Conveyance system, conveyance device, attachment, grippable part, gripping part, component mounting system, and control method

The conveying system addresses the challenge of precise object positioning by using a detection and movement control mechanism with a marker member, ensuring reliable and efficient object handling in dynamic environments.

WO2025253971A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2025-12-11PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/JP2025/019030
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-06-07
Filing Date
2025-05-27
Publication Date
2025-12-11

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing conveying systems face challenges in accurately detecting and moving to a gripping position for objects, particularly when the object has moved from its intended position, leading to inefficiencies in transportation and connection processes.

Method used

A conveying system equipped with a movable device body, a gripping unit, a detection unit, and a movement control unit that utilizes a marker member detectable by the detection unit to guide the device to a gripping position, ensuring precise object handling and transportation.

Benefits of technology

Enables accurate and efficient movement of objects to a gripping position, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of transportation systems, particularly in environments with dynamic object placement.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to move a conveyance device to a gripping position at which a conveyance target can be gripped. A conveyance system (100) according to the present invention comprises a conveyance target (2) and a conveyance device (1). A gripping part (12) of the conveyance device (1) can grip a grippable part (21) provided on the conveyance target (2). The grippable part (21) is provided with a marker member (40). When a detection unit (19) detects the marker member (40) in a non-gripping state in which the gripping part (12) is not gripping the grippable part (21), a movement control unit (171) moves a device body (10) to a gripping position, at which the gripping part (12) can grip the grippable part (21), on the basis of the result of the detection of the marker member (40) by means of the detection unit (19).
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Description

Conveying system, conveying device, attachment, gripped part, gripping part, component mounting system, and control method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a conveying system, a conveying device, an attachment, a gripped portion, a gripping portion, a component mounting system, and a control method. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a conveying system including a conveying device that conveys an object to be conveyed, a conveying device, an attachment, a gripped portion, a gripping portion, a component mounting system, and a control method.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an article transport device that transports articles on a factory floor to be used in manufacturing equipment installed on the factory floor.

[0003] When the article transport device described in Patent Document 1 transports an article, it is necessary to detect the relative positional relationship between the article transport device and the article, and move the article to be transported to a position where it can be connected.

[0004] JP 2022-104294 A

[0005] The object of the present disclosure is to provide a conveying system, a conveying device, an attachment, a grasped part, a gripping part, a component mounting system, and a control method that can move a conveying device to a gripping position where the conveying object can be gripped.

[0006] A conveying system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a conveying object and a conveying device that conveys the conveying object. The conveying device includes a movable device main body, a gripping unit, a detection unit, and a movement control unit. The gripping unit is attached to the device main body and is capable of gripping a gripped portion provided on the conveying object. The detection unit is capable of detecting objects around the device main body. The movement control unit controls the movement of the device main body based on the detection result of the detection unit. The gripped portion is provided with a marker member that can be detected by the detection unit. When the detection unit detects the marker member in a non-gripped state in which the gripping portion is not gripping the gripped portion, the movement control unit moves the device main body to a gripping position where the gripping portion can grip the gripped portion, based on the detection result of the marker member by the detection unit.

[0007] A transport device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a movable device body, a gripping unit, a detection unit, and a movement control unit. The gripping unit is attached to the device body and is capable of gripping a gripped unit provided on a transport target transported by the device body. The detection unit is capable of detecting objects around the device body. The movement control unit controls the movement of the device body based on the detection result of the detection unit. The gripped unit is provided with a marker member detectable by the detection unit. When the detection unit detects the marker member in a non-gripped state where the gripping unit is not gripping the gripped unit, the movement control unit moves the device body to a gripping position where the gripping unit can grip the gripped unit, based on the detection result of the marker member by the detection unit.

[0008] An attachment according to one aspect of the present disclosure is detachable from the object to be transported by a transport device. The transport device includes a gripping unit for gripping the object to be transported and a detection unit capable of detecting surrounding objects. The attachment includes a gripped unit that can be gripped by the gripping unit and a marker member that can be detected by the detection unit. The marker member can be attached to the gripped unit. The gripped unit to which the marker member is attached is detachable from the object to be transported.

[0009] A graspable portion according to one aspect of the present disclosure is used in the transport system.

[0010] A gripping unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure is used in the transport system.

[0011] A component mounting system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a component mounter that mounts components on a substrate, and a component supply device that supplies the components to the component mounter. The component supply device is the transport target provided by the transport system. The component supply device is transported to the component mounter by the transport device provided by the transport system.

[0012] A control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for a transport device that transports an object to be transported and that includes a gripping unit capable of gripping a gripped portion provided on the object to be transported. The transport method includes a detection step, a movement step, a gripping step, and a transport step. In the detection step, a detection unit provided on the transport device detects a marker member provided on the object to be transported. In the movement step, the transport device moves to a gripping position where the gripping unit can grip the gripped portion based on a detection result of the detection unit detecting the marker member when the transport device is in a non-gripping state where the transport device is not gripping the object to be transported. In the gripping step, the gripping unit grips the gripped portion at the gripping position. In the transport step, the transport device moves in a gripping state where the gripping unit grips the gripped portion, thereby transporting the object to be transported.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically illustrating a component mounting system in which the conveying system is used. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main portion of a conveying device provided in the conveying system. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main portion of an object to be conveyed by the conveying device. FIG. 5 is a front view of the object to be conveyed. FIG. 6 is a top view of a main portion of the object to be conveyed. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the conveying system. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the conveying system. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the conveying system. FIG. 10 is a top view of a main portion of the conveying device holding the object to be conveyed. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the detection range of a LiDAR provided in the conveying device. FIG. 12 is a side view of the conveying device holding the object to be conveyed. FIG. 13 is a top view of a main portion of the object to be conveyed. FIG. 14 is a top view of a main portion of the object to be conveyed. FIG. 15 is a top view of a main portion of the object to be conveyed. FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the transport device.

[0014] A transport system, a transport device provided in the transport system, an attachment detachable from a transport target transported by the transport device, and a control method for the transport device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the figures referred to in the following description are schematic diagrams, and the ratios of the sizes and thicknesses of the components in the figures do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios. Furthermore, the embodiments and modifications described below are merely examples of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and modifications. Various modifications other than these embodiments and modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present disclosure.

[0015] (1) Overview First, an overview of the transport system 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.

[0016] The transport system 100 includes a transport object 2 and a transport device 1 that transports the transport object 2 .

[0017] The transport device 1 includes a movable device body 10 , a gripping unit 12 , a detection unit 19 , and a movement control unit 171 .

[0018] The gripping part 12 is attached to the device body 10 and is capable of gripping a gripped part 21 provided on the transport object 2 .

[0019] The detection unit 19 is capable of detecting objects around the device main body 10 .

[0020] The movement control unit 171 controls the movement of the device main body 10 based on the detection result of the detection unit 19 .

[0021] The grasped portion 21 is provided with a marker member 40 that can be detected by the detection portion 19 .

[0022] When the detection unit 19 detects the marker member 40 in a non-gripping state in which the gripping unit 12 is not gripping the gripped portion 21, the movement control unit 171 moves the device main body 10 to a gripping position where the gripping unit 12 can grip the gripped portion 21 based on the detection result of the marker member 40 by the detection unit 19.

[0023] The transport device 1 of this embodiment also includes a movable device body 10 , a gripping unit 12 , a detection unit 19 , and a movement control unit 171 .

[0024] The gripping part 12 is attached to the device body 10 and is capable of gripping a gripped part 21 provided on the transport target 2 transported by the device body 10 .

[0025] The detection unit 19 is capable of detecting objects around the device main body 10 .

[0026] The movement control unit 171 controls the movement of the device main body 10 based on the detection result of the detection unit 19 .

[0027] The grasped portion 21 is provided with a marker member 40 that can be detected by the detection portion 19 .

[0028] When the detection unit 19 detects the marker member 40 in a non-gripping state in which the gripping unit 12 is not gripping the gripped portion 21, the movement control unit 171 moves the device main body 10 to a gripping position where the gripping unit 12 can grip the gripped portion 21 based on the detection result of the marker member 40 by the detection unit 19.

[0029] Here, the transport device 1 is an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) used for transporting objects in facilities such as factories, logistics centers (including distribution centers), offices, stores, schools, and hospitals. The transport device 1 moves by running on a moving surface G1 (see FIG. 5 ) using multiple wheels. The moving surface G1 is the surface on which the transport device 1 moves. When the transport device 1 moves within a facility, the moving surface G1 is the floor of the facility, and when the transport device 1 moves outdoors, the moving surface G1 is the ground. Note that the transport device 1 is not limited to a vehicle-type robot that moves (runs) on wheels on the moving surface G1. The transport device 1 may also be an airborne drone that flies in the air, a surface drone that navigates on water, or an underwater drone that navigates underwater. However, the following embodiment describes a case in which the transport device 1 is a vehicle-type robot that runs on the moving surface G1.

[0030] Furthermore, the transport object 2 is, for example, a cart having a plurality of wheels 22. The transport object 2 can travel on the plurality of wheels 22. When the transport device 1 moves in a gripping state in which the gripping portion 12 of the transport device 1 grips the gripped portion 21 of the transport object 2, the transport object 2 moves together with the transport device 1.

[0031] Furthermore, the term "the grip portion 12 is attached to the device main body 10" can refer to either a case where the grip portion 12 is attached to the device main body 10 in advance, or a case where the grip portion 12 is attached to the device main body 10 later.

[0032] According to the above configuration, even if the transport target 2 has moved from the position where the transport device 1 is scheduled to grip the transport target 2, the movement control unit 171 moves the device main body 10 to the gripping position based on the detection result of the detection unit 19, so that the gripping unit 12 of the transport device 1 can grip the gripped portion 21 of the transport target 2. Therefore, according to this embodiment, there is an advantage in that it is possible to realize a transport system 100 and a transport device 1 that can move the transport device 1 to a gripping position where the transport target 2 can be gripped.

[0033] (2) Configuration The transport system 100 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0034] In the following description, the X-axis direction shown in FIG. 2 is defined as the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction is defined as the front-rear direction, and the positive direction of the X-axis direction is defined as the right side, and the positive direction of the Y-axis direction is defined as the front side. Furthermore, the Z-axis direction (see FIGS. 5 and 12), perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis directions, is defined as the up-down direction, and the positive direction of the Z-axis direction is defined as the up side. Note that these directions are defined when the transport device 1 is traveling while towing the object 2 to be transported, and are not intended to limit the directions of the transport device 1 when in use to these directions. Furthermore, the arrows indicating the various directions in the drawings are merely shown for explanatory purposes and have no substance.

[0035] (2.1) Overall Configuration of the Transport System As shown in Fig. 1 , the transport system 100 includes a transport object 2 and a transport device 1 that transports the transport object 2. The transport system 100 may further include a host system 3 that controls the transport operation of the transport object 2 by the transport device 1.

[0036] The conveying device 1 and the host system 3 are configured to be able to communicate with each other. In this disclosure, "communicable" means that information can be exchanged directly or indirectly via the network NT1 or a relay device 5, using an appropriate communication method such as wired or wireless communication. In this embodiment, the host system 3 and the conveying device 1 are capable of bidirectional communication, allowing both transmission of information from the host system 3 to the conveying device 1 and transmission of information from the conveying device 1 to the host system 3. While FIG. 1 shows one conveying device 1, the number of conveying devices 1 may be two or more. In other words, the host system 3 may control the conveying operation of each of multiple conveying devices 1. Furthermore, the conveying device 1 is capable of conveying multiple types of conveyed objects 2. In other words, the host system 3 may control the conveying operation of multiple types of conveyed objects 2 by multiple conveying devices 1.

[0037] The transfer system 100 of this embodiment is used in a component mounting system 200 as shown in FIG. 2, for example.

[0038] The component mounting system 200 includes a component mounter 6 that mounts components on a board, and a component supply device 7 that supplies components to the component mounter 6. The component supply device 7 includes, for example, at least one of a tape supply unit that supplies reels wound with tape that contains components, a tray supply unit that supplies trays on which components are placed, a batch exchange cart that supplies multiple types of components, a mask magazine cart, a solder pod exchange cart, and a cart that carries materials before and after work.

[0039] Here, the component supply device 7 is a transport target 2 transported by the transport device 1, and the transport device 1 included in the transport system 100 transports the component supply device 7 to the component mounter 6. Note that the transport target 2 transported by the transport device 1 may include a collection cart that collects waste such as tape scraps discharged from the component mounter 6.

[0040] In this embodiment, the transport device 1 receives an instruction from, for example, the host system 3 and moves the transport target 2 to a position where it is connected to the component mounter 6 .

[0041] The transport device 1, the transport object 2, and the host system 3 that constitute the transport system 100 will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0042] 2, 3, and 7, the conveying device 1 includes a device main body 10, at least one drive wheel 11 (for example, a pair in this embodiment), a pair of gripping portions 12, and a first connector 13. In addition, the conveying device 1 further includes a pair of guide portions 14 connected to the pair of gripping portions 12, respectively, as shown in FIG.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1 , the conveying device 1 also includes a drive wheel unit 15 , a gripping drive unit 16 , a control unit 17 , a power source PS1 , a communication unit 18 , and a detection unit 19 .

[0044] The device body 10 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the operation of the conveying device 1 will be described with the longitudinal direction of the device body 10 as the X-axis direction (left-right direction) and the lateral direction of the device body 10 as the Y-axis direction (front-rear direction).

[0045] 2 and 12, the pair of drive wheels 11 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction on the underside of the device body 10. In the following description, of the pair of drive wheels 11, the drive wheel 11 located on the left side of the device body 10 may be referred to as the left drive wheel 11L, and the drive wheel 11 located on the right side of the device body 10 may be referred to as the right drive wheel 11R.

[0046] In this embodiment, the left driving wheel 11L and the right driving wheel 11R each serve as a steering wheel. A drive mechanism for driving the left driving wheel 11L and a steering mechanism for changing the direction of the left driving wheel 11L are integrated into a left driving wheel unit 15L (see FIG. 1). A drive mechanism for driving the right driving wheel 11R and a steering mechanism for changing the direction of the right driving wheel 11R are integrated into a right driving wheel unit 15R (see FIG. 1). In other words, the driving wheel unit 15 includes the left driving wheel unit 15L and the right driving wheel unit 15R.

[0047] The left driving wheel unit 15L controls the rotation and steering angle of the left driving wheel 11L. As shown in Figure 1, the left driving wheel unit 15L includes a first motor M1L, which is a drive motor that rotates the left driving wheel 11L in the circumferential direction, and a second motor M2L, which is a steering motor that changes the orientation (rolling direction) of the left driving wheel 11L.

[0048] In the left drive wheel unit 15L, upon receiving a control command from the control unit 17, the second motor M2L changes the direction of the left drive wheel 11L in the direction indicated by the control command, and the first motor M1L rotates the left drive wheel 11L with the rotational torque or rotation speed indicated by the control command.

[0049] The right drive wheel unit 15R controls the rotation and steering angle of the right drive wheel 11R. As shown in Figure 1, the right drive wheel unit 15R includes a first motor M1R, which is a drive motor that rotates the right drive wheel 11R in the circumferential direction, and a second motor M2R, which is a steering motor that changes the orientation (rolling direction) of the right drive wheel 11R.

[0050] In the right drive wheel unit 15R, upon receiving a control command from the control unit 17, the second motor M2R changes the direction of the right drive wheel 11R in the direction indicated by the control command, and the first motor M1R rotates the right drive wheel 11R with the rotational torque or rotation speed indicated by the control command.

[0051] 2 and 3, the pair of gripping portions 12 are provided on the rear surface of the device main body 10 so as to be aligned in the left-right direction. Each of the pair of gripping portions 12 is provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction. The pair of gripping portions 12 grip a pair of gripped portions 21 of the transport target 2. In the following description, the left gripping portion 12 of the pair of gripping portions 12 may be referred to as the left gripping portion 12L, and the right gripping portion 12 may be referred to as the right gripping portion 12R.

[0052] The gripping portion 12 is, for example, a plate-like member that protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the device body 10. The gripping portion 12 has a recess 120 (see FIGS. 3 and 7) on its outer surface into which a cylindrical gripped member 210 of a gripped portion 21 (described later) fits. Note that the "outer surface" here refers to the left side surface of the left gripping portion 12L when the gripping portion 12 is the left gripping portion 12L, and refers to the right side surface of the right gripping portion 12R when the gripping portion 12 is the right gripping portion 12R.

[0053] The grip driving unit 16 moves each of the pair of gripping units 12 in the left-right direction. The grip driving unit 16 includes, for example, a feed screw arranged in the left-right direction, a servo motor that rotates the feed screw, and a reducer that transmits the rotation of the servo motor to the feed screw. The grip driving unit 16 is provided, for example, inside the device main body 10.

[0054] The guide portion 14 is connected to the rear end of the grip portion 12. In this embodiment, the guide portion 14 and the grip portion 12 are formed separately, and are connected to each other by a fastening member such as a bolt. Alternatively, the guide portion 14 and the grip portion 12 may be formed integrally, thereby connecting the guide portion 14 and the grip portion 12.

[0055] That is, the conveying device 1 has a pair of guide portions 14 aligned in the left-right direction. In the following description, the left guide portion 14 of the pair of guide portions 14 may be referred to as the left guide portion 14L, and the right guide portion 14 may be referred to as the right guide portion 14R.

[0056] The left guide portion 14L and the right guide portion 14R are, for example, plate-shaped metal members. As shown in Fig. 10, the left guide portion 14L has a left side surface S1 and a right side surface S2. As shown in Fig. 10, the right guide portion 14R has a left side surface S3 and a right side surface S4. The left side surface S1 of the left guide portion 14L and the right side surface S4 of the right guide portion 14R are contact surfaces that come into contact with the graspable member 210 during the connection operation between the first connector 13 and the second connector 23, which will be described later.

[0057] The left side surface S1 of the left guide portion 14L is inclined obliquely relative to the front-to-rear direction so that the amount of protrusion to the left increases as it goes further rearward. Therefore, the width of the left guide portion 14L in the left-to-right direction (the distance between the left side surface S1 and the right side surface S2) becomes narrower as it gets closer to the device body 10.

[0058] The right side surface S4 of the right guide portion 14R is inclined obliquely relative to the front-to-rear direction so that the amount of protrusion to the right increases as it goes further rearward. Therefore, the width of the right guide portion 14R in the left-to-right direction (the distance between the left side surface S3 and the right side surface S4) becomes narrower as it gets closer to the device body 10.

[0059] The control unit 17 (see FIG. 1) mainly comprises a computer system having one or more processors and a memory. The functions of the control unit 17 are realized by the processor of the computer system executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

[0060] 1, the control unit 17 has functions such as a movement control unit 171 and a grip control unit 172. Note that the movement control unit 171 and the grip control unit 172 merely indicate functions realized by the control unit 17 and do not necessarily indicate actual configurations.

[0061] The movement control unit 171 controls the operation of the left drive wheel unit 15L and the right drive wheel unit 15R based on control commands received by the communication unit 18 (described later) from the higher-level system 3, thereby moving the device main body 10 on the movement plane G1. More specifically, the movement control unit 171 controls the current flowing through the second motor M2L to change the orientation of the left drive wheel 11L, and controls the current flowing through the second motor M2R to change the orientation of the right drive wheel 11R. The movement control unit 171 also controls the current flowing through the first motor M1L to rotate the left drive wheel 11L, and controls the current flowing through the first motor M1R to rotate the right drive wheel 11R.

[0062] The grip control unit 172 controls the grip drive unit 16 based on a control command received by the communication unit 18 from the higher-level system 3, and moves each of the pair of grip units 12 in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the grip control unit 172 moves each of the pair of grip units 12 by the same distance in opposite directions.

[0063] The detection unit 19 detects the surrounding conditions of the device main body 10, etc. The detection unit 19 detects, for example, whether or not an object is present around the device main body 10 as the surrounding conditions of the device main body 10. Objects that are the target of detection by the detection unit 19 may include the transport target 2 transported by the transport device 1. Objects that are the target of detection by the detection unit 19 may include, for example, a building wall, a partition, or equipment such as a component mounter 6 arranged on the moving surface G1. Furthermore, objects that are the target of detection by the detection unit 19 may include people working within the moving surface G1, other transport devices 1, etc.

[0064] The detection unit 19 includes, for example, two LiDARs (Light Detection and Ranging) 191 and 192 for detecting objects present around the device main body 10 (see FIG. 11 ). That is, the detection unit 19 includes the LiDARs 191 and 192, which emit light and receive reflected light from an object, and then detect the position of the object based on the reflected light. Of the two LiDARs 191 and 192, the LiDAR 191 is disposed in the front of the device main body 10 and detects the presence or absence of an object in a detection area A1 in front of the device main body 10. Furthermore, of the two LiDARs 191 and 192, the LiDAR 192 is disposed in the rear of the device main body 10 and detects the presence or absence of an object in a detection area A2 behind the device main body 10. The control unit 17 can avoid collision with the object based on information about the object detected by the detection unit 19 (LiDAR 191, 192). Furthermore, when the transport device 1 grips the transport target 2, if the LiDAR 192 provided at the rear of the device main body 10 detects the marker member 40 provided on the transport target 2, the movement control unit 171 moves the device main body 10 to the gripping position based on the detection result of the LiDAR 192.

[0065] 11 is a diagram illustrating the detection areas of the LiDARs 191 and 192. The detection area of ​​the LiDAR 191 is a sector-shaped area centered on the LiDAR 191, and the detection area of ​​the LiDAR 192 is a sector-shaped area centered on the LiDAR 192. In FIG. 11, the transport object 2 is illustrated in a simplified form.

[0066] The LiDARs 191 and 192 are disposed in the center of the device body 10 in the left-right direction. The LiDAR 191 is disposed in the front of the device body 10 and detects the presence or absence of an object in a detection area A1 that includes the front of the device body 10. The detection area A1 is a sector-shaped area with a central angle of, for example, 240 degrees centered around the LiDAR 191. The LiDAR 192 is disposed in the rear of the device body 10 and detects the presence or absence of an object in a detection area A2 that includes the rear of the device body 10. The detection area A2 is a sector-shaped area with a central angle of, for example, 240 degrees centered around the LiDAR 192. Here, when the transport device 1 transports the object 2, the object 2 is connected to the rear of the device body 10, and therefore, a blind spot may occur in the detection area of ​​the LiDAR 192 due to the object 2 connected to the device body 10. Furthermore, when LiDAR 191, 192 detect an object, the movement control unit 171 stops the transport device 1, but when the transport device 1 is in a gripping state where it is gripping the transport object 2 and LiDAR 192 detects the transport object 2 being transported, the movement control unit 171 stops the transport device 1. Therefore, in the gripping state, it is necessary to set the detection range of LiDAR 2 so that LiDAR 192 does not detect the transport object 2 being transported.

[0067] Therefore, the LiDAR 192 is disposed in the device main body 10 so as to be able to irradiate light into the space SP1 between the moving surface G1 on which the transport object 2 travels and the bottom surface 20A of the transport object 2 (see FIG. 12 ). In other words, the LiDAR 192 irradiates light LB1 into the space SP1 between the moving surface G1 and the bottom surface 20A of the transport object 2 so as to be able to detect objects present behind the transport object 2 even when the transport device 1 is transporting the transport object 2. Note that the LiDAR 192 is disposed at the bottom of the device main body 10, and the emission direction of light from the LiDAR 192 is along the moving surface G1. Note that the emission direction of light from the LiDAR 192 being along the moving surface G1 does not necessarily have to be parallel to the moving surface G1. If the light from the LiDAR 192 passes through the space SP1 between the moving surface G1 and the bottom surface 20A of the transport target 2 and is irradiated into the space behind the transport target 2, the optical axis of the light from the LiDAR 192 and the moving surface G1 may intersect at an angle of about several degrees (for example, about 5 degrees). For example, the optical axis of the light from the LiDAR 192 may be directed obliquely upward at an angle of about 2 to 3 degrees, for example, so that the LiDAR 192 does not erroneously detect the moving surface G1.

[0068] The detection unit 19 sets a first detection area A21, which is the detection area A2 of the LiDAR 192 in a non-gripping state in which the transport device 1 is not gripping the transport target 2, and a second detection area A22, which is the detection area A2 of the LiDAR 192 in a gripping state in which the transport device 1 is gripping the transport target 2, to different areas. The detection unit 19 sets the detection area A2 of the LiDAR 192 to the first detection area A21 or the second detection area A22 in response to, for example, a control command from the control unit 17. The control unit 17 outputs a control command to the detection unit 19 instructing it to set the detection area A2 to the first detection area A21 in the non-gripping state, and the detection unit 19 switches the detection area A2 of the LiDAR 192 to the first detection area A21. In addition, the control unit 17 outputs a control command to the detection unit 19 instructing it to set the detection area A2 to the second detection area A22 when in the gripping state, and the detection unit 19 switches the detection area A2 of the LiDAR 192 to the second detection area A22.

[0069] The first detection area A21 in the non-gripped state is a sector-shaped area with a central angle of, for example, 240 degrees centered around the LiDAR 192. On the other hand, the second detection area A22 in the gripped state is an area including five sector-shaped small areas A221 to A225, which are obtained by excluding four sector-shaped non-detection areas NA1 to NA4, which have a smaller central angle than the first detection area A21, from the sector-shaped first detection area A21. Here, the non-detection areas NA1 to NA4 are areas in which a part of the transport target 2 may be present as viewed from the LiDAR 192 in the gripped state. Specifically, the non-detection areas NA1 to NA4 are areas in which a component (e.g., wheels 22, etc.) present below the bottom surface 20A of the main body 20 of the transport target 2 is present as viewed from the LiDAR 192 in the gripped state. The detection unit 19 sets the detection area A2 of the LiDAR 192 to the first detection area A21, for example, by ignoring objects detected in an area outside the first detection area A21 from the maximum detection area of ​​the LiDAR 192. The detection unit 19 also sets the detection area A2 of the LiDAR 192 to the second detection area A22, for example, by ignoring objects detected in the non-detection areas NA1 to NA4 from the first detection area A21.

[0070] As described above, in this embodiment, the first detection area A21, which is the detection area A2 of the detection unit 19 in the non-gripping state, is different from the second detection area A22, which is the detection area A2 of the detection unit 19 in the gripping state. The gripping state is a state in which the transport device 1 is gripping the transport target 2. Here, the second detection area A22 is set to an area that, when viewed from the LiDAR 192, which is the detection unit 19, does not include the non-detection areas NA1 to NA4 in which part of the transport target 2 is present. Therefore, the possibility that the LiDAR 192 will erroneously detect the transport target 2 gripped by the transport device 1 in the gripping state can be reduced, and the possibility that the transport device 1 will stop due to erroneous detection of the transport target 2 can be reduced.

[0071] The marker member 40 described above is disposed at a position where it is irradiated with light from the LiDAR 192 that is irradiated onto the space SP1 between the bottom surface 20A of the transport target 2 and the moving surface G1, so that it can be detected by the LiDAR 192 (see FIGS. 4 and 12). When the LiDAR 192 detects the marker member 40 in the gripping state, the transport device 1 stops due to the detection of the marker member 40, and therefore the marker member 40 is disposed at a position included in the non-detection regions NA1 to NA4. That is, in the gripping state in which the transport device 1 is gripping the transport target 2, the marker member 40 is disposed in the non-detection regions NA1 to NA4 where the detection unit 19 (LiDAR 192) does not detect objects. Since the marker member 40 is placed at a position set in the non-detection areas NA1 to NA4, the possibility of the LiDAR 192 mistakenly detecting the marker member 40 when in a grasping state can be reduced, and the possibility of the conveying device 1 stopping due to the LiDAR 192 mistakenly detecting the marker member 40 can be reduced.

[0072] The LiDAR 192, which is the detection unit 19, can detect the distance to and position of the marker member 40. Furthermore, when the front surface of the marker member 40 (see FIGS. 4 to 6 ) includes a flat portion 42 and an inclined surface 43, the distances from the LiDAR 192 to the flat portion 42 and the inclined surface 43 are different, and therefore the detection unit 19 can also detect the shape of the marker member 40 by detecting the distance from the LiDAR 192 to the flat portion 42 and the inclined surface 43.

[0073] In addition, the control unit 17 has a self-position estimation function that estimates the current position of the device main body 10 based on the detection results of LiDAR 191, 192 and the electronic map information of the moving surface G1 stored in the memory of the control unit 17.

[0074] The detection unit 19 for detecting an object present around the device main body 10 is not limited to the LiDAR 191, 192. This type of sensor may be a sensor that detects an object using at least one of sound waves, light, and radio waves.

[0075] Furthermore, the detection unit 19 may further detect the behavior of the device body 10. In the present disclosure, "behavior" refers to movement, posture, etc. In other words, the behavior of the device body 10 includes the operating state of the device body 10, which indicates whether the device body 10 is moving or stopped, the distance traveled and the traveling time of the device body 10, the speed (and speed change) of the device body 10, the acceleration acting on the device body 10, the posture of the device body 10, etc.

[0076] The communication unit 18 is configured to be able to communicate with the higher-level system 3. In this embodiment, the communication unit 18 communicates with any of a plurality of relay devices 5 installed within a predetermined area in which the transport device 1 moves, by wireless communication using radio waves as a medium. Therefore, the communication unit 18 and the higher-level system 3 communicate indirectly via at least the network NT1 and the relay device 5.

[0077] Each relay device 5 is a device (access point) that relays communication between the communication unit 18 and the upper system 3. The relay device 5 communicates with the upper system 3 via the network NT1. In this embodiment, as an example, wireless communication conforming to standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or unlicensed low-power radio (specified low-power radio) is employed for communication between the relay device 5 and the communication unit 18. Furthermore, the network NT1 is not limited to the Internet, and may be, for example, a local communication network within a predetermined area in which the transport device 1 travels or within the operating company of this predetermined area.

[0078] The power supply PS1 is, for example, a secondary battery. The power supply PS1 directly or indirectly supplies power to the left drive wheel unit 15L, the right drive wheel unit 15R, the grip drive unit 16, the control unit 17, the communication unit 18, the detection unit 19, etc. The power supply PS1 may be located outside the conveyance device 1. In other words, the conveyance device 1 may be supplied with power from the external power supply PS1.

[0079] The first connector 13 is a connector for supplying power to the transport object 2. In this embodiment, the functional unit 24 (see FIG. 1 ) of the transport object 2 operates using power supplied from the power source PS1 of the transport device 1 through the first connector 13.

[0080] The first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23 of the object to be transported 2 as the object to be transported 2 and the device main body 10 approach each other. In this embodiment, when the device main body 10 cannot move, the transport device 1 pulls in the object to be transported 2, so that the object to be transported 2 and the device main body 10 approach each other, and the first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23.

[0081] The first connector 13 is attached to the rear surface of the device body 10. More specifically, the first connector 13 is located on the rear surface of the device body 10 in an area including the midpoint of the pair of gripping portions 12. Here, the midpoint of the pair of gripping portions 12 refers to the midpoint of a line segment that virtually connects the left gripping portion 12L and the right gripping portion 12R in the left-right direction.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 3 , the first connector 13 has a first connection portion 131 and a pair of insertion holes 132 provided on the left and right sides of the first connection portion 131 .

[0083] The first conductive part 8 (see FIG. 1), which is electrically connected to the power supply PS1, is housed inside the first connection part 131. The first connection part 131 also has a plurality of pin holes 133 that communicate with the first conductive part 8 (see FIG. 3).

[0084] A guide pin 234 of the second connector 23 is inserted into the insertion hole 132. The entrance of the insertion hole 132 is tapered so that the guide pin 234 can be easily inserted.

[0085] (2.3) Transport Object As shown in Figures 2 and 4 to 6, the transport object 2 has a main body 20, a plurality of wheels 22 (for example, four in this embodiment), a plurality of gripped portions 21 (for example, a pair in this embodiment), and a second connector 23.

[0086] The transport object 2 is, for example, a batch exchange cart for supplying a plurality of types of components to the component mounter 6. The main body of the transport object 2 is equipped with a functional unit 24 (see FIG. 1 ), such as a bumper sensor for detecting contact with an obstacle.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 20 is formed in the shape of, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0088] The four wheels 22 are provided on the underside of the main body 20. The four wheels 22 are free-wheeling wheels (so-called casters) that can rotate in any direction parallel to the moving surface G1. Because the transport object 2 is equipped with the four wheels 22 that can rotate in any direction, the transport object 2 can move on the moving surface G1 by being towed by the transport device 1.

[0089] 4 and 5, the pair of gripped portions 21 are provided on the front surface of the main body 20 so as to be aligned in the left-right direction with a predetermined gap therebetween. In the following description, of the pair of gripped portions 21, the gripped portion 21 on the left side in Fig. 2 may be referred to as the left gripped portion 21L, and the gripped portion 21 on the right side in Fig. 2 may be referred to as the right gripped portion 21R.

[0090] 4, the graspable portion 21 has a graspable member 210 and a fixed member 211. Here, the left graspable member 210 may be referred to as graspable member 210L, and the right graspable member 210 may be referred to as graspable member 210R.

[0091] The graspable member 210 is a cylindrical member extending in the vertical direction. The graspable member 210 fits into the recess 120 of the gripping portion 12, whereby the graspable member 210 is gripped by the gripping portion 12.

[0092] The fixing member 211 is formed in a substantially U-shape and holds the graspable member 210 by sandwiching both ends of the graspable member 210. The fixing member 211 is attached to the main body 20 while holding the graspable member 210. Because the fixing member 211 is attached to the main body 20 with a fastening member such as a bolt 50, the fixing member 211 is detachable from the main body 20 (the transport object 2). In other words, the graspable portion 21 is detachable from the transport object 2. The fixing member 211 may be attached to the main body 20 with a snap lock or the like, allowing the graspable portion 21 to be attached and detached without using tools. Because the graspable portion 21 is detachably attached to the main body 20 with a fastening member such as a bolt 50 or a snap lock, the graspable portion 21 can be attached to the main body 20 of multiple types of transport objects 2. Therefore, there is no need to provide a dedicated graspable portion 21 for each of multiple types of transport objects 2, and the graspable portion 21 can be shared among multiple types of transport objects 2.

[0093] The above-described marker members 40 are attached to the grasped portions 21 (see FIGS. 4 to 6 ). In this embodiment, the transport target 2 has a plurality of grasped portions 21, and the transport device 1 is provided with a plurality of gripping portions 12 capable of gripping the plurality of grasped portions 21, respectively. In addition, there are a plurality of marker members 40 in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of grasped portions 21, and a corresponding marker member 40 from the plurality of marker members 40 is attached to each of the plurality of grasped portions 21. Specifically, in this embodiment, the transport target 2 has two grasped portions 21, and therefore has two marker members 40 in one-to-one correspondence with the two grasped portions 21. Then, a corresponding one of the two marker members 40 is attached to each of the two grasped portions 21. Here, the two graspable parts 21 include a left graspable part 21L having a graspable member 210L and a right graspable part 21R having a graspable member 210R. In addition, the marker member 40 attached to the left graspable part 21L may be referred to as the left marker member 41L, and the marker member 40 attached to the right graspable part 21R may be referred to as the right marker member 41R.

[0094] The two marker members 40 (left marker member 41L and right marker member 41R) are made of metal or synthetic resin and are formed to have a symmetrical shape with respect to a plane of symmetry CL1 (see FIGS. 7 and 8 ), which passes through the center position in the left-right direction of the main body 20 of the transport target 2 and is perpendicular to the movement plane G1. The left marker member 41L is formed in a box shape with a constant width in the up-down direction, and the front surface of the left marker member 41L is provided with a flat portion 42 whose normal direction is the front-to-rear direction, and an inclined surface 43 that slopes diagonally backward from the right end (the end closest to the inside) of the flat portion 42. The right marker member 41R is also formed in a box shape with a constant width in the vertical direction, and the front surface of the right marker member 40R is provided with a flat portion 42 whose normal direction is the front-to-rear direction, and an inclined surface 43 that slopes diagonally backward from the left end (the end closer to the inside) of the flat portion 42.

[0095] The front surfaces (flat surface 42 and inclined surface 43) of the two marker members 40 are reflective surfaces that reflect light emitted by the LiDARs 191 and 192 provided in the transport device 1, allowing the LiDARs 191 and 192 to detect the marker members 40. The marker members 40 are positioned so that light from the LiDAR 192 strikes the space SP1 between the moving surface G1 on which the transport object 2 travels and the bottom surface 20A of the transport object 2 (see FIGS. 5 and 12). The LiDAR 192 irradiates light LB1 into the space SP1 between the moving surface G1 and the bottom surface 20A of the transport object 2 so that it can detect an object present behind the transport object 2 even when the transport device 1 is transporting the transport object 2. The marker member 40 is disposed at a position where light LB1 from the LiDAR 192 irradiated into the space SP1 between the moving surface G1 and the bottom surface 20A of the transport target 2 strikes, that is, at a position on the optical axis of the light LB1 irradiated by the LiDAR 192. Therefore, when the transport device 1 approaches the transport target 2 to transport the transport target 2, the LiDAR 192 can detect the marker member 40.

[0096] The marker member 40 is attached to the underside of the fixing member 211 by a fastening member such as a bolt 51. In other words, the marker member 40 is detachable from the grasped portion 21. Here, the grasped portion 21 grasped by the grasper 12 of the conveying device 1 and the marker member 40 detectable by the detector 19 including the LiDARs 191 and 192 constitute an attachment 60 (FIGS. 4 to 6) that is detachable from the conveying target 2. In other words, the attachment 60 is detachable from the conveying target 2 conveyed by the conveying device 1 that includes the grasper 12 for grasping the conveying target 2 and the detector 19 that can detect surrounding objects. The attachment 60 includes the grasped portion 21 that can be grasped by the grasper 12 and the marker member 40 that can be detected by the detector 19. The marker member 40 can be attached to the grasped portion 21, and the grasped portion 21 to which the marker member 40 is attached can be attached and detached to the transport object 2. That is, the attachment 60 including the marker member 40 and the grasped portion 21 to which the marker member 40 is attached can be attached and detached to the transport object 2. Note that the marker member 40 is attached to the grasped portion 21 by a fastening member such as a bolt 51, but it may also be attached to the grasped portion 21 by, for example, a snap lock, and the attachment work of the marker member 40 can be performed without using tools.

[0097] As described above, in the present embodiment, the attachment 60 including the graspable portion 21 and the marker member 40 is detachable from the transport target 2. Therefore, the attachment 60 only needs to be attached to the transport target 2 transported by the transport device 1. For example, if some of the multiple carts used in a facility are transport targets 2, there is no need to provide the graspable portion 21 and the marker member 40 on carts other than those for the transport target 2. Therefore, since the attachment 60 only needs to be retrofitted to the cart that is the transport target 2, the manufacturing cost of the cart can be reduced compared to when the graspable portion 21 and the marker member 40 are provided on all carts regardless of whether they are the transport target 2 or not. Note that although the attachment 60 including the graspable portion 21 and the marker member 40 is detachable from the transport target 2, the graspable portion 21 and the marker member 40 may each be detachable from the transport target 2. In other words, it is sufficient that the graspable portion 21 is detachable from the transport target 2. It is also sufficient that the marker member 40 is detachable from the transport target 2.

[0098] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiple graspable parts 21 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, and therefore the multiple marker members 40 attached to the multiple graspable parts 21 are also arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. Therefore, two adjacent marker members 40 among the multiple marker members 40 are arranged apart from each other when viewed from the detection unit 19 (specifically, the LiDAR 192). In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 , the two marker members 40 are arranged at an interval in the left-right direction. Therefore, when the transport device 1 is transporting the transport target 2, light LB1 from the LiDAR 192 is irradiated backward through the gap between the two adjacent marker members 40, making it possible to detect objects present behind the transport target 2.

[0099] The transport device 1 of this embodiment is capable of transporting multiple types of transport objects 2. The multiple types of transport objects 2 may include, for example, a tape supply unit, a tray supply unit, a batch exchange cart, a mask magazine cart, and a solder pod exchange cart. A marker member 40 having a shape corresponding to the type of transport object 2 is attached to each of the multiple types of transport objects 2, and the detection unit 19 can detect the type of transport object 2 based on the shape of the marker member 40.

[0100] In this embodiment, we will explain the case where the conveying device 1 is capable of conveying four types of conveying objects 2.In the following, the four types of conveying objects 2 will be referred to as conveying objects 2A to 2D, and the marker members 40 attached to the conveying objects 2A to 2D will also be referred to as marker members 40A to 40D.

[0101] FIG. 6 is a top view of a main portion of a transport target 2A to which a marker member 40A is attached, and FIG. 13 is a top view of a main portion of a transport target 2B to which a marker member 40B is attached. The front surfaces of the marker members 40A and 40B have a flat portion 42 and an inclined surface 43 that slopes obliquely backward from the inner end of the flat portion 42. The flat portion 42 of the marker member 40B is wider in the left-right direction than the marker member 40A, so the detection unit 19 can distinguish between the marker members 40A and 40B based on the difference in size of the flat portion 42. Therefore, the detection unit 19 can distinguish between the transport target 2A to which the marker member 40A is attached and the transport target 2B to which the marker member 40B is attached, based on the shapes of the marker members 40A and 40B.

[0102] 14 is a top view of a main portion of a transport object 2C to which a marker member 40C is attached, and the front surface of the marker member 40C includes a flat portion 42 and an inclined surface 43 that slopes obliquely forward from the outer end of the flat portion 42. Therefore, the detection unit 19 can detect the marker member 40C separately from the marker members 40A and 40B based on the positional relationship between the flat portion 42 and the inclined surface 43, and can detect the transport object 2C to which the marker member 40C is attached separately from the transport objects 2A and 2B.

[0103] 15 is a top view of a main portion of a transport target 2D to which a marker member 40D is attached. The front surface of the marker member 40D includes a flat portion 42, an inclined surface 43 that slopes diagonally forward from the outer end of the flat portion 42, and a flat portion 44 that extends in the left-right direction from the outer end of the inclined surface 43. Therefore, the detection unit 19 can detect the marker member 40D separately from the marker members 40A to 40C based on the difference in the shape of the front surface, and can detect the transport target 2D to which the marker member 40D is attached separately from the transport targets 2A to 2C.

[0104] The second connector 23 is a connector to which the first connector 13 is connected. In this embodiment, the functional unit 24 of the transport object 2 operates using power supplied from the transport device 1 through the first connector 13 and the second connector 23.

[0105] 4 and 5, the second connector 23 is attached to the front surface of the main body 20. More specifically, the second connector 23 is attached to the front surface of the main body 20 by an attachment portion 25 in a state in which the second connector 23 can be tilted with respect to a plane intersecting the direction in which the first connector 13 is connected.

[0106] The second connector 23 has a first board 231 , a second board 232 , a second connection portion 233 , and a pair of guide pins 234 provided on the left and right sides of the second connection portion 233 .

[0107] The first substrate 231 is, for example, a plate-shaped member. The first substrate 231 is attached to the front surface of the main body 20 via an attachment portion 25. Here, the attachment portion 25 includes, for example, a spring. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 , the first substrate 231 is attached to an attachment member J1 provided on the front surface of the main body 20 via the attachment portion 25. Here, when no force is applied to the first substrate 231, the first substrate 231 intersects approximately perpendicularly with the direction in which the first connector 13 is connected. When a force is applied to the first substrate 231, the first substrate 231 tilts with respect to a plane that intersects approximately perpendicularly with the direction in which the first connector 13 is connected.

[0108] The second substrate 232 is attached to the front surface of the first substrate 231. The second substrate 232 is, for example, an L-shaped plate member. A second connection portion 233 and a pair of guide pins 234 are fixed to the second substrate 232.

[0109] The second connection portion 233 is fixed to the second substrate 232 with screws or the like. The second connection portion 233 houses a second conductive portion 9 (see FIG. 1 ) electrically connected to the functional portion 24. In addition, a plurality of connection pins 238 electrically connected to the second conductive portion 9 are provided on the surface of the second connection portion 233. The plurality of connection pins 238 are inserted into a plurality of pin holes 133 provided in the first connection portion 131, thereby electrically connecting to the first conductive portion 8.

[0110] The pair of guide pins 234 extend further forward than the multiple connection pins 238 .

[0111] When the first connector 13 and the second connector 23 are connected, the pair of guide pins 234 are each inserted into a pair of insertion holes 132 provided in the first connector 13, thereby determining the position of the second connector 23 relative to the first connector 13.

[0112] (2.4) Host System The host system 3 (see FIG. 1) is a system for controlling the transport device 1, and is realized by, for example, a server device. The host system 3 indirectly controls the transport device 1 by issuing instructions to the transport device 1. Specifically, when the host system 3 issues a transport instruction to the transport device 1 to transport the object 2 to be transported, the transport device 1 receives the transport instruction and autonomously performs the transport operation of moving the object 2 to the target position. Note that the host system 3 may be located inside or outside the facility where the transport device 1 performs the transport operation.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 1, the upper system 3 includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, and a storage unit 33.

[0114] The communication unit 32 communicates with the transport device 1 via the network NT1 and the relay device 5. As a communication method between the communication unit 32 and the relay device 5, an appropriate communication method such as wireless communication or wired communication is adopted.

[0115] The control unit 31 mainly comprises a computer system including, for example, a memory and a processor. That is, the functions of the control unit 31 are realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

[0116] The control unit 31 issues a transport instruction to the transport device 1 via the communication unit 32 to instruct the transport device 1 to transport the transport target 2. The control unit 31 issues a transport instruction to the transport device 1 to instruct the transport device 1 to transport the transport target 2, which is located at a certain location within the moving plane G1, to a target position, thereby causing the transport device 1 to transport the transport target 2 to the target position. The transport instruction includes, for example, type information regarding the type of the transport target 2, first position information regarding the position where the transport target 2 is located (hereinafter also referred to as the first position), and second position information regarding the target position to which the transport target 2 is to be transported (hereinafter also referred to as the second position). By transmitting the transport instruction to the transport device 1, the control unit 31 causes the transport device 1 to execute a moving step of moving to the first position, a detecting step of detecting the marker member 40, a grasping step of grasping the grasped portion 21, and a transport step of transporting the grasped transport target 2 to the second position.

[0117] The storage unit 33 includes an internal storage device such as a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM, and an external storage device such as an HDD, an SSD, etc. The storage unit 33 stores, for example, the contents of a transport instruction created in advance by a user of the higher-level system 3, etc.

[0118] (3) Operation Example of the Conveying System An operation example of the conveying system 100 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 10 and 16. Note that in Figs. 6 and 10, some components of the conveying device 1 and the conveying target 2 are omitted for simplicity of the drawings. Also, the flowchart shown in Fig. 16 is merely an example of a control method for the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, and the order of processes may be changed as appropriate, and processes may be added or omitted as appropriate.

[0119] In this operation example, the transport device 1 moves to grip the transport object 2 placed on the moving surface G1, and the transport device 1 grips and transports the transport object 2 will be described.

[0120] In this operation example, it is assumed that, in an initial state, the transport device 1 is located in a different location from the transport target 2. Therefore, in the initial state, the transport device 1 is not gripping the transport target 2, and the pair of gripped portions 21 (left gripped portion 21L and right gripped portion 21R) of the transport target 2 are not gripped by the pair of grippers 12 (left gripper 12L and right gripper 12R) of the transport device 1. It is also assumed that the detection area A2 of the LiDAR 192 of the detection unit 19 is set to the first detection area A21.

[0121] First, the control unit 31 of the host system 3 issues a transport instruction to the transport device 1 via the communication unit 32 to transport the object 2 to be transported.

[0122] When the communication unit 18 receives a transport instruction from the host system 3 (ST1), the movement control unit 171 moves the device main body 10 to the first position specified in the transport instruction (ST2). Here, the movement control unit 171 moves the device main body 10 to the first position so that the device main body 10 faces the transport target 2 in an orientation that allows the gripping units 12 to grip the gripped portion 21 of the transport target 2 located at the first position. Note that when the transport device 1 released the grip on the transport target 2 it had previously transported, the pair of gripping units 12 had moved in directions approaching each other. When the transport device 1 receives a transport instruction from the host system 3, the pair of gripping units 12 are stopped at the positions where they were when they released the grip on the transport target 2 it had previously transported.

[0123] Here, we assume that there is a discrepancy between the actual position of the transport object 2 and the first position specified in the transport instruction, and as shown in Figure 7, the position of the transport device 1 that has moved to the first position and the position of the transport object 2 are discrepant in each of the first direction DR1 and the second direction DR2.

[0124] When the transport device 1 moves to the first position, the detection unit 19 executes a detection step of detecting the marker member 40 of the transport target 2 (ST3). Note that when the transport device 1 moves to the first position, the device main body 10 stops with the rear portion of the device main body 10 facing the transport target 2, and therefore the detection unit 19 executes a detection step of detecting the marker member 40 based on the detection result of the LiDAR 192.

[0125] If the detection unit 19 does not detect the marker member 40 in the detection step (ST3: No), the control unit 17 causes the communication unit 18 to send an error signal indicating that the marker member 40 cannot be detected to the host system 3 (ST4). When the communication unit 32 of the host system 3 receives the error signal from the transport device 1, the control unit 31 causes the communication unit 32 to send a placement instruction to, for example, a mobile communication terminal (e.g., a smartphone) carried by a worker, instructing the worker to place the transport target 2 at a first position. When the worker carrying the mobile communication terminal checks the placement instruction sent to the mobile communication terminal, the worker places the transport target 2 at the first position in accordance with the placement instruction. When the worker places the transport target 2 at the first position, the detection unit 19 of the transport device 1 located at the first position detects the marker member 40 on the transport target 2 (ST3: Yes).

[0126] If the detection unit 19 detects the marker member 40 in the detection step (ST3: Yes), the control unit 17 identifies the type of the transport target 2 based on the shape of the marker member 40 detected by the detection unit 19. Then, the control unit 17 determines whether the type of the transport target 2 placed at the first position matches the type of the type information included in the transport instruction (ST5).

[0127] If the type of the transport target 2 placed at the first position does not match the type of the transport target 2 specified in the transport instruction (ST5: No), the control unit 17 causes the communication unit 18 to send an error signal indicating that the transport target 2 present at the first position does not match the transport instruction to the host system 3 (ST6). When the communication unit 32 of the host system 3 receives the error signal from the transport device 1, the control unit 31 causes the communication unit 32 to send a placement instruction to, for example, a mobile communication terminal carried by a worker, instructing the worker to place the transport target 2 specified in the transport instruction at the first position. When the worker carrying the mobile communication terminal checks the placement instruction sent to the mobile communication terminal, the worker places the transport target 2 specified in the transport instruction at the first position in accordance with the placement instruction. When the worker places the correct transport target 2 specified in the transport instruction at the first position, the detection unit 19 of the transport device 1 located at the first position detects the marker member 40 of the transport target 2.

[0128] If the type of the transport target 2 placed at the first position matches the type of the transport target 2 specified in the transport instruction (ST5: Yes), the control unit 17 moves the transport device 1 to a gripping position where the gripping units 12 can grip the gripped units 21, based on the detection result of the marker members 40 by the LiDAR 192. The gripping position is the position of the device main body 10 when the pair of gripping units 12 can grip the pair of gripped units 21 by moving each of the pair of gripping units 12 in a direction approaching the corresponding gripped unit 21.

[0129] Here, the detection unit 19 determines the position of the boundary between the inclined surface 43 and the flat surface 42 for each of the two marker members 40 (left marker member 41L and right marker member 41R) provided on the transport object 2, and determines the center position in the left-right direction of the main body 20 from the boundary positions determined for each of the two marker members 40. The detection unit 19 also determines the distance to the flat surface 42 for each of the two marker members 40 (left marker member 41L and right marker member 41R), and determines the average value of these distances as the distance between the transport device 1 and the transport object 2.

[0130] Then, the movement control unit 171 moves the device main body 10 along the second direction DR2 so that the center position of the main body 20 in the left-right direction coincides with the center position of the device main body 10 in the left-right direction (FIG. 8) (ST7). In this manner, based on the detection result of the marker member 40 by the detection unit 19, the movement control unit 171 moves the device main body 10 in the second direction DR2 so as to align the conveyance device 1 with the object to be conveyed 2 in the second direction DR2. The second direction DR2 intersects with the first direction DR1 in which the conveyance device 1 and the object to be conveyed 2 face each other, and is a direction along the movement plane G1 along which the conveyance device 1 moves. Here, aligning the conveyance device 1 with the object to be conveyed in the second direction DR2 means moving the conveyance device 1 to a position in the second direction DR2 such that the pair of gripping portions 12 are disposed between the pair of gripped portions 21. In this embodiment, aligning the conveying device 1 and the object to be conveyed 2 in the second direction DR2 means, for example, matching the center position of the conveying device 1 with the center position of the object to be conveyed 2 in the second direction DR2.

[0131] Then, when the alignment of the transport device 1 and the transport target 2 in the second direction is completed, the movement control unit 171 moves the device body 10 along the first direction DR1 to the gripping position based on the detection result of the marker member 40 by the detection unit 19. Specifically, the movement control unit 171 moves the device body 10 along the first direction DR1 to the gripping position based on the distance between the device body 10 and the transport target 2 detected by the detection unit 19 (ST8).

[0132] 9, when the conveying device 1 moves to the gripping position, the gripping control unit 172 executes a gripping step in which the pair of grippers 12 grip the pair of gripped parts 21 (ST9). As shown in Fig. 10, the gripping control unit 172 moves the left gripper 12L to the left and the right gripper 12R to the right. At this time, the gripping control unit 172 moves the left gripper 12L and the right gripper 12R so that the distance the left gripper 12L moves leftward and the distance the right gripper 12R moves rightward are equal.

[0133] When the left gripping portion 12L moves leftward and the right gripping portion 12R moves rightward, the gripped member 210L fits into the recess 120 of the left gripping portion 12L, and the gripped member 210R fits into the recess 120 of the right gripping portion 12R, completing the gripping of the pair of gripped portions 21 by the pair of gripping portions 12. When the gripping of the pair of gripped portions 21 by the pair of gripping portions 12 is complete, the first connector 13 is connected to the second connector 23.

[0134] Note that even after the device main body 10 has moved along the first direction DR1 in step ST8, if the device main body 10 is positioned forward of the gripping position, when the left gripping portion 12L moves left and the right gripping portion 12R moves right, the left side surface S1 of the left guide portion 14L comes into contact with the gripped member 210L and the right side surface S4 of the right guide portion 14R comes into contact with the gripped member 210R. Subsequently, when the left gripping portion 12L moves further left, the gripped member 210L moves along the left side surface S1 of the left guide portion 14L and fits into the recess 120 of the left gripping portion 12L. Furthermore, when the right gripping portion 12R moves further right, the gripped member 210R moves along the right side surface S4 of the right guide portion 14R and fits into the recess 120 on the right side of the right gripping portion 12R. This completes the gripping of the pair of gripped portions 21 by the pair of gripping portions 12 .

[0135] When the gripping step is completed, the detection unit 19 switches the detection area A2 of the LiDAR 192 from the first detection area A21 to the second detection area A22 (ST10). As a result, in the gripping state, a portion of the transport target 2 and the marker member 40 are included in the non-detection areas NA1 to NA4, thereby reducing the possibility that the LiDAR 192 will erroneously detect the transport target 2 and the marker member 40 during transport. Note that, even if the second detection unit 192 detects the marker member 40 between the time the transport device 1 moves to the first position and the time the transport target 2 is gripped, the movement control unit 171 does not stop the transport device 1 and can perform the position adjustment operations of steps ST7 and ST8. On the other hand, when the gripping step is completed, the movement control unit 171 stops the movement of the transport device 1 when the LiDARs 191 and 192 detect an object, thereby reducing the possibility that the transport device 1 will come into contact with the object.

[0136] Thereafter, the movement control unit 171 moves the device main body 10 forward, moving the device main body 10 from the first position to the second position. As a result, the transport device 1 travels while towing the transport object 2, and executes the transport step of transporting the transport object 2 (ST11).

[0137] When the device main body 10 arrives at the second position, the gripping control unit 172 moves the left gripping unit 12L to the right and the right gripping unit 12R to the left, thereby separating the left gripping unit 12L from the gripped member 210L and separating the right gripping unit 12R from the gripped member 210R. This puts the transport device 1 in a non-gripping state where it is not gripping the transport target 2, and the movement control unit 171 moves the device main body 10 from the second position to, for example, a predetermined standby position. This completes the transport operation in which the transport device 1 transports the transport target 2 to the second position.

[0138] (4) Modifications The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Hereinafter, the above embodiment may also be referred to as a basic example. Furthermore, functions similar to those of the conveying system 100 according to the above embodiment may be embodied in a control method for the conveying device 1, a (computer) program, a non-transitory recording medium on which a computer program is recorded, or the like.

[0139] A control method for a transport device 1 according to one aspect is a transport method for a transport device 1 that transports a transport target 2 using a gripping unit 12 that can grip a gripped portion 21 provided on the transport target 2. The control method for the transport device 1 includes a detection step, a movement step, a gripping step, and a transport step. In the detection step, a detection unit 19 provided on the transport device 1 detects a marker member 40 provided on the transport target 2. In the movement step, when the transport device 1 is not gripping the transport target 2, the detection unit 19 detects the marker member 40, and based on the detection result, the transport device 1 moves to a gripping position where the gripping unit 12 can grip the gripped portion 21. In the gripping step, the gripping unit 12 grips the gripped portion 21 at the gripping position. In the transport step, the transport device 1 moves with the gripping unit 12 gripping the gripped portion 21, thereby transporting the transport target 2.

[0140] A program according to one aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the above control method.

[0141] Modifications of the embodiment are listed below. The basic example described above and the modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combinations. In the modifications described below, components common to the basic example described above are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0142] The conveying device 1 and the upper system 3 of the conveying system 100 in the present disclosure include a computer system. The computer system is primarily composed of a processor and memory as hardware. The processor executes a program recorded in the memory of the computer system to realize the functions of the conveying device 1 and the upper system 3 of the conveying system 100 in the present disclosure. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, provided via a telecommunications line, or provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium readable by the computer system, such as a memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits, such as ICs and LSIs, are referred to by different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSIs, very large-scale integration (VLSI), or ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI). Furthermore, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), which is programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a logic device capable of reconfiguring the connections within the LSI or the circuit partitions within the LSI, can also be employed as a processor. Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated into a single chip or distributed across multiple chips. Multiple chips may be integrated into a single device or distributed across multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits, including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

[0143] The shapes of the gripping portion 12 of the transport device 1 and the gripped portion 21 of the transport target 2 are not limited to the shapes described in the basic example above, and can be changed as appropriate.

[0144] The shape of the marker member 40 is not limited to the shape described in the basic example above, and can be modified as appropriate.

[0145] The number of gripping parts 12 provided in the transport device 1 and the number of gripped parts 21 provided in the transport target 2 are not limited to two, and may be one, three or more. Furthermore, the number of marker members 40 provided on the transport target 2 is not limited to two, and may be one, three or more.

[0146] The marker member 40 is attached to the grasped portion 21 attached to the main body 20 of the transport object 2, but may also be attached directly to the main body 20 of the transport object 2.

[0147] The functions realized by the control unit 17 (the movement control unit 171 and the grip control unit 172) may be realized by a computer system (such as a server) provided outside the conveying device 1.

[0148] (5) Summary The above-described embodiments and the like disclose the following aspects.

[0149] The conveying system (100) of the first aspect includes a conveying object (2: 2A-2D) and a conveying device (1) that conveys the conveying object (2: 2A-2D). The conveying device (1) includes a movable device main body (10), a gripping unit (12), a detection unit (19), and a movement control unit (171). The gripping unit (12) is attached to the device main body (10) and is capable of gripping a gripped portion (21) provided on the conveying object (2: 2A-2D). The detection unit (19) is capable of detecting objects around the device main body (10). The movement control unit (171) controls the movement of the device main body (10) based on the detection result of the detection unit (19). The gripped portion (21) is provided with a marker member (40: 40A-40D) that can be detected by the detection unit (19). When the detection unit (19) detects the marker members (40: 40A to 40D) in a non-gripping state where the gripping unit (12) is not gripping the gripped portion (21), the movement control unit (171) moves the device body (10) to a gripping position where the gripping unit (12) can grip the gripped portion (21) based on the detection result of the marker members (40: 40A to 40D) by the detection unit (19).

[0150] According to this aspect, even if the transport object (2: 2A to 2D) has moved from the position where the transport device (1) is scheduled to grip the transport object (2: 2A to 2D), the movement control unit (171) moves the device body (10) to the gripping position based on the detection result of the detection unit (19), so that the gripping unit (12) of the transport device (1) can grip the gripped portion (21) of the transport object (2: 2A to 2D). Therefore, the transport device (1) can be moved to the gripping position where the transport object (2: 2A to 2D) can be gripped.

[0151] In the conveyance system (100) of the second aspect, the conveyance device (1) is capable of conveying multiple types of conveyance objects (2: 2A to 2D). Marker members (40: 40A to 40D) having shapes corresponding to the types of conveyance objects (2: 2A to 2D) are attached to each of the multiple types of conveyance objects (2: 2A to 2D). The detection unit (19) is capable of detecting the types of conveyance objects (2: 2A to 2D) based on the shapes of the marker members (40: 40A to 40D).

[0152] According to this aspect, even if there are multiple types of transport objects (2: 2A to 2D), the detection unit (19) can detect the type of transport object (2: 2A to 2D) based on the shape of the marker member (40: 40A to 40D).

[0153] In the third aspect of the conveying system (100), in the first or second aspect, the movement control unit (171) moves the device body (10) in the second direction (DR2) to align the conveying device (1) with the conveying target (2) in the second direction (DR2) based on the detection result of the marker members (40: 40A-40D) by the detection unit (19). The second direction (DR2) intersects with the first direction (DR1) in which the gripping unit (12) and the gripped portion (21) face each other, and is along the movement plane (G1) along which the conveying device (1) moves. The movement control unit (171) then moves the device body (10) in the first direction (DR1) to the gripping position.

[0154] According to this aspect, the movement control unit (171) can move the device body (10) to the gripping position.

[0155] In the conveying system (100) of the fourth aspect, in any of the first to third aspects, the first detection area (A21) which is the detection area of ​​the detector (19) in the non-gripping state is different from the second detection area (A22) which is the detection area of ​​the detector (19) in the gripping state. The gripping state is a state in which the conveying device (1) grips the conveying object (2: 2A to 2D).

[0156] According to this aspect, the detection area of ​​the detection unit (19) can be changed between the gripped state and the non-gripped state.

[0157] In a fifth aspect of the conveyance system (100), in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the detection unit (19) includes a LiDAR (192) that emits light (LB1) and receives the light (LB1) reflected by an object, and detects the position of the object based on the reflected light. The conveyance object (2: 2A-2D) can travel on a plurality of wheels (22). Marker members (40: 40A-40D) are disposed at positions where the light (LB1) emitted by the LiDAR (192) strikes a space (SP1) between a moving surface (G1) on which the conveyance object (2: 2A-2D) travels and a bottom surface (20A) of the conveyance object (2: 2A-2D).

[0158] According to this aspect, the light (LB1) emitted by the LiDAR (192) passes through the space (SP1) between the bottom surface (20A) of the transport target (2: 2A to 2D) and the moving surface (G1), so the LiDAR (192) can detect objects located on the opposite side of the transport target (2: 2A to 2D) from the transport device (1). Furthermore, the marker members (40: 40A to 40D) are positioned where the light (LB1) from the LiDAR (192) hits them, so the LiDAR (192), which is the detection unit (19), can detect the marker members (40: 40A to 40D).

[0159] In the sixth aspect of the conveying system (100), in any of the first to fifth aspects, when the conveying device (1) is in a gripping state gripping the conveying object (2: 2A to 2D), marker members (40: 40A to 40D) are arranged in non-detection areas (NA1 to NA4) where the detection unit (19) does not detect the object.

[0160] According to this aspect, in the gripped state, the possibility that the detection unit (19) will mistakenly detect the marker members (40: 40A to 40D) as obstacles can be reduced.

[0161] In a seventh aspect of the conveying system (100), in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the conveying object (2: 2A-2D) has a plurality of gripped portions (21). The conveying device (1) is provided with a plurality of gripping portions (12) capable of gripping the plurality of gripped portions (21), respectively. There are a plurality of marker members (40: 40A-40D) in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of gripped portions (21). A corresponding marker member (40: 40A-40D) from the plurality of marker members (40: 40A-40D) is attached to each of the plurality of gripped portions (21).

[0162] According to this aspect, the movement control unit (171) can move the device main body (10) to the gripping position based on the detection results of the detection unit (19) detecting multiple marker members (40: 40A to 40D).

[0163] In the eighth aspect of the conveying system (100), in the seventh aspect, two adjacent marker elements (40: 40A-40D) among the plurality of marker elements (40: 40A-40D) are positioned apart from each other when viewed from the detection unit (19).

[0164] According to this aspect, the detection unit (19) can detect an object located on the opposite side of the conveying device (1) from the conveying target (2: 2A to 2D) through the gap between two adjacent marker members (40: 40A to 40D).

[0165] In the transfer system (100) of the ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the grasped part (21) is detachable from the transfer object (2: 2A to 2D).

[0166] According to this aspect, the gripped portion (21) can be retrofitted only to the objects (2: 2A to 2D) to be transported by the transport device (1).

[0167] A tenth aspect of the transport system (100) is the transport system (100) of any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the attachment (60) is detachable from the transport object (2: 2A to 2D). The attachment (60) includes a marker member (40: 40A to 40D) and a grasped portion (21) to which the marker member (40: 40A to 40D) is attached.

[0168] According to this aspect, the attachment (60) including the marker member (40: 40A to 40D) and the grasped portion (21) can be attached to the object to be transported (2: 2A to 2D) afterward.

[0169] The conveying device (1) of the eleventh aspect includes a movable device body (10), a gripping unit (12), a detection unit (19), and a movement control unit (171). The gripping unit (12) is attached to the device body (10) and is capable of gripping a gripped portion (21) provided on a conveyance target (2: 2A-2D) conveyed by the device body (10). The detection unit (19) is capable of detecting objects around the device body (10). The movement control unit (171) controls the movement of the device body (10) based on the detection result of the detection unit (19). The gripped portion (21) is provided with a marker member (40: 40A-40D) detectable by the detection unit (19). When the detection unit (19) detects the marker members (40: 40A to 40D) in a non-gripping state where the gripping unit (12) is not gripping the gripped portion (21), the movement control unit (171) moves the device body (10) to a gripping position where the gripping unit (12) can grip the gripped portion (21) based on the detection result of the marker members (40: 40A to 40D) by the detection unit (19).

[0170] According to this aspect, even if the transport object (2: 2A to 2D) has moved from the position where the transport device (1) is scheduled to grip the transport object (2: 2A to 2D), the movement control unit (171) moves the device body (10) to the gripping position based on the detection result of the detection unit (19), so that the gripping unit (12) of the transport device (1) can grip the gripped portion (21) of the transport object (2: 2A to 2D). Therefore, the transport device (1) can be moved to the gripping position where the transport object (2: 2A to 2D) can be gripped.

[0171] The attachment (60) of the twelfth aspect is attachable to and detachable from a transport target (2: 2A to 2D) transported by a transport device (1). The transport device (1) includes a gripping unit (12) for gripping the transport target (2: 2A to 2D) and a detection unit (19) capable of detecting surrounding objects. The attachment (60) includes a gripped portion (21) that can be gripped by the gripping unit (12) and marker members (40: 40A to 40D) that can be detected by the detection unit (19). The marker members (40: 40A to 40D) are attachable to the gripped portion (21). The gripped portion (21) to which the marker members (40: 40A to 40D) are attached is attachable to and detachable from the transport target (2: 2A to 2D).

[0172] According to this aspect, by attaching the attachment (60) to the transport target (2: 2A to 2D), the movement control unit (171) of the transport device (1) can move the device body (10) to the gripping position based on the detection result of the detection unit (19). Therefore, even if the transport target (2: 2A to 2D) has moved from the position where the transport device (1) plans to grip the transport target (2: 2A to 2D), the gripping unit (12) of the transport device (1) can grip the gripped portion (21) of the transport target (2: 2A to 2D).

[0173] The gripped part (21) of the thirteenth aspect is used in the transport system (100) of any one of the first to tenth aspects.

[0174] This aspect has the same advantages as the first aspect.

[0175] The gripping portion (12) of the fourteenth aspect is used in the transport system (100) of any one of the first to tenth aspects.

[0176] This aspect has the same advantages as the first aspect.

[0177] A component mounting system (200) of a fifteenth aspect includes a component mounter (6) that mounts components on a board, and a component supply device (7) that supplies the components to the component mounter (6). The component supply device (7) is a transport target (2: 2A to 2D) provided in the transport system (100) of any one of the first to tenth aspects. The component supply device (7) is transported to the component mounter (6) by a transport device (1) provided in the transport system (100).

[0178] This aspect has the same advantages as the first aspect.

[0179] A sixteenth aspect of the control method is a method for controlling a conveyance device (1). The conveyance device (1) is equipped with a gripping unit (12) capable of gripping a gripped portion (21) provided on an object to be conveyed (2: 2A to 2D), and conveys the object to be conveyed (2: 2A to 2D). The conveyance method includes a detection step, a movement step, a gripping step, and a conveyance step. In the detection step, a detection unit (19) provided on the conveyance device (1) detects a marker member (40: 40A to 40D) provided on the object to be conveyed (2: 2A to 2D). In the movement step, when the conveyance device (1) is in a non-gripping state where it is not gripping the object to be conveyed (2: 2A to 2D), the conveyance device (1) is moved to a gripping position where the gripping unit (12) can grip the gripped portion (21) based on the detection result of the detection unit (19) detecting the marker member (40: 40A to 40D). In the gripping step, the gripping portion (12) grips the gripped portion (21) at the gripping position. In the transporting step, the transport device (1) moves in a gripping state in which the gripping portion (12) grips the gripped portion (21), thereby transporting the transport object (2: 2A to 2D).

[0180] According to this aspect, even if the transport object (2: 2A to 2D) has moved from the position where the transport device (1) is scheduled to grip the transport object (2: 2A to 2D), the device body (10) is moved to the gripping position based on the detection result of the detection unit (19), so that the gripping unit (12) of the transport device (1) can grip the gripped portion (21) of the transport object (2: 2A to 2D). Therefore, the transport device (1) can be moved to the gripping position where the transport object (2: 2A to 2D) can be gripped.

[0181] Not limited to the above aspects, various configurations (including modified examples) of the conveying device (1) according to the above embodiment can be embodied as a control method for the conveying device (1), a (computer) program, a non-transitory recording medium on which the program is recorded, etc.

[0182] The configurations according to the second to tenth aspects are not essential for the transport system (100) and can be omitted as appropriate.

[0183] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Conveying device 6 Component mounter 7 Component supply device 10 Device body 12 Gripper 19 Detector 20A Bottom surface 21 Gripped part 22 Wheels 60 Attachment 100 Conveying system 200 Component mounting system 171 Movement control unit A21 First detection area A22 Second detection area DR1 First direction DR2 Second direction G1 Moving surface LB1 Light NA1 to NA4 Non-detection area SP1 Space

Claims

1. A conveying system comprising: an object to be conveyed; and a conveying device for conveying the object to be conveyed, wherein the conveying device comprises: a movable device main body; a gripping unit attached to the device main body and capable of gripping a gripped part provided on the object to be conveyed; a detection unit capable of detecting objects around the device main body; and a movement control unit that controls movement of the device main body based on the detection result of the detection unit, wherein the gripped part is provided with a marker member that can be detected by the detection unit, and when the detection unit detects the marker member in an unaware state where the gripping part is not gripping the gripped part, the movement control unit moves the device main body to a gripping position where the gripping part can grip the gripped part, based on the detection result of the marker member by the detection unit.

2. The conveying system described in claim 1, wherein the conveying device is capable of conveying a plurality of types of the object to be conveyed, each of the plurality of types of the object to be conveyed is attached with a marker member having a shape corresponding to the type of the object to be conveyed, and the detection unit is capable of detecting the type of the object to be conveyed based on the shape of the marker member.

3. The conveying system described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the movement control unit, based on the detection result of the marker member by the detection unit, moves the device main body in a second direction that intersects with a first direction in which the gripping unit and the gripped unit face each other and is along a moving plane along which the conveying device moves, in order to align the conveying device with the object to be conveyed, and then moves the device main body along the first direction to the gripping position.

4. A conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a first detection area, which is the detection area of ​​the detection unit in the non-gripping state, is different from a second detection area, which is the detection area of ​​the detection unit in the gripping state in which the conveying device is gripping the object to be conveyed.

5. A conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the detection unit includes a LiDAR that emits light and receives reflected light from an object to detect the position of the object based on the reflected light, the object to be conveyed is capable of moving on a plurality of wheels, and the marker member is positioned at a position where the light from the LiDAR that is emitted into the space between a moving surface on which the object to be conveyed moves and the bottom surface of the object to be conveyed hits.

6. A conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the marker member is disposed in a non-detection area where the detection unit does not detect objects when the conveying device is in a gripping state gripping the object to be conveyed.

7. A conveying system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the object to be conveyed has a plurality of grippable parts, the conveying device is provided with a plurality of gripping parts capable of gripping the plurality of grippable parts respectively, there are a plurality of marker members in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of grippable parts, and a corresponding one of the plurality of marker members is attached to each of the plurality of grippable parts.

8. The transport system according to claim 7, wherein two adjacent marker members among the plurality of marker members are arranged apart from each other when viewed from the detection unit.

9. The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the grasped part is detachable from the object to be transported.

10. A transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein an attachment including the marker member and the graspable portion to which the marker member is attached is detachable from the object to be transported.

11. A transport device comprising: a movable device body; a gripping unit attached to the device body and capable of gripping a gripped part provided on an object to be transported by the device body; a detection unit capable of detecting objects around the device body; and a movement control unit that controls movement of the device body based on the detection result of the detection unit, wherein the gripped part is provided with a marker member that can be detected by the detection unit, and when the detection unit detects the marker member in an ungripped state where the gripping part is not gripping the gripped part, the movement control unit moves the device body to a gripping position where the gripping part can grip the gripped part based on the detection result of the marker member by the detection unit.

12. An attachment that can be attached to and detached from a transport object transported by a transport device having a gripping section for gripping the transport object and a detection section that can detect surrounding objects, the attachment comprising: a gripped section that can be gripped by the gripping section; and a marker member that can be detected by the detection section, the marker member being attachable to the gripped section, and the gripped section to which the marker member is attached being detachable from the transport object.

13. A grasped part used in the transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

14. A gripping unit used in the transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

15. A component mounting system comprising: a component mounter that mounts components on a board; and a component supply device that supplies the components to the component mounter, wherein the component supply device is the transport target provided by the transport system described in any one of claims 1 to 10, and the component supply device is transported to the component mounter by the transport device provided by the transport system.

16. A control method for a transport device that transports an object to be transported and that is equipped with a gripping unit capable of gripping a gripped portion provided on the object to be transported, the control method comprising: a detection step in which a detection unit provided on the transport device detects a marker member provided on the object to be transported; a movement step in which, when the transport device is in a non-gripping state where it is not gripping the object to be transported, the transport device is moved to a gripping position where the gripping unit can grip the gripped portion based on the detection result of the detection unit detecting the marker member; a gripping step in which the gripping unit grips the gripped portion at the gripping position; and a transport step in which the transport device transports the object to be transported by moving in a gripping state in which the gripping unit is gripping the gripped portion.

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