JP5467510B2 - External operation hand guide device and control method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an external operation hand guide device for assembling a work from the outside to a work object moving on an assembly line and a control method thereof.

In recent years, many automobile manufacturers have promoted "modular assembly". The modular assembly is component assembly means for assembling a plurality of components to be assembled to the vehicle body in advance into one module and assembling the module to the vehicle body.
Such modularized assembly can reduce in-vehicle work for assembling parts, but on the other hand, the module has become larger and the burden on the operator has increased.

  Therefore, various means for reducing the burden on the operator when assembling a work (for example, a module such as an instrument panel) on a work object (for example, an automobile body) moving on the assembly line have been proposed. (For example, Patent Documents 1 to 3, Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 and Patent Document 3 are so-called power assist devices, and an operator performs the entire work. By supporting the weight of the workpiece by these devices, the worker handles heavy objects. To make it easier.
Patent Documents 1 and 2 are so-called hand guide devices, in which a robot is operated by a human operation input, and a person and the robot collaborate.

Japanese Patent No. 3872387, “Control Device and Control Method for Robot Coexisting with Humans” Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-213119, “Cooperative Work Robot and its Control Method” JP 2009-034758 A, “Power Assist Device and Control Method Therefor”

Hitoshi Konosu, Isamu Araki, Yoshishi Yamada, “Practical application of skill assist for automobile assembly work support device” Vol. No. 22 4, pp. 508-514, 2004 Eikoku Alpha Easy Hand (Lift Assist), Internet <URL: http: // www. aikoku. co. jp / rh / index. html>

(1) Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 are essentially power assist devices that reduce the burden on the operator in handling heavy objects, but they hold a workpiece placed on a fixed point such as a supply device. Even if it is a simple work, it is necessary for the person to operate it, and the operation is difficult.
(2) Patent Documents 1 and 2 are so-called hand guide devices. When a person operates a robot to bring a workpiece closer to a work object moving on an assembly line, the person is required to perform work such as assembly. In addition to the operation, it is necessary to perform an operation of following the work object in accordance with the line speed. Therefore, as a result, it is necessary to realize the alignment work for the moving object, and the difficulty of operation becomes higher.

(3) In the case of work for inserting a work into the work object, for example, instrument panel assembly in an automobile body assembly process, the work is in the work object, so that the operator's operation mode is set. After that, if the worker does not move the workpiece according to the line speed, the workpiece and the work object collide.
(4) Since the work object moves, it is necessary to complete the assembly work within the movable range of the assist device.

  The present invention has been developed to solve the above-described problems. That is, the object of the present invention is to (1) leave the simple work to the robot, and only when the work requires human judgment and experience, the person operates the robot and works on the work object moving on the assembly line. (2) There is no need to follow the work object in accordance with the line speed, (3) collision between the work and the work object can be prevented, and (4) An object of the present invention is to provide an external operation hand guide device capable of completing an assembly operation within the movable range of the device and a control method therefor.

According to the present invention, an external operation hand guide device for assembling a work from the outside to a work object moving on an assembly line,
A workpiece gripping device for gripping a workpiece; an elongated hand having the workpiece gripping device; a robot that cantilever-supports the distal end of the hand and moves the distal end within a predetermined robot area; and the distal end of the hand An on-hand operation panel for operating the robot provided on the side, and a robot controller for controlling the robot,
Between the robot area and the assembly line, a work area where the hand can move and a safety area where the hand cannot enter are provided adjacent to each other,
The on-hand operation panel is set so as to be positioned in the work area when a work is assembled to a work object.
The robot control device has an automatic mode for automatically controlling the robot and a cooperative mode for manually controlling the robot by an on-hand operation panel.
There is provided an external operation hand guide device characterized by switching to a collaborative mode only during work requiring human judgment and experience and executing other work in an automatic mode.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an external operation panel that is provided in the safety area and outputs a control signal to the robot, and a state display device that displays an operation state of the robot,
In the automatic mode, the timing for aligning the workpiece to the work object by the external operation panel is input, and the state that can be switched to the collaborative mode by the status display device is displayed as a collaborative work possible situation,
Switch to collaborative mode with the external operation panel,
In the cooperative mode, the robot is manually controlled by the on-hand operation panel and a work is assembled to the work target, and then the automatic mode is switched by the external operation panel.

  A camera that captures an image of a blind area from an on-hand operation panel provided in the hand; and a laser device that outputs laser light of a slit, arc, spot, or a combination thereof provided in the hand to the area; A visual support device including a monitor installed on the on-hand operation panel and displaying the image including the irradiation position of the laser beam;

  The automatic mode further includes a line shut-off device that shuts off a person from the safety area into the work area except in the cooperative mode.

In addition, the on-hand operation panel includes an enable switch that occupies one hand for ensuring safety, and a one-hand operation input device that can input a translation input of three orthogonal axes and a rotation input around the three axes by one-hand operation. ,
In the cooperative mode, the robot can be manually controlled by operating the enable switch and the one-hand operation input device with both hands.

Further, according to the present invention, a workpiece gripping device that grips a workpiece, an elongated hand having the workpiece gripping device, and a robot that cantilever-supports the end portion of the hand and moves the end portion within a predetermined robot area. And an on-hand operation panel provided on the distal end side of the hand for operating the operation of the robot, and a work area where the hand can move and a safety area where the hand cannot enter between the robot area and the assembly line; The hand has a length that allows the work area to be formed when the work is assembled to the work object, and the on-hand operation panel is positioned in the work area at this time. Is a method of controlling an external operation hand guide device for assembling a work from the outside to a work object moving on an assembly line,
It has an automatic mode for automatically controlling the robot and a collaborative mode for manually controlling the robot with an on-hand operation panel.
There is provided a control method for an externally operated hand guide device, characterized in that the mode is switched to the collaborative mode only during work requiring human judgment and experience, and the other work is executed in the automatic mode.

  According to the embodiment of the present invention, on the assembly line, the workpiece is moved at the same speed as the assembly line when there is no manual control input in the automatic mode and the cooperative mode.

  In the cooperative mode, the time required for the evacuation operation is always calculated, and when the time is shorter than the predetermined first threshold, it is determined as a yellow zone, and the predetermined second threshold is shorter than the first threshold. If it is shorter, it is determined to be a red zone and an alarm is issued for each.

  According to the apparatus and method of the present invention, the robot control device has an “automatic mode” for automatically controlling the robot and a “cooperative mode” for manually controlling the robot with an on-hand operation panel. Switching to collaborative mode only when work that requires judgment and experience is performed, and other work is executed in automatic mode, so simple work is performed automatically by the robot in automatic mode, and work that is difficult to position, such as final assembly, Work can be performed by manually controlling the robot while a person makes a decision in the collaborative mode.

In addition, a work area in which the hand can move and a safety area in which the hand cannot enter are provided adjacent to each other between the robot area and the assembly line. When assembling the workpiece on the object, it is set so that it is located in the work area, so that a person (worker) can work manually from within the work area without entering the robot area and assembly line. Can do.
Therefore, the amount of movement for a person (worker) to work is small, and there is no possibility of being caught between the work and the work object.

  Also, in automatic mode, people (workers) are evacuated to a safety area adjacent to the work area. During automatic robot control, work confirmation (product type error, appearance, gripping status, etc.) is visually observed. Can be implemented.

  Furthermore, in the automatic mode, since the timing for aligning the work with the work object is input by the external operation panel, the work object and the work position are aligned when inserting the work into the vehicle through the opening of the work object. Even if the robot operation cannot be continued, the person (worker) is between the work target and the robot, so the timing and positioning (such as jog operation) can be performed by looking at the position of the work target on the line. A positioning sensor or the like is not necessary.

  Further, since a person is outside the vehicle, a blind spot is generated in the collaborative mode. However, since a visual support device including a camera, a laser device, and a monitor is provided, workability can be improved.

In both automatic mode and cooperative mode, the workpiece is moved at the same speed as the assembly line when there is no manual control input. So that the robot will not interfere with the work object until the person (worker) presses the enable switch, and the worker will follow the line speed during operation. Since the work and the work object relatively held by the robot can be operated in a stopped state, workability can be improved.

It is a top view which shows the whole structure of the external operation hand guide apparatus by this invention. It is a block diagram of the robot in this invention. It is a block diagram of the on-hand operation panel in this invention. It is a flowchart of the control method of the external operation hand guide apparatus by this invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the external operation hand guide apparatus by this invention. It is a block diagram of the interference prevention apparatus in this invention.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the common part in each figure, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of an external operation hand guide device according to the present invention.
The external operation hand guide device 10 of the present invention is a hand guide device for assembling a work 3 from the outside to a work object 2 moving on an assembly line 1. The assembly line 1 in this example is a line for assembling a work 3 (in this example, a module such as an instrument panel) to a work object 2 (in this example, a car body), and the work object 2 has a predetermined speed. It moves continuously to the left (in the figure).
The work object 2 (vehicle body) is provided with an opening 2a (vehicle body door), and the workpiece 3 can be inserted into the vehicle through the opening 2a. In this figure, reference numeral 4 denotes a robot area safety fence that partitions a robot area 4a in which a robot hand mounting portion (a hand end portion to be described later) moves, and 5 denotes a human area safety fence that partitions the assembly line 1.

  In FIG. 1, the external operation hand guide device 10 of the present invention includes a workpiece gripping device 12, a hand 14, a robot 16, an on-hand operation panel 18, and a robot control device 20.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the robot according to the present invention. This figure is seen from the longitudinal direction of the hand 14.
1 and 2, the workpiece gripping device 12 is an end effector that grips the workpiece 3.
The hand 14 is an elongated member having the workpiece gripping device 12 at an intermediate position, and in this example, the hand 14 is positioned substantially horizontally. The hand 14 has such a length that a passage through which a person can pass is formed between the robot area 4 a and the assembly line 1 when the work 3 is assembled to the work object 2. This passage is composed of a “working area 1b” in which the hand 14 can move and a “safety area 1c” in which the hand 14 cannot enter, and are provided adjacent to each other.
Further, when the work is assembled to the work object, the on-hand operation panel 18 is set so as to be located in the work area 1b.

The robot 16 is an articulated robot in this example, and cantilever-supports the end portion 14a (upper end in FIG. 1) of the hand 14, and is configured to be able to move the end portion 14a within a predetermined robot area 4a. In the present application, the robot 16 is not limited to an articulated robot, and may be another known robot.
The on-hand operation panel 18 is provided on the end side of the hand 14, and a person 6 (for example, a worker) operates the on-hand operation panel 18 to operate the robot 16 in the work area 1 b.

The robot control device 20 controls the robot 16.
In the present invention, the robot control device 20 has an “automatic mode” for automatically controlling the robot 16 and a “cooperative mode” for manually controlling the robot 16 with the on-hand operation panel 18.
In the automatic mode, the robot 16 is automatically controlled according to a predetermined sequence or program without the operation of the person 6 (worker).
In the collaborative mode, the person 6 (worker) operates the on-hand operation panel 18 to operate the robot 16.
In addition, the external operation hand guide device 10 of the present invention is configured to switch to the cooperative mode only during work that requires human judgment and experience, and perform other work in the automatic mode.
Details of this control content will be described later.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the on-hand operation panel according to the present invention.
The on-hand operation panel 18 according to the present invention includes an enable switch 18a, a one-hand operation input device 18b, an indicator lamp 18c, and a push button switch 18d.
The enable switch 18a occupies one hand in order to ensure safety, and the switch is turned on by holding it.
The one-hand operation input device 18b is configured to be able to input three-axis orthogonal translation input and rotation input about the three axes by one-hand operation.
In the cooperation mode of the present invention, the robot 16 can be manually controlled by operating the enable switch 18a and the one-hand operation input device 18b with both hands.
The number of axes of the one-hand operation input device is not limited to the translation input of three orthogonal axes and the rotation input about the three axes, and may be configured with the number of axes reduced according to the operation content. The input device is not limited to a one-hand operation input device, and may be configured to manually control the robot 16 by operating two input devices with both hands.
The indicator lamp 18c displays various states (for example, a yellow zone and a red zone described later) of the external operation hand guide device 10, and the push button switch 18d outputs various signals (for example, an emergency stop signal). Yes.

  In FIG. 1, the external operation hand guide device 10 of the present invention further includes an external operation panel 22, a status display device 24, a line blocking device 26, and a robot area blocking device 27.

The external operation panel 22 is provided outside the assembly line 1 and the work area of the robot 16 (in the safety fence 4), and includes a work start switch, work end switch, mode switching switch, continuation switch, emergency stop switch, and the like. Each control signal is output to 16 (namely, robot controller 20).
The state display device 24 displays the operating state of the robot 16. This operating state includes, for example, an automatic mode and a collaborative mode, a collaborative work possible situation described later, a yellow zone, a red zone, a line stop alarm, and the like.
In FIG. 1, the external operation panel 22 and the status display device 24 are installed at the same position in the safety area 1c, but may be installed at different positions.

The external operation hand guide device 10 of the present invention inputs a timing for aligning the work 3 with the work object 2 by the external operation panel 22 in the automatic mode, and sets the state in which the state display device 24 can be switched to the cooperative mode. "Collaborative work possible situation" is displayed, switched to "cooperation mode" by a work start signal by a work start switch on the external operation panel 22, and "automatic" by a work completion signal by a work completion switch on the external operation panel 22 Switch to "mode".
Note that the mode may be switched to the “automatic mode” without being linked to the work start switch and the work end switch.

  The line blocking device 26 is, for example, a light curtain or a shutter, and blocks the passage so that no person enters the work area 1b from the safety area 1c except in the cooperative mode.

  The robot area blocking device 27 is, for example, a light curtain or a shutter. When the external operation hand guide device 10 of the present invention is operating in the robot area 4a, a person enters the robot area or the robot moves out of the robot area. Block the opening of the robot area so that it does not.

In FIG. 1, the external operation hand guide device 10 of the present invention further includes a visual assistance device 30. The vision support device 30 is provided with a camera 32 that captures an image of a blind area from the on-hand operation panel 18 provided on the hand 14, and a laser beam of a slit, arc, spot, or a combination thereof provided on the hand 14 in the area. It comprises a laser device 34 for output and a monitor 36 that is installed on the on-hand operation panel 18 and displays an image including the irradiation position of the laser beam.
With this configuration, a blind spot region can be confirmed on the monitor 36, and the posture of the object can be determined based on the shape of the laser light irradiation position, so that workability can be improved.

4A and 4B are operation explanatory views of the external operation hand guide device according to the present invention. FIG. 4A shows the first half automatic mode, FIG. 4B shows the cooperative mode, and FIG. 4C shows the second half automatic mode.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the control method of the external operation hand guide device according to the present invention, which includes steps (steps) S1 to S16.

  In the control according to the present invention, line information is first acquired (S1), and the automatic mode is displayed (S2).

FIG. 4A shows a state of alignment of the work object 2 to the opening 2a (S6 to be described later) in the first half automatic mode.
In the first half automatic mode, the robot 16 is automatically controlled. In this automatic mode, information on the work object 2 is acquired (S3), the work 3 is gripped at the supply position (S4), and conveyed to the front of the opening (S5). In parallel with this conveyance, the person 6 (operator) who evacuates in the safety area 1c visually checks the workpiece 3 held by the robot and being conveyed (S5b). If there is an abnormality in the workpiece 3 by this visual check, for example, an emergency stop is performed with an emergency stop switch.

  Further, in this automatic mode, the work 3 is aligned with the work object 2 by the external operation panel 22 (S6). In this alignment, (1) when the hand 14 and the work 3 are in a position where they do not interfere with the opening 2a of the work object 2 that moves continuously, the “continuation switch” of the external operation panel 22 is turned on. Or (2) When a person operates a jog operation button for moving a workpiece installed in the safety area 1c and the hand 14 and the workpiece 3 are not in interference with the opening 2a of the work object 2, external operation is performed. It is preferable to turn on the “continuation switch” of the panel 22.

By this alignment (S6), the automatic mode is continued, the workpiece 3 is inserted into the opening 2a (S7), the workpiece 3 is brought close to the assembly position (S8), and the workpiece 3 is synchronized with the line speed (S9). ), The status of the cooperative work is displayed by the status display device 24 (S10).
The hand 18 has such a length that a passage through which a person can pass is formed between the robot area 4a and the assembly line 1 when the work is assembled to the work target. In the state of approaching the assembly position (S8), the on-hand operation panel 18 is in a state of being located in the work area 1b.

The person 6 (for example, a worker) is evacuated to the safety area 1c (right side in the figure) until the change to the cooperation mode is made on the external operation panel in the collaborative work possible situation. Thus, the passage is blocked so that no person enters the work area 1b from the safety area 1c.
When the mode is changed to the cooperation mode, the person 6 can enter the work area 1b from the safety area 1c and can operate the on-hand operation panel 18 located in the work area 1b.
Note that the work 3 is synchronized with the line speed by automatic control by the robot 16 until the person starts operating the on-hand operation panel 18 (S9). That is, on the assembly line, the workpiece 3 is moved at the same speed as the assembly line 1 when there is no manual control input in the automatic mode and the cooperation mode.

FIG. 4B shows a state in which the work 6 is assembled to the work object 2 moving on the assembly line 1 by operating the robot 16 (that is, the on-hand operation panel 18) in the cooperative mode (described later). S12).
In this cooperation mode, the robot 16 is manually controlled by an on-hand operation panel 18 by a person 6 (worker).
In a collaborative situation, the person 6 turns on the work start switch of the external operation panel 22 (S11), operates the on-hand operation panel 18 located in the work area 1b, and attaches the work 3 to the work object 2. Collaborative work (assembly work) is carried out (S12).

  Further, in the present invention, even during manual control, the workpiece 3 is operated by receiving a manual control input while being synchronized with the line speed by the robot 16.

The synchronization control of the workpiece 3 with the assembly line 1 in the automatic mode and the cooperation mode is not essential, and the workpiece 3 may not be synchronized with the assembly line 1 in one or both of the automatic mode and the cooperation mode. .
That is, the workpiece synchronization control may be any of the following four types.
(1) Synchronized in both automatic and collaborative modes.
The robot is operated so that the robot and the work target do not interfere when the person is not operated, and the human operation is accepted while the line speed is corrected even when the person is operating.
(2) Synchronous in automatic mode and asynchronous in collaborative mode.
The robot is operated so that the robot and the work target do not interfere with each other when the person is not operating, and when the person is operating, the person operates, including following the line speed.
(3) Asynchronous in automatic mode and synchronous in collaborative mode.
When the person is not operating, the person operates including tracking the line speed, and when the person is operating, the line speed is corrected and the person's operation is accepted.
(4) Asynchronous in both automatic and cooperative modes.
When the person is not operating, the person operates including tracking the line speed, and when the person operates, the person operates including tracking the line speed.

In this cooperative mode, the robot controller 20 constantly calculates the time required for the retreat operation, and when this time is shorter than the predetermined first threshold, it is determined as the yellow zone, and this time is shorter than the first threshold. When it is shorter than the predetermined second threshold, it is determined as a red zone, and an alarm is transmitted.
That is, the distance necessary for the retreating operation after the completion of the operation is calculated, and the yellow zone that must be urgently completed in the predetermined robot area 4a of the robot 16 corresponding to the remaining movable range, and this A red zone that cannot be avoided and a line stop signal are transmitted, and an alarm is displayed on the status display device 24.

When this collaborative work (assembly work) is completed, the person 6 retreats from the work area 1b to the safety area 1c (right side in the figure), turns on the work completion switch of the external operation panel 22, and completes the work completion signal (S13). Is output, the robot control device 20 receives the work completion signal, the cooperation mode ends, the automatic mode is displayed (S14), and the second half automatic mode is switched.
Note that before the work completion switch of the external operation panel 22 is turned on, a work may be performed by a person to release the workpiece 3 (S15 described later), and the robot may be withdrawn slightly.

FIG. 4C shows a state in which the work 3 is retracted from the opening 2a of the work object 2 in the latter half automatic mode (S16 described later).
In the second half automatic mode, the robot 16 is automatically controlled. In the latter half automatic mode, the robot 16 is automatically controlled to release the workpiece 3 (S15), and the hand 14 is detached from the opening 2a (the door of the vehicle body) by the robot controller 20 (S16).
Next, the robot 16 is automatically controlled to return to the initial position (standby position) of the robot.

  As described above, the control method of the external operation hand guide device according to the present invention has an automatic mode for automatically controlling the robot and a collaborative mode for manually controlling the robot with the on-hand operation panel, and allows the judgment and experience of human beings. Only the necessary work is switched to the cooperative mode, and other work is executed in the automatic mode.

6A and 6B are configuration diagrams of the interference prevention apparatus according to the present invention, in which FIG. 6A is a plan view and FIG. 6B is a side view. Moreover, in this figure, 2b is a vehicle body interference site located behind the opening 2a of the work object 2 (right side in the figure).
The interference prevention device 40 shown in FIG. 6 includes a photoelectric sensor 42 for detecting interruption, a sensor arm 44, and an actuator (not shown). The sensor arm 44 has a photoelectric sensor 42 at the tip, is attached to the hand 14, and is configured to be swingable between the rear and the upper side. An actuator (not shown) is attached to the hand 14 and swings the sensor arm 44.
With this configuration, when the sensor arm 44 is swung rearward and the vehicle sensor interference portion 2b is sandwiched in the width direction by the photoelectric sensor 32 and detected without contact, the hand 14 is moved forward by a certain amount, thereby moving the workpiece 3 forward. Synchronize with the line speed.
In this configuration, when the hand 14 is inserted or removed, the sensor arm 34 is swung upward to avoid interference with the vehicle body interference part 2b.

  Note that the line synchronization of the workpiece 3 (S9 described above) is not limited to this configuration. For example, the line speed may be directly measured, or the line speed information may be acquired from the host system. In addition, a sensor other than the above configuration (for example, a limit switch, a photoelectric sensor, an electrostatic sensor, or the like) may be used.

  According to the apparatus and method of the present invention described above, the robot control device 20 has an “automatic mode” for automatically controlling the robot 16 and a “cooperative mode” for manually controlling the robot 16 by the on-hand operation panel 18. Therefore, the robot 16 is switched to the collaborative mode only when work requiring the judgment and experience of the person 6 and the other work is executed in the automatic mode. Therefore, the robot 16 automatically performs the simple work in the automatic mode, as in the final assembly. The work that is difficult to position can be performed by manually controlling the robot while the person 6 judges in the collaborative mode.

An on-hand for operating the robot in the cooperative mode is provided between the robot area 4a and the assembly line 1 and is provided with a work area 1b where the hand 14 can move and a safety area 1c where the hand 14 cannot enter. Since the operation panel 18 is set so as to be positioned in the work area 1b when the work 3 is assembled to the work object 2, the person 6 (worker) enters the assembly area 1 with the robot area 4a. And can be manually performed from within the work area 1b.
Therefore, the movement amount for the person 6 (worker) to work is small, and there is no possibility of being caught between the work and the work object.

  Further, in the automatic mode, the person 6 (worker) has retreated in the safety area 1c adjacent to the work area 1b, so that during the automatic control of the robot, the workpiece can be confirmed (correctness of product type, appearance, gripping state, etc.) ) Can be carried out visually.

  Furthermore, in the automatic mode, since the timing for aligning the workpiece with the work object is input by the external operation panel 22, when the work 3 is inserted into the vehicle through the opening 2a of the work object 2, the work object and the work Even if the robot operation cannot be continued without matching the positions, the person (worker) is between the work target and the robot, so the timing and positioning (such as jog operation) can be performed by looking at the position of the work target on the line. Advanced positioning sensors are not required.

  Further, since the person 6 is outside the vehicle, a blind spot occurs in the cooperation mode. However, since the visual support device 30 including the camera 32, the laser device 34, and the monitor 36 is provided, the workability can be improved.

  In both automatic mode and cooperative mode, the workpiece is moved at the same speed as the assembly line when there is no manual control input. So that the robot will not interfere with the work object until the person (worker) presses the enable switch, and the worker will follow the line speed during operation. Since the work and the work object relatively held by the robot can be operated in a stopped state, workability can be improved.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, Of course, a various change can be added in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.

1 assembly line, 1b work area, 1c safety area,
2 Work object (car body),
2a opening (door part of vehicle body), 2b vehicle body interference part,
3 work (instrument panel),
4 Robot area safety fence, 4a Robot area,
5 people area safety fence, 6 people (workers),
10 External operation hand guide device,
12 Work gripping device (end effector),
14 hands,
16 robots (articulated robots),
18 On-hand control panel,
18a enable switch,
18b One-hand operation input device,
18c indicator lamp, 18d pushbutton switch,
20 robot controller,
22 external operation panel, 24 status display device,
26 line shut-off device,
27 Robot area blocking device,
30 visual support devices, 32 cameras,
34 laser device, 36 monitor,
40 interference prevention device, 42 photoelectric sensor,
44 Sensor arm

Claims (8)

An external operation hand guide device for assembling a workpiece from outside to a work object moving on an assembly line,
A workpiece gripping device for gripping a workpiece; an elongated hand having the workpiece gripping device; a robot that cantilever-supports the distal end of the hand and moves the distal end within a predetermined robot area; and the distal end of the hand An on- hand operation panel for operating a robot provided on the hand on the side , and a robot controller for controlling the robot,
Between the robot area and the assembly line, a work area where the hand can move and a safety area where the hand cannot enter are provided adjacent to each other,
The length of the hand is set so that the on-hand operation panel is located in the work area when the hand is to assemble a work on a work object on the assembly line,
The robot controller, external operation walk-behind device, wherein an automatic mode for automatically controlling the robot, and a cooperation mode for manually controlled by Onhando operation panel robots, that. An external operation panel provided in the safety area and outputting a control signal to the robot; and a state display device for displaying an operation state of the robot,
In the automatic mode, the timing for aligning the workpiece to the work object by the external operation panel is input, and the state that can be switched to the collaborative mode by the status display device is displayed as a collaborative work possible situation,
Switch to collaborative mode with the external operation panel,
2. The external operation hand guide device according to claim 1, wherein in the cooperative mode, the robot is manually controlled by an on-hand operation panel and a work is assembled to a work target, and then the automatic operation mode is switched by the external operation panel. .   A camera that captures an image of a blind area from an on-hand operation panel provided in the hand; and a laser device that outputs laser light of a slit, arc, spot, or a combination thereof provided in the hand to the area; The external operation hand guide device according to claim 1, further comprising a visual support device that is installed on an on-hand operation panel and includes a monitor that displays the image including the irradiation position of the laser beam. The automatic shutdown mode includes a line shut-off device that shuts off a person from entering the work area from the safety area until a status indicating that a collaborative work is possible is displayed by the status display device. external operation hand-guided device according to 2. The on-hand operation panel includes an enable switch that occupies one hand to ensure safety, a one-hand operation input device that can input a translation input of three orthogonal axes and a rotation input around the three axes by one-hand operation,
The external operation hand guide device according to claim 1, wherein the robot can be manually controlled by operating the enable switch and the one-hand operation input device with both hands in the cooperative mode. A workpiece gripping device for gripping a workpiece; an elongated hand having the workpiece gripping device; a robot that cantilever-supports the distal end of the hand and moves the distal end within a predetermined robot area; and the distal end of the hand An on- hand operation panel provided on the hand to operate the operation of the robot on the side , a work area where the hand can move and a safety area where the hand cannot enter are provided between the robot area and the assembly line, The hand has a length that allows the work area to be formed when the work is assembled to the work object, and the hand is used to assemble the work to the work object on the assembly line. in the so Onhando operation panel is positioned in the work area, the length of the hand is set, the working object moving on the assembly line From Part A control method of an external operating walk behind device for mounting the workpiece,
An automatic mode and a collaborative mode, wherein the robot is automatically controlled in the automatic mode, and in the collaborative mode, a person operates an on-hand operation panel to operate the robot. Control method of external operation hand guide device.   The control of the external operation hand guide device according to claim 6, wherein the workpiece is moved at the same speed as the assembly line when there is no manual control input in the automatic mode and the cooperative mode on the assembly line. Method.   In the cooperative mode, the time required for the evacuation operation is always calculated, and when the time is shorter than a predetermined first threshold, it is determined as a yellow zone, and the time is shorter than a predetermined second threshold shorter than the first threshold. The control method of the external operation hand guide device according to claim 6, wherein it is determined that the zone is a red zone and an alarm is issued for each.

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