A workpiece transport apparatus for transporting a workpiece includes: a hand device; a moving device that includes a movable part mounted with the hand device and that includes at least one drive axis configured to operate the movable part; a current measurement section configured to measure a current value of a motor that drives the drive axis; and a workpiece number detection section configured to detect that a number of workpieces held by the hand device is different from an expected number based on a comparison result between the current value measured by the current measurement section when the hand device holds the workpiece, and a predetermined threshold value.

The present invention discloses a smart counting method and system in manufacturing, specifically in custom clothing or fabric manufacturing. The smart counting method and system uses a camera to feed real-time image data of a working platform where a worker takes a unfinished clothing or fabric, processes the clothing or fabric, and puts the finished clothing or fabric in a finished pile to a processing unit. The processing unit automatically starts a new work order and counts the number of finished products in this work order by using computer vision techniques.

The present invention discloses a smart counting method and system in manufacturing, specifically in custom clothing or fabric manufacturing. The smart counting method and system uses a camera to feed real-time image data of a working platform where a worker takes a unfinished clothing or fabric, processes the clothing or fabric, and puts the finished clothing or fabric in a finished pile to a processing unit. The processing unit automatically starts a new work order and counts the number of finished products in this work order by using computer vision techniques.

A workpiece transport apparatus for transporting a workpiece includes: a hand device; a moving device that includes a movable part mounted with the hand device and that includes at least one drive axis configured to operate the movable part; a current measurement section configured to measure a current value of a motor that drives the drive axis; and a workpiece number detection section configured to detect that a number of workpieces held by the hand device is different from an expected number based on a comparison result between the current value measured by the current measurement section when the hand device holds the workpiece, and a predetermined threshold value.

In one embodiment, an information collecting apparatus has a sensor, an arm, an arm drive mechanism, and a processor. The processor controls the arm drive mechanism to make the arm operate, and thereby makes the sensor move in the vicinity of an article arranged in a shelf. The processor acquires information indicating a state of the article to be measured by the sensor.

Articles are continuously supplied to a robot by control circulation speed. In a supply control device for controlling a circulation device that causes an article to circulate in a system that includes the circulation device, and a robot that retrieves the article during circulation with the circulation device, the supply control device includes: a detection unit that detects the article circulating with the circulation device, and a position of the article; a measurement unit that measures a number of the articles in a predetermined region on the circulation device, based on detection results of the detection unit; and a control unit that controls a speed of circulation of the circulation device according to the number of the articles in the predetermined region measured by the measurement unit.

Articles are continuously supplied to a robot by control circulation speed. In a supply control device for controlling a circulation device that causes an article to circulate in a system that includes the circulation device, and a robot that retrieves the article during circulation with the circulation device, the supply control device includes: a detection unit that detects the article circulating with the circulation device, and a position of the article; a measurement unit that measures a number of the articles in a predetermined region on the circulation device, based on detection results of the detection unit; and a control unit that controls a speed of circulation of the circulation device according to the number of the articles in the predetermined region measured by the measurement unit.

In one embodiment, an information collecting apparatus has a sensor, an arm, an arm drive mechanism, and a processor. The processor controls the arm drive mechanism to make the arm operate, and thereby makes the sensor move in the vicinity of an article arranged in a shelf. The processor acquires information indicating a state of the article to be measured by the sensor.

A production system includes a manufacturing apparatus, a post-processing apparatus, conveyors for transporting workpieces manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus to the post-processing apparatus, an image sensor arranged above a conveyor connected to the manufacturing apparatus to recognize workpieces traveling on the conveyor and measure the workpiece density on the conveyor, a robot that picks each workpiece on the conveyor connected to the manufacturing apparatus, and a controller. The controller performs a first task for identifying each workpiece position on the conveyor using a recognition result from the image sensor and causing the robot to pick a target workpiece, a second task for processing in the manufacturing apparatus, a third task for processing in the post-processing apparatus, and a fourth task for adjusting a processing capability of the manufacturing apparatus and/or the post-processing apparatus using the workpiece density measured by the image sensor.