Workpiece unloading apparatus
AssigneeFanuc Corporation
InventorsAtsushi Watanabe, Katsutoshi Takizawa, Kazunori Ban, Ichiro Kanno
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Abstract
A workpiece is gripped and unloaded by moving workpiece unloading means based on the results of measuring the workpiece position and orientation with a visual sensor. When a plurality of loaded workpieces are unloaded in a regular order one by one, or in groups, the position and orientation of the workpiece which is to be unloaded next change for each unloading. However, since a visual sensor is moved when necessary to the position appropriate for measuring the workpiece position and orientation, measurements of the workpieces with the visual sensor are conducted accurately. Therefore, the workpiece unloading is conducted reliably.
Claims20
A workpiece unloading apparatus for unloading, at least one by one, a plurality of workpieces which are stacked vertically or horizontally, in a regular order starting from the topmost or frontmost workpiece, comprising:
- a visual sensor for measuring the position and/or orientation of the topmost or frontmost workpiece;
- sensor measurement position determination means for determining the position for workpiece measurement with said visual sensor;
- sensor movement means for moving said visual sensor to the position determined by said sensor measurement position determination means;
- and
- workpiece unloading means for unloading the topmost or frontmost workpiece,
- wherein after said visual sensor has been moved by said sensor movement means to the position determined by said sensor measurement position determination means, information relating to the position and/or orientation of said workpieces is obtained by said visual sensor and said workpiece unloading means is caused to unload said workpiece based on this information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.