a table having a placement surface for placing a plurality of articles;

an article dispersing mechanism for dispersing the articles placed on said placement surface of said table across said placement surface;

a vision sensor for detecting each of the articles dispersed on said placement surface of said table; and

a robot operating, based on article detection data from said vision sensor, to hold the articles one by one;

said article dispersing mechanism comprising:

a partition member capable of producing a relative motion in relation to said table, said partition member being disposed in proximity to said placement surface with a gap defined therebetween, to divide a space adjoining said placement surface into a first region to which the articles are brought and a second region at which said robot operates to hold the articles transferred from said first region; and

a drive control section for causing said relative motion between said table and said partition member in accordance with a program describing a mode of said relative motion;

wherein said drive control section causes, in accordance with said program, said relative motion in a first direction and said relative motion in a second direction opposite to said first direction, and

wherein a certain number of articles are dispersed, as a result of said relative motion in said first direction and said relative motion in said second direction produced under a control of said drive control section, to permit the articles to pass through said gap on said placement surface, and are transferred from said first region to said second region.