ROBOT CONTROL SYSTEM

A robot control system according to an embodiment may include: a placement area in which the article is placed; an information providing part that is provided on one of a robot unit including the robot and the placement area and configured to provide information on handling of the article by the robot; an information acquisition part that is provided the other one of the robot unit and the placement area and configured to acquire the information from the information providing part; and a control device configured to control, when the robot handles the article, the robot based on the information acquired by the information acquisition part.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure may relate to a robot control system. In particular, the disclosure may relate to measures for enhancing versatility of a robot when the robot handles an article (for example, when the robot transports or processes an article).

BACKGROUND ART

A robot control system for transporting or otherwise handling an article by a robot is disclosed, for example, in PTL 1. The robot control system disclosed in PTL 1 corrects an action position of a robot when the robot transports an article from a mobile platform to a work cell. The robot is mounted on a mobile platform (an automated guided vehicle, AGV, in PTL 1) and equipped with a CCD camera on a head of the robot. The robot control system executes such correction by scanning, using the CCD camera, the position of a fiducial marker provided on the work cell (a work station in PTL 1) after the mobile platform has stopped, calculating a relative position of the robot to the fiducial marker on the work cell, and thereby correcting the action position of the robot. This robot control system enables a highly precise transport task.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

SUMMARY

However, PTL 1 merely discloses the technique for correcting the action position of the robot in accordance with the relative position of the robot to the work cell. This technique is only applicable to the case where a robot performs a single action (the action to transport the article placed at a particular position on the mobile platform to a particular position on the work cell). The technique disclosed in PTL 1 is not suitable for the case where a robot performs various actions as required and the case where a plurality of robots performs different actions from each other. This technique thus needs improvements in terms of versatility of the robot.

An object of the disclosure may be to provide a robot control system that can ensure enhanced versatility and proper robot control when a robot handles an article.

An aspect of the disclosure is a robot control system for controlling a robot when the robot handles an article. The robot control system includes: a placement area in which the article is placed; an information providing part, provided on one of a robot unit including the robot and the placement area, and configured to provide information on handling of the article by the robot; an information acquisition part, provided the other one of the robot unit and the placement area, and configured to acquire the information from the information providing part; and a control device configured to control the robot when the robot handles the article, based on the information acquired by the information acquisition part.

According to the above described aspect, the information on an action to be performed by the robot when the robot handles the article (an action to be performed by the robot when the robot transports or processes the article) is acquired from the information providing part by the information acquisition part. Based on the acquired information, the control device controls the robot when the robot handles the article. When causing the robot to perform an action as required, the robot control system acquires the information suitable for the action (the required action) from the information providing part by the information acquisition part, for example, at the start of the action. The robot control system can thereby change the action to be performed by the robot each time the robot handles the article. In addition, when causing a plurality of robots to perform different actions from each other, the robot control system acquires different types of information suitable for the respective actions to be performed by the robots, from the information providing part by the information acquisition part. The robot control system can thereby allow the respective robots to perform different actions. As a result, the robot control system can ensure enhanced versatility and proper robot control when one or more robots handle one or more respective articles.

In the robot control system according to the above described aspect, it may be preferable that the robot includes a robot arm configured to transport the article, the information comprises information on any obstacle in the placement area and a periphery thereof, and the control device is configured to control, when the obstacle is present, a trajectory of the robot arm in such a manner as to avoid the obstacle.

With this configuration, when the information acquired from the information providing part contains information indicating the presence of an obstacle in the placement area and the periphery thereof, the trajectory of the robot arm is controlled such that the robot arm can avoid contact with the obstacle. Since the information acquired from the information providing part by the information acquisition part contains obstacle information, the robot control system enables the robot arm to avoid the obstacle, without requiring a special obstacle detector.

In the robot control system according to the above described aspect, it may be preferable that the robot includes a robot arm configured to transport the article, the robot unit includes the robot and a mobile platform on which the robot is mounted, the information acquisition part includes an imaging device that is configured to acquire the information by capturing an image of the information providing part, and the control device is configured to recognize a relative position of the robot unit to the placement area, based on the image of the information providing part captured by the imaging device, and control an action of the robot arm in accordance with the relative position.

When the robot unit has come close to the placement area by the movement of the mobile platform, the stop position of the robot unit needs attention. With the robot unit stopped at a prescribed position, the robot unit activated in accordance with the acquired information can transport the article properly. On the other hand, with the robot unit stopped at a position misaligned from the prescribed position, the robot unit activated in accordance with the acquired information transports the article to a position that is misaligned by the amount of misalignment. In view of such inconvenience, the robot control system according to the above described configuration recognizes a relative position of the robot unit to the placement area, based on the image of the information providing part captured by the imaging device, and controls an action of the robot arm in accordance with the recognized relative position. The robot control system can thereby prevent the article from being transported to a misaligned position. Accordingly, the image of the information providing part is captured by the imaging device that serves as the information acquisition part, and such image-capturing is utilized not only for acquisition of the information on handling of the article by the robot, but also for recognition of the relative position of the robot unit to the placement area. The resulting robot control system can effectively utilize the information acquisition part and the information providing part.

According to the above described aspect, the robot control system is configured to acquire information on the information providing part that is provided on one of the robot unit and the placement area (the information on handling of the article by the robot), by information acquisition part that is provided on the other one of the robot unit and the placement area. The robot control system is further configured to control the robot when the robot handles the article, based on the acquired information. The robot control system can thereby ensure enhanced versatility and proper robot control when the robot handles the article.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the disclosure is described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a robot control system is applied to a cellular manufacturing line provided with two robots and two work cells (also called work stations in the following description). Note that the application of the robot control system is not limited to the mode described in this embodiment.

—Overall Configuration of the Cellular Manufacturing Line—

FIG.1is a plan view showing a general configuration of a cellular manufacturing line ML to which the robot control system according to an embodiment is applied. As shown inFIG.1, the cellular manufacturing line ML according to this embodiment includes two robot units (each unit being composed of a mobile platform and a robot mounted thereon)11,21and two work stations12,22. The two robot units11,21in this embodiment are a first robot unit11on the left of the drawing and a second robot unit21on the right thereof. The two work stations12,22are a first work station12on the left of the drawing and a second work station22on the right thereof.

A manufacture process on the cellular manufacturing line ML in this embodiment includes, for example, following actions. The first robot unit11transports a workpiece (an article) W to a predetermined position (a place position) on a top surface12aof the first work station12. On the first work station12, a worker A assembles the workpiece W (assembles a subassembly). The workpiece W is then placed at a predetermined position (a pick position) on the top surface12aof the first work station12. The second robot unit21transports the workpiece W from the top surface12aof the first work station12to a predetermined position (a place position) on a top surface22aof the second work station22. On the second work station22, a worker B further assembles the workpiece W. Each of the top surfaces12a,22aof the work stations12,22corresponds to a placement area (a placement area in which the article is placed).

The robot control system according to this embodiment provides a first system10composed of the first robot unit11and the first work station12, and a second system20composed of the second robot unit21and the second work station22. These systems10,20are described below.

—Configuration of the First System—

To start with, the configuration of the first system10is described. In this embodiment, the first robot unit11that constructs the first system10is composed of a mobile platform13without a propelling power source (a non-self-propelled hand-guided mobile platform) and a robot14mounted thereon. The robot14is activated to transport the workpiece W to the first work station12(for example, to pick up the workpiece W from a parts box, not shown, and to transport the workpiece W to the first work station12). The mobile platform13may also be an automated guided vehicle (AGV) or an autonomous mobile robot (AMR), each having a propelling power source.

FIG.2is an illustration showing a general configuration of the first system10.FIG.3is a control block diagram for the first system10.

As shown inFIG.2, the robot14has a multi-axis robot arm14aand a hand14b, as an end effector, attached to a distal end of the robot arm14a. The robot arm14aserves to move the hand14bto a predetermined position. The hand14bserves to hold the workpiece W. An imaging device15is mounted, as an information acquisition part, on a distal part of the robot arm14a(near an attachment position of the hand14b). The imaging device15is composed of, for example, an RGB-D camera or the like. The imaging device15serves to capture an image of the top surface12aof the first work station12and a periphery of the first work station12, and to output information on the captured image to a control device16(seeFIG.3). The information on the image captured by the imaging device15serves as information for recognizing the place position of the workpiece W on the top surface12aof the first work station12. The image information also serves as information scanned from a QR code QC1. As described below, the QR code QC1is provided (affixed) on the top surface12aof the first work station12and serves as an information providing part. The information providing part is not limited to the QR code QC1and may be an AR marker. The information acquired through scanning of the QR code QC1or the AR marker by the imaging device15is either information contained in (retrieved from) the QR code QC1or the AR marker, or information stored in advance in a personal computer, etc. (for example, a storage section16b, etc., to be described later) and identified by the retrieved information.

The first work station12is a table where the worker A assembles the workpiece W. The QR code QC1is provided at a corner of the top surface12a(inFIG.2, a near-side corner on the left). The QR code QC1contains information on a work step for the robot14in the first robot unit11(a step for transporting the workpiece W). The work step information can be acquired through the scanning of the QR code QC1by the imaging device15. The work step information corresponds to information on handling of the article by the robot. Specifically, following types of information are acquired when the QR code QC1is scanned by the imaging device15, for example:information on the place position of the workpiece W on the top surface12aof the first work station12information on the size and orientation of the top surface12aof the first work station12information on any obstacle on the top surface12aof the first work station12and the periphery thereofinformation on a collaboration task, when the robot14in the first robot unit11collaborates with the worker A at the first work station12

As shown inFIG.3, the control device16for controlling the robot14serves as a control system for the first system10. The control device16is configured by a computer that includes a computing section (a processor such as a CPU)16a, a storage section (a ROM, etc.)16b, and an input/output section16c.

The computing section16aexecutes arithmetic processing based on, for example, a program (an operating program) stored in the storage section16b, and thereby calculates control command information for controlling the robot14.

The storage section16bstores, for example, an operating program for controlling the robot14. The operating program in this embodiment includes: a base program for controlling the robot14in accordance with the information scanned from the QR code QC1(including the information on the place position of the workpiece W on the top surface12aof the first work station12); and a correction program for correcting a controlled variable obtained for the robot14by the base program, as described below. The operating program, constructed with the base program and the correction program in this embodiment, is not limited to this disclosure.

The base program serves to obtain trajectories of the robot arm14aand the hand14bwhen the robot14is controlled according to the information scanned from the QR code QC1(when the robot14transports the workpiece W to a predetermined position on the top surface12aof the first work station12), for example, in such a manner as to substantially minimize a transport distance of the workpiece W to the predetermined position on the top surface12a.

The correction program (the program for correcting the controlled variable obtained by the base program for the robot14) serves to correct the trajectories of the robot arm14aand the hand14b, according to obstacle avoidance data and relative position correction data.

The correction program for obstacle avoidance serves to determine a correction variable to the controlled variable for the robot14(the controlled variable obtained by the base program) when the information scanned from the QR code QC1contains the information indicating the presence of an obstacle, in such a manner that the trajectories of the robot arm14aand the hand14bcan avoid the obstacle. For example, the information scanned from the QR code QC1contains three-dimensional position information on the obstacle (information on three-dimensional position coordinates of the obstacle), in which case the correction variable to the controlled variable for the robot14is determined such that the trajectories of the robot arm14aand the hand14b(three-dimensional positions of the robot arm14aand the hand14bon the trajectories) do not interfere with the three-dimensional position of the obstacle. The three-dimensional position information on the obstacle is written in advance in the QR code QC1, in accordance with a layout of the cellular manufacturing line ML and the like.

The correction program for relative position correction serves to correct the position information for transporting the workpiece W to the predetermined position on the top surface12aof the first work station12(the predetermined place position), in accordance with the relative position of the first robot unit11(more specifically, the robot14) to the top surface12aof the first work station12. The relative position of the robot14to the top surface12aof the first work station12is obtained using the image scanned from the QR code QC1by the imaging device15. To be specific, with the posture of the robot arm14abeing the same, an image of the QR code QC1captured by the imaging device15on the presumption that the first robot unit11is stopped at a prescribed position is compared with an image of the QR code QC1actually captured by the imaging device15. If these images are misaligned from each other, the stop position of the first robot unit11can be judged as misaligned. Using this misalignment of the images, it is possible to obtain the relative position of the robot14to the top surface12aof the first work station12. To give an example, it is possible to judge that the position of the mobile platform13relative to the first work station12(the position of the mobile platform13manually pushed and stopped by the worker) is misaligned to the near side (to the bottom inFIG.1), by referring to the image of the QR code QC1actually captured by the imaging device15. In this case, the robot arm14ais controlled to correct the position of the hand14bto the far side (to the top inFIG.1) (the place position is corrected to the far side). Consequently, even when the position of the mobile platform13is misaligned, the workpiece W can be transported to the predetermined position on the top surface12aof the first work station12.

The input/output section16cis connected with the first robot unit11. The input/output section16ccan receive, from the first robot unit11, the work step information acquired through the scanning of the QR code QC1by the imaging device15. The input/output section16ccan also transmit the control command information to the first robot unit11.

—Configuration of the second system—

Next, the configuration of the second system20is described. In this embodiment, the second robot unit21that constructs the second system20is composed of a self-propelled mobile platform23with a propelling power source and a robot24mounted thereon. The robot24is activated to transport the workpiece W from the first work station12to the second work station22. The mobile platform23is an AGV or an AMR.

FIG.4is an illustration showing a general configuration of the second system20.FIG.5is a control block diagram for the second system20.

As shown inFIG.4, the robot24has a multi-axis robot arm24aand a hand24b, just as the robot14in the first system10.

The second work station22is a table where the worker B assembles the workpiece W. An imaging device22bis provided at a corner of the top surface22aof the second work station22(inFIG.4, a far-side corner on the left). The imaging device22bis composed of, for example, an RGB-D camera or the like. The imaging device22bserves to capture an image of a top surface of the mobile platform23in the second robot unit21and a periphery of the mobile platform23, and to output information on the captured image to a control device26(seeFIG.5). The information on the image captured by the imaging device22bserves as information scanned from a QR code QC2. As described below, the QR code QC2is provided on the top surface of the mobile platform23and serves as the information providing part. Also in the second system20, the information providing part is not limited to the QR code QC2and may be an AR marker. The information acquired through scanning of the QR code QC2or the AR marker by the imaging device22bis either information contained in (retrieved from) the QR code QC2or the AR marker, or information stored in advance in a personal computer, etc. (for example, a storage section26b, etc., to be described later) and identified by the retrieved information.

The QR code QC2is provided on the top surface of the mobile platform23. The QR code QC2contains information on respective work steps for the mobile platform23and the robot24in the second robot unit21. The work step information can be acquired through the scanning of the QR code QC2by the imaging device22b. The work step information corresponds to information on handling of the article by the robot. Specifically, following types of information are acquired when the QR code QC2is scanned by the imaging device22b, for example:information on the pick position of the workpiece W on the top surface12aof the first work station12information on the place position of the workpiece W on the top surface22aof the second work station22information on the size and orientation of the top surface22aof the second work station22information on any obstacle on the top surface22aof the second work station22and the periphery thereofinformation on a collaboration task, when the robot24in the second robot unit21collaborates with the worker B at the second work station22

As shown inFIG.5, the control device26for controlling the robot24serves as a control system for the second system20. Similar to the above-described control device16in the first system10, the control device26includes a computing section26a, a storage section26b, and an input/output section26c. A difference from the above-described control device16in the first system10is found in the storage section26bthat stores, for example, an operating program for controlling the robot24. The operating program in this embodiment includes: a base program for controlling the robot24in accordance with the information scanned from the QR code QC2(including the information on the pick position of the workpiece W on the top surface12aof the first work station12, and the information on the place position of the workpiece W on the top surface22aof the second work station22); and a correction program for correcting a controlled variable obtained for the robot24by the base program. As described above, the correction program serves to correct the controlled variable in the same manner as in the first system10, based on the obstacle information and the information on the relative position of the robot24to the top surfaces12a,22aof the work stations12,22.

The base program serves to obtain trajectories of the robot arm24aand the hand24bwhen the robot24is controlled according to the information scanned from the QR code QC2(when the robot24transports the workpiece W from the predetermined position on the top surface12aof the first work station12to the predetermined position on the top surface22aof the second work station22), for example, in such a manner as to minimize a transport distance of the workpiece W to the predetermined position on the top surface22a.

The correction program includes, as described above, the correction program for obstacle avoidance and the correction program for relative position correction.

The correction program for obstacle avoidance serves to determine a correction variable to the controlled variable for the robot24(the controlled variable obtained by the base program) when the information scanned from the QR code QC2contains the information indicating the presence of an obstacle, in such a manner that the trajectories of the robot arm24aand the hand24bcan avoid the obstacle.

The correction program for relative position correction serves to correct the position information for transporting the workpiece W from the predetermined position on the top surface12aof the first work station12(the predetermined pick position) to the predetermined position on the top surface22aof the second work station22(the predetermined place position), in accordance with the relative position of the second robot unit21(more specifically, the robot24) to the top surface12aof the first work station12and the relative position of the robot24to the top surface22aof the second work station22. The relative positions of the robot24to the top surfaces12a,22aof the respective work stations12,22are obtained using the image scanned from the QR code QC2by the imaging device22b. These relative positions can be obtained by the same principle as in the first system above. Consequently, even when the position of the mobile platform23is misaligned relative to either or both of the work stations12,22, the workpiece W can be transported from the predetermined position on the top surface12aof the first work station12to the predetermined position on the top surface22aof the second work station22.

The input/output section26cis connected with the second robot unit21and the imaging device22b. The input/output section26ccan receive, from the imaging device22b, the work step information acquired through the scanning of the QR code QC2by the imaging device22b. The input/output section26ccan also transmit the control command information to the second robot unit21.

—Operation of the robot control system—

The description turns to the operation of the robot control system (the first system10and the second system20) configured as above.

FIG.6is a flowchart for describing the operation of the first system10. The operation in this flowchart is repeated every time a place request for placing the workpiece W on the first work station12is received.

Referring toFIG.6, when the first system10starts to operate, the QR code QC1is scanned by the imaging device15in step ST1. The scanning process includes capturing an image of the top surface of the first work station12and the periphery of the first work station12by the imaging device15, thereby recognizing the position of the QR code QC1, and then activating the robot arm14ato bring the imaging device15closer to the recognized position of the QR code QC1.

In step ST2, the first system10acquires the above-described information (the work step information) from the scanned QR code QC1.

In step ST3, the first system10acquires obstacle information (information on the presence/absence of an obstacle and, if any, position information on the obstacle) contained in the scanned information. The first system10also acquires the information on the relative position of the robot14to the first work station12(information on the amount of misalignment, when the relative position of the robot14to the first work station12is misaligned), based on the image of the QR code QC1(an appearance of the QR code QC1).

In step ST4, the first system10calculates a controlled variable for the robot14, based on the acquired information. As described above, the controlled variable is obtained in such a manner that the trajectories of the robot arm14aand the hand14bavoid the obstacle and in consideration of the misalignment of the relative position of the robot14to the first work station12.

In step ST5, the first system10starts to control the robot14, using the calculated controlled variable, and starts to transport the workpiece W to the first work station12.

In step ST6, the first system10determines whether the transport of the workpiece W to the first work station12is finished.

When the determination in step ST6is YES, namely, when the transport of the workpiece W to the first work station12is finished, the process goes step ST7. In step ST7, the robot14is allowed to take a standby posture, and the process returns thereafter. This operation is repeated every time the place request for placing the workpiece W on the first work station12is received.

The description turns next to the operation of the second system20.FIG.7is a flowchart for describing the operation of the second system20. The operation in this flowchart is repeated every time a transport request for transporting the workpiece W from the first work station12to the second work station22is received. In this flowchart, the steps identical to those in the first system10are indicated by the same step numbers.

When the second system20starts to operate, step ST0is executed to determine whether the second system20operates for the first time (when a newly constructed cellular manufacturing line ML starts manufacturing) or whether there is information that the mobile platform23has moved. In the case where the second system20operates for the first time or where the mobile platform23has moved, there is a possibility that the operation to be executed by the second system20has been changed or the position of the second robot unit21relative to the work stations12,22has been changed. Such changes necessitate scanning of the QR code QC2. To put it simply, step ST0is executed to determine whether the QR code QC2needs scanning.

When the determination in step ST0is YES, the process goes to step ST1, where the QR code QC2is scanned by the imaging device22b. After the work step information is acquired in step ST2, the process goes to step ST3′. In step ST3′, the second system20acquires obstacle information contained in the scanned information. The second system20also acquires the information on the relative positions of the robot24to the work stations12,22, based on the image of the QR code QC2(an appearance of the QR code QC2). Thereafter, the process goes to step ST4.

When the determination in step ST0is NO, the second system20judges that the information to be acquired through the scanning of the QR code QC2has been already acquired in a previous routine. Thereafter, the process goes to step ST4.

In step ST4, the second system20calculates a controlled variable for the robot24, based on the acquired information. In step ST5′, the second system20starts to control the robot24, using the calculated controlled variable, and starts to transport the workpiece W from the first work station12to the second work station22.

In step ST6, the second system20determines whether the transport of the workpiece W to the second work station22is finished. When the determination in step ST6is YES, namely, when the transport of the workpiece W to the second work station22is finished, the process goes step ST7. In step ST7, the robot24is allowed to take a standby posture, and the process returns thereafter. This operation is repeated every time the transport request for transporting the workpiece W from the first work station12to the second work station22is received.

Advantageous Effects of the Embodiment

As described above, the robot control system according to this embodiment acquires the information on the transport of the workpiece W by the robots14,24(information on the steps relating to the transport) from the QR codes QC1, QC2by using the imaging devices15,22b. Based on the acquired information, the robot control system controls the robots14,24independently so as to enable their respective transport operations. The robot control system can thus ensure enhanced versatility and proper robot control when each of the robots14,24transports the workpiece W.

Further, the robot control system according to this embodiment corrects (controls) the trajectories of the robot arms14a,24aand the hands14b,24b, when the information scanned from the QR codes QC1, QC2includes information indicating the presence of an obstacle. The trajectories are corrected such that the robot arms14a,24aand the hands14b,24bcan avoid contact with the obstacle. Since the information acquired from the QR codes QC1, QC2by the imaging devices15,22bcontains obstacle information, the robot control system enables the robot arm14a,24aand the hand14b,24bto avoid the obstacle, without requiring a special obstacle detector.

Further, the robot control system according to this embodiment obtains the amount of misalignment of the robot units11,21relative to the work stations12,22, based on the images of the QR codes QC1, QC2captured by the imaging devices15,22b. The robot control system controls the actions of the robot arms14a,24ain accordance with the amount of misalignment. This embodiment can thereby prevent the workpiece W from being transported to a misaligned position. Furthermore, the capturing of the images of the QR codes QC1, QC2by the imaging devices15,22bis utilized not only for acquisition of the information on the transport of the workpiece W but also for recognition of the relative positions of the robot units11,21to the work stations12,22. This embodiment can effectively utilize the imaging devices15,22band the QR codes QC1, QC2.

Other Embodiments

It should be noted that the embodiment disclosed herein is considered in all respects as illustrative and should not be taken as a basis for any restrictive interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the invention should not be construed by the above-described embodiment alone, but should be defined on the basis of the recitation in the claims. The technical scope of the invention encompasses all variations and modifications being equivalent to and falling within the equivalency range of the appended claims.

For example, the above embodiment describes the example of transporting the workpiece W by the robots14,24in the cellular manufacturing line ML, but this is not a limitative example. Alternatively, the robots14,24may process or otherwise handle the workpiece W. To be more specific, the above embodiment describes the example of the robots14,24having the robot arms14a,24aand the hands14b,24b, but the structure of the robots14,24is not limited thereto and may be arranged freely. Additionally, the robots14,24are not limited to so-called industrial robots applied to the cellular manufacturing line ML, and may be, for example, so-called service robots applied to catering service in restaurants, etc.

Further in the above embodiment, the robot units11,21are composed of the mobile platforms13,23and the robots14,24mounted thereon. The robot unit in the invention is not limited thereto, and may be composed of a stationary robot that is not mounted on a mobile platform.

Further in the above embodiment, the QR codes QC1, QC2serve as the information providing part, and the imaging devices15,22bserve as the information acquisition part. The invention is not limited to this disclosure. Alternatively, the information providing part may be an IC tag such as an RF tag, and the information acquisition part may be a tag reader.

The part or device for recognizing the relative positions of the robot units11,21to the work stations12,22may also be ranging sensors, etc.

Further in the above embodiment, the imaging device15in the first system10is provided on the robot arm14a, but may be provided on the mobile platform13instead. Further in the above embodiment, the QR code QC2in the second system20is provided on the mobile platform23, but may be provided on the robot arm24ainstead.

Further in the above embodiment, acquisition of the information from the QR codes QC1, QC2and acquisition of the peripheral images are both achieved through the image-capturing by the imaging devices15,22b. Alternatively, an imaging device for acquisition of the information and an imaging device for acquisition of the peripheral image may be provided separately.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The disclosure is applicable to a robot control system in which a robot transports or otherwise handles an article.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST