Abstract: A workpiece taking-out apparatus performs snap with a camera of a three-dimensional visual sensor in a robot position for snap and captures an image in a personal computer. The workpiece taking-out apparatus detects workpieces to find a line of sight of the camera for each workpiece, decides an area for height measurement by a range finder to save height data in the area, and finds an intersection of line of sight data of the camera and height distribution for each detected workpiece to find a posture of the workpiece from the height data around it. Then, the workpiece taking-out apparatus decides a workpiece to be taken out this time from the position and the posture and decides a measurement position of the three-dimensional visual sensor close to the workpiece.

Abstract: A three-dimensional visual sensor is disclosed. A two-dimensional image of a two-dimensional feature portion including a point determined on a work is acquired, and N points are determined. A slit of light is projected by a projector, an image of a projected portion is obtained, and M points are determined. The three-dimensional position of the intersection point between each straight line connecting the N points and a point in a camera and the slit of light plane is determined on the sensor coordinate system, and transformed to the data on the reference coordinate system. The three-dimensional positions of M points are similarly subjected to coordinate transform to the data on the reference coordinate system. Straight lines defined by the M and N points are determined. The intersection point between the two straight lines is determined and returned to the data on the sensor coordinate system by inverse transform.

Abstract: An organic semiconductor material is provided. The organic semiconductor material includes a polyacene derivative expressed by the following general formula (1): where each of R1 to R10 may be independently the same substituents or different substituents but all of R1, R4, R5, R6, R9 and R10 may never be hydrogen atoms at the same time, and where each of R1 to R10 is at least one kind of substituent selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having a substituent and of which number of carbon atoms ranges of from 1 to 20, an aromatic hydrocarbon group having a substituent, a complex aromatic group having a substituent, a carboxyl group, a hydride, an ester group, a cyano group, a hydroxyl group, a halogen atom and a hydrogen atom. The organic semiconductor material can be dissolved into an organic solvent at low temperature (for example, room temperature) and is suitable for use with a coating process.

Abstract: The presence range for workpieces (the internal edge of a container's opening) is defined with a visual sensor attached to a robot and the range is divided into a specified number of sectional regions. A robot position suitable for sensing each of the sectional regions is determined, and sensing is performed at the position so that workpieces in the container are picked up.

Abstract: An object picking system for picking up, one by one, a plurality of objects.

Abstract: A work model (or an image) is displayed on an image plane of a robot simulator (201), and a measuring portion and a measuring method are designated (202, 203) and a work shape and a work loading state are designated (204), and then it is judged whether or not the measuring portion and the measuring method are good (205). When the measuring portion and the measuring method are good, a program is generated and the processing is completed (207, 208). When the measuring portion and the measuring method are not good, an alarm is given (206), and the continuation (207) or the repetition (201) of the processing is directed. At the time of analyzing the program, the loading (101), the analysis and display of the measuring portion and the measuring method (102, 103) and the work information (104) are designated, and then it is judged whether or not the measuring portion and the measuring method, which have been analyzed, are good (105).

Abstract: A re-calibration method and device for a three-dimensional visual sensor of a robot system, whereby the work load required for re-calibration is mitigated. While the visual sensor is normal, the visual sensor and a measurement target are arranged in one or more relative positional relations by a robot, and the target is measured to acquire position/orientation information of a dot pattern etc. by using calibration parameters then held. During re-calibration, each relative positional relation is approximately reproduced, and the target is again measured to acquire feature amount information or position/orientation of the dot pattern etc. on the image. Based on the feature amount data and the position information, the parameters relating to calibration of the visual sensor are updated. At least one of the visual sensor and the target, which are brought into the relative positional relation, is mounted on the robot arm.

Abstract: A robot system comprising a first robot (R1) with a camera of a visual sensor mounted thereon and a second robot (R2) having a feature portion, is disclosed. The robots (R1, R2) are set in the first initial states (G1), from which the first robot (R1) or the second robot (R2) is moved so that the image of the feature portion assumes a target position or size (G2), thereby to store the present positions (P1, Q1) (G3). The same process is repeated N times (N?3) while changing the positions of the initial states of the robots (G4). Based on the positions P1, . . . , PN and Q1, . . . , QN obtained by the N repetitive above processes, a matrix T indicating the coordinate conversion from ?b to ?b? is determined. One or two robot control units may be provided. As a result, the calibration to determine relative positions between the robots can be carried out easily and with high accuracy, thereby reducing the jig-related cost.

Abstract: Three-dimensional measurement capable of reducing an error in coupling robot and sensor coordinate systems and adverse effects of backlash in a robot. A position/orientation of the robot for obtaining a measurement value on the sensor coordinate system is set beforehand with a workpiece positioned at a reference position. Then, the robot is moved to a preparatory measurement position, a preparatory measurement for the workpiece positioned at an arbitrary position is performed (SV1), and based on a measurement result, a main measurement position is calculated (SV2). Next, an auxiliary position is determined (SV3), which serves as a start position from which a movement to the main measurement position can be made without making a reversal of respective axes. The robot is moved to the auxiliary position (SV4), and to the main measurement position (SV5), and a measurement for the workpiece is made and a measurement result is stored (SV6).

Abstract: A measuring system for easily detecting Misjudged Detection (M/D). A camera for measurement attached to a robot is used to obtain an image for measurement of a workpiece so as to measure and detect a set point. Next, a camera for validation is used to obtain an image for validation of the workpiece so as to measure and detect the set point. One camera may capture both of the images for measurement and validation, by utilizing movement of the robot. It is judged whether the measured results obtained from the images represent the same point on the workpiece or not. If yes, the measured results are judged to be valid, otherwise, the measured results are judged to be invalid and an exception process, such as a retrial, is executed. The images by the camera may also be used for judging a moving path of the robot during measurement of a large object.

Abstract: A three-dimensional visual sensor is disclosed. A two-dimensional image of a two-dimensional feature portion (15) including a point (11) determined on a work (13) is acquired, and N (N?2) points are determined. A slit of light is projected by a projector (1), an image of a projected portion (19) is obtained, and M (M?2) points are determined. The three-dimensional position of the intersection point between each straight line connecting the N points and a point in a camera (2) and the slit of light plane is determined on the sensor coordinate system, and transformed to the data on the reference coordinate system (on or parallel to the slit plane). The three-dimensional positions of M points are similarly subjected to coordinate transform to the data on the reference coordinate system. Straight lines (or curves) defined by the M and N points are determined, respectively, by the least squares method.

Abstract: A robot system can grasp and take out one of a plurality of workpieces placed in a basket-like container by a hand mounted at the forward end of a robot arm. The workpiece is detected by a visual sensor, and the robot is controlled depending on a position and an orientation of the workpiece. When a problem such as interference or the like occurs, information relating to the problem is stored in a robot control unit or a visual sensor control unit. Information relating to the problem includes a predetermined amount of the latest data retrospectively traced from the time point of problem occurrence, a position which the robot has reached, the target position data, the content of the process executed by the visual sensor, and the detection result. When the problem is reproduced, these data are used to simulate the situation at the time of problem occurrence by using simulation unit. The situation at the time of problem occurrence can also be reproduced by using the actual robot without using the simulation unit.

Abstract: An object taking out apparatus capable of taking out randomly stacked objects with high reliability and low cost. An image of one of workpieces as objects of taking out at a reference position is captured by a video camera. Whole feature information and partial feature information are extracted from the captured image by a model creating section and a partial model creating section, respectively, and stored in a memory with information on partial feature detecting regions. An image of randomly stacked workpieces is captured and analyzed to determine positions/orientations of images of the respective workpieces using the whole feature information. Partial feature detecting regions are set to the images of the respective workpieces using the determined positions/orientations of the respective workpieces and information on partial feature detecting regions stored in the memory.

Abstract: A workpiece is gripped by a robot hand and the image of the workpiece is captured by a camera without being stopped. An image processing device detects the position and posture of a characteristic portion of the workpiece. A robot controller stores the present position of the robot once or more times synchronously with the output of an image pick-up trigger instruction. On the basis of the present position of the robot and a detection result, the relative position and posture between a flange of the robot and the workpiece characteristic portion is detected. The relative position and posture is compared with that observed when the workpiece is gripped correctly, to determine a gripping error. If the gripping error exceeds a permissible error, the robot is stopped. If the gripping error is equal to or less than the permissible error, a taught position where the workpiece is to be released is corrected so as to cancel the adverse effect of the gripping error.

Abstract: Three-dimensional measurement capable of reducing an error in coupling robot and sensor coordinate systems and adverse effects of backlash in a robot. A position/orientation of the robot for obtaining a measurement value on the sensor coordinate system is set beforehand with a workpiece positioned at a reference position. Then, the robot is moved to a preparatory measurement position, a preparatory measurement for the workpiece positioned at an arbitrary position is performed (SV1), and based on a measurement result, a main measurement position is calculated (SV2). Next, an auxiliary position is determined (SV3), which serves as a start position from which a movement to the main measurement position can be made without making a reversal of respective axes. The robot is moved to the auxiliary position (SV4), and to the main measurement position (SV5), and a measurement for the workpiece is made and a measurement result is stored (SV6).

Abstract: A workpiece taking-out apparatus performs snap with a camera of a three-dimensional visual sensor in a robot position for snap and captures an image in a personal computer. The workpiece taking-out apparatus detects workpieces to find a line of sight of the camera for each workpiece, decides an area for height measurement by a range finder to save height data in the area, and finds an intersection of line of sight data of the camera and height distribution for each detected workpiece to find a posture of the workpiece from the height data around it. Then, the workpiece taking-out apparatus decides a workpiece to be taken out this time from the position and the posture and decides a measurement position of the three-dimensional visual sensor close to the workpiece.

Abstract: The presence range for workpieces (the internal edge of a container's opening) is defined with a visual sensor attached to a robot and the range is divided into a specified number of sectional regions. A robot position suitable for sensing each of the sectional regions is determined, and sensing is performed at the position so that workpieces in the container are picked up.

Abstract: Slit light is projected onto the surface of an object, the reflected light is received using a video camera and analyzed by means of an image processor to thereby determine an equation of the surface onto which the slit light is projected. Then, an image is captured through normal image taking using the video camera and a straight line (line of sight) passing through the measuring point on the object and the center of the video camera is determined. Furthermore, parameters such as an affine transformation are determined by a comparison between the image of a characteristic area F of the object and a reference image. Then, the three-dimensional position and posture of the measuring point are determined from an intersection between the line of sight and the determined surface.

Abstract: A three-dimensional visual sensor which measures the three-dimensional position and orientation of an objective workpiece accurately even when the position and orientation thereof varies. The position Ca, tilting angle &thgr;a and size S of a first region A which includes a characteristic part of an objective workpiece, and the position Cb and radius Rb of a second region B which is a target region of measurement are determined in a two-dimensional image of a representative objective workpiece captured from a predetermined position, and stored as reference information. An image of a to-be-measured objective workpiece is captured, and in the image, a region corresponding to the second region is determined on the basis of the position C′a, tilting angle &thgr;′a and size S′ of a region corresponding to the first region A, and the reference information. The position and orientation of the objective workpiece is obtained by measuring the region determined as corresponding to the second region.

Abstract: A position/orientation detecting device for detecting a three-dimensional position/orientation of an object such as a workpiece in a stereo mode of highly reliable determination of corresponding images, which is suitable for use to be combined with a robot to constitute an object picking apparatus. Pictures of workpieces are taken by video cameras. Two-dimensional taught models are created by model creating means and stored as model information, and the positions of three or more reference points are determined by reference point position setting means. Object detecting sections detect images of workpieces using the model information. A crresponding image determining section determines corresponding images, using models or images which are prepared by performing geometrical transformation (represented by a set of parameters) on the two-dimensional taught models or the two-dimensional images.