IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,393,063
Granted Patent B2
US 11,393,063 · App. 16/831,987 · Granted Jul 19, 2022

Object detecting method, object detecting device, and robot system

Inventor: Jun Toda (Shiojiri, JP)
G06T1/0014B25J9/1664B25J9/1671B25J9/1697G06V20/20G06V20/58G06V20/653G06V2201/07
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,393,063
App. No.
16/831,987
Granted
Jul 19, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An object detecting method includes imaging a plurality of target objects with an imaging section and acquiring a first image, recognizing an object position/posture of one of the plurality of target objects based on the first image, counting the number of successfully recognized object positions/postures of the target object, outputting, based on the object position/posture of the target object, a signal for causing a holding section to hold the target object, calculating, as a task evaluation value, a result about whether the target object was successfully held, updating, based on an evaluation indicator including the number of successfully recognized object positions/postures and the task evaluation value, a model for estimating the evaluation indicator from an imaging position/posture of the imaging section and determining an updated imaging position/posture, acquiring a second image in the updated imaging position/posture, and recognizing the object position/posture of the target object based on the second image.

Claims (29)

1. An object detecting method for detecting an object position/posture of a target object, the object detecting method comprising:

imaging a plurality of target objects with an imaging section and acquiring a first image;

recognizing the object position/posture of the target object based on the first image;

counting, as a number of recognized object positions/postures, a number of successfully recognized object positions/postures of the target object;

outputting, based on the object position/posture of the target object, a signal for causing a holding section to hold the target object;

calculating, as a task evaluation value, a result about whether the target object was successfully held;

updating, based on an evaluation indicator including the number of recognized object positions/postures and the task evaluation value, a model for estimating the evaluation indicator from an imaging position/posture of the imaging section and determining an updated imaging position/posture of the imaging section based on the model after the update;

imaging the plurality of target objects in the updated imaging position/posture and acquiring a second image; and

recognizing the object position/posture of the target object based on the second image.

2. The object detecting method according to claim 1 , wherein the first image is a two-dimensional image or a depth image.

3. The object detecting method according to claim 1 , wherein the model is a model of Bayesian inference into which a concept of a forgetting rate is introduced.

4. The object detecting method according to claim 1 , wherein the task evaluation value includes a result obtained by causing the holding section to hold the target object and perform work using the target object.

5. An object detecting device that detects an object position/posture of a target object, the object detecting device comprising:

an imaging control section configured to capture, with an imaging section, a first image including a plurality of target objects and acquire the first image;

an object-position/posture calculating section configured to recognize the object position/posture of the target object based on the first image;

a recognition evaluating section configured to count, as a number of recognized object positions/postures, a number of successfully recognized object positions/postures of the target object;

a holding-position/posture calculating section configured to calculate, based on the object position/posture of the target object, a holding position/posture of a holding section that holds the target object and output a control signal for causing the holding section to hold the target object in the holding position/posture;

a task evaluating section configured to acquire a result about whether the target object was successfully held by the holding section and calculate a task evaluation value; and

an imaging-position/posture determining section configured to update, based on an evaluation indicator including the number of recognized object positions/postures and the task evaluation value, a model for estimating the evaluation indicator from an imaging position/posture of the imaging section and determine an updated imaging position/posture of the imaging section based on the model after the update, wherein

the imaging control section causes the imaging section to capture a second image in the updated imaging position/posture and acquires the second image, and

the object-position/posture calculating section recognizes the object position/posture of the target object based on the second image.

6. The object detecting device according to claim 5 , further comprising a display section configured to display at least one of the number of recognized object positions/postures, the task evaluation value, and the evaluation indicator.

7. A robot system comprising:

a robot including a robot arm;

an imaging section set in the robot arm;

the object detecting device according to claim 5 ; and

a robot control device configured to control driving of the robot based on a detection result of the object detecting device.

8. The robot system according to claim 7 , further comprising an automated guided vehicle mounted with the robot.

9. The robot system according to claim 7 , wherein the imaging-position/posture determining section initializes the model when a position of the robot changes.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 27, 2020
From: TODA, JUN
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052242/0251 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2019-064848 · Mar 28, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200311854A1 · Oct 1, 2020