Robot control device, robot, and robot system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10618181-B2
Application number	US-201715689439-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2017
Priority date	Aug 31, 2016
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

On the basis of received first region information indicating a first region, which is a region designated for an acquired picked-up image of a plurality of target objects, and second region information indicating a second region different from the first region, a robot control device causes a robot to grip the target object for which the second region not overlapping the first region of another of the target objects is designated and does not cause the robot to grip the target object, the second region for which overlaps the first region of the other target object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot control device comprising:
a memory configured to store computer-executable instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions so as to control a robot,
wherein the processor is configured to:
cause a camera to capture an image including a plurality of target objects;
designate a first region with respect to each of the plurality of target objects in the captured image, the first region surrounding a periphery of each of the plurality of target objects;
designate two second regions with respect to each of the plurality of target objects in the captured image, each of the two second regions being different from the first region, the two second regions being located directly adjacent to each of the plurality of target objects and partially overlapped with the first region;
determine whether each target object among the plurality of the target objects has a first condition in which the two second regions of one of the plurality of target objects are spaced apart from the first region of each of the other of the plurality of target objects in the captured image; and
cause the robot to grip the target object among the plurality of target objects that has the determined first condition.

2. The robot control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine whether each target object among the plurality of the target objects has a second condition in which the first region of one of the plurality of target objects is spaced apart from the first region of each of the other of the plurality of target objects in the captured image; and
cause the robot to grip the target object among the plurality of target objects that has the determined second condition.

3. The robot control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the two second regions are set according to the designation of the first region.

4. The robot control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the two second regions are designated by a received operation.

5. The robot control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processor is configured to set a third region and a fourth region with respect to at least one of the plurality of target objects in the captured image, and the third and fourth regions correspond to the first two second regions, respectively and
the processor is configured to display the at least one of the plurality of target objects having the first region, the two second regions, the third region, and the fourth region onto a display.

6. The robot control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processor is configured to display the plurality of target objects in which each target object having the first region and the two second regions onto a display.

7. The robot control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first region is designated based on a shape of each of the plurality of target objects.

8. The robot control device according to claim 1 , wherein a shape of the first region is a convex hull.

9. The robot control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the two second regions correspond to a required region for a gripping operation of each of the plurality of target objects by the robot.

10. A robot system comprising:
a robot handling a plurality of target objects;
a camera configured to capture an image of the plurality of target objects; and
a robot control device, the robot control device having:
a memory configured to store computer-executable instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions so as to control the robot,

wherein the processor is configured to:
cause the camera to capture the image including the plurality of target objects;
designate a first region with respect to each of the plurality of target objects in the captured image, the first region surrounding a periphery of each of the plurality of target objects;
designate two second regions with respect to each of the plurality of target objects in the captured image, each of the two second regions being different from the first region, the two second regions being located directly adjacent to each of the plurality of target objects and partially overlapped with the first region;
determine whether each target object among the plurality of the target objects has a first condition in which the two second regions of one of the plurality of target objects are spaced apart from the first region of each of the other of the plurality of target objects in the captured image; and
cause the robot to grip the target object among the plurality of target objects that has the determined first condition.

11. The robot system according to claim 10 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine whether each target object among the plurality of the target objects has a second condition in which the first region of one of the plurality of target objects is spaced apart from the first region of each of the other of the plurality of target objects in the captured image; and
cause the robot to grip the target object among the plurality of target objects that has the determined second condition.

12. The robot system according to claim 10 ,
wherein the two second regions are set according to the designation of the first region.

13. The robot system according to claim 10 ,
wherein the two second regions are designated by a received operation.

14. The robot system according to claim 10 ,
wherein the processor is configured to set a third region and a fourth region with respect to at least one of the plurality of target objects in the captured image, and the third and fourth regions correspond to the first two second regions, respectively and
the processor is configured to display the at least one of the plurality of target objects having the first region, the two second regions, the third region, and the fourth region onto a display.

15. The robot system according to claim 10 future comprising a display,
wherein the processor is configured to display the plurality of target objects in which each target object having the first region and the two second regions onto the display.

16. The robot system according to claim 10 ,
wherein the first region is designated based on a shape of each of the plurality of target objects.

17. The robot system according to claim 10 , wherein a shape of the first region is a convex hull.

18. The robot system according to claim 10 ,
wherein the two second regions correspond to a required region for a gripping operation of each of the plurality of target objects by the robot.

19. A robot comprising:
an end effector configured to grip one of a plurality of target objects;
a camera configured to capture an image of the plurality of target objects; and
a robot control device, the robot control device having:
a memory configured to store computer-executable instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions so as to control the robot,

wherein the processor is configured
cause the camera capture the image including the plurality of target objects;
designate a first region with respect to each of the plurality of target objects in the captured image, the first region surrounding a periphery of each of the plurality of target objects;
designate two second regions with respect to each of the plurality of target objects in the captured image, each of the two second regions being different from the first region, the two second

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Aiso Seiji
• Setsuda Nobuyuki
• Tsukamoto Kentaro

Classifications

• G05B2219/45063

  Pick and place manipulator · CPC title

• G05B2219/31264

  Control, autonomous self learn knowledge, rearrange task, reallocate resources · CPC title

• G05B19/41845

  characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity · CPC title

• G05B2219/40004

  Window function, only a specific region is analyzed · CPC title

• B25J9/1697 Primary

  Vision controlled systems · CPC title