Retention system and program

Abstract

Make better use of multiple gripping parts. [Solution] The holding system 1 comprises an articulated robot 30 and a control device 70. The articulated robot 30 has multiple gripping mechanisms 31 that hold ingredients present in the ingredient container 10. The control device 70 controls the articulated robot 30. The control device 70 determines which of the multiple gripping mechanisms 31 to use to hold the ingredients, depending on which area of ​​the ingredient container 10 the articulated robot 30 is holding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a holding system and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, operations of processing various objects by robots have been performed. For example, there are robots that hold an object in a storage container in which the object is stored and release the held object to another container.

[0003] A technology related to such robots is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, after moving a plurality of gripping parts to a storage container by a robot arm, the object in the storage container is gripped by all of the gripping parts.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As described above, in the conventional technology as disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is disclosed that in the gripping operation, gripping is uniformly performed using all of a plurality of gripping parts. However, it is desired not only to uniformly use all of a plurality of gripping parts but also to make more use of the plurality of gripping parts.

[0006] Moreover, such problems are not limited to the case where the object is food, but are common to all fields in which robots perform processing, such as the industrial field. Furthermore, the content of the processing performed by the robot is not limited to the case of holding the object by gripping. For example, it is also common to the case of holding the object by a method such as adsorption.

[0007] The objective of this invention is to make better use of multiple gripping parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, a holding system according to one embodiment of the present invention is A robot having multiple holding units that hold objects located on a mounting unit, Control means for controlling the robot, Equipped with, The control means is Depending on which area of ​​the aforementioned holding unit the robot is holding the object in, it will determine which of the plurality of holding units will be used to perform the holding. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, multiple gripping parts can be utilized more effectively. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the holding system 1 according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the gripping mechanism 31. [Figure 3] This is a front view showing the gripping mechanism 31 in the open state (i.e., the state during the release operation). [Figure 4] This is a front view showing the gripping mechanism 31 in the closed state (i.e., the state during gripping operation). [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device 70. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 70. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing an example of the arrangement of multiple gripping mechanisms 31. [Figure 8]It is a schematic diagram showing the state of the holding system 1 when performing the gripping operation and the releasing operation. [Figure 9] It is a schematic diagram showing the state of the holding system 1 when performing the gripping operation and the releasing operation. [Figure 10] It is a schematic diagram showing the state of the holding system 1 when performing the gripping operation and the releasing operation. [Figure 11] It is a schematic diagram showing the state of the holding system 1 when performing the gripping operation and the releasing operation. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart showing the flow of the ingredient loading process executed by the holding system 1. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing the posture of the gripping mechanism 31 in the first modification. [Figure 14] It is a schematic diagram showing the gripping mechanism 31c which is the gripping mechanism 31 in the second modification. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing the configuration of the gripping mechanism 3la in the fourth modification.

Embodiments of the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Embodiment] [Overall Configuration] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the configuration of the holding system 1 according to the present invention. Here, the holding system 1 is assumed to apply the present invention to a system that grips and releases food as an object. In the following description, a case where the holding system 1 grips ingredients such as prepared vegetables and releases the gripped ingredients into a container will be described as an example.

[0012] However, this is only an example for explanation and is not intended to limit the scope of application of the present invention. The present invention is applicable to the entire system for holding any object. For example, it can be applied to systems that hold uncooked vegetables (such as shredded cabbage, carrots, or bean sprouts) rather than prepared foods. It can also be applied to systems that hold industrial products such as electronic devices (such as screws, bolts, or product components) as objects. Furthermore, the method of holding the object is not limited to gripping it. For example, holding the object may be achieved by methods other than gripping, such as suction. Furthermore, the method of releasing the object into the container is not limited to releasing it directly into the container. For example, a robot may release the object into the discharge chute's input port, and then supply the object to the container from the discharge port of the discharge chute for filling. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in a wide range of holding systems, regardless of the object to be gripped, the specific method of holding, or the field in which it is applied.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the holding system 1 comprises a food container 10, a container supply device 20, an articulated robot 30, a food storage state detection sensor 41, a serving state detection sensor 42, a first weighing scale 51, a second weighing scale 52, a base 60, a control device 70, and a first transport path T1. Of these components, the container supply device 20, the articulated robot 30, the storage state detection sensor 41, the serving state detection sensor 42, the first weighing scale 51, the second weighing scale 52, the first transport path T1, and the control device 70 are connected to each other by wired or wireless communication and are able to communicate with one another.

[0014] Adjacent to the holding system 1, a belt conveyor 2 is installed to automatically transport the prepared food containers from upstream to downstream. The belt conveyor 2 has a second transport path T2, which is a transport surface for transporting the containers. The containers, which have been filled with ingredients by the articulated robot 30, are then transported downstream while placed on this second transport path T2. In Figure 1, as indicated by the arrows representing the second transport direction, the left side of the page represents the upstream of transport in the second transport path T2, and the right side of the page represents the downstream of transport. A location for subsequent operations (e.g., closing the container lids) is provided downstream of the second transport path T2.

[0015] Although Figure 1 shows only one holding system 1, it is not limited to this. In this embodiment, multiple holding systems 1 are installed along the second transport direction of a single belt conveyor 2, and it is assumed that multiple articulated robots 30 work together.

[0016] The ingredient container 10 has a storage space for storing ingredients such as side dishes that are to be served in the holding system 1. The ingredient container 10 can be implemented using a general-purpose container such as a large tray or tub. The storage space of the ingredient container 10 can hold various ingredients that can be grasped by the articulated robot 30, such as paste salads like potato salad (i.e., side dishes containing ingredients with viscosity or stickiness), okara (soy pulp), dried daikon radish, namasu (pickled daikon radish and carrots), hijiki seaweed, boiled beans, fiddlehead ferns, buttered corn, noodles, croquettes, and fried chicken. In this embodiment, the ingredient container 10 is assumed to contain multiple servings (for example, several dozen to several hundred servings) of one type of ingredient. When the amount of ingredients stored in the ingredient container 10 becomes low, it can be replaced manually by an operator or automatically by the articulated robot 30.

[0017] The container supply device 20 is a device that supplies containers for the articulated robot 30 to put ingredients into. Inside the container supply device 20, a large number of containers are housed vertically. When the holding system 1 starts operating, the container supply device 20 supplies containers by discharging them one by one into the first transport path T1.

[0018] The first transport path T1 transports the containers supplied by the container supply device 20 to the serving position 62, where the ingredients are placed, by the articulated robot 30. The first transport path T1 is installed on the top surface of the base 60 and includes a transport mechanism for transporting the containers to the serving position 62 and an extrusion mechanism for pushing the containers from the serving position 62 to the second transport path T2. The conveying mechanism may be a mechanism that conveys the container by contacting the bottom surface of the container with the conveying surface, such as a belt conveyor 2, or it may be a mechanism that conveys the container by having a component contact the side or back of the container and pushing it out. When the container is transported to the serving position 62 by the transport mechanism, the articulated robot 30 releases the ingredients, and the released ingredients are placed into the container supplied to the serving position 62. Then, the extrusion mechanism pushes the filled container onto the second transport path T2 of the belt conveyor 2. As a result, the filled container is transported downstream on the second transport path T2.

[0019] The articulated robot 30 is composed of, for example, a horizontal articulated robot or a vertical articulated robot, and includes a gripping mechanism 31 capable of gripping an object, a robot arm 32 for moving the gripping mechanism 31 to any position within its range of motion, and a robot base end 33.

[0020] The gripping mechanism 31 is attached to the tip of the robot arm 32 and is supported by the robot arm 32. The gripping mechanism 31 can then be moved to any position within its range of motion in accordance with the movement of the robot arm 32 based on the control of the control device 70. Furthermore, the joint that holds the gripping mechanism 31 is equipped with an axis that rotates the gripping mechanism 31 in a twisting direction relative to the robot arm 32. Therefore, when the gripping mechanism 31 grips an ingredient, the direction in which the gripping mechanism 31 grips can be adjusted by changing the orientation of the gripping mechanism 31. As a result, when the gripping mechanism 31 reaches near the inner wall surface of the ingredient container 10, it becomes possible to change the orientation of the gripping mechanism 31 to a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the ingredient container 10, making it easier to grip ingredients near the inner wall surface of the container. The robot base portion 33 is the base part that supports the robot arm 32 to which the gripping mechanism 31 is attached. The robot base portion 33 is installed on the frame 63, which will be described later.

[0021] The contents state detection sensor 41 is a sensor that detects the contents state of the contents contained in the contents container 10. The contents state detection sensor 41 is implemented, for example, by a depth camera capable of detecting the distance to a subject. In this case, the field of view of the contents state detection sensor 41 is set to be such that it can capture the entire opening surface of the contents container 10. To this end, the contents state detection sensor 41 is positioned, for example, vertically above the center of the contents container 10 in the horizontal plane. The control device 70 can determine the amount of ingredients remaining in each area of ​​the ingredient container 10, the degree of surface roughness (unevenness), etc., by analyzing the distance information detected by the storage state detection sensor 41 (i.e., depth information for each pixel across the entire opening surface of the ingredient container 10).

[0022] The serving state detection sensor 42 is a sensor that detects the serving state of the container in which the ingredients are placed and the operating status of the gripping mechanism 31. Similar to the storage state detection sensor 41, the serving state detection sensor 42 is implemented, for example, by a depth camera capable of detecting the distance to the subject. In this case, the field of view of the serving state detection sensor 42 is set to capture, for example, the entire opening surface of the container in which the ingredients are placed and the operating status of the gripping mechanism 31 that places the ingredients into the container. To this end, the serving state detection sensor 42 is positioned, for example, vertically above the center of the serving position 62 in the horizontal plane. The control device 70 can identify the arrangement state of the ingredients in each area of ​​the container where the ingredients are placed, the operating status of the gripping mechanism 31, etc., by analyzing the distance information detected by the food arrangement state detection sensor 42 (i.e., depth information for each pixel across the entire opening surface of the container where the ingredients are placed, and depth information of the gripping mechanism 31 regarding the behavior of the gripping mechanism 31).

[0023] The first weighing scale 51 and the second weighing scale 52 are both devices for detecting the weight of an object. The first weighing scale 51 and the second weighing scale 52 are implemented, for example, by weighing scales that measure weight using strain gauges. Here, the first weighing scale 51 is positioned where the ingredient container 10 will be placed. The first weighing scale 51 then detects the weight of the ingredient container 10 itself, as well as the weight of the ingredients contained in the ingredient container 10. Based on the values ​​detected by the first weighing scale 51, the control device 70 can determine the total weight of the ingredients contained (i.e., the remaining amount) and the increase or decrease in the total weight due to gripping or other actions of the ingredients contained (i.e., the change in the remaining amount).

[0024] The second weighing scale 52 is positioned in the holding system 1 at a predetermined serving position 62 where the ingredients are placed. The second weighing scale 52 detects the weight of the container itself supplied to this serving position 62, and the weight of the ingredients that are released into the container and placed inside. The control device 70 can determine the total weight of the ingredients that have been released into the container and placed inside, based on the detection value of the second weighing scale 52. The control device 70 can also determine, based on the detection value of the second weighing scale 52, whether the container has been supplied to the serving position 62 and whether the filled container has been pushed out onto the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2.

[0025] The base 60 is a base for installing the ingredient container 10, the container supply device 20, the first transport path T1, and the articulated robot 30, etc. These articulated robots 30, etc., have a combined weight of several hundred kg (for example, more than 300 kg). Therefore, the base 60 has a structure with sufficient rigidity to support these components even when they are placed on its top surface.

[0026] Such a base portion 60 is equipped with casters 61, a serving position 62, and a stand 63. The caster 61 is a caster mounted on the base 60. The base 60 supports the articulated robot 30, etc., by contacting the ground with this caster 61. Furthermore, because this caster 61 functions as a wheel, the base 60 can be moved by human power. As described above, the serving position 62 is the position where the ingredients are placed by the articulated robot 30. The support frame 63 is provided vertically above the first transport path T1 and is a structure that supports the object to be supported vertically above the first transport path T1. In this embodiment, the robot base end portion 33 of the articulated robot 30 is installed as the object to be supported. As a result, in this embodiment, the first transport path T1 and the articulated robot 30 are arranged to overlap vertically. In this case, the legs of the support frame 63 are configured to straddle the first transport path T1. Therefore, they do not obstruct the transport of containers along the first transport path T1. In this holding system 1, instead of arranging the container transport path and the robot in close proximity and adjacent positions as in conventional technology, they are arranged to overlap vertically. This makes it possible to reduce the installation area of ​​the holding system 1 and to facilitate worker access to each component.

[0027] Furthermore, in the holding system 1, the main components of the holding system 1, such as the ingredient container 10, the container supply device 20, the articulated robot 30, and the first transport path T1, are all installed on a portable base 60. By using casters 61, these components can be moved as a single unit by human power. Therefore, it becomes possible to easily transport the holding system 1 and change its layout in food factories and other similar facilities.

[0028] The control device 70 is composed of an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a programmable controller, and controls the entire holding system 1 by executing various programs. For example, the control device 70 controls the operation of the container supply device 20, such as supplying containers or pushing out containers that have already been filled, and the operation of the articulated robot 30, such as grasping ingredients from the ingredient container 10 and releasing them into the container to fill it with ingredients.

[0029] For example, the control device 70 controls the drive of the robot arm 32 to move the gripping mechanism 31 to a predetermined position along a predetermined route and at a predetermined speed, and controls the drive of the actuator of the gripping mechanism 31 to perform actions such as gripping and releasing the material using the gripping mechanism.

[0030] The components constituting the holding system 1 have been described above. In addition to these components, plate-like members may be further arranged to surround or above the locations where each component is installed. This plate-like member shields each component from the external space, preventing materials gripped or released by the articulated robot 30 from scattering from the internal space to the external space. It also prevents workers from coming into contact with the articulated robot 30 while it is in operation, thereby ensuring worker safety and preventing malfunctions of the articulated robot 30. In this case, the plate-like member should be made of a transparent material such as glass or resin, so that the operating status of the holding system 1 can be visually observed from the outside space. Furthermore, this plate-like member may be used to provide an additional, openable and closable door on a portion of the side wall. This allows workers to open the door and perform various tasks such as replacing or replenishing the ingredient container 10, adding containers to the container supply device 20, or performing maintenance on the holding system 1.

[0031] [Configuration of the gripping mechanism 31] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the gripping mechanism 31. As shown in Figure 2, the gripping mechanism 31 comprises a coupling member 311, two air cylinders 312, two connecting members 313, and two gripping members 314. In the following description, the front, back, left side, and right side of the gripping mechanism 31 are defined as indicated by arrows in the figure.

[0032] The connecting member 311 is a member that connects the gripping mechanism 31 and the robot arm 32. The gripping mechanism 31 is supported by the robot arm 32 when connected to the robot arm 32 by the connecting member 311, and moves in accordance with the movement of the robot arm 32. Two air cylinders 312 are also arranged inside the connecting member 311.

[0033] The two air cylinders 312 are a drive mechanism that can move back and forth in a straight line in the horizontal direction (in this case, left-right direction). In this case, the two air cylinders 312 are arranged so that their directions of movement are opposite to each other. The piston rods (i.e., the reciprocating parts) of the two air cylinders 312 are each connected to a connecting member 313 corresponding to itself.

[0034] The two connecting members 313 are members that connect the corresponding air cylinder 312 and the corresponding gripping member 314. The piston rod of the corresponding air cylinder 312 is connected to the upper end of the connecting member 313, and the upper end of the corresponding gripping member 314 is connected to the lower end of the connecting member 313. This forms a pair of sets consisting of the air cylinder 312, the connecting member 313, and the gripping member 314. When this pair of sets is driven, the gripping and releasing operations of the gripping mechanism 31 are realized.

[0035] The two gripping members 314 are the parts that grip the ingredients by contacting them. The two gripping members 314 are positioned so that their opening surfaces face each other. The shape of the two gripping members 314 is such that when their opening surfaces come close together and come into contact, they form a gripping space for gripping the ingredients. The gripping member 314 of this shape is composed of a plate-like member having multiple surfaces, and is provided with slits (i.e., narrow gaps) of a size that prevents the gripped ingredients from falling out. By providing these slits, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of sticky ingredients to the gripping member 360 (for example, the ingredients sticking to it). Therefore, it becomes possible to suppress the occurrence of situations where the attached ingredients fall off and to easily release the ingredients.

[0036] Figure 3 is a front view showing the gripping mechanism 31 in the open state (i.e., the state during the release operation). Figure 4 is a front view showing the gripping mechanism 31 in the closed state (i.e., the state during the gripping operation). As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the air cylinder 312 and the connecting member 313 are fastened together at the first point P1 in a rotatable manner using screws or the like. Furthermore, in the two connecting members 313, one connecting member 313 and the other connecting member overlap and intersect near the center, and at the intersection point, the second point P2, they are also fastened together at the same point in a rotatable manner using screws or the like. In addition, the lower end of the gripping member 314 is designated as the third point P3.

[0037] With this structure, the gripping mechanism 31 as a whole achieves a mechanism similar to that of a typical pair of scissors or forceps. In this case, the first point P1 functions as the point of force application, the second point P2 functions as the fulcrum, and the third point P3 functions as the point of application. The specific operation in this configuration will now be explained. In Figures 3 and 4, the forward and backward directions of the piston rods of each air cylinder are indicated by white arrows.

[0038] First, when transitioning to the open state, as shown in Figure 3, the piston rods of each of the two air cylinders 312 are driven to extend outwards from the gripping mechanism 31 (in this case, outwards in the left-right direction). In other words, the piston rods are driven to move away from each other. As a result, the first point P1, which is the point of force application, moves away from each other, and the third point P3, which is the point of application, also moves away from each other via the second point P2, which is the fulcrum. In this way, the gripping mechanism 31 transitions to the open state. Consequently, the gripping mechanism 31 can release the gripped material from the opening surface of the gripping member 314.

[0039] In contrast, when transitioning to the closed state, as shown in Figure 3, the piston rods of each of the two air cylinders 312 are driven to retract toward the inside of the gripping mechanism 31 (in this case, toward the inside in the left-right direction). That is, they are driven to move closer to each other. As a result, the first point P1, which is the point of force application, moves closer together, and the third points P3, which are the points of application, also move closer together via the second point P2, which is the fulcrum. In this way, the gripping mechanism 31 transitions to the closed state. Consequently, the edges of the opening surfaces of the gripping members 314 come into contact with each other, and a gripping space is formed on the inner surface of the gripping members 314. The gripping mechanism 31 can then grip the object by enclosing it in this gripping space.

[0040] Furthermore, because the gripping mechanism 31 as a whole has a scissor-like shape, the force driving the two air cylinders 312 horizontally is converted into a force that opens and closes the gripping member 314 diagonally (i.e., a combination of horizontal and vertical directions). This makes it easier to insert the gripping member 314 into the contents compared to when the gripping member 314 is directly connected to the air cylinders 312 and simply opens and closes horizontally. Furthermore, the gripping mechanism 31 performs an action that gathers the contained ingredients from the left-right and up-down directions toward the center of the gripping space using the two gripping members 314, making it possible to grip the ingredients more efficiently.

[0041] Note that one or more such gripping mechanisms 31 may be attached to a single robot arm 32. For example, as shown in Figure 1, two gripping mechanisms 31 may be arranged side by side on a single robot arm 32 so that their opening and closing directions are parallel.

[0042] [Hardware configuration of control device 70] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device 70. As shown in Figure 5, the control device 70 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 711, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 712, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 713, a bus 714, an input unit 715, an output unit 716, a storage unit 717, a communication unit 718, and a drive 719.

[0043] The CPU 711 executes various processes according to the program recorded in the ROM 712 or the program loaded into the RAM 713 from the storage unit 717. RAM713 also stores data necessary for CPU711 to perform various processes.

[0044] The CPU 711, ROM 712, and RAM 713 are interconnected via a bus 714. The input unit 715, output unit 716, storage unit 717, communication unit 718, and drive 719 are connected to the bus 714.

[0045] The input unit 715 is equipped with an input device such as a mouse or keyboard and accepts various types of information for input to the control device 70. Alternatively, the input unit 715 may be equipped with a microphone and accept various types of information via voice input from the operator. The output unit 716 consists of a display, speakers, etc., and outputs images and sound. The memory unit 717 consists of an SSD (Solid State Drive), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and stores various types of data managed by each server. The communications unit 718 controls communication with other devices via the network.

[0046] The drive 719 is appropriately equipped with removable media 731, which may consist of a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory. Programs read from the removable media 731 by the drive 719 are installed in the storage unit 717 as needed. The above hardware configuration is the basic configuration of the control device 70, and it is possible to omit some hardware, add additional hardware, or change the hardware implementation.

[0047] [Functional configuration] Next, the functional configuration of the control device 70 will be described. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device 70. As shown in Figure 6, by executing a program to control the operation of the holding system 1, the CPU 711 of the control device 70 functions as follows: information acquisition unit 151, articulated robot control unit 152, container supply control unit 153, and recording control unit 154. In addition, the storage unit 717 is configured with a parameter storage unit 171 and a history database (history DB) 172.

[0048] The parameter storage unit 171 stores various parameters used when the holding system 1 operates. For example, the parameter storage unit 171 stores data that serves as control criteria for the gripping operation, such as the position and shape of the ingredient container 10, the position and shape of the containers supplied from the container supply device 20, the position of the area within the container where the ingredients are provided and placed, the weight per unit volume of the ingredients (i.e., the density of the ingredients), and the target amount of ingredients to be grasped and released, as well as parameters that define the operation pattern of the articulated robot 30.

[0049] The history DB172 stores control parameters acquired when the holding system 1 is operating, as well as measurement data of the weight of the ingredients placed by the holding system 1, as operation history.

[0050] The information acquisition unit 151 acquires information detected by various sensors and weighing scales installed in the holding system 1. For example, the information acquisition unit 151 sequentially acquires distance information detected by the storage state detection sensor 41 and the serving state detection sensor 42. In addition, for example, the information acquisition unit 151 sequentially acquires weight values ​​detected by the first weighing scale 51 and the second weighing scale 52. In this way, the various types of information acquired by the information acquisition unit 151 are used as appropriate by other functional blocks provided by the control device 70.

[0051] The articulated robot control unit 152 controls the movement of the articulated robot 30 and causes the articulated robot 30 to perform a series of operations for serving ingredients based on the operation patterns defined in the holding system 1 and various information acquired by the information acquisition unit 151. For example, the articulated robot control unit 152 causes the articulated robot 30 to perform operations such as gripping the ingredients with the gripping mechanism 31 (gripping operation), releasing the ingredients gripped by the gripping mechanism 31 (release operation), and removing ingredients attached to the gripping mechanism 31 (removal operation).

[0052] For example, when performing a gripping operation, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines the surface height of the ingredients at each position within the ingredient container 10 in advance, based on the distance information detected by the storage state detection sensor 41. Then, the articulated robot control unit 152 inserts the gripping member 314 into the group of ingredients to a predetermined depth from this height and performs the gripping operation. This predetermined depth can be set in advance based on the density of the ingredients, the characteristics of the ingredients (viscosity, etc.), the number and shape of the gripping members 314 to be used for gripping, and the target amount (in this case, the target weight) to be targeted for gripping and releasing. By setting the insertion depth in advance in this way, the gripping member 314 can grip ingredients of the same weight as the target amount, or a weight close to the target amount.

[0053] Furthermore, for example, when performing a release operation, the articulated robot control unit 152 pre-determines the position and shape of the container on which the ingredients are placed, as well as the position of the area within the container where the ingredients are placed, based on data that serves as the control standard for the release operation and is stored in the parameter storage unit 171. Therefore, the articulated robot control unit 152 moves the gripping member 314 to an appropriate position based on this determined position and then performs the release operation. Note that this appropriate position includes not only the position in the horizontal plane, but also the position in the vertical direction (i.e., height).

[0054] In this embodiment, the weight of the ingredients that were actually grasped and the weight of the ingredients that were actually released can be determined based on the weight values ​​detected by the first weighing scale 51 and the second weighing scale 52. The articulated robot control unit 152 then performs various adjustment operations if these weights are far from the target amount. For example, if the weight of the grasped ingredients is too much or too little from the target amount, the grasped ingredients are released from the ingredient container 10 and the grasping is repeated to grasp only the target amount. Alternatively, if the weight of the released ingredients is too much or too little from the target amount, the robot returns to the ingredient container 10, grasps the missing weight and releases it into the container, or grasps the excess weight from the container and returns it to the ingredient container 10. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the state of the ingredient container 10 and the ingredients in the container (for example, the height and unevenness of the ingredient surface) can be identified based on the distance information detected by the storage state detection sensor 41 and the serving state detection sensor 42. The articulated robot control unit 152 then performs various adjustment operations based on the state of these ingredients. For example, it adjusts the position for gripping and releasing based on the state of these ingredients. Alternatively, it shapes the serving state of the ingredients by leveling the surface of the released ingredients based on the state of the ingredients released into the container.

[0055] In addition, for example, when performing a removal operation, the articulated robot control unit 152 controls the removal operation based on parameters that define the operation pattern of the articulated robot 30, which are stored in the parameter storage unit 171. As a prerequisite for the removal operation, when a gripping operation or release operation is performed, some of the ingredients may adhere to the gripping member 360 due to the characteristics of the ingredients. In particular, ingredients with characteristics such as viscosity or stickiness, ingredients with a lot of oil or moisture, and long, easily tangled ingredients are prone to adhesion. Therefore, it is preferable for the articulated robot control unit 152 to perform a removal operation by moving the gripping member 314 up and down or vibrating it to remove the adhered ingredients and drop them into the ingredient storage container 10, etc.

[0056] The container supply control unit 153 controls the container supply device 20 to supply containers for serving ingredients to be placed in the holding system 1 to the first transport path T1. The container supply control unit 153 also controls the first transport path T1 to transport the containers supplied by the container supply device 20 to the serving position 62, or to push containers with ingredients already placed on them onto the transport surface.

[0057] The recording control unit 154 stores control parameters acquired when the holding system 1 performs gripping operations, etc., and measurement data of the weight of the ingredients placed by the holding system 1 in the history DB 172. This data is used by the administrator of the holding system 1, etc., as log data for analyzing the operation of the holding system 1.

[0058] [Control during operation of the articulated robot 30] Next, we will explain how the articulated robot control unit 152 controls the articulated robot 30 during its operation. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing an example of the arrangement of multiple gripping mechanisms 31. As shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, it is assumed that two gripping mechanisms 31 are arranged side by side with parallel opening and closing directions on one robot arm 32. The two gripping mechanisms 31 have similar structures and functions. However, for convenience, when describing them separately, one will be referred to as gripping mechanism 31a and the other as gripping mechanism 31b. This arrangement allows the robot arm 32 to move multiple (in this case, two) gripping mechanisms 31 together.

[0059] In this embodiment, the multiple (in this case, two) gripping mechanisms 31 are used appropriately depending on the target amount to be gripped and the circumstances under which gripping is performed. For example, if the target amount of ingredients is larger than usual, gripping can be performed using both gripping mechanisms 31, while if the target amount and the amount of ingredients are normal or smaller than usual, gripping can be performed using only one gripping mechanism 31. Alternatively, for example, gripping can be performed using one gripping mechanism 31 first, and if the weight of the gripped ingredients is insufficient, the other gripping mechanism 31 can then add the remaining ingredients. However, certain problems may arise when implementing these various types of control. The specific details of these problems and how they are resolved according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0060] Figures 8 to 11 are schematic diagrams showing the state of the holding system 1 during gripping and releasing operations. Figures 8 to 11 illustrate the holding system 1 as viewed from above, looking downwards. Furthermore, a large quantity of ingredients is contained within the storage space of the ingredient container 10. These large quantities of ingredients will be referred to as "groups of ingredients" in the following explanation and diagrams.

[0061] First, referring to Figure 8(A), the posture of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b during gripping operations in general technology will be explained. As shown in Figure 8(A), in general technology, the posture of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b is changed depending on which area within the ingredient container 10 is being gripped. For example, when gripping near the center of the ingredient container 10, the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b are rotated so that their opening and closing directions coincide with the longitudinal direction of the ingredient container 10 before gripping is performed. On the other hand, when gripping near the wall surface of the ingredient container 10, the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b are rotated so that their opening and closing directions are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the ingredient container 10 before gripping is performed. In this way, by rotating the posture of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b according to the area to be gripped, gripping can be performed in a posture suitable for the area.

[0062] However, when the gripping mechanism 31a,b is rotated before and after performing the gripping operation, several problems arise. First, due to centrifugal force and other factors associated with the rotation, the gripped material may fall, or material attached to the inner or outer surface of the gripping member 314 may be scattered. Furthermore, in order to rotate, it is necessary to first move to a position where it does not interfere with obstacles (for example, the walls of the ingredient container 10 or the structure of the base 60) before rotating. This can lead to problems such as increased complexity in controlling the robot arm 32 and longer working times for the gripping operation.

[0063] Therefore, in order to resolve these problems, it is conceivable to prevent the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b from rotating. Figure 8(B) shows an example of control that prevents rotation of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b. As shown in Figure 8(B), for example, the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b are fixed in position so that their opening and closing directions coincide with the longitudinal direction of the ingredient container 10. Then, the robot arm 32 moves the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b so that their positions do not rotate. This resolves the problem caused by the rotation of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b, as explained with reference to Figure 8(A). However, this presents a new problem. As described above, in this embodiment, the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b are used appropriately depending on the target amount to be gripped and the gripping situation. For example, there are cases where gripping is performed using only one of the gripping mechanisms 31a or 31b.

[0064] However, as shown in Figure 8(B), when gripping in an area near the wall, if the gripping mechanism 31a,b located closer to the center is used instead of the gripping mechanism 31a,b located near the wall, the material near the wall cannot be gripped. Therefore, even if gripping is repeated, it becomes impossible to completely remove the material. If the position of the gripping mechanism 31a,b is rotated as shown in Figure 8(A), the problem of not being able to completely remove the material is resolved, but as mentioned above, problems associated with rotation arise.

[0065] Therefore, in this embodiment, depending on which area of ​​the ingredient container 10 the ingredient is to be gripped, either of the gripping mechanisms 31a or 31b is used to perform the gripping. Figure 9 is a diagram showing the control during the gripping operation according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, in this embodiment, first, the area in the ingredient container 10 where the ingredients are contained is divided. For example, it is divided into two areas corresponding to the two gripping mechanisms 31a and b. In this case, the boundary of the areas is set perpendicular to the central part in the short direction of the ingredient container 10. Then, one area (here, the area on the left side of the page) is designated as the first area, and the other area (here, the area on the right side of the page) is designated as the second area. Furthermore, the orientation of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b is fixed so that the longitudinal direction of the ingredient container 10 coincides with the opening and closing direction of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b. Then, the robot arm 32 moves the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b to their respective regions so that their orientation does not rotate.

[0066] Here, when gripping ingredients in the first region, the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b (in this case, gripping mechanism 31a) located closer to the longitudinal wall of the ingredient container 10 constituting the first region will preferentially perform the gripping. That is, when gripping is performed by one gripping mechanism 31, only gripping mechanism 31a will perform the gripping, and when gripping is performed by two gripping mechanisms 31, both gripping mechanism 31a and gripping mechanism 31b will perform the gripping. Similarly, when gripping ingredients in the second region, the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b (in this case, gripping mechanism 31b), which are located closer to the longitudinal wall of the ingredient container 10 constituting the second region, will preferentially perform the gripping.

[0067] Thus, in this embodiment, the area is divided into two regions, and then it is decided which of the two gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b will be used to perform the gripping. As a result, the problem of not being able to remove ingredients near the walls, as explained with reference to Figure 8(B), does not occur. Also, since there is no rotation, the problems associated with rotation, as explained with reference to Figure 8(A), do not occur. Therefore, it becomes possible to resolve problems that may arise when using multiple (in this case, two) gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b. And by resolving these problems, it becomes possible to use multiple gripping mechanisms 31 for a variety of applications.

[0068] For example, if the target amount of ingredients is greater than usual, the system can perform gripping with two gripping mechanisms 31, and if the target amount and the amount of ingredients are normal or less than usual, it can perform gripping with one gripping mechanism 31 without any problems. In addition, for example, it can perform gripping with one gripping mechanism 31 first, and if the weight of the gripped ingredients is insufficient, the other gripping mechanism 31 can perform additional gripping to make up the difference without any problems. In other words, the holding system 1 of this embodiment can solve the problem that the present invention aims to solve, which is to "make better use of multiple gripping parts."

[0069] Furthermore, this type of holding system 1 also provides the following effects. Firstly, since rotation is not performed, scattering and falling of ingredients can be prevented, which in turn eliminates the need to clean up scattered ingredients and improves the accuracy of the amount of ingredients gripped. In particular, in this embodiment, since a slit is provided in the gripping member 314 of the gripping mechanism 31, scattering and falling of ingredients from this slit can also be prevented, which is especially beneficial. Furthermore, since there is no need to move to a position where it does not interfere with obstacles for rotation, the work speed is improved. In addition, the motion control can be simplified, making it easier to design the holding system 1.

[0070] Furthermore, the gripping mechanism 31 is connected to cables that transmit control signals and cables that supply compressed air to drive the air cylinder 312. In this case, by controlling the position of the gripping mechanism 31 so that it does not rotate, these cables are prevented from becoming entangled or twisted. As a result, unwanted forces caused by entangled or twisted cables do not hinder the operation of the gripping mechanism 31. Furthermore, since the gripping mechanism 31 located on the wall side (i.e., the outside) in each region is controlled to preferentially perform gripping, the ingredients on the wall side are inevitably gripped preferentially, and the ingredients remain in the center of the ingredient container 10. Therefore, the ingredients can be efficiently gripped repeatedly until all the ingredients in the ingredient container 10 are used up.

[0071] The control of the gripping operation in this embodiment has been described above. Next, the movement to the container for the release operation after the gripping operation will be described. Figure 10 shows the posture of the gripping mechanism 31 in a typical technique. After performing the gripping operation, the gripping mechanism 31 is moved to the container, and in a typical technique, it is moved along the path that minimizes the travel distance. For example, as shown in Figure 10(a), the movement is performed along a path that forms an arc. In this case, the opening and closing directions of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b that performed the gripping coincide with the longitudinal direction of the ingredient container 10, as explained with reference to Figure 9.

[0072] However, when movement is performed along the illustrated movement path, the orientation of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b rotates along the arc of the movement path, as shown in Figure 10(b). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(c), as movement continues, the orientation of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b rotates until the opening and closing direction of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b becomes perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the ingredient container 10. As a result, as explained with reference to Figure 8(A), there is a risk that the ingredients may fall or scatter due to centrifugal force caused by rotation. In other words, as shown in Figure 9, the control to prevent the gripping mechanism 31a,b from rotating during the gripping operation becomes meaningless.

[0073] Therefore, in this embodiment, control is performed to prevent the posture of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b from rotating during this movement. Figure 11 shows the posture of the gripping mechanism 31 in this embodiment. First, as shown in Figure 11(A), the movement is performed along a movement path in which the trajectory of the movement is an arc, similar to general technology. In this case, the opening and closing direction of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b that have performed the gripping coincides with the longitudinal direction of the ingredient container 10, just as in Figure 10(a). In this state, the robot arm 32 begins to move the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b. In this case, as shown in Figure 11(b), the axes (joints) supporting the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b rotate in the opposite direction to the rotational direction along the arc of the movement path. As a result, the two rotations cancel each other out, and the posture of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b does not rotate, maintaining the same posture as in Figure 11(a).

[0074] Then, as shown in Figure 11(c), the axes (joints) supporting the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b continue to rotate in the opposite direction as they move along the arc of the movement path, so that the posture of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b does not rotate and maintains the same posture as in Figure 11(a). By controlling it in this way, it becomes possible to move the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b to the container for the release operation without rotating their positions. This allows for the various effects of not rotating during movement, as described above. For example, by moving the ingredients in this way, it becomes possible to prevent contamination of the container and its surroundings, as the ingredients will not fall or scatter during transport, and to improve the accuracy of the amount of ingredients released into the container.

[0075] Furthermore, controlling the posture of the gripping mechanism 31 during such movement is beneficial not only when there are multiple gripping mechanisms 31 on the robot arm 32, but also when there is only one gripping mechanism 31 on the robot arm 32. In other words, even if there is only one gripping mechanism 31, by maintaining its posture without rotation, just as in the case of multiple gripping mechanisms, the materials being moved can be prevented from falling or scattering.

[0076] In contrast, conventional technologies, including Patent Document 1 cited as prior art, did not particularly consider the change in the posture of the holding part (in this case, the gripping mechanism 31) during movement. As a result, as shown in Figure 10, the posture of the gripping mechanism 31 rotates with movement, and there was a risk that the moving material would fall or scatter. Therefore, conventionally, there was a desire to control the posture of the gripping mechanism 31 more appropriately.

[0077] However, with the holding system 1, as explained with reference to Figure 11, regardless of the number of gripping mechanisms 31 arranged on the robot arm 32, the moving material can be prevented from falling or scattering by maintaining its posture without rotation. In other words, from this perspective as well, the holding system 1 solves the problems of the conventional technology.

[0078] [Overall Operation] Next, we will explain the overall operation of the holding system 1. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the ingredient plating process performed by the holding system 1. The ingredient plating process is initiated, for example, when an operator initiates the ingredient plating process.

[0079] When the ingredient placement process begins, in step S11, the articulated robot control unit 152 reads operation data (for example, operation pattern data, position and shape data of the ingredient container 10, etc.) from the parameter storage unit 171 to perform a series of operations in the ingredient placement process. This prepares the robot for performing the gripping and releasing operations described above.

[0080] In step S12, the container supply control unit 153 transports the container to the serving position 62 via the first transport path T1. In step S13, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines the area to perform gripping and the position within that area based on the state of the ingredients in the ingredient container 10 detected by the containment state detection sensor 41.

[0081] In step S14, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines which region to grasp and the target amount to be grasped, and which gripping mechanism 31 will perform the gripping. Specifically, it first preferentially selects the gripping mechanism 31 corresponding to the region to be grasped, and then, depending on the target amount to be grasped, it decides whether to grasp with one gripping mechanism 31 or with multiple gripping mechanisms 31. In step S15, the articulated robot control unit 152 causes the gripping mechanism 31, which was determined to perform gripping in step S14, to grip the target amount of ingredients from the gripping area of ​​the ingredient container 10, which was determined in step S13.

[0082] In step S16, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines the relationship between the gripping amount and the target amount. If the gripping amount is less than the target amount, it is determined in step S16 that "the gripping amount is insufficient," and the process returns to step S13 to try gripping again. If the gripping amount is more than the target amount, it is determined in step S16 that "the gripping amount is excessive," and the process proceeds to step S17. Furthermore, if the gripping amount and the target amount are the same, it is determined in step S16 that they "match," and the process proceeds to step S18. In this case, even if there is an error between the gripping amount and the target amount, if the error falls within a predetermined tolerance range, it may be allowed and the process may be determined to "match."

[0083] In step S17, the articulated robot control unit 152 releases the gripped material into the material storage container 10. Then, the process returns to step S13, and the gripping is repeated. In step S18, the articulated robot control unit 152 moves the gripping mechanism 31 to the container and releases the gripped ingredients into the container, thereby placing the ingredients into the container.

[0084] In step S19, the container supply control unit 153 causes the first transport path T1 to push the container with the ingredients into the second transport path T2. Then, the container is transported downstream via the second transport path T2.

[0085] In step S20, the recording control unit 154 stores the control parameters acquired during the ingredient plating process and the measured weight data (history data) of the plated ingredients in the history DB 172.

[0086] In step S21, the articulated robot control unit 152 determines whether the conditions for terminating the ingredient placement process have been met. In this case, the conditions for terminating the ingredient placement process are that the ingredients have been placed in the planned number of containers, or that the operator has performed an operation to terminate the ingredient placement process. If the conditions for terminating the ingredient plating process are not met, the result is determined as No in step S21, and the process returns to step S13, a new container is supplied, and the process is repeated for this new container. On the other hand, if the conditions for terminating the ingredient plating process are met, the result is determined as Yes in step S21, and the ingredient plating process is terminated.

[0087] The ingredient plating process described above yields various advantageous effects, as shown in Figures 9 and 11, etc.

[0088] [Differentiation] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely illustrative and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The present invention can take various other forms without departing from the spirit of the invention, and various modifications such as omissions and substitutions can be made. For example, it is possible not only to apply any of the modifications described below to the embodiments of the present invention, but also to combine some or all of the modifications described below as appropriate and apply them to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0089] [Example 1] Figure 13 shows the posture of the gripping mechanism 31 in this modified example. In the embodiment described above, the movement was performed along a path that traced an arc, as shown in Figure 13(A). The axes (joints) supporting the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b rotated in a direction opposite to the rotational direction along the arc of the movement path, thereby maintaining the posture of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b without rotation.

[0090] This is not limited to this, and other methods may be used to maintain the posture of the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b without rotation. Figure 13(B) illustrates the movement path of this modified example. In this modified example, movement is not performed along a movement path that traces an arc, but rather along a movement path that combines linear trajectories. As a result, the distance traveled is longer than the path of the above-described embodiment that moves along the shortest distance (i.e., the movement path shown in Figure 13(A)). However, as shown in Figure 13(C), only linear movement is performed. Therefore, as in the embodiment described above, even if the axis (joint) supporting the gripping mechanisms 31a and b does not rotate in the opposite direction, it is possible to maintain the posture of the gripping mechanisms 31a and b without rotation. In other words, the same effect as in the embodiment described above is achieved.

[0091] According to this modified version, it becomes unnecessary to adjust the speed and timing of the reverse rotation of the axes (joints) supporting the gripping mechanisms 31a and 31b, thus simplifying the control process. Furthermore, according to this modified example, even a robot with a structure that does not have an axis (joint) that supports and rotates the gripping mechanism 31a,b can achieve the same effects as the embodiment described above. For example, this modified example can be realized with a Cartesian robot (gantry robot), which does not have a rotating axis but is generally low-cost.

[0092] [Differentiation 2] In the embodiment described above, it was assumed that multiple gripping mechanisms 31, each capable of independently performing gripping, would be arranged on the robot arm 32. However, the embodiment is not limited to this; a gripping mechanism 31 in which multiple gripping members 314 each function as a gripping part and cooperate to perform gripping may also be arranged on the robot arm 32.

[0093] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the gripping mechanism 31c, which is the gripping mechanism 31 in this modified example. Figure 14 shows the gripping mechanism 31c and the ingredient container 10 as viewed from the horizontal. As shown in Figure 14(A), the gripping mechanism 31c has three gripping members 314, each connected to an air cylinder 312 inside the connecting member 311. On the other hand, the connecting member 313 is omitted. Therefore, the three gripping members 314 are mechanisms that can move independently in the horizontal direction.

[0094] The three gripping members 314 are each configured to extend downwards as plate-shaped or rod-shaped members. The three gripping members 314 grip the food by bringing two of them closer together. In this case, the user can choose whether to bring the central gripping member 314 or the two outer gripping members 314 closer together to perform the gripping, thereby enabling the gripping of the food. In this modified example, as in the embodiment described above, the area within the ingredient container 10 is divided, and the gripping member 314 that will preferentially perform gripping is determined according to the area.

[0095] For example, as shown in Figure 14(B), when gripping is performed in the first region, gripping is performed using the gripping member 314 on the wall side of the first region (the gripping member 314 on the left side of the paper) and the central gripping member 314. On the other hand, when gripping is performed in the second region, gripping is performed using the gripping member 314 on the wall side of the second region (the gripping member 314 on the right side of the paper) and the central gripping member 314. This method also produces the same effects as the embodiments described above.

[0096] [Difference 3] In the embodiment described above, the ingredient container 10 was assumed to be a tray or tub surrounded by walls. The ingredients were contained within such an ingredient container 10 by being placed on top of it. In other words, the ingredient container 10 functioned as a place to hold the ingredients. This is not the only option; other structures may also be used as the mounting surface. For example, the side walls of part or all of the ingredient container 10 may be omitted, and a predetermined plane on which the ingredients are placed may be used as the mounting surface. Alternatively, for example, the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 2 may be used as the mounting surface. In this case, for example, the object to be gripped may be an object being conveyed on this conveying surface (for example, a workpiece such as a screw or an electronic component).

[0097] [Differentiation Example 4] The gripping mechanism 31 of the above-described embodiment shown in Figures 2 to 4 may be modified. Figure 15 shows the configuration of the gripping mechanism 31a in this modified example. Figure 15(A) shows a front view of the gripping mechanism 31a, and Figure 15(B) shows a left side view of the gripping mechanism 31a.

[0098] In the gripping mechanism 31 of the above-described embodiment, the plate-like member is composed of multiple surfaces and is provided with slits (i.e., narrow gaps) of a size that prevents the gripped material from falling out. By providing such slits, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of adhesive or other easily adhering materials to the gripping member 360 (for example, the material sticking to it). However, in the case of ingredients that are finely packed, such as hijiki seaweed, or ingredients that deform, such as potato salad or okara (soy pulp), there is a risk that these ingredients may protrude from the slits and spill out. Therefore, the gripping mechanism 31a is designed to have the same overall shape as the gripping mechanism 31, but without the slits. This prevents ingredients with the characteristics described above from spilling, keeping the surrounding area clean and allowing for precise control over the amount of ingredients served.

[0099] Furthermore, the shape of the gripping member 314 of the gripping mechanism 31 may also be of a different shape. For example, a gripping member 314 can be a gripping member that comprises multiple members such as wire-like linear members, plate-like members, or rod-like members, and grips an ingredient by sandwiching it between these multiple members. In this case, the multiple members may each have the same shape or they may have different shapes.

[0100] [Difference 5] In the embodiment described above, the gripping and releasing operations were performed by comparing the target amount with the weight of the ingredients. However, the system is not limited to this, and the determination may also be made by comparing the target amount with the amount of ingredients from other perspectives. For example, the determination may be made by comparing the target amount with the volume of the ingredients. Alternatively, the determination may be made by comparing the target amount with the number of ingredients. The volume of the serving and the number of ingredients can be determined, for example, by performing image analysis on the detection results of the storage state detection sensor 41 and the serving state detection sensor 42.

[0101] [Modification 6] In the embodiment described above, the gripping member 314 identified the weight of the ingredients it gripped or the ingredients it served based on the weight changes detected by the first weighing scale 51 and the second weighing scale 52, and performed control based on this. However, it is not limited to this, and load cells or force sensors may be placed on the gripping member 314. Then, the gripping member 314 may identify the weight of the ingredients it gripped or the ingredients it serves based on the weight changes detected by the load cells or force sensors, and perform control based on this. This makes it possible to omit the first weighing scale 51 and the second weighing scale 52. In addition, this increases the degree of freedom in the placement of the ingredient container 10 and the container itself.

[0102] [Example Configuration] As described above, the holding system 1 in this embodiment comprises a multi-joint robot 30 and a control device 70. The articulated robot 30 has multiple gripping mechanisms 31 or gripping members 314 that hold the ingredients present in the ingredient container 10. The control device 70 controls the articulated robot 30. The control device 70 determines which of the multiple gripping mechanisms 31 or gripping members 314 to use to hold the ingredients, depending on which area of ​​the ingredient container 10 the articulated robot 30 is holding.

[0103] Each of the multiple gripping mechanisms 31 is capable of independently performing the holding action. Multiple gripping mechanisms 31 are arranged on one robot arm 32 of the articulated robot 30, so that the multiple gripping mechanisms 31 move together.

[0104] The control device 70 is When moving multiple gripping mechanisms 31 with a single robot arm 32, control is provided to suppress the rotation of the orientation of the multiple gripping mechanisms 31 relative to the ingredient container 10.

[0105] The control device 70 determines the number of gripping mechanisms 31 to perform the holding action according to the amount of material that the articulated robot 30 should hold.

[0106] If the amount of material held by the determined gripping mechanism 31 is insufficient for the amount of material that the articulated robot 30 should hold, the control device 70 will continue to hold the material with the determined gripping mechanism 31 and cause another gripping mechanism 31 to perform the holding operation.

[0107] The embodiments and modifications described above are merely examples of embodiments of the present invention, and various embodiments that realize the functions of the present invention are included within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the embodiments and modifications described above, the present invention was explained using the application of the present invention to a holding system for serving prepared foods as an example, but the present invention can be applied to systems for gripping various objects. For example, the present invention can be applied to systems for gripping materials with high viscosity or adhesiveness, such as mixed mortar, concrete, plaster, and clay. The present invention is suitable for gripping objects having a viscosity of medium viscosity or higher (5000 mPa·s) or higher at working temperature or room temperature. Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented by appropriately combining the examples described in the above embodiments. The series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or by software. In other words, the functional configuration shown in Figure 6 is merely illustrative and not particularly limiting. That is, it is sufficient for the holding system 1 to be equipped with a function that can execute the series of processes described above as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the example in Figure 6. Furthermore, a single functional block may consist of hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both.

[0108] When a series of processes are executed by software, the programs that make up that software are installed on a computer or other device from a network or storage medium. A computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware. Alternatively, a computer may be a computer capable of performing various functions by installing various programs, such as a general-purpose personal computer.

[0109] The storage medium for storing programs consists of removable media distributed separately from the main unit, or storage media pre-installed in the main unit. Removable media consists of, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, or flash memory. Optical disks consist of, for example, CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), Blu-ray Disc (registered trademark), etc. Magneto-optical disks consist of, for example, MD (Mini-Disk). Flash memory consists of, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or SD cards. Furthermore, storage media pre-installed in the main unit consists of, for example, ROM, SSD, HDD, etc., on which programs are stored.

[0110] In this specification, the step of describing a program to be recorded on a recording medium includes not only processes that are performed chronologically in that order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically, but are executed in parallel or individually. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall system composed of multiple devices, means, etc.

[0111] The above embodiments illustrate one example of applying the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. That is, the present invention can be modified in various ways, such as by omitting or substituting, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and various embodiments other than those described above are possible. Various embodiments that the present invention can take and their variations are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0112] 1 Holding system, 2 Belt conveyor, 10 Ingredient container, 20 Container supply device, 30 Articulated robot, 31 Gripping mechanism, 311 Connecting member, 312 Air cylinder, 313 Connecting member, 314 Gripping member, 32 Robot arm, 33 Robot base end, 41 Storage state detection sensor, 42 Serving state detection sensor, 51 First weighing scale, 52 Second weighing scale, 60 Base unit, 61 Caster, 62 Serving position, 63 Stand, 70 Control device, 151 Information acquisition unit, 152 Articulated robot control unit, 153 Container supply control unit, 154 Recording control unit, 171 Parameter storage unit, 172 History database (History DB), 711 CPU, 712 ROM, 713 RAM, 714 Bus, 715 Input unit, 716 Output unit, 717 Storage unit, 718 Communication unit, 719 Drive, 731 Removable media, T1 First transport path, T2 Second transport path

Claims

1. A robot having a plurality of holding parts for holding an object located on a mounting part enclosed by a wall, and a moving mechanism for moving the plurality of holding parts together, Control means for controlling the robot, Equipped with, The control means is The mounting section is divided into multiple regions, and the holding posture of the multiple holding sections is predetermined for each region. In the region where holding is performed, the holding sections closest to the wall surface are given priority in gripping. A holding system characterized by the following:

2. The plurality of holding parts have a structure that holds the object by opening and closing, The control means sets the orientation of the plurality of holding parts such that the direction in which the plurality of holding parts open and close is parallel to the direction in which the wall surface extends when performing the holding of the object. The holding system according to feature 1.

3. The control means is The plurality of holding parts are fixed in the position in which the plurality of holding parts are to be held, and are moved to the region where holding is performed without rotating the position. The holding system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1 or 2.

4. The control means is By dividing the aforementioned mounting portion into two regions with the central part as the boundary, the aforementioned mounting portion is divided into multiple regions. The holding system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1 or 2.

5. A robot having multiple holding parts for holding an object located on a mounting section, and a moving mechanism for moving the multiple holding parts together, Control means for controlling the robot, The robot includes a detection means for detecting the quantity of an object held by the holding unit, Equipped with, The control means is The mounting section is divided into multiple regions, and the robot determines which of the multiple holding sections to use to perform the holding operation depending on which region of the mounting section the object is located in. If the amount of object held by the determined holding unit detected by the detection means is insufficient to hold the amount of object that the robot should hold, the robot will continue to hold the object with the determined holding unit and have other holding units hold the remaining object. A holding system characterized by the following:

6. A computer for controlling a robot having a plurality of holding parts for holding an object located on a mounting part surrounded by a wall, and a moving mechanism for moving the plurality of holding parts together, The mounting section is divided into multiple regions, and the posture in which the multiple holding sections will hold is predetermined for each region. A control function is provided to prioritize gripping by the holding sections that are closer to the wall surface in the predetermined posture within the region where gripping is performed. A program characterized by achieving this.

Images