Handling apparatus, control apparatus, and recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11529743-B2
Application number	US-202017004183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2020
Priority date	Mar 19, 2020
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

A handling apparatus has an arm having a joint; a holding portion attached to the arm and configured to hold an object; a sensor configured to detect a plurality of the objects; and a control apparatus configured to control the arm and the holding portion, wherein the control apparatus is configured to calculate an ease of holding the object by the holding portion as a score based on information acquired by the sensor with respect to each object and each holding method, select the object to hold and the holding method according to the score, and calculate a position for holding the selected object and an orientation of the arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A handling apparatus, comprising:
an arm having a joint;
a holding portion attached to the arm and configured to hold an object;
a sensor configured to detect a plurality of the objects; and
a control apparatus configured to control the arm and the holding portion,
wherein the control apparatus is configured to:
calculate an ease of holding the object by the holding portion as a score based on information acquired by the sensor with respect to each object and each holding method,
select the object to hold and the holding method according to the score, and
calculate a position for holding the selected object and an orientation of the arm.

2. The handling apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second arm having a joint; and
a second holding portion configured to have a holding method different with the holding method of the holding portion,
wherein the control apparatus is configured to select either of the holding portion or the second holding portion according to the score.

3. The handling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to determine a sequence of holding the plurality of objects according to the score.

4. The handling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the holding methods by the holding portion include a pinching method and a suction method.

5. The handling apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor is a camera, and
the control apparatus is configured to:
define a circumscribed rectangular region of the object which is imaged by the sensor as a provisional mask region, and
calculate the score according to a mask region by extending the provisional mask region.

6. The handling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to calculate the score according to at least one of a ratio of a absorbable surface of the object, a ratio of a central plane, an arrangement ratio of the object, a margin of a holding force for holding the object, a ratio of gaps among the plurality of objects, a margin of the holding portion at the time of holding the object, and an unevenness ratio of the object.

7. The handling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to calculate the score according to at least one of a height of the loaded object, a distance from a center of a topmost portion of the container at which the object is placed to the object, an unevenness degree of the object, and an oblateness degree of the object.

8. The handling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to control the arm and the holding portion according to the calculated position to hold the object and the orientation of the arm.

9. A control apparatus configured to control a carrier system, wherein the carrier system has an arm having a joint, a holding portion attached to the arm and configured to hold an object, and a sensor configured to detect a plurality of the objects, the control apparatus is configured to:
calculate an ease of holding the object by the holding portion as a score based on information acquired by the sensor with respect to each object and each holding method,
select the object to hold and the holding method according to the score, and
calculate a position for holding the selected object and an orientation of the arm.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to determine a sequence of holding the plurality of objects according to the score.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the sensor is a camera, and
the control apparatus is configured to:
define a circumscribed rectangular region of the object which is imaged by the sensor as a provisional mask region, and
calculate the score according to a mask region by extending the provisional mask region.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to calculate the score according to at least one of a ratio of a absorbable surface of the object, a ratio of a central plane, an arrangement ratio of the object, a margin of a holding force for holding the object, a ratio of gaps among the plurality of objects, a margin of the holding portion at the time of holding the object, and an unevenness ratio of the object.

13. The control apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to calculate the score according to at least one of a height of the loaded object, a distance from a center of a topmost portion of the container at which the object is placed to the object, an unevenness degree of the object, and an oblateness degree of the object.

14. The control apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the control apparatus is configured to control the arm and the holding portion according to the calculated position to hold the object and the orientation of the arm.

15. A non-volatile recording medium storing a control program to control a carrier system, wherein the carrier system has an arm having a joint, a holding portion attached to the arm and configured to hold an object, a sensor configured to detect a plurality of the objects, and a control apparatus configured to control the arm and the holding portion, the control program is executed to make the control apparatus to:
calculate an ease of holding the object by the holding portion as a score based on information acquired by the sensor with respect to each object and each holding method,
select the object to hold and the holding method according to the score, and
calculate a position for holding the selected object and an orientation of the arm.

16. The non-volatile recording medium storing a control program according to claim 15 , wherein the control program is executed to make control apparatus to determine a sequence of holding the plurality of objects according to the score.

17. The non-volatile recording medium storing a control program according to claim 15 ,
wherein the sensor is a camera, and
the control program is executed to make the control apparatus to:
define a circumscribed rectangular region of the object which is imaged by the sensor as a provisional mask region, and
calculate the score according to a mask region by extending the provisional mask region.

18. The non-volatile recording medium storing a control program according to claim 15 , wherein the control program is executed to make the control apparatus to calculate the score according to at least one of a ratio of a absorbable surface of the object, a ratio of a central plane, an arrangement ratio of the object, a margin of a holding force for holding the object, a ratio of gaps among the plurality of objects, a margin of the holding portion at the time of holding the object, and an unevenness ratio of the object.

19. The non-volatile recording medium storing a control program according to claim 15 , wherein the control program is executed to make the control apparatus to calculate the score according to at least one of a height of the loaded object, a distance from a center of a topmost portion of the container at which the object is placed to the object, an unevenness degree of the object, and an oblateness degree of the object.

20. The non-volatile recording medium storing a control program according to claim 15 , wherein the control program is executed to make the control apparatus to control the arm and the holding portion according to the calculated position to hold the object and the o

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Komoda Kazuma
• Tokura Seiji
• Eto Haruna
• Jiang Ping
• Sugahara Atsushi
• Ogawa Akihito

Classifications

• B25J9/1697 Primary

  Vision controlled systems · CPC title

• B25J15/0028

  with movable, e.g. pivoting gripping jaw surfaces · CPC title

• G05B2219/40053

  Pick 3-D object from pile of objects · CPC title

• B25J13/088

  with position, velocity or acceleration sensors · CPC title

• B25J13/082

  Grasping-force detectors (in general G01L5/16, G01L5/22) · CPC title