Abstract: A pickup device for picking up a target object from a plurality of objects randomly piled up in a container, and for placing the target object in a predetermined posture to a target location is provided. The device includes an approximate position obtaining part for obtaining information on an approximate position of the target object, based on information on a height distribution of the objects in the container, which is obtained by a first visual sensor. The device also includes a placement operation controlling part for controlling a robot so as to bring the target object into a predetermined position and posture relative to the target location, based on information on a position and posture of the target object relative to a robot, which is obtained by a second visual sensor.

Abstract: A robot system is provided with a three-dimensional sensor which acquires three-dimensional information of an object, and a robot which includes a gripping device for gripping an object. The robot system uses first three-dimensional information which relates to a state before an object is taken out and second three-dimensional information which relates to a state after an object is taken out as the basis to acquire three-dimensional shape information of an object, and uses the three-dimensional shape information of the object as the basis to calculate a position and posture of the robot when an object is placed at a target site.

Abstract: A measurement apparatus for determining a position of a tool center point (31) of a tool (30), which is attached to a tool attachment surface (32) of a robot (1), with respect to the tool attachment surface (32) includes: a camera (4) attached to the arm tip portion of the robot (1); a touch-up point (an origin of ?m) disposed in a working space of the robot; a measurement section (11a) for measuring the position of the touch-up point by using the robot and the camera; a first storage section (12a) for storing the measured position of the touch-up point; a second storage section (12b) for storing a position of the robot (1) when the tool center point is aligned with the touch-up point by moving the robot; and a calculation section (11b) for calculating the position of the tool center point with respect to the tool attachment surface of the robot by using the stored positions of the touch-up point and the robot.

Abstract: A measurement apparatus for determining a position of a tool center point (31) of a tool (30), which is attached to a tool attachment surface (32) of a robot (1), with respect to the tool attachment surface (32) includes: a camera (4) attached to the arm tip portion of the robot (1); a touch-up point (an origin of ?m) disposed in a working space of the robot; a measurement section (11a) for measuring the position of the touch-up point by using the robot and the camera; a first storage section (12a) for storing the measured position of the touch-up point; a second storage section (12b) for storing a position of the robot (1) when the tool center point is aligned with the touch-up point by moving the robot; and a calculation section (11b) for calculating the position of the tool center point with respect to the tool attachment surface of the robot by using the stored positions of the touch-up point and the robot.

Abstract: A pickup device for picking up a target object from a plurality of objects randomly piled up in a container, and for placing the target object in a predetermined posture to a target location is provided. The device includes an approximate position obtaining part for obtaining information on an approximate position of the target object, based on information on a height distribution of the objects in the container, which is obtained by a first visual sensor. The device also includes a placement operation controlling part for controlling a robot so as to bring the target object into a predetermined position and posture relative to the target location, based on information on a position and posture of the target object relative to a robot, which is obtained by a second visual sensor.

Abstract: A workpiece removing device including a camera for imaging a workpiece loading area including a plurality of workpieces loaded in bulk; a workpiece detection section for detecting a workpiece, based on a camera image taken with the camera; a workpiece selection section for selecting a workpiece adapted to be removed, based on a detection result by the workpiece detection section; a robot for removing the workpiece selected by the workpiece selection section; a loading state determination section for determining whether a loading state of the workpieces in the workpiece loading area has changed due to a operation of the robot; and an area setting section for setting a workpiece detection area where the workpiece detection section detects a workpiece. If the loading state determination section determines that the loading state of the workpieces has changed, the area setting section sets the workpiece detection area in a peripheral area of a changing position of the loading state, i.e.

Abstract: A calibrating device for calibration of an image measurement system. The calibrating device includes a main body having an upper surface, and a characteristic portion, which serves as a benchmark for calibration and is in the form of a recess formed in the upper surface of the main body, wherein the characteristic portion includes a side surface extending in a direction crossing the upper surface, and a bottom surface extending in a direction crossing the side surface, the bottom surface has an optical reflectance lower than an optical reflectance of the upper surface in relation to light identical to each other. This can provide a calibrating device for calibration of an image measurement system, which can detect the characteristic portion on the calibrating device stably, precisely and independent of the illumination conditions, which is less costly and can be easily handled.

Abstract: A robot system calculates positional information of a workpiece with respect to a visual sensor and calculates positional information of an arm tip at a second time based on first times stored by a storing section and the second time at which the visual sensor measures the workpiece.

Abstract: A production system in which a human and a robot may simultaneously perform a cooperative task in the same area while ensuring human's safety. A robot is positioned at one side of a working table, and an operator is positioned at the other side of the working table. The reachable area of the operator is limited by the working table. An area of the working table is divided into an area where only the operator may perform a task, an area where only the robot may perform a task, and an area where both the operator and the robot may enter. In a cooperation mode, the maximum movement speed of a component of the robot is limited lower than when the component of the robot is outside the cooperative task area, and, the motion of the robot is limited so that the robot does not enter a robot entry-prohibited area.

Abstract: A device for restoring positional information of a robot provided with a first member and a second member; a motor moving the second member; and a sensor outputting a sensor signal. The device includes an imaging section obtaining an image signal in a region including a first mark and a second mark; a mark position computation section computing a first positional relationship between the first mark and the second mark at a first time and a second positional relationship at a second time, based on an image signal obtained by the imaging section at the first time and at the second time; and a correction section correcting positional information depending on a sensor signal, based on the first and second positional relationship, a first sensor signal output by the sensor at the first time and a second sensor signal output by the sensor at the second time.

Abstract: An object picking device, which is inexpensive and capable of speedily and accurately picking one object at a time from a random pile state. A target detecting part of an image processing part processes an image captured by a camera and detects objects. A target selecting part selects an object among the detected objects based on a certain rule. A view line direction calculating part calculates the direction of a view line extending to the selected object. A target position estimating part estimates the position including the height of the selected object based on size information of the object in the image. Then, a grip correction calculating part calculates an amount of correction of the movement of a robot so as to grip the object by using the robot.

Abstract: A workpiece gripping device includes a primary catching mechanism having a suction pad adapted to hold a workpiece by suction power and a rod-like part having the suction pad mounted on one end thereof, gripping pawls sandwiching and gripping the workpiece, a drive unit for supplying a drive power, and a transmission mechanism transmitting the drive power of the drive unit to the gripping pawls. The transmission mechanism moves the gripping pawls along an axis of the rod-like part between a gripping position where the gripping pawls are projected beyond the suction pad and a retreated position where the gripping pawls are retreated from the suction pad toward the base plate. The gripping pawls are moved to the gripping position along the axis of the rod-like part while shortening the distance between the gripping pawls.

Abstract: A teaching position correcting apparatus corrects plural teaching point positions of a robot in a robot operation program, by sequentially moving the robot to each of the plural teaching points and by sequentially reading a current position of the robot at each of the plural teaching points. The apparatus includes: a position correction amount calculating unit that calculates a position correction amount, based on corrected teaching point positions and teaching point positions before correction; and a corrected-position calculating unit that calculates corrected positions of teaching point positions before correction out of the plural teaching points, based on the position correction amount. At the time of moving the robot to uncorrected teaching points, a moving unit moves the robot to corrected positions of the teaching point positions before correction.

Abstract: A workpiece removing device including a camera for imaging a workpiece loading area including a plurality of workpieces loaded in bulk; a workpiece detection section for detecting a workpiece, based on a camera image taken with the camera; a workpiece selection section for selecting a workpiece adapted to be removed, based on a detection result by the workpiece detection section; a robot for removing the workpiece selected by the workpiece selection section; a loading state determination section for determining whether a loading state of the workpieces in the workpiece loading area has changed due to a operation of the robot; and an area setting section for setting a workpiece detection area where the workpiece detection section detects a workpiece. If the loading state determination section determines that the loading state of the workpieces has changed, the area setting section sets the workpiece detection area in a peripheral area of a changing position of the loading state, i.e.

Abstract: An apparatus for picking up objects including a robot for picking up an object, at least one part of the object having a curved shape, having a storing means for storing a gray gradient distribution model of the object, a recognizing means for recognizing a gray image of the object, a gradient extracting means for extracting a gray gradient distribution from the gray image recognized by the recognizing means, an object detecting means for detecting a position or position posture of the object in the gray image in accordance with the gray gradient distribution extracted by the gradient extracting means and the gray gradient distribution model stored by the storing means, a detection information converting means for converting information of the position or position posture detected by the object detecting means into information of position or position posture in a coordinate system regarding the robot; and a robot moving means for moving the robot to the position or position posture converted by the detection

Abstract: A device for restoring positional information of a robot provided with a first member and a second member connected movable relative to each other via an articulation axis; a motor moving the second member relative to the first member; and a sensor outputting a sensor signal according to a driving amount of the motor.

Abstract: A robot system (10) includes: a processing section (32) that calculates positional information of a workpiece with respect to a visual sensor (13); a clock (35) to which a robot controlling section (31) and the processing section access to check a present time; a first storing section (33) that sequentially stores first times at a predetermined cycle in combination with positional information items of an arm tip at the first times, respectively; a second storing section (34) that stores a second time when the visual sensor measures the workpiece; an arm tip position calculating section (41) that calculates positional information of the arm tip when the visual sensor measures the workpiece based on the second time, at least two of the first times before and after the second time among the first times and the positional information items of the arm tip corresponding to the respective first times; and a workpiece position calculating section (42) that calculates positional information of the grasped workpiece wi

Abstract: An article conveying robot system capable of effectively containing an article in a container conveyed by a conveyor by using a robot. A container detecting part measures the distribution of shading of an image of each containing cell based on a detection result of the container, detects the containing state of each cell, and stores the detection result of each cell. An information managing part of a controller of an upstream side robot receives information from a container detecting part of a controller of a downstream side robot, and then generates containing cell information. An information managing part checks the cell information to be processed, and then transmits the cell information to a task executing part only when an article is not located in the corresponding cell. Task executing part controls the robot so as to locate an article in the selected cell based on the cell information.

Abstract: A workpiece picking device and method for reducing the cycle time of a picking operation of workpieces, by omitting or reducing the movement of a robot manipulator when an image of the workpieces is captured. An image processor of the picking device includes a camera controlling part for reading image data from a camera, a memory for storing the image data, a workpiece detecting part for extracting one or more images from the memory and detecting one or more workpieces in the image, and a workpiece selecting part for selecting a workpiece to be picked among the workpieces detected by the workpiece detecting part. The image processor further includes a stacked condition judging part for determining whether the condition of the stacked workpieces in a container is changed.

Abstract: A workpiece picking apparatus includes a robot, a workpiece recognition device for recognizing the workpieces located in a wide area, an accurate measurement device for accurately measuring the three-dimensional position of the workpiece, a workpiece select device for selecting the workpiece to be picked, and an NG workpiece storage device for storing information on the rough position of an failed NG workpiece when the measurement of the three-dimensional position or the picking for the workpiece has failed. The workpiece select device excludes the NG workpiece stored in the NG workpiece storage device and selects the next workpiece to be measured. The robot picks the selected workpiece based on the three-dimensional position of the workpiece measured by the accurate measurement device.