Parts supply device, parts supply method, and program

Abstract

To provide a component supply device, a component supply method and a program which can enhance efficiency in work for picking up a component.SOLUTION: A component supply device comprises a pick base, a supply part, a detecting part and a control part. The control part determines a state of a component placed on the pick base, on the basis of information detected by the detecting part. The control part discriminates whether the component is a component that can be picked by the supply part or a component that cannot be picked by the supply part, on the basis of the state of the component. The control part calculates operation amounts for adjusting the component that cannot be picked into a state where the component can be picked, and makes the adjusting part adjust only the component that cannot be picked, on the basis of the calculated operation amounts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a component supply device, a component supply method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, a component supply device has been proposed that takes out a small number of components from a stacked group of components and supplies them to a predetermined location. As a conventional technique of this type, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 describes a technique for collapsing the overlap of components by tilting a tray when the components overlap on the tray and cannot be gripped by a robot hand.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, even if the tray is tilted, the components do not necessarily move to a posture or position where they can be picked up. Therefore, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to move the components many times, and the efficiency of the component pickup operation has been reduced.

[0005] In view of the above-described conventional problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a component supply device, a component supply method, and a program that can improve the efficiency of the component pickup operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems and achieve the objectives of the present invention, the parts supply device comprises a picking table on which parts are stacked, a supply unit that picks up parts stacked on the picking table and supplies them to a predetermined location, a detection unit that detects parts stacked on the picking table, and a control unit. The control unit determines the state of the parts stacked on the picking table based on the information detected by the detection unit. Based on the state of the parts, the control unit determines whether the parts can be picked up by the supply unit or not. The control unit then calculates an operation amount to adjust the unpickable parts to a pickable state, and based on the calculated operation amount, the adjustment unit adjusts only the state of the unpickable parts.

[0007] The component supply method of the present invention includes the following processes (1) to (5). (1) The process of loading parts onto the picking table. (2) A process to detect parts loaded on the picking table and determine the condition of the parts. (3) A process to determine whether a part can be picked up by the supply unit or not, based on the condition of the part. (4) A process to calculate the amount of manipulation required to adjust a part that cannot be picked up to a state where it can be picked up. (5) A process that adjusts only the status of parts that cannot be picked based on the calculated manipulation amount.

[0008] Furthermore, the program of the present invention causes a computer to perform the following steps. A procedure for detecting parts stacked on a picking table and determining the condition of the parts. A procedure for determining whether a part can be picked up by the supply unit or not, based on the condition of the part. A procedure for calculating the amount of manipulation required to adjust a non-pickable part to a pickable state. A procedure to adjust only the status of parts that cannot be picked up, based on the calculated manipulation amount. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the parts supply device, parts supply method, and program configured as described above, the efficiency of parts picking can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a component supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a top view of a parts supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a side view of a parts supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a side view of the supply unit in a parts supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the hand of the supply unit in a parts supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of a pick stand in a parts supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control system in a component supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a recognition control unit in a parts supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure illustrates the parts supply operation of a parts supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This flowchart shows an example of a pickup operation in a parts supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This flowchart shows the pre-preparation process for the pickup operation in a parts supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is an explanatory diagram showing whether a part can be picked up based on its orientation. [Figure 13] This flowchart shows the component state determination process for the pickup operation in a component supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a component state determination process. [Figure 15]FIG. 15A is a graph showing the relationship between the component area and the area, and FIG. 15B is a diagram showing the component area. [Figure 16] It is a flowchart showing the interference determination process of the pickup operation in the component supply device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIGS. 17A and 17B are explanatory diagrams showing the interference determination process. [Figure 18] It is an explanatory diagram showing the ellipse fitting process [Figure 19] It is a flowchart showing the relocation (position) feasibility determination process of the pickup operation in the component supply device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] It is an explanatory diagram showing the relocation (position) feasibility determination process. [Figure 21] It is an explanatory diagram showing the relocation (position) feasibility determination process. [Figure 22] It is a flowchart showing the relocation (orientation and position) feasibility determination process of the pickup operation in the component supply device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] It is a flowchart showing the area division process of the pickup operation in the component supply device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] It is an explanatory diagram showing the area division process.

Embodiments of the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 24. In each figure, common members are denoted by the same reference numerals. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0012] [Configuration of Component Supply Device] First, the configuration of the component supply device according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the component supply device. FIG. 2 is a top view of the component supply device. FIG. 3 is a side view of the component supply device.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the parts supply device 1 comprises a frame 2, storage sections 3A and 3B, a supply section 4, picking tables 5A and 5B, placing tables 6A and 6B, and a control board 7. The storage sections 3A and 3B, the supply section 4, the picking tables 5A and 5B, the placing tables 6A and 6B, and the control board 7 are mounted on the frame 2. The parts supply device 1 places the parts stored in the storage sections 3A and 3B onto the placing tables 6A and 6B in the same orientation and supplies them to the device for the next process.

[0014] Frame 2 is formed in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape and has width, depth, and height. Here, in Figures 1 to 3, the X-axis direction indicates the width direction of frame 2, the Y-axis direction indicates the depth direction of frame 2, and the Z-axis direction indicates the height direction of frame 2. The X-axis and Y-axis directions correspond to the two horizontal axes, which are two axes parallel to the horizontal plane, and the Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction, which is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Frame 2 is composed of a horizontal member extending in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction and a vertical member extending in the Z-axis direction.

[0015] The storage sections 3A and 3B are located on one side of the frame 2 in the Y-axis direction. The storage sections 3A and 3B face each other with an appropriate distance between them in the X-axis direction. The storage sections 3A and 3B are formed in a roughly box shape with an open top. The storage sections 3A and 3B are provided with a lifting mechanism that moves the bottom in the Z-axis direction. This allows each storage section 3A and 3B to change its storage capacity and the height position of the stored components.

[0016] For example, a first component is stored in storage section 3A, and a second component, different from the first component, is stored in storage section 3B. In this case, the component supply device 1 supplies the first component and the second component to the device for the next process. Alternatively, the first component may be stored in storage sections 3A and 3B during a first period, and the second component may be stored in storage sections 3A and 3B during a second period different from the first period. In this case, the component supply device 1 supplies the first component to the device for the next process during the first period, and supplies the second component to the device for the next process during the second period.

[0017] The supply unit 4 is located approximately in the center of the upper part of the frame 2. The supply unit 4 grasps one or more parts from the large quantity of first parts or large quantity of second parts stored in the storage units 3A and 3B and drops them onto the picking tables 5A and 5B for supply. As a result, the first parts or second parts are placed on the picking tables 5A and 5B. The supply unit 4 also grasps the first parts or second parts placed on the picking tables 5A and 5B one by one and supplies them to the placing tables 6A and 6B. The configuration of the supply unit 4 will be explained later with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0018] The picking tables 5A and 5B are located on both sides of the supply unit 4 in the X-axis direction. Furthermore, the picking tables 5A and 5B are adjacent to the storage units 3A and 3B, respectively, in the Y-axis direction. The picking tables 5A and 5B are located above the storage units 3A and 3B.

[0019] In the Z-axis direction, a portion of the pick stand 5A overlaps with the storage section 3A. As a result, any parts that fall from the portion of the pick stand 5A are stored (returned) to the storage section 3A. In the Z-axis direction, a portion of the pick stand 5B overlaps with the storage section 3B. As a result, any parts that fall from the portion of the pick stand 5B are stored (returned) to the storage section 3B. The configurations of the pick stands 5A and 5B will be explained later with reference to Figure 6.

[0020] The placing tables 6A and 6B have a belt conveyor that transports parts in the Y-axis direction. The placing tables 6A and 6B are also attached to an X-axis movement mechanism. The X-axis movement mechanism moves the placing tables 6A and 6B in the X-axis direction. The placing tables 6A and 6B transport the parts supplied from the supply unit 4 in the Y-axis direction and position them in predetermined positions. The positioned parts are then supplied to the next process device.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the control board 7 is mounted on the side of the frame 2. The control board 7 is equipped with a control unit 71 (see Figure 7) that controls the operation of the housing units 3A and 3B, the supply unit 4, and the place tables 6A and 6B.

[0022] [Supply Unit Configuration] Next, the configuration of the supply unit 4 will be explained with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a side view of the supply unit 4 in the parts supply device 1. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the hand of the supply unit 4 in the parts supply device 1.

[0023] As shown in Figure 4, the supply unit 4 comprises an arm block 41 and a hand block 42 connected to the arm block 41. The arm block 41 has a support base 411 and an arm 412 attached to the support base 411. The support base 411 is fixed to the frame 2. The support base 411 rotatably supports the arm 412.

[0024] The arm 412 moves the hand block 42 freely in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. The arm 412 also rotates the hand block 42 freely around the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The arm 412 includes a base member 413, a first link member 414, a second link member 415, and a connecting member 416.

[0025] The base member 413 is rotatably connected to the support base 411. The base member 413 rotates about the Z-axis (first axis). One end of the first link member 414 is rotatably connected to the base member 413. The first link member 414 rotates about a horizontally extending axis (second axis).

[0026] The second link member 415 has a pivot portion 415a and a swivel portion 415b connected to the pivot portion 415a. The pivot portion 415a is rotatably connected to the other end of the first link member 414. The pivot portion 415a rotates around a horizontally extending axis (third axis). The swivel portion 415b is rotatably connected to the pivot portion 415a. The swivel portion 415b rotates around an axis (fourth axis) extending in the direction of connection with the pivot portion 415a.

[0027] The connecting member 416 has a rotating portion 416a and a swivel portion 416b connected to the rotating portion 416a. The rotating portion 416a is rotatably connected to the swivel portion 415b of the second link member 415. The rotating portion 416a rotates around an axis (fifth axis) that extends horizontally. The swivel portion 416b is rotatably connected to the rotating portion 416a. The swivel portion 416b rotates around an axis (sixth axis) that extends in the direction of connection with the rotating portion 416a. The directions in which the second axis, third axis and fourth axis extend are parallel.

[0028] As shown in Figure 5, the hand block 42 has a housing 421 and a hand 422 and camera 423 attached to the housing 421. The housing 421 is connected to the swivel portion 416b of the connecting member 416 in the arm 412. The housing 421 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped housing. On the lower surface of the housing 421, there is a hand hole 421a through which the hand 422 passes, and a lens hole 421b that exposes the objective lens of the camera 423.

[0029] The hand 422 is composed of multiple (two in this embodiment) gripping pieces 422a. Inside the housing 421 are an opening / closing mechanism for opening and closing the multiple gripping pieces 422a, and a lifting / lowering mechanism for raising and lowering the multiple gripping pieces. As the multiple gripping pieces 422a are raised and lowered by the lifting / lowering mechanism, the length that protrudes from the hand hole 421a changes. If the length that the multiple gripping pieces 422a protrude from the hand hole 421a is increased, the space for holding parts increases, and the number of parts that can be gripped increases. On the other hand, if the length that the multiple gripping pieces 422a protrude from the hand hole 421a is shortened, the space for holding parts decreases, and the number of parts that can be gripped decreases.

[0030] Multiple gripping pieces 422a can also grip a single part at their tip. The hand 422 grips one or more parts from a large number of parts stored in the storage section 3A or storage section 3B and supplies them to the picking table 5A or picking table 5B. On the other hand, the hand 422 grips one part from one or more parts placed on the picking table 5A or picking table 5B and supplies it to the placing table 6A or placing table 6B.

[0031] Furthermore, the widthwise length of the gripping piece 422a (hand fingertip width) is set to W_h. Also, the distance between the two gripping pieces 422a when they are open (finger spread width) is set to W_f. Information regarding the hand fingertip width W_h and the finger spread width W_f of the gripping piece 422a is stored in the memory unit 72, which will be described later.

[0032] Camera 423 shows one specific example of the detection unit according to the present invention. Camera 423 has an image sensor, a plurality of lenses including an objective lens, a polarizing filter, illumination, etc. Camera 423 is housed in a housing 421. The objective lens of camera 423 is exposed through a lens hole 421b of the housing 421.

[0033] The images (video) captured by camera 423 are transmitted to control unit 71, which will be described later. The control unit 71 detects information such as the positions of storage units 3A and 3B and picking tables 5A and 5B from the images captured by camera 423.

[0034] [Pickup stand configuration] Next, the configuration of picking stands 5A and 5B will be explained with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the picking table 5A in the parts supply device 1.

[0035] Picking tables 5A and 5B have the same configuration. Therefore, here we will explain the configuration using picking table 5A as an example. As shown in Figure 6, picking table 5A has a tray 51 that forms the loading surface and three wall plates 52 to 54 that are continuous with the tray 51.

[0036] The tray 51 consists of a roughly rectangular plate. The plane of the tray 51 is roughly perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. The tray 51 has two sides that are roughly parallel to the X-axis direction and two sides that are roughly parallel to the Y-axis direction. The wall plate 52 protrudes roughly perpendicularly from the side of the tray 51 that is furthest from the storage section 3A (see Figure 2) of the two sides that are roughly parallel to the X-axis direction. The wall plates 53 and 54 also protrude roughly perpendicularly from the two sides of the tray 51 that are roughly parallel to the Y-axis direction.

[0037] The wall plates 52-54 prevent supplied parts from falling from the tray 51. The sides of the tray 51 without wall plates overlap the opening of the storage section 3A in the Z-axis direction. As a result, parts that fall from the sides of the tray 51 without wall plates are returned to the storage section 3A. In addition, a tilting mechanism is provided at the bottom of the pick stand 5A to tilt the pick stand 5A. The tilting mechanism tilts the pick stand 5A so that the side with wall plate 52 is higher. As a result, parts placed on the pick stand 5A fall from the sides of the tray 51 without wall plates and are collected in the storage section 3A.

[0038] [Control system configuration] Next, the configuration of the control system of the parts supply device 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the control system configuration in the parts supply device 1.

[0039] The control board 7 (see Figure 1) is equipped with a control unit 71 and a memory unit 72. The control unit 71 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). Various functions of the control unit 71 are realized by the CPU executing a predetermined processing program stored in the ROM. Examples of the various functions of the control unit 71 include the control of the arm 412 by the arm control unit 712 and the control of the hand 422 by the hand control unit 713.

[0040] As shown in Figure 7, the control unit 71 includes an overall control unit 711, an arm control unit 712, a hand control unit 713, and a recognition control unit 714. The control unit 71 is a specific example of a supply adjustment unit according to the present invention.

[0041] The overall control unit 711 is connected to the arm control unit 712, the hand control unit 713, and the recognition control unit 714. The overall control unit 711 receives detection results from the recognition control unit 714, such as the position of each part including the housing units 3A and 3B and the hand 422, the size of the picking tables 5A and 5B, and the number of parts being gripped by the hand 422.

[0042] The overall control unit 711 performs overall control of the arm control unit 712 and the hand control unit 713 based on the detection results received from the recognition control unit 714 and the supply parameters 723 and characteristic information 724 stored in the storage unit 72.

[0043] The arm control unit 712 is connected to the drive unit of the arm 412. The arm control unit 712 receives control commands from the overall control unit 711. Based on the control commands received from the overall control unit 711, the arm control unit 712 generates an arm drive signal to drive the arm 412 and transmits it to the drive unit of the arm 412. As a result, the arm 412 performs the operation in accordance with the control commands from the overall control unit 711.

[0044] The hand control unit 713 is connected to the drive unit of the hand 422. The hand control unit 713 receives control commands from the overall control unit 711. Based on the control commands received from the overall control unit 711, the hand control unit 713 generates a hand drive signal to drive the hand 422 and transmits it to the drive unit of the hand 422. As a result, the hand 422 performs the operation in accordance with the control commands from the overall control unit 711.

[0045] The recognition control unit 714 is connected to the camera 423. The recognition control unit 714 controls the camera 423 to take pictures based on the shooting parameters 721 stored in the memory unit 72. The recognition control unit 714 also applies image processing to the image data received from the camera 423 based on the image processing parameters (various correction values) stored in the memory unit 72.

[0046] The recognition control unit 714 detects the positions of the storage units 3A and 3B, the picking tables 5A and 5B, and the placing tables 6A and 6B from the image data that has been processed. The recognition control unit 714 also detects the posture of the hand 422 and the number of parts grasped by the hand 422 from the image data that has been processed. Furthermore, the recognition control unit 714 detects the size (area) of the picking tables 5A and 5B, the shape of the picking tables 5A and 5B (presence or absence of wall plates), and the outline (contour) of the parts placed on the picking tables 5A and 5B from the image data that has been processed. Finally, the recognition control unit 714 transmits the detection results to the overall control unit 711.

[0047] The memory unit 72 stores the shooting parameters 721, image processing parameters 722, supply parameters 723, characteristic information 724, and calibration data 725. The shooting parameters 721 are used when the camera 423 photographs each part (pick stand 5A, 5B, etc.). Examples of shooting parameters include exposure time, illumination intensity, and image size depending on the object being photographed. The image processing parameters 722 are various correction values ​​used when applying image processing to the image data received from the camera 423.

[0048] The supply parameter 723 is used to determine the operation of the supply unit 4 when supplying parts to the picking table 5A or picking table 5B. The supply parameter 723 is stored in the storage unit 72 beforehand. The supply parameter 723 is also prepared according to the characteristic information described later. The contents of the supply parameter 723 will be explained later with reference to Figure 8.

[0049] The characteristic information 724 is at least one of the following: the shape of the part, the weight of the part, the position of the center of gravity of the part, the material of the part, the surface properties of the part, the surface friction coefficient of the part, and the color of the part. The characteristic information 724 is stored in the storage unit 72 in advance for each type of part. Alternatively, the control unit 71 may extract the characteristic information 724 from the 3D model data of the part. In this case, the 3D model data of the part is stored in the storage unit 72 in advance.

[0050] The calibration data 725 consists of the focal length and distortion correction parameters of the camera body 427, which are internal parameters 727, and external parameters 728 for converting from a coordinate system with the camera body 427 as the origin to a coordinate system that can be handled by the supply unit 4.

[0051] Next, the configuration of the recognition control unit 714 will be described with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the recognition control unit 714.

[0052] As shown in Figure 8, the recognition control unit 714 includes a non-pickable part identification unit 801, a position calculation unit 802, and a position adjustment unit 803. The non-pickable part identification unit 801 identifies parts that cannot be grasped (picked) by the hand 422 from among the parts placed on the picking tables 5A and 5B based on image data. The non-pickable part identification unit 801 then transmits the identified part information to the position calculation unit 802.

[0053] The position calculation unit 802 calculates the position of the part identified by the non-pickable part identification unit 801. The position calculation unit 802 then transmits the calculated position information of the non-pickable part to the position adjustment unit 803. Based on the position information of the non-pickable part calculated by the position calculation unit 802, the position adjustment unit 803 calculates the amount of movement (adjustment amount) required to move the part to a pickable position and orientation. The position adjustment unit 803 then transmits the calculated amount of movement to the overall control unit 711. Based on the movement information for repositioning received from the position adjustment unit 803, the overall control unit 711 outputs control commands to the arm control unit 712 and the hand control unit 713 to control the operation of the supply unit 4.

[0054] Although an example has been described in which the non-pickable part identification unit 801, the position calculation unit 802, and the position adjustment unit 803 are provided in the recognition control unit 714, the method is not limited to this. For example, the non-pickable part identification unit 801, the position calculation unit 802, and the position adjustment unit 803 may be provided in the overall control unit 711, or they may be provided individually within the control unit 71.

[0055] [Parts supply operation of the parts supply device] Next, the parts supply operation of the parts supply device 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 9. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the parts supply operation of the parts supply device 1.

[0056] As shown in Figure 9, in order for the parts supply device 1 to supply parts to the next process device, the parts are first stored in the storage sections 3A and 3B (hereinafter referred to as "storage section 3"). The storage of parts in storage section 3 may be performed by the device in the previous process, or it may be performed by a person.

[0057] Next, the supply unit 4 grasps one or more parts from the large number of parts in the storage unit 3 and supplies them to the pick stand 5A or pick stand 5B (hereinafter referred to as "pick stand 5"). At this time, the supply unit 4 performs a supply operation such that the grasped parts are scattered on the pick stand 5. Hereinafter, the supply operation such that the parts are scattered on the pick stand 5 will be referred to as the "part scattering operation".

[0058] Next, camera 423 takes a picture of the picking table 5, and the recognition control unit 714 of the control unit 71 performs an overhead recognition of the picking table 5. At this time, the recognition control unit 714 determines whether or not there are any parts on the picking table 5 that can be grasped.

[0059] Furthermore, even if a part is placed on the picking table 5, if the part is in a position or orientation that prevents it from being gripped by the supply unit 4, that part (the part that cannot be picked) is identified. The position of the part that cannot be picked is then calculated, and the amount of movement required to move it to a position where it can be gripped by the supply unit 4 is calculated. Based on the calculated amount of movement, the part that cannot be picked is repositioned by the supply unit 4 or another device.

[0060] Furthermore, if it is not possible to rearrange the parts that cannot be picked up, the tilting mechanism is activated to tilt the picking platform 5. As a result, the parts on the picking platform 5 fall from the side of the tray 51 where there is no wall plate and are collected in the storage section 3.

[0061] When the recognition control unit 714 determines that there is a part that can be gripped on the picking table 5, it recognizes (determines) a gripping position for gripping one of the parts on the picking table 5. The supply unit 4 then grips one part and supplies it to the placing tables 6A and 6B (hereinafter referred to as "placing table 6"). The placing table 6 positions the supplied part in a predetermined position. The part positioned in the predetermined position is supplied to the device for the next process.

[0062] When the supply unit 4 supplies one part to the placing table 6, the recognition control unit 714 recognizes (determines) the gripping position for gripping the next part from among the parts on the picking table 5. At this time, if there are no parts on the picking table 5, the supply operation to the placing table 6 is terminated. Then, the supply unit 4 grips one or more parts from the large number of parts in the storage unit 3.

[0063] [Example of pickup operation of the supply unit] Next, an example of the pickup operation in the supply unit 4 will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 24. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the pickup operation.

[0064] As shown in Figure 10, first, preliminary preparation is performed before the supply unit 4 picks up the parts (step S10). During the preliminary preparation process, information about the parts to be handled and the hand 422 is stored in the storage unit 72. Details of the preliminary preparation in step S10 will be described later.

[0065] Next, the supply unit 4 grasps the parts from the storage unit 3 and supplies them to the tray 51 of the picking table 5 (step S12). Then, the camera 423 of the supply unit 4 takes a picture of the tray 51, and the control unit 71 determines the state of the parts loaded on the tray 51 (step S13). In step S13, the control unit 71 sets the determination result as part state C. Examples of part state C include "isolated" where the part is alone and isolated, "standing / overhanging" where the part is alone and isolated but in the wrong position (standing), or overhanging the tray 51, and "contact" where the parts are in contact with each other. Details of the part state determination process in step S13 will be described later.

[0066] Next, the control unit 71 determines, based on the component state determined in step S13, whether the component state C(i) of the i-th component region is "isolated," "in contact," or "protruding / overhanging" (step S14). If the control unit 71 determines in step S14 that the component state is "isolated," it performs an interference determination (step S15). In step S15, the control unit 71 sets the determination result to "interference present / absent O." Details of the interference determination process in step S15 will be described later.

[0067] Next, the control unit 71 determines whether the interference status O determined in step S15 is "interference present" or "no interference" (step S16). If it is determined in step S16 that there is "no interference", the control unit 71 controls the supply unit 4 to pick up the part (step S26).

[0068] Furthermore, if the control unit 71 determines that there is interference in step S16, it performs a determination on whether repositioning (location) is possible (step S17). In step S17, the control unit 71 sets the determination result as repositioning feasibility R_s. Here, repositioning feasibility R_s can be either "repositionable" or "reposition not possible". Details of the repositioning feasibility determination process in step S17 will be described later.

[0069] Next, the control unit determines whether the repositioning feasibility R_s set in step S17 is "repositionable" or "not repositionable" (step S18). If it is determined in step S18 that "repositioning is possible", the control unit 71 controls the supply unit 4 to reposition (change the position of) the part (step S19) and picks up the repositioned part (step S26). The amount of movement of the part to the repositioning position in step S19 is calculated in the repositioning feasibility determination process in step S17.

[0070] Furthermore, once the processing in step S26 is complete, the control unit 71 determines whether or not the pick stand 5 is empty (step S27). If, in the processing of step S27, it is determined that there are still parts on the pick stand 5 (No determination in step S27), the control unit 71 returns to the processing in step S14. If, in the processing of step S27, it is determined that there are no parts on the pick stand 5 (Yes determination in step S27), the control unit 71 returns to the processing in step S12 and has parts supplied from the storage unit 3 to the pick stand 5.

[0071] Furthermore, if the control unit 71 determines in step S18 that the part cannot be repositioned, it suspends the pickup operation for that part (step S28). After the processing of step S28 is completed, the control unit determines whether all parts on the pick stand 5 are suspended (step S29). If the control unit 71 determines in step S29 that all parts are not suspended (No determination in step S29), it returns to the processing of step S14.

[0072] In contrast, if the process in step S29 determines that all parts are to be held (a Yes determination in step S29), the control unit 71 drives the tilting mechanism to tilt the pick stand 5 and discard the parts on the pick stand 5 (step S30). That is, in the process of step S30, the parts on the pick stand 5 are collected in the storage unit 3. Then, the process returns to step S12, and parts are resupplied from the storage unit 3 to the pick stand 5.

[0073] Furthermore, if the control unit 71 determines in step S14 that the part is in the "standing / overhanging" position, it performs a determination of whether or not repositioning (posture (standing) / position (overhanging)) is possible (step S21). In step S21, the control unit 71 sets the determination result to repositioning feasibility R_t. Details of the repositioning (posture / position) feasibility determination process in step S21 will be described later.

[0074] Next, the control unit determines whether the repositioning feasibility R_t set in step S21 is "repositionable" or "not repositionable" (step S22). If it is determined in step S22 that "repositionable" is possible, the control unit 71 controls the supply unit 4 to reposition (change the orientation or position of) the part (step S23), and picks up the repositioned part (step S26).

[0075] In step S23, for example, if the part is standing upright, the fingertips of the gripping piece 422a press on the top of the part and roll it, or grip a part of the part and roll it into a position where it can be picked up. Also, if the part is protruding from the tray 51, the fingertips of the gripping piece 422a push the part back into the tray 51. The amount of manipulation of the part in step S23 is calculated in the rearrangement (position and location) feasibility determination process in step 21.

[0076] Furthermore, if the control unit 71 determines in step S22 that the part cannot be repositioned, it suspends the pickup operation of the part (step S28).

[0077] Furthermore, if the control unit 71 determines that the component state is "contact" during the process in step S14, it performs region division processing (step S24). Also in step S24, the control unit 71 sets the success or failure of the region division processing to D. Details of the region division processing in step S24 will be described later.

[0078] Next, it is determined whether the region division process performed in step S24 was successful or unsuccessful (step S25). If it is determined in step S25 that the division was unsuccessful, the control unit 71 suspends the pickup operation of the component in that component region (step S28).

[0079] Furthermore, if the processing in step S25 determines that the division was successful, the control unit 71 returns to the processing in step S14. In subsequent processing, each divided component region is processed separately.

[0080] [Preparation Process] Next, the details of the pre-preparation process in step S10 will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the pre-preparation process, and Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram showing whether a part can be picked up based on its orientation.

[0081] As shown in Figure 11, first, the area thresholds (minimum area threshold Th_min(t) and maximum area threshold Th_max(t)) for each orientation t of the part to be picked are stored in the storage unit 72 (step S41). Next, pickability information P(t) for each part orientation t is stored in the storage unit 72 (step S42). For example, as shown in Figure 12, orientation 1 (front) and orientation 2 (back) are stored as pickable, while orientation 3 (right) and orientation 4 (left) are stored as not pickable.

[0082] Next, the part shape F(t) for each part orientation t is stored in the memory unit 72 (step S43). The information from steps S41 to S43 is created, for example, based on image data of the part captured by the camera 423.

[0083] Next, the fingertip width W_h and finger opening width W_f (see Figure 5) of the gripping piece 422a of the hand 422 are stored in the storage unit 72 (step S44). Next, the tray 51 without any parts loaded on it is photographed by the camera 423, and the captured image data is stored in the storage unit 72 as background image I_b (step S45). This completes the pre-preparation process. Note that all pre-preparation processes may be stored in the storage unit 72, or various information may be obtained from an external server.

[0084] [Component status determination process] Next, the details of the part state determination process in step S13 will be explained with reference to Figures 13 and 15. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the component state determination process, Figures 14 and 15 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the component state determination process, Figure 15A is a graph showing the relationship between the component region and area, and Figure 15B is a diagram showing the component region.

[0085] As shown in Figure 13, first, the control unit 71 takes a picture of the tray 51 on which the parts are loaded with the camera 423 and acquires the captured image I_c (step S51). For example, image data is acquired of multiple parts M1, M2, M3, and M4 loaded on the tray 51, as shown in the measurement image in Figure 14. Next, the control unit 71 calculates the part image I_f from the difference between the background image I_b and the captured image I_c (step S52). As a result, the part image I_f is extracted from the measurement image as shown in Figure 14.

[0086] Next, the control unit 71 labels the part image I_f to obtain part region A(i)·(i=1···N) (step S53). As a result, as shown in Figure 14, the first part region a, the second part region b, the third part region c, and the fourth part region d are extracted. Next, the control unit 71 calculates the area S(i) of part region A(i) (step S54).

[0087] Next, the control unit 71 compares the calculated area S(i) with the threshold (T_min(t)·T_max(t)) and sets the component state C(i) (step S55). Examples of component states C(i) are "isolated", "contact", and "protruding / overhanging". Then, the control unit 71 performs steps S54 and S55 for all component regions A.

[0088] In the examples shown in Figures 15A and 15B, the area of ​​the first part region a falls within the range of the minimum and maximum area thresholds in the pickable position that have been set in advance. Therefore, the part state C of the first part region a is set to "isolated". Also, the area of ​​the second part region b exceeds the maximum area threshold in the pickable position. Therefore, the part state C of the second part region b is set to "contact".

[0089] Furthermore, the third part region c is smaller than the preset minimum area threshold for an unpickable posture. Therefore, the part state C of the third part region c is set to "overhang". The fourth part region d falls within the range of the minimum and maximum area thresholds for an unpickable posture. Therefore, the part state of the fourth part region d is set to an unpickable posture, for example, "standing".

[0090] [Interference detection process] Next, with reference to Figures 16 to 18, the details of the interference determination process in step S15 will be explained. Figure 16 is a flowchart showing the interference detection process, Figures 17A and 17B are explanatory diagrams showing the interference detection process, and Figure 18 is an explanatory diagram showing the elliptic fitting process.

[0091] As shown in Figure 16, the control unit 71 performs elliptic fitting on the component region A(i) (step S61). That is, as shown in Figures 17A and 18, it creates an ellipse Q1 that encloses the component image I_f of each component region A. Then, the control unit 71 calculates the component center (X_c, Y_c) and the component angle θ from the ellipse Q1.

[0092] Next, the control unit 71 sets a rectangle with a vertical width W_h and a horizontal width W_f as the hand approach area H(i) for each part area A(i), with the center of gravity of the part (X_c, Y_c) and at a position tilted at an angle θ (see step S62, Figures 17A and 18). The hand approach area H indicates the size when the hand 422 grasps the part. Then, the control unit 71 determines whether there are any obstacles such as other parts or the walls of the tray 51 (wall plates 52, 53) within the set hand approach area H(i) (step S63).

[0093] For example, as shown in Figure 17B, the first component area a is determined to have no interference because there are no other components or walls within the hand approach area H. The second component area b is determined to have interference because there are other components within the hand approach area H, and the third component area c is determined to have interference because there is a wall within the hand approach area H.

[0094] In step S63, if it is determined that there are no other parts or walls (No determination in step S63), the control unit 71 sets the interference status O to "no interference" (step S64). Also, in step S63, if it is determined that there are other parts or walls (Yes determination in step S63), the control unit 71 sets the interference status O to "interference present" (step S65). Then, the control unit 71 repeats the above interference determination process for all part regions A that have been determined to be "isolated".

[0095] An example has been described in which elliptical fitting is performed on the part area A to set the hand approach area H for the part, but this is not the only example. For example, coordinate information indicating the centroid position of the hand approach area H for the part may be stored in advance during the preparation process.

[0096] [Process to determine whether rearrangement (position) is possible] Next, the process for determining whether rearrangement (position) is possible in step S17 will be explained with reference to Figures 19 to 21. Figure 19 is a flowchart showing the repositioning (location) feasibility determination process, and Figures 20 and 21 are explanatory diagrams showing the repositioning (location) feasibility determination process.

[0097] As shown in Figure 19, first, the repositioning destination (X_r, Y_r) is set based on the position of the wall or other part included in the hand approach area H(i) and its lateral position (step S71). As shown in Figure 20, when picking up part M2, the hand approach area H interferes with part M1. Therefore, the control unit 71 sets the interference amount d in the long side direction of the hand approach area H(i) in the area where the part M1 interferes in the hand approach area H(i). Then, the repositioning position (X_r, Y_r) is set to the position obtained by moving by the interference amount d parallel to the long side of the hand approach area H(i) from the interfering position. This interference amount d is the amount of movement required to reposition the part. Then, in the process of step S19, the control unit 71 controls the supply unit 4 based on the calculated amount of movement and moves the part to the repositioning position (X_r, Y_r) with the fingertips of the gripping piece 422a.

[0098] Next, the repositioning hand approach area H'(i) and the repositioning component area A'(i) are set from the repositioning position (X_r, Y_r), the hand fingertip W_h, the finger opening width W_f, and the angle θ (step S72). Then, the control unit 71 determines whether or not there are obstacles such as other components (component M3 in Figure 20) or walls in the repositioning hand approach area H'(i) or the repositioning component area A'(i) (step S73).

[0099] In step S73, if it is determined that there are no other parts or walls (No determination in step S73), the control unit 71 sets the repositioning feasibility R_s to "repositionable" (step S74). Also, in step S73, if it is determined that there are other parts or walls (Yes determination in step S73), the control unit 71 sets the repositioning feasibility R_s to "reposition not possible" (step S75). Then, the control unit 71 repeats the above repositioning (position) feasibility determination process for all part regions A that have been determined to have interference.

[0100] For example, as shown in Figure 21, for parts M4 and M5, the hand approach area H after repositioning does not interfere with the wall or other parts, so the repositionability R_s is set to "repositionable". In contrast, for part M6, the hand approach area H interferes with the wall after repositioning, so the repositionability R_s is set to "reposition not possible".

[0101] [Process to determine whether rearrangement (posture / position) is possible] Next, with reference to Figure 22, the process for determining whether rearrangement (posture and position) is possible in step S21 will be explained. Figure 22 is a flowchart showing the process for determining whether rearrangement (posture and position) is possible.

[0102] As shown in Figure 22, first, the control unit 71 sets the estimated orientation T(i) of the part from the part area S(i) obtained in the part state determination process (step S13) (step S81). Next, the control unit 71 sets the operation direction θ_p and operation amount M_p to change the estimated orientation T(i) to a pickable orientation t_p (step S82).

[0103] Next, the operating direction θ_p, the operating amount M_p, and the rearranged part region A'(i) are set based on the part shape F(t_p) after the orientation change (step S83). Also, the hand approach height Z(T(i)) relative to the orientation of the part is set (step S84). Here, the hand approach height Z is the height of the gripping piece 422a from the tray 51 when changing the orientation of the part.

[0104] Next, the control unit 71 performs an elliptical fitting on the rearranged part area A'(i) to calculate the part center (X_r, Y_r) and the part angle θ_r (step S85). Then, using the part center (X_r, Y_r) as the centroid, a rectangle with a vertical width W_h and a horizontal width W_f is set as the rearranged hand approach area H'(i) at a position tilted by an angle θ_r (step S86). Then, the control unit 71 determines whether there are any obstacles such as other parts or walls within the set hand approach area H'(i) or the rearranged part area A' (step S87).

[0105] In step S87, if it is determined that there are no other parts or walls (No determination in step S87), the control unit 71 sets the repositioning feasibility R_t to "repositionable" (step S88). Also, in step S87, if it is determined that there are other parts or walls (Yes determination in step S87), the control unit 71 sets the repositioning feasibility R_t to "reposition not possible" (step S89). Then, the control unit 71 repeats the above repositioning (attitude / position) feasibility determination process for all part regions A whose part state C is determined to be "standing / overhanging".

[0106] [Region partitioning process] Next, with reference to Figures 23 and 24, the details of the region decomposition process in step S24 will be described. Figure 23 is a flowchart illustrating the region decomposition process, and Figure 24 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the region decomposition process.

[0107] As shown in Figure 23, the control unit 71 performs a shrinkage process on the part image I_f of the part region to be divided (step S101). The control unit 71 also increments the number of operations n by +1 each time the shrinkage process is performed. Next, the control unit 71 determines whether the region area has become 0 or not (step S102).

[0108] If, during the process in step S102, it is determined that the area has become 0 (Yes determination in step S102), the control unit 71 sets the division success / failure D to "division failed" (step S107). If, during the process in step S102, it is determined that the area has not become 0 (No determination in step S102), the process proceeds to step S103, which will be described later.

[0109] In step S103, the control unit 71 determines whether the number of regions in the component image I_f has increased. If it is determined in step S103 that the number of regions has not increased (No determination in step S103), the control unit 71 returns to step S101 and performs the shrinking process. If it is determined in step S103 that the number of regions has increased (Yes determination in step S103), the control unit 71 performs an expansion process for each region and an XOR process for each region n times (the number of times the shrinking process was performed) (step S104).

[0110] As shown in Figure 24, when two parts are in contact or overlapping, the part region is divided into a first region n1 and a second region n2 by performing a shrinking process n times. Then, by performing an expansion process, the first region n1 and the second region n2 come into contact. In the XOR process, the image data of area K1 where the first region n1 and the second region n2 overlap is deleted. After performing the expansion process n times, the image is superimposed on the original image.

[0111] Next, the control unit 71 sets the component state after region division as a new component region A(i) (step S105). That is, the first region n1 and the second region n2 are each set as separate component regions A. Then, the control unit 71 sets the division success / failure D to "division successful" (step S106). The control unit 71 also repeats the above region division process for all component regions A whose component state C is determined to be "contact".

[0112] Furthermore, the region partitioning process is not limited to the method described above; various other methods may also be applied.

[0113] According to the parts supply device and parts supply method of the present invention, the non-pickable parts identification unit 801 identifies non-pickable parts from among a plurality of parts on the tray 51. This makes it possible to adjust only the position and orientation of the non-pickable parts. As a result, the position and orientation of non-pickable parts can be adjusted while pickable parts are loaded on the tray 51.

[0114] Furthermore, the system calculates the state of identified parts that cannot be picked and then calculates their state when they can be picked. This reduces the number of adjustments required to make parts that cannot be picked available for picking, thereby improving the efficiency of the picking process.

[0115] Furthermore, the system categorizes the condition of parts into various types based on their orientation and position, such as "isolated," "contact," "standing / overhanging," and "interference / absence." This allows for the appropriate calculation of the amount of movement and manipulation required to reposition parts that cannot be picked, according to the type of part condition. As a result, the need to readjust the parts after repositioning is eliminated, further improving the efficiency of the picking process.

[0116] The embodiments, including their effects, have been described above. However, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention as described in the claims.

[0117] Furthermore, some or all of the above-mentioned components, functions, and processing units may be implemented in hardware, for example, by designing an integrated circuit. Alternatively, the above-mentioned components and functions may be implemented in software by having the processor interpret and execute programs that realize each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in memory, hard disks, SSDs (Solid State Drives), or other recording media such as IC cards, SD cards, and DVDs.

[0118] In this specification, although terms such as "parallel" and "orthogonal" are used, these do not mean only strictly "parallel" and "orthogonal," but may also refer to states that are "approximately parallel" or "approximately orthogonal," which include "parallel" and "orthogonal" and are within a range in which they can perform their functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 1...Parts supply device, 2...Frame, 3,3A,3B...Storage section, 4...Supply section, 5,5A,5B...Picking table, 6,6A,6B...Placement table, 7...Control board, 41...Arm block, 42...Hand block, 51...Tray, 52,53...Wall plate, 71...Control unit, 72...Storage unit, 423...Camera (detection unit), 411...Support base, 412...Arm, 413...Base member, 414...First link member, 415...Second link member, 416...Connecting member, 421...Housing, 422...Hand, 422a...Gripping piece, 711...Overall control unit, 712...Arm control unit, 713...Hand control unit, 714...Recognition control unit, 721...Shooting parameters, 722...Image processing parameters, 723...Supply parameters 724…Characteristic information, 801…Part identification unit for parts that cannot be picked, 802…Position calculation unit, 803…Position adjustment unit

Claims

1. A picking table on which parts are loaded, A supply unit that picks up the parts loaded on the picking table and supplies them to a predetermined location, A detection unit for detecting the parts loaded on the pick stand, A control unit determines the state of the parts loaded on the pick stand based on the information detected by the detection unit, The system includes a storage unit that stores a minimum area threshold and a maximum area threshold for each orientation of the aforementioned component, The control unit, Based on the information detected by the detection unit and the minimum and maximum area thresholds, the supply unit determines whether the part is a part that can be picked up or a part that cannot be picked up. The amount of manipulation required to adjust the non-pickable part to a pickable state is calculated, and based on the calculated amount of manipulation, only the state of the non-pickable part is adjusted by the adjustment unit. Parts supply device.

2. The adjustment unit is the supply unit, The control unit controls the supply unit and adjusts the state of the unpickable parts based on the calculated operation amount. The parts supply device according to claim 1.

3. The control unit sorts the state of the component into a plurality of types based on the information detected by the detection unit. The parts supply device according to claim 1.

4. The control unit calculates the amount of manipulation required to move the unpickable parts to a pickable state, according to the type of state indicated by the selected parts. The parts supply device according to claim 3.

5. The control unit determines the orientation of the part based on the information detected by the detection unit and the minimum area threshold and maximum area threshold. The parts supply device according to claim 4.

6. The storage unit stores a hand approach area indicating the size of the part when the supply unit picks it up. The control unit sets the hand approach area for the component based on the information detected by the detection unit, and determines whether the component is pickable or not. The parts supply device according to claim 4.

7. The control unit determines whether the part is pickable or not, depending on the presence or absence of other parts or obstacles within the hand approach area. The parts supply device according to claim 6.

8. The process of loading parts onto the picking stand, A process to detect the parts loaded on the picking platform and determine the state of the parts, The process involves referring to a storage unit that stores a minimum area threshold and a maximum area threshold for each orientation of the aforementioned part, and determining the state of the part. Based on the state of the aforementioned part, a process is performed to determine whether the part is a part that can be picked up by the supply unit or a part that cannot be picked up. A process for calculating the amount of manipulation required to adjust the aforementioned non-pickable part to a pickable state, Based on the calculated manipulation amount, a process is performed to adjust only the state of the parts that cannot be picked, A method of supplying parts, including the supply of parts.

9. A procedure for detecting parts loaded on a picking table and determining the condition of the parts, A procedure for determining the state of the part by referring to a storage unit that stores a minimum area threshold and a maximum area threshold for each orientation of the part, A procedure for determining whether a part can be picked up by the supply unit or not, based on the condition of the part, A procedure for calculating the amount of manipulation required to adjust the aforementioned non-pickable part to a pickable state, A procedure to adjust only the state of the parts that cannot be picked based on the calculated manipulation amount, A program that causes a computer to execute something.

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