Patent ID: 8380342

Claim:
A workpiece removing device comprising: a camera for imaging a workpiece loading area including a plurality of workpieces loaded in bulk; a workpiece detection section for detecting a workpiece, based on a camera image imaged with the camera; a workpiece selection section for selecting a workpiece adapted to be removed, based on a detection result by the workpiece detection section; a robot for removing the workpiece selected by the workpiece selection section; a loading state determination section for determining whether a loading state of the workpieces in the workpiece loading area has changed due to an operation of the robot; and an area setting section for setting a workpiece detection area where the workpiece detection section detects a workpiece; wherein, the area setting section sets the workpiece detection area corresponding to the workpiece loading area in an initial state, if the loading state determination section determines that the loading state of the workpieces has changed, the area setting section sets the workpiece detection area in a portion of the workpiece loading area, the portion being a peripheral area of a changing position of the loading state; wherein, if the workpiece is not detected in the workpiece detection area set in the portion of the workpiece loading area, the area setting section determines whether a specified termination condition is satisfied; and wherein the specified termination condition is not satisfied, the area setting section sets the workpiece detection are corresponding to the workpiece loading area.