DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TRAY TRANSFER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tray transfer device capable of detecting whether or not a tray is present and a tray height by a simple structure, and a method used in the same. SOLUTION: The tray transfer device includes: a plurality of trays 10 which can be respectively stacked in a plurality of loading spaces (a), b and c; a tray grasping part 11 provided on the tray; a hand 12 capable of grasping a workpiece 1 mounted on the tray; a camera 14 attached to the hand for imaging the tray from upward; a robot 16 capable of three-dimensionally moving the hand; and a robot controller 20 for image-processing the image recorded by the camera to control the robot. A position and a posture of the tray grasping part 11 on the uppermost stage and the number of the trays 10 stacked in each loading space are measured based on the image 5 recorded from the above of each loading space, and the tray 10 on the uppermost stage is transferred and the workpiece 1 in the uppermost tray is transferred based on the measurement. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT