MUMBAI, India, Aug. 22 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202517072901 A) filed by Softbank Group Corp., Tokyo, on July 31, for 'robot hand, robot control system, function recovery processing system, robot control program, and function recovery processing program.'
Inventor(s) include Son, Masayoshi.
The application for the patent was published on Aug. 22, under issue no. 34/2025.
According to the abstract released by the Intellectual Property India: "In a first invention, by covering a gripping part 20 with a soft material 102, the soft material 102 closely adheres to a package 100 during suction by a plurality of suction pads 24. Therefore, the soft material is used as an auxiliary holding force when suctioning the package 100 with, for example, an air suction structure of the suction pads 24, and thus the package 100 can be reliably held. In a second invention, a management server that operates in cooperation with a robot control unit has a function restoration processing unit that executes a function restoration process for restoring a function of the soft material as part of a maintenance process when the robot has docked in a docking station. Due to this configuration, when the package 100 is being gripped by the gripping part 20, if the function of the soft material 102 attached to the gripping part 20, as an auxiliary to the suction of the suction pads 24, becomes reduced, the function can be restored by executing an exchange process or a washing process in accordance with the frequency of the function reduction. In a third invention, a robot is provided with: a plurality of gripping parts 20 that grip an object; a palm sensor 26 that is provided to each of the plurality of gripping parts 20 and that detects object information including the shape and position of the object; and a control unit 142. In the control unit 142, a control for monitoring the palm sensor 26 is interrupted regularly or irregularly to ascertain the accuracy of the detection information of the palm sensor 26. Therein, it is determined whether the accuracy is acceptable, and if not acceptable, the palm sensor 26 of a gripping part 20 that was not selected is used. A gripping part 20 that functions as a support sensor, other than a gripping part 20 that is attempting to grip the package 100, is placed opposing the package 100, and grip control of a gripping part 20L is executed on the basis of the detection information of the palm sensor 26 of a gripping part 20S. Thus, a series of tasks performed by the gripping part consisting of position confirmation, grasping, and holding of the package can be carried out quickly and reliably. A fourth invention comprises: a plurality of gripping parts 20 that are attached to a robot and that grip an object 100; a sensor group 12G equipped with a first function to acquire external information for controlling an operation of the robot, and a second function to acquire object information from the object 100; and a control unit 142 that moves the robot to a prescribed position on the basis of the external information and the object information, and that controls the gripping parts so that the object is gripped by the gripping parts. If a special object is selected by the second function of the sensor group, the control unit 142 causes the special object to be gripped on the basis of a predetermined gripping mode for the special object. Due to this configuration, a series of tasks performed by the gripping parts including position and type confirmation, gripping, and post-gripping holding and movement of the package can be carried out quickly and reliably. A fifth invention is configured to comprise: a gripping part 20 that serves as a base for holding an object; an actuator that is provided to the gripping part, and that has a vacuum function for suctioning the object and for sucking dust adhered to the object; a palm sensor that is provided to the gripping part, and that detects object information including the shape and position of the object; a first control unit that moves the vacuum function of the actuator as necessary on the basis of the detection result of the palm sensor, so as to control the operation of holding the object; and a second control unit that starts the vacuum function of the actuator before the operation for holding the object by the first control unit. Due to this configuration, the negative effects of dust adhered to the object in a series of tasks performed by the gripping part consisting of position confirmation, grasping, and holding of the package can be reduced, and the tasks can be carried out quickly and reliably."
The patent application was internationally filed on Nov. 16, 2023, under International application No.PCT/JP2023/041331.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
