Robot system, robot operation method, and robot

Abstract

This robot system (100) comprises: a workpiece-holding unit (51) that switches between a holding orientation for holding a workpiece (103) and a replenishment orientation for replenishing the workpiece (103); and a robot (10) having a robot arm (11) that performs an orientation-changing operation for changing the holding orientation and the replenishment orientation of the workpiece-holding unit (51), and a work operation for performing work on the workpiece (103).

Description

ROBOT SYSTEM, ROBOT OPERATION METHOD, AND ROBOT

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a robot system, a robot operation method, and a robot.

[0002] Conventionally, warehouse management systems equipped with robots have been disclosed. The warehouse management system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-44370 includes a transport robot that transports shelves that store items, and an arm robot that carries items in and out of the shelves. The arm robot is fixed at a position within the work area. The transport robot retrieves the target shelf and transports it to the arm robot.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-44370

[0004] However, when a robot arm is used to perform work on objects or other workpieces as in the above-mentioned JP 2021-44370 A, if a dedicated robot that performs an operation to replace and replenish the workpieces, such as a transport robot, is arranged, the system configuration becomes complicated due to the arrangement of a robot that performs an operation to replenish the workpieces separately from the robot that performs the work. Therefore, it is desirable to suppress the complexity of the system configuration when performing work on objects or other workpieces using a robot arm.

[0005] This disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one purpose of this disclosure is to provide a robot system, a robot operation method, and a robot that can suppress the complexity of the system configuration when performing work on a workpiece using a robot arm.

[0006] A robot system according to a first aspect of this disclosure includes a workpiece holding unit that switches between a holding posture for holding a workpiece and a replenishment posture for replenishing the workpiece, and a robot having a robot arm that performs a posture change operation for changing the holding posture and replenishment posture of the workpiece holding unit and a work operation for working on the workpiece.

[0007] As described above, a robot system according to a first aspect of this disclosure includes a robot having a robot arm that performs an attitude change operation to change the holding attitude and replenishment attitude of a workpiece holding unit, and an operation to work on a workpiece. This allows the attitude of the workpiece holding unit to be changed to the replenishment attitude for replenishing workpieces by the operation of the robot arm. Therefore, workpieces can be replenished to the workpiece holding unit by the robot that works on the workpieces, without the need to separately deploy a robot that performs an operation to replenish workpieces in the workpiece holding unit. As a result, when work on a workpiece is performed by a robot arm, the system configuration can be kept from becoming complicated.

[0008] A robot operation method according to a second aspect of this disclosure performs a work operation on a workpiece using a robot arm, and performs a posture change operation to change the holding posture of the workpiece holding section by the robot arm between a holding posture for holding the workpiece and a replenishment posture for replenishment of the workpiece.

[0009] As described above, a robot operation method according to a second aspect of this disclosure performs an attitude change operation by using a robot arm to change the attitude of the workpiece holding unit between a holding attitude for holding a workpiece and a replenishment attitude for replenishing workpieces. This allows the attitude of the workpiece holding unit to be changed to the replenishment attitude for replenishing workpieces by the operation of the robot arm. Therefore, workpieces can be replenished to the workpiece holding unit by a robot that performs work on the workpieces, without the need to separately deploy a robot that performs an operation to replenish workpieces to the workpiece holding unit. As a result, a robot operation method can be provided that can suppress the complexity of the system configuration when workpieces are replenished by a robot arm.

[0010] A robot according to a third aspect of this disclosure includes a robot arm that performs a work operation on a workpiece, a posture change operation that changes the holding posture of the workpiece holding unit to hold the workpiece and the replenishment posture for replenishing the workpiece, and a control unit that executes the work operation using the robot arm.

[0011] As described above, a robot according to a third aspect of this disclosure includes a control unit that executes, by a robot arm, an attitude change operation that changes the workpiece holding position of the workpiece holding unit between a holding position for holding a workpiece and a replenishment position for replenishing workpieces, and a work operation. This allows the attitude of the workpiece holding unit to be changed to the replenishment position for replenishing workpieces by the operation of the robot arm. Therefore, workpieces can be replenished to the workpiece holding unit by a robot that performs work on the workpieces, without the need to separately deploy a robot that performs the operation for replenishing workpieces to the workpiece holding unit. As a result, a robot can be provided that can suppress the complexity of the system configuration when workpieces are replenished by a robot arm.

[0012] According to the present disclosure, when a robot arm performs work on a workpiece, the complexity of the system configuration can be suppressed.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a robot system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a front view for explaining the configuration of a robot in the robot system. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the control configuration of the robot. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a shelf section on which a work holding section is arranged. FIG. 5 is a side view for explaining the configuration of a work holding section, a replenishment section, and a discharge section. FIG. 6 is a schematic view for explaining a change in the attitude of a work holding section arranged above. FIG. 7 is a schematic view for explaining a change in the attitude of a work holding section arranged below. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a replenishment section that replenishes storage boxes to a work holding section arranged above. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a stopper section in the upper replenishment section. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a work holding section arranged below. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a replenishment section that replenishes storage boxes to a work holding section arranged below. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a stopper section in the lower replenishment section. FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining control processing of a robot operation method. FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a robot system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] First Embodiment A robot system 100 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13. FIG.

[0016] (Robot System) As shown in FIG. 1 , the robot system 100 includes a robot 10, a supply unit 20, a receiving unit 30, and an object placement unit 40. In the robot system 100, the robot 10 performs a kitting operation in which objects 102 are placed in a placement container 101. In the kitting operation, multiple types of objects 102 are placed in an organized state in predetermined locations within the placement container 101. The supply unit 20 supplies the placement container 101 in which the objects 102 are to be placed to the robot 10. The receiving unit 30 receives the placement container 101 from the robot 10. Each of the supply unit 20 and the receiving unit 30 includes a movement mechanism, such as a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor. Specifically, in the robot system 100, the supply unit 20 supplies the robot 10 with an empty placement container 101 in which the objects 102 have not yet been placed. The robot 10 places each of the multiple types of objects 102 in a predetermined location within the placement container 101 according to a preset program. Multiple types of objects 102 are stored in an object placement unit 40 that is located at a position separated from the supply unit 20 and the receiving unit 30. In the object placement unit 40, multiple types of objects 102 are stored in storage boxes 103 and arranged side by side according to type. The robot 10 moves between a placement position 10a for placing the objects 102 in the placement container 101 and a transfer position 10b where the placement container 101 is transferred to and from the supply unit 20 and the receiving unit 30. The placement container 101 in which the objects 102 have been placed by the robot 10 is transported by the robot 10 and transferred to the receiving unit 30. The storage box 103 is an example of a workpiece.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2 , the robot 10 includes a robot arm 11, a gripper 12, an imaging unit 13, and a bracket 14. The robot arm 11 is a vertically articulated robot arm having multiple joints. For example, the robot arm 11 is a six-axis vertically articulated arm. The robot arm 11 has a drive unit that drives each of the multiple joints. The drive source of the robot arm 11 includes, for example, a servo motor. The robot arm 11 has a gripper 12. The gripper 12 is an end effector disposed at the tip of the robot arm 11. The gripper 12 grips an object 102. The robot 10 of the first embodiment performs a placement operation in which the object 102 gripped by the gripper 12 is placed in the placement container 101 as a work operation performed by the robot arm 11 on the placement container 101. The imaging unit 13 includes an image sensor such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS). The imaging unit 13 is disposed at the tip of the robot arm 11, similar to the gripping unit 12. The robot 10 detects the position of the target object 102 based on the image captured by the imaging unit 13.

[0018] The bracket 14 is disposed at the tip of the robot arm 11. The gripping unit 12 and the imaging unit 13 are attached to the robot arm 11 via the bracket 14. The bracket 14 has a bent plate-like shape. The joint of the robot arm 11 rotates the bracket 14, thereby rotating the gripping unit 12 and the imaging unit 13.

[0019] The robot 10 also includes a carriage unit 15 and a moving unit 16. The placement container 101 is placed on the carriage unit 15. The carriage unit 15 is a box-shaped housing. The moving unit 16 that moves the carriage unit 15 is arranged on the carriage unit 15. The moving unit 16 has a plurality of wheels that rotate while supporting the carriage unit 15, and a servo motor that drives the plurality of wheels. The robot arm 11 is also arranged on the upper surface of the carriage unit 15. That is, the robot arm 11 moves integrally with the carriage unit 15 by the moving unit 16. The robot 10 is also arranged such that the placement container 101 is placed on a mounting surface on the upper surface of the carriage unit 15, alongside the robot arm 11.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3 , the robot 10 includes a control unit 17, a position sensor 18, and a container sensor 19. The control unit 17 is a robot controller that controls the operation of each unit of the robot 10. The control unit 17 includes, for example, a computing device such as a central processing unit (CPU). The control unit 17 also includes memories such as a random access memory (RAM) and a read-only memory (ROM), and a storage device such as a hard disk. The control unit 17 executes control processing using the computing device based on programs and parameters stored in the storage device. Specifically, the control unit 17 controls the operation of the robot arm 11, the gripper 12, and the moving unit 16. For example, the control unit 17 includes a main CPU that performs overall control of the robot 10 and a servo CPU that controls the power supplied to the servo motors of the robot arm 11 and the moving unit 16. The control unit 17 also acquires images captured by the imaging unit 13. The control unit 17 also acquires detection signals from the position sensor 18 and the container sensor 19 .

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2 , the control unit 17 of the robot 10 is disposed inside the carriage unit 15. The position sensor 18 is disposed on the underside of the carriage unit 15. The position sensor 18 includes a magnetic sensor that detects a magnetic tape disposed on the floor surface as the robot 10 moves. The container sensor 19 is disposed on the upper side of the carriage unit 15. The container sensor 19 detects the placement container 101 placed on the carriage unit 15. The container sensor 19 includes, for example, a photoelectric sensor, a capacitance sensor, a contact sensor, or a mechanical switch. The position sensor 18 and the container sensor 19 each output a signal indicating the detection result to the control unit 17.

[0022] <Object Placement Unit> As shown in FIG. 4 , in the first embodiment, the object placement unit 40 includes a shelf unit 41 on which a plurality of storage boxes 103 are held. The shelf unit 41 has a workpiece holding unit 51, a replenishment unit 52, a discharge unit 53, and an attitude biasing unit 54, each of which holds one storage box 103. The shelf unit 41 also has a workpiece holding unit 61, a replenishment unit 62, a discharge unit 63, and an attitude biasing unit 64, each of which holds one storage box 103, separate from the workpiece holding unit 51. The shelf unit 41 is a shelf formed by combining a plurality of rod-shaped members. The workpiece holding units 51 and 61 hold the storage boxes 103 in a state where the rod-shaped members are combined. The shelf unit 41 is a mechanical shelf that does not have a drive mechanism for supplying power and replaces the storage boxes 103 by the operation of the robot 10.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 5 , each of the workpiece holding unit 51 and the workpiece holding unit 61 holds a storage box 103. The replenishing unit 52 replenishing the storage box 103 to the workpiece holding unit 51. The discharging unit 53 discharging the storage box 103 from the workpiece holding unit 51. The replenishing unit 62 replenishing the storage box 103 to the workpiece holding unit 61. That is, the workpiece holding unit 51 discharges the storage box 103 to the discharging unit 53, and a new storage box 103 is refilled from the replenishing unit 52. The discharging unit 63 discharges the storage box 103 from the workpiece holding unit 61. That is, the workpiece holding unit 61 discharges the storage box 103 to the discharging unit 63, and a new storage box 103 is refilled from the replenishing unit 62.

[0024] Furthermore, the two workpiece holding units 51 and 61 are arranged one above the other. The upper workpiece holding unit 51 holds the storage box 103 in an inclined state in the holding posture. The lower workpiece holding unit 61 holds the storage box 103 along a horizontal plane in the holding posture. That is, in the workpiece holding unit 51, the mounting surface on which the storage box 103 is placed is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, while in the workpiece holding unit 61, the mounting surface on which the storage box 103 is placed is arranged along the horizontal plane.

[0025] <Posture Change by Robot Arm> In the robot system 100, each of the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 switches between a holding posture in which the workpiece holding unit 51 holds the storage box 103 containing the target object 102 and a replenishment posture in which the storage box 103 is replenished. The replenishment posture is a discharge posture in which the storage box 103 held in order to replenish the storage box 103 is discharged. In the first embodiment, the postures of the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 are changed by the operation of the robot arm 11 of the robot 10, so that the storage boxes 103 held by the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 are swapped and replenished. That is, the robot arm 11 performs a posture change operation in which the holding posture of each of the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 is changed from the discharge posture, which is the replenishment posture, and a placement operation of the target object 102 as a work operation on the storage box 103.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 6 , the workpiece holding unit 51 has a rotating unit 51a. The rotating unit 51a is a rotation shaft unit that rotates the entire workpiece holding unit 51. The workpiece holding unit 51 switches between a holding posture and a replenishment posture by rotating around a predetermined rotation axis that is the rotation axis of the rotating unit 51a. The rotating unit 51a is located on the front side (X1 direction) below a mounting unit 51b (described later) on which the storage box 103 is placed. The rotating unit 51a also has a rotation axis that is located along the Y direction (left-right direction). That is, the workpiece holding unit 51 rotates around the Y direction (left-right direction) as a rotation axis by the rotating unit 51a. In order to replace the storage box 103 held by the robot 10, the robot 10 rotates the workpiece holding unit 51 by operating the robot arm 11, thereby performing a posture change operation that changes the holding posture of the workpiece holding unit 51 between a discharging posture, which is a replenishment posture.

[0027] 7, the workpiece holding unit 61 has a rotating part 61a, and like the workpiece holding unit 51, it switches between a holding position and a discharging position, which is a replenishment position, by rotating about a predetermined rotation axis, which is the rotation axis of the rotating part 61a. Like the workpiece holding unit 51, the workpiece holding unit 61 rotates by the rotating part 61a around the Y direction, which is the left-right direction, as a rotation axis. Similarly, in the workpiece holding unit 61, in order to replace the storage box 103 held by it, the robot arm 11 of the robot 10 performs a position changing operation to change between the holding position and the discharging position, which is a replenishment position.

[0028] <Details of Each Part of the Shelf> As shown in FIG. 8 , the workpiece holding unit 51 has a placement portion 51b, a contact portion 51c, and a damper portion 51d. The placement portion 51b is where the storage box 103 is placed. In the holding posture, the workpiece holding unit 51 holds the storage box 103 with rod-shaped members at the front, i.e., the X1 direction, and at the sides, i.e., the Y1 and Y2 directions, with the storage box 103 placed on the placement portion 51b, which is the floor surface. The placement portion 51b also includes a pair of roller conveyors. Power is not supplied to the roller conveyors in the placement portion 51b. The placement portion 51b has two rail members and a plurality of roller members arranged along each of the two rail members. The roller conveyors are arranged in the placement portion 51b so that the placed storage box 103 slides along the X direction, i.e., the front-rear direction. When the workpiece holding section 51 is changed to the discharging position, which is the replenishing position, the storage box 103 is slid and discharged from the rear, in the X2 direction, and a new storage box 103 is replenished from the X2 direction.

[0029] The abutment portion 51c is a rod-shaped member that abuts against the bracket 14 of the robot arm 11 of the robot 10 during the posture change operation. The abutment portion 51c extends in a direction away from the placement portion 51b. The abutment portion 51c is arranged by extending pillar members that support rod-shaped members that hold the storage box 103 below and to the side of the workpiece holding portion 51.

[0030] The damper unit 51d reduces the movement speed of the replenished storage box 103 while sliding. The storage box 103 is replenished to the workpiece holding unit 51 while sliding from a replenishment slope 52a of the replenishment unit 52, which will be described later. The damper unit 51d includes a support member 51e that supports the storage box 103 from the X1 direction on the surface side of the placement unit 51b, and a rotary damper unit 51f that reduces the movement speed using a rack-and-pinion mechanism. The support member 51e is connected to the rotary damper unit 51f. The rotary damper unit 51f reduces the movement speed of the support member 51e from the rear side, which is the X2 direction, to the front side, which is the X1 direction. Note that the rotary damper unit 51f does not reduce the movement speed of the support member 51e from the front side, which is the X1 direction, to the rear side, which is the X2 direction.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5 , the posture biasing unit 54 applies a biasing force to the workpiece holding unit 51 to maintain the workpiece holding unit 51 in the holding posture. The posture biasing unit 54 includes a balancer 54a having an elastic member therein and a string 54b extending from the balancer 54a. In the posture biasing unit 54, the tip of the string 54b extending from the balancer 54a is connected to the workpiece holding unit 51. The balancer 54a applies a biasing force in a direction that winds the string 54b toward itself by the biasing force of the elastic member. The string 54b is connected from above, in the Z1 direction, on the rear side, in the X2 direction, of the workpiece holding unit 51. Therefore, the balancer 54a biases the X2 side of the workpiece holding unit 51 so as to lift it upward. The balancer 54a has, for example, a metal leaf spring as the elastic member. The robot 10 performs a posture changing operation in which the workpiece holding unit 51 is changed from the holding posture to the discharging posture, which is a replenishment posture, by the operation of the robot arm 11 while resisting the biasing force of the posture biasing unit 54. Note that, like the workpiece holding unit 51, the workpiece holding unit 61 is maintained in the holding posture by the biasing force applied by the posture biasing unit 64. Like the posture biasing unit 54, the posture biasing unit 64 has a balancer unit 64a having an elastic member therein and a string unit 64b extending from the balancer unit 64a. The posture biasing units 54 and 64 may apply a biasing force using a weight or the like in addition to the elastic member.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 9 , the replenishment unit 52 has a replenishment slope 52a. A storage box 103 containing an object 102 is placed on the replenishment slope 52a. The replenishment unit 52 replenishes the storage box 103 to the workpiece holding unit 51 by sliding it from the replenishment slope 52a. The replenishment slope 52a of the replenishment unit 52 includes a pair of roller conveyors. Power is not supplied to the roller conveyors in the replenishment unit 52. Similar to the placement unit 51b of the workpiece holding unit 51, the replenishment slope 52a has two rail members and a plurality of roller members arranged along each of the two rail members. The roller conveyors are arranged on the replenishment slope 52a so that the storage box 103 slides from the rearward X2 direction side toward the forward X1 direction side. The replenishment slope 52a is arranged so that the rearward X2 direction side is higher. A plurality of storage boxes 103 are arranged side by side along the replenishment slope 52a.

[0033] The replenishing slope 52a includes a stopper portion 55 that holds the storage box 103 placed on the replenishing slope 52a. The stopper portion 55 is disposed between two rail members on the front side of the replenishing slope 52a, that is, on the X1 direction side. The stopper portion 55 switches between a state in which the replenishing slope 52a holds the storage box 103 and a state in which the storage box 103 is released, in conjunction with a change in the posture of the workpiece holding portion 51 due to the operation of the robot arm 11. The stopper portion 55 switches between a state in which the replenishing slope 52a holds a plurality of storage boxes 103 arranged side by side on the replenishing slope 52a, and a state in which the storage box 103 is released so that only one of the plurality of storage boxes 103 is replenished to the workpiece holding portion 51.

[0034] Specifically, the stopper portion 55 includes a support member 55a, a support member 55b, and a connecting member 55c. The connecting member 55c is a rod-shaped member arranged on the back side of the refill slope 52a so as to extend along the slope. The connecting member 52c rotates around the axis of rotation in the direction in which the connecting member 52c extends. The support members 55a and 55b are rod-shaped members connected to the connecting member 55c and rotate integrally with the connecting member 55c. The support member 55a is arranged on the lower end side of the refill slope 52a, which is the workpiece holding portion 51 side. The support member 55b is arranged on the side that is spaced apart from the workpiece holding portion 51 by the size of one storage box 103. The support member 55a is arranged so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the connecting member 55c extends. The support member 55b is disposed so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the connecting member 55c and inclined 45 degrees relative to the rotation direction of the connecting member 55c relative to the support member 55a. That is, when viewed from the extension direction of the connecting member 55c, the support members 55a and 55b are disposed so as to extend at angles that differ by 45 degrees from each other. The connecting member 52c is connected by a string member to a slide member whose position changes in response to changes in the orientation of the workpiece holding unit 51 so as to rotate in conjunction with changes in the orientation of the workpiece holding unit 51. When the workpiece holding unit 51 is changed from the holding orientation to the ejecting orientation, the connecting member 52c is rotated 45 degrees clockwise by the string member as viewed from the X1 direction, and when the workpiece holding unit 51 is changed from the ejecting orientation to the holding orientation, the connecting member 52c is rotated 45 degrees counterclockwise by the string member as viewed from the X1 direction.

[0035] 10 , when the workpiece holding unit 51 is in the holding position, the stopper unit 55 is positioned such that the tip of the support member 55a is located on the back side of the refill slope 52a and the tip of the support member 55b protrudes toward the front side of the refill slope 52a. When the workpiece holding unit 51 is changed to the discharging position, the connecting member 55c of the stopper unit 55 rotates, causing the tip of the support member 55b to move toward the back side of the refill slope 52a and the tip of the support member 55a to move toward the front side of the refill slope 52a. That is, when the workpiece holding unit 51 is in the holding position, the stopper unit 55 supports the storage box 103 with the support member 55b on the rear side in the X2 direction, which is above the slope, and when the workpiece holding unit 51 is in the discharging position, the stopper unit 55 supports the storage box 103 with the support member 55a on the front side in the X1 direction, which is below the slope. Therefore, when the workpiece holding section 51 is changed from the holding posture to the discharging posture, the multiple storage boxes 103 supported by the support members 55b at the stopper section 55 slide forward along the replenishing slope 52a and come into contact with the support members 55a and stop. Thereafter, when the workpiece holding section 51 is changed from the discharging posture to the holding posture, the support members 55a move to the back side of the replenishing slope 52a and the support members 55b move to the front side of the replenishing slope 52a, so that only the one storage box 103 arranged closest to the workpiece holding section 51 slides toward the workpiece holding section 51, and the remaining storage boxes 103 are supported by the support members 55b and remain placed on the replenishing slope 52a.

[0036] 11 , the workpiece holding unit 61 has a placing portion 61b and an abutting portion 61c. The workpiece holding unit 61 holds the storage box 103, similar to the workpiece holding unit 51. That is, the placing portion 61b includes a roller conveyor, similar to the placing portion 51b of the workpiece holding unit 51. Similarly to the abutting portion 51c of the workpiece holding unit 51, the bracket 14 of the robot arm 11 abuts against the abutting portion 61c to switch the workpiece holding unit 61 between the holding position and the discharge position. Unlike the workpiece holding unit 51, the workpiece holding unit 61 has a stopper rotation portion 61g. When the workpiece holding unit 61 is in the holding position, the stopper rotation portion 61g abuts against an abutting portion 65d of the stopper portion 65, which will be described later, from below.

[0037] 12 , like the replenishing unit 52, the replenishing unit 62 has a replenishing slope 62a that replenishing the storage box 103 by sliding it relative to the workpiece holding unit 61. A stopper unit 65 that holds the storage box 103 is disposed on the replenishing slope 62a. Like the stopper unit 55, the stopper unit 65 has a support member 65a, a support member 65b, and a connecting member 65c. The stopper unit 65 also has an abutting portion 65d. While the connecting member 55c of the stopper unit 55 disposed on the replenishing slope 52a of the replenishing unit 52 rotates due to the string member, the connecting member 65c of the stopper unit 65 rotates when a force is applied to the abutting portion 65d.

[0038] 13 , specifically, when the workpiece holding portion 61 is in the holding posture, the abutment portion 65d is pushed up from below by the stopper rotation portion 61g of the workpiece holding portion 61, causing the connecting member 65c to rotate 45 degrees clockwise as viewed from the X1 direction. When the workpiece holding portion 61 is changed from the holding posture to the replenishment posture or the discharge posture, the stopper rotation portion 61g of the workpiece holding portion 61 moves downward, causing the connecting member 65c to rotate 45 degrees counterclockwise as viewed from the X1 direction. Note that an elastic member such as a spring that applies a biasing force may be provided to rotate the connecting member 65c counterclockwise.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 5 , the discharge unit 53 and the discharge unit 63 have discharge slopes 53a and 63a, respectively, similar to the replenishing unit 52 and the replenishing unit 62. The empty storage box 103 slid from the workpiece holding unit 51 after the robot 10 removes the target object 102 is discharged onto the discharge slope 53a. The discharge slope 53a of the discharge unit 53, similar to the replenishing slope 52a of the replenishing unit 52, includes a pair of roller conveyors, two rail members, and a plurality of roller members arranged along each of the two rail members. Power is not supplied to the roller conveyor in the discharge unit 53 either. The discharge slope 53a is positioned so that the front side, i.e., the X1 direction, is higher, and the roller conveyor is positioned so that the storage box 103 slides from the front side, i.e., the X1 direction, to the rear side, i.e., the X2 direction. The discharge slope 63a also includes a roller conveyor, and the empty storage box 103 slid from the workpiece holding unit 61 is discharged onto the discharge slope 53a. The configuration of the discharge slope 63a is the same as that of the discharge slope 53a. In the shelf section 41, the refill slope 52a of the refill section 52, the discharge slope 53a of the discharge section 53, the refill slope 62a of the refill section 62, and the discharge slope 63a of the discharge section 63 are arranged in this order, overlapping each other from the upper side (the Z1 direction side).

[0040] As described above, the workpiece holding unit 51 is changed in position by the attitude change operation of the robot arm 11 from the holding position in which it holds the storage box 103 to the discharging position, which is the replenishment position, thereby discharging the storage box 103 to the discharging unit 53, and is returned from the replenishment position to the holding position, thereby replenishing a new storage box 103 from the replenishment slope 52 a. Similar to the workpiece holding unit 51, the workpiece holding unit 61 is changed in position by the attitude change operation of the robot arm 11, thereby discharging the storage box 103 to the discharging unit 63, and is replenished with a new storage box 103 from the replenishment unit 62.

[0041] When the storage boxes 103 held by each of the workpiece holders 51 and 61 are empty, the robot 10 replaces the storage boxes 103 by performing a posture change operation with the robot arm 11. For example, the control unit 17 of the robot 10 stores in advance the number of objects 102 stored in the storage box 103 and the number of objects 102 removed from the storage box 103 by previous operations. When the number of objects 102 stored in the storage box 103 becomes zero, the control unit 17 determines that the storage box 103 is empty and performs a posture change operation with the robot arm 11 to replace the storage box 103.

[0042] (Robot Operation Method) Next, a control process for the operation method of the robot 10 in the robot system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. The control process for the operation method of the robot 10 is executed by the control unit 17 of the robot 10.

[0043] First, in step S1, the placement container 101 is placed on the cart unit 15. An empty placement container 101 supplied from the supply unit 20 is placed on the cart unit 15. The control unit 17 causes the movement unit 16 to move the main body of the robot 10 to the transfer position 10b based on the detection result from the position sensor 18. The control unit 17 determines that the robot 10 has moved to the transfer position 10b by acquiring the detection result from the position sensor 18 that detects a magnetic tape placed on the floor surface at the position where the robot 10 has moved to the transfer position 10b. Then, when the placement container 101 is supplied from the supply unit 20, the control unit 17 determines that the placement container 101 has been placed on the cart unit 15 based on, for example, the detection result from the container sensor 19.

[0044] Next, in step S2, the robot 10 is moved to the placement position 10a by the movement unit 16. With the placement container 101 supplied by the supply unit 20 mounted on the cart unit 15, the control unit 17 controls the movement unit 16 to move the main body of the robot 10 from the delivery position 10b to the placement position 10a based on the detection result from the position sensor 18.

[0045] Next, in step S3, as a work operation for the placement container 101, an operation of placing the objects 102 in the placement container 101 is performed. Specifically, after moving to the placement position 10a, the robot arm 11 operates to place the objects 102 contained in the storage box 103 held by the work holders 51 and 61 into the placement container 101. Based on the detection result from the position sensor 18, the control unit 17 places the carriage unit 15 of the robot 10 at the placement position 10a and acquires a captured image of the storage box 103 containing multiple objects 102 by the imaging unit 13. The operation of the robot arm 11 during imaging by the imaging unit 13 is taught and set in advance. Then, the control unit 17 detects the position of the objects 102 in the storage box 103 based on the acquired captured image. For example, the control unit 17 performs image processing on the captured image to detect the area in which the objects 102 are placed in the captured image, thereby detecting the position of the objects 102 in the storage box 103. The control unit 17 controls the operation of the robot arm 11 and the gripping unit 12 based on the detected position of the object 102, thereby gripping the object 102 stored in the storage box 103 and placing the object 102 in the placement container 101 placed on the cart unit 15. In the placement container 101, the position at which the object 102 is to be placed is set and stored in advance.

[0046] Next, in step S4, it is determined whether or not the storage box 103 is empty. If it is determined that the storage box 103 is empty, the process proceeds to step S5. If it is determined that the storage box 103 is not empty, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0047] In step S5, the storage boxes 103 are replenished. Specifically, in order to replenish the storage boxes 103, the robot arm 11 performs a posture change operation to change the holding posture of the workpiece holding unit 51 or 61 from a discharging posture, which is a replenishment posture. For example, when replacing the storage boxes 103 in the workpiece holding unit 51, the control unit 17 operates the robot arm 11 based on a control amount that is taught and set in advance, thereby causing the bracket 14 attached to the tip of the robot arm 11 to abut against the abutment portion 51c of the workpiece holding unit 51. Then, the control unit 17 operates the robot arm 11 to press the abutment portion 51c while abutting the bracket 14, in order to rotate the workpiece holding unit 51 by the rotating portion 51a and change its posture to the discharging posture. Thereafter, the control unit 17 operates the robot arm 11 to move away from the abutment portion 51c. Then, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0048] In step S6, the robot 10 is moved to the transfer position 10b by the movement unit 16. After placing the target object 102 in the placement container 101, the control unit 17, with the placement container 101 placed thereon, causes the movement unit 16 to move the main body of the robot 10 to the transfer position 10b based on the detection result from the position sensor 18.

[0049] Next, in step S7, the placement container 101 is delivered to the receiving unit 30. The control unit 17 determines that the placement container 101 has been delivered to the receiving unit 30 based on the detection result from the container sensor 19.

[0050] Next, in step S8, it is determined whether or not the control process of the robot operation method for performing placement work to place the target object 102 in the placement container 101 has ended. If it is determined that the control process of the robot operation method has ended, the control process ends. If it is determined that the control process of the robot operation method has not ended, the process returns to step S1. For example, the control unit 17 determines whether or not the control process of the transport method for the transported object has ended based on whether or not a preset number of transport operations have been completed. Note that the control process of the transport method may also be ended based on whether or not an end signal has been acquired from the operation unit or an external control device.

[0051] Effect of First Embodiment As described above, the robot system 100 includes the robot 10 having the robot arm 11 that performs an attitude change operation to change the holding attitude and replenishment attitude of the workpiece holding units 51 and 61, and an operation to work on the storage box 103 as a workpiece. As a result, the attitude of the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 can be changed to the replenishment attitude for replenishing the storage box 103 by the operation of the robot arm 11. Therefore, workpieces can be replenished to the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 by the robot 10 that performs the operation on the workpiece, without the need to separately arrange a robot that performs the operation to replenish the storage box 103 in the workpiece holding units 51 and 61. As a result, when the robot arm 11 works on the storage box 103, the system configuration can be kept from becoming complicated.

[0052] The workpiece holding units 51 and 61 switch between a holding posture and a replenishment posture by rotating about a predetermined rotation axis. The robot 10 performs a posture change operation that changes the holding posture and the replenishment posture of the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 by rotating the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 with the operation of the robot arm 11. As a result, the rotation of the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 allows the operation of the robot arm 11 to easily switch between the holding posture and the replenishment posture of the workpiece holding units 51 and 61. Therefore, the operation of the robot arm 11 allows the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 to easily replenish storage boxes 103 as works. As a result, when the robot arm 11 performs work on the storage box 103, it is possible to suppress the complexity of the system configuration and to easily replenish works.

[0053] The robot system 100 includes posture biasing units 54 and 64 that apply a biasing force to the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 to maintain them in a holding posture. The robot 10 performs a posture change operation in which the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 are changed from the holding posture to the replenishment posture by the operation of the robot arm 11 while resisting the biasing forces of the posture biasing units 54 and 64. As a result, when the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 are changed from the holding posture to the replenishment posture by the robot arm 11, the biasing forces of the posture biasing units 54 and 64 can return the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 to the holding posture. Therefore, the posture change operation can be simplified compared to when the robot arm 11 returns the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 to the holding posture.

[0054] The workpiece holding units 51 and 61 switch between a holding posture for holding workpieces including storage boxes 103 containing objects 102, and a discharging posture as a replenishment posture for discharging the held storage boxes 103 in order to replenish the storage boxes 103. In order to replace the held storage boxes 103, the robot 10 performs a posture change operation that changes the holding posture and discharging posture of the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 by operating the robot arm 11. As a result, even when the robot 10 performs an operation using the robot arm 11 to place the objects 102 in the placement container 101, the robot arm 11 can operate to replace the storage boxes 103 containing the objects 102 and replenish them to the workpiece holding units 51 and 61, thereby suppressing complexity of the system configuration.

[0055] When the storage boxes 103 held by the workpiece holders 51 and 61 of the robot 10 are empty, the robot 10 replaces the storage boxes 103 by performing a posture change operation with the robot arm 11. This allows the robot arm 11 to replace and replenish the empty storage boxes 103 while continuing work such as transporting the objects 102 stored in the storage boxes 103. This allows work such as transporting the objects 102 stored in the storage boxes 103 to be continued, while preventing the system configuration from becoming complicated.

[0056] The robot system 100 includes replenishment units 52 and 62 that replenish workpieces to the workpiece holding units 51 and 61. The replenishment units 52 and 62 have replenishment slopes 52a and 62a on which storage boxes 103 serving as works are placed, and replenish the storage boxes 103 to the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 by sliding them from the replenishment slopes 52a and 62a. This allows the storage boxes 103 to slide by gravity on the replenishment slopes 52a and 62a without providing a drive source for moving the storage boxes 103 in the replenishment units 52 and 62. Therefore, the configuration of the replenishment units 52 and 62 can be made less complex than when a drive source for moving the storage boxes 103 from the replenishment units 52 and 62 to the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 is provided.

[0057] The replenishing units 52 and 62 include stopper units 55 and 65 that hold storage boxes 103 as workpieces placed on the replenishing slopes 52a and 62a. As a result, the storage boxes 103 are held by the stopper units 55 and 65, preventing the storage boxes 103 from sliding down the replenishing slopes 52a and 62a. This allows the storage boxes 103 to be properly replenished to the work holding units 51 and 61.

[0058] The stopper portions 55 and 65 switch between a state in which they hold the storage box 103 as a workpiece on the replenishment slopes 52a and 62a and a state in which they release the hold, in conjunction with a change in the posture of the work holding portions 51 and 61 due to the operation of the robot arm 11. This allows the stopper portions 55 and 65 to operate in conjunction with a change in the posture of the work holding portions 51 and 61 by performing a posture change operation with the robot arm 11. Therefore, compared to a case in which the stopper portions 55 and 65 are operated separately from a change in the posture of the work holding portions 51 and 61, the stopper portions 55 and 65 can be operated without providing a separate configuration for operating the stopper portions 55 and 65, thereby suppressing the complexity of the device configuration.

[0059] The robot system 100 includes discharge units 53 and 63 that discharge storage boxes 103 as workpieces from the workpiece holding units 51 and 61. The workpiece holding units 51 and 61 discharge the workpieces to the discharge units 53 and 63 by changing their posture from a holding posture in which they hold the storage box 103 to a supply posture through a posture change operation by the robot arm 11, and the storage boxes 103 are replenished from the supply slopes 52a and 62a by returning their posture from the supply posture to the holding posture. As a result, the posture change operation by the robot arm 11 allows the storage boxes 103 to be discharged from the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 to the discharge units 53 and 63, and new storage boxes 103 can be replenished to the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 from the supply slopes 52a and 62a of the supply units 52 and 62. Therefore, the posture change operation by the robot arm 11 allows the storage boxes 103 held by the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 to be easily replaced.

[0060] The workpiece holding unit 51 includes a damper unit 51d that reduces the moving speed of the storage box 103 as the replenished workpieces sliding from the replenishment slope 52a. This allows the damper unit 51d to reduce the moving speed of the replenished storage box 103 that slides from the replenishment slope 52a, preventing the moving speed of the replenished storage box 103 from becoming too high. This prevents inappropriate force from being applied to the replenished storage box 103.

[0061] The robot system 100 includes a plurality of workpiece holders 51 and 61 arranged one above the other. At least the upper workpiece holder 51 of the plurality of workpiece holders 51 and 61 holds a storage box 103 as a workpiece in an inclined state in a holding posture. As a result, even when a plurality of storage boxes 103 are arranged one above the other by the workpiece holders 51 and 61, the storage box 103 arranged above is held in an inclined state, allowing the robot arm 11 to easily access the storage box 103 from the top. Therefore, even when a plurality of storage boxes 103 are arranged one above the other, the robot arm 11 can easily access both the lower storage box 103 and the upper storage box 103 from the top.

[0062] The robot 10 includes a robot arm 11, a carriage unit 15 on which a placement container 101 in which an object 102 is to be placed is placed, and a movement unit 16 that moves the carriage unit 15. The robot 10 moves to a placement position 10a by the movement unit 16 to place the object 102 in the placement container 101. Then, in a state where the robot 10 has moved to the placement position 10a, the robot 10 places the object 102 stored in a storage box 103 held by the work holders 51 and 61 into the placement container 101 by the operation of the robot arm 11. This allows the robot arm 11 to place the object 102 from the storage box 103 held by the work holders 51 and 61 into the placement container 101, and to replace the storage boxes 103 held by the work holders 51 and 61. Therefore, without the need for a configuration that performs the operation of replenishing the storage box 103, the robot 10 can move and perform the operation of placing the object 102 from the storage box 103 into the placement container 101, thereby preventing the system configuration from becoming too complicated.

[0063] Second Embodiment A robot system 200 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. In the second embodiment, a position adjustment unit 290 is arranged in a workpiece holding unit 251 of a shelf unit 241 of an object placement unit 240.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 15, a robot system 200 according to the second embodiment includes a robot 10 and an object placement unit 240. In the robot system 200, similar to the robot system 100 according to the first embodiment, the robot 10 performs a kitting operation in which the robot 10 places the object 102 stored in a storage box 103 in a placement container 101 placed on a cart unit 15. The configuration of the robot 10 is similar to that of the first embodiment. The object placement unit 240 includes a shelf unit 241 that holds the storage box 103 in which the object 102 is stored. Similar to the shelf unit 41 according to the first embodiment, the shelf unit 241 is a mechanical shelf that replaces the storage box 103 by the operation of the robot 10.

[0065] The shelf section 241 has a workpiece holding section 251. Similar to the workpiece holding section 51 of the first embodiment, the workpiece holding section 251 holds the storage boxes 103 replenished from the replenishment section 52, and switches between a holding position for holding the storage boxes 103 and a discharging position as a replenishment position for replenishing the storage boxes 103 by the operation of the robot arm 11. By operating the robot arm 11, the robot 10 performs a position change operation for changing the holding position of the workpiece holding section 251 from the discharging position as a replenishment position, and a placement operation of the target object 102 as a work operation on the storage boxes 103. Also, similar to the workpiece holding section 51 of the first embodiment, the workpiece holding section 251 slides from the replenishment section 52 on the X2 direction side to replenish the storage boxes 103.

[0066] In the robot system 200 of the second embodiment, the workpiece holding unit 251 includes a position adjustment unit 290. The position adjustment unit 290 adjusts the position of the holding storage box 103 by biasing the workpiece with a workpiece biasing unit 293. Specifically, the position adjustment unit 290 has a side wall 291, a rotating unit 292, and a workpiece biasing unit 293. The side wall 291 is a wall surface located on the Y1 direction side, which is one of the left and right sides of the workpiece biasing unit 293 that holds the storage box 103. The side wall 291 has a roller conveyor. The roller conveyor of the side wall 291 slides the storage box 103 from the rear, i.e., the X2 direction side, to the front, i.e., the X1 direction side. For example, two roller conveyors are arranged parallel to each other on the side wall 291. The rotating unit 292 is a rotation axis that rotates the side wall 291. The rotating portion 292 connects the end of the side wall portion 291 on the X2 side, which is the side of the replenishing portion 52. The end of the side wall portion 291 on the X2 side is fixed to the rotating portion 292, and the end on the X1 side is an unfixed, free end. The work biasing portion 293 biases the side wall portion 291 toward the Y2 side, which is the other side in the left-right direction. The work biasing portion 293 includes an elastic member such as a compression coil spring, a tension coil spring, a torsion spring, or a leaf spring. Note that the biasing force of the work biasing portion 293 may be applied by a drive source such as an actuator.

[0067] The position adjustment unit 290 biases the storage box 103, which has slid from the replenishing unit 52, toward the Y2 direction in the Y direction, which is the left-right direction, using the biasing force of the workpiece biasing unit 293. The storage box 103 replenishing the workpiece holding unit 251 slides toward the X1 direction while abutting against the side wall 291 of the position adjustment unit 290. Because the side wall 291 is biased toward the Y2 direction by the workpiece biasing unit 293, the storage box 103 slides toward the end of the X1 direction of the workpiece holding unit 251 while being pressed toward the Y2 direction by the biasing force of the workpiece biasing unit 293. Therefore, in the work holding unit 251, the storage box 103 is held in a state where it is pressed toward the Y2 direction at the end of the X1 direction. In other words, even if the size of the storage box 103 in the left-right direction is different, the position adjustment unit 290 allows the work holding unit 251 to hold the storage box 103 while being shifted to one side in the left-right direction. The other configurations of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0068] In the second embodiment, as described above, the workpiece holding unit 251 includes a position adjustment unit 290 that adjusts the position of the storage box 103 as the held workpiece by biasing it with the workpiece biasing unit 293. This adjusts the position of the storage box 103 in the workpiece holding unit 251, allowing the robot arm 11 to perform appropriate work on the held storage box 103. Note that other effects of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0069] [Modifications] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above-mentioned embodiments, and includes all modifications (modifications) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0070] For example, in the first and second embodiments, the workpiece holding units 51, 61, and 251 are rotated to switch between the holding position and the replenishment position, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the workpiece holding units may be configured to switch their positions by an operation other than rotation, such as a sliding movement.

[0071] In the first and second embodiments, the robot arm 11 is operated to abut the bracket 14 attached to the robot arm 11 against the workpiece holding units 51, 61, and 251, thereby changing the orientation of the workpiece holding units 51, 61, and 251. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the orientation of the workpiece holding unit may be changed by abutting the robot arm itself, rather than the bracket, or by abutting an end effector, such as a hand, that performs work on the workpiece. Alternatively, a drive source may be provided to supply power for changing the orientation of the workpiece holding unit, and the holding orientation and the replenishment orientation of the workpiece holding unit may be changed by operating the drive source through the operation of the robot arm. For example, an actuator such as a motor may be provided as the drive unit. In this case, a photoelectric sensor, a capacitance sensor, a contact sensor, a mechanical switch, or the like may be provided as a detector for detecting the operation of the robot arm. When the detection unit detects the operation of the robot arm, the detection unit may immediately change the attitude of the workpiece holding unit, or may change the attitude of the workpiece holding unit after a certain time has elapsed. Note that, as in the first and second embodiments, power is not supplied to each of the workpiece holding unit, the replenishment unit, and the discharge unit, and the attitude of the workpiece holding unit is changed by the driving force of the robot arm, so that workpieces can be replenished to the workpiece holding unit by a robot that performs work on the workpieces without having to separately install a dedicated device or dedicated robot that performs the operation of replenishing the workpieces, thereby further reducing the complexity of the system configuration.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above-described first and second embodiments, examples have been shown in which the posture biasing units 54 and 64 that apply a biasing force to the workpiece holding units 51, 61, and 251 are provided, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the posture biasing units may not be provided. That is, the holding posture may be switched to the replenishment posture by the operation of the robot arm, and the replenishment posture may be switched to the holding posture by the operation of the robot arm.

[0073] In the first and second embodiments, the robot 10 memorizes the number of objects 102 stored in the storage box 103, and replaces the storage box 103 by performing a posture change operation using the robot arm 11 when the storage box 103 is empty. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the robot may replace the storage box before it becomes empty. Furthermore, the robot may detect whether the storage box held by the workpiece holder is empty by capturing an image using an imaging unit or by performing a detection operation such as detecting the weight of the workpiece holder.

[0074] In addition, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the replenishing unit 52 has the replenishing slope 52a on which the stopper portion 55 is disposed, and the replenishing unit 62 has the replenishing slope 62a on which the stopper portion 65 is disposed, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the replenishing unit does not have to have a slope. That is, the replenishing unit may have a surface parallel to the horizontal plane. Also, the replenishing unit does not have to have a stopper portion for holding the workpiece.

[0075] In the first and second embodiments, the stopper units 55 and 65 switch their operations in conjunction with changes in the posture of the workpiece holders 51 and 61 by the robot arm 11, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the stopper units may operate independently of changes in the posture of the workpiece holders. For example, the robot arm may switch between a state in which the stopper units hold a workpiece and a state in which they release the workpiece.

[0076] In the first and second embodiments, examples have been shown in which the discharge units 53 and 63 are provided to discharge the storage box 103, which is a workpiece. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the discharge units may not be provided. For example, the workpiece held in the workpiece holder may be carried out by a robot.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above-described first and second embodiments, an example was shown in which the workpiece holding unit 51 and 251 are provided with a damper unit 51d that reduces the movement speed of the workpiece container 103, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, a damper unit may not be provided on the workpiece holding unit. Furthermore, even if a damper unit is provided, a damper unit other than a rotary damper may be provided. Furthermore, the movement speed of the workpiece may be reduced by friction with the placement surface, rather than by a damper unit.

[0078] In the first and second embodiments, the workpiece holding units 51 and 61 are arranged one above the other, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the number of workpiece holding units may be one, or three or more may be arranged. Furthermore, multiple workpiece holding units may be arranged on the left and right. Multiple shelf units each having a workpiece placement unit may be arranged.

[0079] In the first and second embodiments, the robot 10 includes the carriage 15 on which the placement container 101 is placed and the moving unit 16 that moves the carriage 15. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the robot 10 may not include a moving unit and may be fixed to the floor or a stand installed on the floor. Furthermore, if the robot 10 includes a moving unit, it may not include a carriage on which a workpiece, a placement container, or the like is placed.

[0080] Furthermore, in the above first and second embodiments, an example has been shown in which the placement container 101, placed on the carriage unit 15 as a transported object, is moved by the moving unit 16 to the placement position 10a for placing the target object 102 in the placement container 101, and then, after the target object 102 is placed in the placement container 101, is moved by the moving unit 16 to the transfer position 10b. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the robot may perform assembly, processing, imaging, inspection, or measurement as a task on a workpiece. In this case, the robot may perform a task on a workpiece held by a workpiece holder, or may move to a task position where the task is performed on the workpiece with the workpiece placed on it as a transported object. Furthermore, a task may be performed on the workpiece by a robot arm with the workpiece placed on the robot.

[0081] In the first and second embodiments, examples have been shown in which the workpiece holding units 51, 61, and 251, the replenishing units 52 and 62, and the discharging units 53 and 63 each have a roller conveyor that is not supplied with power, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, at least one of the workpiece holding units, the replenishing units, and the discharging units may not have a conveyor such as a roller conveyor, but may have a sliding slope that allows the transported object to slide.

[0082] In the first and second embodiments, the robot 10 is moved by the moving unit 16 by detecting a magnetic tape placed on the floor surface using the position sensor 18 including a magnetic sensor, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the movement of the moving unit may be guided by optical detection instead of magnetic detection. Furthermore, the moving unit may be moved by image recognition.

[0083] Furthermore, in the above first and second embodiments, an example has been shown in which, after the robot arm 11 has been moved to the placement position 10a by the position sensor 18, the robot arm 11 is operated based on a control amount that has been taught and set in advance, thereby causing the bracket 14 attached to the tip of the robot arm 11 to come into contact and change the posture of the workpiece holders 51, 61, and 251, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the position at which the robot arm comes into contact may be detected by capturing an image of the workpiece holder, or a position detection sensor such as a photoelectric sensor may be disposed to detect the position at which the robot arm comes into contact in order to change the posture of the workpiece holder.

[0084] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the robot arm 11 is disposed on the upper surface of the cart unit 15 in the robot 10, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the robot arm may be disposed on the side surface of the cart unit. Furthermore, the cart unit and the robot arm may be disposed separately from the moving unit. For example, the cart unit on which the placement container is placed and the robot arm that performs the posture change operation and the work operation may each be disposed independently from each other from the moving unit.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the control unit 17 includes a main CPU that performs overall control of the robot 10 and a servo CPU that controls the power supplied to the servo motors of the robot arm 11 and the moving unit 16. The control unit 17 controls the operations of the robot arm 11, the gripping unit 12, and the moving unit 16, and also acquires captured images from the imaging unit 13 to detect the position of the target object 102. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the control unit may include a single computing device such as a CPU. Furthermore, the control unit that controls the operation of the robot arm and the control unit that controls one or more of the operation of the gripping unit, the operation of the moving unit, the operation of the robot stopper unit, and image processing of the captured images from the imaging unit may be configured as different hardware components. That is, the operation of the robot arm, the operation of the gripping unit, the operation of the moving unit, the operation of the robot stopper unit, and image processing of the captured images from the imaging unit may be controlled by different controllers serving as different control units, or any of these may be controlled by a common control unit.

[0086] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it includes transistors and other circuitry. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the recited functions or hardware that is programmed to perform the recited functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. Where the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or processor.

[0087] Aspects It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are examples of the following aspects.

[0088] (Aspect 1) A robot system comprising: a workpiece holding unit that switches between a holding posture for holding a workpiece and a replenishment posture for replenishing the workpiece; and a robot having a robot arm that performs a posture change operation for changing the holding posture and the replenishment posture of the workpiece holding unit and a work operation for performing work on the workpiece.

[0089] (Aspect 2) A robot system according to Aspect 1, wherein the workpiece holding unit switches between the holding posture and the replenishment posture by rotating around a predetermined rotation axis, and the robot performs the posture change operation of changing the holding posture and the replenishment posture of the workpiece holding unit by rotating the workpiece holding unit through the operation of the robot arm.

[0090] (Aspect 3) The robot system according to Aspect 1 or Aspect 2, further comprising an attitude biasing unit that applies a biasing force to the workpiece holding unit to maintain the workpiece holding position, wherein the robot performs the attitude change operation of changing the workpiece holding unit from the holding position to the replenishment position by operating the robot arm while resisting the biasing force of the attitude biasing unit.

[0091] (Aspect 4) A robot system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the work holding unit switches between a holding posture for holding the work including a storage box containing an object and a discharging posture as a replenishment posture for discharging the held storage box in order to replenish the storage box, and the robot performs the posture change operation of changing the holding posture and the discharging posture of the work holding unit by operating the robot arm in order to replace the held storage box.

[0092] (Aspect 5) The robot system according to aspect 4, wherein, when the storage box held by the workpiece holder is empty, the robot replaces the storage box by performing the posture changing operation with the robot arm.

[0093] (Aspect 6) A robot system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, further comprising a replenishment unit that replenishes the workpiece to the workpiece holding unit, wherein the replenishment unit has a replenishment slope on which the workpiece is placed, and replenishes the workpiece to the workpiece holding unit by sliding it from the replenishment slope.

[0094] (Aspect 7) The robot system according to aspect 6, wherein the replenishment unit includes a stopper unit that holds the workpiece placed on the replenishment slope.

[0095] (Aspect 8) The robot system according to Aspect 7, wherein the stopper portion switches between a state in which the workpiece is held on the replenishment slope and a state in which the workpiece is released from the replenishment slope in conjunction with a change in the posture of the workpiece holding portion due to the operation of the robot arm.

[0096] (Aspect 9) A robot system according to any one of aspects 6 to 8, further comprising a discharge section that discharges the workpiece from the workpiece holding section, wherein the workpiece holding section discharges the workpiece to the discharge section by changing its posture from the holding posture in which the workpiece is held to the replenishment posture by the posture change operation of the robot arm, and the workpiece is replenished from the replenishment slope by returning its posture from the replenishment posture to the holding posture.

[0097] (Aspect 10) The robot system according to any one of Aspects 6 to 9, wherein the workpiece holding unit includes a damper unit that reduces a moving speed of the workpiece that is replenished while sliding from the replenishment slope.

[0098] (Aspect 11) The robot system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10, wherein the workpiece holding unit includes a plurality of workpiece holding units arranged one above the other, and at least one of the plurality of workpiece holding units arranged at an upper position holds the workpiece in an inclined state in the holding posture.

[0099] (Aspect 12) The robot system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 11, wherein the workpiece holding unit includes a position adjusting unit that adjusts the position of the held workpiece by biasing the workpiece with a workpiece biasing unit.

[0100] (Aspect 13) The robot system according to aspect 4 or aspect 5, wherein the robot includes the robot arm, a carriage unit on which a placement container in which the object is to be placed is placed, and a movement unit that moves the carriage unit, and the robot moves the object to a placement position for placing it in the placement container by the movement unit, and when moved to the placement position, the robot arm operates to place the object stored in the storage box held by the work holding unit into the placement container.

[0101] (Aspect 14) A robot operation method comprising: performing a work operation on a workpiece by a robot arm; and performing a posture change operation by the robot arm to change a holding posture of a workpiece holding section for holding the workpiece and a replenishment posture for replenishment of the workpiece.

[0102] (Aspect 15) A robot comprising: a robot arm that performs a work operation on a workpiece; a position change operation that changes a holding position of a workpiece holding unit to hold the workpiece and a replenishment position for replenishment of the workpiece; and a control unit that executes the work operation with the robot arm.

Claims

1. A robot system comprising: a work holding unit that switches between a holding posture for holding a workpiece and a replenishment posture for replenishing the workpiece; and a robot having a robot arm that performs a posture change operation for changing between the holding posture and the replenishment posture of the work holding unit, and a work operation for working on the workpiece.

2. The robot system of claim 1, wherein the work holding unit switches between the holding posture and the replenishment posture by rotating about a predetermined rotation axis, and the robot performs the posture change operation of changing the holding posture and the replenishment posture of the work holding unit by rotating the work holding unit through the operation of the robot arm.

3. The robot system of claim 1, further comprising an attitude biasing unit that applies a biasing force to the work holding portion to maintain it in the holding attitude, and wherein the robot performs the attitude change operation that changes the work holding portion from the holding attitude to the replenishment attitude by operating the robot arm while resisting the biasing force of the attitude biasing unit.

4. The robot system of claim 1, wherein the work holding unit switches between the holding posture for holding the work including a storage box containing an object and a discharging posture as the replenishment posture for discharging the storage box held in order to replenish the storage box, and the robot performs the posture change operation for changing the holding posture and the discharging posture of the work holding unit by operating the robot arm in order to replace the held storage box.

5. A robot system as described in claim 4, wherein the robot replaces the storage box held by the work holding portion by performing the posture change operation with the robot arm when the storage box held by the work holding portion is empty.

6. The robot system of claim 1, further comprising a replenishment unit that replenishes the workpiece to the work holding unit, the replenishment unit having a replenishment slope on which the workpiece is placed, and replenishes the workpiece to the work holding unit by sliding it from the replenishment slope.

7. A robot system according to claim 6, wherein the replenishment section includes a stopper section for holding the workpiece placed on the replenishment slope.

8. A robot system as described in claim 7, wherein the stopper portion switches between a state in which the workpiece is held on the replenishment slope and a state in which the workpiece is released in response to a change in the posture of the workpiece holding portion caused by the operation of the robot arm.

9. A robot system as described in claim 6, further comprising a discharge section which discharges the work from the work holding section, wherein the work holding section discharges the work to the discharge section by changing its posture from the holding posture in which the work is held to the replenishment posture by the posture change operation of the robot arm, and the work is replenished from the replenishment slope by returning the posture from the replenishment posture to the holding posture.

10. A robot system according to claim 6, wherein the workpiece holding section includes a damper section that reduces the moving speed of the workpiece replenished while sliding from the replenishment slope.

11. The robot system of claim 1, wherein the workpiece holding section includes a plurality of workpiece holding sections arranged one above the other, and at least the upper workpiece holding section of the plurality of workpiece holding sections holds the workpiece in an inclined state in the holding posture.

12. A robot system according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece holding section includes a position adjustment section that adjusts the position of the held workpiece by applying a force from a workpiece applying section.

13. The robot system described in claim 4, wherein the robot includes the robot arm, a cart unit on which a placement container in which the object is to be placed is placed, and a moving unit for moving the cart unit, and the robot moves the object to a placement position for placing it in the placement container by the moving unit, and when moved to the placement position, places the object contained in the storage box held by the work holding unit into the placement container by operation of the robot arm.

14. A robot operating method, comprising: performing a work operation on a workpiece using a robot arm; and performing a posture change operation in which the robot arm changes a holding posture of a workpiece holding section for holding the workpiece and a replenishment posture for replenishment of the workpiece.

15. A robot comprising: a robot arm that performs a work operation on a workpiece; a posture change operation that changes a holding posture of a workpiece holding unit for holding the workpiece and a replenishment posture for replenishing the workpiece; and a control unit that executes the work operation by the robot arm.

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