Screw-driving robot and method for controlling the screw-driving robot

Abstract

To provide a screw-driving robot capable of correcting the screw-driving position for tilting of the screw-driving robot. [Solution] The screw-driving robot includes a trolley to which wheels are attached that can move on the floor surface, a screw-driving device for driving screws into boards temporarily fixed to a base material, a lifting device installed on the trolley that supports the screw-driving device so that it can move up and down in a first direction, a position adjustment device connected to the screw-driving device that moves the screw-driving device in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and a control device that controls the operation of the screw-driving device, the lifting device, and the position adjustment device. The control device includes a correction distance calculation unit that calculates a correction distance in the second direction using a correction function f(h) that includes the height h of the screw-driving device, and a position adjustment device control unit that controls the operation of the position adjustment device to move the screw-driving device based on the correction distance.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a screw-driving robot that moves on a floor surface and drives screws into boards placed on a wall surface. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for controlling the screw-driving robot. [Background technology]

[0002] In interior construction work for buildings, it is sometimes necessary to attach gypsum board as a wall material to walls made of base materials such as steel frames. In recent years, automation has been progressing even in such interior construction work. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automated board attachment device that can attach gypsum board to a wall surface and drive screws into it. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-165266 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] The board mounting device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a screw injection machine for firing screws and a multi-axis controlled robot arm for gripping boards to be attached to a wall. However, such board mounting devices are large and unsuitable for interior construction work in confined spaces such as hospitals or commercial facilities. Therefore, development is underway to create screw-driving robots that automate part of the work and can be used in confined spaces. For example, an operator temporarily fastens a board to a base material using several screws. Then, a screw-driving robot is used to drive screws into the temporarily fastened board, fixing the board to the base material. In this case, the number of times the operator drives screws can be reduced, thereby reducing the burden on the operator and improving work efficiency.

[0005] In the aforementioned screw-driving robot, in order to fix a base material and a board with screws, the screw ejector that ejects screws must be lifted along the extending direction of the base material. However, if the screw-driving robot is tilted due to the self-weight of the screw-driving device equipped with the screw ejector or unevenness of the floor surface, the screw ejector will be lifted in a direction different from the extending direction of the base material. As a result, a screw is driven into the board at a position deviating from the base material, and the board cannot be fixed to the base material. The influence of such tilting of the screw-driving robot becomes more pronounced as the screw ejector is lifted higher. For this reason, although it is possible to detect the base material and determine the screw-driving position before ejecting the screw from the screw ejector, since the base material is detected every time screw-driving is performed, the working time of the screw-driving robot increases, and improvement of working efficiency cannot be achieved.

[0006] In view of the above problems, one object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a screw-driving robot capable of correcting the screw-driving position against the tilting of the screw-driving robot. In addition, one object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a control method for a screw-driving robot that corrects the screw-driving position against the tilting of the screw-driving robot. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0007] A screw-driving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a carriage to which wheels movable on a floor surface are connected; a screw-driving device that drives a screw into a board temporarily fixed to a base material; a lifting device installed on the carriage and supporting the screw-driving device to be able to lift and lower in a first direction; a position adjusting device connected to the screw-driving device and moving the screw-driving device in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction; and a control device that controls operations of the screw-driving device, the lifting device, and the position adjusting device. The control device includes a correction distance calculation unit that calculates a correction distance in the second direction using a correction function f(h) including the height h of the screw-driving device, and a position adjusting device control unit that controls the operation of the position adjusting device to move the screw-driving device based on the correction distance.

[0008] The correction function f(h) may be obtained from pre-measured data of the position in a second direction relative to the height h of the screw driving device.

[0009] The screw-driving robot further includes a tilt sensor for measuring the tilt angle of the screw-driving device with respect to the horizontal direction of the floor surface, and the control device further includes a measurement value acquisition unit for acquiring the measured value φ measured by the tilt sensor, and the correction function f(h) may be obtained from actual measurement data in which the position in a second direction has been corrected based on the measured value φ.

[0010] The tilt sensor may be installed on the screw-driving device.

[0011] The screw driving device includes a substrate detection sensor and a screw injection machine, and the distance L between the substrate detection sensor and the injection port of the screw injection machine, and the position in the second direction may be corrected using a distance Δs calculated by equation (1) or equation (2).

[0012]

number

[0013]

number

[0014] The screw driving device is at height h n-1 From height h n The position of the nth screw (where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2) when the screw is driven in is determined by the position adjustment device correcting the screw driving device by a distance Δy. n Corrected by movement, correction distance Δy n This can also be expressed by equation (3).

[0015]

number

[0016] The wheels may also be Mecanum wheels.

[0017] Furthermore, a control method for a screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention is a control method for a screw-driving robot that moves on a floor surface to detect the base material on the back of a board, and drives screws into the board while raising the screw-driving device along a first direction in order to fix the detected base material and the board, wherein the screw-driving device is raised to a height h, a correction distance in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction is calculated using a correction function f(h) that includes the height h, and the screw-driving device is moved in the second direction by the correction distance.

[0018] The position in the second direction may be corrected using the distance Δs calculated by equation (1) or equation (2).

[0019] The screw driving device is at height h n-1 From height h n The position of the nth screw (where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2) when the device rises is determined by correcting the screw-driving device by a distance Δy n Correction is performed by moving, and the correction distance Δy n This can also be expressed by equation (3). [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] A screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention can correct the screw-driving position and accurately drive screws into a board along the extending direction of the base material when the screw-driving device is tilted upward with respect to the extending direction of the base material. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the usage of a screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the usage of a screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for determining the correction function used in calculating the correction distance of a screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram illustrating a control method for a screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the usage of a screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the correction distance calculated by the correction distance calculation unit of a screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This graph shows the relationship between the position in the Y direction and the height of the screw-driving device in a screw-driving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that these embodiments are merely examples, and any modifications that a person skilled in the art could easily conceive while maintaining the spirit of the invention are naturally included within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, in order to clarify the explanation, the drawings may schematically represent the width, thickness, or shape of each part compared to the actual embodiment. However, the illustrated shapes are merely examples and do not limit the interpretation of the present invention.

[0023] In this specification, identical or similar components are represented by the same symbol. However, if components are distinguishable, a capital letter may be added to the symbol. Furthermore, if a single component is divided into multiple parts, these parts may be represented using a hyphen and a natural number.

[0024] In this specification, the characters such as "1st," "2nd," or "3rd" attached to each component are merely convenient indicators used to distinguish the components and have no further meaning unless otherwise specified.

[0025] In this specification, for the sake of clarity, the terms "floor surface," "ceiling surface," and "wall surface" will be used. The "floor surface" is the surface on which the screw-driving robot is installed, the "ceiling surface" is the surface opposite the "floor surface," and the "wall surface" is the surface connecting the "floor surface" and the "ceiling surface."

[0026] <First Embodiment> Referring to Figures 1 to 6, a screw-driving robot 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0027] [1. Usage of the screw-driving robot 10] Figures 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams illustrating the usage of a screw-driving robot 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figures 1 and 2 show wall surfaces where interior construction work is being carried out using a screw-driving robot 10. In the following description, the floor and wall surfaces are assumed to be planes parallel to the XY and YZ planes, respectively. The X, Y, and Z directions are orthogonal to each other (including cases where they intersect at approximately 90°). The Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction, and the X or Y direction corresponds to the horizontal direction of the floor surface.

[0029] The wall surface is constituted by a plurality of boards 1000 and a plurality of base materials 1100. The board 1000 is affixed to the base material 1100 extending in the Z direction, but this is only temporary fixing and is not completely fixed. The temporary fixing of the board 1000 is performed by an operator. The operator drives several screws into the board 1000 at the position where the base material 1100 is located on the back surface of the board 1000, thereby temporarily fixing the board 1000 and the base material 1100. The screw-driving robot 10 drives screws into the board 1000 that has been temporarily fixed along the extending direction of the base material 1100. Therefore, when the screw-driving robot 10 performs screw driving, temporary fixing screws 1200 have already been driven into the board 1000 (see area A in FIG. 1).

[0030] Note that, in FIGS. 1 and 2, a spandrel wall 1300 provided on the wall is illustrated, but the screw-driving robot 10 can be used regardless of the presence or absence of the spandrel wall 1300.

[0031] The board 1000 is, for example, a plate-shaped member such as a gypsum board used in interior construction work of a building. The base material 1100 is, for example, light gauge steel (LGS) used as a base for a ceiling or a wall of a building. There are several standard values for the board 1000 and the base material 1100. Specifically, as an example of the standard value of the board 1000, the length l b is 1820 mm, and the width w b is 606 mm or 910 mm, and the thickness t b is 12.5 mm or 21.0 mm. For the standard values of the base material 1100, the cross-sectional length (hereinafter simply referred to as "length") l s and the cross-sectional width (hereinafter simply referred to as "width") w s are 100 mm and 45 mm, respectively. Note that the material of the base material 1100 is not limited, and is more preferably a conductor, a dielectric, or the like.

[0032] The wall surface of a building has an area of one board 1000 (l b ×w b) is often larger than ). Therefore, the wall surface is constructed by attaching multiple boards 1000. As described above, the worker temporarily fastens multiple boards 1000 to the base material 1100 in advance using temporary fastening screws 1200. As a result, the wall surface is in a state where the boards 1000 are attached, but the boards 1000 are not completely fixed to the base material 1100, so the interior work is not yet complete. The number of temporary fastening screws 1200 driven into a single board 1000 is not particularly limited. Also, the position of the temporary fastening screws 1200 driven into a single board 1000 is not particularly limited.

[0033] After the boards 1000 have been attached using temporary fastening screws 1200, the screw-driving robot 10 is used to drive screws into the boards 1000 to completely fix them to the base material 1100. The screw-driving robot 10 detects the base material 1100 while moving in the Y direction at the lowest end of the boards 1000, and then drives screws into multiple boards 1000 arranged in the direction of the detected base material 1100 while raising the screw-driving device 100 along the direction of the base material 1100. Once the screw-driving into the boards 1000 along the direction of one base material 1100 is complete, the screw-driving robot 10 lowers the screw-driving device 100 and then moves in the Y direction to detect another adjacent base material 1100.

[0034] However, as shown in Figure 2, in the screw-driving robot 10, the center of gravity changes when the screw-driving device 100 rises, so depending on the weight of the screw-driving device 100 and the configuration of the lifting device 200, the screw-driving robot 10 may tilt. In this case, the screw-driving device 100 rises in the direction in which the screw-driving robot 10 tilts, rather than in the Z direction which is the extending direction of the base material 1100, and the screw-driving position moves away from the extending direction of the base material 1100. As a result, screws are driven in at a position where there is no base material 1100 on the back of the board 1000, resulting in a defect where the board 1000 is not fixed to the base material 1100. In the screw-driving robot 10, to prevent such defects, the screw-driving position is corrected for tilting caused by the screw-driving robot 10 itself.

[0035] [2. Configuration of the screw-driving robot 10] Figures 3 and 4 are schematic and block diagrams illustrating the configuration of a screw-driving robot 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

[0036] The screw-driving robot 10 includes a screw-driving device 100, a lifting device 200, a position adjustment device 300, a trolley 400, a tilt sensor 500, and a control device 600. The control device 600 is communicatively connected to the screw-driving device 100, the lifting device 200, the position adjustment device 300, the trolley 400, and the tilt sensor 500.

[0037] The screw-driving device 100 and the position adjustment device 300 are connected to a lifting device 200 installed on a trolley 400. The tilt sensor 500 is installed on or inside the screw-driving device 100. The control device 600 is installed on or inside the trolley 400. The components of the screw-driving device 100 will be described in detail below.

[0038] The screw driving device 100 can drive screws into the board 1000. For example, the screw driving device 100 includes a base material detection sensor 110 for detecting the base material 1100 on the back of the board 1000, a suction device (not shown) for adsorbing the board 1000, a screw injection machine 120 for ejecting screws, and a screw supply machine (not shown) for supplying screws to the screw injection machine. The base material detection sensor 110 is, for example, a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor can detect the base material 1100 on the back of the board 1000 from the surface of the board 1000. The detection method of such a proximity sensor may be a capacitive method using an electric field, or a magnetic method or high-frequency oscillation method using a magnetic field. The suction device is, for example, a suction pad that adsorbs the board 1000 when it approaches the board 1000 and releases the suction when it moves away from the board 1000. The suction device also includes a vacuum pump, which can adjust the pressure inside the suction pad. Furthermore, the screw-driving device 100 only needs to be capable of driving out screws, and is not limited to the configuration described above.

[0039] The lifting device 200 can raise and lower the screw driving device 100 and the position adjustment device 300. That is, the lifting device 200 can raise or lower the screw driving device 100 and the position adjustment device 300 to the height of the screw driving position. Preferably, the screw driving device 100 and the position adjustment device 300 move up and down along the extending direction of the base material 1100, but if the screw driving robot 10 is inclined, they will move up and down along the inclination direction of the screw driving robot 10. For the sake of explanation below, the direction of movement of the screw driving device 100 and the position adjustment device 300 will be referred to as the first direction, and the direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction will be referred to as the second direction.

[0040] The lifting device 200 is, for example, a wire upper that utilizes the extension and retraction of a connected mast, or a scissor lift that utilizes the extension and retraction of a connected arm. Wire uppers and scissor lifts can be made lightweight, allowing for a smaller screw-driving robot 10. In addition, wire uppers are inexpensive, which can reduce the manufacturing cost of the screw-driving robot 10. For this reason, a wire upper is a preferred configuration for the lifting device 200. However, the lifting device 200 is not limited to the above configuration, as long as it can raise and lower the screw-driving device 100 and the position adjustment device 300.

[0041] The position adjustment device 300 can move the screw-driving device 100 in a second direction. For example, the position adjustment device 300 includes a guide rail extending in a second direction and a slider that is movable along the guide rail. The slider is connected to the screw-driving device 100, and the screw-driving device 100 can be moved in a second direction by the slider moving along the guide rail. The position adjustment device 300 is not limited to the above configuration, as long as it is capable of moving the screw-driving device 100 in a second direction.

[0042] The trolley 400 supports the lifting device 200 and can move on the floor. The trolley 400 has a configuration in which, for example, a plurality of wheels 410 are attached to the bottom surface of a support body that supports the lifting device 200. The wheels 410 are, for example, Mecanum wheels (registered trademark), Omni wheels (registered trademark), or crawlers. If the wheels 410 are Mecanum wheels, by adjusting the rotation direction of the plurality of Mecanum wheels, the screw-driving robot 10 can move not only in the X and Y directions but also in diagonal directions. For this reason, Mecanum wheels are a preferred configuration for the wheels 410 of the trolley 400. Note that the trolley 400 is not limited to the above configuration and only needs to be configured to support the lifting device 200 and be able to move on the floor.

[0043] The tilt sensor 500 can measure the tilt angle of the screw-driving device 100 with respect to the horizontal direction of the floor surface. In the screw-driving robot 10, it is preferable that the tilt sensor 500 be installed on the screw-driving device 100 in order to measure the tilt angle of the screw-driving device 100. In cases where the lifting device 200 has been made lighter, the center of gravity of the screw-driving device 100 rises, which may cause the screw-driving device 100 to tilt. The tilt sensor 500 can measure the tilt angle of the screw-driving device 100 when it is tilted in this way. For the sake of explanation, in the following, the tilt angle of the screw-driving device 100 measured by the tilt sensor 500 may be referred to as the measured value φ. The measured value φ is the tilt angle of the screw-driving device 100 with respect to the horizontal direction of the floor surface, and corresponds to the angle it makes with the vertical direction, which is the direction in which the base material 1100 extends.

[0044] The control device 600 is a so-called computer. The control device 600 includes, for example, an integrated circuit, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a digital signal processor (DSP). The control device 600 may also include storage devices such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid-state drive (SSD). For example, the program necessary for controlling the screw-driving robot 10 can be stored in the storage device.

[0045] The control device 600 can activate the screw-driving device control unit 610, the lifting device control unit 620, the position adjustment device control unit 630, the trolley control unit 640, the measurement value acquisition unit 650, and the correction distance calculation unit 660 by executing a program on a computer.

[0046] The screw driving device control unit 610 can control the operation of the screw driving device 100. For example, the screw driving device control unit 610 can control the operation of the screw driving device 100, such as detecting the base material 1100, adsorption to the board 1000, or driving out screws.

[0047] The lifting device control unit 620 can control the operation of the lifting device 200. For example, the lifting device control unit 620 can control the operation of the lifting device 200 to raise or lower the screw driving device 100 by a predetermined height.

[0048] The position adjustment device control unit 630 can control the operation of the position adjustment device 300. For example, the position adjustment device control unit 630 can control the operation of the position adjustment device 300 to move the screw driving device 100 in a second direction when detecting the base material 1100 or correcting the screw driving position.

[0049] The trolley control unit 640 can control the operation of the trolley 400. For example, in detecting the base material 1100, the trolley control unit 640 can control the operation of the trolley 400 to drive the wheels 410 to move the screw-driving robot 10 in the Y direction.

[0050] The measurement value acquisition unit 650 can acquire the measurement value φ from the tilt sensor 500. As will be described in detail later, the measurement value acquisition unit 650 acquires the measurement value φ when determining the correction function f(h) used to correct the screw placement. The correction function f(h) is determined using previously measured actual data. The correction function f(h) can be stored in the memory.

[0051] The correction distance calculation unit 660 can calculate a correction distance for correcting the screw placement using the correction function f(h). Details of the method for calculating the correction distance will be described later.

[0052] [3. Control method for screw-driving robot 10] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a screw-driving robot 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, Figure 5 shows a control method for the screw-driving robot 10 when detecting a base material 1100 at the lowest end of a temporarily fixed board 1000 and driving screws into the board 1000 positioned along the direction of extension of the detected base material 1100. The screw-driving robot 10 is positioned in front of the temporarily fixed board 1000, and the screw-driving device 100 is positioned at the lowest end of the board 1000.

[0053] The flowchart shown in Figure 5 includes steps S100 to S170. Steps S100 to S170 will be explained below in order, but the control method for the screw-driving robot 10 is not limited to this. The control method for the screw-driving robot 10 may have a different order of steps, or may include further steps.

[0054] In step S100, the trolley control unit 640 drives the wheels 410 of the trolley 400 to move the screw-driving robot 10 in the Y direction. At this time, the screw-driving device control unit 610 operates the base material detection sensor 110 of the screw-driving device 100 to detect the base material 1100. That is, in step S100, the screw-driving robot 10 moves in the Y direction while detecting the base material 1100 on the back surface of the board 1000. In the detection of the base material 1100, after one end of the base material 1100 is detected by the movement of the trolley 400, the position adjustment device 300 may be controlled to move the screw-driving device 100 in a second direction in order to detect the other end of the base material 1100. This makes it possible to fine-tune the movement of the base material detection sensor 110, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the base material 1100.

[0055] In step S110, the screw-driving device control unit 610 determines whether or not the base material 1100 has been detected. If the base material 1100 is detected (step S110: YES), the trolley 400 or the screw-driving device 100 is stopped so that the nozzle of the screw injection machine 120 of the screw-driving device 100 is positioned near the center of the width of the detected base material 1100, and then step S120 is executed. If the base material 1100 is not detected (step S110: NO), step S100 is executed again, and the screw-driving robot 10 moves in the Y direction while detecting the base material 1100.

[0056] In step S120, the screw driving device control unit 610 controls the screw driving device 100 to drive screws into the board 1000. Step S120 is the first screw driving, which takes place immediately after the base material 1100 is detected at the lowest end of the board 1000. Even if the screw driving robot 10 is tilted, the nozzle of the screw injection machine 120 is located near the center of the width of the base material 1100. Since the position of the first screw driving is near the center of the width of the base material 1100, no correction is made to the position of the first screw driving.

[0057] In step S130, the lifting device control unit 620 controls the lifting device 200 to raise the screw driving device 100 and the position adjustment device 300 to a preset height for the next screw driving position.

[0058] In step S140, the correction distance calculation unit 660 calculates a correction distance for correcting the screw driving position using the correction function f(h). The screw driving robot 10 has a predetermined position P in the Y direction relative to the height h of the screw driving device 100. Y Actual measurement data of the distance in the Y direction from the center of the base material 1100 has been obtained, and the correction function f(h) has been determined (see equation (1)). In other words, the position P in the Y direction when the screw driving device 100 rises to height h. Y This can be calculated using the correction function f(h).

[0059]

number

[0060] When determining the correction function f(h), the position P is determined using the measured value φ, which is measured by the tilt sensor 500 and acquired by the measurement value acquisition unit 650. Y This is corrected. Here, with reference to Figure 6, the method for calculating the correction function f(h) corrected by the measured value φ will be explained. Note that the base material detection sensor 110 of the screw driving device 100 and the nozzle of the screw injection machine 120 are assumed to be separated by a distance L (see Figure 3).

[0061] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for determining the correction function f(h) used in calculating the correction distance of a screw-driving robot 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] The correction function f(h) is calculated by first using the screw-driving robot 10 to determine the position P in the Y direction relative to the height h. Y The relationship is obtained by measuring and deriving the result from the equation. For example, the correction function f(h) may be an approximation curve based on the measurement data. However, when the screw driving device 100 is tilted when the base material detection sensor 110 of the screw driving device 100 and the nozzle of the screw injection machine 120 are separated by a distance L, the position P of the nozzle of the screw injection machine 120 b This is the position P of the base material detection sensor 110. a It is not in the vertical direction, but is offset by a distance Δs from the center of the width of the base material 1100, as shown in Figure 6. The distance Δs is expressed as shown in equation (2) using the measured value φ.

[0063]

number

[0064] Therefore, a measurement value φ is obtained at predetermined heights h, and the position P is corrected for height h using equation (2). Y The correction function f(h) is obtained from the plotted graph. Position P Y By correcting using equation (2), the position P can be determined regardless of the tilt of the screw-driving robot 10. Y This position is then located near the center of the base material 1100. Therefore, by correcting the screw placement using the correction function f(h), the accuracy of the screw placement can be improved.

[0065] The screw placement for the second and subsequent screw insertions is corrected using a correction function f(h). Specifically, the screw insertion device 100 is at a height h n-1 From height h n Correction distance Δy in the Y direction when it rises n h can be expressed as shown in equation (3). nn corresponds to the height of the nth screw drive, and since the screw drive position correction is performed from the second screw drive onwards, n is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0066]

number

[0067] Therefore, in step S140, the correction distance calculation unit 660 uses equations (1) and (3) to calculate the correction distance Δy n Calculate.

[0068] In step S150, the position adjustment device control unit 630 controls the position adjustment device 300 to correct the screw driving device 100 to a second distance Δy. n It is moved only by this amount. This makes it possible to correct the screw-driving position so that it is located near the center of the width of the base material 1100, even if the screw-driving robot 10 is tilted.

[0069] In step S160, the screw driving device control unit 610 drives the screw injection machine 120 of the screw driving device 100, and drives screws from the screw injection machine 120 into the board 1000. Since the screw driving position has been corrected in steps S140 and S150, even for the second and subsequent screw driving, the screws can be driven into the board 1000 without deviating significantly from the base material 1100.

[0070] In step S170, the screw-driving device control unit 610 determines whether or not to terminate screw driving in the direction of extension of the detected base material 1100. For example, it is determined to terminate screw driving when a preset height is reached or when a preset number of screw drivings is reached. If screw driving is terminated (step S170: YES), screw driving to fix the board 1000 to the detected base material 1100 is terminated, but the control method of the flowchart shown in Figure 5 is executed again, allowing screw driving to fix the board 1000 to the adjacent base material 1100 to be performed. If screw driving is not terminated (step S170: NO), step S130 is performed again, and screw driving can be performed while correcting the screw driving position.

[0071] Furthermore, depending on the lifting device 200, it may move up and down without significantly deviating from the direction of extension of the base material 1100, and the measured value θ n In some cases, the angle may be very small. In that case, equation (2) can also be expressed as equation (2)'.

[0072]

number

[0073] According to the screw-driving robot 10 of this embodiment, even if the screw-driving device 100 is tilted due to the screw-driving robot 10 itself, screws can be driven into the board 1000 while correcting the screw-driving position. Therefore, even when the screw-driving robot 10 drives screws into multiple boards 1000 along the extending direction of the base material 1100, it is possible to prevent defects in which screws are driven into positions where there is no base material 1100 on the back surface of the board 1000, resulting in the board 1000 not being fixed to the base material 1100.

[0074] <Example 1> Referring to Figure 7, a modified example of the control method for the screw-driving robot 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that in the following, descriptions of configurations similar to those described above may be omitted.

[0075] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a screw-driving robot 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] In the flowchart shown in Figure 7, steps S111 to S113 are executed between steps S110 and S120 of the flowchart shown in Figure 5. These steps will be described in order below, but the control method of the screw-driving robot 10 is not limited to this. In this modified example as well, the control method of the screw-driving robot 10 may have a different order of steps, or may include further steps.

[0077] Step S111 is performed when the base material 1100 is detected (Step S110: YES), after the trolley 400 or screw driving device 100 has been stopped. In step S111, the measurement value acquisition unit 650 acquires the measurement value φ from the tilt sensor 500.

[0078] In step S112, the correction distance calculation unit 660 calculates the correction distance from equation (2) based on the measured value φ. As described above, if the base material detection sensor 110 of the screw driving device 100 and the nozzle of the screw injection machine 120 are separated by a distance L, the screw will be separated by a distance Δs from the center of the width of the base material 1100. Therefore, in this modified example, the position of the first screw is corrected using the distance Δs calculated from equation (2). In other words, the position of the first screw is corrected with the distance Δs as the correction distance.

[0079] In step S113, the position adjustment device control unit 630 controls the position adjustment device 300 to move the screw driving device 100 by a distance Δs in the second direction. This corrects the position of the first screw to be located near the center of the width of the base material 1100, even if the screw driving device 100 is tilted. After step S113, step S120 is executed to perform the second and subsequent screw driving.

[0080] According to the control method for the screw-driving robot 10 in this modified example, if the screw-driving device 100 is tilted due to the screw-driving robot 10 itself, the position of the first screw can also be corrected using the measurement value φ of the tilt sensor 500. Therefore, the accuracy of the screw-driving position can be further improved.

[0081] <Modification 2> Referring to Figure 8, another modified example of the control method for the screw-driving robot 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that in the following, the description of configurations similar to those described above may be omitted.

[0082] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a control method for a screw-driving robot 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] Figure 8 shows multiple boards 1000 fixed to the base material 1100 by screws 1210 driven in using the screw-driving robot 10. As described above, the screws 1210 are driven in a single row across the multiple boards 1000 along the Z direction, which is the direction in which the base material 1100 extends. The screws 1210 enclosed by the dotted line B in Figure 8 are screws driven in immediately after the detection of the base material 1100. The screw-driving robot 10 basically detects the base material 1100 only at the lowest end of the multiple boards 1000 arranged in the Z direction, thereby improving the screw-driving speed.

[0084] However, depending on the base material 1100, it may be necessary to fix two boards in the Y direction. Specifically, this is the case when two boards are attached to the base material 1100 to form a vertical joint. In this case, two rows of screws are required along the Z direction on both sides of the vertical joint. Therefore, the margin for screw placement becomes small, and precision in screw placement is required. In this modified example, when screws are driven into the base material 1100 in which a vertical joint is formed, the base material 1100 is detected at the lower end of each board 1000 of the multiple boards 1000 arranged in the Z direction. That is, when screwing in the screws 1210 enclosed by the dotted line C shown in Figure 8, the base material 1100 is detected and the screws are driven in. As a result, at the lower end of the board 1000 in which the vertical joint is formed, the screw placement can be adjusted between the center of the width of the base material 1100 and one or the other end, thereby improving the precision of screw placement.

[0085] According to the control method for the screw-driving robot 10 in this modified example, the base material 1100 is detected only at the lowest end of the multiple boards 1000 arranged in the Z direction. On the other hand, on the base material 1100 in which vertical joints are formed, the base material 1100 is detected at the lower end of each board 1000 of the multiple boards 1000 arranged in the Z direction. Therefore, it is possible to drive screws with improved accuracy without significantly reducing the screw-driving speed.

[0086] <Second Embodiment> Referring to Figures 9 to 12, a screw-driving robot 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that in the following description, the explanation of configurations similar to those described in the first embodiment may be omitted.

[0087] [1. Usage of the screw-driving robot 20] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the usage of a screw-driving robot 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] As shown in Figure 9, the screw-driving robot 20, like the screw-driving robot 10, can drive screws into multiple boards 1000 arranged in the Z direction, which is the extending direction of the base material 1100, while raising the screw-driving device 100. However, if the floor surface is uneven, the screw-driving robot 20 may tilt relative to the floor surface, as shown in Figure 9. In this case as well, the screw-driving device 100 will rise in the direction in which the screw-driving robot 20 is tilted, rather than in the extending direction of the base material 1100, and the screw-driving position will move away from the extending direction of the base material 1100. As a result, screws will be driven into positions where there is no base material 1100 on the back of the board 1000, resulting in a defect where the board 1000 is not fixed to the base material 1100. To prevent such defects, the screw-driving robot 20 corrects the screw-driving position for the tilt of the screw-driving robot 10 caused by the unevenness of the floor surface.

[0089] [2. Configuration of the screw-driving robot 20] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a screw-driving robot 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0090] As shown in Figure 10, the screw-driving robot 20 includes the same components as the screw-driving robot 10. Specifically, the screw-driving robot 20 includes a screw-driving device 100, a lifting device 200, a position adjustment device 300, a trolley 400, a tilt sensor 500A, and a control device 600. However, unlike the screw-driving robot 10, the tilt sensor 500A of the screw-driving robot 20 is located on or inside the trolley 400.

[0091] The tilt sensor 500A can measure the tilt angle of the trolley 400 with respect to the horizontal direction of the floor surface. In the screw-driving robot 20, it is preferable to install the tilt sensor 500A on the trolley 400 in order to measure the tilt angle of the trolley 400. The trolley 400 may tilt if the floor surface is uneven, but the tilt sensor 500A can measure the tilt angle of the trolley 400 when it is tilted in this way. For the sake of explanation, in the following, the tilt angle of the trolley 400 measured by the tilt sensor 500A may be referred to as the measured value θ. The measured value θ is the tilt angle of the trolley 400 with respect to the horizontal direction of the floor surface, and corresponds to the angle it makes with the vertical direction, which is the direction in which the base material 1100 extends.

[0092] The measurement value acquisition unit 650 of the screw-driving robot 20 can acquire the measurement value θ from the tilt sensor 500. As will be described in detail later, the screw-driving robot 20 acquires the measurement value θ from the measurement value acquisition unit 650 before driving screws.

[0093] The correction distance calculation unit 660 of the screw-driving robot 20 can calculate a correction distance to correct the screw-driving position using the measurement value θ acquired by the measurement value acquisition unit 650. Details of the method for calculating the correction distance will be described later.

[0094] [3. Control method for the screw-driving robot 20] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a screw-driving robot 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, Figure 11 shows a control method for the screw-driving robot 20 when detecting a base material 1100 at the lowest end of a temporarily fixed board 1000 and driving screws into the board 1000 positioned along the direction of extension of the detected base material 1100. The screw-driving robot 20 is positioned in front of the temporarily fixed board 1000, and the screw-driving device 100 is positioned at the lowest end of the board 1000.

[0095] In the flowchart shown in Figure 11, step S135 is executed between steps S130 and S140 of the flowchart shown in Figure 5. Also, step S140A is executed instead of step S140. These steps will be explained in order below, but the control method of the screw-driving robot 20 is not limited to this. The control method of the screw-driving robot 20 may have a different order of steps, or may include additional steps.

[0096] In step S135, the measurement value acquisition unit 650 acquires the measurement value θ from the tilt sensor 500A. As the screw-driving device 100 rises, the center of gravity of the screw-driving robot 20 rises, which may cause the trolley to tilt regardless of the unevenness of the floor surface. Therefore, the measurement value θ is acquired each time the screw-driving device 100 rises.

[0097] In step S140A, the correction distance calculation unit 660 calculates the correction distance based on the measured value θ. Here, the method of calculating the correction distance by the correction distance calculation unit 660 will be explained with reference to Figure 12.

[0098] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the correction distance calculated by the correction distance calculation unit 660 of a screw-driving robot 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] As shown in Figure 12, when the screw-driving device 100 rises from a height of 0 to a height of h, if the trolley 400 is tilted at an inclination angle of the measured value θ, the first direction (up and down direction) will be shifted by the measured value θ from the Z direction, which is the extension direction of the base material 1100. Therefore, the amount of movement y in the Y direction at a height of h is expressed as shown in equation (4).

[0100]

number

[0101] Equation (4) means that if the trolley 400 is tilted when the screw-driving device 100 rises, the screw-driving position will shift by a displacement amount y. Therefore, the screw-driving robot 10 corrects the displacement amount y by a distance Δy n The screw driving position is corrected accordingly. As described above, the measured value θ is acquired each time the screw driving device 100 rises. n-1 From height h n Correction distance Δy in the Y direction when it rises n It can be expressed as shown in equation (5). h n n corresponds to the height of the nth screw drive, and since the screw drive position correction is performed from the second screw drive onwards, n is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0102]

number

[0103] Here, the measured value θ n The screw-driving device 100 is at a height h n This is the measured value θ obtained by the tilt sensor 500 when it rises. The height h1 is the height of the first screw-driving position, but no correction is made for the first screw-driving. Therefore, Δy1 is set to 0.

[0104] Therefore, in step S140A, the correction distance calculation unit 660 uses equation (5) to calculate the correction distance Δy n Calculate.

[0105] Furthermore, the unevenness of the floor surface is not very large, and the measured value θ n The angle may be very small. In that case, equations (4) and (5) can also be expressed as equation (4)' and equation (5)', respectively.

[0106]

number

[0107]

number

[0108] According to the screw-driving robot 20 of this embodiment, even when the trolley 400 is tilted due to an uneven floor surface or the like, screws can be driven into the board 1000 while correcting the screw-driving position. Therefore, even when the screw-driving robot 20 drives screws into multiple boards 1000 along the extending direction of the base material 1100, it is possible to prevent defects in which screws are driven into positions where there is no base material 1100 on the back of the board 1000, resulting in the board 1000 not being fixed to the base material 1100.

[0109] Each embodiment can be implemented by combining configurations as appropriate, including variations, as long as they do not contradict each other. For example, the screw-driving robot 10 described in the first embodiment is equipped not only with the tilt sensor 500 but also with the tilt sensor 500A of the screw-driving robot 20 described in the second embodiment, and the correction distance Δy is based on the tilt sensors 500 and 500A. n That is, the corrected distance Δy calculated by equations (3) and (5). n It is also possible to correct the screw placement using this method.

[0110] Below, we will describe in more detail the method for determining the correction function f(x) described in the first embodiment, based on an example. [Examples]

[0111] Figure 13 shows the position P in the Y direction relative to the height h of the screw-driving device 100 in a screw-driving robot 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Y This graph shows the relationship between the two.

[0112] Position P shown in Figure 13(A) Y These are the measured actual data. Specifically, Figure 13(A) shows the height h and position P while the screw-driving device 100 of the screw-driving robot 10 is actually raised. Y This graph shows the results of measuring (N=22) and plotting each value on the x and y axes. Position PY This corresponds to the distance away from the origin in the Y direction, with the center of the base material 1100 as the origin. As can be seen from Figure 13(A), as the screw driving device 100 rises, position P Y As the point moves away from the origin, the variation increases. Furthermore, it can be seen that the relationship between the height h of the screw-driving device 100 and its position PY is not a simple linear function.

[0113] Therefore, as described in the first embodiment, the correction distance Δy n We will find the correction function f(h) to calculate the value. Note that at the height h to which the screw-driving device has risen, position P Y In addition to measuring, the measured value φ is also acquired.

[0114] In the graph in Figure 13(B), the position P is calculated using equation (2) for the measured data. Y This has been corrected. Specifically, the position P of the measured data. Y The distance Δs, expressed by equation (2), is subtracted from this. As can be seen from Figure 13(B), the corrected position P Y As the point approaches the origin, the variation is suppressed. The correction function f(h) is given by the position P where the variation is suppressed in this way. Y It can be determined from this. Thus, the corrected position P based on the measured value φ is obtained. Y By obtaining the correction function f(h) from this, it is possible to obtain a correction function f(h) that does not depend on the inclination of the screw driving device 100.

[0115] In the graph in Figure 13(C), the white circles represent the corrected position P at height h. Y This is the median, and the solid line is its approximation curve. In other words, the correction function f(h) is the position P relative to the height h. Y It is calculated as an approximate curve of the median. The position P of the dispersion. Y By extracting the median and obtaining the correction function f(h), the correction distance Δy calculated from f(h) is obtained. n This can suppress large deviations and reduce errors.

[0116] Based on the embodiments described above, any additions, deletions, or design changes made by those skilled in the art, or additions, omissions, or changes in processes, are also included within the scope of the present invention, as long as they retain the essence of the present invention. Furthermore, any effects and benefits other than those brought about by the embodiments described above, if they are clear from the description herein or easily predictable to those skilled in the art, are naturally considered to be brought about by the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0117] 10, 20: Screw-driving robot, 100: Screw driving device, 110: Substrate material detection sensor, 120: Screw injection machine, 200: Lifting device, 300: Position adjustment device, 400: Dolly, 410: Wheels, 500, 500A: Tilt sensor, 600: Control device, 610: Screw driving device control unit, 620: Lifting device control unit, 630: Position adjustment device control unit, 640: Bogie control unit, 650: Measurement value acquisition unit, 660: Correction distance calculation unit, 1000: Board, 1100: Substrate material, 1200: Temporary fixing screws, 1210: Bis, 1300: Wainscoting

Claims

1. A trolley with wheels attached that can move on the floor, A screw-driving device for driving screws into boards that have been temporarily fixed to the base material, A lifting device installed on the trolley and supporting the screw-driving device so that it can be raised and lowered in a first direction, A position adjustment device connected to the screw-driving device, which moves the screw-driving device in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, The system includes a control device for controlling the operation of the screw-driving device, the lifting device, and the position adjustment device, The control device is A correction distance calculation unit calculates the correction distance in the second direction using a correction function f(h) that includes the height h of the screw driving device, A screw-driving robot, comprising: a position adjustment device control unit that controls the operation of the position adjustment device to move the screw-driving device based on the correction distance;

2. The screw-driving robot according to claim 1, wherein the correction function f(h) is obtained from measured data of the position of the screw-driving device in the second direction with respect to the height h, which has been measured in advance.

3. Furthermore, it includes a tilt sensor for measuring the tilt angle of the screw-driving device with respect to the horizontal direction of the floor surface, The control device further includes a measurement value acquisition unit that acquires the measurement value φ measured by the tilt sensor. The screw-driving robot according to claim 2, wherein the correction function f(h) is obtained from the measured data in which the position in the second direction has been corrected based on the measured value φ.

4. The screw-driving robot according to claim 3, wherein the tilt sensor is installed in the screw-driving device.

5. The screw driving device includes a substrate material detection sensor and a screw injection machine. The distance L between the base material detection sensor and the nozzle of the screw injection machine is The screw-driving robot according to claim 3, wherein the position in the second direction is corrected using a distance Δs calculated by equation (1) or equation (2). [Math 1] [Math 2]

6. The screw driving device is at height h ｎ－１ From height h ｎ The nth screw-driving position (where n is an integer of 2 or more) when the screw-driving device is raised is determined by the position adjustment device correcting the screw-driving device by a distance Δy. ｎ It is corrected by moving it. The correction distance Δy ｎ The screw-driving robot according to claim 1, which is represented by formula (3). [Math 3]

7. The screw-driving robot according to claim 1, wherein the wheel is a Mecanum wheel.

8. A control method for a screw-driving robot that moves on a floor surface to detect the backing material on the back of a board, and drives screws into the board while raising a screw-driving device along a first direction in order to fix the detected backing material and the board, The screw-driving device is raised to a height h, The correction distance in the second direction which is substantially perpendicular to the first direction is calculated using the correction function f(h) which includes the height h. A method for controlling a screw-driving robot, which involves moving the screw-driving device in the second direction by the correction distance.

9. The control method for a screw-driving robot according to claim 8, wherein the correction function f(h) is obtained from measured data of the position of the screw-driving device in the second direction with respect to the height h, which has been measured in advance.

10. The control method for a screw-driving robot according to claim 9, wherein the correction function f(h) is obtained from the measured data in which the position in the second direction has been corrected based on the measured value φ measured by the tilt sensor installed on the screw-driving device.

11. The control method for a screw-driving robot according to claim 10, wherein the position in the second direction is corrected using a distance Δs calculated by equation (1) or equation (2). [Math 4] [Math 5]

12. The screw driving device is at height h ｎ－１ From height h ｎ The nth screw-driving position (where n is an integer of 2 or more) when the device rises is determined by correcting the screw-driving device by a distance Δy. ｎ Correction is made by moving it. The correction distance Δy ｎ The control method for a screw-driving robot according to claim 8, which is represented by formula (3). [Math 6]

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