Waste Treatment System

Abstract

To provide a waste disposal system that can perform processing for sorting wastes efficiently by adsorbing a plurality of wastes at one time, in one-time sorting motion of a robot arm.SOLUTION: A waste disposal system 100 comprises: a conveying part 10 that conveys a plurality of kinds of wastes; photographing parts 40 that photograph the wastes; robots 20 that sort the wastes; and a system control part 30 that controls motion of sorting the wastes by the robots 20. An adsorption hand 80 for a robot of the robot 20 has a first adsorption part 81 that adsorbs the wastes, and a plurality of second adsorption parts 82 arranged around the first adsorption part 81. The system control part 30, when respective adsorption points of the obtained plurality of wastes are below a predetermined position, performs control by which a center of the first adsorption part 81 of the adsorption hand 80 for the robot is descended to intermediate positions of the respective adsorption points of the plurality of wastes so that the plurality of wastes are adsorbed at the same time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a waste treatment system, and more particularly to a waste treatment system (waste sorting robot system) provided with a robot suction hand (robot end effector) that sucks up waste. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a suction hand for a robot that picks up an object to be picked up has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a vacuum suction device (a suction hand for a robot) that suctions an object to be sucked. The vacuum suction device of Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of suction pads arranged closely to each other, and is configured to control the vacuum generated in each of the plurality of suction pads to suck only the object to be sucked, and not to suck unnecessary objects at the same time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-318369 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the vacuum suction device (robot suction hand) of the above Patent Document 1, although it is possible to control the vacuum generated in each of the multiple suction pads to suction only the object to be suctioned and to prevent unnecessary objects from being simultaneously suctioned, since the workpiece is limited to a flat plate-like object, it is difficult to simultaneously suction multiple workpieces of different heights and shapes. In addition, there is no description of the vacuum control of each suction pad when suctioning multiple objects to be suctioned, and it is considered to be inconvenient that it is difficult to simultaneously suction and transport multiple objects to be suctioned. For this reason, when sorting objects to be suctioned, it is necessary to perform many suction and transport operations, which is a problem in that it is difficult to perform the sorting work efficiently.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the problems described above, and one object of the present invention is to provide a waste treatment system that can efficiently sort and treat waste by simultaneously adsorbing multiple pieces of waste in a single sorting operation of a robot arm. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a waste treatment system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a transport unit which transports multiple types of waste, an imaging unit which images the waste transported by the transport unit, a robot which sorts the waste transported by the transport unit, and a control unit which controls the waste sorting operation of the robot, wherein the robot includes a robot arm and a robot suction hand connected to the tip of the robot arm, and the robot suction hand has a first suction part which adsorbs the waste, and a plurality of second suction parts which are arranged around the first suction part in a planar view and adsorb the waste, and the control unit is configured to acquire the suction points of each of the multiple waste items based on an image captured by the imaging unit, and when the acquired suction points of each of the multiple waste items are within a predetermined distance, to control the center of the first suction part of the robot suction hand to be lowered to an intermediate position between the suction points of each of the multiple waste items, thereby simultaneously adsorbing the multiple waste items. The first and second adsorption units are configured to generate negative pressure independently of each other, and the control unit is configured to perform control to generate negative pressure in both the first and second adsorption units when multiple wastes of the same type are adsorbed simultaneously, and to perform control to generate negative pressure only in the first adsorption unit when one waste is adsorbed. .

[0008] In the waste disposal system according to one aspect of the present invention, when the suction points of the acquired wastes are within a predetermined distance, the center of the first suction part of the robot suction hand is lowered to the intermediate position between the suction points of the wastes, and the wastes are simultaneously suctioned. In this way, the wastes can be efficiently sorted and disposed by suctioning the wastes at once in one sorting operation of the robot arm. In addition, unlike the case where the robot suction hand is lowered to match the suction point of one of the wastes, the center of the first suction part surrounded by the second suction parts is lowered to the intermediate position between the suction points of the wastes, so that each of the wastes can be reliably suctioned. In addition, by simultaneously suctioning the wastes, it is not necessary to employ a robot with a high sorting speed that requires a safety fence, and it is possible to employ a robot with a relatively slow sorting speed that can work in collaboration with humans. In addition, since it is not necessary to increase the number of robots, the number of robots to be arranged for sorting can be minimized.

[0009] In the waste disposal system according to the above aspect, the control unit is preferably configured to control the robot suction hand to lower the center of the first suction unit to a midpoint between the suction points of the waste materials of the same type when the suction points of the waste materials of the same type are within a predetermined distance, thereby simultaneously suctioning the waste materials of the same type. With this configuration, the waste materials of the same type can be simultaneously sucked up and transported to the same sorting destination, making it possible to more efficiently sort the waste materials.

[0010] In the waste treatment system according to the above aspect, The first adsorption unit and the second adsorption unit are configured to generate negative pressure independently of each other, and the control unit is configured to control the generation of negative pressure in both the first adsorption unit and the second adsorption unit when multiple waste materials of the same type are adsorbed simultaneously, and to control the generation of negative pressure in only the first adsorption unit when one waste material is adsorbed. ThisThe multiple waste materials can be stably adsorbed by the first adsorption unit and the multiple second adsorption units arranged around the first adsorption unit. In addition, when one waste material is adsorbed, negative pressure is not generated in the second adsorption units arranged around the first adsorption unit, so that it is possible to effectively prevent different types of waste materials from being adsorbed at the same time.

[0011] In the above-mentioned configuration in which the first suction unit and the second suction unit generate negative pressure independently of each other, the control unit is preferably configured to control the robot suction hand to lower the center of the first suction unit to the position of the suction point of one waste to be sorted when the suction points of the multiple wastes of different types are within a predetermined distance, and to cause the first suction unit to suction the one waste. With this configuration, the first suction unit, which is surrounded by the multiple second suction units and located in the center, can reliably suction only the waste to be sorted.

[0012] In the waste disposal system according to the above aspect, the control unit is preferably configured to control the robot suction hand to lower the center of the first suction unit to the midpoint of the suction points of the two wastes when the suction points of the two wastes obtained are within a predetermined distance, and to control the robot suction hand to lower the center of the first suction unit to the center of gravity of the suction points of the three wastes when the suction points of the three wastes obtained are within a predetermined distance, so that the three wastes can be suctioned simultaneously. With this configuration, when two wastes are suctioned simultaneously, the first suction unit arranged in the center surrounded by the multiple second suction units is lowered to the midpoint of the suction points of the two wastes, so that the two wastes can be suctioned more reliably. Furthermore, when three wastes are suctioned simultaneously, the first suction unit arranged in the center surrounded by the multiple second suction units is lowered to the center of gravity of the suction points of the three wastes, so that the three wastes can be suctioned more reliably.

[0013] In the waste treatment system according to the above aspect, the second adsorption units are preferably arranged so as to circumferentially surround the first adsorption unit. With this configuration, the second adsorption units can be arranged to surround the first adsorption unit in a balanced manner, so that the first adsorption unit and the second adsorption unit can adsorb the multiple waste materials in a balanced manner.

[0014] In this case, preferably, a plurality of first adsorption units are provided, and a plurality of second adsorption units are arranged to circumferentially surround the plurality of first adsorption units. With this configuration, by providing a plurality of first adsorption units arranged in the center surrounded by a plurality of second adsorption units, waste can be stably adsorbed by the first adsorption units alone. In addition, since the plurality of first adsorption units and the plurality of second adsorption units can be arranged in a balanced manner, the plurality of wastes can be adsorbed in a more balanced manner by the plurality of first adsorption units and the plurality of second adsorption units.

[0015] In the waste treatment system according to the above aspect, the first suction unit and the plurality of second suction units are preferably configured to be movable vertically independently of each other. With this configuration, the first suction unit and the plurality of second suction units can be moved vertically independently of each other so as to abut against the upper surfaces of the plurality of wastes having different heights, so that the plurality of wastes having different heights can be easily adsorbed simultaneously.

[0016] In the waste treatment system according to the above aspect, the waste preferably includes bottles of a plurality of colors, and the control unit is configured to distinguish the colors of the bottles and control the robot to sort the bottles as waste according to their colors. With this configuration, the bottles as waste of a plurality of colors can be sorted by the robot. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, as described above, a plurality of waste objects can be picked up at once in one sorting operation of the robot arm, thereby enabling efficient sorting and processing of the waste objects. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a waste treatment facility provided with a waste treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a waste treatment system provided with a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of a waste treatment system provided with a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a perspective view showing a suction hand for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 1 is a side view showing a suction hand for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the suction hand for a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a process for acquiring adsorption points of waste in the waste treatment system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the waste treatment system according to one embodiment of the present invention when one type of waste is adsorbed. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of adsorption of two waste materials in the waste treatment system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of adsorption of three waste materials in the waste treatment system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 4 is a flow chart for explaining waste adsorption processing by a system control unit of the waste treatment system according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] The configuration of a waste treatment system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 12.

[0021] (Overall configuration of waste treatment facility) As shown in Fig. 1, a waste treatment system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided in a waste treatment facility 200. The waste treatment facility 200 is configured to sort and process collected waste. Specifically, in the waste treatment facility 200, bottles as waste are sorted, and each of the sorted bottles is processed. The waste treatment facility 200 includes an unsuitable material removal section 210, a container inverting device 220, a container transport section 230a, a bottle transport section 230b, and a container cleaning section 240.

[0022] In the unsuitable object removal section 210, waste other than bottles (unsuitable objects (for example, plastic waste such as PET bottles, metal waste, etc.)) is removed by an operator W from the waste contained in the container 201. Note that the unsuitable objects do not have to be completely removed in the unsuitable object removal section 210. In other words, the unsuitable object removal section 210 removes noticeable waste other than bottles. The container 201 from which the unsuitable objects have been removed is transported to the container inversion device 220 by the container transport section 230a.

[0023] The container inverting device 220 inverts the container 201 and transfers the waste (bottles) contained in the container 201 onto the bottle transport section 230b. The container 201 inverted by the container inverting device 220 is transported again by the container transport section 230a and moved to the container cleaning section 240. The container cleaning section 240 is configured to clean the container 201.

[0024] The bottle transport unit 230b is configured to transport waste (bottles) toward the waste treatment system 100. The bottle transport unit 230b transports the waste (bottles) from a lower floor where the waste (bottles) (containers 201) is brought in to an upper floor where the sorting work of the waste treatment system 100 is carried out.

[0025] (Configuration of waste treatment system) In the waste disposal system 100, bottles B (see FIG. 2) as waste are sorted by glass color for disposal. That is, the waste includes bottles of a plurality of colors. The waste also includes bottles B of different shapes. The waste also includes bottles B of different sizes. In the waste disposal system 100, the bottles B are sorted by color regardless of their size and shape. For example, in the waste disposal system 100, the bottles B are sorted into storage sections 50 (see FIG. 1) by color, such as brown, colorless, and other colors (green, blue, etc.). In the waste disposal system 100, the bottles B may be sorted by color, such as brown, colorless, green, and other colors. The storage section 50 includes a cullet storage section 51 in which cullet (glass scraps) of other colors are sorted, a cullet storage section 52 in which brown cullet is sorted, a cullet storage section 53 in which colorless cullet is sorted, and a residue storage section 54 in which residue that has not been sorted due to cracks or the like is stored. The storage unit 50 (cullet storage units 51, 52, 53 and residue storage unit 54) is located on a lower floor relative to the upper floor where the sorting work is carried out. In other words, the sorted waste (bottles) are dropped to the lower floor and stored in the storage unit 50 (cullet storage units 51, 52, 53 or residue storage unit 54).

[0026] The waste disposal system 100 is configured so that a worker W and a robot 20 work together to sort waste (bottles). As shown in FIG. 1, the waste disposal system 100 includes a transport unit 10 and a robot 20. The transport unit 10 is configured to transport multiple types of waste (bottles). The transport unit 10 is made up of a conveyor. The robot 20 sorts the waste transported by the transport unit 10 and is configured to be able to work together with the worker W.

[0027] 2, the waste treatment system 100 includes a system control unit 30, an imaging unit 40, a plurality of chutes 50a, chutes 50b and 50c, a sensor 60, and a partition unit 70. The system control unit 30 is an example of the "control unit" in the claims.

[0028] 2, the robot 20 includes a plurality of (two) robot arms 22 and 23. The robot 20 also includes a robot control unit 21.

[0029] The robot control unit 21 is configured to control the operations of the robot arms 22 and 23. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the robot control unit 21 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21a and a non-volatile memory 21b. The robot control unit 21 is configured to control the operations of the robot arms 22 and 23 by executing a program stored in the memory 21b by the CPU 21a.

[0030] The robot control unit 21 is also configured to control the operation of the robot arms 22 and 23 that sort the waste bottles B according to color, based on a sorting command including position information transmitted from the system control unit 30. That is, the robot control unit 21 is configured to control the robot arms 22 and 23 to move to positions for holding the bottles B, based on a sorting command transmitted from the system control unit 30. The robot control unit 21 is also configured to control the operation of the robot arm 22 by controlling the drive of the arm drive unit 22a. The robot control unit 21 is also configured to control the operation of the robot arm 23 by controlling the drive of the arm drive unit 23a. The arm drive units 22a and 23a each include a motor and an encoder for detecting the drive amount (rotation angle) of the motor. The arm drive units 22a (23a) including the motor and the encoder are provided for each of the multiple joints of the robot arm 22 (23).

[0031] As shown in FIG. 4, the robot arm 22 has a link 221, a link 222, and a vertical movement unit 223. The robot suction hand 80a is attached to the vertical movement unit 223. The robot arm 22 is configured such that the link 221 rotates about the rotation axis A1 relative to the base 20a. The robot arm 22 is also configured such that the link 222 rotates about the rotation axis A2 relative to the link 221. This allows the robot arm 22 to move the robot suction hand 80a to a desired horizontal position by rotating each link about the rotation axes A1 and A2. The robot arm 22 is configured such that the vertical movement unit 223 moves up and down in the A3 direction relative to the link 222. This allows the robot arm 22 to move the robot suction hand 80a to a desired height position (vertical position).

[0032] The robot arm 23 has a link 231, a link 232, and a vertical movement unit 233. The robot suction hand 80b is attached to the vertical movement unit 233. The robot arm 23 is configured such that the link 231 rotates about the rotation axis A1 relative to the base 20a. The robot arm 23 is also configured such that the link 232 rotates about the rotation axis A4 relative to the link 231. This allows the robot arm 23 to move the robot suction hand 80b to a desired horizontal position by rotating each link about the rotation axes A1 and A4. The robot arm 23 is configured such that the vertical movement unit 233 moves up and down in the A5 direction relative to the link 232. This allows the robot arm 23 to move the robot suction hand 80b to a desired height position (vertical position).

[0033] Moreover, the robot arms 22 and 23 are configured to be driven so as not to interfere with each other.

[0034] The system control unit 30 is configured to use machine learning to identify the waste based on the image of the waste captured by the imaging unit 40, and to cause the robot 20 to sort the waste. Specifically, the system control unit 30 is configured to use machine learning to identify the color of the bottle B, and to cause the robot 20 to sort the bottles as waste according to their color.

[0035] 3, the system control unit 30 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 31 and a non-volatile memory 32. The system control unit 30 is configured to execute a program stored in the memory 32 by the CPU 31 to perform processing.

[0036] The system control unit 30 uses machine learning to identify the waste and specify the location of the identified waste based on the image of the waste captured by the imaging unit 40. The system control unit 30 also transmits a sorting command including location information of the identified waste to the robot control unit 21.

[0037] The system control unit 30 controls the imaging process by the imaging unit 40. The system control unit 30 causes the imaging unit 40 to capture images of the waste on the transport unit 10 at predetermined time intervals. The system control unit 30 also acquires images of the waste captured by the imaging unit 40.

[0038] The system control unit 30 acquires the conveying speed of the conveying unit 10 based on a signal from an encoder installed on the conveyor shaft of the conveying unit 10. The system control unit 30 also controls the movement of the robot arms 22 and 23 in the flow direction of the conveying unit 10 so as to synchronize with the conveying speed of the conveying unit 10. The system control unit 30 may control the conveying speed of the waste by the conveying unit 10 to a predetermined speed. The system control unit 30 also calculates position information (coordinate information) of the waste to be picked up by the robot arms 22 or 23 and information on the timing of holding (time information) based on the conveying speed of the conveying unit 10 and position information of the waste based on an image captured by the imaging unit 40, and transmits the calculated information to the robot control unit 21 as a sorting command.

[0039] The machine learning for identifying waste is performed in advance based on images of multiple types of bottles B and instruction information in which a person instructs the color of the bottles B based on the images. This machine learning may be performed in advance by the system control unit 30, or may be performed by another control unit (computer), and the results of the machine learning may be reflected in the system control unit 30.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the imaging unit 40 is configured to capture an image of the waste transported by the transport unit 10. The imaging unit 40 is provided above the transport unit 10. The imaging unit 40 is also provided upstream of the robot 20 in the transport direction of the transport unit 10. The imaging unit 40 is configured to capture an image of an imaging range 40a in one image capture. The imaging unit 40 is configured to transmit the captured image to the system control unit 30. The imaging unit 40 is configured to capture images at time intervals depending on the transport speed of the transport unit 10.

[0041] The chute 50a is configured so that waste (bottles) sorted by the worker W can be thrown into it. The chute 50a is connected to a corresponding storage unit 50 (cullet storage unit 51, 52, or 53) and is configured so as to guide the thrown waste into the corresponding storage unit 50. The chute 50a is provided on the opposite side of the conveying unit 10 from the working position (standing position) of the worker W.

[0042] The chutes 50b and 50c are configured to receive waste (bottles) sorted by the robot 20. The chutes 50b and 50c are connected to the corresponding storage units 50 (cullet storage units 51, 52, or 53), respectively, and are configured to guide the waste to the corresponding storage units 50. The chutes 50b and 50c are provided on the sides of the robot 20. The chute 50b is provided on the robot arm 22 side of the robot 20. The chute 50c is provided on the robot arm 23 side of the robot 20. The multiple robot arms 22 and 23 of the robot 20 are configured to sort waste to the different chutes 50b and 50c. Specifically, the robot arm 22 is configured to sort waste to the chute 50b. The robot arm 23 is configured to sort waste to the chute 50c.

[0043] 2, the sensor 60 is provided near the boundary of the motion range of the robot 20. The sensor 60 is configured to detect the intrusion of a worker W into the motion range of the robot 20.

[0044] The partition unit 70 is provided near a boundary of a part of the operating range of the robot 20. The partition unit 70 divides the space so that the worker W does not enter the operating range of the robot 20. The partition unit 70 is arranged to extend along the horizontal direction and the up-down direction intersecting with the conveying direction of the conveying unit 10. The partition unit 70 is arranged at a position spaced above the conveying unit 10. This allows waste to pass between the conveying unit 10 and the partition unit 70. In addition, the partition unit 70 is formed of a transparent member. This allows the worker W to visually check the waste being conveyed by the conveying unit 10. For example, the partition unit 70 includes a transparent acrylic plate.

[0045] (Structure of robot suction hand) The robot suction hand 80a connected to the tip of the robot arm 22 and the robot suction hand 80b connected to the tip of the robot arm 23 have the same configuration. In the following, the robot suction hands 80a and 80b will be collectively referred to as the robot suction hand 80.

[0046] The robot suction hands 80 (80a, 80b) are configured to suction and hold waste materials (bottles). The robot suction hands 80 are configured to suction the waste materials (bottles) by negative pressure generated at the lower tip. Negative pressure is generated in the robot suction hands 80 by negative pressure generators 24a and 24b (see Figures 3 and 6) provided on each of the robot suction hands.

[0047] As shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the robot suction hand 80 includes a first suction portion 81 that suctions waste material, and a plurality of second suction portions 82 that are arranged around the first suction portion 81 in a plan view and suction the waste material. A plurality of first suction portions 81 are provided. As shown in Fig. 6, the robot suction hand 80 includes a support portion 83 that supports the plurality of first suction portions 81. The robot suction hand 80 includes a pillar portion 84a that extends upward from the support portion 83. The robot suction hand 80 includes a plurality of pillar portions 84b that support the plurality of second suction portions 82 and extend upward. The robot suction hand 80 includes a connection portion 85a that is connected to the robot 20, a support portion 85b that is connected to the connection portion 85a, a base portion 85d that is connected below the support portion 85b, and a spring 85c that urges the base portion 85d downward relative to the connection portion 85a. The base portion 85d is configured to support the pillar portion 84a and the plurality of pillar portions 84b so as to be movable in the up and down direction.

[0048] The first suction portion 81 and the second suction portion 82 are configured to suction bottles B as waste. The first suction portion 81 and the second suction portion 82 are provided below the base portion 85d. As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality (three) of the first suction portions 81 are provided substantially in the center of the base portion 85d. A plurality of the second suction portions 82 are provided so as to circumferentially surround the first suction portion 81. Specifically, six of the second suction portions 82 are provided so as to surround the plurality of first suction portions 81. The second suction portions 82 are also arranged circumferentially at substantially equal angular intervals (approximately 60 degree intervals).

[0049] 6, the first suction portions 81 are provided at their lower ends with expandable bellows portions 86a. The bellows portions 86a are made of an elastically deformable material such as rubber. A flow path 861a for transmitting negative pressure is provided inside the bellows portions 86a.

[0050] The second suction parts 82 each have an expandable bellows part 86b at the lower end thereof. The bellows part 86b is made of an elastically deformable material such as rubber. A flow path 861b for transmitting negative pressure is provided inside the bellows part 86b.

[0051] Further, each of the first suction parts 81 and the second suction parts 82 is provided with a plurality of negative pressure regulating valves 87 for regulating the transmission of negative pressure. The negative pressure regulating valve 87 is, for example, a check valve or a throttle valve. The negative pressure regulating valve 87 is provided to suppress leakage of negative pressure even when the tip of the bellows part 86a (86b) is not in contact with the waste when negative pressure is supplied by the negative pressure generator 24a (25b). The negative pressure regulating valve 87 is formed so that the flow path 87a is narrowed to cause a pressure loss.

[0052] The first suction portion 81 and the second suction portion 82 are configured to expand and contract in the vertical direction. Specifically, a bellows portion 86a provided at the tip of the first suction portion 81 and a bellows portion 86b provided at the tip of the second suction portion 82 are each configured to expand and contract in the vertical direction.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 7, a diameter D1 of the first suction portion 81 is smaller than a diameter D2 of the second suction portion 82 in a plan view (when viewed in the up-down direction).

[0054] Moreover, the first suction portion 81 and the second suction portions 82 are configured to be movable in the vertical direction independently of each other. Specifically, the first suction portions 81 are connected to a pillar portion 84a via a support portion 83, and the pillar portion 84a is configured to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the base portion 85d. Moreover, the second suction portions 82 are each connected to a pillar portion 84b. Each of the pillar portions 84b is configured to be movable in the vertical direction independently of each other relative to the base portion 85d.

[0055] The first and second adsorption portions 81 and 82 are configured to generate negative pressure independently of each other. Specifically, the first adsorption portions 81 generate negative pressure by the negative pressure generator 24a. The second adsorption portions 82 generate negative pressure by the negative pressure generator 24b.

[0056] 6, the support portion 83 is provided above the multiple first suction portions 81. The support portion 83 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The upper portion of the support portion 83 is connected to a pillar portion 84a. An internal space 83a that transmits negative pressure is provided inside the support portion 83.

[0057] That is, the flow path that transmits the negative pressure to each of the multiple first adsorption portions 81 is connected to the internal space 83a of the support portion 83. Moreover, the internal space 83a is connected to a flow path 842a provided inside the column portion 84a. That is, the negative pressure supplied from the flow path 842a is distributed and transmitted to the multiple first adsorption portions 81 by the internal space 83a.

[0058] The pillar portion 84a is configured to be movable up and down relative to the base portion 85d. A flow path 842a provided inside the pillar portion 84a is connected to the negative pressure generator 24a via a tube 241a.

[0059] The spring 841a is configured to bias the support portion 83 (the plurality of first suction portions 81) downward relative to the base portion 85d.

[0060] The pillar portions 84b are provided above the respective second adsorption portions 82. Furthermore, a flow path 842b for transmitting negative pressure is provided inside the pillar portions 84b.

[0061] The pillar portion 84b is configured to be movable up and down relative to the base portion 85d. A flow path 842b provided inside the pillar portion 84b is connected to the negative pressure generator 24b via a tube 241b. The tubes 241b connected to each of the multiple second adsorption portions 82 are connected to each other by a junction portion 242b and connected to the common negative pressure generator 24b.

[0062] The spring 841b is configured to urge the pillar portion 84b (the second suction portion 82) downward relative to the base portion 85d.

[0063] (Waste adsorption point acquisition processing) The process of acquiring the adsorption points of the waste (bottles) by the system control unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 8, the system control unit 30 is configured to obtain a heat map based on an image of the waste captured by the imaging unit 40. Specifically, the system control unit 30 obtains an image captured by the imaging unit 40 as shown in FIG. 8(A). Then, the system control unit 30 creates heat maps H1-H4 for the waste by inference using artificial intelligence as shown in FIG. 8(B). The heat maps H1-H4 are created so that values ​​are large for a portion inferred to be the center of the waste. The system control unit 30 is also configured to obtain adsorption points P1-P4 for the waste based on the obtained heat maps H1-H4. Specifically, the system control unit 30 sets the locations where the values ​​of the heat maps H1-H4 are large as adsorption points P1-P4 for the waste, respectively, as shown in FIG. 8(C). The values ​​of the heat map are processed by a threshold value. The system control unit 30 is also configured to cause the robot 20 to sort the waste based on the obtained adsorption points P1-P4. That is, the system control unit 30 transmits to the robot control unit 21 position information of the waste material based on the adsorption points P1 to P4.

[0065] (Waste adsorption treatment) Next, the waste (bottle) suction control process performed by the system control unit 30 will be described.

[0066] Here, in this embodiment, the system control unit 30 is configured to acquire the suction points of each of the multiple wastes (bottles) based on the image captured by the imaging unit 40, and when the suction points of each of the acquired multiple wastes are within a predetermined distance, the system control unit 30 controls the robot suction hand 80 to lower the center of the suction points of each of the multiple wastes to simultaneously suction the multiple wastes. In this case, the center of the first suction unit 81 is the center position of the three first suction units 81 in a plan view. That is, the center of the first suction unit 81 is the center position of the cylindrical support unit 83 that supports the three first suction units 81. In addition, the middle position of the suction points of each of the multiple wastes does not have to be the midpoint, but is a position between the suction points of each of the multiple wastes. In addition, the predetermined distance is set based on the size of the robot suction hand 80. For example, the predetermined distance is smaller than the center distance between two second suction units 82 that are located apart from each other among the multiple second suction units 82.

[0067] In addition, the system control unit 30 is configured to control the simultaneous adsorption of multiple waste materials of the same type by lowering the center of the first suction portion 81 of the robot suction hand 80 to the midpoint between the suction points of multiple waste materials of the same type when the suction points of multiple waste materials of the same type are within a predetermined distance.

[0068] Furthermore, the system control unit 30 is configured to perform control to generate negative pressure in both the first suction unit 81 and the second suction unit 82 when multiple wastes (bottles) of the same type are adsorbed simultaneously, and to perform control to generate negative pressure only in the first suction unit 81 when the adsorption points of multiple wastes of different types are within a predetermined distance. In other words, when multiple wastes are adsorbed simultaneously, the multiple wastes are adsorbed by the first suction unit 81 and the second suction unit 82. Furthermore, when the adsorption points of multiple wastes of different types are within a predetermined distance, the wastes are adsorbed only by the first suction unit 81.

[0069] In addition, the system control unit 30 is configured to control the adsorption of the single waste piece by lowering the center of the first suction portion 81 of the robot suction hand 80 to the position of the suction point of the single waste piece to be sorted when the suction points of each of multiple different types of waste pieces (bins) are within a predetermined distance.

[0070] The system control unit 30 is also configured to control the robot suction hand 80 to lower the center of the first suction unit 81 to the midpoint position of the suction points of the two waste materials when the suction points of the two acquired waste materials (bottles) are within a predetermined distance, thereby simultaneously suctioning the two waste materials. The system control unit 30 is also configured to control the robot suction hand 80 to lower the center of the first suction unit 81 to the center of gravity position of the suction points of the three waste materials when the suction points of the three acquired waste materials are within a predetermined distance, thereby simultaneously suctioning the three waste materials.

[0071] For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a case will be described in which the bins B1, B2, and B3 on the conveying unit 10 are of the same type (color) as the bins B1 and B2, and the bin B3 is of a different type (color) from the bins B1 and B2. The suction point P6 of the bin B2 is located at a distance L1, which is smaller than a predetermined distance, from the suction point P5 of the bin B1 to be picked up. Also, the suction point P7 of the bin B3 is located at a distance L2, which is smaller than a predetermined distance, from the suction point P5 of the bin B1 to be picked up. In this case, the system control unit 30 controls the suction so that only the bin B1 to be picked up is picked up. That is, the system control unit 30 generates negative pressure only in the first suction unit 81, and lowers the center of the first suction unit 81 to the position (position PA) of the suction point P5 of the bin B1.

[0072] 10, a case will be described in which two bins B4 and B5 on the conveying unit 10 are bins of the same type (color). The suction point P9 of the bin B5 is located at a distance L3, which is smaller than a predetermined distance, from the suction point P8 of the bin B4 to be picked up. In this case, the system control unit 30 controls the suction so that the bins B4 and B5 to be picked up are simultaneously picked up. That is, the system control unit 30 generates negative pressure in both the first suction unit 81 and the second suction unit 82, and lowers the center of the first suction unit 81 to a position PB that is the midpoint between the suction point P8 of the bin B4 and the suction point P9 of the bin B5.

[0073] 11, a case will be described in which three bins B6, B7, and B8 on the conveying unit 10 are bins of the same type (color). The suction point P11 of the bin B7 is located at a distance L4, which is smaller than a predetermined distance, from the suction point P10 of the bin B6 to be picked up. The suction point P12 of the bin B8 is located at a distance L6, which is smaller than a predetermined distance, from the suction point P10 of the bin B6 to be picked up. The suction point P12 of the bin B8 is located at a distance L5, which is smaller than a predetermined distance, from the suction point P11 of the bin B7. In this case, the system control unit 30 controls so that the suction target bin B6, bin B7, and bin B8 are simultaneously picked up. In other words, the system control unit 30 generates negative pressure in both the first suction portion 81 and the second suction portion 82, and lowers the center of the first suction portion 81 to position PC of the center of gravity of the suction point P10 of the bottle B6, the suction point P11 of the bottle B7, and the suction point P12 of the bottle B8.

[0074] Next, the waste adsorption process performed by the system control unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0075] 12, in step S1, the system control unit 30 acquires an image of the waste (bottle) on the transport unit 10. In step S2, the system control unit 30 estimates the type of waste (bottle) and the position of the representative point (adsorption point).

[0076] In step S3, the system control unit 30 generates an index. In step S4, the system control unit 30 causes a display unit (not shown) to display the captured image and the index.

[0077] In step S5, the system control unit 30 stores the captured image and the estimated type and position of the waste (bin). In step S6, the system control unit 30 determines whether or not there is a non-target (different type) waste (bin) within a predetermined distance from the target waste (bin). If there is no non-target waste, the system control unit 30 proceeds to step S7, and if there is non-target waste, the system control unit 30 proceeds to step S9.

[0078] In step S7, the system control unit 30 generates negative pressure in the first suction unit 81 and the second suction unit 82. In addition, in step S8, the system control unit 30 determines the suction position. That is, when suctioning multiple wastes (bottles), the system control unit 30 determines the midpoint between the suction points of the multiple wastes (bottles) as the suction position. Then, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0079] In step S9, the system control unit 30 generates a negative pressure in the first suction unit 81. In addition, in step S10, the system control unit 30 determines the suction position. That is, the suction point of the target waste (bottle) is determined as the suction position. Then, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0080] In step S11, the system control unit 30 judges whether or not there is any treatable waste (bottle). If there is any treatable waste (bottle), the process returns to step S6. If there is no treatable waste (bottle), the process ends.

[0081] (Effects of this embodiment) In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0082] In this embodiment, as described above, when the suction points of the acquired wastes (bins) are within a predetermined distance, the center of the first suction part 81 of the robot suction hand 80 is lowered to the intermediate position between the suction points of the wastes, and the wastes are simultaneously sucked up, so that the wastes can be efficiently sorted and processed by sucking up the wastes at once in one sorting operation of the robot arm 22 (23). Also, unlike the case where the robot suction hand 80 is lowered to match the suction point of one of the wastes, the center of the first suction part 81 surrounded by the second suction parts 82 is lowered to the intermediate position between the suction points of the wastes, so that each of the wastes can be reliably sucked up. Also, by sucking up the wastes simultaneously, it is not necessary to employ a robot with a high sorting speed that requires a safety fence, and it is possible to employ a robot with a relatively slow sorting speed that can work in collaboration with humans. Also, since it is not necessary to increase the number of robots, the number of robots to be arranged for sorting can be minimized.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the system control unit 30 is configured to control the system so that, when the suction points of multiple wastes (bins) of the same type are within a predetermined distance, the center of the first suction unit 81 of the robot suction hand 80 is lowered to the midpoint between the suction points of the multiple wastes of the same type, thereby simultaneously suctioning multiple wastes of the same type. This makes it possible to simultaneously suction the same type of wastes and transport the multiple wastes to the same sorting destination, thereby making it possible to perform waste sorting work more efficiently.

[0084] In this embodiment, as described above, the first suction unit 81 and the second suction unit 82 are configured to generate negative pressure independently of each other. The system control unit 30 is configured to control both the first suction unit 81 and the second suction unit 82 to generate negative pressure when multiple wastes (bottles) of the same type are simultaneously adsorbed, and to control only the first suction unit 81 to generate negative pressure when one waste is adsorbed. This allows multiple wastes to be stably adsorbed by the first suction unit 81 and the multiple second suction units 82 arranged around the first suction unit 81. When one waste is adsorbed, no negative pressure is generated in the second suction unit 82 arranged around the first suction unit 81, so that simultaneous adsorption of different types of wastes can be effectively suppressed.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the system control unit 30 is configured to control the robot suction hand 80 to lower the center of the first suction unit 81 to the position of the suction point of one waste to be sorted, and to suck up the one waste by the first suction unit 81, when the suction points of multiple wastes (bins) of different types are within a predetermined distance. This allows the first suction unit 81, which is surrounded by multiple second suction units 82 and located in the center, to reliably suck up only the waste to be sorted.

[0086] In the present embodiment, as described above, the system control unit 30 is configured to control the robot suction hand 80 to lower the center of the first suction unit 81 to the midpoint of the suction points of the two wastes when the suction points of the two wastes (bottles) obtained are within a predetermined distance, thereby simultaneously suctioning the two wastes. The system control unit 30 is also configured to control the robot suction hand 80 to lower the center of the first suction unit 81 to the center of gravity of the suction points of the three wastes when the suction points of the three wastes obtained are within a predetermined distance, thereby simultaneously suctioning the three wastes. In this way, when two wastes are simultaneously suctioned, the first suction unit 81, which is surrounded by a plurality of second suction units 82 and disposed in the center, is lowered to the midpoint of the suction points of the two wastes, so that the two wastes can be more reliably suctioned. In addition, when three wastes are simultaneously suctioned, the first suction unit 81, which is surrounded by a plurality of second suction units 82 and disposed in the center, is lowered to the center of gravity of the suction points of the three wastes, so that the three wastes can be more reliably suctioned.

[0087] In this embodiment, as described above, the multiple second suction parts 82 are arranged so as to circumferentially surround the first suction part 81. This allows the multiple second suction parts 82 to be arranged so as to surround the first suction part 81 in a well-balanced manner, so that the first suction parts 81 and the second suction parts 82 can adsorb multiple waste materials (bottles) in a well-balanced manner.

[0088] In this embodiment, as described above, a plurality of first suction parts 81 are provided, and a plurality of second suction parts 82 are arranged to circumferentially surround the plurality of first suction parts 81. Thus, by providing a plurality of first suction parts 81 arranged in the center surrounded by a plurality of second suction parts 82, waste materials (bottles) can be stably adsorbed by the first suction parts 81 alone. Also, since the plurality of first suction parts 81 and the plurality of second suction parts 82 can be arranged in a balanced manner, a plurality of waste materials can be adsorbed in a more balanced manner by the plurality of first suction parts 81 and the plurality of second suction parts 82.

[0089] In this embodiment, as described above, the first suction portion 81 and the second suction portions 82 are configured to be movable vertically independently of each other. This allows the first suction portion 81 and the second suction portion 82 to be moved vertically independently of each other so as to come into contact with the upper surfaces of the waste materials (bins) of different heights, so that the waste materials of different heights can be easily adsorbed simultaneously.

[0090] In this embodiment, as described above, the system control unit 30 is configured to determine the color of the bottles and control the robot 20 to sort the bottles as waste according to their color. This allows the robot 20 to sort bottles of multiple colors as waste.

[0091] (Modification) The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0092] For example, in the above embodiment, the robot has two robot arms, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the robot may have one or three or more robot arms. In addition, the robot arm may be a vertical articulated robot.

[0093] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the robot is capable of working in cooperation with a worker has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the robot does not necessarily have to be capable of working in cooperation with a worker.

[0094] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which bottles as waste are sorted by color is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the waste may be something other than bottles. For example, the waste may be plastic, metal, or non-burnable garbage. The waste may also be sorted by material or size.

[0095] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which a system control unit that distinguishes waste and a robot control unit that controls the operation of the robot are provided separately has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the system control unit and the robot control unit may be a common unit, and the system control unit that distinguishes waste may control the operation of the robot.

[0096] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which three first suction parts and six second suction parts are provided is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, one, two, four or more first suction parts and a number of second suction parts other than six may be provided.

[0097] In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which waste is placed in a container and collected at a waste treatment facility in which a waste treatment system is installed is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, waste may be collected in something other than a container. For example, waste may be collected in a bag, or directly loaded onto a truck or the like. In this case, the configuration of the previous stage for feeding waste into the transport section of the waste treatment system may be appropriately changed according to the form of waste collection. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 10. Conveyor 20. Robot 22, 23 Robot Arm 30 System control section (control section) 40 Imaging unit 80, 80a, 80b Robot suction hand 81 1st suction part 82 2nd suction part 100 Waste Treatment System B Bottle (waste)

Claims

1. A transport unit that transports multiple types of waste; an imaging unit that images the waste transported by the transport unit; A robot that sorts the waste transported by the transport unit; A control unit that controls the waste sorting operation by the robot, the robot includes a robot arm and a robot suction hand connected to a tip of the robot arm, the robot suction hand includes a first suction portion that suctions waste material, and a plurality of second suction portions that are arranged around the first suction portion in a plan view and that suctions waste material, the control unit is configured to acquire a suction point for each of the plurality of waste materials based on the image captured by the imaging unit, and when the acquired suction points for each of the plurality of waste materials are within a predetermined distance, to perform control to simultaneously suction the plurality of waste materials by lowering a center of the first suction unit of the robot suction hand to a midpoint between the suction points for each of the plurality of waste materials, The first adsorption portion and the second adsorption portion are configured to generate negative pressures independently of each other, The control unit is configured to control the generation of negative pressure in both the first suction unit and the second suction unit when multiple waste items of the same type are adsorbed simultaneously, and to control the generation of negative pressure only in the first suction unit when one waste item is adsorbed.

2. The waste treatment system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot suction hand to lower the center of the first suction part to a midpoint between the suction points of the multiple waste materials of the same type when the suction points of the multiple waste materials of the same type are within a predetermined distance, thereby simultaneously suctioning the multiple waste materials of the same type.

3. The waste treatment system of claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to control the first suction unit to lower the center of the first suction unit of the robot suction hand to the position of the suction point of one waste to be sorted when the suction points of each of a plurality of different types of waste are within a predetermined distance, and to control the first suction unit to suction the one waste.

4. The control unit is configured to control the robot suction hand to lower the center of the first suction part to the midpoint position of the suction points of the two waste materials acquired, thereby adsorbing the two waste materials simultaneously, when the suction points of each of the two acquired waste materials are within a predetermined distance, and to control the robot suction hand to lower the center of the first suction part to the center of gravity position of the suction points of each of the three waste materials acquired, thereby adsorbing the three waste materials simultaneously, when the suction points of each of the three acquired waste materials are within a predetermined distance. A waste treatment system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. 5. The waste treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the second adsorption units are arranged so as to circumferentially surround the first adsorption unit.

6. The first suction portion is provided in plurality, The waste treatment system according to claim 5 , wherein the second adsorption units are arranged so as to circumferentially surround the first adsorption units.

7. The waste treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first suction section and the plurality of second suction sections are configured to be movable in the vertical direction independently of each other.

8. The waste includes multiple colored bins, The waste treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the color of the bottles and control the robot to sort the bottles as waste according to their color.

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