KR20210068979A - Method and apparatus for performing depalletizing tasks using a robot - Google Patents

Abstract

A control method and a device for a depalletizing operation of a robot are provided. In the method, a control device determines whether an object for a depalletizing operation exists based on a signal provided from a camera mounted on a robot. When it is determined that the object exists, the depalletizing operation is performed on the object by controlling the robot. When it is determined that the object does not exist, the control device lowers the height of the robot.

Description

Control method and apparatus for performing depalletizing tasks of a robot {Method and apparatus for performing depalletizing tasks using a robot}

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to robot control, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for controlling a depalletizing operation of a robot.

Palletizing/depalletizing is the process of lifting or lowering work objects on a pallet. Represents the operation of unloading the work object from the pallet. The work object may include a box.

Recently, robots have been used for palletizing/de-palletizing for high-speed processing. Depalletizing is an essential technology in logistics automation, where a robot picks up stacked work objects, that is, boxes one by one, and puts them on a conveyor belt on a pallet.

However, due to the limitations of the recognition range of the 3D camera for detecting a work object such as a box and the reach of the robot arm, there is a problem in handling a high-loaded object during the depalletizing operation of the current robot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a control method and apparatus capable of efficiently performing depalletizing work even on a high-loaded object.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a depalletizing operation of a robot. The control method may include, by a control device, determining whether an object for the depalletizing operation exists based on a signal provided from a camera mounted on the robot; performing, by the control device, a depalletizing operation on the object by controlling the robot when it is determined that the object exists; and when the control device determines that the object does not exist, lowering the height of the robot, wherein the determining step is repeatedly performed after the lowering step.

In one implementation, in the step of lowering, the control device controls the height adjustment unit connected to the robot, so that the robot lowers the height of the robot by a set height from the highest position possible by the height adjustment unit to the minimum height direction. can do it

In one implementation, the set height may correspond to the height of the object.

In one embodiment, the value of the set height may vary depending on the object.

In one implementation, lowering the height of the robot may include a first height adjustment for lowering the overall height of the robot and a second height adjustment for lowering the height of the distal end of the robot.

In one embodiment, the step of lowering may include, if it is determined that the object does not exist, determining whether the first height adjustment for the robot is possible;

If the first height adjustment is possible with respect to the robot, performing a first height adjustment of lowering the overall height of the robot; if the first height adjustment for the robot is not possible, determining whether the second height adjustment for the robot is possible; and when the second height adjustment for the robot is possible, performing a second height adjustment for lowering the height of the distal end of the robot.

In one embodiment, after performing the first height adjustment or performing the second height adjustment, the determining step may be repeatedly performed.

In one embodiment, the first height adjustment is, the control device controls a height adjustment unit connected to the robot, so that the robot can be positioned by the height adjustment unit in a direction from a maximum height to a minimum height or at the minimum height. It indicates that the entire height of the robot is adjusted by moving in the height direction, and the second height adjustment is the distal end of the robot by the driving unit when the control device enables rotation/movement of the robot using a driving unit. may indicate that the height of the

In one implementation, the robot is a robot of the articulated form, the distal end of the robot represents a portion where the means for gripping the object is located, and the camera is mounted at a robot wrist position corresponding to the distal end of the robot. can

In one implementation, the step of determining whether the object exists may be performed in a state where the robot is positioned in an initial posture in a work space for performing a task. In this case, after performing the depalletizing operation, the control method may further include the step of returning the robot to the initial posture, and the step of determining after returning to the initial posture is It can be repeated.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for controlling a depalletizing operation of a robot, the control apparatus comprising: an input unit configured to obtain image data provided from a camera mounted on the robot; Memory; and a processor configured to control the robot when the command stored in the memory is executed, wherein the processor determines whether an object for the depalletizing operation exists based on the image data provided from the input unit; when it is determined that the object exists, controlling the robot to perform a depalletizing operation on the object; And when it is determined that the object does not exist, it is configured to perform an operation of lowering the height of the robot, and the determining operation is repeatedly performed after the lowering operation.

In one implementation, the processor may be configured to control the height adjustment unit connected to the robot to lower the height of the robot by a set height in the direction from the highest position possible by the height adjustment unit to the minimum height direction. .

In one implementation, the set height may correspond to the height of the object.

In one embodiment, the value of the set height may vary depending on the object.

In one implementation, lowering the height of the robot may include a first height adjustment for lowering the overall height of the robot and a second height adjustment for lowering the height of the distal end of the robot.

In one implementation, when the processor performs the lowering operation, if it is determined that the object does not exist, the operation of determining whether the first height adjustment of the robot is possible; If the first height adjustment of the robot is possible, the operation of performing a first height adjustment of lowering the overall height of the robot; if the first height adjustment for the robot is not possible, determining whether the second height adjustment for the robot is possible; and when the second height adjustment for the robot is possible, it may be configured to perform an operation of performing a second height adjustment of lowering the height of the distal end of the robot, and the operation of performing the first height adjustment or the After the operation of performing the second height adjustment, the determining operation may be repeatedly performed.

In one embodiment, the first height adjustment is, the control device controls a height adjustment unit connected to the robot, so that the robot can be positioned by the height adjustment unit in a direction from a maximum height to a minimum height or at the minimum height. It indicates that the entire height of the robot is adjusted by moving in the height direction, and the second height adjustment is the distal end of the robot by the driving unit when the control device enables rotation/movement of the robot using a driving unit. may indicate that the height of the

In one implementation, the processor may be configured to perform an operation of determining whether the object exists in a state where the robot is positioned in an initial posture in a work space for performing a task. In this case, the processor may be further configured to perform an operation of returning the robot to the initial posture after performing the depalletizing operation, and the determination after the operation of returning to the initial posture operation may be repeatedly performed.

According to embodiments, the depalletizing operation may be easily performed while photographing an object on which an operation is performed using a camera mounted on the robot and in particular, adjusting the height of the robot.

In particular, it is possible to effectively prevent the case where the operation is not performed because it is determined that there is no object despite the presence of the object on the pallet because it is not possible to shoot by the camera mounted on the robot.

In addition, although the length of the arm of the robot is not sufficient and the recognition range of the camera is limited, the robot can perform the depalletizing operation on the high-loaded object by adjusting the height.

1 is a block diagram showing the structure of a control device for controlling a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram illustrating a working environment of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an external side view showing an implementation example of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart of a control method of a robot device for a depalletizing operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart of a control method of a robot device for a depalletizing operation according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a structural diagram illustrating a computing device for controlling a robot for a depalletizing operation of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement them. However, the present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. And in order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and similar reference numerals are attached to similar parts throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain element, it means that other elements may be further included, rather than excluding other elements, unless otherwise stated.

In the present specification, expressions described in the singular may be construed in the singular or plural unless an explicit expression such as “a” or “single” is used.

In addition, terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. used in an embodiment of the present invention may be used to describe the constituent elements, but the constituent elements should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component.

Hereinafter, a control method and apparatus for depalletizing according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a block diagram showing the structure of a control device for controlling a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 , the control device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a driving unit 11 for driving the robot 2 , a height adjusting unit 12 for adjusting the height of the robot 2 , and photographing. It includes a unit 13 , a control unit 14 , and an input unit 15 .

The robot 2 is a multi-joint robot composed of a plurality of joints, and is configured to be capable of rotating/moving the distal end of the robot up, down, left and right in order to perform a palletizing/depalletizing process. The robot 2 is a multi-joint type robot, which will be described in more detail later.

The driving unit 11 is configured to drive the robot 2 . The driving unit 11 drives the robot 2 according to a signal provided from the control unit 14 so that the palletizing/depalletizing operation is performed. The driving unit 11 may drive the robot 2 so that the robot 2 formed in the form of a multi-joint can move for each joint, and the structure for this driving can use a known technology, so a detailed description will be given here. omit The height of the distal end of the robot 2 may be changed by the driving unit 11 . Here, the distal end of the robot 2 represents a means by which the operation is performed directly on the object by the robot 2 , and may represent, for example, a gripper of the robot 2 described later in FIG. 3 .

The height adjustment unit 12 is configured to adjust the height of the robot 2 . The height adjustment unit 12 is configured to be connected to the robot 2 , and moves up and down according to a signal provided from the control unit 14 to adjust the height of the robot 2 . The height adjustment unit 2 adjusts the height of the robot 2 between the first height and the second height, and in particular, the height can be adjusted in stages. The first height corresponds to the maximum height at which the robot 2 can handle the highest-loaded object, and the second height corresponds to the minimum height at which the robot 2 can handle the lowest-loaded object.

When adjusting the height, for example, through adjustment such as lowering the height from the first height to step 1-1, then lowering the height to step 2-1, and then lowering it to step 3-1, the robot 2 The height of can be adjusted step by step from the first height to the second height. In addition, the height of the robot 2 is increased to the second height by adjusting the height from the second height to 1-2 steps, then increasing the height to 2-2 steps, and then raising the height to 3-2 steps. can be adjusted to the first height. Here, each step for height adjustment may have the same height (eg, when the value according to step 1-1 is the same as the value according to step 2-1, or the value according to step 1-1 is 1-2 same as the value according to step, etc.), different height (for example, when the value according to step 1-1 is different from the value according to step 2-1, or when the value according to step 1-1 is in step 1-2 different values from the corresponding values, etc.). As another example, in consideration of objects having different heights, the values of the steps in which the height adjustment is performed may be different. For example, different step-by-step height adjustments may be performed for each object through the height adjusting unit 12 by the controller 14 based on the object-related information input through the input unit 15 . When adjusting the height, since the distance from the gripper of the robot 2 to the object can be measured through the 3D camera, which is the photographing unit 13, if it is determined that the distance from the gripper of the robot to the object is close within the set distance, increase the height Conversely, if it is determined that the distance is greater than the set distance, the height may be lowered.

The photographing unit 13 is configured to photograph an area in which work is performed by the robot 2 . In particular, the photographing unit 13 is configured to be mounted at a predetermined position of the robot 2 , for example, is mounted at a position corresponding to the wrist of the robot 2 , performs photographing at the position, and the corresponding image data is provided to the control unit 14 .

The control unit 14 controls the driving unit 11 to perform the palletizing/depalletizing operation, and also controls the height adjusting unit 12 . The control unit 14 recognizes an object to be performed on the basis of the image data provided from the photographing unit 13, and the driving unit 11 and the height adjusting unit so that the palletizing/depalletizing operation is performed on the object. (12) is controlled. This will be described in more detail later with reference to FIG. 4 .

The input unit 15 is configured to provide task-related data to the control unit 14 . The input unit 15 may be an interface configured to receive work-related request information by a worker and provide the information to the control unit 14 in addition to information on the object on which the work is performed.

The control device 1 having this structure can control the robot 2 in the working environment as shown in FIG. 2 .

2 is a diagram illustrating a working environment of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The robot 2 operates in a working environment as shown in FIG. 2 , and the control device 1 controls the robot 2 to perform palletizing/depalletizing operations.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the robot 2 is connected to the height adjustment unit 12 of the control device 1 and operates as shown in FIG. 2 . The height adjustment unit 12 is configured such that the adjustment member 121 formed on the other side moves up and down while one side is fixed to a plane (eg, a docking unit). The adjustment member 121 may be implemented to move up and down between the first height and the second height.

In a form in which one side of the robot 2 is fixed to the top surface of the adjusting member 121 that moves up and down of the height adjusting unit 12 , the robot 2 is connected to the height adjusting unit 12 . Accordingly, the overall height of the robot 2 may be controlled through the height adjusting unit 12 . Here, the overall height of the robot 2 represents the height of the robot 2 that is adjusted through the height adjusting unit 12 .

The robot 2 is configured in a multi-joint form. Accordingly, the robot 2 may include a plurality of hinges and a plurality of members rotatably/movably formed through the plurality of hinges, and may be a multi-joint robot arm capable of rotating/moving in X, Y, and Z space. The driving unit 11 drives the multi-joint robot 2 to rotate/move in X, Y, and Z space.

3 is an external side view showing an implementation example of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the robot 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a connection unit 21 connected to the height adjustment unit 12 of the control device 1 , and a first hinge 22 connected to the connection unit 21 . , a first member 23 connected to the first hinge 22, a second hinge 24 connected to the first member 23, a second member 25 connected to the second hinge 24, a second member ( a third hinge 26 connected to 25 , a third member 27 connected to the third hinge 26 , and a gripper 28 connected to the third member 27 .

The gripper 28 is an end effector using a mechanical finger driven by a mechanism for gripping an object. The gripper 28 may be formed to be suitable for gripping a work object, for example, a parcel with uneven expression, such as an atypical parcel. Since the structure of the gripper 28 may use a known technique, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

Here, the robot 2 is exemplified as a multi-joint robot arm including three hinges 21 , 24 , 26 and four members 21 , 23 , 25 , 27 , but the robot according to the present invention (2) is not limited to this structure.

On the other hand, the imaging unit 13 is mounted on the distal end of the robot (2). The photographing unit 13 may be a 3D camera. In order not to block the angle of view of the photographing unit 13 by the gripper 28 and prevent the gripper 28 from interfering in gripping the object, that is, the object, the photographing unit 13 is positioned at a predetermined position of the distal end of the robot 2 For example, it is mounted in a position corresponding to the robot wrist.

As the multi-joint robot 2 rotates/moves in the X, Y, and Z space by the driving unit 11, the height of the distal end of the robot 2 may vary. Accordingly, the height of the photographing unit 13 mounted on the distal end of the robot 2 may also be changed in conjunction with each other. As in the example of FIG. 3 , the driving unit for driving the multi-joint type robot composed of a plurality of hinges and members connected thereto may use a known technology, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the case of performing work using the robot 2 having such a structure, as in FIG. 2 , the objects 3 to be operated by the robot 2 are loaded on the pallet 4 and provided. The position of the pallet 4 is selected so that the objects 3 are in the workspace of the robot 2 connected to the height adjustment unit 12 of the control device 1 . In addition, the position of the pallet 4 must be within the aforementioned working space so that the robot 2 can grip the object 3 and put it on a specific position of the conveyor belt 5 .

In such a working environment, the depalletizing operation for the object 3 is a repetitive operation of finding the object 3 and holding it from the pallet 4 and lowering it onto the conveyor belt 5 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the height of the robot 2 is adjusted for this repetitive operation.

4 is a flowchart of a control method of a robot device for a depalletizing operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The depalletizing operation of the object using the robot 2 is performed as shown in FIG. 4 .

First, when the object to be processed by the robot 2 by the operator, for example, boxes is pre-registered, and the pallet 4 loaded with the object is supplied to the working environment (see FIG. 2 ), the operation is performed by the robot 2 is started (S100). Here, the pallet 4 on which the object is loaded is supplied to be positioned in the working space of the robot 2 .

In a state in which the robot 2 is in the initial posture, the control device 1 checks whether a grippable object exists through the photographing unit 13 . Here, the initial posture represents a posture capable of sensing an object on the pallet 4 located in the working space of the robot 2 in the working environment as shown in FIG. 2 , and in particular, the object loaded the highest on the pallet 4 . It shows a state in which the adjusting member 121 of the height adjusting unit 2 as well as the distal end of the robot 2 is positioned at the maximum height to handle the .

As the robot 2 is in the initial posture, the imaging unit 13 mounted at the distal end of the robot 2 , for example, at a position corresponding to the wrist of the robot 2 is located in the working space of the robot 2 . Take a picture of the pallet (4). The captured image data is provided to the control unit 14, and the control unit 14 checks whether an object exists in the palette 4 based on the image data (S110, S120). That is, it performs a search for an object to perform a task.

When it is confirmed that there is a grippable object on the pallet 4, the control device 1 drives the robot 2 to grip the object on the pallet 4, for example, by gripping one object on the conveyor A depalletizing operation to be put down on the belt 5 is performed (S130). When the depalletizing operation is performed on a set number of objects (for example, one), the control device 1 places the robot 2 back to the initial posture through the height adjustment unit 12 (S140) .

Whenever it is confirmed that there is a grippable object on the pallet 4, the above steps (S110 to S140) are performed.

As such, when the robot 2 processes the object loaded on the pallet 4 , the loaded height of the object is lowered, and the object is out of the range that can be photographed by the photographing unit 13 . In this case, it may be determined that the object does not exist on the pallet 4 . That is, finding an object may fail.

In the above step (S120), when it is determined that the object does not exist, the control device 1 adjusts the height of the robot 2 through the height adjusting unit 12 . Specifically, if it is possible to lower the height of the robot 2 from the current height, the control device 1 lowers the height of the robot 2 from the current height ( S150 , S160 ). For example, in a state in which the adjustment member 121 of the height adjustment unit 2 is positioned at the maximum height, it is lowered by one step (eg, the height of the box, that is, the height corresponding to one floor of the box). Accordingly, the height adjusting unit 12 is lowered by one step from the maximum height (first height), and the height of the robot 2 connected to the height adjusting unit 12 is also lowered. Accordingly, as the height of the distal end of the robot 2 is also lowered, an object may be positioned within a range capable of being photographed by the photographing unit 13 mounted on the distal end of the robot 2 .

In a state in which the height of the robot 2 is lowered from the current height to a predetermined height, the step 110 for finding the object is performed again, and when it is confirmed that the object exists and the object search is successful, the operation on the object is performed ( S120~S140).

On the other hand, if it is determined that it is not possible to lower the height of the robot 2 from the current height in a state where it is determined that the object does not exist in step S150, the control device 1 performs the operation of the robot 2 End and return the robot 2 to the initial posture (S170). Specifically, if it is impossible to lower the height of the robot 2 in a state where the search for an object has failed, the robot 2 is positioned at the minimum height and can no longer perform the operation and it is determined that there is no object on the pallet 4 . In this case, the operation of the robot is terminated, the robot is returned to the initial position, and the operator waits until the object (box) of the next pallet is prepared.

According to this embodiment, the depalletizing operation can be easily performed while adjusting the height of the robot 2, and in particular, the object is on the pallet because it is not possible to take a picture by the camera mounted on the robot 2 In spite of this, it is possible to prevent the case where the operation is not performed because it is determined that there is no object.

5 is a flowchart of a control method of a robot device for a depalletizing operation according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Here, while based on the embodiment described above, the height adjustment is performed separately. Specifically, the first height adjustment and the second height adjustment may be performed. The first height adjustment refers to adjusting the overall height of the robot 2 , and the second height adjustment refers to adjusting the height of the distal end of the robot 2 . Here, the overall height represents the height of the robot 2 that varies according to the vertical movement of the adjustment member 121 of the height adjustment unit 12, for example, the height of the robot 2 in the initial posture, for example, adjustment It represents the height of the robot 2 in a state where the member 121 is positioned at the highest height. The distal end of the robot 2 represents a portion including the gripper 28 and to which the photographing unit 13 is mounted. Accordingly, the first height adjustment may be made through the height adjustment of the height adjustment unit 12 , and the second height adjustment may be made through the driving of the robot 2 by the driving unit 11 .

The depalletizing operation of the object using the robot 2 is performed in the same manner as in the above embodiment. That is, as in the embodiment described above, the object to be processed by the robot 2 is supplied by the operator to start the operation by the robot 2, and whenever it is confirmed that there is a grippable object, a set number of objects , for example, a depalletizing operation of holding one object and placing it on the conveyor belt 5 is performed (S300 to S340).

Unlike the above embodiment, if it is determined that there is no grippable object, the control device 1 first determines whether lowering according to the first height adjustment is possible (S350), and if possible, according to the first height adjustment Performing the descent (S360) to perform the object search again to check whether the object exists. That is, by lowering the adjusting member 121 of the height adjusting unit 2 by one step in a state positioned at the maximum height, the height of the robot 2 is lowered and an object search is performed. The descending according to the first height adjustment and finding the object refer to the steps ( S150 and S160 ) of the above-described embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

On the other hand, in step S350, if it is not possible to descend according to the first height adjustment, it is determined whether descending according to the second height adjustment is possible (S370). If the presence of an object is not confirmed even when the height of the robot 2 is lowered to the minimum height according to the first height adjustment, the position of the distal end of the robot 2 equipped with the photographing unit 13 is individually lowered. . If lowering is possible according to the second height adjustment for adjusting the position of the distal end, the distal end of the robot 2, for example, the position of the gripper 28 is lowered through the driving unit 11 (S380). After performing the descent according to the second height adjustment, an object search for checking whether an object exists is performed again (S310). In this way, when it is confirmed that the object exists according to the first height lowering adjustment and the second height lowering adjustment and finding the object succeeds, the work on the object is performed (S320 to S340).

However, if it is determined that the lowering according to the first height adjustment and the second height adjustment of the robot 2 is not possible in a state where it is determined that the object does not exist, the control device 1 controls the robot 2 . End the operation and return the robot 2 to the initial posture (S300). Specifically, if it is impossible to lower the height of the robot 2 in a state where finding the object fails, the robot 2 is adjusted to the minimum height by the height of the distal end of the robot 2 in a state where the robot 2 is positioned at the minimum height to perform further operations. It cannot be done and it is determined that there is no object on the pallet 4 . In this case, the work of the robot is terminated, the robot is returned to the initial position, and the operator waits until the next pallet box is prepared.

According to this embodiment, the depalletizing operation can be easily performed while the height of the robot 2 is adjusted according to the first height adjustment and the second height adjustment, and in addition to the height of the robot 2, the robot 2 By individually adjusting the height of the camera mounted on the distal end of .

6 is a structural diagram illustrating a computing device for controlling a robot for a depalletizing operation of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6 , a control method for a depalletizing operation of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented using the computing device 100 .

The computing device 100 may include at least one of a processor 110 , a memory 120 , an input interface device 130 , an output interface device 140 , and a storage device 1500 . Each of the components may be connected by a bus 1600 to communicate with each other. In addition, each of the components may be connected through an individual interface or a separate bus centering on the processor 110 instead of the common bus 1600 .

The processor 110 may be implemented in various types such as an application processor (AP), a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processing unit (GPU), and the like, and executes a command stored in the memory 120 or the storage device 150 . It may be any semiconductor device that The processor 110 may execute a program command stored in at least one of the memory 120 and the storage device 150 . The processor 110 may be configured to implement the functions and methods described based on FIGS. 1 to 5 above. For example, the processor 110 may be configured to perform a function of a control unit.

The memory 120 and the storage device 150 may include various types of volatile or non-volatile storage media. For example, the memory may include a read-only memory (ROM) 121 and a random access memory (RAM) 122 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the memory 120 may be located inside or outside the processor 110 , and the memory 120 may be connected to the processor 110 through various known means.

The input interface device 130 is configured to provide data to the processor 110 , and the output interface device 140 is configured to output data including a control signal from the processor 110 . For example, the input interface device 130 may be configured to provide image data captured by the photographing unit, input data by the input unit, and the like to the processor 110 . The output interface device 140 may be configured to provide a control signal for controlling the robot from the processor 110 to the height adjusting unit or the driving unit.

Computing device 100 may also include a network interface device (not shown) electrically connected to a network, such as a wireless network. A network interface device may transmit or receive signals with other entities over a network.

The computing device 100 having such a structure is called a control device, and may implement a control method for a depalping operation of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In addition, at least a part of the control method for the depalletizing operation of the robot according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented as a program or software executed in the computing device 100, and the program or software is read by a computer. It may be stored on any available medium.

In addition, at least a part of the control method for the depalletizing operation of the robot according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented as hardware that can be electrically connected to the computing device 100 .

The embodiment of the present invention is not implemented only through the apparatus and/or method described above, but a program for realizing a function corresponding to the configuration of the embodiment of the present invention, a recording medium in which the program is recorded, etc. Also, such an implementation can be easily implemented by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from the description of the above-described embodiments.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improved forms of the present invention are also provided by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention as defined in the following claims. is within the scope of the right.

Claims (18)

A method of controlling a depalletizing operation of a robot, comprising:
determining, by a control device, whether an object for the depalletizing operation exists based on a signal provided from a camera mounted on the robot;
performing, by the control device, a depalletizing operation on the object by controlling the robot when it is determined that the object exists; and
When the control device determines that the object does not exist, lowering the height of the robot
includes,
After the step of lowering, the step of determining is repeatedly performed. According to claim 1,
The lowering step is
The control device controls the height adjustment unit connected to the robot, and the robot lowers the height of the robot by a set height from the highest possible height to the minimum height direction by the height adjustment unit. 3. The method of claim 2,
The set height corresponds to the height of the object, the control method. 3. The method of claim 2,
and the value of the set height varies depending on the object. According to claim 1,
To lower the height of the robot,
A control method comprising: a first height adjustment for lowering the overall height of the robot; and a second height adjustment for lowering the height of the distal end of the robot. 6. The method of claim 5,
The lowering step is
if it is determined that the object does not exist, determining whether the first height adjustment for the robot is possible;
If the first height adjustment of the robot is possible, performing a first height adjustment of lowering the overall height of the robot;
if the first height adjustment for the robot is not possible, determining whether the second height adjustment for the robot is possible; and
If the second height adjustment is possible with respect to the robot, performing a second height adjustment of lowering the height of the distal end of the robot
Including, a control method. 6. The method of claim 5,
After performing the first height adjustment or performing the second height adjustment, the determining step is repeatedly performed, the control method. 6. The method of claim 5,
In the first height adjustment, the control device controls the height adjustment unit connected to the robot, so that the robot moves from the maximum height positionable by the height adjustment unit to the minimum height direction or from the minimum height to the maximum height direction. to indicate that the overall height of the robot is adjusted,
The second height adjustment indicates that the height of the distal end of the robot is adjusted by the driving unit when the control device enables rotation/movement of the robot using a driving unit. 9. The method of claim 8,
The robot is an articulated robot, the distal end of the robot represents a portion where the means for gripping the object is located, and the camera is mounted at a robot wrist position corresponding to the distal end of the robot. According to claim 1,
The step of determining whether the object exists is performed in a state where the robot is positioned in an initial posture in a work space to perform a task,
After performing the depalletizing operation, the control method is
returning the robot to the initial position
further comprising,
After the step of returning to the initial posture, the determining step is repeatedly performed. A device for controlling a robot's depalletizing operation, comprising:
an input unit configured to acquire image data provided from a camera mounted on the robot;
Memory; and
a processor configured to control the robot when the instructions stored in the memory are executed
includes,
the processor
determining whether an object for the depalletizing operation exists based on the image data provided from the input unit;
when it is determined that the object exists, controlling the robot to perform a depalletizing operation on the object; and
When it is determined that the object does not exist, the operation of lowering the height of the robot
is configured to perform, and the determining operation is repeatedly performed after the lowering operation. 12. The method of claim 11,
The processor is configured to control the height adjustment unit connected to the robot to lower the height of the robot by a set height in the direction of the minimum height from the highest position where the robot can be positioned by the height adjustment unit. 13. The method of claim 12,
and the set height corresponds to the height of the object. 13. The method of claim 12,
and the value of the set height varies depending on the object. 12. The method of claim 11,
To lower the height of the robot,
A control device comprising a first height adjustment for lowering the overall height of the robot and a second height adjustment for lowering the height of the distal end of the robot. 16. The method of claim 15,
When the processor performs the lowering operation,
if it is determined that the object does not exist, determining whether the first height adjustment of the robot is possible;
If the first height adjustment of the robot is possible, the operation of performing a first height adjustment of lowering the overall height of the robot;
if the first height adjustment for the robot is not possible, determining whether the second height adjustment for the robot is possible; and
When the second height adjustment of the robot is possible, the operation of performing a second height adjustment of lowering the height of the distal end of the robot
is configured to perform
After the operation of performing the first height adjustment or the operation of performing the second height adjustment, the determining operation is repeatedly performed. 16. The method of claim 15,
In the first height adjustment, the control device controls the height adjustment unit connected to the robot, so that the robot moves from the maximum height positionable by the height adjustment unit to the minimum height direction or from the minimum height to the maximum height direction. to indicate that the overall height of the robot is adjusted,
The second height adjustment indicates that the height of the distal end of the robot is adjusted by the driving unit when the control device enables rotation/movement of the robot using the driving unit. 12. The method of claim 11,
The processor is configured to perform an operation of determining whether the object exists in a state where the robot is positioned in an initial posture in a work space to perform a task,
The processor is further configured to perform an operation of returning the robot to the initial posture after performing the depalletizing operation,
After the operation of returning to the initial posture, the determining operation is repeatedly performed.

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