METHODS AND APPARATUS TO FACILITATE OPERATIONS IN IMAGE BASED SYSTEMS

• US 20100092032A1
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roboticvisiontech LLC
• Original Assignee: Roboticvisiontech LLC
• Inventors: Boca, Remus
• Granted Patent: US 8,559,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1679 characterised by the tasks executed
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39508 Reorientation of object, orient, regrasp object
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40014 Gripping workpiece to place it in another place

Abstract

Vision based systems may select actions based on analysis of images to redistribute objects. Actions may include action type, action axis and/or action direction. Analysis may determine whether an object is accessible by a robot, whether an upper surface of a collection of objects meet a defined criteria and/or whether clusters of objects preclude access.

Claims

1. A method of operating an image based system, the method comprising:

acquiring an image of an area in which a plurality of objects may reside;

computationally analyzing the acquired image for a respective representation of any of the objects;

based on the computational analysis of the acquired image, computationally determining a preferred action from a plurality of different possible non-object picking actions that cause movement of the objects in the area, if any, without physically picking any of the objects; and

communicatively transmitting at least one signal to cause the determined preferred action to occur.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the computational analysis of the acquired image, computationally determining whether to cause movement of the objects in the area, if any.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein computationally determining whether to cause movement of the objects in the area includes determining whether any of the objects are currently positioned for engagement by a robot member without causing the movement.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein computationally determining whether to cause movement of the objects in the area includes determining whether an upper surface level of the objects is within a defined threshold across at least a portion of the area.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein computationally determining whether to cause movement of the objects in the area includes computationally determining whether at least one representation of at least one object appears in the acquired image and a representation of at least one object in the image indicates that a robot member is capable of physically engaging at least one of the objects.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein computationally determining a preferred action from a plurality of different possible non-object picking actions that cause movement of the objects in the area without physically picking any of the objects includes determining which of the different possible non-object picking actions has a highest likelihood of exposing at least one of the objects.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein computationally determining a preferred action from a plurality of different possible non-object picking actions that cause movement of the objects in the area without physically picking any of the objects includes computationally generating a representation of a current upper surface level of the objects from the acquired image, and determining at least one movement calculated to move the current upper surface level toward a desired upper surface level.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein computationally determining a preferred action from a plurality of different possible non-object picking actions that cause movement to the objects in the area without physically picking any of the objects includes determining which of the different possible non-object picking actions has a highest likelihood of distributing the objects to achieve a more uniform upper surface level.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein computationally determining a preferred action from a plurality of different possible non-object picking actions that cause movement to the objects in the area without physically picking any of the objects includes determining at least one axis about or at least one direction in which to at least one of tilt the area, shake the area, sweep the objects or blow the objects.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein computationally determining a preferred action from a plurality of different possible non-object picking actions that cause movement of the objects in the area without physically picking any of the objects includes determining a preferred action based at least in part on at least one of a geometry of a container that carries the objects, a size of the objects or a geometry of the objects.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein computationally analyzing the acquired image for a respective representation of any of the objects includes identifying a cluster of the objects and computationally determining a preferred action from a plurality of different possible non-object picking actions that cause movement of the objects in the area without physically picking any of the objects includes determining an action to disperse the cluster of the objects.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein communicatively transmitting at least one signal to cause the determined preferred action to occur includes transmitting the at least one signal to at least one of a robotic controller that controls a robotic arm or at least one actuator coupled to a move a table or container on which the objects are carried.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein computationally analyzing the acquired image for a respective representation of any of the objects includes performing at least one of a feature recognition, a registration or a pose estimation for at least one of the objects based on the respective representation of the object in the acquired image.

14. An image based system, comprising:

at least one image acquisition device that acquires an image of an area in which a plurality of objects may reside;

at least one processor; and

at least one processor-readable storage medium that stores processor executable instructions that cause the processor to;

analyze the acquired image for a respective representation of any of the objects;

based on the analysis of the acquired image, determine a preferred action from a plurality of different possible non-object picking actions that cause movement of the objects in the area, if any, without physically picking any of the objects; and

transmit at least one signal to cause the determined preferred action to occur.

15. The image based system of claim 14, further comprising:

at least one robot selectively positionable to physically pick at least one of the objects.

16. The image based system of claim 15 wherein the at least one robot is positionable to cause movement of the objects in accordance with the at least one signal.

17. The image based system of claim 15, further comprising:

a support structure on which the objects are carried; and

at least one actuator coupled to physically move the support structure in accordance with the at least one signal.

18. A method of operating an image based system, the method comprising:

repeatedly acquiring images of an area in which a number of objects may reside;

computationally identifying one or more clusters of the objects in the acquired image;

computationally selecting an action to disperse the one or more clusters of the objects from a plurality of different possible actions without physically removing any of the objects from the area, based at least in part on a characteristic of the identified one or more clusters; and

providing a signal that causes the selected action.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein computationally selecting an action to disperse the one or more clusters based at least in part on a characteristic of the identified one or more clusters includes computationally generating a representation of an upper surface level of the one or more clusters of objects from the acquired image, and determining at least one direction or axis of movement to adjust the upper surface level of the one or more clusters toward a defined upper surface level.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

engaging at least one of the objects with a robotic member; and

performing the desired action while the robotic member engages at least one of the objects.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein computationally selecting an action to disperse the one or more clusters of the objects from a plurality of different possible actions without physically removing any of the objects from the area, based at least in part on a characteristic of the identified one or more clusters includes identifying an action type and at least one of an action axis or an action direction.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein computationally selecting an action to disperse the one or more clusters based at least in part on a characteristic of the identified one or more clusters includes determining at least one direction or axis of movement based at least in part on at least one representation of at least one surface of a container or a support structure that carries the objects.

23. An image based system, comprising:

at least one image acquisition device that repeatedly acquires images of an area in which a plurality of objects may reside;

at least one processor; and

at least one processor-readable storage medium that stores processor executable instructions that cause the processor to;

identify one or more clusters of the objects in the acquired image;

select an action to disperse the one or more clusters of the objects from a plurality of different possible actions that do not physically remove any of the objects from the area, based at least in part on a characteristic of the identified one or more clusters; and

provide a signal that causes the selected action.

24. The image based system of claim 23 wherein the instructions cause the processor to select an action to disperse the one or more clusters based at least in part on a characteristic of the identified one or more clusters by generating a representation of an upper surface level of the one or more clusters of objects from the acquired image, and determining at least one direction or axis of movement to adjust the upper surface level of the one or more clusters toward a defined upper surface level.

25. The image based system of claim 23, further comprising:

at least one robot selectively positionable to physically remove at least one of the objects from the area.

26. The image based system of claim 23 wherein the at least one robot is selectively positionable to cause movement of a support structure on which the one or more objects are carried, in accordance with the at least one signal.

27. The image based system of claim 23, further comprising:

a support structure on which the objects are carried; and

at least one actuator coupled to physically move the support structure in accordance with the at least one signal.