Picking system

Abstract

This picking system includes: an opening / closing unit that can be opened and closed by a pair of wall parts disposed facing each other approaching and distancing from each other; a plate having a first plate part and a second plate part that is upright with respect to the first plate part; a pushing unit provided to the opening / closing unit; and a processor that controls the opening / closing unit and the pushing unit. The processor controls gripping of an object by closing the opening / closing unit, performs controls such that the object is brought into contact with an upper part of the second plate part and is placed on the first plate part by opening the opening / closing unit and controls movement of the pushing unit so as to push the object placed on the first plate part to a side opposite to the first plate part across the second plate part.

Description

Picking System

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a picking system that grips an object.

[0002] Conventionally, a robot hand has been used to pick (grasp), move, and place (place) an object, a so-called pick and place operation. A known conventional robot hand is a robot hand that reverses the orientation of an object when picking and placing (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-124023

[0004] The present disclosure provides a picking system that is simple in configuration and capable of rotating an object in the vertical direction.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a picking system for grasping an object, comprising: an opening / closing section that can be opened and closed by a pair of opposing wall sections approaching and moving away from each other; a plate having a first plate section and a second plate section that stands up relative to the first plate section; a pushing section provided on the opening / closing section; and a processor that controls the opening / closing section and the pushing section, wherein the processor controls the opening / closing section to close so as to grasp the object, controls the opening / closing section to open so as to place the object on the first plate section by contacting the object above the second plate section, and controls the movement of the pushing section so as to push the object placed on the first plate section to the opposite side from the first plate section, sandwiching the second plate section between them.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, an object can be rotated in the vertical direction with a simple configuration.

[0007] 1 is an external perspective view showing an example of the configuration and installation environment of a robot device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; 2 is an external perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a work pick unit; 3 is an external perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a workplace unit; 4 is an external perspective view showing a state in which a rotating plate is arranged above the workplace unit; 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a robot hand; 6 is a view of the robot hand from the left side; 7 is a perspective view of the robot hand from the right side; 8 is a diagram for explaining the placing operation in which the robot hand places an object in time series (part 1); 9 is a view of the robot hand from the right during placing; 10 is a diagram for explaining the placing operation in which the robot hand places an object in time series (part 2); 11 is a diagram for explaining the placing operation in which the robot hand places an object in time series (part 3); 12 is a diagram for explaining the placing operation in which the robot hand places an object in time series (part 4);

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed description of well-known matters or redundant description of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0009] (Background to the Invention of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure) When turning an object upside down, the robot hand of Patent Document 1 turns the object upside down by rotating the robot hand 180 degrees around an axis in a predetermined direction via a rotation mechanism of the robot body, etc. This requires an operation to drive the rotation mechanism of the robot body, which makes the configuration of the robot hand complex.

[0010] In the following embodiment, a robot hand that has a simple configuration and is capable of rotating an object in the vertical direction will be described.

[0011] (First embodiment)

[0012] <Configuration of robot device> Fig. 1A is an external perspective view showing an example of the configuration and installation environment of a robot device. Fig. 1B is an external perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a work pick unit. Fig. 1C is an external perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a workplace unit. Fig. 1D is an external perspective view showing a state in which a rotating plate is placed above the workplace unit. As an example of a robot device, a robot device 50 shown in Fig. 1A etc. below is shown, but the configuration of the robot device 50 is not limited to this.

[0013] In this embodiment, for ease of explanation, in the drawings with arrows indicating directions, the X axis indicates the front-to-back direction, the Y axis indicates the left-to-right direction, and the Z axis indicates the up-to-down direction. The X axis and the Y axis are orthogonal to each other and are contained in a horizontal plane. The Z axis is contained in a vertical plane.

[0014] The robot device 50 performs picking (grasping) and placing (placing, storing) operations, i.e., pick-and-place operations. In response to control instructions from the robot control device 100 (see FIG. 8 ), the robot device 50 picks various objects WK (workpieces) to be grasped stored in the work pick unit 200 and moves them to the workplace unit 300 for placement. In this case, the robot device 50 places the objects WK on the rotating plate 400 and rotates the objects from the rotating plate 400 to the workplace unit 300 for storage. The work pick unit 200 is, for example, a storage case in which objects can be stored. The workplace unit 300 is, for example, an outgoing case from which objects can be retrieved. The work pick unit 200 and the workplace unit 300 are, for example, placed on a belt conveyor and can be interchanged as needed. The rotating plate 400 is used for temporarily placing and rotating the objects WK.

[0015] 1B , the work pick unit 200 is divided into one or more storage units 210. For example, one storage unit 210 stores one object WK and is the target of picking. The work pick unit 200 may store one type of object WK or multiple types of objects WK.

[0016] 1C , the workplace section 300 is divided into one or more storage sections 310. For example, one object WK is stored in one storage section 310 by a place. The workplace section 300 may store one type of object WK, or may store multiple types of objects WK.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1D , a rotating plate 400 is disposed above the workplace unit 300. The rotating plate 400 may be installed on top of the workplace unit 300. In this case, the workplace unit 300 and the rotating plate 400 are placed, for example, on a belt conveyor and are interchanged as needed. The rotating plate 400 may also be disposed above the workplace unit 300 at a predetermined distance. In this case, the rotating plate 400 may be supported by a predetermined support member, and the position of the rotating plate 400 may be fixed. In this case, the rotating plate 400 may be shared by one or more workplace units 300, and only the workplace units 300 may be placed, for example, on a belt conveyor and are interchanged as needed.

[0018] The rotating plate 400 has a plate base 410, one or more L-shaped plates 420, and an opening 430. The plate base 410 is formed in the shape of a flat plate along the XY plane (horizontal plane).

[0019] One L-shaped plate 420 is provided for each storage section 310. In FIG. 1D , three L-shaped plates 420 are provided as an example. The L-shaped plate 420 includes a first plate portion 421 installed on the plate base 410 and a second plate portion 422 standing upright from the first plate portion 421. The first plate portion 421 and the second plate portion 422 are formed in a flat plate shape. The first plate portion 421 and the second plate portion 422 are, for example, arranged vertically. The height (length in the Z direction) of the second plate portion 422 may be adjustable. The robot hand 20 can adjust the amount of rotation of the object WK when the pushing unit 51 (described later) pushes the object WK through the L-shaped plate 420 by adjusting the height of the second plate portion 422. The higher the height of the second plate portion 422, the greater the amount of rotation of the object WK, and the larger the rotation angle.

[0020] The opening 430 is disposed adjacent to the L-shaped plate 420 on the plate base 410. The opening 430 is provided on the opposite side of the L-shaped plate 420 across the second plate portion 422 of the L-shaped plate 420. The object WK to be placed is rotated vertically and inserted into the opening 430 using the second plate portion 422 of the L-shaped plate 420. The openings 430 may be provided as an opening set including one or more openings 430. One opening set is provided for one L-shaped plate 420. In FIG. 1D , one opening set has two openings 430, and two objects WK are inserted into each of the two openings 430. The openings 430 allow the robot hand 20 to stably place the objects WK pushed from the L-shaped plate 420 into the storage section 310. In other words, the openings 430 function as a guide when inserting the objects WK into the storage section 310.

[0021] The robot device 50 and the rotating plate 400 constitute a robot hand system.

[0022] 1A , the robot device 50 has a robot arm 10 and a robot hand 20. The robot arm 10 moves the robot hand 20 to any position in three-dimensional space. The robot hand 20 grasps an object WK. The robot device 50 has a motor and the like that supplies driving force to operate the robot arm 10 and the robot hand 20.

[0023] The robot device 50 is a manipulator having a multi-axis robot arm 10. The robot device 50 has a base 21 installed in a sorting area for objects WK, a production line, or the like. The base 21 adjusts, for example, the height at which the robot arm 10 can operate. The robot arm 10 includes, for example, a horizontally rotating swivel 23 attached to the upper part of the base 21, a rear arm 25 attached to the swivel 23 and swinging up and down, an upper arm 27 attached to the rear arm 25 and swinging up and down, and a wrist 29 attached to the upper arm 27. The wrist 29 includes a first drive unit 28 and a rotating unit 28A. The robot hand 20 is attached below the wrist 29, i.e., below the robot arm 10. The rotating unit 28A rotates around a rotation axis 31 (see FIG. 2B ) by the driving force of the first drive unit 28, thereby rotating the robot hand 20. The first drive unit 28 is, for example, a motor. The robot arm 10 holds the robot hand 20 so that it can move freely in three directions that are perpendicular to each other.

[0024] Fig. 2A is an enlarged perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a robot hand, Fig. 2B is a view of the robot hand as seen from the left side, and Fig. 2C is a plan view of the robot hand as seen from the right side.

[0025] The robot hand 20 has a second drive unit 33, an open / close support unit 37, a base unit 39, an open / close unit 40, and a pushing unit 51. The second drive unit 33 supplies a drive force for opening and closing the open / close unit 40. The second drive unit 33 is, for example, a motor or an air cylinder. The second drive unit 33 extends and retracts the drive shaft 35 to change the width (length in the X direction) of the open / close support unit 37 and open / close the open / close unit 40. The drive shaft 35 is extendable and retractable between distances L1 and L2, for example. The open / close support unit 37 supports the open / close unit 40.

[0026] The base portion 39 has a base base 45 and a central wall portion 49. The central wall portion 49 extends downward from the base base 45. The central wall portion 49 may be connected, for example, near the center position of the base base 45 in the X direction. The base portion 39 may also have auxiliary pieces 47. The auxiliary pieces 47 are, for example, installed on each of the positive and negative surfaces of the central wall portion 49 in the X direction, forming a pair of auxiliary pieces 47. When the object WK is grasped, the auxiliary pieces 47 come into close contact with the object WK, for example, to improve the gripping force of the object WK. The auxiliary pieces 47 may be formed, for example, from rubber. The central wall portion 49 and the auxiliary pieces 47 contribute to gripping the object WK. Note that the auxiliary pieces 47 may be omitted.

[0027] The opening / closing unit 40 has a pair of walls 41. The pair of walls 41 are arranged opposite each other. The opening / closing unit 40 can be opened and closed by receiving a driving force from the second drive unit 33 and moving the pair of walls 41 toward and away from each other. Specifically, the opening occurs when the walls 41 move toward each other and close when they move away from each other. The distance between the pair of walls 41 of the opening / closing unit 40 changes, i.e., the length along the X direction changes. When the opening / closing unit 40 is in the closed state, the distance between the pair of walls 41 is a distance L3 (see FIG. 2C). When the opening / closing unit 40 is in the open state, the distance between the pair of walls 41 is a distance L4 (see FIG. 2C). The walls 41 are arranged, for example, along the YZ plane and are formed in a flat plate shape. Note that the central wall 49 of the base unit 39 is also arranged along the YZ plane.

[0028] The pushing unit 51 is connected to the base unit 39 and extends along the XZ plane to the left of the base unit 39 (negative side in the Y direction). There may be one or more pushing units 51. While the pushing unit 51 is L-shaped in FIG. 2A , the pushing unit 51 may have a different shape. The pushing unit 51 pushes the object WK placed on the rotating plate 400, for example. At this time, the pushing unit 51 may push the side surface of the object WK along the XZ plane. The pushing unit 51 is movable in accordance with the movement of the robot hand 20 under the control of the robot control device 100. Instead of moving the pushing unit 51 in accordance with the movement of the robot hand 20, a driving unit may be provided in the pushing unit 51, and the pushing unit 51 may be moved by the driving force of the driving unit.

[0029] The length of the pushing portion 51 along the Z direction may be shorter than, for example, the length of the wall portion 41 of the opening / closing unit 40 along the Z direction. In this case, the robot hand 20 can prevent the pushing portion 51 from coming into contact with the second plate portion 422 of the L-shaped plate 420, and the opening / closing unit 40 can be easily lowered to a desired position, allowing it to be placed on the L-shaped plate 420 without dropping.

[0030] The base portion 39 may be provided on the opening / closing portion 40. The pushing portion 51 may be provided on the base portion 39. Therefore, the pushing portion 51 may be provided on the opening / closing portion 40.

[0031] The robot hand 20 may grasp, for example, two objects WK simultaneously. The robot hand 20 may grasp one object WK by sandwiching it between one wall portion 41 and one surface of the central wall portion 49. The robot hand 20 may grasp another object WK by sandwiching it between the other wall portion 41 and the other surface of the central wall portion 49. Furthermore, if the base portion 39 of the robot hand 20 has an auxiliary piece 47, the gripping force with which the object WK is gripped between the wall portion 41 and the auxiliary piece 47 can be increased, allowing for more stable gripping.

[0032] <Opened and Closed States of the Robot Hand> Next, the opened and closed states of the robot hand 20 will be described.

[0033] The open / closed states of the robot hand 20 include at least a grasping state and a non-grasping state.

[0034] The non-grasping state is a state in which the opening / closing unit 40 is open before the robot hand 20 starts to grasp the object WK or after it has finished grasping the object WK. In the non-grasping state, the distance between the wall 41 of the opening / closing unit 40 and the central wall 49 of the base 39 is longer than the width (length in the X direction) of the object WK, and the object WK is not being clamped by the robot hand 20 or the clamping of the object WK is released.

[0035] The grasping state is a state in which the robot hand 20 grasps the object WK and the opening / closing unit 40 is closed. In the grasping state, the wall 41 of the opening / closing unit 40 and the central wall 49 or auxiliary piece 47 of the base 39 come into contact with the object WK, and the robot hand 20 clamps the object WK.

[0036] <Operation of Robot Hand> Next, the operation of the robot hand 20 will be described.

[0037] 3 to 7, states AX (where X is a number) and BX have the same X number and represent the same timing, but are shown at different angles. Also, the smaller the X number, the earlier the timing.

[0038] First, the picking operation of the robot hand 20 to pick the target object WK will be explained in chronological order.

[0039] First, under the control of the robot control device 100, the robot hand 20 approaches the object WK stored in the work pick unit 200 with the opening / closing unit 40 open, and gradually approaches the object WK. In this case, the robot hand 20 descends toward the work pick unit 200 with the opening / closing unit 40 open (non-gripping state), and moves so that the object WK is positioned between each of the pair of wall portions 41 and the central wall portion 49 of the opening / closing unit 40. Then, when the opening / closing unit 40 is closed, the robot hand 20 enters a gripping state, and grips the object WK by sandwiching it between each of the pair of wall portions 41 and the central wall portion 49 of the opening / closing unit 40.

[0040] The robot hand 20 can be in a non-grasping state if the distance between the pair of wall portions 41 of the opening / closing unit 40 is slightly longer than the width of the target object WK. Therefore, it is not necessary to open the opening / closing unit 40 widely, and the robot hand 20 can pick up the target object WK while reducing the space required for the operation of the robot hand 20.

[0041] 3 to 7 are diagrams for explaining the time series of the placing operation in which the robot hand 20 places the object WK. FIG. 4 is a diagram of the robot hand as seen from the right during placing. In FIG. 5, for each state, a perspective view is shown of the negative side in the X direction from the central wall portion 49 of the base portion 39. As an example, the object WK has a recess on the underside of the center in the Y direction. Note that for states B5 to B8 in FIGS. 5 to 7, a cross-sectional view is shown of the negative side in the X direction from the central wall portion 49 of the base portion 39.

[0042] 3, the robot hand 20 holds the object WK by sandwiching it between each of the pair of wall portions 41 of the opening / closing section 40 and the central wall portion 49. Then, under the control of the robot control device 100, the robot hand 20 maintains this posture of the object WK, moves above the rotating plate 400 above the workplace section 300, and descends to approach the rotating plate 400 (state A1 → state A2).

[0043] 5, the robot hand 20 further descends under the control of the robot controller 100 and opens the opening / closing unit 40 so that the opening / closing unit 40 is in the open state under the control of the robot controller 100. As a result, the robot hand 20 brings the upper part of the second plate portion 422 of the L-shaped plate 420 into contact with the underside of the object WK, and places the object WK on the L-shaped plate 420 (state A3, state B3). In this case, the object WK may be placed on the L-shaped plate 420 such that a recessed portion in the center of the underside of the object WK in the Y direction rides up on (gets caught on) the second plate portion 422.

[0044] In states A3 and B3, the object WK is placed so that the center of gravity of the object WK is located to the left of the second plate portion 422 (negative side in the Y direction). In this state, the right side of the center of the object WK in the Y direction (positive side in the Y direction) is in contact with the upper part of the second plate portion 422. In this case, a rotational moment acts on the object WK, rotating it vertically (counterclockwise in state A) from the center of gravity located to the left of the L-shaped plate 420. Therefore, in states A3 and B3, the object WK remains on the L-shaped plate 420 and does not move toward the opening 430, which is located to the right of the second plate portion 422 (positive side in the Y direction).

[0045] Note that FIG. 4 shows the robot hand system at the same timing as in state A3 and state B3, from another angle (here, from the right).

[0046] The robot hand 20 moves to the positive side (right) in the Y direction under the control of the robot control device 100. As a result of this movement, the pushing portion 51 pushes the left side of the object WK placed on the L-shaped plate 420 to the right (state A4, state B4). Therefore, the center of gravity of the object WK moves through the second plate portion 422 toward the positive side (right side) in the Y direction relative to the second plate portion 422. In FIG. 5 , the left side (negative side in the Y direction) of the center of the object WK in the Y direction is in contact with the upper part of the second plate portion 422. In this case, a rotational moment acts on the object WK due to gravity, rotating it vertically (clockwise in state A4) from its center of gravity to the right of the L-shaped plate 420. Therefore, in states A4 and B4, the object WK receives a rotational force that rotates it clockwise in the vertical direction (specifically, along the YZ plane) around the second plate portion 422 as a fulcrum, and begins to rotate.

[0047] When the object WK starts to rotate, the angle of the object WK with respect to the XY plane (e.g., the horizontal plane) changes sequentially (state A5 and state B5 in FIG. 6 → state A6 and state B6 in FIG. 6 → state B7 in FIG. 7 → state A8 and state B8 in FIG. 7). The object WK is inserted into the opening 430 of the rotating plate 400 while rotating. As the object WK rotates, the entire object WK is positioned to the positive side (right side) of the second plate portion 422 in the X direction. When the object WK is no longer supported by the second plate portion 422, the object WK falls (e.g., free fall) while rotating toward the storage section 310 of the workplace section 300.

[0048] In states A3 and A4 in Fig. 4, i.e., when the object WK is placed on the rotating plate 400, the orientation of the object WK is the same as the up-down orientation when it was stored in the work pick unit 200. In states A6 and B6 in Fig. 6, the object WK has been rotated 90 degrees clockwise compared to states A3 and B3. In states A8 and B8 in Fig. 7, the object WK has been rotated 180 degrees clockwise and upside down when stored in the storage unit 310 compared to states A3 and B3.

[0049] The amount of rotation of the object WK depends on at least one of the following factors: the shape of the object WK, the weight of the object WK, the frictional force acting between the object WK and the pin 43, and the distance the object WK moves downward (fall distance). For example, the object WK rotates 180 degrees from the up-down orientation in which it was stored in the work pick unit 200, becoming upside down (state A8, state B8). Note that the distance between the storage unit 310 of the workplace unit 300 and the rotating plate 400 may be set so that the amount of rotation of the object WK is appropriate.

[0050] The shape of the object WK may be any shape as long as it can be grasped by the robot hand 20. For example, the surface of the object WK that contacts the second plate portion 422 when the robot hand 20 releases its grip may be flat. For example, the object WK may have a shape with a recess in the center of its underside when stored in the work pick unit 200, as shown in FIG. 5 , or may have a simple rectangular parallelepiped shape, or other shapes. If the object WK has such a recess, the second plate portion 422 can engage with the recess to more easily transmit rotational force, increasing the amount of rotation and allowing the object to be turned upside down, for example. Furthermore, if the object WK has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the rotational force exerted by the second plate portion 422 is not very large, but the object WK can be rotated, for example, 90 degrees.

[0051] <Configuration of Picking System> Next, the configuration of the picking system will be described.

[0052] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a picking system 5 according to the first embodiment. The picking system 5 includes a robot hand system including a robot device 50 and a rotating plate 400, and a robot control device 100. Note that Fig. 8 does not show the rotating plate 400, and instead shows the configuration of the robot device 50 and the robot control device 100.

[0053] The robot control device 100 controls the robot device 50 in real time to perform the desired picking operation and placing operation. The robot control device 100 can monitor the operation of the robot device 50 in real time and transmit predetermined instruction information to the robot control device 100.

[0054] The robot control device 100 includes a processor 110 , a memory 120 , an external interface 130 , an input device 140 , a display device 150 , and a communication device 160 .

[0055] The processor 110 may be configured using, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), or a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). The processor 110 may be configured using various integrated circuits (for example, a Large Scale Integration (LSI) or a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)). The processor 110 realizes various functions by executing programs stored in the memory 120. The processor 110 comprehensively controls each section of the robot control device 100 and performs various processes.

[0056] The processor 110 controls the operation of the robot device 50 via the external interface 130 (also referred to as an external IF). For example, the processor 110 may control the operation of the robot arm 10 and the robot hand 20 of the robot device 50, thereby controlling the picking operation and the placing operation by the robot device 50. In this case, the processor 110 may control the movement of the robot hand 20 and the opening and closing of the opening / closing unit 40, and may instruct these controls. The processor 110 may control the pushing of the object WK by the pushing unit 51, and may instruct this control, by controlling the movement of the robot hand 20.

[0057] More specifically, the processor 110 may control the opening / closing unit 40 to grip the object WK. The processor 110 may control the opening / closing unit 40 to open the opening / closing unit 40 to place the object WK on the first plate portion 421 by bringing the object WK into contact with the upper part of the second plate portion 422 of the L-shaped plate 420 of the rotating plate 400. The processor 110 may control the movement of the pushing unit 51 to push the object WK placed on the first plate portion 421 to the opposite side of the first plate portion 421 across the second plate portion 422. In this case, the processor 110 may control the pushing unit 51 to push the object WK toward the opening 430.

[0058] The memory 120 includes a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM). The memory 120 may be an external storage medium or may be detachable from the robot control device 100. The memory 120 stores various types of data, information, programs, etc.

[0059] The external interface 130 is connected to an external device via a wired or wireless connection to transmit and receive various data or information. The external device may include the robot arm 10 or the robot hand 20 of the robot device 50. The external interface 130 may, for example, control the drive units of the robot arm 10 or the robot hand 20 to control the movement and operation of the robot arm 10 or the robot hand 20 of the robot device 50 (for example, opening and closing of the opening / closing unit 40).

[0060] The input device 140 may include various buttons, keys, a keyboard, a touch panel, a microphone, a sensor, or other input devices. The input device 140 accepts input of various data or information. The input device 140 is operated by a user. The user is, for example, a manager or an operator who manages pick-and-place by the robotic device 50.

[0061] The display device 150 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display device 150 displays various data or information. The display on the display device 150 may be confirmed by, for example, a user.

[0062] The communication device 160 communicates various data or information according to a wired or wireless communication method. The communication method used by the communication device 160 may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a mobile phone network, or a power line communication method.

[0063] It should be noted that instead of the external interface 130 , a communication device 160 may communicate with the robot arm 10 and the robot hand 20 of the robot device 50 .

[0064] Although the robot control device 100 has been described as having each component and function in a single device, this is not limiting. For example, the components and functions of the robot control device 100 may be distributed and configured as a system (robot control system). The system may be configured as a cloud-based system on a network, or as an on-premise server device.

[0065] In this manner, the robot hand 20 of this embodiment can rotate the object WK vertically (up and down) when picking the object WK from the work pick unit 200 and when placing the object WK in the workplace unit 300, and store the object WK in the workplace unit 300. At this time, the robot hand 20 can rotate the object WK without rotating the axis of the robot hand 20 by using the second plate portion 422 of the L-shaped plate 420 of the rotating plate 400. Specifically, when placing the object WK in the workplace unit 300, the robot hand 20 can first place the object WK on the L-shaped plate 420 and then push the object WK toward the second plate portion 422 and the opening 430, thereby rotating the object WK (e.g., upside down) around the second plate portion 422 as a fulcrum and dropping it. This drop is, for example, a free fall. Furthermore, the robot hand 20 can keep the rotation direction of the object WK constant by changing the position of the second plate portion 422 and the position of the center of gravity of the object WK by pressing the side of the object WK.

[0066] Furthermore, since the robot hand 20 first places the object WK on the L-shaped plate 420 and then moves and rotates the object WK, it is possible to avoid the object WK from rotating and dropping from the robot hand 20 into the storage unit 310, ensuring stable rotation. Furthermore, when picking the object WK, the gripping position of the object WK may vary in the Y direction. Even in this case, by first placing the object WK on the L-shaped plate 420 and then pushing and rotating it, this variation can be absorbed and the object WK can be stored. Therefore, for example, the object WK can be placed stably no matter how the robot hand 20 holds it.

[0067] Furthermore, the robot hand 20 can release the grip of the object WK by the opening / closing unit 40 if the distance between the pair of wall portions 41 of the opening / closing unit 40 is slightly longer than the width of the object WK. This eliminates the need to open the opening / closing unit 40 widely, and the robot hand 20 can reduce the space required for the operation of the robot hand 20. Furthermore, by not opening the opening / closing unit 40 too much when releasing the grip, the robot hand 20 can prevent the object WK from being supported by the opening / closing unit 40 and swinging in the X direction when rotating.

[0068] In the present embodiment, the use of the L-shaped plate 420 has been exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this. Anything other than the L-shaped plate 420 may be used as a fulcrum for rotating the object as long as it can rotate the object stably.

[0069] In the present embodiment, the robot hand 20 is illustrated as gripping two objects WK simultaneously, but this is not limited thereto. The robot hand 20 may grip only one object WK simultaneously, or may grip three or more objects WK simultaneously. The robot hand 20 grips, for example, two objects WK simultaneously. The robot hand 20 grips the object using at least the wall portion 41 of the opening / closing unit 40. When the robot hand 20 grips only one object WK, the central wall portion 49 of the base portion 39 may be absent, and the object may be gripped by being sandwiched between the pair of wall portions 41 of the opening / closing unit 40.

[0070] In the present embodiment, the wall 41 of the opening / closing unit 40 is disposed along a vertical plane (including the Z direction) perpendicular to a horizontal plane, but this is not limiting. The wall 41 of the opening / closing unit 40 may be inclined with respect to the vertical plane.

[0071] (Summary of the embodiment) As described above, the present disclosure describes at least the following matters. Note that, in parentheses, examples of components corresponding to the above-described embodiment are shown, but the present disclosure is not limited to these.

[0072] (Item 1) A picking system (picking system 5) that grasps an object (object WK), comprising: an opening / closing section (opening / closing section 40) that can be opened and closed by a pair of opposing wall sections (wall sections 41) moving toward and away from each other; a plate (rotating plate 400) that has a first plate section (first plate section 421) and a second plate section (second plate section 422) that stands upright relative to the first plate section; a pushing section (pushing section 51) provided on the opening / closing section; and a processor (processor 110) that controls the opening / closing section and the pushing section, wherein the processor: controls the opening / closing section to grasp the object by closing it; controls the opening / closing section to open it so that the object comes into contact with the upper side of the second plate section and is placed on the first plate section; and controls the movement of the pushing section so that the object placed on the first plate section is pushed to the opposite side of the first plate section across the second plate section.

[0073] When the object is placed on the first plate, the center of gravity of the object is located on the first plate. Subsequently, as the object is pushed by the pusher, the center of gravity of the object moves to the opposite side of the first plate across the second plate. By changing the center of gravity of the object in this way, the picking system can rotate the object vertically using gravity as a fulcrum, with the second plate as the fulcrum. Therefore, the picking system has a simple configuration and can rotate the object vertically while reducing the load on the robot hand.

[0074] (Item 2) The picking system according to Item 1, further comprising an arm (robot arm 10) that supports the opening / closing unit, wherein the processor controls the movement of the pushing unit by controlling the arm.

[0075] This allows the picking system to control the pushing and rotation of the object by the pushing unit in conjunction with the operation of the arm.

[0076] (Item 3) The picking system described in Item 1 or 2, wherein the plate has an opening (opening 430) on the opposite side of the second plate portion from the first plate portion, and the processor controls the pushing portion to push the object toward the opening.

[0077] As a result, the picking system can push the object toward the opening, rotating the object around the second plate as a fulcrum while inserting the object into the opening. Therefore, the picking system can rotate and store the object in a storage section below the opening, for example. Therefore, the picking system can change the orientation of the object when picking and placing it and store it in the storage section.

[0078] (Item 4) The picking system according to any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein the second plate portion is disposed perpendicular to the first plate portion.

[0079] This allows the picking system to easily rotate an object that has climbed onto the second plate portion, for example.

[0080] (Item 5) A picking system described in any one of items 1 to 4, further comprising a base portion (base portion 39) having a central wall portion (central wall portion 49) arranged along the wall portions between the pair of wall portions, wherein the opening / closing portion grasps multiple objects between the pair of wall portions and the central wall portion when closed.

[0081] This allows the robot hand to pick and place multiple objects simultaneously with a simple configuration. The robot hand can also rotate multiple objects simultaneously in the vertical direction using the second plate portion of the plate.

[0082] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0083] This disclosure is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2024-149023) filed on August 30, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0084] The present disclosure is useful for picking systems and the like that are capable of rotating an object in the vertical direction with a simple configuration.

[0085] 5 Picking system 10 Robot arm 20 Robot hand 39 Base section 40 Opening / closing section 41 Wall section 43 Pin 45 Base base 47 Auxiliary piece 49 Central wall section 50 Robot device 51 Pushing section 100 Robot control device 110 Processor 120 Memory 130 External interface 140 Input device 150 Display device 160 Communication device 200 Work pick section 210 Storage section 300 Workplace section 310 Storage section 400 Rotating plate 410 Plate base 420 L-shaped plate 421 First plate section 422 Second plate section 430 Opening WK ​​Object

Claims

1. A picking system for grasping an object, comprising: an opening / closing section that can be opened and closed by a pair of opposing wall sections moving toward and away from each other; a plate having a first plate section and a second plate section that stands up from the first plate section; a pushing section provided on the opening / closing section; and a processor that controls the opening / closing section and the pushing section, wherein the processor controls the opening / closing section to close so as to grasp the object, controls the opening / closing section to open so as to place the object on the first plate section by contacting the upper side of the second plate section, and controls the movement of the pushing section so as to push the object placed on the first plate section to the opposite side from the first plate section, across the second plate section.

2. The picking system according to claim 1, further comprising an arm that supports the opening / closing unit, wherein the processor controls the movement of the pushing unit by controlling the arm.

3. A picking system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the plate has an opening on the opposite side of the second plate portion from the first plate portion, and the processor controls the pushing portion to push the object toward the opening.

4. A picking system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the second plate portion is arranged perpendicular to the first plate portion.

5. A picking system as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a base portion having a central wall portion disposed along the wall portions between the pair of wall portions, wherein the opening / closing portion grasps multiple objects between the pair of wall portions and the central wall portion when closed.

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