Abstract: A picking apparatus in an embodiment includes: a gripper, an arm, a detector, and a control unit. The gripper picks and grips an object to be conveyed. The arm moves the gripper and causes the gripper to convey the object to be conveyed. The detector is attached to the arm and senses a force applied to the gripper. The control unit controls an operation of the gripper and the arm. The control unit includes a calculator and a subtractor. The calculator calculates a gravitational force and an inertial force applied to the gripper when the gripper grips and moves the object to be conveyed using an arithmetic expression including a coefficient determined in accordance with a mass of the object to be conveyed. The subtractor subtracts the gravitational force and the inertial force calculated by the calculator from a force applied to the gripper sensed by the detector.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a cargo handling apparatus includes a hand, a robot arm, a transfer device, a measurement device, and a control device. The hand holds an article. The robot arm moves the hand. The transfer device is arranged with the robot arm, and transfers the article. The measurement device measures a position and a size of the article. The control device performs a first operation of transferring the article to the transfer device by using the hand and the robot arm, and a second operation of transferring the transferred article by using the transfer device. The control device determines whether or not the robot arm will interfere with the transfer device or a second article on the transfer device when performing the first operation for a first article. The control device controls a start timing of the first operation according to a determination result of the interference.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a transfer apparatus includes a suction hand, a moving device, a first detector, and a controller. The suction hand includes a first and second suction units. The first and second suction units are configured to contact with an article in a first direction and a second direction, respectively. the first suction unit and the second suction unit each are provided multiply in a third direction. The controller performs at least a first operation and a second operation. In the first operation, the first suction units respectively suction first surfaces of the articles, the second suction units respectively suction second surfaces of the articles, and the articles are moved. In the second operation, one of the first suction units suctions the first surface of one of the articles, the second suction units do not suction the articles, and the one of the articles is moved.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a cargo-handling apparatus includes a holding unit, an image-capturing unit, a distance measurement sensor, and a control unit. The holding unit holds an article. The image-capturing unit captures an image of the article in a first direction. The distance measurement sensor measures a distance to the article in a second direction crossing the first direction. The control unit controls the holding unit. The control unit selects a first article to be held based on an imaging result by the image-capturing unit, calculates, based on a measurement result by the distance measurement sensor, a position of a first face of the first article and a position of a second face of the first article, and causes the holding unit to operate in accordance with the calculated position of the first face and the calculated position of the second face to hold the first article.

Abstract: An arrangement position determination method of an object, including: based on information of dimensions of a predetermined area and dimensions of a plurality of objects to be accommodated in the predetermined area stored in a storage section of a control device, searching for a position at which the object does not interfere with a boundary of the predetermined area and other objects in a first direction; and when there is no position at which the object does not interfere with the boundary and the other objects in the first direction, searching for a position at which the object does not interfere with the boundary and the other objects in the first direction at a position shifted in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

Abstract: A picking apparatus in an embodiment includes: a gripper, an arm, a detector, and a control unit. The gripper picks and grips an object to be conveyed. The arm moves the gripper and causes the gripper to convey the object to be conveyed. The detector is attached to the arm and senses a force applied to the gripper. The control unit controls an operation of the gripper and the arm. The control unit includes a calculator and a subtractor. The calculator calculates a gravitational force and an inertial force applied to the gripper when the gripper grips and moves the object to be conveyed using an arithmetic expression including a coefficient determined in accordance with a mass of the object to be conveyed. The subtractor subtracts the gravitational force and the inertial force calculated by the calculator from a force applied to the gripper sensed by the detector.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a movable apparatus includes a carriage, coaxial paired wheels configured to support the carriage, a wheel actuator configured to rotationally drive the paired wheels, a loading section provided above the carriage, a swinging section includes a first swinging mechanism configured to swing the loading section around a first shaft extending in a direction crossing an axle of the wheels and a second swinging mechanism configured to swing the loading section around a second shaft provided parallel to the axle, acceleration sensing device configured to measure accelerations, and a swing angle control device configured to control the swing angle of each of the first swinging mechanism and the second swinging mechanism, to swing the loading section in a direction in which a component force of the acceleration applied to the loading section in a horizontal direction and a component force of gravity are balanced.