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Acoustical/optical bin picking system

  • US 4,985,846 A
  • Filed: 05/11/1989
  • Issued: 01/15/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1989
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A system for gripping with a robot manipulator a randomly oriented shaped object having a predetermined feature, said manipulator gripping said object in a predetermined orientation, said system comprising:

  • memory means for storing an image of said object, said stored image of said object showing said predetermined feature on said object in said predetermined orientation;

    acoustic transducer means mounted on said manipulator for emitting and receiving acoustic signals and converting said acoustic signals received to electrical signals;

    first control means for sluing said manipulator over a predetermined area within which said object is located and for evaluating said received electrical signals to locate said object and generate a bearing signal representative of the bearing and distance to said object;

    video means for capturing a current image of said object at said bearing and comparing said image with said stored image of said object to identify and locate said feature on said object;

    means for calculating a drive bearing to the centroid of said object from the location of said feature and said bearing signal and moving said manipulator along said drive bearing to a predetermined distance from said object;

    acoustic transducer array means mounted on said manipulator emitting and receiving acoustic signals and converting said received signals to electrical signals proportional to the aspect of said object when said manipulator is positioned said predetermined distance from said object along said drive bearing;

    second control means for interpreting said electrical signals from said array means and comparing said signals to said stored image to produce an error drive signal to said manipulator, said error drive signal being proportional to the error between said aspect of said object and the position of said manipulator, said drive signal moving said manipulator along said drive bearing to null said error drive signal thus orienting said manipulator to grip said object in said predetermined orientation when said error drive signal is nulled.

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