WO2024247250A1 - Robot system and robot teaching method - Google Patents

Abstract

A laser pointer 42 (light irradiation part) irradiates a workpiece 9 with pointer light Lp (teaching point instruction light) indicating a teaching point Pt to a robot 2, and a recognition camera 3 and a recognition image processing part 54 (teaching point recognition part) recognize the position of the pointer light Lp with which the workpiece 9 is irradiated as the teaching point Pt. An adjustment camera 44 (light detection part) for detecting reflection light Lr reflected by the workpiece 9 is provided, and at least one of the laser pointer 42 and the recognition image processing part 54 is controlled (parameter optimization), on the basis of a detection result of the adjustment camera 44. As a result, when the teaching point Pt is shown on the workpiece 9 by irradiating the workpiece 9 with light, it is possible to appropriately cope with a difference in the configuration of the workpiece 9.

Description

ROBOT SYSTEM AND ROBOT TEACHING METHOD

This invention relates to a technology that teaches a robot where to work based on teaching points shown on a workpiece by shining light onto the workpiece.

Patent Document 1 describes a technology that captures an image of a position indicated by a worker's fingertip or the like, acquires the image, and instructs a robot based on this image. Patent Document 2 describes a technology that identifies the position of an object to be operated in an image including the object to be operated captured by a two-dimensional image sensor, and instructs a robot based on the identified position. Patent Document 3 describes a technology that uses a laser sensor to detect the working position on the work line of a workpiece, and generates teaching points for a robot.

JP 2022-030207 A JP 2001-347478 A WO2022/186054 publication

By the way, by shining light on the workpiece with a laser pointer or the like, a teaching point can be indicated on the workpiece, and based on the results of recognizing this teaching point with a camera or the like, the teaching point can be taught to a robot. Also, a worker can confirm the teaching point by visually checking the light shining on the workpiece. However, depending on the composition of the workpiece (e.g., color or material), it may be difficult for the camera to recognize the light shining on the workpiece, or for the worker to visually check it.

This invention was developed in consideration of the above problems, and aims to enable appropriate responses to differences in the configuration of a workpiece when indicating teaching points on the workpiece by shining light onto the workpiece.

The robot system according to the present invention includes a robot, a light irradiation unit that irradiates a workpiece with teaching point indicating light that indicates a teaching point for the robot, a teaching point recognition unit that recognizes the position of the teaching point indicating light irradiated on the workpiece as a teaching point, a light detection unit that detects light reflected by the workpiece, and a control unit that controls at least one of the light irradiation unit and the teaching point recognition unit based on the detection result of the light detection unit.

The robot teaching method of the present invention includes the steps of irradiating a workpiece with teaching point indicating light, which is light that indicates a teaching point for the robot, from a light irradiating unit, detecting the light reflected by the workpiece with a light detecting unit, controlling at least one of the light irradiating unit and the teaching point recognizing unit based on the detection result of the light detecting unit, and recognizing the position of the teaching point indicating light irradiated onto the workpiece as a teaching point by the teaching point recognizing unit.

In the present invention (robot system and robot teaching method) configured in this manner, the light irradiation unit irradiates the workpiece with teaching point indication light that indicates a teaching point for the robot, and the teaching point recognition unit recognizes the position of the teaching point indication light irradiated on the workpiece as the teaching point. In addition, a light detection unit is provided that detects light reflected by the workpiece, and at least one of the light irradiation unit and the teaching point recognition unit is controlled based on the detection result of the light detection unit. As a result, when irradiating the workpiece with light to indicate a teaching point on the workpiece, appropriate responses can be made according to differences in the configuration of the workpiece.

The control unit may also configure the robot system so that the conditions for irradiating the light irradiation unit with teaching point indicating light and causing the teaching point recognition unit to recognize the teaching point are adjusted based on the light detected by the light detection unit. In such a configuration, it becomes possible to perform an operation such as irradiating a workpiece with light indicating a teaching point and recognizing the teaching point under appropriate conditions according to the configuration of the workpiece. As a result, the teaching point irradiated onto the workpiece can be reliably recognized regardless of the configuration of the workpiece.

The robot system may be configured such that the light detection unit detects the first light reflected from a position on the workpiece where the teaching point indication light is irradiated and the second light reflected from a position on the workpiece where the teaching point indication light is not irradiated, and the control unit adjusts the conditions for irradiating the light irradiating unit with the teaching point indication light to cause the teaching point recognition unit to recognize the teaching point based on the first light and the second light detected by the light detection unit. In such a configuration, the first light reflected from a position on the workpiece where the light indicating the teaching point is irradiated and the second light reflected from a position on the workpiece where the light indicating the teaching point is not irradiated are detected. Then, the conditions for irradiating the light irradiating unit with the light indicating the teaching point to cause the teaching point recognition unit to recognize the teaching point are adjusted based on the first light and the second light. Therefore, an operation of irradiating the workpiece with the light indicating the teaching point and recognizing the teaching point can be performed under appropriate conditions according to the configuration of the workpiece. As a result, it becomes possible to reliably recognize the teaching point irradiated on the workpiece regardless of the configuration of the workpiece.

Various specific configurations for detecting the first light and the second light are envisioned. For example, the robot system may be configured so that when the light irradiation unit is irradiating the workpiece with teaching point indication light, the light detection unit detects light reflected from the teaching point as the first light, and detects light reflected from a position different from the teaching point as the second light. Alternatively, the robot system may be configured so that when the light irradiation unit is irradiating the workpiece with teaching point indication light, the light detection unit detects light reflected from the teaching point as the first light, and when the light irradiation unit is not irradiating the workpiece with teaching point indication light, the light detection unit detects light reflected from the workpiece as the second light.

The robot system may also be configured so that the teaching point recognition unit captures an image of the workpiece and recognizes the teaching points shown in the image, and the control unit adjusts the conditions for the teaching point recognition unit to recognize the teaching points. In such a configuration, the teaching point recognition unit can recognize the teaching points under appropriate conditions according to the configuration of the workpiece.

The robot system may also be configured so that the teaching point recognition unit recognizes teaching points shown in the image by binarizing the image with a predetermined threshold value, and the control unit adjusts the threshold value. In such a configuration, the teaching point recognition unit can perform binarization of the image to recognize the teaching points with an appropriate threshold value according to the configuration of the workpiece.

The control unit may also configure the robot system so that it adjusts the conditions under which the light irradiation unit irradiates the workpiece with light. In this configuration, the light irradiation unit can irradiate the workpiece with light under appropriate conditions according to the configuration of the workpiece.

The control unit may also configure the robot system so that it adjusts the wavelength of the light that the light irradiation unit irradiates onto the workpiece. In this configuration, the light irradiation unit can irradiate the workpiece with light at an appropriate wavelength according to the configuration of the workpiece.

The robot system may also be configured so that the control unit adjusts the wavelength of the light that the light irradiation unit irradiates onto the workpiece based on the RGB values indicated by the results of light detection by the light detection unit. In such a configuration, the light irradiation unit can irradiate the workpiece with light at an appropriate wavelength according to the configuration of the workpiece.

The control unit may also configure the robot system so that the wavelength of the light irradiated by the light irradiating unit onto the workpiece is adjusted based on the hue, brightness, or saturation of the light detected by the light detection unit. In this configuration, the light irradiating unit can irradiate the workpiece with light at an appropriate wavelength according to the configuration of the workpiece.

The robot system may also be configured so that the light irradiation unit irradiates the workpiece with recognition light, which is light for the teaching point recognition unit to recognize the teaching point, and visibility light, which is light for the worker to visually recognize the teaching point, and the recognition light and visibility light have different wavelengths. In other words, there are cases where the light that is easy for the teaching point recognition unit, which is a machine, to recognize is different from the light that is easy for the worker to visually recognize. In contrast, by configuring as described above, the teaching point recognition unit can reliably recognize the teaching point indicated by the recognition light, and the worker can reliably visually recognize the teaching point indicated by the visibility light.

The control unit may also configure the robot system so that the conditions under which the light irradiation unit irradiates the workpiece with visible light are adjusted based on the detection results of the light detection unit. In this configuration, light that is easily recognizable by the worker can be irradiated as visible light onto the workpiece, depending on the configuration of the workpiece.

The robot system may also be configured so that the light detection unit detects light reflected from a position on the workpiece adjacent to the teaching point as the second light. In such a configuration, an operation such as irradiating the workpiece with light indicating the teaching point and recognizing the teaching point can be performed under appropriate conditions according to the configuration of the workpiece at the position adjacent to the teaching point. As a result, it becomes possible to reliably recognize the teaching point irradiated on the workpiece regardless of the configuration of the workpiece.

The robot system may also be configured to further include a housing that positions the light irradiation unit and the light detection unit relative to each other and holds them together. In this configuration, the light reflected from the workpiece can be reliably detected by the light detection unit.

The robot system may also be configured to further include a communication unit held in the housing that transmits the results of the light detection by the light detection unit to the control unit. In such a configuration, the worker can carry around the housing that holds the light irradiation unit and the light detection unit separately from the control unit to perform the work.

The robot system may also be configured to further include an optical element that is held in the housing so as to be positioned between the workpiece and the light irradiation unit and controls the passage of light, the light irradiated from the light irradiation unit passes through the optical element and is irradiated onto a teaching point on the workpiece, the light reflected by the workpiece is reflected by the optical element toward the light detection unit, and the light detection unit detects the light reflected by the optical element. In such a configuration, the light reflected from the workpiece can be reliably detected by the light detection unit.

The control unit may also configure the robot system so that the light irradiation unit irradiates light having a pattern that corresponds to the work location where the robot is to work. In this configuration, light having an appropriate pattern can be irradiated onto the teaching point to accurately teach the workpiece the operation to be performed.

The robot system may also be configured to further include an angle detector that detects the angle at which the light irradiation unit irradiates light, and the teaching point recognition unit captures an image including the position of the teaching point estimated based on the angle detected by the angle detector, and recognizes the teaching point based on the image. In this configuration, an image of the teaching point can be reliably captured and the teaching point can be recognized.

According to the present invention, when indicating teaching points on a workpiece by shining light onto the workpiece, it is possible to respond appropriately to differences in the configuration of the workpiece.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a first example of a robot system according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating a field of view of an adjustment camera. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of robot control executed by an information processing device. 4 is a flowchart showing a first example of parameter optimization executed in the robot control of FIG. 3 . FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a calculation executed according to the flowchart of FIG. 4 . 4 is a flowchart showing a second example of parameter optimization executed in the robot control of FIG. 3 . 13 is a flowchart showing a modified example of teaching point recognition. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a second example of a robot system according to the present invention. 10 is a flowchart showing a third example of parameter optimization executed in the robot control of FIG. 3 . 11 is a diagram showing an example of teaching point indication control using a pointer light for recognition and a pointer light for visibility. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the configuration of a working area of a robot and the relationship between the pointer light. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a method for recognizing teaching points in three dimensions.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a first example of a robot system according to the present invention. The robot system 1 includes a robot 2 that performs work on a workpiece 9, a recognition camera 3 that is used to recognize the workpiece 9, a teaching point designation terminal 4 that indicates a teaching point Pt to the robot 2, and an information processing device 5 that controls the robot 2, the recognition camera 3, and the teaching point designation terminal 4.

The robot 2 comprises a robot arm 21 and an end effector 23 attached to the tip 211 of the robot arm 21. The robot arm 21 has a number of rotatable joints 212, and the tip 211 of the robot arm 21 moves in response to the rotation of the joints 212, thereby moving the end effector 23. Various specific configurations of the end effector 23 are assumed depending on the work to be performed by the robot 2. For example, work performed by the end effector 23 may include gripping, suction, welding, screwing, or polishing an object.

The recognition camera 3 is attached to the robot arm 21 of the robot 2, and moves along with the robot arm 21, which is displaced in response to the rotation of the joint 212. The recognition camera 3 captures an image of the workpiece 9 using a solid-state image sensor, thereby acquiring recognition image data D3 indicative of the workpiece 9.

The teaching point indication terminal 4 includes a housing 41, a laser pointer 42, a half mirror 43, an adjustment camera 44, an operation button 45, a communication unit 46, and a control unit 47. The laser pointer 42, the half mirror 43, the adjustment camera 44, the communication unit 46, and the control unit 47 are housed in the housing 41. The housing 41 holds the laser pointer 42, the half mirror 43, the adjustment camera 44, the communication unit 46, and the control unit 47 while positioning them relative to one another. Note that in FIG. 1, the inside of the housing 41 is shown in order to show these. The operator can carry the teaching point indication terminal 4 by grasping the housing 41. In other words, the teaching point indication terminal 4 is a portable terminal. The operation button 45 is attached to the outside of the housing 41, and the operator can operate the operation button 45. Note that the operation button 45 includes a light button for turning on the laser pointer 42 and a start button for instructing the start of robot control, which will be described later.

The laser pointer 42 emits pointer light Lp, which is laser light having a predetermined cross-sectional shape (e.g., a circle). The pointer light Lp emitted from the laser pointer 42 is irradiated onto the workpiece 9 from the front end 411 of the housing 41. Here, the point on the workpiece 9 facing the laser pointer 42 becomes the teaching point Pt. Therefore, the pointer light Lp emitted from the laser pointer 42 is irradiated onto the teaching point Pt on the workpiece 9.

The half mirror 43 is disposed between the laser pointer 42 and the front end 411 of the housing 41, and the pointer light Lp emitted from the laser pointer 42 passes through the half mirror 43 before being irradiated onto the workpiece 9. In other words, the half mirror 43 allows the passage of the pointer light Lp from the laser pointer 42 toward the front end 411 of the housing 41. On the other hand, the half mirror 43 reflects the reflected light Lr that is reflected by the workpiece 9 and enters from the front end 411 toward the adjustment camera 44.

The adjustment camera 44 obtains adjustment image data D44 showing the workpiece 9 by capturing reflected light Lr from the workpiece 9 with a solid-state image sensor. The adjustment camera 44 has a field of view as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the field of view of the adjustment camera. That is, the teaching point designation terminal 4 is held in the housing 41 in a state positioned relative to the laser pointer 42 so as to capture an image of the teaching point Pt and the vicinity of the teaching point Pt (the teaching point vicinity Pn) (FIG. 4). In this example, the teaching point vicinity Pn is a range that surrounds and is adjacent to the teaching point Pt. Therefore, the adjustment camera 44 captures the reflected light Lrt from the teaching point Pt and the reflected light Lrn from the teaching point vicinity Pn to obtain the adjustment image data D44, and this adjustment image data D44 includes images of the teaching point Pt and the teaching point vicinity Pn on the workpiece 9.

The communication unit 46 wirelessly communicates with the information processing device 5. This communication unit 46 transmits the adjustment image data D44 acquired by the adjustment camera 44 to the information processing device 5, and receives commands from the information processing device 5.

The control unit 47 is, for example, a processor. The laser pointer 42 irradiates the workpiece 9 with pointer light Lp under the control of the control unit 47. The adjustment camera 44 acquires adjustment image data D44 under the control of the control unit 47. The communication unit 46 communicates with the information processing device 5 under the control of the control unit 47. The control unit 47 controls the irradiation of the pointer light Lp from the laser pointer 42 and the acquisition of adjustment image data D44 by the adjustment camera 44 according to the result of confirming the operation of the operation button 45 by the worker. The control unit 47 transmits the pressing of the operation button 45 by the worker to the information processing device 5 via the communication unit 46.

The information processing device 5 is a computer and includes a robot control unit 51, a camera communication unit 52, a portable terminal communication unit 53, a recognition image processing unit 54, a recognition parameter adjustment unit 55, an adjustment image processing unit 56, and a pointer parameter adjustment unit 57. These functional units 51 to 57 can be constructed in a processor, for example, by the processor executing specified software.

The robot control unit 51 controls the robot 2 to cause the robot 2 to perform a predetermined task. The camera communication unit 52 communicates with the recognition camera 3 via a wired connection and receives recognition image data D3 acquired by the recognition camera 3. The portable terminal communication unit 53 communicates wirelessly with the communication unit 46 of the teaching point indication terminal 4 to send requests to the teaching point indication terminal 4 to the communication unit 46 and receive responses from the teaching point indication terminal 4 from the communication unit 46. The portable terminal communication unit 53 also receives adjustment image data D44 acquired by the adjustment camera 44 from the communication unit 46.

The recognition image processing unit 54 performs image processing on the recognition image data D3 received by the camera communication unit 52, and recognizes the teaching point Pt based on the recognition image data D3. The recognition parameter adjustment unit 55 adjusts the recognition parameters used by the recognition image processing unit 54 to recognize the teaching point Pt.

The adjustment image processing unit 56 performs image processing on the adjustment image data D44 received by the portable terminal communication unit 53. The pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 adjusts the pointer parameters that control the pointer light Lp that the teaching point indication terminal 4 irradiates onto the workpiece 9, based on the results of the image processing by the adjustment image processing unit 56. The operations of the adjustment image processing unit 56 and the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 will be described in detail later.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of robot control executed by the information processing device, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a first example of parameter optimization executed in the robot control of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an example of calculation executed according to the flowchart of FIG. 4. The flowcharts of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are executed based on the control of the information processing device 5.

When the portable terminal communication unit 53 confirms that the start button (operation button 45) of the teaching point indication terminal 4 has been pressed continuously for a predetermined time by the operator ("YES" in steps S101 and S102), it executes parameter optimization in step S103. This parameter optimization is a process for optimizing the recognition parameters (binarization threshold) and pointer parameters (color of the pointer light Lp).

In step S201 of parameter optimization (FIG. 4), the portable terminal communication unit 53 acquires adjustment image data D44 (RGB values) acquired by the adjustment camera 44 capturing an image of reflected light Lr from the workpiece 9 from the teaching point indication terminal 4 (step S201). This adjustment image data D44 includes images of the teaching point Pt and the teaching point vicinity Pn of the teaching point Pt (FIG. 5). Note that in step S201, the laser pointer 42 is not lit, and the pointer light Lp is not irradiated onto the teaching point Pt. Furthermore, in step S201, the adjustment image processing unit 56 acquires the RGB values in the teaching point vicinity Pn indicated by the adjustment image data D44.

In step S202, the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 calculates the average values of the RGB values. Specifically, the average value of the R (red) gradation value indicated by each pixel included in the teaching point neighborhood Pn in the adjustment image data D44 is calculated. A similar calculation is performed for G (green) and B (blue) to obtain the average value Ar of R, the average value Ag of G, and the average value Ab of B in the teaching point neighborhood Pn. In step S203, the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 sets these average values Ar, Ag, and Ab as parameter A of the RGB adjustment function described later.

In step S204, the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 transmits a command to turn on the laser pointer 42 to the teaching point designating terminal 4 via the portable terminal communication unit 53. The control unit 47 of the teaching point designating terminal 4 turns on the laser pointer 42 in response to the turn-on command. This causes the pointer light Lp to be irradiated onto the teaching point Pt on the workpiece 9.

The lighting command also includes a command to change the color of the pointer light Lp between R, G, and B. In response to this, the control unit 47 of the teaching point designating terminal 4 starts changing the color of the pointer light Lp. As a result, the color of the pointer light Lp irradiated to the teaching point Pt changes, for example, in the order of R, G, and B (step S205).

In step S206, the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 acquires the adjustment image data D44 (RGB values) output by the adjustment camera 44 from the teaching point indication terminal 4 via the portable terminal communication unit 53. Specifically, the adjustment image data D44 (R) acquired by the adjustment camera 44 during the period when the red (R) pointer light Lp (R) is irradiated, the adjustment image data D44 (G) acquired by the adjustment camera 44 during the period when the green (G) pointer light Lp (G) is irradiated, and the adjustment image data D44 (B) acquired by the adjustment camera 44 during the period when the blue (B) pointer light Lp (B) is irradiated are acquired.

In step S207, the adjustment image processing unit 56 calculates the output value Vo of the RGB adjustment function as follows. According to this RGB adjustment function, when the input value Vi is equal to or greater than the central value (=128) of the 256 gradations,
Output value Vo=((Vi-A)/(255-A))×128+127
If the input value Vi is less than the central value (=128) of 256 gradations, the output value Vo is calculated by:
Output value Vo=(Vi/A)×128
Here, when adjusting the R gradation value, the average value Ar of R is set as the parameter A, when adjusting the G gradation value, the average value Ag of G is set as the parameter A, and when adjusting the B gradation value, the average value Ab of B is set as the parameter A.

In other words, the output value Vo of the RGB adjustment function is calculated using the RGB values indicated by the adjustment image data D44(R) as the input values Vi, and the adjustment image data D44(R) is converted. Similarly, the output value Vo of the RGB adjustment function is calculated using the RGB values indicated by the adjustment image data D44(G) as the input values Vi, and the adjustment image data D44(G) is converted, and the output value Vo of the RGB adjustment function is calculated using the RGB values indicated by the adjustment image data D44(B) as the input values Vi, and the adjustment image data D44(B) is converted.

In step S208, the adjustment image processing unit 56 acquires the RGB values at the teaching point Pt and the RGB values at the vicinity of the teaching point Pn contained in the converted adjustment image data D44. Acquisition of these RGB values is performed for each color of adjustment image data D44(R), D44(G), and D44(B). The acquired RGB value may be the value of a specific pixel, or may be the average value of the values of each pixel contained in the target range (teaching point Pt and vicinity of teaching point Pn).

In step S209, the adjustment image processing unit 56 calculates the difference between the RGB values at the teaching point Pt and the RGB values near the teaching point Pn as an evaluation value. As shown in FIG. 5, in the adjustment image data D44(R) acquired while irradiating the teaching point Pt with a red (R) pointer light Lp, the values of the colors (G, B) other than the color (R) of the pointer light Lp do not change between the teaching point Pt and the teaching point vicinity Pn. Therefore, the evaluation value calculated based on the converted adjustment image data D44(R) needs to be calculated only for red (R), which is the color of the pointer light Lp irradiated to the teaching point Pt to acquire the adjustment image data D44(R). The same applies to the other colors (G, B). Therefore, in the example of FIG. 5, the evaluation value for the adjustment image data D44(R) is calculated as 55 (=255-200), and the evaluation value for the adjustment image data D44(B) is calculated as 245 (=255-10).

In step S210, the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 sets the color of the pointer light Lp to the color among R, G, and B that has the maximum evaluation value. In the example of FIG. 5, the color of the pointer light Lp is set to blue (B).

In step S211, the recognition parameter adjustment unit 55 sets the threshold (recognition parameter) that the recognition image processing unit 54 uses to binarize the recognition image data D3 based on the RGB values acquired in step S208. Specifically, the threshold is set to a value between the value (255) at the teaching point Pt and the value (10) near the teaching point Pn indicated by the adjustment image data D44 (after conversion) acquired for the color (B) of the pointer light Lp set in step S210. The threshold may be the average value of the value (255) at the teaching point Pt and the value (10) near the teaching point Pn, or a value that is a predetermined value larger or smaller than the average value. In addition, optimal thresholds for combinations of the values at the teaching point Pt and the values near the teaching point Pn may be stored in a lookup table, and the threshold may be set based on this lookup table.

When parameter optimization (step S103) is thus completed, step S104 in FIG. 3 is executed. In this step S104, the camera communication unit 52 acquires from the recognition camera 3 the recognition image data D3 including the teaching point Pt on the workpiece 9 illuminated with the pointer light Lp (B) of the color (B) set in step S210. The recognition image processing unit 54 binarizes the recognition image data D3 acquired in step S104 using the threshold value set in step S211 (step S105), and recognizes the teaching point Pt based on the binarized recognition image data D3 (step S106). In step S107, the robot control unit 51 moves the end effector 23 toward the position of the teaching point Pt recognized by the recognition image processing unit 54.

In the embodiment described above, the laser pointer 42 (light irradiation unit) irradiates the workpiece 9 with pointer light Lp (teaching point indication light) indicating a teaching point Pt for the robot 2, and the recognition camera 3 and the recognition image processing unit 54 (teaching point recognition unit) recognize the position of the pointer light Lp irradiated on the workpiece 9 as the teaching point Pt. In addition, an adjustment camera 44 (light detection unit) is provided to detect reflected light Lr reflected by the workpiece 9, and at least one of the laser pointer 42 and the recognition image processing unit 54 is controlled based on the detection result of the adjustment camera 44 (parameter optimization). As a result, when irradiating light onto the workpiece 9 to indicate the teaching point Pt on the workpiece 9, appropriate measures can be taken in accordance with differences in the configuration of the workpiece 9.

The pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 (control unit) also adjusts the conditions (recognition parameters/pointer parameters) for irradiating the laser pointer 42 with the pointer light Lp and causing the recognition image processing unit 54 to recognize the teaching point Pt, based on the reflected light Lr detected by the adjustment camera 44 (parameter optimization). With this configuration, it becomes possible to perform an operation such as irradiating the workpiece 9 with the pointer light Lp indicating the teaching point Pt and recognizing the teaching point Pt under appropriate conditions according to the configuration of the workpiece 9. As a result, the teaching point Pt irradiated on the workpiece 9 can be reliably recognized regardless of the configuration of the workpiece 9.

Furthermore, the reflected light Lrt (first light) reflected from the teaching point Pt on the work 9 where the pointer light Lp is irradiated, and the reflected light Lrn (second light) reflected from the vicinity of the teaching point Pn on the work 9 where the pointer light Lp is not irradiated are detected (step S206). Then, the conditions (recognition parameters and pointer parameters) for irradiating the laser pointer 42 (light irradiation unit) with the pointer light Lp and causing the recognition image processing unit 54 (teaching point recognition unit) to recognize the teaching point Pt are adjusted based on the reflected light Lrt and Lrn (steps S207 to S210). Therefore, the operation of irradiating the work 9 with the pointer light Lp indicating the teaching point Pt and recognizing the teaching point Pt can be performed under appropriate conditions according to the configuration of the work 9. As a result, it is possible to reliably recognize the teaching point Pt irradiated on the work 9 regardless of the configuration of the work 9.

Furthermore, the recognition camera 3 (teaching point recognition unit) images the workpiece 9 to obtain recognition image data D3 (step S104), and the recognition image processing unit 54 (teaching point recognition unit) recognizes the teaching point Pt shown in the recognition image data D3 (steps S105-S106). In response to this, the recognition parameter adjustment unit 55 (control unit) adjusts the threshold value (recognition parameter) for the recognition image processing unit 54 to recognize the teaching point Pt (step S211). In this configuration, the recognition image processing unit 54 can recognize the teaching point Pt with an appropriate threshold value according to the configuration of the workpiece 9.

The recognition image processing unit 54 also recognizes the teaching point Pt shown in the recognition image data D3 by binarizing the recognition image data D3 with a predetermined threshold value (steps S105 to S106). In response to this, the recognition parameter adjustment unit 55 adjusts the threshold value (step S211). In this configuration, the recognition image processing unit 54 can binarize the recognition image data D3 to recognize the teaching point Pt with an appropriate threshold value according to the configuration of the workpiece 9.

The pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 (control unit) also adjusts the color (pointer parameters) of the pointer light Lp that the laser pointer 42 irradiates on the workpiece 9 (steps S204 to S210). In this configuration, the laser pointer 42 can irradiate the pointer light Lp on the workpiece 9 with an appropriate color (wavelength) according to the configuration of the workpiece 9.

The pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 also adjusts the color (wavelength of light) of the pointer light Lp that the laser pointer 42 irradiates on the workpiece 9 based on the RGB values indicated by the results (adjustment image data D44) of the reflected light Lrt and reflected light Lrn detected by the adjustment camera 44 (steps S204 to S210). With this configuration, the laser pointer 42 can irradiate the pointer light Lp on the workpiece 9 with an appropriate color (wavelength) according to the configuration of the workpiece 9.

The adjustment camera 44 also detects reflected light Lrn reflected from a teaching point vicinity Pn adjacent to the teaching point Pt on the workpiece 9. With this configuration, an operation such as irradiating the workpiece 9 with pointer light Lp to recognize the teaching point Pt can be performed under appropriate conditions (recognition parameters, pointer parameters) according to the configuration of the workpiece 9 at a position adjacent to the teaching point Pt. As a result, it becomes possible to reliably recognize the teaching point Pt irradiated on the workpiece 9 regardless of the configuration of the workpiece 9.

Also, a housing 41 is provided that positions the laser pointer 42 and the adjustment camera 44 relative to each other and holds them together. With this configuration, the reflected light Lrt and reflected light Lrn reflected from the workpiece 9 can be reliably detected by the adjustment camera 44. Furthermore, only the reflected light Lr incident from the front end 411 (incident port) of the housing 41 reaches the adjustment camera 44, so that disturbing light is prevented from entering the adjustment camera 44.

The teaching point indication terminal 4 is also provided with a communication unit 46 held in the housing 41. This communication unit 46 transmits the results of the reflected light Lrt and reflected light Lrn detected by the adjustment camera 44 (adjustment image data D44) to the portable terminal communication unit 53 (control unit). In this configuration, the worker can carry around the housing 41 that holds the laser pointer 42 and adjustment camera 44 separately from the information processing device 5 to perform work.

Furthermore, a half mirror 43 (optical element) is provided, which is held in the housing 41 so as to be positioned between the workpiece 9 and the laser pointer 42 and controls the passage of light. The pointer light Lp emitted from the laser pointer 42 passes through the half mirror 43 and is irradiated onto the teaching point Pt of the workpiece 9, and the reflected light Lrt and reflected light Lrn reflected by the workpiece 9 are reflected by the half mirror 43 toward the adjustment camera 44. The adjustment camera 44 then detects the reflected light Lrt and reflected light Lrn reflected by the half mirror 43. With this configuration, the reflected light Lrt and reflected light Lrn reflected from the workpiece 9 can be reliably detected by the adjustment camera 44.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a second example of parameter optimization executed by the robot control of FIG. 3. The flowchart of FIG. 6 is executed based on the control of the information processing device 5.

In step S301, the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 transmits a lighting command to the teaching point designating terminal 4 via the portable terminal communication unit 53, and the control unit 47, which receives the lighting command via the communication unit 46, causes the laser pointer 42 to emit pointer light Lp of one color (e.g., R) out of R, G, and B. This causes the pointer light Lp to be irradiated onto the teaching point Pt of the workpiece 9.

In step S302, the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 acquires adjustment image data D44 (RGB values) acquired by the adjustment camera 44 from the teaching point designation terminal 4 via the portable terminal communication unit 53. This adjustment image data D44 includes an image of the teaching point Pt irradiated with the pointer light Lp.

In step S303, the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 transmits a light-off command to the teaching point designating terminal 4 via the portable terminal communication unit 53, and the control unit 47, which receives the light-off command via the communication unit 46, stops emitting the pointer light Lp to the laser pointer 42. As a result, the pointer light Lp is no longer irradiated onto the teaching point Pt of the workpiece 9.

In step S304, the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 acquires adjustment image data D44 (RGB values) acquired by the adjustment camera 44 from the teaching point designation terminal 4 via the portable terminal communication unit 53. This adjustment image data D44 includes an image of the teaching point Pt where the pointer light Lp is not irradiated.

In step S305, the adjustment image processing unit 56 calculates an evaluation value given by the difference between the adjustment image data D44 acquired in step S302 and the adjustment image data D44 acquired in step S304. For the same reason as in step S209 of FIG. 4 described above, the evaluation value needs to be calculated only for the color of the pointer light Lp irradiated to the teaching point Pt to acquire the adjustment image data D44 in step S302.

In step S306, the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 checks whether steps S301 to S305 have been executed for all the colors R, R, and G. If there is a color for which steps S301 to S305 have not been executed, the color is changed and steps S301 to S305 are executed. As a result, evaluation values are obtained for all the colors R, R, and G ("YES" in step S306).

In step S307, the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 sets the color of the pointer light Lp to the color among R, G, and B that has the maximum evaluation value. In step S308, the recognition parameter adjustment unit 55 sets a threshold value (recognition parameter) that the recognition image processing unit 54 uses to binarize the recognition image data D3 based on the RGB values acquired in steps S302 and S304. Specifically, for the color of the pointer light Lp set in step S307, a threshold value is set between the value at the teaching point Pt indicated by the adjustment image data D44 acquired in step S302 and the value at the teaching point Pt indicated by the adjustment image data D44 acquired in step S304. The specific method of setting the threshold value between the two values is the same as described above.

In the embodiment described above, the laser pointer 42 (light irradiation unit) irradiates the workpiece 9 with pointer light Lp (teaching point indication light) indicating a teaching point Pt for the robot 2, and the recognition camera 3 and the recognition image processing unit 54 (teaching point recognition unit) recognize the position of the pointer light Lp irradiated on the workpiece 9 as the teaching point Pt. In addition, an adjustment camera 44 (light detection unit) is provided to detect reflected light Lr reflected by the workpiece 9, and at least one of the laser pointer 42 and the recognition image processing unit 54 is controlled based on the detection result of the adjustment camera 44 (parameter optimization). As a result, when irradiating light onto the workpiece 9 to indicate the teaching point Pt on the workpiece 9, appropriate measures can be taken in accordance with differences in the configuration of the workpiece 9.

The pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 (control unit) also adjusts the conditions (recognition parameters/pointer parameters) for irradiating the laser pointer 42 with the pointer light Lp and causing the recognition image processing unit 54 to recognize the teaching point Pt, based on the reflected light Lr detected by the adjustment camera 44 (parameter optimization). With this configuration, it becomes possible to perform an operation such as irradiating the workpiece 9 with the pointer light Lp indicating the teaching point Pt and recognizing the teaching point Pt under appropriate conditions according to the configuration of the workpiece 9. As a result, the teaching point Pt irradiated on the workpiece 9 can be reliably recognized regardless of the configuration of the workpiece 9.

Furthermore, the reflected light Lrt (first light) reflected from the teaching point Pt on the work 9 where the pointer light Lp is irradiated and the reflected light Lrt (second light) reflected from the teaching point Pt on the work 9 where the pointer light Lp is not irradiated are detected (steps S302, S304). Then, the conditions (recognition parameters, pointer parameters) for irradiating the laser pointer 42 (light irradiation unit) with the pointer light Lp and causing the recognition image processing unit 54 (teaching point recognition unit) to recognize the teaching point Pt are adjusted based on the reflected light Lrt (steps S307, S308). Therefore, the operation of irradiating the work 9 with the pointer light Lp indicating the teaching point Pt and recognizing the teaching point Pt can be performed under appropriate conditions according to the configuration of the work 9. As a result, it is possible to reliably recognize the teaching point Pt irradiated on the work 9 regardless of the configuration of the work 9.

In the robot control of FIG. 3, teaching point recognition is performed in steps S104 to S106. Instead of these steps, teaching point recognition in FIG. 7 may be performed. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a modified example of teaching point recognition. The flowchart in FIG. 7 is executed under the control of the information processing device 5.

When the worker presses the light button (operation button 45) of the teaching point indication terminal 4, the control unit 47 causes the laser pointer 42 to emit pointer light Lp and transmits a light notification to the portable terminal communication unit 53 of the information processing device 5 via the communication unit 46. In response to this, when the portable terminal communication unit 53 receives the light notification ("YES" in step S401), the camera communication unit 52 causes the recognition camera 3 to capture an image of the workpiece 9 and acquires recognition image data D3 from the recognition camera 3. This recognition image data D3 includes an image of the teaching point Pt where the pointer light Lp is being irradiated.

When the worker stops pressing the light button (operation button 45) on the teaching point indication terminal 4, the control unit 47 causes the laser pointer 42 to stop emitting the pointer light Lp, and sends a light-off notification to the portable terminal communication unit 53 of the information processing device 5 via the communication unit 46. In response to this, when the portable terminal communication unit 53 receives the light-off notification ("YES" in step S403), the camera communication unit 52 causes the recognition camera 3 to capture an image of the workpiece 9, and acquires recognition image data D3 from the recognition camera 3. This recognition image data D3 includes an image of the teaching point Pt where the pointer light Lp is not irradiated.

In step S405, the recognition image processing unit 54 calculates the difference between the recognition image data D3 acquired in step S402 and the recognition image data D3 acquired in step S404 to acquire a difference image, and binarizes this difference image using a threshold value (step S405). In step S405, the recognition image processing unit 54 recognizes the teaching point Pt based on the binarized difference image.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a second example of a robot system according to the present invention. The difference from the first example in FIG. 1 is that the robot system 1 is provided with a terminal stand 6 that holds a teaching point indication terminal 4. Here, the differences from the first example in FIG. 1 will be mainly explained, and common parts will be given the corresponding reference numerals and explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

The terminal stand 6 has a stand body 61 and a holder 62 that detachably holds the teaching point indication terminal 4 relative to the stand body 61. The holder 62 is rotatable in two different angular directions θ and φ relative to the stand body 61. The terminal stand 6 also has an angle sensor 63 that detects the rotation angle of the holder 62, and transmits the rotation angle of the holder 62 detected by the angle sensor 63 to the information processing device 5. For example, the rotation angle may be transmitted to the portable terminal communication unit 53 via the communication unit 46 of the teaching point indication terminal 4, or the rotation angle may be transmitted to the information processing device 5 by a communication means provided separately.

This rotation angle indicates the rotation angle of the teaching point indication terminal 4 held by the holder 62, in other words, the direction in which the laser pointer 42 of the teaching point indication terminal 4 emits the pointer light Lp. Therefore, the position coordinates of the teaching point Pt can be estimated from this rotation angle. The robot control unit 51 estimates the position coordinates of the teaching point Pt based on the rotation angle of the holder 62 received from the terminal stand 6. Then, when the teaching point Pt is imaged by the recognition camera 3, the robot control unit 51 controls the robot arm 21 to face the recognition camera 3 to this position coordinate.

In this embodiment, an angle sensor 63 (angle detector) is provided that detects the angle at which the laser pointer 42 irradiates the pointer light Lp. The recognition camera 3 then captures an image including the position of the teaching point Pt estimated based on the angle detected by the angle sensor 63 to obtain recognition image data D3, and recognizes the teaching point Pt based on this recognition image data D3. With this configuration, it is possible to reliably capture an image of the teaching point Pt and recognize the teaching point Pt.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a third example of parameter optimization executed by the robot control of FIG. 3. The flowchart of FIG. 6 is executed based on the control of the information processing device 5. In the first and second examples of parameter optimization described above, the recognition parameters (thresholds) are adjusted based on the RGB values indicated by the adjustment image data D44. In contrast, in the third example of FIG. 9, the recognition parameters (thresholds) are adjusted based on the luminance indicated by the adjustment camera 44.

In step S501, the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 transmits a lighting command to the teaching point designating terminal 4 via the portable terminal communication unit 53, and the control unit 47 of the teaching point designating terminal 4 causes the laser pointer 42 to emit pointer light Lp in response to the lighting command received by the communication unit 46. As a result, the pointer light Lp is irradiated onto the teaching point Pt of the workpiece 9.

In step S502, the portable terminal communication unit 53 acquires the adjustment image data D44 (brightness value) acquired by the adjustment camera 44 capturing an image of the reflected light Lr from the workpiece 9 from the teaching point designation terminal 4. In step S503, the recognition parameter adjustment unit 55 acquires the brightness value at the teaching point Pt and the brightness value near the teaching point Pn indicated by the adjustment image data D44.

In step S504, the recognition parameter adjustment unit 55 sets the threshold (recognition parameter) that the recognition image processing unit 54 uses to binarize the recognition image data D3 based on the luminance value acquired in step S503. Specifically, the threshold is set to a value between the luminance value at the teaching point Pt and the luminance value in the vicinity of the teaching point Pn indicated by the adjustment image data D44. The threshold may be the average value of the luminance value at the teaching point Pt and the luminance value in the vicinity of the teaching point Pn, or a value that is a predetermined value larger or smaller than the average value. In addition, the optimal threshold for the combination of the luminance value at the teaching point Pt and the luminance value in the vicinity of the teaching point Pn may be stored in a lookup table, and the threshold may be set based on this lookup table. Note that when the threshold is set based on the luminance value in this way, steps S104 to S106 of the robot control in FIG. 3 are executed based on the luminance value.

In the embodiment described above, the laser pointer 42 (light irradiation unit) irradiates the workpiece 9 with pointer light Lp (teaching point indication light) indicating a teaching point Pt for the robot 2, and the recognition camera 3 and the recognition image processing unit 54 (teaching point recognition unit) recognize the position of the pointer light Lp irradiated on the workpiece 9 as the teaching point Pt. In addition, an adjustment camera 44 (light detection unit) is provided to detect reflected light Lr reflected by the workpiece 9, and the recognition image processing unit 54 is controlled based on the detection result (adjustment image data D44) of the adjustment camera 44 (setting of the threshold value in step S504). As a result, when irradiating the workpiece 9 with light to indicate the teaching point Pt on the workpiece 9, appropriate measures can be taken in accordance with differences in the configuration of the workpiece 9.

The color of the pointer light Lp that is easily recognized when the pointer light Lp irradiated to the teaching point Pt is captured and recognized by the recognition camera 3 may be different from the color of the pointer light Lp that is easily recognized by an operator when visually checking the pointer light Lp irradiated to the teaching point Pt. For example, when recognition by the recognition camera 3 is based on brightness, a high-brightness white is advantageous, but if the color of the workpiece 9 is bright, it is difficult for an operator to see the white pointer light Lp. Therefore, the color of the pointer light Lp for the operator's viewing may be set to a color different from the pointer light Lp for recognition by the recognition camera 3.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of teaching point indication control using a pointer light for recognition and a pointer light for visibility. The flowchart in FIG. 10 is executed under the control of the control unit 47 of the teaching point indication terminal 4.

When the control unit 47 confirms that the operator has pressed the light button (operation button 45) (step S601), it causes the laser pointer 42 to emit pointer light Lp having a color for visibility (e.g., blue) for a predetermined time (e.g., 1 to 5 seconds) (step S602).

In the next step S603, the control unit 47 checks whether the light button has been pressed by the operator. If it is not possible to confirm that the light button has been pressed (if "NO" in step S603), the teaching point instruction control in FIG. 10 is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is confirmed that the light button has been pressed (step S603: NO), the laser pointer 42 is caused to emit pointer light Lp having a color for recognition (e.g., white) for a predetermined time (e.g., 1 to 5 seconds) (step S604). The laser pointer 42 then returns to step S601).

In this control, the pointer light Lp of the color for visibility (blue) and the pointer light Lp of the color for recognition (white) are repeatedly irradiated onto the workpiece 9. Therefore, the worker can visually recognize the teaching point Pt by the pointer light Lp of the color for visibility, and the recognition camera 3 and the recognition image processing unit 54 can recognize the teaching point Pt by the pointer light Lp of the color for recognition.

In this embodiment, the laser pointer 42 (light irradiation unit) irradiates the workpiece 9 with pointer light Lp (recognition light) for the recognition camera 3 and the recognition image processing unit 54 (teaching point recognition unit) to recognize the teaching point Pt, and pointer light Lp (visualization light) for the worker to visually recognize the teaching point Pt. At this time, the pointer light Lp for recognition and the pointer light Lp for visualization have different colors (wavelengths). In other words, there are cases where the light that is easy for machines such as the recognition camera 3 and the recognition image processing unit 54 to recognize is different from the light that is easy for the worker to visually recognize. Therefore, by configuring in this way, the recognition camera 3 and the recognition image processing unit 54 can reliably recognize the teaching point Pt indicated by the recognition pointer light Lp, and the worker can reliably visually recognize the teaching point Pt indicated by the visual pointer light Lp.

In this case, the color of the visual pointer light Lp may be adjusted by the method of adjusting the color of the pointer light Lp by parameter optimization in FIG. 4 or FIG. 6. In such a configuration, the adjustment image processing unit 56 (control unit) adjusts the conditions (color) for the laser pointer 42 to irradiate the visual pointer light Lp onto the workpiece 9 based on the detection results (adjustment image data D44) of the adjustment camera 44 (light detection unit) (steps S201 to S210, S301 to S307). In such a configuration, it is possible to irradiate the workpiece 9 with pointer light Lp that is easy for the worker to recognize, depending on the configuration of the workpiece 9.

In this manner, in the above embodiment, the robot system 1 corresponds to an example of a "robot system" of the present invention, the robot 2 corresponds to an example of a "robot" of the present invention, the recognition camera 3 and the recognition image processing unit 54 function as an example of a "teaching point recognition unit" of the present invention, the housing 41 corresponds to an example of a "housing" of the present invention, the laser pointer 42 corresponds to an example of a "light irradiation unit" of the present invention, the half mirror 43 corresponds to an example of an "optical element" of the present invention, the adjustment camera 44 corresponds to an example of a "light detection unit" of the present invention, at least one of the recognition parameter adjustment unit 55 and the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 corresponds to a "control unit" of the present invention, the angle sensor 63 corresponds to an example of an "angle detector" of the present invention, the workpiece 9 corresponds to an example of a "workpiece" of the present invention, the pointer light Lp corresponds to an example of a "teaching point indication light" of the present invention, the reflected light Lrt corresponds to an example of a "first light" of the present invention, the reflected light Lrn corresponds to an example of a "second light" of the present invention, and the teaching point Pt corresponds to an example of a "teaching point" of the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made to the above without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the pointer light Lp may be controlled according to the configuration of the work area where the robot 2 works, as follows:

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the relationship between the configuration of the robot's working area and the pointer light. When the working area where the robot 2 works is a normal working area (e.g., a working area provided on a flat surface), the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 causes the laser pointer 42 to irradiate pointer light Lp having a circular cross section.

On the other hand, when the work location where the robot 2 is to work is a special work location (e.g., a hole, etc.), the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 causes the laser pointer 42 to emit pointer light Lp having a ring-shaped cross section. For example, when the robot 2 is to insert a screw or nail into a hole, if the pointer light Lp having a circular cross section is emitted onto the hole of the work target, at least a part of the pointer light Lp will enter the hole. As a result, the recognition image processing unit 54 may fail to recognize the pointer light Lp. In response to this, by emitting a ring-shaped pointer light Lp around the periphery of the hole so as to surround the hole, the recognition image processing unit 54 can successfully recognize the teaching point Pt.

In this modified example, the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 (control unit) causes the laser pointer 42 to emit pointer light Lp (FIG. 11) having a pattern (cross-sectional shape) that corresponds to the work location where the robot 2 is to work. In this configuration, pointer light Lp having an appropriate pattern can be emitted to the teaching point Pt to accurately teach the operation to be performed on the workpiece 9.

In addition, information indicating whether the work location where work is to be performed on the workpiece 9 is a normal work location or a special work location is set in advance in the pointer parameter adjustment unit 57 by, for example, the worker. In this case, the adjustment image processing unit 56 transmits a lighting command created in accordance with this information to the teaching point indication terminal 4, and the control unit 47 of the teaching point indication terminal 4 causes the laser pointer 42 to irradiate the pointer light Lp with a cross-sectional shape (pointer parameter) in accordance with this lighting command.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the recognition camera 3 and the recognition image processing unit 54 recognize the position of the teaching point Pt in two dimensions (XY plane). However, they can be configured to recognize the position of the teaching point Pt in three dimensions (Figure 12).

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a method for recognizing a teaching point in three dimensions. In this example, the robot control unit 51 controls the robot arm 21 to adjust the angle of the recognition camera 3, so that the recognition image processing unit 54 acquires an image of the teaching point Pt captured by the recognition camera 3 from a first angle, and an image of the teaching point Pt captured by the recognition camera 3 from a second angle. The recognition image processing unit 54 then performs stereo matching on these two images to estimate the parallax, thereby recognizing the position of the teaching point Pt in three dimensions.

Parameter optimization may also be performed based on hue, lightness, or saturation, rather than RGB values. In the example of FIG. 4 where parameter optimization is performed based on hue, hue is acquired instead of RGB values. Specifically, in step S205, the hue is changed, for example, in three ways. In step S206, the hue value of the adjustment image data D44 is acquired for each of the three different hues. Note that step S207 is not executed, and the process proceeds to step S208 to acquire the hue at the teaching point Pt and the teaching point vicinity Pn. Then, an evaluation value (the magnitude of the difference between the hue at the teaching point Pt and the hue at the teaching point vicinity Pn) is calculated for each hue (step S209), and the hue of the pointer light Lp is set to the hue with the maximum evaluation value. Furthermore, a threshold value for binarization is set based on the hue in the same manner as described above (step S211).

When parameter optimization is performed based on lightness or saturation, it is possible to perform the optimization in the same way as with hue. Furthermore, the parameter optimization in FIG. 6 can also be performed based on hue, lightness, or saturation. In these examples, the irradiation of the pointer light Lp by the laser pointer 42 onto the workpiece 9 can be performed with an appropriate color (wavelength) according to the configuration of the workpiece 9.

Furthermore, in the parameter optimization of FIG. 4, it is not necessary to use an RGB adjustment function. In this case, steps S208 to S211 can be executed based on the RGB values of the adjustment image data D44 acquired by the adjustment camera 44 without converting the RGB values of the adjustment image data D44.

The adjustment camera 44 may also be provided separately from the teaching point indication terminal 4.

Furthermore, the relationship between the teaching point vicinity Pn and the teaching point Pt is not limited to the above. Therefore, the adjustment image processing unit 56 may treat a range away from the teaching point Pt as the teaching point vicinity Pn.

Furthermore, it is not essential to use both the reflected light Lrt from the teaching point Pt and the reflected light Lrn from the vicinity of the teaching point Pn for parameter optimization. In other words, optimization of the recognition parameters or the pointer parameters may be performed based on either one of the reflected light.

Furthermore, the method by which the worker sets the color of the visual pointer light Lp is not limited to the above, and the worker may set it. Furthermore, the timing at which the laser pointer 42 irradiates the visual pointer light Lp is not limited to the above example, and for example, the visual pointer light Lp may be irradiated only while the worker is pressing a specific button.

1...Robot system 2...Robot 3...Recognition camera (teaching point recognition unit)
41...Housing 42...Laser pointer (light emitting part)
43...Half mirror (optical element)
44...Adjustment camera (light detection unit)
54...Recognition image processing unit (teaching point recognition unit)
55...Recognition parameter adjustment unit (control unit)
57...Pointer parameter adjustment unit (control unit)
63...Angle sensor (angle detector)
9...Work Lp...Pointer light (teaching point indication light)
Lrt...Reflected light (first light)
Lrn...Reflected light (second light)
Pt...Teaching point

Claims (20)

Robots and
a light irradiation unit that irradiates a workpiece with a teaching point indicating light that indicates a teaching point for the robot;
a teaching point recognizing unit that recognizes a position of the teaching point indicating light irradiated onto the workpiece as the teaching point;
A light detection unit that detects light reflected by the workpiece;
A robot system comprising: a control unit that controls at least one of the light irradiation unit and the teaching point recognition unit based on a detection result of the light detection unit. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit adjusts the conditions for irradiating the teaching point indicating light to the light irradiation unit and causing the teaching point recognition unit to recognize the teaching point based on the light detected by the light detection unit. The light detection unit detects a first light reflected from a position on the workpiece where the teaching point indicating light is irradiated and a second light reflected from a position on the workpiece where the teaching point indicating light is not irradiated,
The robot system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit adjusts conditions for irradiating the teaching point indication light to the light irradiation unit and causing the teaching point recognition unit to recognize the teaching point based on the first light and the second light detected by the light detection unit. The robot system according to claim 3, wherein, when the light irradiation unit is irradiating the teaching point indicating light onto the workpiece, the light detection unit detects the light reflected from the teaching point as the first light, and detects the light reflected from a position different from the teaching point as the second light. In a state in which the light irradiation unit irradiates the teaching point indicating light onto the workpiece, the light detection unit detects light reflected from the teaching point as the first light,
The robot system according to claim 3 , wherein the light detection section detects light reflected from the workpiece as the second light when the light irradiation section is not irradiating the workpiece with the teaching point indicating light. The teaching point recognition unit captures an image of the workpiece and recognizes the teaching point shown in the image;
The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit adjusts conditions for the teaching point recognition unit to recognize the teaching point. the teaching point recognition unit recognizes the teaching point shown in the image by binarizing the image using a predetermined threshold value;
The robot system according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit adjusts the threshold value. The robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control unit adjusts the conditions under which the light irradiation unit irradiates the workpiece with light. The robot system according to claim 8, wherein the control unit adjusts the wavelength of the light that the light irradiation unit irradiates onto the workpiece. The robot system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit adjusts the wavelength of the light irradiated by the light irradiating unit onto the workpiece based on the RGB values indicated by the results of the light detection unit detecting the light. The robot system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit adjusts the wavelength of the light irradiated by the light irradiating unit onto the workpiece based on the hue, brightness, or saturation of the light detected by the light detecting unit. The light irradiation unit irradiates the workpiece with recognition light, which is light for the teaching point recognition unit to recognize the teaching point, and with visual recognition light, which is light for an operator to visually recognize the teaching point,
The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the recognition light and the visibility light have different wavelengths. The robot system according to claim 12, wherein the control unit adjusts the conditions under which the light irradiation unit irradiates the visible light to the workpiece based on the detection results of the light detection unit. The robot system according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the light detection unit detects light reflected from a position on the workpiece adjacent to the teaching point as the second light. The robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a housing that positions the light irradiation unit and the light detection unit relative to each other and holds them together. The robot system according to claim 15, further comprising a communication unit held in the housing that transmits the results of the light detection unit's light detection to the control unit. The housing further includes an optical element that is held between the workpiece and the light irradiation unit and controls the passage of light,
The light irradiated from the light irradiation unit passes through the optical element and is irradiated onto the teaching point of the workpiece,
The light reflected by the workpiece is reflected by the optical element toward the light detection unit,
The robot system according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the light detection unit detects light reflected by the optical element. The robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the control unit causes the light irradiation unit to irradiate light having a pattern corresponding to a work location where the robot is to perform work. An angle detector is further provided to detect an angle at which the light irradiation unit irradiates light,
The robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the teaching point recognition unit captures an image including a position of the teaching point estimated based on the angle detected by the angle detector, and recognizes the teaching point based on the image. A step of irradiating a workpiece with teaching point indicating light, which is light that indicates a teaching point for the robot, from a light irradiation unit;
A step of detecting light reflected by the workpiece using a light detection unit;
controlling at least one of the light irradiation unit and the teaching point recognition unit based on a detection result of the light detection unit;
and a step of the teaching point recognition unit recognizing the position of the teaching point indicating light irradiated onto the workpiece as the teaching point.

Images