JPH03277491A - Mobile robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the execution of a coordinate correction program in the state of visual sensor fitting position abnormality being overlooked by providing a mark also on the truck side, as well as providing a visual sensor fitting position confirming program so as to check whether or not the visual sensor fitting position is normal. CONSTITUTION:When the fitting position of a visual sensor 15 is normal at the playback time, the coordinate of a visual sensor fitting position confirming mark 30 on a truck 11A, obtained from the image of the visual sensor 15 in the specified action, coincides with the preset coordinate, so that the execution of a program is continued. When the fitting position of the visual sensor 15 is abnormal, however, the coordinate of the visual sensor fitting position confirming mark 30 on the truck 11A, obtained from the image of the visual sensor 15, is off the preset coordinate, so that the execution of the program thereafter is stopped. The above mentioned coordinate correction program is thus prevented from being executed in the state of the visual sensor 15 being in the abnormal position.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a mobile robot equipped with a visual sensor.

[Conventional technology]

A mobile robot consisting of a handling robot mounted on an unmanned vehicle travels to a work station, stops at the work station, transfers transported parts, etc. onto a work target on a workbench, or performs a predetermined work. The processed workpiece is transported to another station, but the stopping position at the work station tends to shift, and this shift is not always the same. Therefore, a visual sensor is attached to the tip of the handling robot's arm. This visual sensor is used to read marks placed on the work object to correct the deviation.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, reference numeral 10 is a battery-powered mobile robot, and a playback type handling mechanism 12 is mounted on a trolley 11A of an unmanned vehicle 11. For example, the vehicle detects various signs placed along the travel route and compares these signs with points on a map stored in the built-in memory as the vehicle travels.

The handling robot 12 has a visual sensor (CCD camera) 15 attached to the arm 13 near the finger 14, and performs handling operations according to a work program taught in advance. Reference numeral 20 denotes a work object on a workbench of a work station, and two marks 21A and 21B are marked on the surface thereof at a predetermined interval.

In this configuration, the mobile robot 10 enters the work station from the direction of the arrow and stops, as shown in FIG.
The arm 13 is set in a predetermined position in which the visual sensor 15 faces vertically, and marks 21A and 21A are placed in the visual field of the visual sensor 15.
21B, and the image is processed by the image processing device in the on-board control device to calculate the coordinates of the center points of the marks 21A and 21B, and these coordinates are the coordinates ( It is checked whether there is any deviation in the coordinates (horizontal coordinate, X-Y coordinate), and if there is any deviation, the teaching coordinates of the work program are corrected by the amount of deviation, and then the handling operation is started.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Conventionally, the mobile robot 10 has been equipped with a position correction program that corrects the deviation between the taught coordinates and the coordinates during the playback operation, which occurs due to the stop position/posture, as described above. The mounting orientation of the visual sensor 15 with respect to the arm 13 may change from the standard mounting orientation due to a person touching the sensor 15 or the arm 13, and the above-mentioned problems may occur without being aware that the mounting orientation of the visual sensor 15 is incorrect. Corrective actions may be taken. In this case, as a matter of course, the working paths of the fingers 14 and the arm 13 will be deviated, causing them to collide with the work object and causing damage.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a mobile robot that can prevent erroneous coordinate correction caused by an abnormality in the mounting posture of a visual sensor.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a mark for confirming the mounting posture of the visual sensor on the cart, has a step of confirming the mounting posture of the visual sensor in which the work robot takes a predetermined posture, and detects the image of the visual sensor taken in the step. The image is image-processed to determine the coordinates of the posture confirmation mark, and if the deviation of the coordinates from the predetermined coordinates is outside the allowable range, the subsequent execution of the program is stopped.

[Effect]

In the present invention, when the visual sensor is installed in a normal position during playback, the coordinates of the visual sensor installation position confirmation mark obtained from the image of the visual sensor during the predetermined operation match the predetermined coordinates. , the program continues to be executed, but if the visual sensor installation orientation is abnormal, the coordinates of the visual sensor installation orientation confirmation mark obtained from the vision sensor image will deviate from the predetermined coordinates. Execution of the program is stopped, and it is possible to prevent the coordinate correction program described above from being executed when the visual sensor is in an abnormal posture.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, 30 is a mark for confirming the posture of the visual sensor, which is a transfer stand 11B on the trolley 11A of the unmanned vehicle 11.
It is placed in the right place.

In this embodiment, at the time of teaching, the posture of the arm 13 of the handling robot 12 is adjusted as shown in FIG.
The mark 30 is controlled to pass through the center of 0, the visual sensor 15 images the mark 30, the image is processed by the image processing device, and the mark center coordinates are calculated and stored. Next, the conventional teaching operation is performed, the arm 13 is placed in the posture shown in FIGS.
, 21B, image processing is performed, and both sides 2LA, 2
Store the coordinates of the center point of 1B.

During playback, when the mobile robot 10 enters the work station and stops, the handling robot 12
The arm posture is set to the posture shown in FIG. 1, and the image of the visual sensor 15 in this posture is taken into the above-mentioned image processing device. At this time, if the visual sensor 15 is in the standard mounting posture,
The visual sensor 15 images the mark 30, and the mark 3
The center coordinates of 0 match the memorized coordinates above, or even if there is a deviation, the amount of deviation is small, so it is determined that the visual sensor mounting orientation is normal, and the process proceeds to the next step and corrects the coordinates as described above. Run the program. That is, arm 13
With the posture set as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the marks 21A and 21B are imaged by the visual sensor 15, and the images are
The image processing device calculates the coordinates of the center points of the marks 21A and 21B, and compares these coordinates with predetermined coordinates (horizontal coordinates, X-Y coordinates) for the center points of both marks to determine the coordinate deviation. The presence or absence is checked, and if there is a coordinate shift, the taught coordinates of the work program to be executed from now on are two-dimensionally corrected using this shift amount.

If the mounting orientation of the visual sensor 15 changes due to someone touching it, the coordinates of the mark 30 obtained through image processing will deviate greatly from the predetermined coordinates.
The mark 30 is out of the field of view of the visual sensor 15. If the amount of deviation between the coordinates of the mark 30 and the predetermined coordinates during playback is larger than the allowable range, the mobile robot 10
At the same time as stopping the subsequent execution of Progera, an alarm lamp or the like (not shown) is turned on.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the arm 1 of the visual sensor 15
It is possible to prevent the above-mentioned coordinate correction program from being executed in a state where the mounting position with respect to No. 3 remains incorrect.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention has a coordinate correction program prior to starting a work program of a working robot, and a mark is also provided on the cart side, and a visual sensor mounting orientation confirmation program is provided to ensure that the visual sensor mounting orientation is normal. By using a configuration that checks whether or not the coordinates are corrected, it is possible to prevent the above coordinate correction program from being executed while an abnormality in the mounting orientation of the visual sensor is overlooked. Accidents such as damage to objects can be reliably prevented.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the posture of a visual sensor for explaining the present invention in detail, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams for explaining a conventional coordinate correction operation. 10--Mobile robot, 12-Handling robot, 14--Finger 15-Visual sensor, 30-Visual sensor installation posture confirmation mark.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A playback type work robot with a visual sensor attached to its arm is provided on a trolley, and when the work robot enters and stops entering a work station, the work at the work station is performed prior to the start of a work program. The position correction mark provided on the target surface is imaged by the visual sensor, the coordinates of the mark are determined by the image processing device, the deviation between the coordinates and the predetermined coordinates is calculated, and the coordinates of the taught work program are determined based on the deviation. A mobile robot that corrects and executes the work program has a mark on the trolley for confirming the mounting orientation of the visual sensor,
The work robot has a visual sensor installation posture confirmation step in which it takes a predetermined posture, and in this step, the image of the visual sensor taken is image-processed to obtain the coordinates of the posture confirmation mark, and A mobile robot characterized by stopping execution of subsequent programs when the deviation is outside an allowable range.