Moveable apparatuses having robotic manipulators and conveyors to facilitate object movement

• US 9,492,924 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrinsic Innovation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Industrial Perception, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bradski, Gary, Croft, Steve, Konolige, Kurt, Rublee, Ethan, Straszheim, Troy, Zevenbergen, John
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US15/182,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20160288324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 153 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/00 Accessories fitted to manipulators, e.g. for monitoring, for viewing; Safety devices combined with or specially adapted for use in connection with manipulators safety-devices in general F16P; protection against radiation in general G21F
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/021 Optical sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1612 characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/163 learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1671 characterised by simulation, either to verify existing program or to create and verify new program, CAD/CAM oriented, graphic oriented programming systems
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1687 Assembly, peg and hole, palletising, straight line, weaving pattern movement
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 41/008 frames mounted on wheels or caterpillar for movement on rail tracks B65G41/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/46 and distributing, e.g. automatically, to desired points in tube mail systems B65G51/36
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/50 according to destination signals stored in separate systems
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 61/00 Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 67/065 Manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring the packages from one station to another, e.g. from a conveyor to a creel trolley
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/254 Projection of a pattern, viewing through a pattern, e.g. moiré
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31312 Identify pallet, bag, box code
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39391 Visual servoing, track end effector with camera image feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40053 : Pick 3-D object from pile of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40298 : Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40442 : Voxel map, 3-D grid map
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40543 : Identification and location, position of components, objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 : Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 : Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 : involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 : Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/529 : from texture
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/55 : from multiple images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 : from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 : Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 : Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 : Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 : using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 : Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/02 : Arm motion controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/06 : Communication with another machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/09 : Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 : Optical

Abstract

Example embodiments provide for robotic apparatuses that facilitate moving objects within an environment, such as to load or unload boxes or to construct or deconstruct pallets (e.g., from a container or truck bed). One example apparatus includes a horizontal conveyor and a robotic manipulator that are both provided on a moveable cart. A first end of the robotic manipulator is mounted to the moveable cart and a second end of the robotic manipulator has an end effector, such as a grasper. The apparatus also includes a control system configured to receive sensor data indicative of an environment containing a plurality of objects, and then cause the robotic manipulator to place an object from the plurality of objects on the horizontal conveyor.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a moveable cart;

a conveyor provided on the moveable cart, wherein the conveyor is configured to provide locomotion in a first direction;

a moveable base provided on a top surface of the moveable cart;

a robotic manipulator having a first end mounted to the moveable base and a second end having an end effector;

an actuator configured to move the moveable base horizontally relative to the moveable cart; and

a control system configured to;

receive sensor data indicative of an environment containing an object;

cause the actuator to move the moveable base horizontally relative to the moveable cart to position the robotic manipulator to move the object onto the conveyor; and

cause the robotic manipulator to move the object onto the conveyor to provide locomotion to the object in the first direction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator is further configured to:

slide moveable base in a forward direction relative to the moveable cart; and

slide the moveable base in a backward direction relative to the moveable cart, wherein the backward direction is opposite the forward direction.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator is further configured to slide moveable base in each of a forward direction, a backward direction, a left direction, and a right direction relative to the moveable cart.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator is further configured to move the moveable base horizontally relative to the moveable cart in a second direction that is opposite the first direction of locomotion provided by the conveyor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises a first segment and a second segment, wherein the first segment is configured to provide locomotion toward the second segment, and wherein the second segment is configured to provide locomotion in the first direction.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the first segment comprises a frame and a plurality of rollers rotatably coupled to the frame;

the apparatus further comprises an actuator coupled between the moveable cart and the frame; and

the control system is further configured to cause the actuator to extend the first segment away from the moveable cart.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the moveable cart is a holonomic cart comprising at least one wheel having two degrees of freedom of movement.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a moveable cart;

a conveyor provided on the moveable cart, wherein the conveyor is configured to provide locomotion in a first direction;

a vertical support coupled to the moveable cart;

a robotic manipulator having a first end coupled to the vertical support and a second end having an end effector;

an actuator configured to move the robotic manipulator vertically along the vertical support relative to the moveable cart; and

a control system configured to;

receive sensor data indicative of an environment containing an object;

cause the actuator to move the robotic manipulator vertically along the vertical support to position the robotic manipulator to move the object onto the conveyor; and

cause the robotic manipulator to move the object onto the conveyor to provide locomotion to the object in the first direction.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the vertical support comprises a pole, and wherein the actuator is configured to slide the robotic manipulator up and down along the pole.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the conveyor comprises a first segment and a second segment, wherein the first segment is configured to provide locomotion toward the second segment, and wherein the second segment is configured to provide locomotion in the first direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the first segment comprises a frame and a plurality of rollers rotatably coupled to the frame;

the apparatus further comprises an actuator coupled between the moveable cart and the frame; and

the control system is further configured to cause the actuator to extend the first segment away from the moveable cart.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the moveable cart is a holonomic cart comprising at least one wheel having two degrees of freedom of movement.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a moveable cart;

a first robotic manipulator mounted to the moveable cart;

a second robotic manipulator mounted to the moveable cart;

a conveyor provided on the moveable cart, wherein the conveyor comprises;

a first segment extending along a top surface of the moveable cart from a first side of the moveable cart to a second side of the moveable cart between the first robotic manipulator and the second robotic manipulator;

a second segment coupled to and vertically aligned with the first segment and extending along a first portion of the first side; and

a third segment coupled to and vertically aligned with the first segment and extending along a second portion of the first side; and

a control system configured to;

receive sensor data indicative of an environment containing a first object and a second object;

cause the first robotic manipulator to place the first object on the conveyor; and

cause the second robotic manipulator to place the second object on the conveyor.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first segment of the conveyor is positioned between the first robotic manipulator and the second robotic manipulator.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first segment of the conveyor is centered on the top surface of the moveable cart.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second segment of the conveyor is configured to provide locomotion toward the first segment of the conveyor, and wherein the third segment of the conveyor is configured to provide locomotion toward the first segment of the conveyor.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first segment of the conveyor is configured to provide locomotion in a first direction, the second segment of the conveyor is configured to provide locomotion in a second direction, and the third segment of the conveyor is configured to provide locomotion in a third direction.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second direction is opposite the third direction.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein first direction is perpendicular to each of the second direction and the third direction.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the moveable cart is a holonomic cart comprising at least one wheel having two degrees of freedom of movement.