ROBOT TEACHING DEVICE, VISUAL INSPECTION SYSTEM, ROBOT TEACHING METHOD AND PROGRAM

Abstract

To provide a robot teaching device which can easily inspect the appearance of a workpiece for missing of an examination or can easily teach the small number of operations of a robot.SOLUTION: A robot teaching device 1 for an appearance inspection system 100 includes: an imaging unit 2 for imaging a workpiece W; an illumination unit 3 for applying illumination light on a workpiece W; a robot 4 for inspecting the workpiece W for the appearance by moving the imaging unit 2 and the illumination unit 3; a display unit 11; and a processing unit 13 for acquiring the state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece W by a simulation when teaching operations of the robot 4 on the display unit 11 and displaying an image on the acquired state of the reflection of the illumination light in the display unit 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a robot teaching device and an appearance inspection system. 、 Robot teaching method and Programs Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A teaching device is known in the art (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses an offline teaching device for a vision sensor. This offline teaching device includes a storage device that stores the shapes and dimensions of a workpiece, a robot that performs work on the workpiece, and a vision sensor that measures the workpiece, and a display that displays images of the workpiece, the robot, and the vision sensor based on the data stored in the storage device. This offline teaching device is configured to be able to arrange the workpiece, the robot, and the vision sensor on the display and teach and adjust the vision sensor offline. Specifically, this offline teaching device is configured to arrange a camera on the display, capture an image of a measurement portion of the workpiece with the arranged camera, and generate a camera image of the captured measurement portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4266946 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, since the technology of the offline teaching device described in the above Patent Document 1 is a technology for teaching a vision sensor offline, it is difficult to apply it to the application of teaching the robot's operation offline in an appearance inspection system in which the robot moves an imaging unit or a workpiece to inspect the appearance of the workpiece. Here, in such an appearance inspection system, at the stage of teaching the robot's operation offline, it is not possible to accurately determine which part of the workpiece is being inspected based on the image captured by the imaging unit, so there is a disadvantage that inspection of the appearance of the workpiece may be missed. Therefore, there is a problem in that it is difficult to teach the robot's operation with no or few inspection misses of the appearance of the workpiece.

[0006] This disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a robot teaching device, an appearance inspection system, and a robot teaching method that can easily teach a robot operation with no or few missed inspections of the appearance of a workpiece. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A robot teaching device according to a first aspect of the disclosure is a robot teaching device for an appearance inspection system including an imaging unit that images a workpiece, an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece, and a robot that moves the workpiece to perform an appearance inspection of the workpiece, the robot teaching device including a display unit, and a processing unit that, when teaching the operation of the robot on the display unit, acquires a state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece by simulation and causes the display unit to display an image relating to the acquired state of reflection of the illumination light, the processing unit acquires a state of reflection of the illumination light in an image of the workpiece captured by the imaging unit as the state of reflection of the illumination light, acquires an inspection area in which the workpiece can be inspected based on the acquired state of reflection of the illumination light, and displays the acquired inspection area by superimposing it on the workpiece displayed on the display unit. The processing unit acquires a movement path defined by teaching the robot its operation, and after acquiring the movement path, the processing unit causes the display unit to display an image of the workpiece captured by a simulation including the imaging unit and lighting unit, or the state of reflection of the lighting unit when the workpiece is moved by the robot along the acquired movement path.

[0008] In the robot teaching device according to the first aspect of the disclosure, as described above, when teaching the robot's operation on the display unit, a processing unit is provided that acquires an image related to the state of reflection of illumination light on the workpiece by simulation and displays the acquired state of reflection of illumination light on the display unit. Here, when performing visual inspection of the workpiece, the entire range of the image captured by the imaging unit does not contribute to the visual inspection of the workpiece, but the range of the high-luminance part of the image captured by the imaging unit, which has a large amount of reflection of illumination light and a large luminance, contributes to the visual inspection of the workpiece. Therefore, if the high-luminance part is grasped, it is possible to accurately know which part of the workpiece is being inspected, and it is possible to teach the robot's operation with no or few omissions in the inspection of the workpiece's appearance. Therefore, as described above, by displaying an image related to the state of reflection of illumination light on the display unit, it is possible to easily grasp the high-luminance part that actually contributes to the visual inspection of the workpiece based on the image related to the state of reflection of illumination light displayed on the display unit, and it is possible to easily teach the robot's operation with no or few omissions in the inspection of the workpiece's appearance.

[0009] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an appearance inspection system including an imaging unit that images a workpiece, an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece, a robot that performs an appearance inspection of the workpiece by moving the imaging unit and the illumination unit, or the workpiece, and a robot teaching device, wherein the robot teaching device includes a display unit, and a processing unit that, when teaching the robot's operation on the display unit, acquires a state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece by simulation and causes the display unit to display an image relating to the acquired state of reflection of the illumination light, and the processing unit acquires, as the state of reflection of the illumination light, a state of reflection of the illumination unit in an image of the workpiece captured by the imaging unit, acquires an inspection area in which the workpiece can be inspected based on the acquired state of reflection of the illumination unit, and displays the acquired inspection area by superimposing it on the workpiece displayed on the display unit. The processing unit acquires a movement path defined by teaching the robot its operation, and after acquiring the movement path, the processing unit causes the display unit to display an image of the workpiece captured by a simulation including the imaging unit and lighting unit, or the state of reflection of the lighting unit when the workpiece is moved by the robot along the acquired movement path.

[0010] In the visual inspection system according to the second aspect of the disclosure, as described above, when teaching the robot's operation on the display unit, a processing unit is provided that acquires the state of reflection of illumination light on the workpiece by simulation and displays an image relating to the acquired state of reflection of illumination light on the display unit. This makes it possible to easily grasp high-luminance areas that actually contribute to the visual inspection of the workpiece based on the image relating to the state of reflection of illumination light displayed on the display unit, thereby providing a visual inspection system that can easily teach the robot's operation with no or few missed inspections of the workpiece's visual appearance.

[0011] A robot teaching method according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is a robot teaching method for an appearance inspection system including an imaging unit that images a workpiece, an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece, and the imaging unit and the illumination unit, or a robot that moves the workpiece to perform an appearance inspection of the workpiece, the method including, when teaching the robot's operation on a display unit, obtaining a state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece by simulation, and displaying an image relating to the obtained state of reflection of the illumination light on the display unit; acquiring a movement path defined by teaching the robot's operation, and displaying, on a display unit, an image of the workpiece captured by a simulation including an imaging unit and an illumination unit, or a state of reflection of the illumination unit when the workpiece is moved by the robot along the acquired movement path after acquiring the movement path; Equipped with.

[0012] In the robot teaching method according to the third aspect of the disclosure, as described above, when teaching the robot's operation on the display unit, the state of reflection of illumination light on the workpiece is obtained by simulation, and an image relating to the state of reflection of illumination light obtained is displayed on the display unit. This makes it possible to easily grasp high-luminance areas that actually contribute to the appearance inspection of the workpiece based on the image relating to the state of reflection of illumination light displayed on the display unit, and therefore it is possible to provide a robot teaching method that can easily teach the robot's operation with no or few missed inspections of the appearance of the workpiece. A program according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute a robot teaching method for an appearance inspection system including an imaging unit that captures an image of a workpiece, an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece, and the imaging unit and the illumination unit, or a robot that moves the workpiece to perform an appearance inspection of the workpiece, the robot teaching method including, when teaching the operation of the robot on a display unit, acquiring by simulation a state of reflection of the illumination light in an image of the workpiece captured by the imaging unit as a state of reflection of the illumination light in the workpiece, and displaying an image relating to the state of reflection of the illumination light acquired. Show and displaying the workpiece on the display unit, acquiring an inspection area in which the workpiece can be inspected based on the acquired state of reflection of the illumination unit, and displaying the acquired inspection area superimposed on the workpiece displayed on the display unit. acquiring a movement path defined by teaching the robot's operation, and displaying, on a display unit, an image of the workpiece captured by a simulation including an imaging unit and an illumination unit, or a state of reflection of the illumination unit when the workpiece is moved by the robot along the acquired movement path after acquiring the movement path; Equipped with. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present disclosure, as described above, it is possible to easily teach a robot operation with little or no oversight of inspecting the appearance of a workpiece. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a visual inspection system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining setting of teaching points and movement paths in a robot teaching device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining a state of reflection of illumination light in a robot teaching device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining a state in which a lighting unit is reflected in a captured image when the robot according to the embodiment is in a predetermined posture. [Diagram 5] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining a state in which the illumination unit is reflected in a captured image when the imaging unit and the illumination unit are moved by a robot according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining superimposed display of inspection regions according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a superimposed display of all inspection regions according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining superimposed display of any number of inspection regions according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] 5 is a flowchart for explaining a flow of offline teaching using a robot teaching device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] (Configuration of visual inspection system) The configuration of an appearance inspection system 100 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 1, the appearance inspection system 100 is a system for inspecting the appearance of a workpiece W to be inspected. In this embodiment, the workpiece W has a curved surface. The appearance inspection system 100 includes a robot teaching device 1, an imaging unit 2, a lighting unit 3, and a robot 4.

[0017] The robot teaching device 1 is a device for teaching the robot 4 to perform an appearance inspection of the workpiece W offline. The robot teaching device 1 performs offline teaching, which teaches the robot 4 to perform an operation on a display screen by simulation without using an actual machine. The robot teaching device 1 is, for example, a personal computer. The robot teaching device 1 includes a display unit 11, an operation unit 12, a processing unit 13, and a storage unit 14. The display unit 11 includes a monitor such as a liquid crystal monitor and displays a screen. The operation unit 12 includes input devices such as a mouse and a keyboard and accepts input operations by a user. The processing unit 13 includes a processor and performs various processes in the robot teaching device 1. The storage unit 14 includes a non-volatile memory and stores a model M1 of the imaging unit 2, a model M2 of the lighting unit 3, a model M3 of the robot 4, and a model M4 of the workpiece W, which are used in the simulation. The detailed configuration of the offline teaching by the robot teaching device 1 will be described later.

[0018] The imaging unit 2, the lighting unit 3, and the robot 4 are devices that actually perform an appearance inspection of the workpiece W based on the results of teaching the robot 4's operation by the robot teaching device 1. The imaging unit 2 is a camera that captures an image of the workpiece W. The lighting unit 3 irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece W. The robot 4 moves the imaging unit 2 and the lighting unit 3 to perform an appearance inspection of the workpiece W. The robot 4 is a vertical multi-joint robot and includes an arm unit 41. The arm unit 41 has multiple joints. The arm unit 41 also holds the imaging unit 2 and the lighting unit 3 integrally at the tip. The robot 4 moves the imaging unit 2 and the lighting unit 3 relative to the workpiece W by driving the multiple joints of the arm unit 41.

[0019] In the appearance inspection of the workpiece W, the illumination unit 3 irradiates the workpiece W with illumination light while the imaging unit 2 images the surface of the workpiece W. Also, the imaging unit 2 images the surface of the workpiece W while the robot 4 moves the imaging unit 2 and the illumination unit 3 relative to the workpiece W. Since it is not known where on the surface of the workpiece W abnormalities on the surface of the workpiece W, such as foreign matter, scratches, and dents, are present, the workpiece W is basically imaged multiple times so that the entire surface of the workpiece W is covered. Then, based on the imaging results of the workpiece W by the imaging unit 2, the surface of the workpiece W is inspected for the presence or absence of abnormalities such as foreign matter, scratches, and dents.

[0020] (Offline teaching) The processing unit 13 performs offline teaching by simulation based on the model M1 of the imaging unit 2, the model M2 of the lighting unit 3, the model M3 of the robot 4, and the model M4 of the workpiece W stored in the storage unit 14. The processing unit 13 performs offline teaching by simulation by displaying at least one of the imaging unit 2, the lighting unit 3, the robot 4, and the workpiece W on the display unit 11. In the offline teaching, the processing unit 13 displays a teaching point P of the movement of the robot 4 and a movement path PA defined by the teaching point P on the display unit 11 based on an input operation by the user using the operation unit 12, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0021] In addition, in this embodiment, the processing unit 13 acquires a movement path PA by the robot 4 along the curved surface of the workpiece W, approximately perpendicular to the curved surface of the workpiece W, and displays the acquired movement path PA on the display unit 11. Specifically, when a line L is input by the user to the surface of the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 11, the processing unit 13 creates a normal vector V that is approximately perpendicular to the surface of the workpiece W at the point where the line L passes. The tip of the normal vector V is a teaching point P. As a result, the processing unit 13 acquires a plurality of teaching points P that are approximately perpendicular to the curved surface of the workpiece W and along the curved surface of the workpiece W. Furthermore, the processing unit 13 acquires a movement path PA that is approximately perpendicular to the curved surface of the workpiece W and along the curved surface of the workpiece W, based on the acquired plurality of teaching points P. Note that only one movement path PA is illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0022] Here, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3 to Fig. 7, when teaching the operation of the robot 4 on the display unit 11, the processing unit 13 acquires the state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece W by simulation, and causes the display unit 11 to display an image relating to the acquired state of reflection of the illumination light. As shown in Fig. 3, for example, the processing unit 13 causes the display unit 11 to display an image representing the state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece W. Also, for example, the processing unit 13 changes the image representing the state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 11 in accordance with the movement of the imaging unit 2 and the illumination unit 3 by the robot 4.

[0023] 4 and 5, in this embodiment, the processing unit 13 acquires the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 in the captured image IM of the workpiece W captured by the imaging unit 2 as the state of reflection of the illumination light, and displays the captured image IM of the workpiece W including the acquired state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 on the display unit 11. The captured image IM is an example of an image relating to the state of reflection of the illumination light.

[0024] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the processing unit 13 displays on the display unit 11 the captured image IM of the workpiece W including the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 when the robot 4 is in a predetermined posture. That is, the processing unit 13 displays on the display unit 11 the captured image IM of the workpiece W including the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 at a predetermined teaching point P. The processing unit 13 can display on the display unit 11 the captured image IM of the workpiece W including the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 at any teaching point P. The processing unit 13 displays this captured image IM based on the input operation of the user using the operation unit 12. This captured image IM includes a high-luminance portion HB where the amount of reflection of the illumination light is large and the luminance is high. The high-luminance portion HB can also be said to be a portion where the illumination unit 3 is reflected in the captured image IM.

[0025] Here, if there is an abnormality such as a foreign object, a scratch, or a dent on the surface of the workpiece W, a change such as distortion occurs in the high brightness part HB. For this reason, in the appearance inspection system 100, the appearance of the workpiece W is inspected based on the change in the high brightness part HB, which has a large reflection amount of illumination light and a large brightness, in the image captured by the imaging unit 2. In other words, when performing the appearance inspection of the workpiece W, the entire range of the image captured by the imaging unit 2 does not contribute to the appearance inspection of the workpiece W, but only the range of the high brightness part HB, which has a large reflection amount of illumination light and a large brightness, in the image captured by the imaging unit 2, contributes to the appearance inspection of the workpiece W.

[0026] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the processing unit 13 displays on the display unit 11 a captured image IM of the workpiece W including the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 when the imaging unit 2 and the illumination unit 3 are moved by the robot 4 along the moving path PA. Specifically, the processing unit 13 displays on the display unit 11 a captured image IM of the workpiece W including the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 when the imaging unit 2 scans and captures the workpiece W while moving the imaging unit 2 and the illumination unit 3 along the moving path PA by the robot 4. Note that the processing unit 13 can display on the display unit 11 a captured image IM of the workpiece W including the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 for any moving path PA. The processing unit 13 displays this captured image IM based on an input operation of the user using the operation unit 12. This captured image IM includes a band-shaped high brightness portion HB corresponding to the moving path PA. The width of the high brightness portion HB changes in response to the change in the curved surface of the workpiece W. Specifically, the width of the high brightness portion HB is smaller in a portion where the curvature of the curved surface of the workpiece W is large, and the width of the high brightness portion HB is larger in a portion where the curvature of the curved surface of the workpiece W is small. Note that this captured image IM corresponds to an image obtained when an inspection operation is actually performed by the robot 4. That is, when an appearance inspection of the workpiece W is actually performed, the appearance of the workpiece W is inspected based on the band-shaped high brightness portion HB.

[0027] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 8, the processing unit 13 acquires the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 in the image IM of the workpiece W captured by the imaging unit 2 as the state of reflection of the illumination light, acquires an inspection area AR in which the workpiece W can be inspected based on the acquired state of reflection of the illumination unit 3, and displays the acquired inspection area AR superimposed on the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 11. At this time, the processing unit 13 acquires an area within the field of view of the imaging unit 2 where the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 as seen from the imaging unit 2 was appropriate, that is, an area corresponding to the high brightness part HB, as the inspection area AR. In addition, the processing unit 13 displays the acquired inspection area AR superimposed on the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 11 in a color different from that of the workpiece W. That is, the processing unit 13 color maps the acquired inspection area AR on the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 11. This makes it possible to easily visually recognize the inspection area AR. The inspection area AR is an example of an image related to the state of reflection of the illumination light.

[0028] 6, in this embodiment, the processing unit 13 acquires a strip-shaped inspection area AR when the imaging unit 2 and the lighting unit 3 are moved by the robot 4 along the movement path PA, and displays the acquired strip-shaped inspection area AR superimposed on the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 11. More specifically, the processing unit 13 acquires a strip-shaped inspection area AR when the imaging unit 2 scans and images the workpiece W while moving the imaging unit 2 and the lighting unit 3 along the movement path PA by the robot 4, and displays the acquired strip-shaped inspection area AR superimposed on the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 11.

[0029] In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the processing unit 13 acquires a plurality of strip-shaped inspection areas AR corresponding to a plurality of movement paths PA, and displays the acquired plurality of strip-shaped inspection areas AR superimposed on the work W displayed on the display unit 11. Specifically, the processing unit 13 displays one or more strip-shaped inspection areas AR corresponding to one or more movement paths PA designated by the user superimposed on the work W displayed on the display unit 11 based on the user's input operation using the operation unit 12. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when all movement paths PA are designated by the user, the processing unit 13 displays a plurality of strip-shaped inspection areas AR corresponding to all movement paths PA superimposed on the work W displayed on the display unit 11. Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, when any plurality of movement paths PA are designated by the user, the processing unit 13 displays a plurality of strip-shaped inspection areas AR corresponding to any plurality of movement paths PA superimposed on the work W displayed on the display unit 11. In addition, when the processing unit 13 causes the display unit 11 to display a plurality of strip-shaped inspection regions AR corresponding to any plurality of movement paths PA, the processing unit 13 causes the display unit 11 to display the plurality of strip-shaped inspection regions AR in different colors.

[0030] For example, the user first displays a plurality of belt-shaped inspection areas AR corresponding to all the movement paths PA on the display unit 11 (see FIG. 7) and checks whether there are any parts that are not inspected on the current movement path PA. If there are any parts where the belt-shaped inspection areas AR do not overlap the workpiece W and the surface of the workpiece W is visible, the user determines that there are any parts that are not inspected on the current movement path PA. Then, if there are any parts that are not inspected on the current movement path PA, the user specifies a movement path PA close to the part that is not inspected as the movement path PA related to the part that is not inspected, and displays the belt-shaped inspection area AR corresponding to the specified movement path PA on the display unit 11 in a superimposed manner on the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 11 (see FIG. 8). This makes it possible to easily visually confirm the state of the parts that are not inspected on the current movement path PA and the inspection area AR related to the part that is not inspected. Then, the user corrects the teaching point P so that there are no parts that are not inspected based on the state of the parts that are not inspected on the current movement path PA and the inspection area AR related to the part that is not inspected. Moreover, after correcting the teaching point P, by displaying the inspection area AR again on the display unit 11, it is possible to confirm whether or not there are any parts that are not inspected.

[0031] (Model of imaging unit, lighting unit, robot and workpiece) In addition, in this embodiment, the storage unit 14 stores models M2 of the plurality of illumination units 3. The processing unit 13 acquires the state of reflection of illumination light by simulation according to the illumination unit 3 of the model selected based on the user's input operation using the operation unit 12 from among the models M2 of the plurality of illumination units 3 stored in the storage unit 14. The model M2 of the illumination unit 3 includes information such as the dimensions of the illumination unit 3, the shape of the illumination unit 3, the type of light source of the illumination unit 3, the arrangement of the light source of the illumination unit 3, and the color of the illumination light. Specifically, the model M2 of the plurality of illumination units 3 includes a model of line-type illumination and a model of pattern-type illumination. The model of line-type illumination is a model of the illumination unit 3 in which the light source is arranged in a line and irradiates the illumination light in a line. The line-type illumination is used in combination with, for example, a line-type camera. The model of pattern-type illumination is a model of the illumination unit 3 in which the light source is arranged two-dimensionally and irradiates the illumination light of a predetermined pattern such as a lattice pattern. The pattern-type illumination is used in combination with, for example, an area-type camera.

[0032] In this embodiment, the storage unit 14 stores a model M1 of the imaging unit 2. The processing unit 13 acquires an image IM of the workpiece W captured by the imaging unit 2 according to the imaging unit 2 of the model selected based on the user's input operation using the operation unit 12 from among the models M1 of the imaging unit 2 stored in the storage unit 14. The model M1 of the imaging unit 2 includes information such as the dimensions of the imaging unit 2, the shape of the imaging unit 2, the viewing angle of the imaging unit 2, the working distance representing the distance from the lens of the imaging unit 2 to the focal position where the focus is achieved, and the type of image sensor of the imaging unit 2. Specifically, the models M1 of the multiple imaging units 2 include a model of a line-type camera and a model of an area-type camera. The model of the line-type camera is a model of the imaging unit 2 that has a line-shaped image sensor and captures the workpiece W in a line shape. In the appearance inspection of the workpiece W by the line-type camera, for example, a scan imaging is performed in which the imaging unit 2 is moved relative to the workpiece W and the workpiece W is continuously captured. The area camera model is a model of the imaging unit 2 that has a two-dimensional image sensor and captures an image of the workpiece W in a two-dimensional predetermined area. In the appearance inspection of the workpiece W using the area camera, for example, intermittent imaging is performed in which the image of the workpiece W is intermittently captured while the imaging unit 2 is moved relative to the workpiece W. Note that Figs. 3 to 8 illustrate a case in which a line camera model is selected and scan imaging is performed. Also, when an area camera model is selected and intermittent imaging is performed, it is possible to display an image relating to the state of reflection of illumination light on the display unit 11 as shown in Figs. 3 to 8.

[0033] The storage unit 14 also stores a model M3 of the robot 4 and a model M4 of the workpiece W. The model M3 of the robot 4 includes information such as the dimensions of the robot 4 and the shape of the robot 4. The model M4 of the workpiece W includes information such as the dimensions of the workpiece W, the shape of the workpiece W, the color of the surface of the workpiece W, and the reflectance of the surface of the workpiece W. In this embodiment, the processing unit 13 acquires the state of reflection of the illumination light by simulation based on the color and reflectance of the surface of the workpiece W. That is, the processing unit 13 acquires the state of reflection of the illumination light by simulation, taking into account the absorption of the illumination light by the color of the surface of the workpiece W. The processing unit 13 may also cause the display unit 11 to display a user interface for changing the color and reflectance of the surface of the workpiece W.

[0034] (Flow of offline teaching using a robot teaching device) With reference to FIG. 9, a flow of offline teaching using the robot teaching device 1 of this embodiment will be described based on a flowchart.

[0035] 9, first, in step S1, a movement path PA of the robot 4 when performing an appearance inspection of the workpiece W is set based on an input operation of the user using the operation unit 12. Then, in step S2, a state of reflection of illumination light is acquired based on an input operation of the user using the operation unit 12. Then, in step S3, a captured image IM is displayed on the display unit 11 based on an input operation of the user using the operation unit 12.

[0036] In step S3, for example, a captured image IM (see FIG. 4) of the workpiece W including the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 when the robot 4 is in a predetermined posture is displayed on the display unit 11. The user judges the validity of the model M1 of the imaging unit 2, the model M2 of the illumination unit 3, and the model M4 of the workpiece W used in the simulation based on the captured image IM as shown in FIG. 4. Specifically, the user compares the high-brightness part HB in the simulated captured image IM as shown in FIG. 4 with the high-brightness part in an actual captured image such as a past captured image, and judges whether the high-brightness part HB in the simulated captured image IM is valid. If the user judges that the high-brightness part HB in the simulated captured image IM is not valid, the user corrects at least one of the model M1 of the imaging unit 2, the model M2 of the illumination unit 3, and the model M4 of the workpiece W so that the high-brightness part HB in the simulated captured image IM becomes valid.

[0037] Also, in step S3, for example, a captured image IM (see FIG. 5) of the workpiece W including the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 when the imaging unit 2 and illumination unit 3 are moved by the robot 4 along the movement path PA is displayed on the display unit 11. Based on the captured image IM as shown in FIG. 5, the user checks the state of the high brightness portion HB in the captured image IM when the robot 4 performs an inspection operation. For example, the user checks how the width of the high brightness portion HB changes in response to the change in the curved surface of the workpiece W.

[0038] Then, in step S4, the inspection area AR is displayed on the display unit 11 so as to be superimposed on the workpiece W based on the input operation of the user using the operation unit 12. In step S4, for example, a plurality of belt-shaped inspection areas AR (see FIG. 7) corresponding to all the movement paths PA are displayed on the display unit 11 so as to be superimposed on the workpiece W. The user checks whether there is a part that is not inspected on the current movement path PA based on the inspection area AR as shown in FIG. 7. In addition, if there is a part that is not inspected on the current movement path PA, the user specifies, for example, a movement path PA close to the part that is not inspected. Then, the belt-shaped inspection area AR (see FIG. 8) corresponding to the specified movement path PA is displayed on the display unit 11 so as to be superimposed on the workpiece W. The user determines how to correct which teaching point P is to be corrected based on the inspection area AR as shown in FIG. 8. Then, based on the input operation of the user using the operation unit 12, the teaching point P is corrected so that there is no part that is not inspected, and the movement path PA is corrected. In addition, one inspection area AR as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the display unit 11 as necessary.

[0039] As described above, offline teaching is performed using the robot teaching device 1. Then, an operation program for the robot 4 including the corrected movement path PA is created by the robot teaching device 1. When actually performing the appearance inspection of the workpiece W, the imaging unit 2, the lighting unit 3, and the robot 4 are operated based on the operation program created by the robot teaching device 1.

[0040] (Effects of this embodiment) In this embodiment, as described above, the robot teaching device 1 is a robot teaching device 1 for an appearance inspection system 100 including an imaging unit 2 that images a workpiece W, an illumination unit 3 that irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece W, and a robot 4 that moves the imaging unit 2 and the illumination unit 3 to perform an appearance inspection of the workpiece W, and includes a display unit 11 and a processing unit 13 that, when teaching the operation of the robot 4 on the display unit 11, obtains the state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece W by simulation and displays an image relating to the obtained state of reflection of the illumination light on the display unit 11.

[0041] Here, when performing the appearance inspection of the workpiece W, the entire range of the image captured by the imaging unit 2 does not contribute to the appearance inspection of the workpiece W, but the high-brightness part HB, which has a large amount of reflection of illumination light and a large brightness, contributes to the appearance inspection of the workpiece W among the images captured by the imaging unit 2. Therefore, by grasping the high-brightness part HB, it is possible to accurately know which part of the workpiece W is being inspected, and it is possible to teach the robot 4 an operation that does not miss or has few inspections of the appearance of the workpiece W. Therefore, as described above, by displaying an image related to the state of reflection of illumination light on the display unit 11, it is possible to easily grasp the high-brightness part HB that actually contributes to the appearance inspection of the workpiece W based on the image related to the state of reflection of illumination light displayed on the display unit 11, and therefore it is possible to easily teach the robot 4 an operation that does not miss or has few inspections of the appearance of the workpiece W.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the processing unit 13 acquires the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 in the captured image IM of the workpiece W captured by the imaging unit 2 as the state of reflection of the illumination light, and displays the acquired captured image IM of the workpiece W including the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 on the display unit 11. This makes it possible to easily grasp the high brightness portion HB in the captured image IM of the workpiece W including the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 displayed on the display unit 11. As a result, it is possible to easily teach the robot 4 the operation with no or few missed inspections of the appearance of the workpiece W.

[0043] In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the processing unit 13 displays on the display unit 11 the captured image IM of the workpiece W, including the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 when the robot 4 is in a predetermined posture. This allows the high-brightness portion HB in the captured image IM when the robot 4 is in a predetermined posture to be grasped by the captured image IM of the workpiece W, including the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 when the robot 4 is in a predetermined posture, displayed on the display unit 11. In addition, by comparing the high-brightness portion HB in the captured image IM when the robot 4 is in a predetermined posture with the high-brightness portion HB in the actual captured image IM, such as a past captured image IM, it is possible to easily check whether the high-brightness portion HB in the simulated captured image IM is problem-free. This allows the validity of the simulation to be confirmed.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the processing unit 13 causes the display unit 11 to display the captured image IM of the workpiece W, including the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 when the imaging unit 2 and illumination unit 3 are moved by the robot 4 along the movement path PA. This makes it possible to grasp the high brightness portion HB in the captured image IM when the inspection operation is performed by the robot 4, from the captured image IM of the workpiece W, including the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 when the imaging unit 2 and illumination unit 3 are moved by the robot 4 along the movement path PA, displayed on the display unit 11.

[0045] In this embodiment, as described above, the processing unit 13 acquires the state of reflection of the illumination unit 3 in the image IM of the workpiece W captured by the imaging unit 2 as the state of reflection of the illumination light, acquires an inspection area AR in which the workpiece W can be inspected based on the acquired state of reflection of the illumination unit 3, and displays the acquired inspection area AR superimposed on the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 11. This allows the inspection area AR in which the workpiece W can be inspected to be displayed superimposed on the workpiece W, making it easy to visually confirm the parts of the workpiece W that can be inspected. As a result, it is easier to teach the robot 4 an operation that does not miss or only misses few parts of the appearance of the workpiece W.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the processing unit 13 acquires a belt-shaped inspection area AR when the imaging unit 2 and the illumination unit 3 are moved by the robot 4 along the movement path PA, and displays the acquired belt-shaped inspection area AR superimposed on the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 11. This allows the belt-shaped inspection area AR that can be inspected when the robot 4 performs an inspection operation to be displayed superimposed on the workpiece W, making it easy to visually confirm the parts of the workpiece W that can be inspected when the robot 4 performs an inspection operation. As a result, it is even easier to teach the robot 4 how to operate the workpiece W without or with few omissions in the appearance of the workpiece W.

[0047] In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the processing unit 13 acquires a plurality of belt-shaped inspection areas AR corresponding to a plurality of movement paths PA, and displays the acquired plurality of belt-shaped inspection areas AR superimposed on the workpiece W displayed on the display unit 11. This allows the plurality of belt-shaped inspection areas AR that can be inspected when the robot 4 performs a plurality of inspection operations to be superimposed on the workpiece W, so that it is possible to visually and easily confirm the portions of the workpiece W that can be inspected when the robot 4 performs a plurality of inspection operations. In addition, it is possible to visually and easily confirm the portions of the workpiece W that are not inspected when the robot 4 performs a plurality of inspection operations. This makes it even easier to teach the robot 4 an operation that has no or few inspection omissions in the appearance of the workpiece W.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the robot teaching device 1 further includes a storage unit 14 that stores models M2 of a plurality of lighting units 3, and the processing unit 13 acquires a state of reflection of illumination light by simulation according to a lighting unit 3 of a selected model from among the models M2 of the plurality of lighting units 3 stored in the storage unit 14. This makes it possible to use different models M2 of the lighting units 3 obtained by simulation according to the type of lighting unit 3 actually used for the appearance inspection of the workpiece W. This makes it possible to flexibly respond to and perform simulations even when the type of lighting unit 3 actually used for the appearance inspection of the workpiece W is different.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the robot teaching device 1 further includes a storage unit 14 that stores models M1 of a plurality of imaging units 2, and the processing unit 13 acquires an image IM of the workpiece W captured by the imaging unit 2 according to an imaging unit 2 of a selected model from among the models M1 of the plurality of imaging units 2 stored in the storage unit 14. This makes it possible to use different models M1 of the imaging unit 2 in the simulation according to the type of imaging unit 2 actually used for the appearance inspection of the workpiece W. This makes it possible to flexibly respond to and perform simulations even when the type of imaging unit 2 actually used for the appearance inspection of the workpiece W is different.

[0050] In the present embodiment, as described above, the model M1 of the multiple imaging units 2 includes a line camera model and an area camera model. This allows for flexible simulation of a line camera or area camera that is often actually used for visual inspection of the workpiece W.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the processing unit 13 obtains the state of reflection of the illumination light by simulation based on the color and reflectance of the surface of the workpiece W. This makes it possible to accurately obtain the state of reflection of the illumination light based on the color and reflectance of the surface of the workpiece W. Furthermore, when the state of reflection of the illumination light is obtained by simulation based on the color of the surface of the workpiece W, the state of reflection of the illumination light can be accurately obtained by taking into account the compatibility between the color of the surface of the workpiece W and the color of the illumination light.

[0052] In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the workpiece W has a curved surface, and the processing unit 13 acquires the movement path PA by the robot 4 along the curved surface of the workpiece W, approximately perpendicular to the curved surface of the workpiece W, and displays the acquired movement path PA on the display unit 11. As a result, the movement path PA by the robot 4 along the curved surface of the workpiece W, which is capable of imaging with high accuracy but difficult to teach by visual inspection, can be displayed on the display unit 11, so that the operation of the robot 4 capable of imaging with high accuracy can be easily taught. In addition, when the workpiece W has a curved surface, the shape of the high-luminance portion HB tends to change significantly when the imaging unit 2 and the illumination unit 3 are moved by the robot 4, so the effect of being able to grasp the high-luminance portion HB is great. Furthermore, when the curved surface of the workpiece W is a curved surface whose curvature changes, the shape of the high-luminance portion HB tends to change even more significantly, so the effect of being able to grasp the high-luminance portion HB is even greater.

[0053] (Modification) It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

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

[0055] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the robot moves the imaging unit and the lighting unit, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the robot may move a workpiece.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the captured image including the reflection of the illumination unit is displayed on the display unit, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the captured image including the reflection of the illumination unit does not have to be displayed on the display unit.

[0057] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example in which the present disclosure is applied to a workpiece having a curved surface has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The present disclosure may be applied to a workpiece having a flat plate shape or the like that does not have a curved surface.

[0058] In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which a movement path is obtained that is approximately perpendicular to the curved surface of the workpiece and follows the curved surface of the workpiece, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, a movement path that is not approximately perpendicular to the curved surface of the workpiece may be obtained. In other words, a movement path that is not perpendicular to the curved surface of the workpiece may be obtained.

[0059] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the storage unit stores models of a plurality of illumination units, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the storage unit may store a model of one illumination unit.

[0060] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the model of the multiple lighting units includes a line lighting model and a pattern lighting model, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the model of the multiple lighting units may include a line lighting model, a pattern lighting model, a ring lighting model, an area lighting model, a bar lighting model, and the like, and is not particularly limited.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the storage unit stores models of a plurality of image capture units, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the storage unit may store a model of one image capture unit.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the model of the multiple imaging units includes a model of a line camera and a model of an area camera, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the model of the multiple imaging units may include only one of the model of a line camera and the model of a pattern camera. In addition, the model of the multiple imaging units may include a model other than the model of the line camera and the model of the pattern camera.

[0063] In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the state of reflection of the illumination light is obtained by simulation based on the color and reflectance of the surface of the workpiece, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the state of reflection of the illumination light may be obtained by simulation based on only one of the color and reflectance of the surface of the workpiece. Also, the state of reflection of the illumination light may be obtained by simulation based on something other than the color and reflectance of the surface of the workpiece.

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

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

[0066] (Item 1) A robot teaching device for a visual inspection system including an imaging unit that images a workpiece, an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece, and a robot that moves the imaging unit and the illumination unit or the workpiece to perform a visual inspection of the workpiece, A display unit; A robot teaching device comprising: a processing unit that, when teaching the robot's operation on the display unit, obtains the state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece by simulation, and displays an image of the obtained state of reflection of the illumination light on the display unit.

[0067] (Item 2) The processing unit acquires a state of reflection of the illumination unit in an image of the workpiece captured by the imaging unit as a state of reflection of the illumination light, and displays the acquired captured image of the workpiece including the state of reflection of the illumination unit on the display unit.

[0068] (Item 3) 3. The robot teaching device according to claim 2, wherein the processing unit causes the display unit to display an image of the workpiece including a state of reflection of the lighting unit when the robot is in a predetermined posture.

[0069] (Item 4) The processing unit causes the display unit to display an image of the workpiece including a state of reflection of the imaging unit and the lighting unit, or the lighting unit when the workpiece is moved by the robot along a movement path. The robot teaching device according to item 2 or 3.

[0070] (Item 5) The processing unit acquires a state of reflection of the illumination light in an image of the work captured by the imaging unit as a state of reflection of the illumination light, acquires an inspection area in which the work can be inspected based on the acquired state of reflection of the illumination unit, and displays the acquired inspection area superimposed on the work displayed on the display unit. The robot teaching device according to any one of items 1 to 4.

[0071] (Item 6) 6. The robot teaching device according to item 5, wherein the processing unit acquires the belt-shaped inspection area when the imaging unit and the lighting unit, or the workpiece is moved by the robot along a movement path, and displays the acquired belt-shaped inspection area superimposed on the workpiece displayed on the display unit.

[0072] (Item 7) 7. The robot teaching device according to item 6, wherein the processing unit acquires a plurality of band-shaped inspection areas corresponding to a plurality of the movement paths, and displays the acquired plurality of band-shaped inspection areas superimposed on the workpiece displayed on the display unit.

[0073] (Item 8) A storage unit that stores a plurality of models of the illumination unit, The robot teaching device according to any one of items 1 to 7, wherein the processing unit obtains a state of reflection of the illumination light by simulation according to the illumination unit of a model selected from among a plurality of models of the illumination unit stored in the storage unit.

[0074] (Item 9) A storage unit that stores a plurality of models of the imaging units, The processing unit acquires an image of the workpiece captured by the imaging unit according to the imaging unit of a selected model from among a plurality of models of the imaging unit stored in the storage unit. The robot teaching device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

[0075] (Item 10) 10. The robot teaching device according to item 9, wherein the models of the multiple imaging units include at least one of a line camera model and an area camera model.

[0076] (Item 11) 11. The robot teaching device according to any one of items 1 to 10, wherein the processing unit acquires the state of reflection of the illumination light by simulation based on at least one of a color and a reflectance of the surface of the workpiece.

[0077] (Item 12) The workpiece has a curved surface, The processing unit acquires a movement path of the robot along the curved surface of the workpiece, approximately perpendicular to the curved surface of the workpiece, and displays the acquired movement path on the display unit.

[0078] (Item 13) An imaging unit that images a workpiece; An illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece; the imaging unit and the lighting unit, or a robot that moves the workpiece to perform an appearance inspection of the workpiece; A robot teaching device, The robot teaching device includes: A display unit; a processing unit that, when teaching an operation of the robot on the display unit, acquires a state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece by simulation and displays an image relating to the acquired state of reflection of the illumination light on the display unit; A visual inspection system including:

[0079] (Item 14) A robot teaching method for a visual inspection system including an imaging unit that images a workpiece, an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece, and a robot that moves the imaging unit and the illumination unit or the workpiece to perform a visual inspection of the workpiece, comprising: When teaching the robot to move on a display unit, acquiring a state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece by simulation; and displaying on the display unit an image relating to the acquired state of reflection of the illumination light. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1 Robot teaching device 2. Imaging unit 3. Lighting Section 4. Robot 11 Display section 13 Processing section 14 Storage section 100 Visual Inspection System AR inspection area (image regarding the state of reflection of illumination light) IM Captured image (image regarding the state of reflection of illumination light) PA Travel Route M1 imaging unit model M2 lighting model W work

Claims

1. A robot teaching device for a visual inspection system including an imaging unit that images a workpiece, an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece, and a robot that moves the imaging unit and the illumination unit or the workpiece to perform a visual inspection of the workpiece, A display unit; a processing unit that, when teaching the robot to move on the display unit, acquires a state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece by simulation and displays an image relating to the acquired state of reflection of the illumination light on the display unit; The processing unit acquires a state of reflection of the illumination light in an image of the work captured by the imaging unit as a state of reflection of the illumination light, acquires an inspection area in which the work can be inspected based on the acquired state of reflection of the illumination unit, and displays the acquired inspection area superimposed on the work displayed on the display unit. The processing unit acquires a movement path defined by teaching the robot an operation, After acquiring the movement path, the processing unit causes the display unit to display an image of the workpiece captured by a simulation including the state of reflection of the imaging unit and the lighting unit, or the lighting unit when the robot moves the workpiece along the acquired movement path. This is a robot teaching device.

2. The robot teaching device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a display unit that displays an acquired captured image of the workpiece by a simulation including a state of reflection of the illumination unit.

3. The robot teaching device according to claim 2 , wherein the processing unit causes the display unit to display a captured image of the workpiece obtained by a simulation including a state of reflection of the illumination unit when the robot is in a predetermined posture.

4. The robot teaching device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit acquires the belt-shaped inspection area when the imaging unit and the lighting unit, or the workpiece is moved by the robot along the movement path, and displays the acquired belt-shaped inspection area superimposed on the workpiece displayed on the display unit.

5. The robot teaching device according to claim 4 , wherein the processing unit acquires a plurality of band-shaped inspection areas corresponding to a plurality of the movement paths, and displays the acquired plurality of band-shaped inspection areas superimposed on the workpiece displayed on the display unit.

6. A storage unit that stores a plurality of models of the illumination unit, The robot teaching device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit obtains, by simulation, a state of reflection of the illumination light according to the illumination unit of a model selected from among a plurality of models of the illumination unit stored in the storage unit.

7. A storage unit that stores a plurality of models of the imaging units, The robot teaching device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit acquires an image of the workpiece captured by the imaging unit in accordance with the imaging unit of a selected model from among a plurality of models of the imaging unit stored in the storage unit.

8. The robot teaching device according to claim 7 , wherein the models of the plurality of imaging units include at least one of a line camera model and an area camera model.

9. The robot teaching device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit obtains the state of reflection of the illumination light by a simulation based on at least one of a color and a reflectance of the surface of the workpiece.

10. The workpiece has a curved surface, The robot teaching device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit acquires the movement path of the robot along the curved surface of the workpiece, approximately perpendicular to the curved surface of the workpiece, and causes the display unit to display the acquired movement path.

11. An imaging unit that images a workpiece; An illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece; the imaging unit and the lighting unit, or a robot that moves the workpiece to perform an appearance inspection of the workpiece; A robot teaching device, The robot teaching device includes: A display unit; a processing unit that, when teaching an operation of the robot on the display unit, acquires a state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece by simulation and displays an image relating to the acquired state of reflection of the illumination light on the display unit; Including, The processing unit acquires a state of reflection of the illumination light in an image of the work captured by the imaging unit as a state of reflection of the illumination light, acquires an inspection area in which the work can be inspected based on the acquired state of reflection of the illumination unit, and displays the acquired inspection area superimposed on the work displayed on the display unit. The processing unit acquires a movement path defined by teaching the robot an operation, The processing unit, after acquiring the movement path, displays on the display unit an image of the workpiece simulated by a simulation including the state of reflection of the imaging unit and the lighting unit, or the lighting unit when the robot moves the workpiece along the acquired movement path.

12. A robot teaching method for a visual inspection system including an imaging unit that images a workpiece, an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece, and a robot that moves the imaging unit and the illumination unit or the workpiece to perform a visual inspection of the workpiece, comprising: When teaching the operation of the robot on a display unit, acquiring a state of reflection of the illumination unit in an image of the workpiece captured by the imaging unit by a simulation as a state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece; displaying an image relating to the state of reflection of the illumination light obtained on the display unit; Based on the acquired state of reflection of the illumination unit, an inspection area in which the workpiece can be inspected is acquired, and the acquired inspection area is displayed on the display unit so as to be superimposed on the workpiece. Obtaining a movement path defined by teaching the robot an operation; After acquiring the movement path, a captured image of the workpiece is displayed on the display unit by a simulation including a state in which the imaging unit and the lighting unit, or the lighting unit is reflected when the robot moves the workpiece along the acquired movement path.

13. A program for causing a computer to execute a robot teaching method for a visual inspection system including an imaging unit that images a workpiece, an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto the workpiece, and a robot that moves the imaging unit and the illumination unit, or the workpiece to perform a visual inspection of the workpiece, The robot teaching method includes: When teaching the operation of the robot on a display unit, acquiring a state of reflection of the illumination unit in an image of the workpiece captured by the imaging unit by a simulation as a state of reflection of the illumination light on the workpiece; displaying an image relating to the state of reflection of the illumination light obtained on the display unit; Based on the acquired state of reflection of the illumination unit, an inspection area in which the workpiece can be inspected is acquired, and the acquired inspection area is displayed on the display unit so as to be superimposed on the workpiece. Obtaining a movement path defined by teaching the robot an operation; After acquiring the movement path, a program is provided for displaying on the display unit an image of the workpiece obtained by a simulation including a state in which the imaging unit and the lighting unit, or the lighting unit is reflected when the robot moves the workpiece along the acquired movement path.

Images