Gripper for gripping irregularly-shaped object, and robot device comprising same

Abstract

A robot device comprising a gripper is disclosed. The disclosed gripper comprises: a first finger; a second finger facing the first finger; a drive motor for providing power that moves the first finger and the second finger closer to each other and away from each other; a first fingertip connected to the first finger; and a second fingertip, which faces the first fingertip and is connected to the second finger. Each of the first fingertip and the second fingertip includes a body, a base plate coupled to the body, and a hook member formed on the base plate. The hook member protrudes when pressed by the object while the first fingertip and the second fingertip grip the object.

Description

A gripper for gripping an irregular object and a robot device including the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gripper for gripping an amorphous object and a robot device including the same.

[0002] With technological advancements, robotic technology is being utilized to replace human labor in various fields. In particular, robotic devices are being developed in sectors requiring delicate and precise tasks, such as factories, construction, medical sites, and aerospace. However, conventional robotic devices have had limitations in stably grasping irregularly shaped food items.

[0003] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a gripper comprises: a first finger; a second finger facing the first finger; a driving motor configured to provide power to move the first finger and the second finger closer together and further apart from each other; a first finger tip connected to the first finger; and a second finger tip facing the first finger tip and connected to the second finger; wherein each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip comprises: a body; a base plate coupled to the body; and a hook member formed on the base plate; and wherein the hook member is configured to protrude when pressed by an object while the first finger tip and the second finger tip are gripping an object.

[0004] For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, the hook member comprises: a cushion projection coupled to one surface of the base plate and having a hollow portion; and a hook connected to the cushion projection and configured to rotate in a first direction when pressure is applied to the cushion projection and to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction when pressure is released from the cushion projection.

[0005] For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, the hook comprises: a first part located in the hollow portion of the cushion projection; a second part connected to the first part and disposed outside the cushion projection and bent to have an angle with respect to the first part of the hook; and for each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, a third part located at the boundary between the first part and the second part and connected to the cushion projection; and the hook is configured to rotate in the first direction or the second direction with the third part as the center of rotation.

[0006] For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, the first part of the hook is configured to move toward the base plate according to the pressure applied to the cushion projection, and the second part of the hook is configured to support an object held by the first finger tip and the second finger tip as it moves away from the base plate as the first part of the hook rotates.

[0007] For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, the second part of the hook is configured to move to a first position where the lower part of the second part of the hook and the base plate are spaced apart by a first gap, and to move to a second position where the lower part of the second part of the hook and the base plate are spaced apart by a second gap larger than the first gap.

[0008] For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, the second part of the hook is parallel to the base plate at the first position.

[0009] The first gap above is smaller than the thickness of the cushion protrusion.

[0010] For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, the second portion of the hook is formed concavely toward the base plate and configured to be inserted into a groove formed in the base plate.

[0011] For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, the cushion protrusion comprises silicone or rubber.

[0012] For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, the hook comprises stainless steel or synthetic resin having rigidity.

[0013] For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, the second portion of the hook includes a coating layer having a friction coefficient greater than the friction coefficient of the hook on the side in contact with the object.

[0014] The first finger tip is connected to the first finger through a first supporter, and the second finger tip is connected to the second finger through a second supporter.

[0015] The first finger tip is elastically connected to the first supporter, and the second finger tip is elastically connected to the second supporter.

[0016] The first finger and the second finger further include a magnetic material, the first finger tip includes a first permanent magnet detachably attached to the first finger, and the second finger tip includes a second permanent magnet detachably attached to the second finger.

[0017] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a robot device comprises: a robot arm having a plurality of joints; a gripper connected to an end of the robot arm and comprising a first finger to which a first finger tip is attached and a second finger to which a second finger tip is attached; a driving motor configured to move the first finger and the second finger apart from each other and to move them closer together; an image sensor configured to acquire an image of a target contained in a container; and a memory storing at least one instruction. and at least one processor configured to execute the at least one instruction individually or collectively; wherein the at least one instruction, when executed individually or collectively by the at least one processor, causes the robot device to identify a target based on the image and to control the drive motor to move the first finger tip and the second finger tip together to grasp the target through the first finger tip and the second finger tip, and each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip comprises a body, a base plate coupled to the body, and a hook member on the base plate; wherein the hook member is configured to protrude when pressed by the target while the first finger tip and the second finger tip grasp the target, and for each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, the hook member comprises a cushion projection coupled to one surface of the base plate and having a hollow portion; and a hook connected to the cushion projection, configured to rotate in a first direction when pressure is applied to the cushion projection and to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction when pressure is released from the cushion projection;

[0018] The above and other aspects and features according to embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description provided in combination with the accompanying drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a robot device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a robot device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a robot device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing a gripper according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a finger tip of a gripper according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a front view showing the finger tip of a gripper according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view along the line A-A' shown in Figure 6.

[0026] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a finger tip of a gripper according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 9 is a front view showing the finger tip of a gripper according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view along the line B-B' shown in Figure 9.

[0029] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing an example of a gripper according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure gripping an irregular food.

[0030] FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a hook member according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a hook member according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the operating state of the hook member illustrated in FIG. 13.

[0033] In relation to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components.

[0034] Embodiments according to the present disclosure may be subject to various modifications and may have one or more embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in this specification. However, this is not intended to limit the scope to specific embodiments and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure.

[0035] In describing the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of related known functions or configurations are omitted if it is determined that such descriptions would unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present disclosure. Additionally, one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure may be modified in various different forms, and the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure is not limited to the following one or more embodiments. Rather, these one or more embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure more faithful and complete and to fully convey the technical concept of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0036] The terms used in this disclosure are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the rights. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0037] In the present disclosure, expressions such as “have,” “may have,” “include,” or “may include” indicate the presence of such features (e.g., numerical values, functions, actions, or components such as parts) and do not exclude the presence of additional features.

[0038] In the present disclosure, expressions such as “A or B,” “at least one of A or / and B,” or “one or more of A or / and B” may include all possible combinations of items listed together. For example, “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” or “at least one of A or B” may refer to cases including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) both at least one A and at least one B.

[0039] Expressions such as "first," "second," "first," or "second" used in this disclosure may modify various components regardless of order and / or importance, and are used only to distinguish one component from another and do not limit said components.

[0040] As used in this disclosure, the expression “configured to” may be replaced, depending on the context, with, for example, “suitable for,” “having the capacity to,” “designed to,” “adapted to,” “made to,” or “capable of.” The term “configured to” may not necessarily mean only “specifically designed to” in hardware.

[0041] In the present disclosure, a 'module' or 'part' performs at least one function or operation and may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. Additionally, a plurality of 'modules' or a plurality of 'parts' may be integrated into at least one module and implemented by at least one processor, except for a 'module' or 'part' that needs to be implemented in specific hardware.

[0042] Meanwhile, various elements and areas in the drawings are depicted schematically. Accordingly, the technical concept of the present disclosure is not limited by the relative sizes or spacing depicted in the attached drawings.

[0043] Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure are described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them.

[0044] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a robot device (10) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 2 is a side view showing a robot device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a robot device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a robot device (10) according to one embodiment may include a robot arm (20), an image sensor (30), a gripper (50), a memory (41) and a processor (43).

[0046] According to one embodiment, the robot arm (20) may be configured to be multi-axis driven to transport a side dish (e.g., one piece selected from a plurality of pieces of side dish (3) constituting the side dish) contained in a side dish container (1) to target containers (9a, 9b) (e.g., a food tray or a lunch box container for sale). However, the present disclosure is not limited to the transport of side dishes and may be applied to other types of objects. For example, multi-axis driving may include three-axis linear movement (e.g., X-axis linear movement, Y-axis linear movement, Z-axis linear movement) and three-axis rotational movement (roll, pitch, yaw).

[0047] According to one embodiment, the robot arm (20) may include a base (21), a plurality of links, and a plurality of joints. The plurality of links may include a first link (23a), a second link (23b), a third link (23c), and a fourth link (23d). The plurality of links may include a first joint (25a) connecting the base (21) and the first link (23a), a second joint (25b) connecting the first link (23a) and the second link (23b), a third joint (25c) connecting the second link (23b) and the third link (23c), and a fourth joint (25d) connecting the third link (23c) and the fourth link (23d).

[0048] According to one embodiment, the first joint (25a) is connected to the rotation axis of the base (21) (e.g., an axis parallel to the z-axis in FIG. 2) and can rotate clockwise or counterclockwise around the rotation axis of the base (21). Motors capable of forward and reverse rotation (e.g., stepper motors) may be disposed inside the base (21), the first joint (25a), the second joint (25b), the third joint (25c), the fourth joint (25d), and the fourth link (23d), respectively. The robot arm (20) illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is described as having four links and four joints, but is not limited thereto. The robot arm (20) may include a number of links and joints sufficient to enable the operation of transferring pieces of side dishes (3) contained in the side dish container (1) to target containers (9a, 9b). For example, the robot arm (20) may include at least three links and at least three joints for connecting the base and the three links.

[0049] According to one embodiment, an image sensor (30) may be disposed in the fourth link (23d). The image sensor (30) may be controlled by a processor (43) to obtain image information by photographing a plurality of side dish pieces (3) constituting the side dish contained in the side dish container (1). For example, the image information may include the position coordinates, size, shape, etc. of each of the plurality of side dish pieces (3).

[0050] According to one embodiment, the image sensor (30) may include a vision camera, an RGB camera (color camera), a depth camera, a stereo camera, a LiDAR (light detection and ranging), an infrared camera, and / or a ToF camera (time of flight). For example, the image sensor (30) may include a vision camera for acquiring 2D images and a depth camera or LiDAR for acquiring accurate height information when a plurality of side dish pieces (3) are stacked on the bottom of a side dish container (1).

[0051] According to one embodiment, the gripper (50) may be connected to a pivot member (27) disposed at the free end of the fourth link (23d). The pivot member (27) may include a stepper motor to rotate the gripper (50) forward and backward around the center axis of the fourth link (23d) along the longitudinal direction of the fourth link (23d) (e.g., the direction parallel to the z-axis in 2).

[0052] According to one embodiment, the gripper (50) may include a first finger (51) and a second finger (52) positioned to face the first finger (51). The first finger (51) and the second finger (52) may be driven by a drive motor (50a) of the gripper (50). For example, when the drive motor (50a) of the gripper (50) rotates in the forward direction, the first finger (51) and the second finger (52) may be driven in a direction toward each other. When the drive motor (50a) of the gripper (50) rotates in the reverse direction, the first finger (51) and the second finger (52) may be driven in a direction toward each other.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the first finger (51) may include a first finger tip (100). The second finger (52) may include a second finger tip (200) facing the first finger tip (100). The first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) may increase frictional force on the portion in contact with the food so as to minimize the food (3) falling in the direction of gravity when gripping the food (3). Accordingly, the gripper (50) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can stably grip a shaped or irregular food (or other object) by means of the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200). The first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) may be made of substantially the same configuration and will be described in detail below.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the gripper (50) may be controlled by the processor (43) to grasp a piece of side dish (3) contained in a side dish container (1), move to a designated target container (9a or 9b) by the robot arm (20), and then drop the piece of side dish (3) at a designated location within the designated target container (9a or 9b). For example, the side dish container (1) may be placed on a workbench (5). The target containers (9a, 9b) may be placed on a conveyor device (7) positioned on one side of the workbench (5). The conveyor device (7) may be controlled by the processor (43) to move or stop the target containers (9a, 9b).

[0055] According to one embodiment, the memory (41) is configured to contain various programs, instructions, and data required for the operation of the robot device (10). At least one instruction may be stored in the memory (41). Although the memory (41) is depicted as being separate from the processor (43) in FIG. 1, it is not necessarily limited thereto, and the memory (41) may be implemented as an internal memory such as ROM (e.g., EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory)) or RAM included in the processor (43).

[0056] According to one embodiment, the memory (41) may be implemented in the form of a memory embedded in the robot device (10) or in the form of a memory that can be attached to and detached from the robot device (10) depending on the purpose of data storage. For example, the memory (41) may be implemented in various forms such as volatile memory, SRAM (static RAM), or SDRAM (synchronous dynamic RAM), etc., non-volatile memory (e.g., OTPROM (one time programmable ROM), PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable and programmable ROM), EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable ROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory, hard drive, or solid state drive (SSD), CF (compact flash), SD (secure digital), MicroSD (micro secure digital), Mini-SD (mini secure digital), xD (extreme digital), MMC (multi-media card), etc.

[0057] In the present disclosure, the memory (41) may include a storage unit, a ROM or RAM within a processor (43), or a memory card (e.g., a micro SD card, a memory stick) mounted on a robot device. Although the memory (41) is depicted as one in FIG. 1, the memory (41) may be implemented in various numbers.

[0058] According to one embodiment, the memory (41) can store at least one instruction, an operating system (O / S), a program, and data, etc., regarding the robot device (10). The memory (41) is accessed by a processor (43). In the memory (41), reading, writing, modifying, deleting, updating, etc. of data by the processor (43) can be performed.

[0059] For example, the memory (41) may store various information such as information about the image sensor (30), image information obtained by the image sensor (30), characteristic information of the side dish, information about the driving motor (50a) of the gripper (50), and information about the gap between the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) of the gripper (50), as well as programs and commands for controlling the operation of the robot device (10) and other devices.

[0060] According to one embodiment, the memory (41) can store a plurality of previously trained artificial intelligence models. For example, the artificial intelligence models may be implemented as a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Deep Neural Network (DNN), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM), Deep Belief Network (DBN), Bidirectional Recurrent Deep Neural Network (BRDNN), etc., but are not limited to such examples. These artificial intelligence models are computing systems implemented based on the neural networks of human or animal brains, and may be referred to as learning models, machine learning models, neural network models, deep learning models, etc.

[0061] According to one embodiment, an artificial intelligence model trained to select a gripping interval corresponding to characteristic information of the side dish (e.g., stiffness, density, texture, etc. of the material constituting the side dish) may be stored in the memory (41). Here, the gripping interval may be the interval between the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200).

[0062] According to one embodiment, the processor (43) controls the overall operation of the robot device (10). For example, the processor (43) is connected to the configuration of an electronic device including a memory (41), and can control the overall operation of the electronic device by executing at least one instruction stored in the memory (41) as described above. In particular, the processor (43) may be implemented as a single processor as well as as a plurality of processors.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the processor (43) may be implemented as one or more IC (integrated circuit (or circuitry)) chips and may perform various data processing operations. The processor (43) may include at least one electrical circuit and may process instructions (or programs, data, etc.) stored in memory individually or collectively in a distributed manner.

[0064] According to one embodiment, the processor (43) may include a processor assembly comprising one or more processing circuits. The processor (43) may include any processing circuit that is operative to control the performance and operations of one or more components of the robot device (10) (e.g., memory and / or drive devices (motors, sensors)). For example, the processor (43) (e.g., AP) may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) (e.g., a single chip or a chipset). For example, the processor (43) may be implemented as multiple cores (or at least one core circuit), multiple chips, or multiple chipsets.

[0065] For example, the processor (43) may include one or more processing circuits. The processor (43) may include one or more processing circuits configured to perform various functions of the present disclosure individually and / or collectively. As an example without limitation, at least a portion of the processor (43) may be included in a first chip of the robot device (10), and at least another portion of the processor (43) may be included in a second chip of a robot device different from the first chip of the robot device (10).

[0066] For example, the processor (43) may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a display controller, a memory controller, a storage controller, a communication processor (CP), and / or a sensor interface. These components of the processor (43) are merely exemplary. The processor (43) may include additional components other than those described above. Additionally, some components of the processor (43) may be omitted. Furthermore, some components of the processor (43) may be included as separate components of the robot device (10) outside of the processor (43). For example, some components of the processor (43) (e.g., a memory controller) may be included within other components (e.g., at least a portion of memory, an interface (e.g., available for connection to at least one component of the robot device (10)), a display).

[0067] According to one embodiment, the processor (43) can cause other components of the robot device (10) to perform various operations by executing instructions stored in memory (41). The processor (43) processes setting values, function commands, etc. according to a control program or control data stored in memory (41), and can output control signals related to functions that the robot device (10) can perform or communication signals for communicating with an external robot device.

[0068] According to one embodiment, the processor (43) can control the driving of the robot arm (20) to set the position of the gripper (50) based on image information acquired by at least one image sensor (30). For example, the image information may be image information including the position coordinates, size, shape, etc. of each of the plurality of side dish pieces (3) contained in the side dish container (1).

[0069] According to one embodiment, the processor (43) can control the gripper (50) to grasp one of the many side dish pieces (3) contained in the side dish container (1), control the robot arm (20) to transfer the side dish piece grasped by the gripper (50) onto the target container (9a or 9b), and control the gripper (50) to drop the side dish piece (3) onto the target container (9a or 9b).

[0070] According to one embodiment, the processor (43) can identify a change pattern of an electrical signal corresponding to the load of the drive motor (50a) driving the gripper (50) during the process of gripping a piece of side dish (3) with the gripper (50). If the reference signal pattern stored in the memory (41) and the identified change pattern of the electrical signal are inconsistent, the processor (43) can control the drive motor (50a) to grip the piece of side dish (3) again through the gripper (50). For example, the processor (43) can drive the drive motor (50a) in the reverse direction to drive the first finger (51) and the second finger (52) away from each other. Additionally, the processor (43) can drive the robot arm (20) to move the gripper (50) to an initial position.

[0071] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing a gripper (50) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 4, a gripper (50) according to one embodiment can grip not only a fixed object having a fixed shape but also an irregular object having an irregular shape. The fixed and irregular objects that the gripper (50) can grip may be food (e.g., side dishes).

[0073] According to one embodiment, the gripper (50) may include a first finger (51), a second finger (52), a first finger tip (100) coupled to the first finger (51), and a second finger tip (200) coupled to the second finger (52). For example, the first finger (51) and the second finger (52) may be driven by power provided by a drive motor (50a) of the gripper (50). The gripper (50) may include a power transmission member that transmits power from the drive motor (50a) to the first finger (51) and the second finger (52).

[0074] For example, the power transmission member may have a rack and pinion gear structure or a lead screw and nut structure. For example, if the power transmission member has a pinion gear structure, the rotation of the drive motor (50a) can be transmitted to a first rack gear and a second rack gear, which are arranged symmetrically with respect to the pinion gear and are respectively connected to the pinion gear. In this case, the first rack gear and the second rack gear can move in a direction closer to each other when the pinion gear rotates forward, and move in a direction further apart from each other when it rotates backward. For example, if the power transmission member has a lead screw and nut structure, when the drive motor (50a) rotates the screw, the first nut and the second nut connected to the screw can move in opposite directions. The first nut can be connected to the first finger (51) and the second nut can be connected to the second finger (52). Accordingly, when the screw rotates in the forward direction, the first finger (51) and the second finger (52) can move in a direction that moves closer to each other, and when it rotates in the reverse direction, they can move in a direction that moves further apart from each other.

[0075] The power transmission member included in the gripper (50) according to one embodiment is not limited to a rack and pinion gear structure and a lead screw and nut structure. For example, the power transmission member is sufficient if it is a structure capable of driving the first finger (51) and the second finger (52) simultaneously in a direction closer to each other and a direction further apart from each other according to the forward and reverse rotation of the drive motor (50a).

[0076] According to one embodiment, a first supporter (51a) may be attached to the outer surface of the first finger (51) (e.g., the side opposite to the side facing the second finger (52)). The first supporter (51a) may protrude a predetermined length from the end of the first finger (51). A first finger tip (100) may be connected to the inner surface of the first supporter (51a) (e.g., the side facing the second finger (52)). The second finger (52) may be positioned substantially symmetrically to the first finger (51). A second supporter (52a) may be attached to the outer surface of the second finger (52) (e.g., the side opposite to the side facing the first finger (51)). The second supporter (52a) may protrude a predetermined length from the end of the second finger (52). A second finger tip (200) may be connected to the inner surface of the second supporter (52a) (e.g., the surface facing the first finger (51) side).

[0077] According to one embodiment, the first finger tip (100) may be fixed to the first supporter (51a) by a connector (e.g., screw, adhesive, etc.), but is not limited thereto. For example, the first finger tip (100) may be detachably attached to the first supporter (51a) by a magnetic method. In this case, the first supporter (51a) may be made of a magnetic material, and the first finger tip (100) may include a permanent magnet. The second finger tip (200) may also be detachably attached to the second supporter (52a) by a magnetic method. Accordingly, if the first and second finger tips (100, 200) are damaged or malfunction, they can be easily replaced with new finger tips, making maintenance easy.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) may be arranged symmetrically with respect to each other. The food (3) held by the gripper (50) may be positioned between the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200). The first supporter (51a) and the second supporter (52a) may be made of an elastic metal material. Accordingly, when the food (3) is held between the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200), the first finger tip (100) may be elastically supported by the first supporter (51a) and the second finger tip (200) may be elastically supported by the second supporter (52a). Accordingly, the gripper (50) can stably grip the food (3) without applying excessive pressure (e.g., pressure that damages the surface of the food (3)) to the irregular and / or low-hardness food (3).

[0079] According to one embodiment, the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) may each include a plurality of hook members (140, 240) on sides facing each other. Since the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) may have substantially the same configuration, the configuration of the first finger tip (100) will be described in detail below.

[0080] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a first finger tip (100) of a gripper (50) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a first finger tip (100) of a gripper (50) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along the line A-A' indicated in FIG. 6.

[0081] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a first finger tip (100) according to one embodiment may include a body (110) coupled to a first supporter (51a, see FIG. 4), a base plate (130) mounted on one side of the body (110), and a plurality of hook members (140) arranged therein. For example, the plurality of hook members (140) may be arranged in n rows x m columns (e.g., 4 rows x 3 columns with reference to FIG. 6). Similarly, a second finger tip (200) may include a body (210) coupled to a second supporter (52a), a base plate (230) mounted on one side of the body (210), and a plurality of hook members (240), wherein the plurality of hook members (240) are arranged similarly to the plurality of hook members (140). A plurality of hook members (140) may be arranged in a grid shape as shown in FIG. 6, but are not limited thereto and may be arranged in an unspecified manner.

[0082] According to one embodiment, each of the plurality of hook members (140) may include substantially the same configuration. For example, each hook member (140) may include a cushion projection (150) fixed to a base plate (130) and a hook (170) hingeably connected by the cushion projection (150).

[0083] In an alternative embodiment, the second finger tip (200) may include only the body (210) coupled to the second supporter (52a), and the second finger tip (200) may not include a plurality of hook members (240).

[0084] Referring to FIG. 7, the cushion protrusion (150) can be attached to one side (131) of the base plate (130). For example, the cushion protrusion (150) can be attached to one side (131) of the base plate (130). The cushion protrusion (150) may comprise a material having flexibility and elasticity (e.g., silicone, rubber). The cushion protrusion (150) may be provided with a cavity (151) on the inside so that it can be deformed by an external force. The cavity (151) of the cushion protrusion (150) may be maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure. The cushion protrusion (150) may be restored to a circular shape by elastic force when the external force applied to the cushion protrusion (150) is removed.

[0085] For example, the hollow portion (151) of the cushion protrusion (150) is not limited to an atmospheric pressure state. The cushion protrusion (150) can be attached to one side (131) of the base plate (130) in a hermetic state. Accordingly, the hollow portion (151) of the cushion protrusion (150) can be maintained in a state close to a vacuum. The cushion protrusion (150) can be formed as a thin film. When an external force is applied to the cushion protrusion (150), a part of the cushion protrusion (150) to which the external force is applied is pressed toward the hollow portion (151), and the pressure in the hollow portion (151) of the cushion protrusion (150) can increase. In this case, when the external force applied to the cushion protrusion (150) is removed, the cushion protrusion (150) can be restored to a circular shape by the pressure in the hollow portion (151) along with the elastic force of the cushion protrusion (150). In this way, the cushion protrusion (150) can be flexibly deformed and restored like a rubber balloon that is inflated by supplying air to the inside.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the hook (170) may include a material having rigidity. For example, the hook (170) may include stainless steel or a synthetic resin that has rigidity and is harmless to the human body.

[0087] According to one embodiment, the hook (170) may be formed integrally with the cushion projection (150) by insert molding with the cushion projection (150). The hook (170) may include a first part (171) located in the hollow part (151) of the cushion projection (150), a second part (172) extending from the first part (171) and located outside the hollow part (151) of the cushion projection (150), and a bending part (173) that forms the boundary between the first part (171) and the second part (172). For example, the second part (172) of the hook (170) may be bent at a predetermined angle with respect to the first part (171). The first part (171) of the hook (170) and the bending part (173) of the second part (172) may be connected to a part of the cushion projection (150). The second part (172) of the hook (170) can be positioned so as to face from the lower part of the cushion projection (150) toward the lower side of the first finger tip (100).

[0088] For example, the second part (172) of the hook (170) may be positioned at a first interval from one side (131) of the base plate (130) as shown in FIG. 7. The first interval (D1) may correspond to the distance from one side (131) of the base plate (130) to the maximum protruding part of the cushion projection (150), i.e., the thickness (T) of the cushion projection (150). In this way, the second part (172) of the hook (170) may be positioned as close as possible to one side (131) of the base plate (130). When the gripper (50) moves toward the food (3) and is close to the food (3), the interference of the lower end (172a) of the second part (172) of the hook (170) with the food (3) can be reduced or improved. Accordingly, the gripper (50) can smoothly move to a preset point to grasp the food (3) and grasp the food.

[0089] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a finger tip (100) of a gripper according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a front view showing a finger tip (100) of a gripper according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view along the line B-B' indicated in FIG. 9.

[0090] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, a plurality of hook members (140) arranged in a 4x3 row on the first finger tip (100) can support food (3) held between the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) so that the food (3) does not fall out in the direction of gravity. For example, when an external force is applied toward the base plate (130) toward the cushion protrusion (150) of each hook member (140), the cushion protrusion (150) may be deformed while being pressed in part. In this case, the direction in which the external force is applied may be approximately perpendicular to the base plate (130). Here, the external force acting on the cushion protrusion (150) may be the force pressing the cushion protrusion (150) by a part (3a, see FIG. 11) of the food (3) when the food (3) is gripped between the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200).

[0091] Referring to FIG. 10, as the cushion projection (150) is modified by an external force, an external force may also be applied to the first part (171) of the hook (170) located in the hollow part (151) of the cushion projection (150). The first part (171) of the hook (170) may be rotated in a direction adjacent to one side (131) of the base plate (130) around the bend portion (173) of the hook (170). The second part (172) of the hook (170) may be rotated in a direction away from one side (131) of the base plate (130) around the bend portion (173) in conjunction with the rotation of the first part (171) of the hook (170). The bend portion (173) of the hook (170) may serve as the center of rotation of the hook (170).

[0092] In this way, the second part (172) of the hook (170) can maintain an inclined state while an external force is applied to the cushion projection (150) (or while an external force is applied to the first part (171) of the hook (170). In this case, the lower end (172a) of the second part (172) of the hook (170) can protrude from one side (131) of the base plate (130) by a second gap (D3) that is larger than the thickness (D2, see FIG. 7) of the cushion projection.

[0093] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing an example of a gripper (50) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure gripping an irregular food item (3).

[0094] According to one embodiment, the robot device (10) can perform the following operations to grasp food (3) contained in a side dish container (1).

[0095] According to one embodiment, an image sensor (30, see FIG. 1) can capture an image of food (e.g., side dish) (3, see FIG. 2) constituting a side dish contained in a side dish container (1, see FIG. 2). The captured image can be stored in a memory (41, see FIG. 1). A processor (43, see FIG. 1) can identify the food based on the acquired image. The processor (43) can control the image sensor (30) to acquire image information of a plurality of side dish pieces contained in the side dish container (1). For example, the image information may be image information including the position coordinates, size, shape, etc. of each of the plurality of side dish pieces. Here, the position coordinates may be three-dimensional coordinates corresponding to the center of each food (3). The processor (43) can control the image sensor (30) to store the image information acquired by the image sensor (30) in the memory (41). The processor (43) can obtain the location of the food item (hereinafter referred to as the ‘target’) (3) that is to be grasped based on image information.

[0096] For example, the processor (43) can obtain the distance from the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) placed at the initial position to the surface of the target (3) based on image information. The processor (43) can obtain the depth to which the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) move to the target (3) based on image information and characteristic information of the food stored in memory (41) (e.g., stiffness, density, texture, etc. of the material constituting the food). In this case, the processor (43) can control the drive motor (50a, see FIG. 1) to set the gap between the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) corresponding to the size of the target (3) based on image information.

[0097] For example, the processor (43) can control the gripper (50) to move toward the target (3) by a predetermined distance so as to grasp the target (3) through the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200). The first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) may be positioned at a location corresponding to the target grasping position, for example, both sides of the target (3) (e.g., the left side (3a) and the right side (3b) of the target (3)).

[0098] Referring to FIG. 11, the processor (43) can control the drive motor (50a) to rotate in the forward direction so that the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) move closer to each other. The first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) can grasp the target (3) among the food items stacked in the side dish container (1). In this case, the left side (3a) of the target (3) can come into contact with the first finger tip (100), and the right side (3b) of the target (3) can come into contact with the second finger tip (200).

[0099] For example, the left side (3a) of the target (3) may come into contact with at least one of the multiple hook members (140) of the first finger tip (100). In this case, the cushion projection (150) of at least one hook member (140) may be pressed by the left side (3a) of the target (3). The hook (170) of at least one hook member (140) may rotate counterclockwise to support the lower part of the target (3). The right side (3b) of the target (3) may come into contact with at least one of the multiple hook members (240) of the second finger tip (200). In this case, the cushion projection (250) of at least one hook member (240) may be pressed by the right side (3b) of the target (3). The hook (270) of at least one hook member (240) may rotate clockwise to support the lower part of the target (3). Additionally, when a food item (e.g., fried dumplings, squid hot bar, fried shrimp, etc.) that is irregularly shaped and has a rough surface is grasped by the first and second finger tips (100, 200), the hooks (170, 270) of a plurality of hook members (140, 240) protruding from the first and second finger tips (100, 200) can increase the contact area between the first and second finger tips (100, 200) and the surface of the target (3). Accordingly, the frictional force between the first and second finger tips (100, 200) and the target (3) can be increased, so that the first and second finger tips (100, 200) can stably grasp the target (3).

[0100] In this way, the target (3) can be supported at its lower end by the hook members (140, 240) of the first and second finger tips (100, 200) while the left side (3a) and right side (3b) of the target (3) are gripped by the first and second finger tips (100, 200). In this way, the multiple hook members (140, 240) can improve the failure of the food (3) to fall off the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) due to factors that can lower the success rate of gripping the target (3), such as the angle at which the gripper (50) enters the side dish container (1, see FIG. 2) where the food (3, see FIG. 2) is stacked, an inaccurate target gripping point, mechanical and / or electrical vibrations of the robot device (10).

[0101] For example, the processor (43) can control the robot arm (20) to move the gripper (50) to a predetermined position on the target container (9a, see FIG. 3). The gripper (50) can control the drive motor (50a) to move the first finger (51) and the second finger (52) away from each other to drop the target (3) into the target container (9a). The target (3) can be dropped into the target container (9a) by its own weight as the gripping state by the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) is released. The hooks (170, 270) of the plurality of hook members (140, 240) of the first finger tip (100) and the second finger tip (200) can be rotated to an initial position (see FIG. 7) as the cushion protrusions (150, 250) are restored to a circular shape.

[0102] A robot device (10) according to one embodiment can repeatedly perform the above process to transfer another target (3) inside the side dish container (1) to the target container (9b).

[0103] FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a hook member (140-1) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0104] Referring to FIG. 12, a hook member (140-1) according to one embodiment may have most of the same configuration as the hook member (140) shown in FIG. 7. The hook member (140-1) may include a cushion projection (150-1) coupled to a base plate (130-1) coupled to a body (110-1), and a hook (170-1) coupled to the cushion projection (150-1) and rotating counterclockwise and clockwise when the cushion projection (150-1) is pressed and released. The hook (170-1) may include a first part (171-1) located in the hollow part (151-1) of the cushion projection (150-1), a second part (172-1) extending from the first part (171-1) and located outside the hollow part (151-1) of the cushion projection (150-1), and a bent part (173-1) which forms the boundary between the first part (171-1) and the second part (172-1) and serves as the rotation center of the hook (170-1).

[0105] According to one embodiment, the hook member (140-1) may include a coating layer (174-1) attached to a second part (172-1) of the hook (170-1) to which the food (3) can come into contact, so as to increase the frictional force with the food (3, see FIG. 11). For example, the coating layer (174-1) may include a material (e.g., silicone or rubber) having a friction coefficient greater than the friction coefficient of the hook (170-1).

[0106] For example, when the hook (170-1) rotates while the food (3) is grasped by the first and second finger tips (e.g., 140 and 240 in FIG. 11), a coating layer (174-1) with a high friction coefficient can come into contact with the surface of the food (3). Accordingly, the food (3) can be minimized or improved from falling out between the first and second finger tips (100, 200).

[0107] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a hook member (140-2) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the operating state of the hook member (140-2) shown in FIG. 13.

[0108] Referring to FIG. 13, the hook member (140-2) according to one embodiment may have a configuration substantially identical to the hook member (140) shown in FIG. 7, except for the hook (170-2) and the structure adjacent to the hook (170-2) (e.g., part of the body (110-2), part of the base plate (130-2)).

[0109] According to one embodiment, the hook member (140-2) may include a cushion projection (150-2) coupled to a base plate (130-2) coupled to a body (110-2), and a hook (170-2) that is insert-molded into the cushion projection (150-2) and rotates counterclockwise and clockwise when the cushion projection (150-2) is pressed and released.

[0110] According to one embodiment, the hook (170-2) may include a first part (171-2) located in the hollow part (151-2) of the cushion projection (150-2), a second part (172-2) extending from the first part (171-2) and located outside the hollow part (151-2) of the cushion projection (150-2), and a fixing part (173-2) located between the first part (171-2) and the second part (172-2) and fixed to the cushion projection (150-2). For example, the fixing part (173-2) of the hook (170-2) may serve as a rotational center at which the hook (170-2) rotates when the cushion projection (150-2) is pressed and released by an external force.

[0111] According to one embodiment, the second portion (172-2) of the hook (170-2) may have a predetermined curvature. For example, the second portion (172-2) of the hook (170-2) may be formed convexly toward the body (110-2). In this case, the body (110-2) and the base plate (130-2) may each be formed concavely to have a predetermined curvature corresponding to the second portion (172-2) of the hook (170-2). The second portion (172-2) of the hook (170-2) may be inserted into a groove (133-2) formed in the base plate (130-2) before an external force is applied to the cushion projection (150-2).

[0112] For example, when the first and second finger tips (e.g., 140 and 240 in FIG. 11) enter the side dish container (1) to grasp the targeted food (3), the second part (172-2) of the hook (170-2) can minimize or improve interference with the food. Thus, the first and second finger tips (100, 200) can move smoothly to the food grasping position.

[0113] Referring to FIG. 14, when food (3) is grasped by the first and second finger tips (100, 200), the cushion protrusion (150-2) in contact with the food (3) may be deformed as a part of the cushion protrusion (150-2) is pressed by the food (3). The hook (170-2) may rotate counterclockwise around the fixed part (173-2) of the hook (170-2) as the cushion protrusion (150-2) is pressed. In this case, the second part (172-2) of the hook (170-2) may protrude from the groove (133-2) of the base plate (130-2) toward the food (3). Since the second part (172-2) of the hook (170-2) has a curvature, it can support the lower part of the food (3) more stably, thereby minimizing or improving the food (3) held by the first and second finger tips (100, 200) falling out in the direction of gravity.

[0114] Although one or more embodiments have been described above with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations from the description above. For example, appropriate results may be achieved even if the described techniques are performed in a different order than described, and / or if the components of the described system, structure, device, circuit, etc. are combined or assembled in a form different from described, or replaced or substituted by other components or equivalents. Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims below also fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. Regarding grippers, First finger; A second finger facing the first finger; A drive motor configured to provide power to move the first finger and the second finger closer together and further apart from each other; A first finger tip connected to the first finger; and A second finger tip facing the first finger tip and connected to the second finger; comprising Each of the above-mentioned first finger tip and the above-mentioned second finger tip is, Body; A base plate coupled to the above body; and A hook member formed on the base plate; comprising The above hook member is, A gripper configured such that the first finger tip and the second finger tip protrude when pressed by an object while gripping the object.

2. In Paragraph 1, For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, The above hook member is, A cushion projection coupled to one surface of the base plate and including a hollow portion; and A gripper comprising: a hook connected to the cushion projection, configured to rotate in a first direction when pressure is applied to the cushion projection and to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction when pressure is released from the cushion projection.

3. In Paragraph 2, For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, The above hook is, A first part located in the hollow portion of the cushion protrusion; A second part connected to the first part and disposed outside the cushion projection and bent to have an angle with respect to the first part of the hook; and For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, a third part located at the boundary between the first part and the second part and connected to the cushion projection; A gripper configured such that the above hook rotates in the first direction or the second direction with the above third part as the center of rotation.

4. In Paragraph 3, For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, The first part of the above hook is, It is configured to move toward the base plate side according to the pressure applied to the cushion protrusion, and The second part of the above hook is, A gripper configured to support an object held by the first finger tip and the second finger tip as the first part of the hook moves away from the base plate as it rotates.

5. In Paragraph 3, For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, The second part of the above hook is, A gripper configured to move to a first position where the lower part of the second portion of the hook and the base plate are spaced apart by a first interval, and to move to a second position where the lower part of the second portion of the hook and the base plate are spaced apart by a second interval larger than the first interval.

6. In Paragraph 5, For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, The second part of the above hook is, A gripper parallel to the base plate at the first position.

7. In Paragraph 6, A gripper, the first gap above is smaller than the thickness of the cushion protrusion.

8. In Paragraph 3, For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, The second part of the above hook is, A gripper formed concavely toward the base plate and configured to be inserted into a groove formed in the base plate.

9. In Paragraph 2, For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, The above cushion protrusions are, A gripper comprising silicone or rubber.

10. In Paragraph 2, For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, The above hook is, A gripper comprising stainless steel or synthetic resin having rigidity.

11. In Paragraph 10, For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, The second part of the above hook is, A gripper comprising a coating layer having a friction coefficient greater than the friction coefficient of the hook on the side in contact with the object.

12. In Paragraph 1, The first finger tip above is, Connected to the first finger through the first supporter, The above second finger tip is, A gripper connected to the second finger through a second supporter.

13. In Paragraph 12, The first finger tip above is, Elasticly connected to the first supporter above, The above second finger tip is, A gripper elastically connected to the second supporter above.

14. In Paragraph 12, The first finger and the second finger further include a magnetic material, and The first finger tip includes a first permanent magnet detachably attached to the first finger, and A gripper comprising a second permanent magnet detachably attached to the second finger tip.

15. In a robot device, A robot arm including multiple joints; A gripper connected to the end of the robot arm and comprising a first finger to which a first finger tip is attached and a second finger to which a second finger tip is attached; A driving motor configured to move the first finger and the second finger away from each other and bring them closer together; An image sensor configured to acquire an image of a target contained in a container; Memory for storing at least one instruction; and It includes at least one processor configured to execute the above at least one instruction individually or collectively; The above at least one instruction is, When executed individually or collectively by the above at least one processor, the robot device, Identifying the target based on the above image; The drive motor is controlled to move the first finger tip and the second finger tip together so as to grasp the target through the first finger tip and the second finger tip, and Each of the above-mentioned first finger tip and the above-mentioned second finger tip is, It comprises a body, a base plate coupled to the body, and a hook member on the base plate. The above hook member is, The first finger tip and the second finger tip are configured to protrude when pressed by the target while gripping the target, and For each of the first finger tip and the second finger tip, The above hook member is, A cushion projection coupled to one surface of the base plate and including a hollow portion; and A robot device comprising: a hook connected to the cushion projection, configured to rotate in a first direction when pressure is applied to the cushion projection and to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction when pressure is released from the cushion projection.

Images