Apparatus and method for holding objects

• US 10,192,315 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2017
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Eto, Haruna, Sonoura, Takafumi, Nakamoto, Hideichi, Ogawa, Akihito, Sugahara, Atsushi, Tanaka, Junya
• Primary Examiner(s): Logan, Kyle O
• Application Number:
  US15/439,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20180040132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 700213
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/91 incorporating pneumatic, e.g. suction, grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 59/04 by suction or magnetic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 61/00 Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4189 characterised by the transport system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31274 Convey products, move equipment according to production plan in memory
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/4706 Edge detector is incorparated into machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/44 Local feature extraction by analysis of parts of the pattern, e.g. by detecting edges, contours, loops, corners, strokes or intersections; Connectivity analysis, e.g. of connected components
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/06 Recognition of objects for industrial automation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an object holding apparatus includes a holding part, a recognition device, and a controller. The holding part is able to hold at least one object. The recognition device recognizes a plurality of objects to generate a recognition result. The controller selects a first object from the objects, based on the recognition result. The controller sets a first direction to one side of the first object along which the number of objects aligned with the first object is smaller than the number of objects aligned with the first object along the other side of the first object. The controller selects a second object aligned with the first object along the first direction. The controller controls a driving of the holding part, based on a selection result of the first object and the second object.

Claims

1. An object holding apparatus comprising:

a holding part that is able to hold at least one object;

a recognition device that recognizes a plurality of objects to generate a recognition result; and

a controller that

selects a first object from the objects, based on the recognition result,

sets a first direction to one side of the first object along which the number of objects aligned with the first object is smaller than the number of objects aligned with the first object along the other side of the first object,

selects a second object aligned with the first object along the first direction, and

controls a driving of the holding part, based on a selection result of the first object and the second object.

2. The object holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller sets an object located at the highest position among the plurality of objects based on the recognition result, to the first object.

3. The object holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

if the first object is located at an end of the plurality of objects,

the controller sets an object adjacent to the first object among the plurality of objects, to the second object.

4. The object holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the recognition device generates the recognition result as objects holdable by the holding part simultaneously.

5. The object holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the recognition device generates the recognition result as an image representing locations of the plurality of objects.

6. The object holding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the controller

detects a first edge formed by a front face and a top face of the first object, and a second edge formed by a front face and a top face of a second object located at a lower position than the first object among the plurality of objects, and

calculates a difference in height between the first edge and the second edge.

7. The object holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the holding part equips a suction pad to suck the at least one object.

8. The object holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller

sets a second direction intersecting with the first direction, based on the first object,

selects a third object located along the second direction from the plurality of objects, and

controls the driving of the holding part, based on a selection result of the third object.

9. The object holding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller

assigns a number to respective objects located along the first direction in order to nearer to the first object, and

determines objects accommodatable into a transportation region among the respective objects in order of smaller number, as holding targets by the holding part.

10. An object holding apparatus comprising:

a holding part that is able to hold at least one object;

a recognition device that recognizes a plurality of objects to generate a recognition result; and

a controller that

selects a first object from the objects, based on the recognition result,

sets a first direction to one side of the first object along which a distance from the first object to an end of objects aligned with the first object is smaller than a distance from the first object to an end of objects aligned with the first object along the other side of the first object,

selects a second object aligned with the first object along the first direction, and

controls a driving of the holding part, based on a selection result of the first object and the second object.

11. The object holding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the controller sets an object located at the highest position among the plurality of objects based on the recognition result, to the first object.

12. The object holding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein,

if the first object is located at an end of the plurality of objects,

the controller sets an object adjacent to the first object among the plurality of objects, to the second object.

13. The object holding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the recognition device generates the recognition result representing objects holdable by the holding part simultaneously.

14. The object holding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the recognition device generates the recognition result as an image representing locations of the plurality of objects.

15. The object holding apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the controller

detects a first edge formed by a front face and a top face of the first object, and a second edge formed by a front face and a top face of a second object located at a lower position than the first object among the plurality of objects, and

calculates a difference in height between the first edge and the second edge.

16. The object holding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the holding part equips a suction pad to suck the at least one object.

17. The object holding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the controller

sets a second direction intersecting with the first direction, based on the first object,

selects a third object located along the second direction from the plurality of objects, and

controls the driving of the holding part, based on a selection result of the third object.

18. The object holding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the controller

assigns a number to respective objects located along the first direction in order to nearer to the first object, and

determines objects accommodatable into a transportation region among the respective objects in order of smaller number, as holding targets by the holding part.

19. An object holding method in an apparatus including a holding part that is able to hold at least one object, a recognition device that recognizes a plurality of objects, and a controller that controls a driving of the holding part,

the method comprising:

generating by the recognition device, a recognition result of the plurality of objects;

selecting by the controller, a first object from the objects, based on the recognition result;

setting by the controller, a first direction to one side of the first object along which the number of objects aligned with the first object is smaller than the number of objects aligned with the first object along the other side of the first object;

selecting by the controller, a second object aligned with the first object along the first direction; and

controlling by the controller, a driving of the holding part, based on a selection result of the first object and the second object.

20. An object holding method in an apparatus including a holding part that is able to hold at least one object, a recognition device that recognizes a plurality of objects, and a controller that controls a driving of the holding part,

the method comprising:

generating by the recognition device, a recognition result of the plurality of objects;

selecting by the controller, a first object from the objects, based on the recognition result;

setting by the controller, a first direction to one side of the first object along which a distance from the first object to an end of objects aligned with the first object is smaller than a distance from the first object to an end of objects aligned with the first object along the other side of the first object;

selecting by the controller, a second object aligned with the first object along the first direction; and

controlling by the controller, a driving of the holding part, based on a selection result of the first object and the second object.