping position coordinates are not within the first position coordinate range, the robot gripping unit avoids gripping the object to be gripped, thus achieving the same effect as in claim 3.

[0034] In the invention according to claim 4, the robot program control unit reads a second position coordinate range as the inherent permissible gripping numerical range and determines whether the gripping position coordinates are within the second position coordinate range. If the gripping position coordinates are within the second position coordinate range, the robot program control unit outputs the synchronization signal. If the gripping position coordinates are not within the second position coordinate range, the robot program control unit does not output the synchronization signal and avoids the robot gripping unit from performing a gripping operation on the object to be gripped.

[0035] In the configuration of claim 4, the robot program control unit avoids the robot gripping unit from performing a gripping operation on the object to be gripped if the gripping position coordinates are not within the second position coordinate range, thereby achieving the same effect as in claim 3.

[0036] In the invention according to claim 5, the robot gripping control unit reads a third position coordinate range as the inherent gripping allowable numerical range and determines whether the gripping position coordinates are within the third position coordinate range. If the gripping position coordinates are within the third position coordinate range, the robot gripping control unit outputs the synchronization signal. If the gripping position coordinates are not within the third position coordinate range, the robot gripping control unit does not output the synchronization signal and avoids the robot gripping unit from gripping the object to be gripped.

[0037] In the configuration of claim 5, the robot program control unit reads a third position coordinate range as a unique permissible gripping numerical range, determines whether the gripping position coordinates are within the third position coordinate range, and if the gripping position coordinates are not within the third position coordinate range, the robot gripping unit avoids performing a gripping operation on the object to be gripped, thus achieving the same effect as in claim 3.

[0038] In the invention according to claim 6, the physical quantities include one or more physical quantities selected from a group of items consisting of the length, width, diameter, volume, mass, and projected area of ​​the object to be gripped, the spectral characteristics of the reflected light when light is shone on the object to be gripped, and the intensity of the reflected light.

[0039] The configuration of claim 6 facilitates imaging of the grasped object by specifically identifying the physical quantity. For mass detection, for example, it is also possible to determine the hardness of the grasped object from reflected light such as laser irradiation and calculate the mass from its relationship with that hardness.

[0040] The invention according to claim 7 includes a position detection determination unit that reads an operating allowable area setting range, which is a range of position coordinates that allow the operating displacement of the robot gripping part, detects the operating position coordinates, which are the position coordinates of the robot gripping part during the gripping operation, and determines whether or not the operating position coordinates are within the operating allowable area setting range. If the operating position coordinates are not within the operating allowable area setting range, the robot gripping control unit interrupts the gripping operation by the robot gripping part.

[0041] In the configuration of claim 7, by providing a position detection determination unit, if the operating position coordinates are not within the set operating allowable area range, the robot gripping control unit interrupts the gripping operation by the robot gripping unit, thereby preventing the robot gripping unit from accidentally operating outside the set operating allowable area range.

[0042] In the invention according to claim 8, when the gripping operation is interrupted, the robot gripping control unit outputs a home position return signal to the robot gripping unit to initiate an operation to return the robot gripping unit to its home position. Born.

[0043] In the configuration of claim 8, when the robot gripping unit interrupts the gripping operation, it is returned to the home position by the output of a return-to-home signal from the robot gripping control unit, so that it can quickly respond to gripping operations on new objects being transported.

[0044] In the invention according to claim 9, the gripping position coordinate is represented by a coordinate (x,y,z,θx,θy,θz) which is a combination of a coordinate (x,y,z) representing the three-dimensional position and a coordinate (θx,θy,θz) representing the inclination of the robot gripping part with respect to each axis in the three-dimensional coordinate system.

[0045] In the configuration of claim 9, the gripping position coordinates are represented by coordinates (x,y,z,θx,θy,θz) which are a combination of coordinates (x,y,z) representing the three-dimensional position and coordinates (θx,θy,θz) representing the inclination of the robot gripping part with respect to each axis in the three-dimensional coordinate system. Therefore, the position coordinates in which the robot gripping part grips the object to be gripped can be represented in detail, allowing for precise avoidance of the gripping operation of the robot gripping part and ensuring higher safety.

[0046] In the invention according to claim 10, the permissible numerical range for gripping can be changed as needed.

[0047] In the configuration of claim 10, the permissible gripping range does not need to always be a fixed value. By gradually expanding or contracting the operating area of ​​the robot hand while accumulating sorting experience in the field, it is possible to achieve both human safety and improved gripping performance of the robot hand.

[0048] Furthermore, the permissible gripping range can be changed each time by altering the implemented values ​​at the sorting site of the object to be gripped. In addition, it is possible to change the permissible gripping range from an external source using communication methods such as a cloud server, or to link the permissible gripping range at the sorting site with actual data on obstacle contact (contact with surrounding objects) and build a data collection system at the sorting site to automatically change the permissible gripping range through AI learning, etc.

[0049] The inventions described in claims 11 to 20 relate to a control method for an automatic sorting robot of objects to be grasped, and each of them achieves the same effects as the inventions corresponding to claims 1 to 10.

[0050] The "conveying components" mentioned above are devices that carry objects such as industrial waste in a predetermined direction at a constant speed (e.g., 80 cm / s) or variable speed, and examples include belt conveyors and steel conveyors. "Industrial waste" includes known and unknown foreign objects, and includes things generally referred to as recyclable materials or miscellaneous materials, such as wood chips, roof tiles, concrete fragments, rod-shaped members, plastic waste materials such as polyvinyl chloride, rubble, castings, work gloves, and PET bottles, which are found in construction and civil engineering waste generated in public works projects. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0051] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an automatic object sorting robot control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the gripping position coordinates of the robot's gripping unit. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the robot gripping part of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a functional block diagram relating to the permissible numerical range for gripping. [Figure 5] This is a schematic functional block diagram of a robot control system for automatic sorting of objects to be grasped. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart of the control method for the automatic object sorting robot control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart of the process for identifying the object to be grasped. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart of the process for outputting the gripping position coordinates. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart of the robot program control process. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart of the robot gripping control process. [Figure 11]This is a flowchart of the position detection and determination process. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart of the fault detection process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0052] The following describes an embodiment of the automatic sorting robot control system 10 for gripping objects according to the present invention, with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In this embodiment, the system aims for gripping performance through the cooperation of manual sorting, which requires human intervention, and mechanical sorting by a robot. However, the system is not limited to this, and an automatic sorting robot control system for gripping objects in which the robot performs the gripping operation independently is also possible.

[0053] As shown in Figure 1, the automatic sorting robot control system 10 for grasping objects is located in a workspace S defined by a safety fence 16, and its main components include a robot grasping unit 13, an imaging unit 30, a grasping object identification unit 40, a grasping position coordinate output unit 50, a robot program control unit 60, and a robot grasping control unit 70. These components are connected to each other via a communication interface IF, enabling them to communicate with one another. The automatic sorting robot control system 10 for grasping objects in this embodiment further includes a position detection and determination unit 80, but the position detection and determination unit 80 is an additional component and may be omitted. The position detection and determination unit 80 is connected to the other components via a communication interface IF. In the workspace S, a belt conveyor BC is provided as a conveying member that carries, for example, industrial waste, as a grasping object 14 and moves in a specific direction D. In Figure 1, the conveying direction of the belt conveyor BC is x (the same direction as the specific direction D), the width direction is y, and the height direction is z. Industrial waste as an object to be grasped 14 is just one example, and is not limited to this.

[0054] The robot gripping unit 13 comprises a robot body 15, a robot arm 11, and a robot hand 12 as a gripping unit. When not in operation, it is located at the home position HP, which is the origin and starting point for operation. The robot hand 12 is provided to grip the object to be gripped 14 from various directions in three-dimensional space. The position coordinates of the robot gripping unit 13 are expressed as coordinates (x,y,z,θx,θy,θz), which are a combination of coordinates (x,y,z) representing the three-dimensional position and coordinates (θx,θy,θz) representing the inclination of the robot gripping unit 13 with respect to each axis in the three-dimensional coordinate system. The position coordinates are set to (x,y,z,θx,θy,θz)=(0,0,0,0,0,0) when the robot gripping unit 13 is in the home position HP (see Figures 1 and 2).

[0055] A first sorting box 17 is provided near the belt conveyor BC for depositing the objects 14 gripped by the robot gripping unit 13. Hereafter, when referring to gripping the objects 14, the term "gripping by the robot gripping unit 13" will also be used instead of "gripping by the robot hand 12."

[0056] A safety fence 16 is provided to separate the mechanical sorting by the robotic gripping unit 13 from the manual sorting by the operator U, and a second sorting box 18 is installed for the operator U to deposit the objects to be gripped 14 that have been sorted manually. The operator U primarily picks up the objects to be gripped 14 that have been avoided by the robotic gripping unit 13 and passed through the safety fence 16, and deposits them into the second sorting box 18.

[0057] The imaging unit 30 includes an imaging device 31. The imaging device 31 is configured to image the object to be gripped 14 on the belt conveyor BC, and can capture a two-dimensional image (e.g., RGB data of pixels, distance data) or a three-dimensional image (e.g., Lidar point cloud image, 3D camera image) of the object to be gripped 14. Examples of the imaging device 31 include, but are not limited to, image / point cloud sensing sensors.

[0058] The gripping object identification unit 40 includes a physical quantity detection device 41 and a processing device 42 that processes physical quantity data and image point cloud data. The physical quantity detection device 41 detects specific physical quantities M of the gripping object 14 (length, width, diameter, volume, mass, and projected area of ​​the gripping object 14, etc.) using sonar, microwaves, magnetism, light, etc., and the processing device 42 identifies the gripping object 14 using the image captured by the imaging unit 30 and the physical quantities M. The gripping object identification unit 40 outputs the information of the gripping object 14 obtained through this identification to the gripping position coordinate output unit 50.

[0059] In other words, specific physical quantities M of the object to be grasped 14 (length, width, diameter, volume, mass, projected area, spectral characteristics of reflected light when light is shone on the object to be grasped 14, and intensity of reflected light, etc.) are measured using sonar, microwaves, magnetism, light, etc., and the information of these specific physical quantities M is superimposed with an image of the object to be grasped 14 (2D image, 3D image, etc.) captured by the imaging unit 30, and the object to be grasped 14 is identified by image processing (rule-based AI, deep learning AI, etc.). Note that the specific physical quantities M measured may be a single item from among the items such as length, width, diameter, volume, mass, projected area, spectral characteristics of reflected light when light is shone on the object to be grasped 14, and intensity of reflected light, or multiple items may be combined to form the physical quantities.

[0060] The gripping position coordinate output unit 50 receives information about the object to be gripped 14 output from the object to be gripped 40, calculates the gripping position coordinates P(x,y,z,θx,θy,θz), which are the position coordinates at which the robot gripping unit 13 grips the object to be gripped 14, and outputs these gripping position coordinates P to the robot program control unit 60. Here, the gripping position coordinates P are the position coordinates of the robot hand 12 at the time when the robot hand 12 actually grips the object to be gripped 14 in the "gripping operation" which is defined as a series of operations described later. (See Figure 3.) In this embodiment, the gripping position coordinates P are the coordinates (x,y,z,θx,θy,θz) which are a combination of the coordinates (x,y,z) representing the three-dimensional position and the coordinates (θx,θy,θz) representing the inclination of the robot gripping unit 13 with respect to each axis in the three-dimensional coordinate system, but are not limited to this. For example, the coordinate system may include a three-dimensional polar coordinate system or a cylindrical coordinate system, with a coordinate system that represents the inclination of the robot gripping part 13 added to it.

[0061] The robot program control unit 60 receives the gripping position coordinates P output from the gripping position coordinate output unit 50 and outputs a synchronization signal to synchronize the transfer speed of the belt conveyor BC with the movement speed of the robot gripping unit 13. An example of the robot program control unit 60 is a PLC control panel with communication functionality. The robot program control unit 60 of this embodiment further has an operation panel 61, on which daily and faulty operation operations, calibration operations, and display of user coordinates (on the belt conveyor BC) can be performed.

[0062] The robot gripping control unit 70 receives a synchronization signal output from the robot program control unit 60 and outputs an operation start signal to the robot gripping unit 13 to initiate the gripping operation of the object to be gripped 14 by the robot gripping unit 13 (here, "gripping operation" is defined as a series of operations from (1) to (6) below). Upon receiving the operation start signal, the robot gripping unit 13 performs a series of operations as shown in Figure 3, which include: (1) moving from the home position HP to the synchronization start point Ps to grip the object to be gripped 14; (2) synchronizing the transfer speed of the belt conveyor BC and the x-direction movement speed of the robot gripping unit 13 at the synchronization start point Ps; (3) gripping the object to be gripped 14 with the robot hand 12 at the gripping position coordinate P; (4) moving the robot gripping unit 13 above the first sorting box 17 while gripping the object to be gripped 14; (5) the robot hand 12 releasing the object to be gripped 14 and placing it into the first sorting box 17; and (6) the robot gripping unit 13 returning to the home position HP.

[0063] The robot gripping control unit 70 outputs an operation start signal, supplies power to the robot gripping unit 13, detects malfunctions in the robot gripping unit 13 and issues warnings, etc. The robot gripping control unit 70 is equipped with an operation panel 71, which allows for the operation of the robot gripping unit 13 and the issuance of warnings in the event of a malfunction in the robot gripping unit 13.

[0064] In this robot automatic sorting robot control system 10, at least one of the components of the object identification unit 40, the gripping position coordinate output unit 50, the robot program control unit 60, and the robot gripping control unit 70 has a reading unit that reads a unique gripping tolerance numerical range set to prevent contact between the robot gripping unit 13 and / or the object 14 gripped by the robot gripping unit 13 and surrounding objects. Furthermore, in the aforementioned at least one component, if the physical quantity M or the gripping position coordinate P is not within the unique gripping tolerance numerical range, the robot gripping unit 13 is configured to avoid gripping the object 14. In this embodiment, a configuration in which all components of the object identification unit 40, the gripping position coordinate output unit 50, the robot program control unit 60, and the robot gripping control unit 70 store a unique gripping tolerance numerical range is described (see Figure 3), but the system is not limited to this configuration.

[0065] The gripping object identification unit 40 includes a reading unit 40a that reads a physical quantity tolerance range M1 corresponding to a specific physical quantity M of the gripping object 14 as a unique gripping tolerance range, and a determination unit 40b that determines whether the specific physical quantity M of the gripping object 14 is within the physical quantity tolerance range M1. If the determination unit 40b determines that the specific physical quantity M of the gripping object 14 is within the physical quantity tolerance range M1, the gripping object identification unit 40 outputs information about the gripping object 14 to the gripping position coordinate output unit 50. On the other hand, if the determination unit 40b determines that the specific physical quantity M of the gripping object 14 is not within the physical quantity tolerance range M1, the gripping object identification unit 40 does not output information about the gripping object 14, thereby preventing the robot gripping unit 13 from gripping the gripping object 14.

[0066] The gripping position coordinate output unit 50 includes a reading unit 50a that reads a first position coordinate range R1 as a unique permissible numerical range for gripping, and a determination unit 50b that determines whether or not the gripping position coordinates P are within the first position coordinate range R1. If the determination unit 50b determines that the gripping position coordinates P are within the first position coordinate range R1, the gripping position coordinate output unit 50 outputs the gripping position coordinates P to the robot program control unit 60. On the other hand, if the determination unit 50b determines that the gripping position coordinates P are not within the first position coordinate range R1, the gripping position coordinate output unit 50 does not output the gripping position coordinates P, thereby preventing the robot gripping unit 13 from gripping the object 14.

[0067] The robot program control unit 60 includes a reading unit 60a that reads a second position coordinate range R2 as a unique permissible gripping numerical range, and a determination unit 60b that determines whether or not the gripping position coordinates P are within the second position coordinate range R2. If the determination unit 60b determines that the gripping position coordinates P are within the second position coordinate range R2, the robot program control unit 60 outputs a synchronization signal. On the other hand, if the determination unit 60b determines that the gripping position coordinates P are not within the second position coordinate range R2, the robot program control unit 60 does not output a synchronization signal and avoids the robot gripping unit 13 from gripping the object 14.

[0068] The robot gripping control unit 70 includes a reading unit 70a that reads a third position coordinate range R3 as a unique permissible gripping numerical range, and a determination unit 70b that determines whether or not the gripping position coordinates P are within the third position coordinate range R3. If the determination unit 70b determines that the gripping position coordinates P are within the third position coordinate range R3, the robot gripping control unit 70 outputs an operation start signal to the robot gripping unit 13, and the robot gripping unit 13 starts the gripping operation of the object to be gripped 14. On the other hand, if the determination unit 70b determines that the gripping position coordinates P are not within the third position coordinate range R3, the robot gripping control unit 70 does not output an operation start signal, and the robot gripping control unit 13 avoids the gripping operation of the object to be gripped 14. In the above configuration, the reading units 40a, 50a, 60a, and 70a may be configured to read the permissible gripping numerical range stored within the system, or they may be configured to read the permissible gripping numerical range from an external cloud server or the like.

[0069] As described above, the gripping target identification unit 40, gripping position coordinate output unit 50, robot program control unit 60, and robot gripping control unit 70 of the automatic gripping target sorting robot control system 10 each read a unique permissible gripping numerical range and determine whether the physical quantity M or gripping position coordinate P is within that unique permissible gripping numerical range. If a high risk of harm to a person is foreseen, the system can avoid the gripping operation of the gripping target 14 by the robot gripping unit 13, resulting in a highly safe configuration.

[0070] This allows us to provide a safety design system as the automatic object sorting robot control system 10 that ensures human safety by preventing the robot from failing to grasp the object 14, or from the robot's gripping unit 13 or any part of the grasped object 14 coming into contact with the safety fence 16 or surrounding objects. Note that the areas marked with asterisks in Figure 1 illustrate, for the sake of explanation, a scenario in which a part of the object 14 comes into contact with the safety fence 16, but this system avoids such contact.

[0071] As described above, the automatic object sorting robot control system 10 of this embodiment includes a position detection and determination unit 80 as an additional component. The position detection and determination unit 80 determines whether or not to continue the gripping operation based on the position of the robot gripping unit 13 during the gripping operation. The position detection and determination unit 80 includes a reading unit 80a that reads the operating allowable area setting range Rw, which is the coordinate range in which the operating displacement of the robot gripping unit 13 is permitted; a detection unit 80b that detects the operating position coordinates Pw, which are the position coordinates of the robot gripping unit 13 during the gripping operation, at regular time intervals; and a determination unit 80c that determines whether or not the detected operating position coordinates Pw are within the operating allowable area setting range Rw. If the determination unit 80c determines that the operating position coordinates Pw are within the operating allowable area setting range Rw, the robot gripping unit 13 continues the gripping operation of the object to be gripped 14. On the other hand, if the determination unit 80c determines that the operating position coordinate Pw is not within the operating allowable area setting range Rw, the robot gripping control unit 70 interrupts the gripping operation of the object to be gripped 14 by the robot gripping unit 13.

[0072] When the gripping operation is interrupted, the robot gripping control unit 70 outputs a return-to-home signal to the robot gripping unit 13, causing the robot gripping unit 13 to start returning to its home position HP.

[0073] If the position detection and determination unit 80 determines that the operating position coordinates Pw are not within the operating allowable area setting range Rw, the robot gripping control unit 70 interrupts the gripping operation by the robot gripping unit 13, thereby preventing the robot gripping unit 13 from accidentally displacing outside the operating allowable area setting range Rw. Furthermore, the robot gripping control unit 70 outputs a home position return signal, returning the robot gripping unit 13 to its home position HP, allowing for quick response to gripping operations on newly transported objects 14.

[0074] Figure 5 is a schematic functional block diagram of the automatic object sorting robot control system 10. The hardware of the automatic object sorting robot control system 10, including the processing unit 42 of the object identification unit 40, the gripping position coordinate output unit 50, the robot program control unit 60, the robot gripping control unit 70, and the position detection and determination unit 80, is mainly composed of a control device C having memory, CPU, GPU or NPU, etc. The memory stores firmware drivers, a scheduler, an operation system, the physical quantity tolerance range M1 which is the unique gripping tolerance range for each component, the first position coordinate range R1, the second position coordinate range R2 and the third position coordinate range R3, the operation tolerance area setting range Rw, and various programs related to signals output by each component, such as synchronization signals, operation start signals and origin return signals.

[0075] The control device C is connected to the robot gripping unit 13, imaging unit 30, physical quantity detection device 41, and operation panels 61 and 71. Through the operation panels 61 and 71, the unique gripping allowable numerical ranges and various programs stored in memory can be manually changed on-site. Furthermore, the control device C is connected to a cloud server Cs and a communication device Cd, allowing for remote changes to the unique gripping allowable numerical ranges and various programs stored in memory via the internet or wireless signals. By enabling changes to the unique gripping allowable numerical ranges and various programs, the operating range of the robot gripping unit 13 can be improved, taking into account the conditions of the workspace S and on-site sorting results, thereby improving the accuracy of avoiding gripping operations. This improves both human safety and the gripping performance of the robot gripping unit 13. In this embodiment, the processing unit 42 of the gripping target identification unit 40, the gripping position coordinate output unit 50, the robot program control unit 60, the robot gripping control unit 70, and the position detection and determination unit 80 are shown to be implemented in a single control device C, but the embodiment is not limited to this, and each may be composed of different control devices.

[0076] Referring to Figures 6 to 12, a control method for an automatic object sorting robot control system 10, which has a robot gripping unit 13 and an imaging unit 30, will be described. This control method concerns the gripping operation of the robot gripping unit 13 on an object to be grasped 14 that is transported by a belt conveyor BC (transporting member). The control method for the automatic object sorting robot control system 10 includes, as main steps, an object to be grasped identification step S1, a gripping position coordinate output step S2, a robot program control step S3, and a robot gripping control step S4, and as additional steps, a position detection and determination step S5 and a system failure detection step S6. The position detection and determination step S5 and the system failure detection step S6 are optional steps, and the control method for the automatic object sorting robot control system 10 is not limited to including these steps. In this embodiment, the failure detection step S6 is provided only downstream of the position detection and determination step S5, but it may also be added downstream of other steps, such as the object to be grasped identification step S1.

[0077] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing each step S1 to S6 in the control method of the automatic object sorting robot control system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 7 to 12 are flowcharts showing the detailed steps within each step S1 to S6, respectively.

[0078] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the gripping object identification process S1. The gripping object identification process S1 has six steps: Step 1 S1a to Step 6 S1f. In Step 1 S1a, an image of the gripping object 14 being transported by the belt conveyor BC is captured. In Step 2 S1b, specific physical quantities M of the gripping object 14 (length, width, diameter, volume, mass, and projected area of ​​the gripping object 14, etc.) are detected using sonar, microwaves, magnetism, light, etc., and information of the specific physical quantities M is superimposed on the image of the gripping object 14. In Step 3 S1c, the image of the gripping object 14 on which the information of the specific physical quantities M was superimposed in Step 2 S1b is processed based on rule-based AI, deep learning AI, etc., to identify the gripping object 14 and generate information of the gripping object 14. In Step 4 S1d, the permissible numerical range M1 of the physical quantities corresponding to the specific physical quantities M is read. In the fifth step S1e, it is determined whether a specific physical quantity M is within the allowable numerical range M1. If the specific physical quantity M is within the allowable numerical range M1, the process proceeds to the sixth step S1f. On the other hand, if the specific physical quantity M is not within the allowable numerical range M1, the robot gripping unit 13 does not perform a gripping operation on the object to be gripped 14, and the process ends. In the sixth step S1f, the object to be gripped 14 is confirmed as the object to be gripped by the robot gripping unit 13, and the process proceeds to the subsequent gripping position coordinate output step S2.

[0079] Figure 8 is a flowchart of the gripping position coordinate output process S2. The gripping position coordinate output process S2 has three steps: the first step S2a to the third step S2c. In the first step S2a, based on the information of the object to be gripped 14 generated in the third step S1c of the object to be gripped process S1, the gripping position coordinate P, which is the position coordinate at which the robot gripping unit 13 grips the object to be gripped 14, is calculated, and the first position coordinate range R1, which is the range in which the robot gripping unit 13 is allowed to grip the object to be gripped 14, is read. In the second step S2b, it is determined whether the gripping position coordinate P is within the first position coordinate range R1. If the gripping position coordinate P is within the first position coordinate range R1, the process proceeds to the third step S2c. If the gripping position coordinate P is not within the first position coordinate range R1, the robot gripping unit 13 does not perform a gripping operation on the object to be gripped 14, and the process ends. In the third step S2c, the object to be gripped 14 is confirmed as the object to be gripped by the robot gripping unit 13, and the process proceeds to the subsequent robot program control step S3.

[0080] Figure 9 is a flowchart of the robot program control process S3. The robot program control process S3 has three steps: the first step S3a to the third step S3c. In the first step S3a, the second position coordinate range R2, which is the range in which the robot gripping unit 13 is allowed to grip the object to be gripped 14, is read. In the second step S3b, it is determined whether the gripping position coordinates P are within the second position coordinate range R2. If the gripping position coordinates P are within the second position coordinate range P2, the process proceeds to the third step S3c. If the gripping position coordinates P are not within the second position coordinate range R2, the robot gripping unit 13 does not perform a gripping operation on the object to be gripped 14, and the process ends. In the third step S3c, the object to be gripped 14 is confirmed as the object to be gripped by the robot gripping unit 13, a synchronization signal is output to synchronize the transport speed of the belt conveyor BC and the movement speed of the robot gripping unit 13, and the process proceeds to the robot gripping control process S4.

[0081] Figure 10 is a flowchart of the robot gripping control process S4. The robot gripping control process S4 has three steps: the first step S4a to the third step S4c. In the first step S4a, the third position coordinate range R3, which is the range in which the robot gripping unit 13 is allowed to grip the object to be gripped 14, is read. In the second step S4b, it is determined whether the gripping position coordinates P are within the third position coordinate range R3. If the gripping position coordinates P are within the third position coordinate range R3, the process proceeds to the third step S4c. If the gripping position coordinates P are not within the third position coordinate range R3, the robot gripping unit 13 does not perform a gripping operation on the object to be gripped 14, and the process ends. In the third step S4c, an operation start signal is output to start the gripping operation of the object to be gripped 14 by the robot gripping unit 13, and the process proceeds to the subsequent position detection determination process S5.

[0082] Figure 11 is a flowchart of the position detection and determination process S5. The position detection and determination process S5 has six steps, S5a to S5f. In the first step S5a, the operating allowable area setting range Rw, which is the coordinate range in which the operating displacement of the robot gripping unit 13 is allowed, is read. In the second step S5b, it is determined whether the gripping position coordinates P are within the operating allowable area setting range Rw. If the gripping position coordinates P are within the operating allowable area setting range Rw, the gripping operation continues and the process moves to the third step S5c. If the gripping position coordinates P are not within the operating allowable area setting range Rw, the process moves to the fourth step S5d, the gripping operation of the object to be gripped 14 by the robot gripping unit 13 is stopped, the robot gripping unit 13 is returned to its home position HP and the process ends. In the third step S5c, the operating position coordinates Pw, which are the position coordinates of the robot gripping unit 13 during the gripping operation, are detected. In the fifth step S5e, it is determined whether the operating position coordinates Pw are within the operating allowable area setting range Rw. If the operating position coordinates Pw are within the operating allowable area setting range Rw, the process proceeds to the sixth step S5f. If the operating position coordinates Pw are not within the operating allowable area setting range Rw, the gripping operation of the object to be gripped 14 by the robot gripping unit 13 is stopped, the robot gripping unit 13 is returned to its home position HP, and the process ends. In the sixth step S5f, the gripping operation is continued, and the process proceeds to the subsequent fault detection step S6.

[0083] Figure 12 is a flowchart of the fault detection process S6. The fault detection process S6 has four steps: the first step S6a to the fourth step S6d. In the first step S6a, it is determined whether or not there is a fault in the automatic object sorting robot control system 10. If there is a fault in the automatic object sorting robot control system 10, the process moves to the second step S6b, where system abnormality processing is performed to notify the operator U that a fault has occurred in the automatic object sorting robot control system 10, such as displaying the fault, generating a warning sound, and temporarily stopping the system. If there is no fault in the automatic object sorting robot control system 10, the process moves to the third step S6c. In the third step S6c, it is determined whether the gripping operation has been completed. If the gripping operation has been completed, the robot gripping unit 13 is returned to the home position HP, and the process moves to the fourth step S6d. If the gripping operation has not been completed, the process returns to the third step S5c of the position detection determination process S5. In the fourth step S6d, the automatic object sorting robot control system 10 performs the normal gripping operation completion process and terminates. With the above steps, the control of the automatic object sorting robot control system 10 is completed.

[0084] The control method for the automatic object sorting robot control system 10 of this embodiment, by including the main steps S1 to S4 described above, can improve the operating range of the robot gripping unit 13 and enhance the accuracy of avoiding gripping operations. Furthermore, the control method for the automatic object sorting robot control system 10 of this embodiment, which improves both human safety and the gripping performance of the robot gripping unit 13, further includes a position detection and determination step S5. This allows the gripping operation to be automatically interrupted even if, for example, an unavoidable software-related issue occurs in the operating position coordinate Pw after the robot gripping unit 13 has started gripping the object 14, thereby improving the safety of the operator U. The control method for the automatic object sorting robot control system 10 of this embodiment further includes a fault detection step S6. This allows for early detection of system abnormalities, further improving the safety of the operator U.

[0085] Furthermore, the physical quantities are not limited to the length, width, area, diameter, volume, mass, and projected area of ​​the object to be gripped 14, the spectral characteristics of the reflected light when light is shone on the object to be gripped 14, and the intensity of the reflected light; additional physical quantities may be added or supplemented as needed. In addition, various modifications are possible in specific implementations, without departing from the technical concept of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0086] The robot control system for automatic sorting of objects to be grasped, and the control method for the robot for automatic sorting of objects to be grasped according to the present invention, have great potential for industrial use because they prevent danger by pre-determining the risk of harm to a person from the robot's grasping unit or the object grasped by the robot's grasping unit, and by not starting the robot's grasping operation, thereby ensuring a higher level of safety. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0087] 10. Automatic object sorting robot control system 11 Robot Arm 12 Robot Hand 13 Robot gripping unit 14 Grasped object 15. Robot body 16. Safety fences (surrounding objects) 17 1st grasped object sorting box 18 Second grasped object sorting box 30 Imaging Unit 31 Imaging device 40 Grasped object identification unit 40a Reading section 40b Judgment part 41. Physical quantity detection device 50 Grip position coordinate output section 50a Reading section 50b Judgment section 60 Robot Program Control Unit 60a Reading section 60b Judgment part 61 Control Panel 70 Robot gripping control unit 70a Reading section 70b Judgment part 71 Control Panel 80 Position detection and determination unit 80a Reading section 80b Detection unit 80c Judgment part BC Belt Conveyor (Conveying Component) C Control device CD communication device CS Cloud Server D Specific direction HP Home Position IF communication interface M physical quantity M1 Allowable numerical range for physical quantity (allowable numerical range for gripping) P gripping position coordinates Ps Synchronization start position Pw Operation Position Coordinates R1 First position coordinate range (permissible numerical range for gripping) R2 Second position coordinate range (permissible numerical range for gripping) R3 Third position coordinate range (permissible numerical range for gripping) Rw operating tolerance range setting range S1 Grasped object identification process S2 Grip position coordinate output process S3 Robot Program Control Process S4 Robot gripping control process S5 Position detection and determination process S6 Failure detection process

Claims

1. A robot gripping unit is provided to grip an object to be gripped that is being transported in a specific direction by a transport member, An imaging unit is provided on the transport member so as to be able to image the object to be grasped, A gripping object identification unit detects the physical quantity of the object to be gripped, identifies the object based on the image captured by the imaging unit and the physical quantity, and outputs information about the object to be gripped obtained through this identification. A gripping position coordinate output unit receives the information of the object to be gripped output from the object to be gripped identification unit, calculates the gripping position coordinates which are the position coordinates for gripping the object to be gripped by the robot gripping unit, and outputs the gripping position coordinates, A robot program control unit receives the gripping position coordinates output from the gripping position coordinate output unit and outputs a synchronization signal to synchronize the transport member and the robot gripping unit. The system includes a robot gripping control unit that receives the synchronization signal output from the robot program control unit and outputs an operation start signal to the robot gripping unit to initiate the gripping operation of the object to be gripped, At least one of the components of the gripping object identification unit, the gripping position coordinate output unit, the robot program control unit, and the robot gripping control unit has a reading unit for reading a unique gripping tolerance numerical range set to prevent the robot gripping unit and / or the gripping object gripped by the robot gripping unit from coming into contact with surrounding objects. The at least one component compares the inherent gripping tolerance range read by the reading unit with the physical quantity or the gripping position coordinates. A robotic control system for automatic sorting of objects to be grasped, characterized in that it is configured to avoid performing a grasping operation on the object to be grasped by the robotic grasping unit if the physical quantity or the grasping position coordinates are not within the specific permissible grasping numerical range.

2. The gripping object identification unit reads the permissible numerical range of the physical quantity corresponding to the physical quantity as the unique permissible numerical range of gripping, and determines whether the physical quantity is within the permissible numerical range of the physical quantity. If the physical quantity is within the allowable range of the physical quantity, the gripping object identification unit outputs the information of the gripping object. The automatic sorting robot control system for objects to be grasped according to claim 1, characterized in that if the physical quantity is not within the allowable numerical range of the physical quantity, the object to be grasped identification unit does not output the information of the object to be grasped, thereby preventing the robot gripping unit from performing a gripping operation on the object to be grasped.

3. The gripping position coordinate output unit reads a first position coordinate range as the unique gripping allowable numerical range, and determines whether the gripping position coordinates are within the first position coordinate range. If the gripping position coordinates are within the first position coordinate range, the gripping position coordinate output unit outputs the gripping position coordinates. The automatic sorting robot control system for objects to be grasped according to claim 1, characterized in that if the grasping position coordinates are not within the first position coordinate range, the grasping position coordinate output unit does not output the grasping position coordinates, thereby preventing the robot grasping unit from performing a grasping operation on the object to be grasped.

4. The robot program control unit reads the second position coordinate range as the unique gripping allowable numerical range, and determines whether the gripping position coordinates are within the second position coordinate range. If the gripping position coordinates are within the second position coordinate range, the robot program control unit outputs the synchronization signal. The robot automatic sorting robot control system for objects to be grasped according to claim 1, characterized in that if the gripping position coordinates are not within the second position coordinate range, the robot program control unit does not output the synchronization signal, thereby preventing the robot gripping unit from performing a gripping operation on the object to be grasped.

5. The robot gripping control unit reads the third position coordinate range as the unique gripping allowable numerical range, and determines whether the gripping position coordinates are within the third position coordinate range. If the gripping position coordinates are within the third position coordinate range, the robot gripping control unit outputs the synchronization signal. The robot gripping control system for automatic sorting of objects according to claim 1, characterized in that if the gripping position coordinates are not within the range of the third position coordinates, the robot gripping control unit does not output the synchronization signal, thereby preventing the robot gripping unit from performing the gripping operation of the object to be gripped.

6. The automatic sorting robot control system for gripping objects according to claim 1, characterized in that the physical quantities include one or more physical quantities selected from a group of items consisting of the length, width, diameter, volume, mass, projected area, spectral characteristics of reflected light when light is irradiated onto the gripping object, and the intensity of the reflected light.

7. The system includes a position detection determination unit that reads the operating allowable area setting range, which is the range of position coordinates that allows the operating displacement of the robot gripping part, detects the operating position coordinates, which are the position coordinates of the robot gripping part during the gripping operation, and determines whether or not the operating position coordinates are located within the operating allowable area setting range. The robot automatic sorting robot control system for objects to be grasped according to claim 1, characterized in that if the operating position coordinates are not within the operating allowable area setting range, the robot gripping control unit interrupts the gripping operation by the robot gripping unit.

8. The robot automatic sorting robot control system for objects to be grasped according to claim 7, characterized in that when the grasping operation is interrupted, the robot grasping control unit outputs a return-to-home signal to the robot grasping unit to initiate an operation to return the robot grasping unit to its home position.

9. The automatic sorting robot control system for objects to be gripped according to claim 1, characterized in that the gripping position coordinates are represented by coordinates (x, y, z) that represent the three-dimensional position and coordinates (θx, θy, θz) that represent the inclination of the robot gripping part with respect to each axis in the three-dimensional coordinate system, which are combined to form coordinates (x, y, z, θx, θy, θz).

10. The automatic sorting robot control system for objects to be grasped according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the aforementioned specific numerical range of permissible gripping is changeable as needed.

11. A control method for an automatic sorting robot for objects to be grasped, comprising: a robotic gripping unit provided to grip objects being conveyed in a specific direction by a conveying member; and an imaging unit provided to image the objects to be grasped on the conveying member; A gripping object identification step includes detecting the physical quantity of the gripping object, identifying the gripping object using the image captured by the imaging unit and the physical quantity, and outputting information about the gripping object obtained through the identification; Based on the information of the object to be gripped output in the object to be gripped step, the gripping position coordinates, which are the position coordinates at which the robot gripping unit grips the object to be gripped, are calculated and the gripping position coordinates are output in a gripping position coordinate output step. A robot program control step that outputs a synchronization signal to synchronize the transport member and the robot gripping unit based on the gripping position coordinates output in the gripping position coordinate output step, The robot gripping control step includes, based on the synchronization signal output in the robot program control step, an operation start signal to the robot gripping unit to initiate the gripping operation of the object to be gripped by the robot gripping unit, In at least one of the steps of the gripping object identification step, the gripping position coordinate output step, the robot program control step, and the robot gripping control step, a unique gripping tolerance numerical range set to prevent contact between the robot gripping unit and / or the gripping object gripped by the robot gripping unit and surrounding objects is read, and the read unique gripping tolerance numerical range is compared with the physical quantity or the gripping position coordinate, A control method for an automatic sorting robot of objects to be grasped, characterized in that, in at least one of the steps, if the physical quantity or the grasping position coordinates are not within the specific permissible grasping numerical range, the robot grasping unit avoids performing a grasping operation on the object to be grasped.

12. In the object to be gripped identification step, the permissible numerical range of the physical quantity corresponding to the physical quantity is read as the unique permissible numerical range for gripping, and it is determined whether the physical quantity is within the permissible numerical range for the physical quantity. If the physical quantity is within the allowable range of the physical quantity, the gripping object identification step outputs the information of the gripping object. The control method for an automatic sorting robot for objects according to claim 11, characterized in that if the physical quantity is not within the allowable numerical range of the physical quantity, the information of the object to be grasped is not output in the object to be grasped identification step, thereby preventing the robot grasping unit from performing a grasping operation on the object to be grasped.

13. In the gripping position coordinate output step, a first position coordinate range is read as the unique gripping allowable numerical range, and it is determined whether or not the gripping position coordinates are within the first position coordinate range. If the gripping position coordinates are within the first position coordinate range, the gripping position coordinates are output in the gripping position coordinate output step. The control method for an automatic sorting robot of objects to be gripped, according to claim 11, characterized in that if the gripping position coordinates are not within the first position coordinate range, the gripping position coordinates are not output in the gripping position coordinate output step, thereby preventing the robot gripping unit from performing a gripping operation on the object to be gripped.

14. In the robot program control step, a second position coordinate range is read as the unique permissible gripping numerical range, and it is determined whether or not the gripping position coordinates are within the second position coordinate range. If the gripping position coordinates are within the second position coordinate range, the robot program control step outputs the synchronization signal. The control method for an automatic sorting robot for objects to be grasped according to claim 11, characterized in that if the gripping position coordinates are not within the range of the second position coordinates, the robot program control step does not output the synchronization signal, thereby preventing the robot gripping unit from performing a gripping operation on the object to be grasped.

15. In the robot gripping control process, the third position coordinate range is read as the unique gripping allowable numerical range, and it is determined whether or not the gripping position coordinates are within the third position coordinate range. If the gripping position coordinates are within the third position coordinate range, the robot gripping control step outputs the operation start signal. The control method for an automatic sorting robot of objects to be grasped according to claim 11, characterized in that if the gripping position coordinates are not within the range of the third position coordinates, the robot gripping control step does not output the operation start signal, thereby preventing the robot gripping unit from performing the gripping operation of the object to be grasped.

16. The control method for an automatic sorting robot for gripping objects according to claim 11, characterized in that the physical quantities include one or more physical quantities selected from a group of items consisting of the length dimension, width dimension, diameter dimension, volume, mass, projected area of ​​the object to be gripped, the spectral characteristics of the reflected light when light is shone on the object to be gripped, and the intensity of the reflected light.

17. The system includes a position detection and determination step which reads the operating allowable area setting range, which is the coordinate range that allows the operating displacement of the robot gripping part, detects the operating position coordinates, which are the position coordinates of the robot gripping part during the gripping operation, and determines whether or not the operating position coordinates are located within the operating allowable area setting range. The control method for an automatic sorting robot of objects to be grasped according to claim 11, characterized in that if the operating position coordinates are not within the operating allowable area setting range, the grasping operation by the robot grasping unit is interrupted.

18. The control method for an automatic sorting robot of objects to be grasped, according to claim 17, characterized in that when the grasping operation is interrupted, a return-to-home signal is output to the robot grasping unit to initiate an operation to return the robot grasping unit to its home position.

19. The control method for an automatic sorting robot of objects to be gripped, according to claim 11, characterized in that the gripping position coordinates are represented by coordinates (x, y, z) that represent a three-dimensional position and coordinates (θx, θy, θz) that represent the inclination of the robot gripping part with respect to each axis in the three-dimensional coordinate system, which are combined to form coordinates (x, y, z, θx, θy, θz).

20. The control method for an automatic sorting robot of objects to be grasped, according to any one of 11 to 19, characterized in that the aforementioned specific numerical range of allowable gripping can be changed as needed.

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