End effector

An end effector that is movable by a work machine for grabbing a target object, the end effector comprising:

• a body member configured to be supported by the work machine;
• a target-object-positioning mechanism coupled to the body member;
• an imaging device provided at the body member, the imaging device being configured to capture an image including the target object at an imaging position;
• and
• a control device configured to control
• the target-object-positioning mechanism based on the image captured by the imaging device, wherein
• the target-object-positioning mechanism includes:
• a contact-move member configured to make contact with at least a part of the target object, to thereby grab the target object at a grabbing position, the contact-move member including
• a first contact-move member configured to move in a first direction with respect to the body member, the first direction being orthogonal to a front-rear direction which is a direction from the body member to the grabbing position or from the grabbing position to the body member,
• a second contact-move member configured to move in a second direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction, and
• an actuator configured to move the first contact-move member in the first direction and to move the second contact-move member in the second direction;
• the control device is configured to obtain in the captured image, by processing the image,
• a passage area through which the first contact-move member and the second contact-move member are predicted to pass when the end effector is moved from the imaging position to the grabbing position and when the first contact-move member and the second contact-move member are moved with the end effector located at the grabbing position, the passage area including an obstacle exclusion area that has a predetermined shape, and that includes the target object but is free of any obstacle that obstructs movement of the first contact-move member and the second contact-move member, wherein the obstacle exclusion area includes
• a first-contact-move-member-passage area that is free of the target object and through which a distal end portion of the first contact-move member is predicted to pass,
• a second-contact-move-member-passage area that is free of the target object and through which a distal end portion of the second contact-move member is predicted to pass, and
• a target-object-grabbing area located between the first-contact-move-member-passage area and the second-contact-move-member-passage area, the target object being in the target-object-grabbing area;
• the control device is further configured to cause at least one of the first contact-move member or the second contact-move member to move with respect to the body member by the actuator, such that
• the first contact-move member passes through a first space that is defined by extending the first-contact-move-member-passage area in a moving direction of the end effector, and
• the second contact-move member passes through a second space that is defined by extending the second-contact-move-member-passage area in the moving direction of the end effector,
• when the end effector is moved from the imaging position to the grabbing position.